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Front Office Shakeups Ahead?

March 28th, 2017 at 7:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Disappointing seasons could lead to front office changes for at least five teams this summer, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

The most obvious team headed for a shakeup is Sacramento, which reportedly wants to position someone above GM Vlade Divac and may have interest in former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie, despite an official statement denying it. There are also ongoing rumors of a rift between Vivek Ranadive and the minority ownership, which has grown frustrated with the way the team has been managed.

Kyler notes that Ken Catanella was hired as an assistant GM last summer, but wasn’t given the power that many expected him to have.

Change may also be coming to these organizations:

  • Orlando — The Magic seem ready to replace GM Rob Hennigan, with Pistons executive and former Orlando player Pat Garrity as the leading candidate to be offered the job. The Magic had hoped to be playoff contenders after signing Bismack Biyombo and trading for Serge Ibaka, but the new combination never worked out. Orlando is 14th in the East at 27-47, and Ibaka was shipped to Toronto last month. Kyler cites league sources who say several of the Magic’s lower level executives are expecting changes and have started contacting other organizations.
  • New Orleans — A recent report said coach Alvin Gentry and GM Dell Demps could both be fired without significant progress by the end of the season. Demps may have bought himself more timee with the DeMarcus Cousins trade, but the Pelicans have reached the playoffs just twice during his seven years at the helm. Louisiana native Joe Dumars is close to ownership and is reportedly being considered as a replacement.
  • Phoenix — The Suns will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year, and many believe that owner Robert Sarver wants to turn things around quickly. Ryan McDonough has amassed an impressive group of young talent in his four years as GM, but that may not be enough to convince Sarver to keep him.
  • Atlanta — It’s unlikely that coach/executive Mike Budenholzer or GM Wes Wilcox gets replaced, but several staff additions are expected. The Hawks have been shaken by the loss of free agent Al Horford last season and the possible exit of Paul Millsap this summer, along with a late-season losing streak that may knock them out of the playoffs. More voices may be brought on to help Budenholzer and Wilcox with the decision-making process.
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Southeast Notes: Schroder, Ellington, Oubre Jr.

March 7th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Austin Kent

A mid-game argument resulting in an ugly defensive breakdown has some questioning the team harmony in the Hawks‘ lockerroom. In addition to a spat with Dwight Howard, 23-year-old point guard Dennis Schroder is said to have engaged with head coach Mike Budenholzer too, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.

While Schroder and Howard were caught on camera arguing about a Howard turnover the previous possession, Stephen Curry wasted no time calling for the inbound pass and draining a three. The basket put the Warriors in front and they would go on to win the game. Shortly after the incident, Schroder – who at that point had led the Hawks in scoring with 23 points – was benched by Budenholzer for the remainder of the contest.

“We need to learn to play together and stay together for 48 minutes,” Budenholzer said of his Hawks. “That is something that is important to us.”

Vivlamore reminds readers that this isn’t the first time the Hawks have punished Schroder. When the guard returned to Atlanta late after the All-Star Break, he was suspended for one game. In that situation, Schroder cited passport complications as the reason for his delay.

Worth noting, Schroder has posted a photo of himself and Howard on Instagram and Twitter, a likely attempt to bury the hatchet, publicly at least.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

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Hawks’ Budenholzer Suspended For One Game

March 4th, 2017 at 9:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:44pm: Budenholzer has issued a statement on the suspension. “With the league’s permission, I have reached out to and apologized to Ben Taylor for what happened in the game versus Cleveland,” he said. “Ben is an excellent young referee who is a valuable member of the NBA family. We all understand that any contact — including incidental contact — with an official is unacceptable. I accept the NBA’s fine and look forward to putting this situation in the past.”

8:31pm: The NBA has suspended Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer for one game, tweets Chris Mannix of The Vertical.

The incident that prompted the suspension happened Friday night when Budenholzer made contact with an official during a loss to the Cavaliers. He will not be on the sidelines for Sunday’s game with the Pacers and will not be paid.

