NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Stein’s Latest: Lindsey, Williams, George, Bronny James, Cassell

June 9th, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons passed on Mavericks executive Dennis Lindsey and hired Trajan Langdon as their president of basketball operations. However, the Pistons would still like to bring in Lindsey for another front office role under Langdon.

Lindsey has been discussed as an ongoing target for the Pistons, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post. Lindsey was the other finalist for Detroit’s top front office job and met with team owner Tom Gores multiple times before Langdon was offered the position.

The Mavericks don’t want to lose Lindsey, who recently attended the NBA’s European draft combine in Italy with assistant GM Matt Riccardi.

Langdon is still mulling whether to retain head coach Monty Williams, who has five years remaining on his contract, Stein adds.

Here’s more from Stein:

Paul George is a well-known free agent target for the Sixers if he fails to reach an extension agreement with the Clippers this month. George will have at least one Eastern Conference alternative in that scenario. The Magic will also be in the mix and Orlando additionally has designs on the Warriors’ Klay Thompson. How the Magic would fit George into their frontcourt of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner would be an intriguing side story, while Philadelphia has an obvious frontcourt need with Tobias Harris (and most of the rest of the roster) headed to free agency.
Bronny James worked out for the Suns on Wednesday and initially only made plans to visit the Suns and Lakers during the pre-draft process. However, that situation is fluid. Agent Rich Paul told Stein there are “a few more” workout invites under consideration.
Reiterating an item from last month, Stein says Bucks coach Doc Rivers will make a push to hire Celtics assistant Sam Cassell after the Finals. Cassell was one of the early candidates for the Lakers’ head coaching job.

Dan Hurley Expected To Make Decision On Monday

June 9th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Reigning two-time NCAA champion Dan Hurley intends to make a decision by Monday on whether to stick with the Connecticut Huskies or take the NBA leap with the Lakers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

During a phone interview with Wojnarowski on Sunday, Hurley praised L.A.’s “compelling case” for his commitment. He also described the Lakers’ vision for their team-building future as compelling, per Wojnarowski, who says the club has made a “massive” long-term contract offer to UConn’s head coach.

Hurley interviewed with Lakers team president Rob Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss on Friday, then headed home on Saturday to weigh his options over the weekend.

Hurley told his Connecticut employers on Wednesday that he had been in talks with Los Angeles, and informed his players on Thursday. According to Wojnarowski, Hurley’s Huskies rank as the fifth-best team in the NCAA heading into the 2024/25 collegiate season.

The Lakers have spoken with a variety of other head coaching candidates to replace former two-year coach Darvin Ham, but among these, Wojnarowski reports that only Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego had two in-person interviews. J.J. Redick is viewed as another strong contender for the Lakers’ job if they don’t land Hurley.

Lakers star LeBron James is a fan of Hurley’s offensive acumen in particular, according to Woj, who reiterates that Hurley has emerged as Los Angeles’ hiring priority following its weeks-long search. Hurley boasts a 141-58 record (.709) across his six years with UConn, including back-to-back title runs in 2023 and 2024.

Luka Doncic Available For Game 2

June 9th, 2024 at 6:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

6:02pm: As expected, Doncic will be available for Game 2 on Sunday, the Mavericks have confirmed (via Twitter).

3:42pm: All-NBA Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has seen his status downgraded to questionable for Sunday night’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

He was previously considered probable to play through an ankle and knee injury, Robb reports. Now, Dallas’ best player is dealing with a thoracic contusion. Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Doncic’s torso appeared to be bothering him during team workouts on Saturday.

However, Marc Stein tweets that sources inform him the 6’7″ superstar plans to play through the new ailment.

Even with a knee sprain Thursday, Doncic scored 30 points and pulled down 10 boards during the defeat, though he handed out just one assist. Through 18 healthy games in the playoffs thus far, the 25-year-old is averaging 28.8 points on a .440/.343/.791 shooting line, 9.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per night. Doncic is appearing in his first-ever Finals.

If Doncic is limited at all due to his health issues, the Mavericks would likely expand the roles of reserve guards Jaden Hardy, Josh Green and Dante Exum to bolster the club’s backcourt, while running more of their offense through eight-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.

The Celtics currently lead the series 1-0, following a dominant 107-89 blowout victory Thursday.

International Notes: Giannis, Jokic, Ibaka

June 9th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-NBA Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Greece’s preliminary roster heading into July’s qualifiers for this year’s Paris Olympics, slated for July 2-7, per Eurohoops.

