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Eastern Notes: Cavaliers, Nets, Bulls, Dawkins

June 15th, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

In a conversation this week on the HoopsHype podcast, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reiterated several points that they and other reporters have made in recent weeks, telling listeners that there’s optimism in Cleveland about a Donovan Mitchell extension, the Cavaliers aren’t looking to trade any of their four core players, and James Borrego and Kenny Atkinson look like the top candidates for the Cavs’ head coaching job.

Addressing Mitchell’s contract situation, Scotto notes that the star guard might sign a shorter-term maximum-salary contract that would set him up to get his next deal in 2027 once he has 10 years of NBA service under his belt and qualifies for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap instead of 30%.

Mitchell isn’t the only Cavalier who could sign a big-money extension this offseason. Within a discussion about a potential rookie scale extension for Evan Mobley, Fedor predicts that the Cavs will put a maximum-salary offer on the table for the big man.

“He hasn’t played to that (max) level yet, but there’s so much belief in Evan as a person and him as a player inside this organization,” Fedor said. “… They understand that he’s already one of the elite defensive players in the NBA. That’s already where he’s at, and they believe he can get to a point offensively where he becomes the unicorn type of player they’ve talked about him being since he came into the NBA. I don’t think the Cavaliers are going to hesitate to offer him the max extension.”

Even if Mitchell and Mobley are extended, the Cavaliers would likely have to be “blown away” to consider moving Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, according to Fedor. While the Pelicans have been widely viewed as a potential trade partner Cleveland, Scotto says he doesn’t get the sense Cleveland is all that excited about the idea of trading for Brandon Ingram and then having to sign him to a lucrative new contract.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Despite not having any picks in the 2024 draft and no cap room this offseason, the Nets have several important decisions to make, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required), who examines Nic Claxton‘s free agency, Mikal Bridges‘ future, and the possibility of trading into the draft. According to Lewis, the Nets aren’t interested in acquiring a draft pick just to have one, but they figure to monitor specific targets and prepare to pounce if any of those targets drop past their expected draft range.
Given how many different directions the Bulls‘ offseason could take, there’s no shortage of prospects who might make sense for the team with the No. 11 pick in the draft, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley examines several of those options, including Ron Holland, Cody Williams, and Dalton Knecht. He also mentions center Donovan Clingan, citing a source who says the Bulls have discussed the possibility of trading up from No. 11.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about being accused of shoplifting at a Saks Fifth Avenue in Miami last fall. Dawkins was briefly detained by a security guard and local police before they realized they had the wrong person. Saks issued a formal apology to Dawkins on Thursday.

And-Ones: White, Leonard, Embiid, Haliburton, 2024 Free Agency, More

June 15th, 2024 at 11:25am CST by Tristan Tucker

Derrick White is a real contender to replace Kawhi Leonard on Team USA for this year’s Paris Olympics if Leonard is unable to suit up, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter video link via Clutch Points’ Tomer Azarly).

White’s emerged as one of the league’s best defensive players over the past few seasons and he’s been a large part of Boston’s championship aspirations. This season, White averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steal per game in the regular season while being named to the All-Defensive Second Team. Through 18 playoff games, White is averaging 16.9 PPG.

Leonard was named to the 12-man Olympic roster but battled through knee inflammation toward the end of this season, which kept him out of the Clippers’ final three playoff games. When healthy, Leonard averaged 23.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in 68 games for the Clippers this season.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid was hobbled through the playoffs and missed more than half the regular season but he’s still on track to suit up for Team USA starting next month, according to ESPN. “I’m doing great. Just getting ready for the Olympics,” Embiid said on ABC on Friday night. “It’s going to be big for me because I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.” Embiid chose to play for the United States over France and Cameroon.
Like Embiid, Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton expects to be healthy by the time he suits up for the U.S., according to IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak. “The hamstring is good,” Haliburton said. “… Today I ran for the first time full speed. I got another three weeks before USA. I feel good. I’m really excited to get out there and do that.” Haliburton missed 10 games in January with his hamstring injury, then re-injured it during the Eastern Conference finals.
The NBA offseason has begun for 28 teams, and with no more than three games left in the season, we’re starting to have a clearer idea of what decisions teams will be making this summer. Bobby Marks of ESPN (ESPN+ link) breaks down some of these key decisions and potential contract details in a 2024 free agency/offseason primer. Some of the most important decisions impacting the course of the offseason include what the Hawks do at No. 1 overall in the draft, whether or not Donovan Mitchell extends with the Cavaliers and what LeBron James‘ next contract looks like.
Several teams are flush with cap space this offseason, including the Sixers — a team with two stars under contract that now has ample spending power. In an article predicting the biggest moves of the 2024 offseason, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report speculates that Philadelphia winds up signing Paul George to a max contract. In addition, Pincus predicts Klay Thompson, Malik Monk and Tobias Harris head to Orlando and Isaiah Hartenstein signs with Oklahoma City.

