Robert Sarver Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Suns, Tatum, Warriors, Kings

May 12th, 2020 at 5:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum spoke this week about being enamored by the Suns leading up to the 2017 draft and hoping to fall to Phoenix at No. 4. According to Tatum, a meeting with the Suns’ then-coach Earl Watson a few days before the draft helped sell him on the organization. Speaking on Monday to Jay King of The Athletic, Watson confirmed that he was high on Tatum during the pre-draft process.

As Watson tells it, he wanted Tatum badly enough that he had some “uncomfortable” conversations with team owner Robert Sarver, who preferred Josh Jackson. Watson tells King that he tried to get the Suns to do whatever it took to get in position to land Tatum.

“I was pushing Tatum,” Watson said. “Like, we had to move up for Tatum, we had to get Tatum. And ownership chose Josh Jackson. … I knew the two players were dynamically different, but my vision was what’s the best fit for Devin Booker. Booker and Tatum, I think a combination like that right now would have been completely different than anything in the NBA at that age.”

Although Watson’s story is compelling, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 pushes back against the former head coach’s recollections of the 2017 draft. According to Gambadoro (via Twitter), the Suns had Tatum ranked ahead of Jackson on their board and would have drafted Tatum if they’d had the opportunity to do so.

As Gambadoro explains (via Twitter), since the Celtics initially controlled the No. 1 pick and had Tatum atop their board, the Suns had no avenue to move up to select the young forward. Presumably, when Boston swung a deal to move down to No. 3, the C’s had assurances that the Sixers and Lakers wouldn’t be trading out of the top two spots, which would have been Phoenix’s only path to Tatum.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Teams around the NBA are reopening their practice facilities for individual voluntary workouts, but that won’t happen anytime soon for the Warriors, who are tentatively aiming for June 1, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. As Slater observes, the last-place Dubs won’t have the same urgency to return to their building as some other California teams might, so they’re “waiting for the (government) order, not influencing it.”
After Klay Thompson recently cautioned against assuming the Warriors‘ dynasty is over, fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry conveyed a similar sentiment in an interview with Jermaine O’Neal (video link via Chris Montano). “It’s going to look different. It’s going to have a new cast of characters that are going to contribute at a high level,” Curry said. “But the DNA and the chemistry that us three (Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green) have, we’re going to be in good shape coming out of this.”
Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee takes a look at the financial toll that COVID-19 is taking on the Kings, who are preparing for the possibility of “tens of millions of dollars in uninsured losses.”

Western Notes: Spurs, Kerr, Suns, Powell

May 1st, 2020 at 8:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs sports and entertainment chairman Peter Holt said the team’s ownership group remains “100 percent committed” to staying in San Antonio, Jeff Garcia of FoxSanAntonio.com relays. Holt’s statement was issued after a report that the Spurs were selling a minority stake in the franchise. The Holt family is the majority owner. “As an ownership group we remain 100 percent committed to the city of San Antonio. … San Antonio is home and will remain home,” Holt said.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr admits his franchise is already in offseason mode, ESPN’s Nick Friedell writes. In a Zoom conference call among Kerr, GM Bob Myers and the players last week, the conversation felt more like the team’s annual exit meeting, Kerr said. “It was just a chance to check in, but it was also a chance for Bob to update the players on his contact with the league and the latest news, but it also kind of felt like our annual team exit meeting,” Kerr said. “Our coaching staff and I have been undergoing staff evaluations, offseason plans, so we are absolutely in offseason mode right now.”
In an in-depth discussion between The Athletic’s Gina Mizell and John Hollinger regarding the Suns future, Hollinger indicates the biggest question regarding GM James Jones is whether owner Robert Sarver is still calling the shots on basketball decisions. In recent years, Sarver has been heavily involved in the team’s moves, including most of the ones that set back the franchise, Hollinger continued. The team may have to move forward Kelly Oubre Jr. in the coming months due to the two-year, $30MM contract he received last year, Hollinger adds.
Mavericks big man Dwight Powell was well prepared to stay in shape during the suspension of play, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. After rupturing his right Achilles tendon in January, Powell was unable to drive to the Mavericks practice facility, so he invested in fitness equipment. One of those machines, a Concept 2 Skier, mimics the upper body motion of cross-country skiing while standing still. “Ten seconds on that at full bore will get you up to max heart rate,” Powell said. “I’m a push-up master and mixing in that cardio, so I’m actually in great shape, considering I’m not able to run right now.”

Larry Fitzgerald Now Part Owner Of Suns

January 22nd, 2020 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

NFL star Larry Fitzgerald has purchased an undisclosed share of the Suns, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Adam Schefter of ESPN.

A longtime receiver with the Arizona Cardinals, Fitzgerald has forged a strong working relationship with Suns managing partner Robert Sarver and has been serving as an ambassador for the team.