In announcing the suspension, the NBA noted that Budenholzer had a similar suspension last season, stemming from a Nov. 21st, 2015, game against Cleveland.

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Southeast Notes: Heat, Neal, Hornets, House

January 18th, 2017 at 7:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have been granted a $1.3 million salary-cap exception, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The exception can be used through March 10 to sign a single player whose contract expires at the end of the season. The amount is half the salary for Justise Winslow, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery earlier this month. The Heat would have to open a spot to use the exception because they have a full roster after signing Okaro White on Tuesday.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said his familiarity with Gary Neal played a role in the team’s decision to sign the veteran guard to a 10-day contract, relays Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Budenholzer was an assistant with the Spurs when Neal played for San Antonio from 2010-13. “I have a great comfort level and confidence in Gary,” the coach said. “His ability to shoot and make shots and be a weapon coming off the bench in big games. He is a competitive guy, a smart guy.” Budenholzer plans to use Neal primarily as a third point guard.
  • The Hornets will have to make roster changes to have a shot making a playoff run, contends Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer. He argues that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist isn’t the same player he was before his injury and says the Hornets need to acquire another scorer to take the late-game load off Kemba Walker.
  • Wizards rookie Danuel House had a CT scan on his right wrist today, tweets J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. The undrafted shooting guard out of Texas A&M has played just one game this season and will probably be sent to the D-League when he does return. House has just a $100K guarantee on his $905,249 salary for next season.
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Southeast Notes: Hawks, D-League, Magic

November 16th, 2016 at 9:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hawks‘ ownership group is committed to putting a championship-caliber team on the floor and they are willing to spend what it takes to achieve that goal, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The franchise has begun construction on a $50MM practice facility and it reached an agreement with the City of Atlanta on $192MM worth of renovations to Philips Arena. Vivlamore hears from several sources within the organization that additional initiatives are yet to come.

The Hawks appreciates the ongoing improvements. “I feel like I’ve been saying how excited we are about a lot of things the last couple weeks, months,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I continue to say how excited I am and I genuinely mean it. It’s kind of mind-boggling for us who have been here for three or four years and making these things a priority.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Hawks are expected to get their own D-League affiliate , but they won’t likely have an team until the 2019/20 season after an arena is built. Matt Kempner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the new arena, which will be located in College Park, will likely cost between $20MM and $40MM to construct.
  • The Magic are struggling on the offensive end this season and they should explore the trade market for help, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel opines. The scribe names Rudy Gay and Brandon Knight among the possible additions. Schmitz also argues that putting together a package that brings in DeMarcus Cousins would be a sound move for the franchise since it desperately needs All-Star talent.
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Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Ham, Magic, Heat

July 11th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have taken a step backward with their offseason approach and moves, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution opines. Rather than pulling closer toward the top of the Eastern Conference, Atlanta now looks like the sixth- or seventh-best team, Bradley continues. While trading point guard Jeff Teague to open up a starting job for Dennis Schroder was acceptable, Bradley points out that free-agent acquisition Dwight Howard doesn’t fit into coach Mike Budenholzer’s scheme as well as Al Horford, who signed with the Celtics. They also overpaid to keep Kent Bazemore, and the contracts of Howard and Bazemore will be hard to move if they wind up in a rebuild mode, Bradley adds.

In other Southeast Division news:

  • Darvin Ham has been promoted to Budenholzer’s lead assistant, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Ham replaces Kenny Atkinson, who was named the Nets’ head coach in April. Ham has been on Budenholzer’s staff since 2014.
  • The Magic did the right thing by bringing in defensive-minded big men rather than standing pat this offseason, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel argues. While Orlando has been criticized in some circles for its offseason moves, the additions of Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green gives new coach Frank Vogel an opportunity to play a more physical style, Bianchi notes. The Magic have floundered for four years with their young core and couldn’t wait any longer for it to blossom on its own, Bianchi adds, pointing out that coach Scott Skiles quit after one season because he didn’t like the roster.
  • Dwyane Wade admits that the superior contract offer he received from the Bulls forced him to make a hard choice, as he told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and other members of the media. Wade agreed to sign a two-year, $47MM deal with Chicago when the Heat drew the line near the $40MM mark. “Moments like this, it [stinks],” Wade said. “The business side of the sport, sometimes it just [stinks]. That’s what we’re dealing with.”
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Eastern Notes: Saric, Wroten, Budenholzer