Mavericks Notes: Game 4, Adjustments, Doncic, Kidd

June 15th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Mavericks came away with the third-largest victory in a game in NBA Finals history on Friday, defeating Boston 122-84 to cut the Celtics’ series lead to 3-1, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com writes.

“We had to play our A game,” coach Jason Kidd said. “It was this or we go on vacation. I thought the group did a great job of not pressing, letting the game happen. We made a stand. We were desperate. We got to continue to keep playing that way. They’re trying to find a way to close the door. The hardest thing in this league is to close the door when you have a group that has nothing to lose. Tonight you saw that. They let go of the rope, you know, pretty early.”

Luka Doncic put up a strong first half with 25 points, helping the Mavericks build a big early lead that they never surrendered. Doncic had spoken after Game 3 about wanting to have fun on the court again, and it certainly seemed like that was the case in Game 4, Sefko writes.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Doncic said. “It’s first to four. And we’re going to believe until the end. So we’re just going to keep going. I have big belief in this team.”

We have more from the Mavericks:

The Mavs finally made their opponent think by making some critical adjustments, The Athletic’s Tim Cato writes. Dallas has historically done well in the playoffs after falling into a deficit under Kidd, and Game 4 was no exception. Dereck Lively II looked comfortable and Dante Exum saw more action, scoring 10 points off the bench and proving he can contribute. “We waited until Game 4 to ultimately play our best game,” Kyrie Irving said. “But we have another opportunity to extend the season. That’s all we can ask for. We handled our business tonight. But the job is still an uphill battle, and we understand that.“
Doncic showed the basketball world that he’s willing and ready to take a step with his game, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes. Doncic apologized for his Game 3 actions involving referees and then was more composed in Game 4. Amick writes that Doncic’s three steals also signal his willingness to improve as a two-way player.
Kidd defended Doncic prior to Game 4, Joe Vardon of The Athletic observes. “For whatever reason, there have been some personal attacks on him, but he will learn from them and he will be better when he comes back from it,” Kidd said ahead of Friday’s game. Kidd said Doncic deserves a break but also pointed out that some of the league’s greatest have taken this sort of criticism before finding long-term success.

Charles Barkley Says He’s Retiring From TV After 2024/25 Season

June 15th, 2024 at 8:21am CST by Tristan Tucker

Charles Barkley, an NBA Hall of Famer and one of the stars of TNT’s Inside the NBA studio show, said he’s retiring from television following the conclusion of next season, as noted by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.

“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said on NBATV following during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night. “But I have made the decision that no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude.”

The future of Inside the NBA has been up in the air, given the NBA’s ongoing media rights negotiations. As Youngmisuk notes, Disney (ABC/ESPN), Amazon, NBC and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) are all hoping to secure broadcast deals with the NBA. However, if WBD is left out, it would mean the end of Inside the NBA and all games on TNT.

Barkley has decided to avoid any uncertainty about his future by announcing his impending retirement now.

“I hope the NBA stays with TNT, but for me personally, I wanted you guys to hear it from me … I wanted to tell my NBATV and TNT family that I’m not going to another network, but I’m going to pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you, Steve (Smith),” Barkley said. “But next year, I’m going to just retire after 25 years, and I just wanted to say thank you. And I wanted y’all to hear it from me first.”

Barkley’s served as a TV analyst for TNT since 2000. He has hosted Inside the NBA alongside Ernie Johnson (who’s hosted since 1990), Kenny “The Jet” Smith (since 1998) and Shaquille O’Neal (since 2011). Barkley has also co-hosted every NCAA Final Four since 2011.

California Notes: Lyles, Lakers, Redick, Buss

June 14th, 2024 at 11:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kings power forward Trey Lyles is set to be in training camp with Team Canada this July, and will compete for a spot on this year’s Paris Olympics squad, per Mark Jones of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Jones, Lyles would have suited up in the FIBA World Cup last season, but wanted to preserve his body to avoid injury during a free agent summer. He’s not a lock to make the Canadian roster, but could provide valuable floor spacing from the frontcourt.

