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Timberwolves’ Lloyd Among Hornets’ Front Office Candidates

February 28th, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves executive Matt Lloyd is among the “prime names” to watch as the Hornets seek a new head of basketball operations, Marc Stein reports in his latest article at Substack.

Lloyd is the senior vice president of basketball operations under Tim Connelly in Minnesota. He was one of Connelly’s first hires back in 2022 after having previously served in Orlando’s front office as an assistant general manager, interim GM, and VP of basketball operations. Lloyd also had a lengthy stint in the Bulls’ front office earlier in his career.

A report earlier this month indicated that Hornets president of basketball operations and general manager Mitch Kupchak would be moving into an advisory role with the franchise. While Kupchak continues to serve as the head of basketball operations while the team searches for his replacement, the expectations is that Charlotte will make a hire by the end of the regular season.

Stein also names Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon and Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson as “prime” contenders for the Hornets job. Both Langdon and Peterson were identified as candidates in multiple previous reports, with Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer referring to Langdon as one of the potential frontrunners.

Langdon is the No. 2 executive in New Orleans’ front office under David Griffin and has been connected to other general manager jobs in the past. Langdon withdrew from the Kings’ front office search following some initial interest from Sacramento back in 2020 and interviewed for the Wizards’ top job in 2023.

According to Stein, the Nets are believed to have strong interest in retaining Peterson as a top lieutenant under Sean Marks and may offer him a promotion and/or a raise, which was previously reported. Peterson was in Atlanta’s front office when one of the new Hornets co-owners, Rick Schnall, was part of the Hawks’ ownership group.

Sixers general manager Elton Brand was named as another possible frontrunner for the Hornets’ position, but a report two weeks ago indicated that he would remain in Philadelphia rather than pursuing the top job in Charlotte.

Hornets Sign Aleksej Pokusevski

February 28th, 2024 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 28: The Hornets have officially signed Pokusevski, the team announced today in a press release. Charlotte terminated Bolden’s 10-day contract early in order to open up a roster spot (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 27: The Hornets are expected to sign forward Aleksej Pokusevski, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Pokusevski became a free agent after being cut by the Thunder last Friday and clearing waivers on Sunday.

The No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Pokusevski showed plenty of promise in his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons in Oklahoma City, but his development was hindered by health issues. He was limited to just 34 games (25 starts) in 2022/23 due largely to a leg fracture that sidelined him for about three months, then broke his arm during a workout in the spring of 2023 and sprained his ankle this past September.

Pokusevski got off to a strong start in ’22/23, averaging 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game across his 34 appearances, with career-best shooting rates of 43.4% from the field and 36.5% from the three-point line. But those injuries ended the seven-footer’s season early and he only saw garbage-time action in 10 games this season for the Thunder, logging 60 total minutes.

While Pokusevski theoretically could’ve been included in the trade that sent Gordon Hayward to Oklahoma City earlier this month, the Hornets instead acquired Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, and Davis Bertans in that deal. The Thunder subsequently waived the 22-year-old, who was on an expiring $5MM contract and was no longer part of their future plans.

Now the Hornets are in position to add Pokusevski at a lower cost, though the exact details of his new deal have yet to be reported, so it’s unclear if he’ll earn more than the minimum or if the team will get any control beyond this season.

Charlotte currently has a full 15-man standard roster. However, one of the team’s 15 players – Marques Bolden – is on a 10-day contract that will expire this Thursday night. Pokusevski figures to take Bolden’s roster spot, either after that 10-day deal expires or perhaps earlier, if the Hornets terminate it before the 10-day mark.

Despite a recent hot streak, the Hornets remain well out of the Eastern Conference play-in picture at 15-42, so they’ll be able to use the final month-and-a-half of the season to get a look at Pokusevski in relatively low-stakes games.

Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Still Unable To Sprint

February 27th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There is increasing concern about the progress of Lonzo Ball‘s rehab, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Ball was supposed to begin sprinting in January, but that still hasn’t happened, per Cowley. The Bulls point guard hasn’t played since January 2022. He has undergone three surgeries on his left knee since then, including a cartilage transplant last March.

