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Wizards Name Brian Keefe Head Coach

May 29th, 2024 at 4:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Wizards have hired former interim coach Brian Keefe as the franchise’s permanent head coach, according to a team release. Keefe was formerly named interim head coach in January after the Wizards moved Wes Unseld Jr. from his coaching position to a front office role.

“We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said in the team’s press release. “As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest into the development of our players. His wealth of experience will help move our team forward as we build for long-term sustained success.“

Keefe joined the Wizards ahead of the 2023/24 season as an assistant coach. He also served the same role with Oklahoma City/Seattle (2007-15 and 2019/20), New York (2015/16), Los Angeles (2016-19) and Brooklyn (2021-23). He has earned a reputation as a good player development coach through his time in the league and inherits a roster with promising young players like Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly.

“I am grateful to [team president] Michael [Winger] and Will for the opportunity to lead the Washington Wizards,” Keefe said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with our players and helping them grow and develop. As a team, we are committed to a collaborative approach to build an environment of accountability and hard work that allows us to improve every day.“

When Keefe took over as interim coach, Washington improved immediately on the defensive side of the ball and got marginally better results in the win-loss column, posting an 8-31 (.205) mark under Keefe after going 7-36 (.163) under Unseld. Holders of the No. 2 overall pick in the class, the Wizards look poised to build on their young core while continuing their defensive strength from the second half of the season.

Now that Washington has named a head coach, that leaves the Lakers and Cavaliers as the only teams yet to fill their head coaching positions for the ’24/25 season, barring any unforeseen changes.

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UConn’s Karaban Among Prospects Withdrawing From NBA Draft

May 29th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After winning a pair of national championships as a starting forward at UConn, Alex Karaban will return to the Huskies for his junior year in search of a third consecutive title, he announced today (via Twitter).

The No. 36 prospect on ESPN’s big board, Karaban had been testing the NBA draft waters but will withdraw his name from the 2024 pool in order to retain his college eligibility. He averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per game as a redshirt sophomore and has made 38.9% of his three-point attempts across his two college seasons.

Big man Ugonna Onyenso, who spent his first two college seasons at Kentucky, has also opted to withdraw from the NBA draft, agent Daniel Hazan tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Onyenso told Givony last month when he initially declared for the draft that he was “100% focused on the NBA” and wasn’t thinking about “coming back to play college basketball.” However, it appears he changed his mind after getting some feedback from teams during the pre-draft process. The No. 68 player on ESPN’s big board is in the transfer portal and still has to determine where to spend his junior season, Givony notes.

Meanwhile, another player on ESPN’s board (at No. 52), Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II has decided to keep his name in the draft and forgo his final year of college eligibility, as he announced on Instagram.

The Atlantic 10’s Defensive Player of the Year and co-Player of the Year in 2023/24, Holmes averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.1 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game for the Flyers, posting an impressive shooting line of .544/.386/.713 in 33 games (all starts).

Here are more of today’s draft decisions from early entrants ahead of the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline:

Withdrawing from the draft:

  • Swingman Chibuzo Agbo will transfer from Boise State to USC for his super-senior season (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports).
  • Northwestern swingman Brooks Barnhizer will return to school for his senior season (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68).
  • Guard Johnell Davis will transfer from Florida Atlantic to Kansas for his super-senior season (Twitter link via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN).
  • Guard Garwey Dual will return to school for his sophomore season. He played at Providence last season but is in the transfer portal now (Twitter link via Givony).
  • St. Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming will return to school for his junior season (Twitter link via Rothstein).
  • Clemson guard Chase Hunter will return to school for his super-senior season (Instagram link).
  • Forward Arthur Kaluma will return to school for his senior season. He played at Kansas State last season but is in the transfer portal now (Twitter link via Jeff Borzello of ESPN).
  • Forward Baba Miller will transfer from Florida State to Florida Atlantic for his junior season (Twitter link via Givony).
  • Southern Idaho center Shahid Muhammad will return to school for his junior season (Twitter link via Rothstein).
  • UIC swingman Toby Okani will return to school for his super-senior season (Twitter link via Goodman).

