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Bronny James To Test NBA Draft Waters

April 5th, 2024 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

USC guard Bronny James – the son of four-time MVP LeBron James – will declare for the 2024 NBA draft in addition to entering the NCAA transfer portal, he announced today (via Instagram).

LeBron’s oldest son, Bronny spent his first college season at USC in 2023/24. His debut was delayed due to a health scare last July, when he suffered cardiac arrest and had to be rushed to a hospital. While he was eventually cleared to play, he made modest contributions for the Trojans, averaging just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game across 25 appearances (six starts).

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the plan is for Bronny to visit and work out for NBA teams, then decide based on the feedback he receives whether to remain in the draft and go pro or return to school for at least one more year.

After his cardiac arrest and a procedure to treat a congenital heart defect, the 19-year-old will need to be evaluated and cleared by the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel before he can work out for teams or participate in May’s draft combine, notes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. However, he’s free to meet with and interview for teams without that clearance.

Once considered by Jonathan Givony of ESPN to be a potential 2024 lottery pick with elite defensive upside, Bronny doesn’t show up in ESPN’s current top-100 list for this year’s draft. The USC freshman seems far less likely to be a one-and-done player than he once did, though agent Rich Paul told ESPN last month that he and Bronny will weigh specific team interest more heavily than draft position. That would mean seeking out the best developmental fit rather than trying to get drafted as high as possible.

Of course, LeBron has long professed a desire to play in the NBA with Bronny, but the Lakers star has dialed back on that talk within the last year or two, stressing that his son will have to make his own decisions and “be his own man,” as Paul told ESPN.

If Bronny does decide to withdraw from the draft and transfer to a new school, Duquesne is one possible landing spot to watch, sources tell Wojnarowski. Dru Joyce, the program’s new head coach, played high school basketball with LeBron and is a longtime family friend, Woj adds.

Jeff Dowtin Signs Rest-Of-Season Deal With Sixers

April 5th, 2024 at 6:44am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

APRIL 5: Dowtin’s promotion to the standard roster is official, the team announced in a press release.

APRIL 4: Point guard Jeff Dowtin will sign a rest-of-season standard contract with the Sixers, sources have informed Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

Dowtin is currently on a two-way contract with Philadelphia. Across the seven contests he has played with the Sixers this season, he has averaged 4.4 PPG on .550/.500/1.000 shooting, along with 2.4 APG and 1.6 RPG.

Dowtin has had a larger role – and posted considerably more impressive numbers – with the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s NBAGL affiliate team. In 20 games for the Blue Coats, including 18 starts, Dowtin has averaged 19.1 PPG (.491/.387/.906 shooting), 5.3 APG, 2.8 RPG and 1.2 SPG.

Since going undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2020, Dowtin has been fairly well-traveled. He began his pro career plying his trade for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League squad, in 2020/21. The team won a title that season. During the ’21/22 season, the 6’3″ guard played for three separate NBA clubs — he suited up for the Warriors on a two-way deal but was later cut and signed 10-day deals with the Bucks and Magic.

The 26-year-old is a frequent flyer with now-Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse. He suited up for Nurse’s last squad, the Raptors, in 2022/23, also on a two-way agreement.

Following the expiration of D.J. Wilson‘s 10-day contract, the 76ers had two open spots on their 15-man standard roster, so no one will have to be waived in order to promote Dowtin and the club will still have one opening remaining. Philadelphia will be able to add a 15th man at some point between now and the end of the regular season, but won’t be able to sign another two-way player, since the deadline for two-way signings passed last month.

Hornets To Interview Lee, Fernandez, Young, Adelman

April 4th, 2024 at 2:20pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have been granted permission to interview a handful of assistant coaches from around the NBA for their head coaching vacancy, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that Charles Lee (Celtics), Jordi Fernandez (Kings), Kevin Young (Suns) and David Adelman (Nuggets) will speak to Charlotte.

Additional candidates are expected to be interviewed for the position, Wojnarowski adds.