“I don’t know if he’s stuck,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He is doing some shooting, some running, some jumping. He hasn’t done any sprinting yet, that I know.”

Donovan stopped short of calling it a setback.

“They talked about that, and (sprinting) was kind of a goal, a setpoint,” he said. “I do think the one thing that has been a priority right now so he does not get set back is he needs to develop more strength in his leg. Because of him having that surgery and being off his leg so long, before he’s really able to ramp up I think they want him to get to a place physically that relates to his quad strength, hamstring strength, before he starts to really do that. I don’t want to say it’s a holdup, but that’s where they want to get him to. In terms of what he’s doing, he feels better.”

Most of Ball’s rehab work this season has been done in Los Angeles, though he has spent some time in Chicago. The veteran guard expressed optimism last summer that his latest procedure would eventually get him back in action.

Ball holds a player option of approximately $21.4MM on the final year of his contract. It’s a virtual certainty he’ll opt it, given how long he’s been sidelined. It’s too soon to know how his body will respond once he progresses to sprinting and basketball-related drills, but there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll return to action next season.

Chicago has lost Ball’s former backcourt partner Zach LaVine to a season-ending foot injury this season. Power forward Patrick Williams has also been lost for the season with his own foot issues.

Klay Thompson Wants To Re-Sign Despite Sixth Man Role

February 27th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Klay Thompson‘s new role as a sixth man will not make him less inclined to re-sign with the Warriors, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Thompson, who will be an unrestricted free agent in July if he doesn’t reach an extension agreement with Golden State, came off the bench for the fifth consecutive game on Tuesday.

“You’ve still got to examine all of your options, but I would love to be a Warrior for life,” Thompson said. “Whatever happens though, I’ve got a few more years to play this game, so I’m gonna enjoy every second. I realize that I see light at the end of the tunnel, (and) I’m not sure if I want to play until I’m 40, man. That sounds really exhausting.”

Thompson had a 35-point game against Utah the first time he came off the bench. He scored 23 first-half points against Denver in Golden State’s last game on Sunday and is averaging 18.1 points per night in his reserve role. Until this month, he hadn’t come off the bench since his rookie season.

While Thompson is adamant that moving a bench isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s uncertain whether Golden State’s ownership and front office are willing to go deeper into the luxury tax and above the tax aprons to retain him. Amick hears that Thompson has received no assurances from management that his desire to remain with the Warriors will be a shared priority this summer.

Coach Steve Kerr, who just signed a contract extension, said Thompson has handled his new role with class.

“He’s been great,” Kerr said. “His approach feels so much better than it was even a few weeks ago. This has been an emotional season for him. You guys know this. He’s been grappling with his mortality in some ways as an athlete. He knows how good he was six years ago, and he’s had a hard time reconciling everything after the injuries. The thing that we keep trying to convince him of is he’s still a hell of a player. But he’s at his best when he’s not pressing and he’s not stressed out (or) worried about trying to be the guy he was six years ago.”

His teammates are grateful for the way he’s accepted being a sixth man.

“We can’t win without him being good or without him being a key piece,” big man Kevon Looney said. “Whether that’s starting or off the bench, we’re not contending without him being special. We all care about him. We all want him to succeed. We all want him to be great. So when he’s not doing well or his energy’s not great, it kind of weighs on everybody else. He knows that.”

Steve Kerr Signs Two-Year Extension With Warriors

February 27th, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Rory Maher

FEBRUARY 27: The Warriors have officially signed Kerr to his extension, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

“We’re excited that Coach Kerr will continue to lead our team in the coming years with his well-deserved contract extension,” Joe Lacob said in a statement. “Steve has played an immense role in our success over the last decade, success that has been duplicated by very few coaches in NBA history. His resumes as both a player and coach are astonishing, but not surprising, because his management skills and integrity as a person are off-the-charts and on display every single day. Simply put, he is the kind of individual you want leading your team and his championship pedigree is beyond impressive.”