Remaining in the draft:

  • Memphis senior forward David Jones will stay in the draft and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility (Twitter link via Givony).
  • Bowling Green State sophomore guard JZ Zaher will stay in the draft and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility (Twitter link via Rothstein).
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Heat Notes: J. Butler, C. Butler, Quinn, Allen, Martin

May 29th, 2024 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers aren’t the only team that would be willing to give Jimmy Butler a maximum-salary extension if they could acquire him from the Heat. League sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald that two other clubs have “made it known in league circles” that they’d also be open to trading for the star forward and then signing him to a max deal.

Butler remains under contract with the Heat for 2024/25 and holds a $52.4MM player option for ’25/26. A maximum extension would cover two years, replacing the ’25/26 option with a new $54.3MM starting salary and tacking on an extra year worth $58.6MM for ’26/27.

Heat president Pat Riley was noncommittal when asked earlier this month if the team would offer that deal, pointing out that no decision has to be made yet and hinting that Butler’s history of injury issues would make the front office wary about such a significant investment.

“It’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources, unless you have someone who is going to be available every night,” Riley said at his end-of-season press conference.

The Heat have shown no interest in moving Butler and he has shown no signs that he wants out of Miami — in fact, he has spoken multiple times about wanting to finish his career with the franchise. However, as both Chiang and Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel write, these rumors and leaks – which seem designed to let Butler know he has options if the Heat aren’t willing to give him the kind of deal he wants – could put added pressure on the club to address the 34-year-old’s contract situation sooner rather than later.

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • Caron Butler, who has been an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff since 2020, has agreed to a new four-year deal to remain in that role, agent Raymond Brothers tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). As Chiang writes for The Miami Herald, Butler spoke last summer about having fallen in love with coaching and aspiring to become a head coach at some point down the road.
  • Miami is also working on new contracts for two other top assistants, Chris Quinn and Malik Allen, with Spoelstra having expressed a desire to keep his staff intact, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Quinn has been linked to several head coaching openings this spring, but wasn’t hired by Brooklyn or Charlotte and doesn’t appear to be a frontrunner in the Lakers’ or Wizards’ searches.
  • In another story for The Miami Herald, Chiang takes a closer look at Caleb Martin‘s free agency, exploring what kind of deal the swingman might be in line for and whether it’s viable for the club to retain him. Martin is expected to turn down his $7.1MM player option for 2024/25 and could receive a salary in the neighborhood of the full mid-level exception ($12.9MM+), Chiang writes. Accommodating that sort of raise would likely push the Heat’s team salary above the second tax apron unless they cut costs elsewhere.
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Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Irving, Lively, Hardy

May 29th, 2024 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After shooting a combined 13-of-39 (33.3%) from the floor on Tuesday, Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both accepted the blame for the Game 4 loss, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes. While Doncic cited his lack of energy and Irving mentioned his early-game sloppiness, their teammates weren’t willing to let the backcourt duo shoulder the full responsibility for the defeat.

“It’s not on them, it’s on us as a team,” Derrick Jones Jr. said. “We are a unit. We go out there, and we play together, we win together, we lose together. It’s not on one person. I know that they’re the leaders of the team, that head of the snake, but we got their back through thick and through thin.”

The Timberwolves adjusted their defensive assignments on Tuesday, with Anthony Edwards serving as the primary defender on Doncic. Jaden McDaniels guarded Irving, who admitted after the game that the All-Defensive wing represented a new challenge.

“He has a huge impact,” Irving said of McDaniels. “I mean, he is a 6-9 wing defender that I’m seeing now for the first time from the start of the game. So it’s going to be an adjustment, but I love it. I relish in these type opportunities.”