Fitzgerald was part of the interview process when the organization hired Jeff Bower as senior vice president of basketball operations in April. He also helped to canvass for a public arena vote, but he won’t become more active with the NBA team until he retires from football, according to the authors. Fitzgerald signed a one-year extension with the Cardinals last week.

He becomes the second prominent NFL player to invest in the NBA, joining Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who bought part of the Bucks in 2018.

Wojnarowski and Schefter point out that Fitzgerald is well respected in the Phoenix community and should bring more credibility to the Suns and to Sarver, who has frequently been a target of fan anger amidst a string of losing seasons. Fitzgerald does extensive charitable work and was selected as the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2016.

“It’s an investment in something I have supported since I’ve been in Arizona,” Fitzgerald told Jim Trotter of NFL.com. “It gives me another connection in the community I love and always will live in. It’s a long-term commitment I wanted to make for life after football.”

Sarver and Fitzgerald have a friendship that dates back to 2005, a year after the wide receiver was drafted into the NFL, Trotter adds. Sarver brought up the idea of investing in the team two years ago when Fitzgerald was thinking of retiring.

“I had never really given it any thought before then,” Fitzgerald said. “I asked him to give me a little bit of time to think about it and wrap my mind around it. I thought it was a unique opportunity because I hadn’t heard of many other [athletes] doing it, but I wanted to really think about it because it’s a substantial capital commitment. It’s not something small.”

Pacific Notes: Bradley, Horton-Tucker, Evans, Kokoskov

December 9th, 2019 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Avery Bradley has been cleared for full contact, the team’s PR department tweets. Bradley started 10 games for the streaking Lakers, averaging 9.8 PPG, before suffering a lower right leg injury. He had a hairline fracture in a non-weight bearing bone. Bradley’s two-year, $9.8MM contract includes a $5MM player option.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers second-round pick Talen Horton-Tucker is trying to make the most of his G League appearances, he told David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders. Horton-Tucker is averaging 11.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.2 APG in 11 games with the South Bay Lakers. “I understand that I’m probably not going to get minutes with the Lakers right now,” Horton-Tucker said. “I feel like the G League has been great. It helps us get our reps in and it helps our careers get started.”
Warriors guard Jacob Evans is available to play on Monday after missing 21 games with an adductor strain, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Evans appeared in three games this season prior to the injury, averaging 6.0 PPG in 14.3 MPG. The former Cincinnati standout had his 2020/21 option picked up by Golden State in late October.
Former Suns coach and current Kings assistant Igor Kokoskov has no regrets about his draft input with Phoenix, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays. “I will tell you that I sleep peacefully and peaceably,” Kokoskov said to Index regarding his recommendation for the Suns’ No. 1 overall pick in 2018. Kokoskov is believed to have wanted Luka Doncic, whom Kokoskov coached on the Slovenian National Team, but Suns owner Robert Sarver pushed for Deandre Ayton, Feldman adds.

Pacific Notes: Davis, Looney, Suns

November 24th, 2019 at 9:44pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers All-Star Anthony Davis will return to New Orleans on Wednesday in a nationally-televised game, marking his first time playing in the city since being traded to the team in June.

Davis, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the franchise, understands that he’ll likely receive a chorus of boos upon his return. His trade request last season hit the organization like a ton of bricks, catching an already-upset fanbase by surprise.

Davis admitted on Saturday it’s been challenging not to think about the team’s upcoming game and the personal importance it holds.

“It’s hard not to think about,” Davis said. “You’re just waiting for it to happen. It’s going to be different, obviously. Going through a different entrance, being in a different locker room, all those types of things. We’ll get to it man, when it’s time to play them.

“It’s definitely something that’s kind of in the back of my mind, but I’m trying to keep everything else in front of me. Right now it’s San Antonio (on Monday). So we’ll get there, get out of San Antonio and head back there (to New Orleans). It’ll feel weird staying at a hotel, taking buses to the arena and stuff like that. It’s going to be different, but my job is just to go in there and play and just get the win.”

Through 15 games with the Lakers, Davis has averaged 25.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and three blocks per contest on 48% shooting from the floor and 36% from deep. He received overwhelming boos from fans in his first home game after requesting a trade last season, and he expects much of the same on Wednesday.

“I got a little bit of it after the trade (request), that first game against Minnesota,” Davis said. “It felt like I was on the other side. I got a little taste of it, but I know it’s going to be even worse (this time around). I don’t really know what to prepare for, but I’m happy with the win.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division tonight:

Warriors big man Kevon Looney revealed he’s been dealing with a nerve injury for the past two-to-three years, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN (Twitter link). Looney, who’s missed the past 16 games with the injury, expects to return this coming week. He’s served as a key cog in Golden State’s rotation during his career, averaging 6.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 18.5 minutes in 80 games last season.
The Suns have revealed plans for a makeover of Talking Stick Resort Arena, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. The arena is set to undergo a renovation worth $230MM, with 60% of the upgrades scheduled to be finished by the start of next season. “I think the community is going to be really happy about what we’ve done,” Suns managing partner Robert Sarver said. “I know the city is happy about it. We’re happy about it. They get a chance to see the design pictures. They get a chance to see what it’s going to looks like. It brings a lot of excitement.”