FEBRUARY 23: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is signing a two-year, $35MM contract extension, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Kerr will reportedly become the highest-paid coach in the league when his new deal kicks in next season. As Wojnarowski observes, Gregg Popovich technically makes more annually, but he’s also San Antonio’s president of basketball operations.

Now in his 10th season as the Warriors’ lead coach, Kerr holds a career regular season record of 501-264 (.655) and has accumulated a 99-41 (.707) playoff record, winning four championships and making six Finals appearances during that span.

Kerr also won five championships with the Bulls and Spurs across 15 seasons as a role player in the NBA, with other stops in Phoenix, Cleveland, Orlando and Portland. While he was limited in other areas, he was an elite shooter, with a career slash line of .479/.454/.864 across 910 regular season games (17.8 MPG).

Owner Joe Lacob has expressed confidence about retaining Kerr for the past several months, including as recently as last week, and now a deal has finally come to fruition. The 58-year-old was in the final year of his contract.

While Kerr’s coaching record speaks for itself, the Warriors have certainly had their challenges in 2023/24, with Draymond Green being suspended multiple times and at one point Jonathan Kuminga reportedly losing faith in Kerr. However, after discussing the situation with the veteran coach, Kuminga has gone on to play the best stretch of basketball of his career.

Kerr’s extension aligns with the remaining years that Stephen Curry is under contract, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), who confirms the news. Both Kerr and Curry now have deals that run through 2025/26.

Kerr’s contract situation is now resolved, but Klay Thompson — another key member of Golden State’s dynasty — remains an impending free agent. Lacob has said he hopes Thompson will remain a Warrior for the rest of his career.

After going 9-2 over their past 11 games, the Warriors are currently 28-26, the No. 10 seed in the West.

NBA’s Competition Committee Reviewing Offense/Defense Balance

February 27th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Amid a record-setting offensive season across the NBA, the league’s competition committee has formally launched a review into whether it needs to implement rule changes to achieve a better balance of offense and defense, according to Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.

“It is a topic that we’re monitoring,” the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told ESPN. “We’re diving in right now to make sure that we’re on the right side of this.”

According to Basketball-Reference, NBA teams are averaging 115.4 points per game so far this season, which is the highest mark since 1969/70.

Scoring has steadily been on the rise since teams averaged just 93.4 points per game during the 2003/04 season. As Bontemps and Pelton detail, the NBA cracked down on defensive hand-checking after that season, which resulted in an immediate increase in scoring, albeit a relatively modest one compared to today’s numbers.

ESPN’s duo suggests that the recent inflation in points per game is more about teams getting smarter about how they attack defenses. The NBA record for effective field goal percentage has been broken in eight of the past nine seasons as teams focus on taking higher-percentage shot attempts.

“More high-percentage shots, which are shots at the rim and three-point shots, are going to lead to more points,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said last month. “Most everybody’s kind of got that as their theme of how they’re playing.”

According to Bontemps and Pelton, the league-wide free throw percentage is at an all-time high this season (78.3%), while turnovers per game (13.6) are the lowest they’ve been since the league began tracking that stat in 1970/71. This season’s three-point percentage (36.7%) is also tied for an NBA record.

Speaking earlier this month to Shaun Powell of NBA.com, commissioner Adam Silver disagreed with the premise that teams’ effort on defense has waned, suggesting that it has simply become more difficult than ever to slow down “the most skilled athletes on the planet.” Silver didn’t rule out the possibility that minor rule tweaks may be necessary.

“Some of that might be minor adjustments in terms of how much physicality is allowed by defensive players,” Silver said. “Even though some of the very people who are complaining about too much offense are the first in many cases to say, ‘My guy isn’t getting the calls he deserves.’ The good news is the game has never been better. These are addressable issues.”

Although the NBA is looking into the subject, the league office will be wary about introducing any changes that swing the scale too far in the other direction. Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who was a member of the Pistons team that lost a low-scoring, low-rated 2005 NBA Finals against San Antonio, suggested last month that the league would prefer a little too much scoring as opposed to not enough.