Here’s more out of Dallas:

  • Referring to Dereck Lively as the Mavericks’ third-most important player, Tim Cato of The Athletic says the rookie center’s absence was noticeable in the Game 4 loss. Lively told Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that his neck sprain is a “day to day thing” and that he’s trying not to rush his recovery and return. On FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic said it’s promising that Lively didn’t have to enter the concussion protocol, adding that there’s a chance the big man could be back for Game 5, though that’s far from a certainty.
  • Lively isn’t the only Mavericks youngster giving the team important playoff minutes. Second-year guard Jaden Hardy scored 13 points in just 12 minutes of action in Game 4, making 3-of-4 three-pointers and throwing down a highlight-reel dunk. “It felt great to see some shots go in while I was out there,” Hardy said, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “I’m just trying to bring energy and bring another element to the team that makes us different and trying to make this championship run.” Hardy is under contract for one more season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency in 2025.
  • The Mavericks still hold a commanding 3-1 lead over Minnesota in the series, so there’s no need to panic yet, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Still, it will be crucial not to let the Timberwolves continue to gain confidence by winning additional games. “This is a great opportunity for us as a young team to go through this,” head coach Jason Kidd said.
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Clippers Sign Tyronn Lue To Long-Term Extension

May 29th, 2024 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

12:21pm: The Clippers have officially signed Lue to an extension, the team announced in a press release. In a statement, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank referred to Lue as a “brilliant tactician and a natural leader,” adding that he’s a “pillar of the organization” who will be with the team for a long time.

“This is where I want to be,” Lue said in a statement of his own. “I’ve loved coaching this team for the past four years and I’m excited to head into a new era at Intuit Dome. I’m grateful to (team owner) Steve (Ballmer), Lawrence, and the entire organization for the opportunity. With our ownership, front office, roster, staff, and arena, we have all the advantages we need to win in the present and the future, and I’m confident we will.”

According to Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Lue’s new deal is worth nearly $70MM over five years.

11:02am: The Clippers have reached an agreement with head coach Tyronn Lue on a contract extension, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Lue had been entering the final year of his current contract with the team.

While Wojnarowski doesn’t have specific details on exactly how many years the new contract will cover, he refers to it as a “long-term” extension, which suggests the Clippers have locked up their head coach for at least the next few years. Woj also states that it will make Lue one of the NBA’s highest-paid coaches. A number of coaches have signed deals worth more than $10MM per season in recent years, so it seems safe to assume Lue will earn an eight-figure annual salary on his new contract.

Signing Lue to an extension had been one of the Clippers’ top priorities entering a critical offseason. The head coach, who previously led the Cavaliers to a title and two additional NBA Finals appearances, was hired in 2020 and has posted a 184-134 (.579) regular season record across four seasons in Los Angeles, despite dealing with a plethora of injuries to his star players during that time. Lue has a 97-47 record in games that both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have played, notes Wojnarowski.

The Clippers haven’t won a playoff series since reaching the Western Conference finals in 2021, but Lue hasn’t received the blame for those early postseason exits and remains highly regarded by team ownership and management.

Lue’s extension with the Clippers officially takes him off the table as an option for the cross-town Lakers, who are conducting a head coaching search this spring and reportedly coveted Lue, who began his playing career with the Lakers and won two championships with the franchise.

With a new deal for Lue in place, the Clippers will be able to shift their focus to free agency, where George (player option), Russell Westbrook (player option), and James Harden (unrestricted free agent) could all reach the open market in a matter of weeks.

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Cam Christie, Jaylen Wells Staying In 2024 NBA Draft

May 29th, 2024 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

Following his freshman season at Minnesota, Cam Christie has decided to go pro, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the 6’6″ guard will remain in the 2024 NBA draft pool rather than heading back to school.

The No. 34 player on ESPN’s big board of 2024 prospects, Christie showed real promise as a shot-maker with size in his first and only college season, averaging 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game with a .391 FG%. NBA teams are intrigued by the youngster’s long-term upside, according to Givony, who observes (via Twitter) that Christie is still 18 years old.

Washington State forward Jaylen Wells will also keep his name in the NBA draft, forgoing his senior year at college, he tells Jamey Vinnick of CougFan.com. Wells is currently the No. 60 player on ESPN’s board, making him a candidate to be selected in the second round of next month’s draft.

Wells, who spent his first two college seasons at Sonoma State before transferring to Washington State in 2023, averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 29.2 minutes per game across 34 appearances last season, with a .436/.417/.814 shooting line. After deciding to test the draft waters this spring, he was initially invited to the G League Elite Camp before instead receiving an invite to the combine.