Pacific Notes: Suns, Walton, Baynes, Warriors

November 17th, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by JD Shaw

Suns owner Robert Sarver is impressed with his team’s strong start to the 2019/20 season, lauding Phoenix’s intensity, teamwork and togetherness after a disappointing season last year, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes.

“Winning is a lot more fun than losing,” Sarver said. “Seeing a lot of it come together this year. After training camp, I think I told my kids, ‘you know, we haven’t played a game yet, but I can tell right now, we’re in a much better place.’ ”

The Suns currently hold the fifth-best record in the Western Conference at 7-4, giving an impressive effort despite losing starting center Deandre Ayton to a 25-game suspension. By comparison, the team finished with the second-worst record in franchise history at 19-63 last season.

“What I like about the team is I like the fact that the ball is shared,” Sarver said. “And I think when the ball is shared, you tend to get better shots and I think it’s also easier to be more engaged defensively. So, the style of play, I think, is good. I like the fact that Monty holds his players accountable and there’s no guaranteed minutes. Everybody will work every day and earn what they deserve.”

For the Suns, keeping a consistent effort is imperative as the season continues to progress. The team has games scheduled against Boston (10-1) on Monday, Sacramento (4-7) on Tuesday, New Orleans (3-9) on Thursday and Minnesota (7-6) on Saturday.

There’s more from the Pacific Division tonight:

LeBron James defended former Lakers head coach Luke Walton this past week, explaining how Walton did everything he could during his brief, tumultuous time with the franchise, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. “I mean, we were right where we wanted to be on Dec. 25, went up into Golden State and played against a very good team and had a very good game,” James said. “And then the injury happened and I’m out 6½ weeks. I don’t think anyone could have predicted that, including myself and including Luke. And we were just behind the eight ball. But throughout it all we just tried to remain positive, even throughout with the young guys, with the older guys and whatever the case may be. So I think he did as great of a job as you could do under the circumstances.”
Jack Winter of Basketball Insiders examines the three-point evolution of Suns center Aron Baynes, who’s impressed during his 11 games with the team. Baynes has averaged 15 points and 5.5 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per contest, filling in for the suspended Ayton while remaining a threat from three-point territory. He’s connected on 22 of 47 attempts from deep, good for a 47% shooting mark.
The Warriors are now down to nine healthy players, one player above the league’s minimum requirement, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Golden State plans to start Draymond Green, Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III, Eric Paschall and Willie Cauley-Stein against New Orleans on Sunday night.

Suns Notes: Rubio, Oubre, Booker, Williams

October 1st, 2019 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ricky Rubio swiftly asserted himself as the Suns’ team leader on the opening day of camp, Cody Cunningham of the team’s website reports. The Suns signed Rubio to a three-year, $51MM contract in July to solve their point guard woes.

“I usually lead by example, but I think I need to be a little bit more vocal here,” Rubio said. “There’s a lot of young guys and experience gives you something that you know when to talk, when not to talk. I’m trying to do that and be more vocal out on the court, but at the same time lead by example, too.”

We have more info on the Suns:

Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. missed the first day of practice due to hand discomfort, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays. It’s uncertain whether the injury was to Oubre’s left shooting hand, which was injured last season and required season-ending surgery.
Devin Booker took some heat for not playing for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup this summer but injury concerns had a lot to do with it, Rankin writes in a separate story. “I think it’s obvious I’ve dealt with injuries, especially last year, dealing with three hamstring injuries and not wanting to go through that. Just focusing on this Suns team and getting where I want to go with this team is my main priority,” Booker said.
A positive interview with owner Robert Sarver sealed the deal for new coach Monty Williams, Gina Mizell of The Athletic reports. Multiple teams were interested in Williams, including the Lakers. Williams, a top assistant with Philadelphia last season, signed a five-year deal with rebuilding Phoenix and views it as his last opportunity to be an NBA head coach. “The conversation I had with Mr. Sarver kind of sealed it,” Williams said. “He was forthright, and I really respected that. He just didn’t lie. He didn’t, not one time, waver. And I was like, ‘You know what? I can work with that.’”