“When defense was prioritized like that, the game wasn’t as popular. It’s not fun to watch that,” Billups said. “(The 2005 Finals) changed the game. Because if you get to the pinnacle like that, and the ratings are that poor, something has to change. Well that’s what we’ve seen. And that’s why offense is so elevated. And that’s what sells tickets.”

For what it’s worth, Dumars tells ESPN that the league is simply examining the issue for the time being and isn’t on the verge of making any changes.

“It’s not to that point yet,” Dumars said. “We’re diving (into the data) right now and just a ton of film and putting together a ton of reels to be able to look at this and go, ‘OK, yeah, we do have a problem.’ But you don’t make changes like that just on an anecdotal call.”

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Pistons’ Williams Blasts Refs After Loss For “Worst Call Of The Season”

February 27th, 2024 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

Two weeks after narrowly losing a game in Houston following a blown last-second call, the Knicks benefited from a missed call late in a two-point home victory over Detroit on Monday.

As Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press and Tim Bontemps of ESPN detail, the Knicks were trailing 111-110 in the game’s final minute and lost control of the ball with 10 seconds left. As Pistons guard Ausar Thompson began dribbling up the court, Knicks wing Donte DiVincenzo dove into him, jarring the ball loose (Twitter video links). No foul was called on DiVincenzo as the Knicks recovered the loose ball and Josh Hart scored the game-winning basket en route to a 113-111 victory.

“Where’s the New York media now?” Pistons head coach Monty Williams said after the game. “The absolute worst call of the season. No call. And enough’s enough. We’ve done it the right way, we’ve called the league, we’ve sent in clips. We’re sick of hearing the same stuff over and over again. We had a chance to win the game and a guy dove into Ausar’s legs, and it was a no-call.

“That’s an abomination. You cannot miss that in an NBA game, period, and I’m tired of talking about it, I’m tired of our guys asking me, ‘What more can we do, coach?’ That situation is Exhibit A to what we’ve been dealing with all season long, and enough’s enough.

“You cannot dive into a guy’s legs in a big-time game like that and there be a no-call. It’s ridiculous, and we’re tired of it. We just want a fair game called. Period. And I’ve got nothing else to say. We want a fair game, and that was not fair.”

In the pool report conducted by Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press after the game, crew chief James Williams admitted that the officials got the call wrong.

“Upon postgame review, we determined that Thompson gets to the ball first, and then was deprived of the opportunity to gain possession of the ball,” Williams said. “Therefore, a loose ball foul should have been whistled on New York’s Donte DiVincenzo.”

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham described the team as “livid” after the game, while Thompson admitted he was surprised when the play continued without a foul being called.

“I was very confused when I was on the ground and the play kept going, I’m not going to lie,” Thompson said. “But, I mean, that’s how it goes.”

As Sankofa writes, the officiating has been a sore spot for Williams and the Pistons all season — the club has been whistled for an NBA-high 21.9 fouls per game while losing 49 of 57 contests. Still, Williams’ post-game comments on Monday were his strongest indictment yet of a game’s referees and seem likely to warrant the league’s attention.

Williams was fined last March when he was coaching the Suns for his comments about the officiating following a loss to the Lakers, but hasn’t faced any penalties from the league for his comments to the press so far this season. That could change as soon as later today.

Wizards’ Isaiah Livers To Miss Rest Of Season

February 26th, 2024 at 4:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards forward Isaiah Livers will miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season due to joint capsule inflammation in his right hip, the team’s PR department tweets.

Livers, who was traded along with Marvin Bagley III and two second-round picks for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in mid-January, has been beset by injuries during his young career.

The third-year forward has yet to make his Washington debut due to a combination of being out of the rotation and the hip issue. Livers appeared in 23 games (six starts) for Detroit this season, averaging 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 20.4 minutes. He missed nearly a month of action after suffering an ankle sprain during a pre-training camp workout.

Livers saw action in 52 games last season, his second in the league after being drafted in the second round by the Pistons in 2021. He missed 20 games as a result of a right shoulder sprain.