There’s more out of California:

The Lakers are considering several candidates for their No. 17 first round pick in this year’s draft, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Time. Providence guard Devin Carter, USC guard Isaiah Collier and Duke guard Jared McCain are all intriguing potential fits for a team that could use some backcourt depth, says Woike.
Longtime NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick, now an ESPN commentator and podcaster, is seen as a top contender to be hired as the Lakers‘ next head coach. If he’s offered the Los Angeles gig, he’ll need to truly weigh the pros and cons of leaving his current media position, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (YouTube video link). “I have no doubt that J.J. is going to have a strong performance because he’s been preparing for this for a long time,” Windhorst said. “I think the question that’s being asked here is how much should J.J. really want this job? And that’s one of the reasons why I think there’s people in his life, in fact, I know there’s people in his life, who have said ‘Are you sure this is the opportunity you want? That this is what you want to leave for? Because this is such a challenging job.'”
Lakers majority owner Jeanie Buss has been receiving blow-back recently after the team missed out on hiring Dan Hurley as the team’s head coach, as well as what many perceived as a muted response to the passing of L.A. legend Jerry West, writes Jim Alexander of The Orange County Register.

Atlantic Notes: Carter, Payne, Nets, O’Connell

June 14th, 2024 at 9:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a wide open draft, the Sixers will have an intriguing choice to make with their No. 16 first round draft pick. Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports makes the case for Providence point guard Devin Carter, one of the elite defenders in the NCAA during 2023/24.

A junior last season, he averaged 19.7 points on a .473/.377/.749 shooting line, along with 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Philadelphia could use a major influx of athleticism next season, and Neubeck contends that, given Carter’s experience, he should be able to earn rotation minutes right away.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers reserve point guard Cameron Payne was arrested in Arizona after he made a false report and would not identify himself, reports Zach Buchanan of The Phoenix New Times. Both offenses are misdemeanors. Splitting his time between Milwaukee and Philadelphia last season (he was flipped for veteran Patrick Beverley midway through the year), Payne averaged a cumulative 7.4 points per game on .432/.390/.866 shooting, plus 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 steals.
The Nets face a fascinating offseason this summer, and will have some big decisions to make about two key starters, states longtime basketball insider Yossi Gozlan (YouTube video link). Center Nic Claxton is an unrestricted free agent, and is looking for a major raise coming off a two-year, $17.3MM deal with Brooklyn. In October, star forward Mikal Bridges will become eligible to ink a three-season, $113MM contract extension with the club. Gozlan notes that Brooklyn could make a move to trade for a star player now, or could explore a more thorough rebuild.
During a recent Knicks free agent minicamp, former Duke shooting guard Alex O’Connell led about 20 players in scoring, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter). New York possesses the G League rights to O’Connell, who spent the 2023/24 season playing for Italian club Reyer Venezia.

Celtics Notes: Horford, Tillman, Mazzulla

June 14th, 2024 at 7:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics center Al Horford has served as a key component to helping Boston potentially achieve its championship aspirations, opines John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Boston currently leads the Mavericks 3-0 in its NBA Finals series. Since being reacquired by the Celtics in 2021 via trade, Horford has helped guide the club to a pair of Finals appearances across the last three seasons.

This season, the 38-year-old has carved out a definitive role as Boston’s sixth man, backing up starting center Kristaps Porzingis and All-NBA starting power forward Jayson Tatum.

Horford has started 13 of Boston’s 17 playoff games, while Porzingis has alternately been sidelined due to injury or has been working his way back from injury.

A former five-time All-Star and All-NBA Third Teamer, the 6’9″ big man is averaging 9.5 points on .473/.352/.750 shooting splits, plus 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals per night.

Horford’s abilities to effectively defend at a high level and to stretch the floor have helped him become a uniquely effective role player for this five-out club’s emphasis on long-range sniping and switchable defense, Hollinger notes.

There’s more out of Boston:

Celtics reserve big man Xavier Tillman has been grappling with the unexpected death of his father, Roosevelt, during these playoffs, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Roosevelt passed away at his Grand Rapids, Michigan home on May 19, aged 58. “It was very, very hard, especially because I love basketball and everything that it’s allowed me to do,” Tillman said of his father’s death. “But at the same time, my heart was hurting every day.”
Young second-year Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has totally reconfigured his league-wide reputation thanks to his team’s dominant 15-2 playoff run so far, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Last season, after being thrust into the head coaching role just before training camp, Mazzulla led the team back to the Eastern Conference Finals, where it eventually fell in seven games to the Heat. “Just being in the interim role was tough [for Mazzulla],” All-Star wing Jaylen Brown reflected. “Even though we weren’t making any excuses, but him inheriting that position, it was a little bit more of uncertainty about what we were doing going forward. It wasn’t his [coaching] staff.”
As The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi observes, Mazzulla’s at-times unorthodox approach to his job has often befuddled his detractors, but it seems, in his second season, as if he’s proving his doubters wrong one by one. “If you’ve ever been in a fight with someone and you think you’re about to beat them, you usually get sucker punched,” Mazzulla said. “The closer you are to thinking you’re going to beat them up, the closer you are to losing.”