June 29th, 2016 at 6:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It appears that the likelihood of Dario Saric joining the Sixers in time for next season is increasing, with the two sides actively engaged in contract talks, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays. Saric will have to pay a buyout believed to be in the $800,000 range to secure his release from Efes in order to make the jump to the NBA, with league rules allowing Philadelphia to contribute $650,000 to the buyout amount, Stein notes. Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo told reporters prior to the NBA draft that Philadelphia had received “a good indication” about Saric’s willingness to make an immediate jump to the NBA, Stein adds.

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Knicks‘ release of point guard Tony Wroten after acquiring Derrick Rose from the Bulls last week raised some eyebrows around the league given New York’s rather thin backcourt depth chart. Some light has been shed on why New York parted ways with Wroten, with a league source informing Stefan Bondy and Frank Isola of The New York Daily News that the guard was waived due to an undisclosed disciplinary issue. Memphis subsequently claimed Wroten off waivers.
  • Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer, who was found not guilty of a DUI stemming from a traffic stop in 2013, will not face any discipline from the NBA for this matter, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets.
  • The Rose trade ushers in a new era in Chicago and GM Gar Forman says the Bulls will need retool in order to become a contender once again, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “We had a great run for 10 years,” Forman told reporters. “The last decade, we’ve got the best record in the Eastern Conference. We’ve put together a group that we thought was highly competitive and probably had a chance to get to a championship level. The injuries obviously derailed us quite a bit, especially the last few years. And then last year there were just so many of them. But we’ve got to put this back together now, going younger, more athletic and building it back up moving into the future.“
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Eastern Notes: Budenholzer, Crawford, Nets

June 28th, 2016 at 10:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets won’t necessarily be gunning for the top players in the free agent market this summer, but instead, will be seeking players with high character and a strong work ethic who are on the verge of breaking out, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “I think veteran leadership is important,” coach Kenny Atkinson said regarding what kind of players the team would be targeting. “I think undervalued guys, guys that might be under the radar and can produce and maybe not necessarily the big star, maybe we’re not in position to get that guy and really guys like Isaiah Whitehead that fill the characteristics we’re looking for — hardworking, high character, high basketball IQ is important for us and competitors.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • After dealing Victor Oladipo to the Thunder, the Magic are extremely interested in unrestricted free agent guard Jamal Crawford, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.
  • Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer has been found not guilty of DUI charges stemming from a 2013 traffic stop, The Associated Press relays. Budenholzer relayed that he believes the trooper may have been confused about him being impaired because the coach has chronic redness around his eyes, previous ankle injuries and a foot surgery that causes imbalance, according to the report.
  • Despite not being able to pull off a big draft night trade to land a star player, the Celtics‘ players are still behind team executive Danny Ainge and believe he did the right thing by not pulling the trigger on any of the rumored deals Boston was linked to, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes (ESPN Now link). “We trust Danny [Ainge] and we believe in Danny. And we know Danny made the right decision. We stand behind him 100%,” point guard Marcus Smart told Forsberg.
  • New Magic coach Frank Vogel is bringing over Spurs assistant Chad Forcier to join his coaching staff in Orlando, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Sixers are expected to exercise their 2016/17 team option for swingman Hollis Thompson, Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine tweets. Thompson is scheduled to earn $1,015,696 next season.
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Southeast Notes: Horford, Teague, Walker

May 9th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Soon-to-be free agent Al Horford isn’t leaving any doubt about his fondness for Atlanta and the Hawks, answering affirmatively Sunday when Zach Klein of WSB-TV asked whether he wants to be back with the team next season (Twitter link). The Jason Glushon client expressed his faith in Mike Budenholzer’s system, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “I believe it in my heart,” Horford said. “I believe that the way that we play makes us successful, and we have to figure out how we can take that next step as a group.” Those weren’t the only remarks Horford made in the wake of Sunday’s playoff ouster that sound encouraging to Atlanta’s hopes of re-signing him, but players on expiring contracts often speak well of their incumbent teams at season’s end, only to head elsewhere in July.