Antetokounmpo is the headliner on an 18-man roster that also includes his brother Kostas Antetokounmpo, who spent three years in the NBA with the Mavericks and Lakers. A third Antetokounmpo brother, Bucks backup Thanasis Antetokounmpo, won’t be available as he recuperates from Achilles surgery.

Panathinaikos guard, Kostas Sloukas, this year’s EuroLeague Final Four MVP, is the other marquee name joining the group.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets remains undecided about playing for Team Serbia in this year’s Olympics, head coach Svetislav Pesic revealed during a guest appearance on the Politika podcast (hat tip to Eurohoops for the transcription). “Nikola Jokic’s participation alone certainly means something in every sense,” Pesic said regarding the All-NBA big man’s theoretical presence on the club. “From both the aspect of his individual quality and from the aspect of personality that Jokic is. Because when I say that Jokic is a better guy than he is a player, they all faint. Like, ‘You’re courting Jokic.’ Of course I’m courting him, because I want to point that out.”
14-year NBA big man Serge Ibaka is reportedly signing a one-year contract to play for top EuroLeague club Real Madrid, per Javier Maestro of Encestando. In 2023/24, Ibaka transitioned back to European hoops, joining Bayern Munich, whom he paced in points, rebounds and blocks, per Eurohoops. During his prime with the Thunder, Ibaka was a three-time All-Defensive First Teamer. He won a league title with the Raptors in 2019.

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Doncic, Kleber, Finals

June 9th, 2024 at 1:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is ignoring “outside noise” in Boston and striving to dial in on winning his second NBA title, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.

“I don’t expect to be celebrated by everybody,” Irving said. “I’m going to, you know, still be aware that a lot of people want to see me fail. But again, I think I pay attention more to the way that I’m celebrated from people that love me unconditionally, and I go home and have a peace of mind.”

The eight-time All-Star spent two of those All-Star seasons with the Celtics — his now-Finals opponent — from 2017-19, before signing with the Nets in free agency on a maximum-salary deal. He eventually demanded a trade and was sent to the Mavericks in 2022/23. In Game 1 of this year’s Finals, Irving scored just 12 points on 6-of-19 shooting from the floor, posting a game-worst -19 plus-minus.

There’s more out of Dallas:

Mavericks superstars Irving and Luka Doncic, who stamped their ticket to the Finals after averaging a combined 59.4 points and 12.8 assists per game during a dominant Western Conference Finals run, could become the league’s first billion-dollar backcourt, writes Lev Akabas of Sportico. Akabas notes that, by the end of their next, presumed maximum-salaried contracts, the dynamic duo could have earned in excess of a combined $1 billion on the hardwood. Doncic could net a projected five-year, $346MM maximum salary as a free agent in 2025, while Irving could earn a four-year, $243MM contract as a free agent next offseason if he declines his 2025/26 player option.
Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber explained after a team practice Saturday how the team plans to slow down Kleber’s former Dallas teammate Kristaps Porzingis, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. “We have got to make it a little bit harder on him to get the catches on the elbow,” Kleber opined. “Push out a little bit further and then just stay in front of him and make sure we contest a shot the best way possible. We definitely can’t let him get into rhythm early.” In Game 1, Porzingis had an instant impact off the bench, scoring 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor in just 20:34 of action.
The Celtics came to play in Game 1, on one side of the floor in particular. Boston’s stifling defense limited the Mavericks to just nine assists as a team, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Doncic, who averaged 9.8 assists per game himself during the regular season, managed to dish out just one dime, against four turnovers. “We’ve got to move the ball,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “The ball just stuck too much. And we’ll be better in Game 2.”

Community Shootaround: Free Agent Centers

June 9th, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Rory Maher

When looking through the list of 2024 free agents, it quickly becomes evident that many of the top players tend to skew on the older side. LeBron James will be 40 at the end of December, James Harden and DeMar DeRozan both turn 35 in August, and Paul George is 34.

The top two free agent centers this year — Nic Claxton and Isaiah Hartenstein — are 25 and 26, however, which is interesting. They’re also both unrestricted free agents.

While reports have indicated Claxton is expected to re-sign with the Nets, perhaps for a deal in the range of $20-25MM annually, Hartenstein’s future is a little more cloudy because the Knicks only hold his Early Bird rights. That means they are limited to offering him a maximum of about $72.5MM over four years, and it’s possible he could get more than that from another team.