Kristaps Porzingis Available For Game 4

June 14th, 2024 at 6:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla announced that starting center Kristaps Porzingis‘ status upgraded to available for Game 4 of the NBA Finals against Porzingis’ old club, the Mavericks, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). The action is set to tip off on Friday night.

Mazzulla cautioned that Porzingis would “only be used in specific instances, if necessary.”

Boston has survived just fine without its starting center for much of the playoffs, though when he can play he has shown off an incredible two-way ability to both protect the rim and knock down jumpers.

Porzingis has only been healthy for five contests in this postseason run, but the Celtics have gone 11-1 in the games he’s missed, with sixth man Al Horford picking up the slack in his absence. Horford has started in all three Finals games, even when Porzingis was deemed healthy to play during the first two contests.

The 7’2″ big man was ruled out for Game 3 of the series due to a posterior tibialis dislocation in his left leg. Boston won anyway, 106-99, building out an intimidating 3-0 advantage. Never in league history has any team, in any round, climbed out of that kind of hole.

During the playoffs, Porzingis has averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.3 APG and 0.8 SPG in 24.8 MPG.

Several More Players Invited To Green Room For 2024 Draft

June 14th, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Eight additional players have received green room invites for this month’s 2024 draft.

Sources have informed Jonathan Givony of ESPN (via these various and sundry Twitter links here) that Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham, EuroLeague point guard Nikola Topic, Duke guard Jared McCain and power forward Kyle Filipowski, Miami swingman Kyshawn George, USC point guard Isaiah Collier, Kansas wing Johnny Furphy, and Baylor center Yves Missi have all been invited to attend the draft in person.

Givony notes that Dillingham, a 6’3″ All-SEC Second Teamer in 2023/24 as a freshman, earned the invitation after he wrapped up his NBA Combine prerequisites on Friday morning, at the Lakers’ El Segundo practice facility.

Among the latest invitees, Dillingham is the highest-ranked player on ESPN’s big board, where he comes in at No. 7 overall. Missi is the lowest-ranked prospect of the eight, as he’s ranked at No. 23.

All-American Purdue center Zach Edey also received an invite, Givony tweets, though he is opting to watch the draft at Purdue instead, with his family, coaches, and Boilermakers teammates in attendance.

This group is joining the 12 other likely first round draft picks whose green room invitations were previously reported.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans

June 14th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic has averaged nearly 30 points per night in the first three games of the NBA Finals, but the Mavericks were outscored by 10 points when he was on the floor in Game 1; he committed eight turnovers and missed four free throws in Game 2; and he made just 11-of-27 shots in Game 3 before fouling out of a three-point game with over four minutes still on the clock. He has also been repeatedly targeted on defense over the course of the series.

While head coach Jason Kidd isn’t throwing in the towel on this series with his team facing a 3-0 deficit, he noted on Thursday that no matter what happens the rest of the way, he expects his star player to learn from the challenges he has faced this spring and use those experiences as a springboard to get even better in future seasons.

“The history is there for us to learn from, when you look at great players and the struggles,” Kidd told reporters (story via Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports). “You look at (Michael Jordan) and the struggles that he had against Detroit. You look at some of Magic Johnson’s struggles. You look at LeBron (James‘) first time around (against the Spurs in the 2007 Finals). It’s there to learn from. But the great ones, they use that going into the next season, or the next couple of seasons, to try to get back there. Because now they understand experience is a big thing.”

Here’ more from around the Southwest:

Kidd isn’t planning to make any changes to the Mavericks‘ starting lineup in Game 4, he said on Thursday, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays.
Which prospects in this year’s draft would fit best next to Victor Wembanyama for the Spurs? Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) considers that question, offering up some suggestions for San Antonio at No. 4, No. 8, No. 35, and No. 48. Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are Givony’s top suggestions for the fourth overall pick, while Nikola Topic and Dalton Knecht lead his list at eighth overall. Terrence Shannon, Adem Bona, Cam Spencer, and Jaylen Wells are among the players Givony likes as second-round targets.
The Spurs appear to be eyeing more experienced backcourt prospects with their second-round picks, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who takes a closer look at Boogie Ellis‘ recent visit to San Antonio and notes that Houston’s Jamal Shead also recently worked out for the club.
Shead visited Houston on Friday, confirms Kelly Iko of The Athletic, tweeting that Tyler Thomas (Hofstra), Isaiah Stevens (Colorado State), and N’Faly Dante (Oregon) were among the other prospects working out for the Rockets. The club controls the No. 44 overall pick in addition to No. 3.
An evaluation of Smoothie King Center’s infrastructure is nearing completion, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who says the results of that assessment will help determine whether the Pelicans renovate their current arena or need to build a new one.