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Draft Rumors: Hornets, Salaun, Nets, Celtics, Spurs

June 26th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets are considering Tidjane Salaun with the No. 6 pick, sources tell Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The French power forward has been rising up draft boards recently.

Salaun had to cancel workouts with Charlotte and Detroit after spraining his ankle during a recent session in San Antonio, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. He did work out for the Trail Blazers, who hold the seventh pick, and the Spurs are believed to have interest at No. 8, so there’s a good chance he’ll be selected somewhere in the middle of the lottery. Oklahoma City (No. 12) and Sacramento (No. 13) also hosted workouts with Salaun.

Here are a few more rumors as the draft draws closer:

The Nets are “open for business” after reaching an agreement to trade Mikal Bridges to New York, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith are among the players believed to be available as Brooklyn tries to move into the first round.
The Celtics are shopping the final pick in the first round in hopes of acquiring some extra selections later on, a source tells Brian Robb of MassLive. Robb notes that Boston sent out two second-round picks to acquire Xavier Tillman from Memphis and another in the Jaden Springer deal with Philadelphia, so the team is short on second-rounders. A source tells Robb the Celtics are planning offseason extensions with Derrick White and Sam Hauser, so it will be important to fill out the roster as inexpensively as possible.
The Spurs will be looking for shooters with at least one of their lottery picks, general manager Brian Wright told Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The team ranked 28th in three-point shooting percentage this season. “We broke the (franchise) record for (total) three-pointers, but then percentage-wise we’re towards the bottom end of the league, right?” Wright said. “So I think you obviously want to add shooting.” McDonald views Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard as a possible shooting upgrade with the fourth pick if he slips past Houston at No. 3, while Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht is in the mix at No. 8.

Spurs Notes: Rebuilding, Brown, Poeltl, Primo

December 17th, 2022 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs have created “optionality” as they consider the best path toward rebuilding, general manager Brian Wright told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Wright explained that the organization has the ability to improve through the draft, trades or free agency.

San Antonio has one of the league’s worst records at 9-20 and figures to be among the teams with the best odds for the No. 1 pick and Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs also have a surplus of draft assets already in place following the Dejounte Murray deal with Atlanta, and they have veterans such as Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson who should be in demand before the February 9 trade deadline. The team is also more than $30MM under the salary cap and could have up to $60MM in cap space next summer.

“In a season like this one with the draft, everything gets overmagnified about tanking or anything like that,” Wright said. “It’s never been about that, and it won’t ever be about that. You’re younger and this is a league where you have to learn how to win, and it takes time. It takes the standards and habits and repetitions and doing the right thing, and that’s what this coaching staff has done for a long time, and that’s what these players are learning right now. We will get there.”

There’s more on the Spurs:

Bringing Brett Brown back in June gave the coaching staff someone with plenty of experience in rebuilding, MacMahon adds. Brown served as head coach in Philadelphia during the “Process” years and understands what it takes to construct a team from the ground up. “Everything revolves around development,” he said. “It’s a big word. It’s not just, ‘Now they’ve got a jump hook.’ It’s growing them up with NBA habits and terminology and educational stuff on scouting.”
Poeltl was able to play Saturday after missing seven straight games with a bone bruise in his right knee. That allowed the Spurs to have their preferred starting five available for the first time since November 26, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.
Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the NBA “worked in conjunction with the Spurs” on the investigation of Joshua Primo, who is accused of exposing himself to a team psychologist, per Tom Orsborn of The San-Antonio Express News. Silver said the subsequent lawsuit, which was settled out of court, shows that the league needs to work to protect the safety of its employees.

Spurs Rumors: Poeltl, Richardson, McDermott, Jones, Wright

November 9th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs haven’t been discussing trades with teams around the NBA since around the time Joshua Primo was waived and word of his alleged misconduct first broke, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com.

Ellis speculates that management may have its handful dealing with the fallout of the Primo situation, and wonders if an unexpectedly strong start in San Antonio may have the team feeling more inclined to stand pat and see how the current group performs.

Before they shut down trade talks, the Spurs had been seeking two lightly protected first-round picks in exchange for center Jakob Poeltl, a first-round pick for swingman Josh Richardson, and “positive value” for sharpshooting forward Doug McDermott, Ellis reports.

A source tells Ellis that the Lakers and Spurs discussed a possible swap involving Richardson, McDermott, and Russell Westbrook, but Los Angeles had only been willing to attach a pair of second-round picks to Westbrook, so those talks didn’t gain any momentum. Westbrook would have been waived or bought out if the Spurs acquired him, Ellis adds.