Unlike Tyrese Maxey, who is a lock to return to Philadelphia on a max deal in restricted free agency, it’s possible Precious Achiuwa (25 in September) could sign an offer sheet with another team and the Knicks might not match, given their financial situation now and going forward. Achiuwa is more of a four/five than a true center, but he’s another intriguing big man on the market.

Jalen Smith, 24, had an outstanding regular season off the bench for Indiana, but was largely a non-factor in the playoffs, having been supplanted in the rotation by Isaiah Jackson. That was an interesting development, because Smith seems pretty likely to exceed the $5.4MM player option he holds for 2024/25 in free agency (Jackson, on the other hand, still has another year left on his rookie scale contract).

Goga Bitadze, who turns 25 next month, is another young center who flew under the radar a bit in ’23/24. He started the early portion of the season while Wendell Carter was recovering from hand surgery and played pretty well, particularly defensively, averaging 7.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 33 games (23.9 minutes). The Magic have Carter, Jonathan Isaac and Moritz Wagner ahead of Bitadze on the depth chart, so he might look for a larger role elsewhere.

Xavier Tillman (25) and James Wiseman (23) are among the other young free agent centers in 2024, with veterans Jonas Valanciunas and Andre Drummond arguably the top big men over 30 available. Former No. 2 overall pick Wiseman could be restricted if Detroit tenders him a $7.7MM qualifying offer, though that seems unlikely to happen.

What do you think of this year’s group of free agent centers? Will Hartenstein stay with the Knicks or leave for more money elsewhere? What about Achiuwa? Did we overlook anyone? Head to the comments to let us know what you think.

Heat’s Jovic Talks Growth, Next Steps, More

June 9th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Rory Maher

Heat forward Nikola Jovic, the 27th pick of the 2022 draft, had a solid showing as a starter down the stretch of his second regular season, averaging 9.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per night on .476/.390/.815 shooting in 26 games (22.2 minutes per contest). He followed that up by averaging 9.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.0 SPG on .444/.409/.857 shooting in Miami’s first-round playoff loss to Boston (five games; 25.7 MPG).

Speaking to Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, the young Serbian discussed his improvement over the past two seasons.

“I think I grew a lot, especially from last year being in the Finals and learning about how to get there and how hard it is,” said Jovic, who turns 21 years old today (happy birthday). “A lot of veteran players are great guys and great people who taught me how to be first a great person and, after that, a great basketball player. I think I learned a lot, like I said, especially last year.

“This year, I got a little bigger role, and I had the chance to start in the playoffs, which was a big deal, of course, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m grateful that the coaches saw that I can play, and I hope I’ll give back to the team and to the city of Miami soon.”

As for how he can improve further, Jovic said he knows his current job is to be a complementary player, but he still wants to be as well-rounded as possible and improve all aspects of his game.

“You have so many great players you cannot just go out and do whatever you want,” Jovic said. “So being around players like Jimmy (Butler), Tyler Herro, and Bam (Adebayo), you need to figure out how you can help them, and the way I helped was spacing the floor and playing some good defense. I know I can grow in a lot of ways basketball-wise. There’s not one thing that I can focus on, I have to focus on so many of them, like from shooting to, dribbling, passing, basically everything. I feel like there’s so much room and space where I can improve, and I feel like I’ll show it at least a little more next season.”

Jovic’s Q&A with HoopsHype also touches on his competitiveness (“From a young age, I always want to be the best no matter what, and I still want to be the best in every way possible”), among other other topics.

Celtics Notes: Pozingis, Brown, Tatum, Rebounding

June 9th, 2024 at 9:39am CST by Rory Maher

In an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews (YouTube link), Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis said he’ll come off the bench once again in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which tips off at 7:00 pm CT on Sunday night. The Latvian big man previously said he’s on a minutes restriction, though he didn’t offer any specifics on that restriction.

While rehabbing his left calf strain, Porzingis admitted he had doubts about whether he would recover in time to return for the playoffs at all.