While Christie and Wells are staying in the draft, a number of his fellow NCAA early entrants are withdrawing in order to return to school. Here are several of those players, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports:

We expect more updates on draft decisions to come in over the course of the day, since the deadline for players to withdraw and retain their college eligibility is Wednesday night at 11:59 pm Eastern time.

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David Fizdale To Remain With Suns As Assistant Coach

May 29th, 2024 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

After the Suns made a head coaching change this spring, dismissing Frank Vogel and hiring Mike Budenholzer, the team had been expected to fully revamp its coaching staff. However, one of Vogel’s top assistants will remain with the organization in a “prominent” role on Budenholzer’s staff, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that David Fizdale is returning to Phoenix.

Fizdale is a longtime NBA assistant who has also had multiple stints as a head coach. He spent time on the Warriors’ and Hawks’ staffs from 2003-08 before working as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra from 2008-16 in Miami, where he won a pair of championships with the Heat.

Fizdale was subsequently hired as the Grizzlies’ head coach in 2016, but lasted just one full season in Memphis before being fired during the first half of the 2017/18 season. His next head coaching stint followed the same trajectory, as he spent one full season with the Knicks in ’18/19 before being let go 22 games into his second season.

Fizdale worked under Vogel with the Lakers in 2021/22, but left the team when Vogel was dismissed in ’22 and spent the ’22/23 season in Utah’s front office. When Vogel was hired by the Suns in 2023/24, Fizdale rejoined him as an assistant, but Vogel’s stint in Phoenix lasted just a single season, leaving Fizdale’s future with the franchise uncertain.

Reports at the time of Budenholzer’s hiring indicated that Fizdale would be offered a position in the Suns’ front office but that he wasn’t expected to accept that offer. Fizdale also reportedly received interest from the Bulls as they revamped Billy Donovan‘s staff, but it seems he has opted to remain on the sidelines in Phoenix under a new head coach.

A report earlier this week stated that Phoenix was hiring former Bucks assistant Vince Legarza but that the team was having a “tough time” filling out Budenholzer’s new coaching staff.

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Wolves Notes: Towns, Edwards, Finch, Anderson

May 29th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

No Timberwolves player had more points (29), rebounds (10), or assists (9) in Game 4 on Tuesday than Anthony Edwards, but the fourth-year shooting guard told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN, that teammate Karl-Anthony Towns deserved credit for the victory that saved the club’s season. Towns, who struggled immensely during the first three games of the series, scored 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting (4-of-5 threes) and was a game-high +15.

“Everything came together for him; he was super confident,” Edwards said. “He played exceptionally well, and he came through big-time. He was the reason we won tonight.”

Head coach Chris Finch, who said after Game 3 that Towns’ shooting woes were “hard to watch at times,” praised the star big man for bouncing back, referring to the performance as a “great step” for him.

“KAT’s a great player,” Finch said, per McMenamin. “His struggles were not going to last forever. He got himself going. Even when he got deep in foul trouble, we left him out there. … Just let him roll, and he played smart, played under control, rebounded really well for us, executed defensively. Really proud of him.”

Here’s more on the Wolves, who still trail Dallas by a 3-1 margin in the Western Conference finals:

  • Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who is still recovering from knee surgery, is off his crutches and came onto the court in the third quarter on Thursday to object to the fifth foul call on Towns, earning a technical foul of his own in the process. As Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, Finch was looking to “inject emotion” into the game by earning that tech and then taking over the team’s huddles for the first time since he injured his knee a month ago. “He fired us all up,” Naz Reid told Amick. “He’s doing that, and he’s bringing that energy, so it’s like, ‘We ain’t got no choice.’ It’s definitely special and huge to see him that engaged, and that in the moment. So everybody’s excited for that. I mean, you see he’s limping and it doesn’t matter. He’s still gonna keep going.”
  • Kyle Anderson logged a series-high 25 minutes in the Game 4 win, and while he had more fouls (3) than points (2), he made the most of his increased role by adding four assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Anderson was also an important factor in a crucial late-game possession, directing Towns to the corner and then making sure Edwards knew he was open for a three-pointer (Twitter video link). “I was dribbling the ball. I damn sure was about to shoot it,” Edwards said of the play, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “And I seen him pointing at big fella, and I’m like ‘OK, cool.’ Big fella, he done cashed out.”
  • After struggling in clutch situations throughout the series, the Timberwolves came up big down the stretch on Tuesday, holding onto a slim lead in the game’s final minutes as Edwards consistently made the right decisions on offense, writes Zach Harper of The Athletic.
  • While the Wolves remain a long shot to come back and win the series, it bodes well for the franchise going forward that Edwards and Towns performed so well in an elimination game in late May, notes Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune.
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Bronny James To Remain In 2024 NBA Draft