Here’s more on the Spurs from Ellis:

A Western Conference scout who spoke to Ellis believes the Spurs will remain quiet on the trade market this season and wait until next summer to consider any more major moves. “With that (Primo) mess, the Spurs are going to try to stay competitive,” the scout said. “There’s no way they risk looking even more dysfunctional than they already look over there.”
According to Ellis, the Spurs have zero interest in trading Tre Jones, who has taken over as the team’s starting point guard after Dejounte Murray was dealt to Atlanta. Spurs insiders say Jones is a “natural leader and an effective communicator,” Ellis writes.
Spurs general manager Brian Wright has come under fire after a lawsuit filed by one of Primo’s accusers painted him as slow to respond to her allegations when they were reported to him. However, a source close to the Spurs tells Ellis that Wright isn’t in danger of being fired and insisted that the Primo situation was “handled with great care and concern.”

Former Spurs Employee Files Lawsuit Against Joshua Primo, Team

November 3rd, 2022 at 8:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A sports psychologist formerly employed by the Spurs has filed a lawsuit against Joshua Primo and the team, contending that Primo exposed himself to her on nine separate occasions during their sessions and that the Spurs did nothing about it after she informed team management, according to reports from Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

The Spurs unexpectedly waived Primo last week, and word broke shortly thereafter that he had been accused of exposing himself to multiple women, including a former Spurs employee. That employee, Dr. Hillary Cauthen, became the first accuser to go public on Thursday, alleging that the earliest incident occurred during a counseling session with Primo in December 2021.

Cauthen’s suit indicates she requested a meeting with Spurs management in January 2022 and reported the incident to general manager Brian Wright. However, the club didn’t take any tangible action and Primo continued to expose himself in subsequent sessions, including once in a public setting, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that the Spurs’ legal department didn’t get involved until May, with Cauthen allegedly being told that Primo would continue to participate in all team activities despite her complaints, and that she could work at home if she felt uncomfortable. After more meetings with the Spurs and their legal counsel, Cauthen’s contract expired on August 31 and wasn’t renewed.

Orsborn’s story and a report from Diana Moskovitz of Defector have more information on the timeline of events provided in the lawsuit, which accuses the Spurs of being “willing to tolerate abhorrent conduct” by prized athletes.

Spurs CEO RC Buford issued a statement today indicating that the Spurs “disagree with the accuracy of facts, details and timeline presented” in the suit.

“While we would like to share more information, we will allow the legal process to play out,” Buford said. “Our organization remains committed to upholding the highest standards and will continue to live by our values and culture.”

Meanwhile, Primo’s attorney William J. Briggs, II issued a strong denial of the allegations against his client, referring to Primo as someone who has “suffered a lifetime of trauma and challenges” and accusing Cauthen of fabricating or embellishing her claims.

“Josh Primo never intentionally exposed himself to her or anyone else and was not even aware that his private parts were visible outside of his workout shorts,” Briggs claimed (Twitter link via Shams Charania of The Athletic).

According to Orsborn, attorney Tony Buzbee – who is representing Cauthen – said today that he has been in contact with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office about the possibility of filing criminal charges against Primo for indecent exposure.

Primo is an unrestricted free agent after being waived by the Spurs and is unlikely to catch on with another team anytime soon while the legal process plays out.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Powell, Jackson Jr., Wright

March 13th, 2022 at 9:09pm CST by JD Shaw

Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic picked up his 14th technical foul of the season on Wednesday against the Knicks, a decision that won’t be overturned, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.

The league office previously rescinded Doncic’s technical foul against the Warriors on Feb. 27, but his most recent one will stand. Doncic is now officially two technical fouls away from a one-game suspension, according to league rules. That count will reset once the postseason begins.

The Mavericks (41-26) rank fifth in the Western Conference standings and have 15 games left on the season. The team lost to New York 107-77 at home, shooting a dismal 6-of-44 from behind-the-arc (14%), but it bounced back to defeat Houston 113-100 on Friday and Boston 95-92 on Sunday.