Livers had a foot injury stemming from his college career at Michigan when he was drafted. That limited him to 19 games in his rookie year. Overall, he’s seen action in 94 career games.

He’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason if the Wizards extend him a qualifying offer worth a projected $2.37MM.

LeBron James Reportedly Seeking Nine-Figure Deal With Lakers

February 26th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James is hoping to negotiate a new contract with the Lakers this summer that will pay him “nine figures” over the next three years, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on a recent edition of First Take (video link).

“I don’t think this is LeBron’s last stand, I don’t think this is the Lakers’ last stand,” Windhorst said. “First off, I think LeBron is angling to sign a multiyear deal in the offseason with the Lakers that will be nine figures. That will be even bigger than the deal he is on now. Now, whether or not he’s able to finish that deal, whether or not the Lakers want to give him a three-year contract and pay him $60 million when he’s 42 years old, that’s a different discussion.”

James, who turned 39 in December, is earning $47.6MM this season and faces a decision on a $51.4MM player option for next year. He could come back to the Lakers for that amount, opt to test free agency or pursue a long-term deal that might keep him in L.A. through the end of his career. Windhorst believes that’s his preference if Lakers management is willing to cooperate.

James continues to perform at a remarkable level for someone his age, averaging 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.9 assists through 51 games in his 21st NBA season. He appeared in his 20th consecutive All-Star Game earlier this month.

James has said in the past that he would like to team up with his son, Bronny, who’s currently a freshman at USC, although there has been speculation that LeBron has softened that stance and would be happy if they’re both in the NBA at the same time. Regardless, the younger James’ draft status will be a story to watch this summer with his father approaching a decision on free agency.

LeBron has also expressed a desire to keep contending for championships in the latter part of his career. Although the Lakers didn’t make any significant moves at the trade deadline, they’re expected to be more aggressive about upgrading the roster this summer when general manager Rob Pelinka will have three future first-round picks to trade.

Five Players Suspended For Friday Altercation Between Heat, Pelicans

February 25th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat big man Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado have been suspended three games apiece for leaving the bench area and fighting during an on-court altercation on Friday in New Orleans, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Additionally, Heat forward Jimmy Butler and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall will face one-game suspensions for instigating the incident, while Heat forward Nikola Jovic will be suspended for one game for leaving Miami’s bench area and entering the fracas, per the league.

The incident began when Heat forward/center Kevin Love wrapped up Zion Williamson as the Pelicans star attempted a layup early in the fourth quarter (Twitter video link). Marshall objected to the play and rushed to confront Love, resulting in Marshall and Butler getting into a shoving match, with players and coaches from both teams looking to intercede.

The altercation escalated briefly, then seemed to be cooling down before Bryant and Alvarado exchanged heated words and threw punches in front of the scorer’s table (Twitter video link). Butler, Bryant, Marshall, and Alvarado were all ejected from the game, which Miami eventually won.

The Pelicans will host the Bulls on Sunday, so Marshall will serve his one-game suspension tonight, while Alvardo will begin serving his three-game ban. Alvarado will miss games in New York on Tuesday and Indiana on Wednesday as well.

With Dyson Daniels (left knee) and CJ McCollum (left ankle) also unavailable for the Pelicans on Sunday and Williamson (left foot) and Brandon Ingram (non-COVID illness) considered questionable, the team recalled a handful of players – Jalen Crutcher, E.J. Liddell, Malcolm Hill, and Dereon Seabron – from the G League on Saturday for depth purposes.

The Heat will be in action on Monday in Sacramento, so Bryant, Butler, and Jovic will miss that game, with Bryant also sitting out the team’s contests in Portland on Tuesday and Denver on Thursday.

The three-game suspensions will cost Bryant $52,308 (of his $2,528,233 salary) and Alvarado $37,988 (of $1,836,096), per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links).

Because he’s on a maximum-salary contract, Butler will forfeit by far the biggest total ($259,968) of any of the five affected players, despite being suspended for just a single game. Jovic will lose $13,517, while Marshall will lose $11,096.

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