May 29th, 2024 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Bronny James, the son of longtime NBA superstar LeBron James, will keep his name in the 2024 NBA draft pool, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, agent Rich Paul confirmed to Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The deadline for NCAA early entrants who are testing the draft waters to withdraw from the pool and retain their college eligibility is 11:59 pm Eastern on Wednesday. While several players have pulled out in recent days in order to return to school, Bronny won’t be among them after having improved his draft stock at this month’s combine and a recent pro day.

Bronny, who suffered cardiac arrest last July, was eventually cleared to return to the court and suited up in 25 games for USC as a freshman. However, he averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game, with a .366/.267/.676 shooting line.

That underwhelming performance in his first college season hurt Bronny’s draft stock, but it has rebounded as of late, with Givony suggesting that the 19-year-old has risen from fringe prospect to draftable prospect. The 6’2″ guard now ranks 54th overall on ESPN’s big board after displaying his explosiveness and an improved three-point shot during the pre-draft process.

Although LeBron has previously expressed a desire to play with his son, Paul has repeatedly stressed in recent weeks that the primary goal is to get Bronny into the best possible developmental situation, not on the same roster as his father. The veteran agent has also stated that the younger James won’t sign a two-way contract.

“The Lakers need to look at Bronny like everyone else,” Paul told ESPN. “If they value him enough and he’s there, that’s great. If it’s not the Lakers, that’s great. I won’t be mad if it’s not. It’s obvious that people hear the conversation around the dad and son playing together, but that’s not our focus. If it happens organically, great. I’m not building on that.

“I’m not putting unrealistic expectations on Bronny. He’s far from a finished product. But he has a hell of start. He’s positioned well. … I don’t see him not getting drafted, but if it got to a point where the situations didn’t make sense and we needed to go undrafted, that’s fine.”

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last week that at least 10 teams have invited Bronny to participate in private pre-draft workouts, but Paul is expected to pass on a number of those invites — the Lakers and Suns are the only teams confirmed to have secured workouts with his client. Phoenix holds the No. 22 pick in next month’s draft, while L.A. will pick at No. 55 and possibly No. 17 as well, if the Pelicans opt to defer the Lakers’ first-rounder they control until 2025.

Paul told ESPN that he’s still in the process of figuring out whose interest is real and whose isn’t as he considers potential workouts for Bronny.

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Pacific Notes: Legarza, Nurkic, Clippers’ Offseason

May 28th, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have added Vince Legarza as an assistant coach, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.

Legarza has a history with new head coach Mike Budenholzer. He was an assistant in Milwaukee in Budenholzer’s final season there in 2022/23 but wasn’t retained when the Bucks hired Adrian Griffin as their new head coach going into this past season.

Legarza was an assistant with the Jazz for four seasons (2018-22) and a player development coach with the Timberwolves for three seasons (2015-18).

The Suns didn’t retain any assistants from Frank Vogel’s staff and are having a tough time filling out a new coaching staff, Rankin adds.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • With severe cap limitations, Jusuf Nurkic may be the Suns’ most likely trade candidate, according to Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. Nurkic has two years left on his four-year, $70MM contract. By attaching draft assets, Bourguet writes, the Suns might be able to find an upgrade at his position. Bourguet explores 20 potential trade ideas involving Nurkic.
  • In his first mailbag since the beginning of the season, The Athletic’s Law Murray answers a number of questions involving the Clippers. Among the topics are free agency, Kawhi Leonard‘s health, James Harden‘s free agency, whether Joshua Primo could return, and the usage of the team’s younger players going forward.
  • In case you missed it, J.J. Redick has some prominent assistants in mind if he gets the Lakers’ head coaching job.
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