Here are some other notes from the Southwest:

The Mavericks are enamored with Dwight Powell‘s physical approach to the game, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News notes. Powell doesn’t score many points per game (8.0), but his toughness and durability on both ends have been vital. He’s started in 56 of his 67 games this season.
Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commerical Appeal explores why the Grizzlies’ championship odds may be determined by their second-best player. Starting point guard Ja Morant has put forth an MVP-caliber season, but Memphis will need production from Jaren Jackson Jr. to make a deep playoff run. Jackson has emerged as a versatile defender for the Grizzlies, averaging 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and a career-high 2.2 blocks per game.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic hosts a Q&A with Spurs general manager Brian Wright, who’s helping the team usher into a new era of basketball. Wright was named general manager at 36 years old in 2019. He discussed his tenure with the team, Gregg Popovich and more in the brief interview.

Brian Wright Becomes Spurs GM

July 23rd, 2019 at 12:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 23: The moves are now official, the Spurs confirmed in a press release.

JULY 20: The Spurs are promoting assistant general manager Brian Wright to the role of GM, Jabari Young of The Athletic reports. R.C. Buford will remain in the organization and Wright will report directly to him, Young adds.

Buford, 58, has been in San Antonio’s organization since 1994 and has served as the team’s GM since 2002. The Spurs have won four championships with Buford running the front office.

Buford will likely help oversee Spurs Sports & Entertainment under his new title, Young adds. He and Gregg Popovich are expected to continue to oversee the team and have final say on personnel decisions.

Wright was hired by the Spurs in his current capacity during the summer of 2016. He was previously an assistant GM with the Pistons after an eight-year stint in the Magic organization.

Initially, Wright focused mainly on scouting with San Antonio. He’s been more active over the past year, fielding trade calls for Kawhi Leonard, leading the negotiations to re-sign Rudy Gay and engineering the sign-and-trade involving DeMarre Carroll, according to Young.

The restructuring of the front office could lead to an additional hire, Young adds.

5 Candidates To Replace Rob Hennigan As Magic GM

April 14th, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Interim GM Matt Lloyd is among the leading candidates to take over for Rob Hennigan in Orlando, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.

Lloyd, who was named to the position after Hennigan was fired on Thursday, has been running the Magic’s scouting department for the past five years. He has also served as director of college scouting for the Bulls. Owner Alex Martins is keeping his list of potential Hennigan replacements confidential, but he has said Lloyd will be among those considered.

Robbins lists four other potential candidates:

Travis Schlenk — The vice president of basketball operations and assistant GM in Golden State, Schlenk has spent the past 13 years with the Warriors. He also worked as an assistant coach and video scout. Schlenk has ties to Orlando, breaking into the NBA in 1997/98 with the Magic’s basketball operations department.
Brian Wright — The assistant GM in San Antonio started as a summer intern with Orlando in 2006. He spent eight years with the Magic and served as director of college scouting before leaving to take an assistant GM’s role with the Pistons.
Pat Garrity — A former Magic player, Garrity is among the league’s rising stars in the front office. He is currently associate GM in Detroit.
Michael Zarren — Boston’s assistant GM was recently tabbed by ESPN as among the top candidates to land a full-time GM job. He is a Harvard Law School graduate and serves as lead in-house counsel for the Celtics.

Magic Rumors: G. Hill, Wright, Cousins, Hennigan

April 13th, 2017 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after the Magic fired general manager Rob Hennigan this morning, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel reported that team officials have interest in pursuing Grant Hill as a potential president of basketball operations. Marc Stein of ESPN.com confirms Orlando’s interest in Hill, but tweets that the former Magic forward currently has no plans to leave the Hawks‘ ownership group.

As we wait to see if Hill’s stance changes, here are several more Magic-related notes, with a focus on today’s front office shakeup:

Spurs assistant GM Brian Wright is on the Magic‘s preliminary list of potential GM candidates, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski also notes that the leaked white board that went viral last week ultimately didn’t affect Orlando’s decision to replace Hennigan — the team had already decided to move on from him at that point.
Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated and Sam Amick of USA Today expressed surprise that the Magic dismissed assistant GM Scott Perry along with Hennigan (Twitter links). Both reporters note that the two men had different voices in the front office, suggesting that Perry would have likely been able to complete a trade for DeMarcus Cousins if Hennigan had been on board with it.
Although Hennigan didn’t have a ton of success in Orlando, he remains widely respected around the NBA and will likely have “attractive offers” to choose from when he looks for a new job, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
In non-Hennigan news, the Magic‘s D-League affiliate, which will begin play next season, will be called the Lakeland Magic, as Robbins details for The Sentinel.