Lee, Fernandez and Young were cited as possibilities when Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that Steve Clifford would be stepping down as head coach and moving into an advisory role with the Hornets. Adelman was later added to the list of potential candidates by Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Lee, 39, got his start in Atlanta under Mike Budenholzer and later went with him to Milwaukee, winning a championship as a Bucks assistant in 2021. Lee, who has interviewed for several different head coaching jobs, joined Boston last summer after Budenholzer was fired by the Bucks.

Fernandez, who started in Denver before becoming Mike Brown‘s associate head coach in Sacramento, led the Canadian national team to a bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup. He’s another young coach (he’s 41) who has been a popular candidate for head coaching vacancies the past couple years.

Young, 42, has been with Phoenix since 2020 and was a finalist for the team’s head coaching job last year when Monty Williams was let go. The position ultimately went to Frank Vogel, but Young was retained on a deal that made him the highest-paid assistant in the league (he’s technically the associate head coach).

Adelman, also 42, is Michael Malone‘s top assistant in Denver and has served as interim head coach a few times. He has drawn praise from Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon for his coaching acumen. Adelman, who interviewed for Toronto’s vacancy last year, is the son of longtime former NBA head coach Rick Adelman.

Timberwolves Convert Luka Garza’s Contract To Standard Deal

April 4th, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

1:45pm: Garza has officially been promoted to a standard deal, Minnesota confirmed in a press release.

10:49am: Luka Garza‘s two-way contract is being converted to a standard deal by the Timberwolves, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweets. That will make Garza eligible for postseason action.

Minnesota has an open roster spot, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary to promote the third-year big man.

A former second-round pick, Garza is in his second season with the Timberwolves after having spent his rookie campaign with Detroit in 2021/22. The 6’10” center has appeared in 21 games this season, averaging 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per game. Garza scored 16 points in just nine minutes against Toronto on Wednesday.

The former University of Iowa star will give Timberwolves coach Chris Finch another frontcourt option for the playoffs. Karl-Anthony Towns underwent knee surgery last month and his postseason status is uncertain.

The deadline to sign players to two-way contracts passed a month ago, so Minnesota’s third two-way slot will remain open for the rest of the season once Garza’s promotion is official.

Julius Randle To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

April 4th, 2024 at 9:54am CST by Dana Gauruder

Julius Randle‘s season is over. The Knicks’ star power forward will undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

This development ends a two-month odyssey in which Randle tried diligently to rehab the shoulder, which was dislocated against Miami on Jan. 27. Randle took a hard fall when he crashed into Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez while driving to the basket.

It’s a crushing blow to the Knicks’ hopes of a deep playoff run. Randle was averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 46 games this season.

Initially, the Knicks believed Randle would only be sidelined a few weeks. Early reviews of an MRI he underwent shortly after the injury indicated no significant damage.

However, Randle’s rehab didn’t go as smoothly as anticipated. Medical experts determined that his shoulder’s continued instability made it unsafe for him to play again this season, according to Wojnarowski.

Randle risked permanent damage if he returned to action without first undergoing surgery, two specialists recently warned him.

It’s quite possible that Randle won’t be ready at the start of next season. He will reevaluated in five months after the surgery, the team’s PR department tweets.

The Knicks are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 44-31 record. They’ve lost their last three games and are also without their other starting forward, OG Anunoby, who has been sidelined by a persistent elbow injury.

New York coach Tom Thibodeau started a four-guard lineup against Miami on Tuesday with Josh Hart posing as a very undersized power forward.

Bulls Sign Javonte Green, Waive Terry Taylor

April 4th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have signed swingman Javonte Green for the remainder of the season, the team announced today in a press release.

Chicago used a hardship exception to sign Green to a 10-day contract on March 23, but needs to clear a 15-man roster spot in order to sign him to a rest-of-season deal. To make room for him, the team has waived forward Terry Taylor.

By signing a standard contract, Green is now eligible for the postseason, including the play-in tournament. Chicago is currently tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta.