See more from Atlanta amid the latest from the Southeast Division:

  • Trade candidate Jeff Teague doesn’t think the Hawks will pull the trigger on a deal this summer, expressing confidence Sunday that he’ll be back next season even after the Hawks sat him the entire fourth quarter of Game 4 in favor of Dennis Schröder, notes Ray Glier of USA Today. “Yeah, I’ve been here my whole career, why wouldn’t I?” Teague said.
  • Hornets star point guard Kemba Walker underwent surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the team announced on its website. Walker is expected to resume basketball activities in early July, according to the release. This was Walker’s second procedure on the knee in 16 months, but it was more elective than urgent, a source told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Walker has experienced soreness in the knee since his high school days, Bonnell adds.
  • The Wizards will attend the predraft camp in Chicago this week and have asked permission from the league to interview 30 prospects, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. The team will be looking at mainly second-round prospects who could go undrafted with their primary focus being power forwards and centers, Michael adds. Washington must convey its first-round pick to the Suns unless it has lottery luck and has also traded away its second-rounder.
  • Budenholzer resists the notion that consecutive sweeps at the hands of Cleveland should prompt the Hawks to tear apart their roster, observes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Losing to Cleveland twice is tough,” Budenholzer said. “But to the fanbase, to people who think [about blowing it up], if we want to find a way to beat whether it be Cleveland or whoever the great teams in the league or our conference are, blowing it up is probably not the way to beat a team like Cleveland or whoever it may be that is very good.”
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And Ones: Budenholzer, Payton, D-League

March 15th, 2016 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks have increased their use of analytics and technology in how they help players recover from injuries and maintain their bodies, David Aldridge of NBA.com notes. The use of new and nontraditional techniques is one change that Mike Budenholzer implemented when he took over as the team’s president of basketball operations, Aldridge adds. “We wanted to have all of the groups, everybody within the organization that had a great synergy and worked well together, and had a passion,” Budenholzer told the scribe. “Keke Lyles, [trainer] Art Horne and [strength and conditioning coach] Mike Roncarati and [Athletic Performance Coach] Chris Chase and [assistant trainer] Scottie Parker have a passion for athletic performance, keeping our guys, pushing the envelope for them being the best they can be. You could feel that when we interviewed them and talked with them.”

Lyles, who is Atlanta’s director of player performance, told Aldridge of the team’s approach, “I think the biggest thing is, [Budenholzer] has a certain vision about the court, and what the players are doing. And he wanted that to carry over into what guys did as prep. Obviously, our field is not his area of expertise, but he knew the value of it, and how important it is. And so I think he saw the opportunity to bring a group in that was kind of on the same page, and thought the same way, and had very specific goals that we wanted to accomplish in treatment.” Budenholzer credits Lyles with helping Kyle Korver and Tim Hardaway Jr. return to form after their respective surgeries, Aldridge also notes.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Elfrid Payton has yet to establish himself as the Magic‘s point guard of the future despite making small strides in improving his scoring average and shooting numbers, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “I don’t want to single a spot out. We’re 9-24 since the first of the year. So all of our our spots…we’re not playing well enough in general,” coach Scott Skiles responded when asked about the play of the team’s playmakers. When asked specifically about Payton, the coach said, “Again, I just don’t think it’s fair….I’m not trying to duck the question. If we were having a more consistent season, I’d feel a little bit more comfortable answering that. Again, our troubles are at many spots.“
  • The Pistons have an available roster spot after not electing to sign Justin Harper for the remainder of the season after his second 10-day deal came to an end, but Detroit has no immediate plans to bring in another player, Keith Langlois of NBA.com tweets.
  • The Pacers have recalled center Shayne Whittington from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the big man’s fifth stint with the Mad Ants on the season.
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