And-Ones: Durant, Front Offices, Combine

March 31st, 2017 at 8:43am CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant believes it’s unfair to criticize the top players for sitting out games, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com relays. “The truth about it is, it’s only for a couple of players in the league,” Durant told Haynes. “They don’t care if the 13th man on the bench rests. It’s only for like [LeBron James], [Stephen Curry], [James Harden], [Russell Westbrook]. It’s only for like five players. So you want a rule just for those five players?”

“It’s hard for you to just craft a rule out for the top players. I’ve seen guys that’s not even in the playoffs resting, sitting out for the rest of the season. And it’s nothing against those guys. I’m not trying to bash them or anything. [Suns center] Tyson Chandler is out. They got him sitting out for the rest of the year. I’m sure he wants to play, but they’re not saying anything about Tyson Chandler, so it’s hard for me to really talk about this. It’s not a league-wide rule. It’s not a league-wide concern.”

Durant added that he empathizes with fans who miss out on seeing their favorite player when they come to the arena. “I see it from the fans’ perspective and the players’ perspective,” Durant said. “I’m caught right in the middle.”

While the 2013/14 league MVP feels bad for those fans who show up the arena, he gives the situation some perspective.

“On the other hand, there’s a lot of people that can’t even afford tickets to the game. So, I kind of feel sorry for you, but then I don’t when I look at it that way,” he added. “Your parents spend hard-earned money, I understand you want to see your favorite players, but there’s some people who don’t even get a chance to watch a game live.”

Durant hasn’t played since February because of a knee injury, but the team recently announced that he has made “very good progress.” The small forward could see court-time again before the end of the season.

While we wait for Durant to get healthy so his fans can see him play, check out some notes from around the league:

ESPN.com examined every front office in the league and ranked them from top to bottom based on the guidance and leadership each organization provides and how it affects success on the court. Unsurprisingly, team president Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford received the highest mark. Which team received the worst mark? The Kings came in slightly below the Knicks for worst front office in the league.
Thunder assistant GM Mike Winger, Spurs assistant GM Brian Wright, Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon are among the executives who are viewed as potential nominees for GM roles should they become available, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com writes. Arnovitz adds that Wright may be a few seasons away from landing a gig, but those within the league believe he has what it takes to do the job well.
JK Management announced that it will hold the first annual Professional Basketball Combine at IMG Academy. The PBC will take place in the days following the league’s official combine in Chicago.

Spurs Hire Monty Williams, Landry Fields

September 16th, 2016 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have added former Pelicans head coach Monty Williams to their basketball operations staff, the team announced today in a press release. According to the club, Williams will take on the role of vice president of basketball operations.

Within today’s announcement, the Spurs also confirmed several other hires and promotions, and one of the most notable names is a player who has only been away from the NBA for one year. San Antonio has hired former Knicks and Raptors swingman Landry Fields as a college scout, per the team’s press release.

In addition to hiring Williams and Fields, the Spurs also named Brian Wright the club’s assistant general manager, Andy Birdsong as the director of pro player personnel and the GM of the D-League’s Austin Spurs, Pat Sund as a pro personnel scount and Austin’s assistant GM, and Will Hardy as an assistant coach.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported back in July that Williams had a standing job offer from the Spurs, though it wasn’t known at the time what sort of role the team envisioned for him. Williams was an assistant with the Thunder last season, but took a leave of absence in February when his wife, Ingrid, was killed in a car crash. Before joining Oklahoma City’s staff, he spent five seasons as head coach in New Orleans, compiling a 173-221 record. He also spent time as a Spurs player under Gregg Popovich from 1996 to 1998, and was a coaching intern with the team in 2004/05.

When Stein first reported the Spurs’ offer to Williams, he noted that the longtime coach had received similar offers from other organizations, including the Thunder, and that he “absolutely” wants to become an NBA head coach again. However, as Stein pointed out, Williams’ in-laws live in San Antonio and have been helping to care for his five children, making that an ideal landing spot for now.

As for Fields, we heard last September that he would be sidelined for most of the 2015/16 campaign with a hip injury. His on-court production had also declined significantly, so it’s no surprise he didn’t land with a team at all last season. It’s not clear whether he has decided to transition into the next stage of his career, or if he’d still consider a comeback at some point.

A recent report indicated that many people within the Spurs organization expect Tim Duncan to take on a full-time role with the team at some point, but if that’s going to happen, it will likely happen down the road — Duncan wasn’t mentioned at all in today’s announcement.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.