Green has spent parts of three seasons with Chicago. He was limited to 32 games last season due to a knee injury, which required surgery.

Green signed a training camp deal with Golden State in October, but was waived a few days later. He also appeared in 10 regular season games with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz this season.

In his first 10 days with the Bulls, the 30-year-old appeared in three games, averaging 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per night.

Taylor has been out of the rotation most of the season. He has appeared in 31 games but only averaged 6.1 minutes in those outings. Terry had a $2MM salary this season and a $2.2MM non-guaranteed contract for next season.

Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups Headline 2024 Hall Of Fame Class

April 3rd, 2024 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups will be part of the 2024 Hall of Fame class, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the former NBA stars are being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The full class of 2024 will be formally announced on Saturday at the NCAA Men’s Final Four, but it’s safe to assume that Carter and Billups will be the headliners of this year’s inductees.

Carter, an eight-time All-Star, was named Rookie of the Year in 1999, made a pair of All-NBA teams, and is one of the league’s most memorable Slam Dunk Contest champions. The veteran swingman is also the only player in NBA history to play 22 seasons (1998-2020) and ranks 24th in career points (25,728).

Carter began his NBA career with the Raptors and then spent several seasons with the Nets before also playing for the Magic, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Kings, and Hawks.

Billups, meanwhile, made five All-Star games and three All-NBA teams, along with a pair of All-Defensive squads. The point guard won a championship with the Pistons in 2004, earning NBA Finals MVP honors.

Billups, who is now the head coach of the Trail Blazers, was in the NBA for 17 seasons from 1997-2014, spending time with the Celtics, Raptors, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Clippers in addition to the Nuggets and Pistons, for whom he had his best years. He averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game in 1,043 regular season appearances.

The full list of 2024 Hall of Fame finalists, several of whom may join Carter and Billups in this year’s class, can be found right here.

Steve Clifford To Step Down As Hornets’ Head Coach After Season

April 3rd, 2024 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

10:32am: The Hornets have put out a press release officially confirming the news.

“This is the appropriate time for me to step down,” Clifford said in a statement. “I believe this is best for me and the organization. I’m excited about the future of the Hornets – our young core of players, Jeff’s leadership of our basketball operations and Rick and Gabe’s vision for the organization. I want to thank all the Hornets players and staff for their work the past two seasons and our Hornets fans for their continued support of our team.”

In a statement of his own, Peterson thanked Clifford for his contributions to the franchise and said the search process for a new head coach will begin immediately.

“We will look to hire someone that shares our values and vision in developing our young core and creating a culture and identity based on teamwork, accountability and competitiveness,” Peterson said. “We will conduct a thorough search process to select the best head coach for the Hornets moving forward.”

9:48am: Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will step down from his current position with the franchise at the conclusion of the 2023/24 regular season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Clifford informed his players and assistants of the plan on Wednesday morning and will coach the team’s final seven games.

According to Wojnarowski, Clifford will likely remain with the organization in a front office role. He and the team are working to finalize the details of that potential transition — Woj suggests there’s a desire from management and ownership to have the 62-year-old serve in an advisory role that would allow him to “impact all parts of the organization.”

With the Hornets under new ownership heading into the 2024 offseason, there was a sense that a head coaching change was possible. Charlotte has already undergone an in-season front office overhaul after head of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak moved into an advisory position. He was replaced by former Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson, who was named Charlotte’s executive VP of basketball operations.

However, Wojnarowski says that co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin were open to the idea of bringing back Clifford. The veteran coach decided that he didn’t want to commit to the “year-round grind” of the job for another year and conveyed his intentions early so that the Hornets can immediately begin searching for his successor.

Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Celtics assistant Charles Lee, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, and Suns assistant Kevin Young are among the candidates expected to receive consideration for the permanent job in Charlotte, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) singles out Lee as a candidate to watch, noting that there’s been “a lot of chatter in coaching circles” indicating that he’ll be a strong contender to replace Clifford.