“Yes,” Porzingis told Andrews. “… Because it was getting longer than expected and you’re like, ‘Am I going to be good? Am I going to be in shape for the Finals?’ It’s tough. I’m not going to lie, it’s tough, just to prepare for that mentally.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Porzingis praised the crowd’s impact in Game 1, as Souichi Terada of MassLive relays. “That was insane, I’m not gonna lie,” Porzingis said. “Just walking in the tunnel, it was kind of a WWE style walk-in. I didn’t even know it was for me at first. Then just walking out, just hearing the crowd roar. I was getting real excitement to start the game and give everything to these fans that came to support.”
Speaking to reporters during a media session on Saturday, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd referred to Jaylen Brown as the Celtics‘ “best player” when asked about the challenges of facing the Boston wing. For his part, Brown said he was unfazed by Kidd’s apparent attempt at gamesmanship. “I don’t have no reaction,” Brown said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Jayson Tatum, who is generally regarded as Boston’s top player, was similarly nonplussed, according to Bontemps. “This is a team sport,” Tatum said. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team, and we can say that for a lot of guys, right. We have all played a part in getting to where we’re at, and we understand that people try to drive a wedge between us. I guess it’s a smart thing to do or try to do. We’ve been in this position for many years of guys trying to divide us and say that one of us should be traded or one is better than the other. So it’s not our first time at the rodeo.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explains why Boston’s edge in rebounding is an “underrated key” to the series with Dallas.

Pacific Notes: Hurley, Suns, Vezenkov, Kerr

June 8th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

UConn submitted a new contract offer to try to keep Dan Hurley as its head coach, but a source close to the athletic department tells Adam Zagoria of NJ.com that the school can’t afford to get into a bidding war with the Lakers. Hurley traveled to Los Angeles on Friday to meet with team officials and is expected to consider his options throughout the weekend before reaching a decision. One of those options will be an offer from the university that would reportedly make him the third-highest-paid coach in the NCAA.

“We want to pay him certainly what he’s worth, but there’s a limit to how far we can actually go just because of the political pressures and all of that,” the source told Zagoria. “Even though everybody wants him to stay, and everybody’s behind it, I just think there’s a cap that exists.”

Zagoria points to a USA Today database that lists Bill Self with a $9.6MM annual salary at Kansas, while John Calipari will earn $8MM in the first year of his new contract at Arkansas. Hurley signed a six-year deal worth $32MM after winning his first national title last year, and he earned a $2MM bonus this season on top of his $5MM base salary.

“Obviously, they want to pay him,” Zagoria’s source added. “I just think at some point it’s not going to be Kentucky, it’s not going to be the place where you can just get some stupid number. I think there are just some realities at the school that make that tougher.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns will attempt to fill three needs this summer despite being bound by second apron restrictions, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 said on the Burns and Gambo podcast (hat tip to RealGM). After letting Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant run the offense this season, Phoenix hopes to find a point guard who can play at least 20 minutes per game, according to Gambadoro. The team is also in the market for a young wing player who can provide more athleticism, along with an upgrade on Drew Eubanks at backup center.
Conflicting information about Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov makes it hard to tell which parts of the story are legitimate, James Ham states in his latest edition of Kings Beat (subscription required). As we relayed earlier today, a Eurohoops report stated that Vezenkov has asked for a change of scenery and is considering a return to Europe. However, Ham notes that Matteo Andreani of Basketinside claims the Kings told Vezenkov that he’s not in their plans for next season and they’ll try to trade him. Either scenario could lead to a breakup this summer, and Ham states that team officials have been silent about Vezenkov’s future.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr understands the pressure on Team USA to capture an Olympic gold medal this summer, calling it a “win or fail” situation, per Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Part of Kerr’s early preparation has been watching past losses to see what went wrong, including a 113-111 defeat against Germany in last year’s FIBA World Cup semifinals. “One of the things we look at is, why has USA Basketball lost games in the past?” Kerr said. “There are some common themes, and the big one really is defense. The games we’ve lost, we just failed to stop the other team. This Germany game is one of them — they carved us up. So we’re going to have to be really good defensively this summer.”

Hall of Famer Chet Walker Passes Away

June 8th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hall of Famer Chet Walker has died at age 84, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. His death was announced by the National Basketball Players Association.

Walker was a seven-time All-Star who played 13 NBA seasons from 1962-75.

After starring at Bradley University, he was selected by the Syracuse Nationals with the 14th pick in the 1962 draft and remained with the team when it moved to Philadelphia a year later and became the Sixers. He was the starting small forward on the 1966/67 team that won the championship and set a league record at the time with 68 regular season victories.

Walker was traded to the Bulls in 1969, and he finished his career with six seasons in Chicago. Earlier this year, he was among the first 13 members inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.

Walker appeared in 1,032 games and compiled career averages of 18.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Our condolences go out to Chet’s family and friends.