Clifford, who also coached Charlotte from 2013-18, had less success in his second stint with the club, posting a 45-112 (.287) record over the past two seasons. Multiple injuries to star point guard LaMelo Ball hamstrung Clifford and the Hornets, as did the domestic violence charges against Miles Bridges, which cost the forward the entire 2022/23 season.

The team entered ’23/24 with postseason aspirations, but essentially threw in the towel following an injury-plagued first half, trading away veterans Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, and P.J. Washington prior to February’s deadline.

The next Hornets’ head coach will take over a retooling club that has a few promising building blocks, including Ball, rookie wing Brandon Miller, and young center Mark Williams. Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent, though the team hopes to re-sign him. Charlotte also currently has the NBA’s fourth-worst record, putting the franchise in position to land a draft pick in the top half of this year’s lottery and add another core piece.

The Wizards and Nets, who have made in-season coaching changes and currently employ interim replacements, are expected to join the Hornets in seeking new head coaches this spring. It’s possible other clubs will join that list in the coming weeks.

Raptors Sign Malik Williams To 10-Day Deal

April 3rd, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

9:38am: The Raptors have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Williams to a 10-day contract.

8:47am: The Raptors have agreed to sign G League center Malik Williams to a 10-day contract, agent Brian Jungreis tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Williams, 25, went undrafted out of Louisville in 2022, then spent his first professional season in Poland before joining the Sioux Falls Skyforce – Miami’s NBAGL affiliate – for the 2023/24 campaign.

In 42 total Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Skyforce, Williams has averaged 10.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in just 21.5 minutes per contest. Sioux Falls is scheduled to face the Oklahoma City Blue in the Western Conference semifinals of the G League playoffs this week, but will be down a key piece of its frontcourt for that matchup, with Williams headed to Toronto.

The Raptors opened up a spot on their standard 15-man roster on Tuesday night when Kobi Simmons‘ 10-day contract expired. It appears that Simmons, who averaged 5.0 PPG and 3.0 APG in four appearances (16.8 MPG) with Toronto, won’t be getting another contract from the club — unless he’s brought back at the end of the season after Williams’ 10-day deal expires.

As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca points out (via Twitter), with point guard Immanuel Quickley back in the lineup, it makes more sense for the Raptors to use their final roster spot on a big man, given that Kelly Olynyk is the only center who is healthy and available.

Williams will earn $64,343 over the course of his 10 days with the Raptors. Assuming he officially signs on Wednesday, the deal will run through next Friday, April 12, covering six of Toronto’s seven remaining games.

Pistons Sign Jaylen Nowell To 10-Day Contract

April 3rd, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 3: The Pistons have officially announced their 10-day deal with Nowell, confirming the move in a press release (Twitter link). The contract will run through next Friday, April 12, paying Nowell a salary of $124,425.

APRIL 2: The Pistons intend to sign free agent swingman Jaylen Nowell to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After showing promise as a scorer across four seasons with the Timberwolves, Nowell was unable to find a full-season spot on an NBA roster last fall. He signed a non-guaranteed deal with Sacramento, but was waived by the team before the regular season tipped off and ended up spending much of the season with the Stockton Kings in the G League.

In 28 regular season NBAGL games for Stockton, Nowell averaged 17.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .441/.385/.868. He also had a brief stint in Memphis earlier in the season, appearing in nine games for the Grizzlies over the course of two 10-day contracts.

Both of Nowell’s 10-day deals in Memphis were completed via hardship exceptions and it appears that will be the case in Detroit as well. A hardship exception, which allows a team to carry one or more extra players beyond its standard 15, is granted when the team has at least four players who have missed three consecutive games and are expected to remain sidelined for two more weeks.

Quentin Grimes, Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, and Stanley Umude all meet that criteria for the Pistons, so the club will be able to add Nowell to their roster as a 16th man.

Since all four of those players have been ruled out for the season, Detroit will continue to qualify for a hardship exception beyond the expiration of Nowell’s 10-day contract, so he could be re-signed to a second deal — or the team could sign another player on a hardship contract to close out the season.