Pacific Notes: Sarver, Lakers, Durant, Curry

May 12th, 2019 at 6:00pm CST by clarkcrum

The Suns just hired the much-sought after Monty Williams as their next head coach, have two young studs in guard Devin Booker and big man Deandre Ayton, and share the top odds in Tuesday’s lottery to obtain the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. In other words, owner Robert Sarver has run out of excuses, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic

The Suns have had a losing record in the past five consecutive seasons, and Sarver’s reputation continues to suffer as a result. The fact that the team shuffles through staff so quickly doesn’t help either, but as Rankin notes, the Steve Nash-era Suns were Sarver’s teams as well, so it’s not like Sarver can’t turn things around.

The first step? Reports are he admitted to making mistakes to Williams before the new head coach was hired, which gave Williams enough respect for the franchise to choose the Suns as his next landing spot. The next step? Hoping for good luck on Tuesday night.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers would be best served by new ownership. The Buss family, particularly Jeanie Buss, has now overseen a sudden, public resignation from one of its all-time greats (Magic Johnson) and a protest by one of the league’s most die-hard fan bases. That, coupled with the Tyronn Lue fiasco, has created one of the most trying and embarrassing times in franchise history.
Despite the rumor mill cranking out the notion that Kevin Durant is headed elsewhere this summer, there is still a sense in Warriors‘ circles that Durant may stay in the Bay Area, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Per Mark Medina of The Mercury News, the dislocated left middle finger of Warriors sharpshooting point guard Stephen Curry is still causing a lot of pain, and Curry and the medical staff of Golden State are still figuring out different ways to make the situation (i.e. splint, buddy tape) more manageable as the postseason moves forward.

Stein’s Latest: Lue, Suns, Cavaliers

May 7th, 2019 at 8:10pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marc Stein’s newsletter is a must-read for all NBA fans and this week’s piece for The New York Times is filled with insight on this offseason’s coaching hires, among other nuggets. Here are the highlights from the piece:

Tyronn Lue, who is set to become the Lakers next coach, was not the unanimous first choice among the organization’s decision-makers, Stein hears. Some within the franchise worried about Lue aiding LeBron James‘ influence within the Lakers and Lue’s supporters were forced to wait until Monty Williams, who was hired by the Suns, was no longer available.
It appears Suns owner Robert Sarver wants to continue to have the loudest say over the team’s basketball operations. Sarver brought in Jeff Bower as an advisor this offseason without giving the executive any real decision-making power, Stein writes.
Phoenix hired Williams as its head coach in part because the front office hopes he can give the Suns a “strong voice and presence,” Stein adds. The organization envisions Williams establishing a winning culture and an improved reputation around the league.
The Cavaliers want to hire a young head coach who embraces analytics in an attempt to replicate Brooklyn’s rebuild under coach Kenny Atkinson and Atlanta’s setting with Lloyd Pierce. You can find our Cavaliers’ page here with the latest on their ongoing coaching search.

Suns Notes: Williams, Sarver, Coaching, Practice Facility

May 4th, 2019 at 11:50am CST by JD Shaw

The Suns‘ hiring of Sixers assistant Monty Williams was well-received around the NBA this week, Gina Mizell details in a story for The Athletic.

Williams, who last served as a head coach with the Pelicans in 2015, is one of the most respected figures across the league. Aside from his basketball intellect, Williams demonstrated incredible courage, faith and strength when his wife of 26 years tragically passed away in a car accident two years ago.

The mark he left on many NBA figures, including players, coaches and executives, cannot be measured. It’s this kind of culture that piqued the interests of Suns GM James Jones and owner Robert Sarver, who pitched Williams on starting a new program and improving the culture of the team.

“They need him. They really need him there,” said Anthony Morrow, who played under Williams for two seasons. “He really likes the grind of building up the organization and building the culture.

“That’s the mentality that he’s gonna put in these guys’ heads. I think it’s gonna be special to watch after a while.”

Perhaps nobody was impacted more by Williams than consensus top-three player Kevin Durant, who lauded Williams’ courage and positive attitude shortly after news broke of him joining the Suns.

“I got to know the type of man he was. His coaching style is what it is because of the stuff he’s been through as a person and how he looks at life in general,” Durant said, as relayed by Mark Medina of The Mercury News. “He’s a leader and a teacher. I’m excited he’s back into coaching and walking those sidelines again.”

There’s more out of Phoenix today:

The Williams hiring will work best if team owner Robert Sarver keeps his distance, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes. The Suns’ win totals have steadily declined in the past five seasons under Sarver, going from 48 in 2014 to 19 this year. Sarver promised Williams that he would stand clear and allow him to develop his younger players in their meeting with Suns GM James Jones, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Phoenix spoke with several more coaching candidates than what was originally reported, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets. The Suns, according to Gambadoro, spoke with roughly 10 other potential coaches before choosing to hire Williams.
Plans have officially been announced for the team’s new state-of-the-art practice facility, set to be built as part of a $230MM renovation deal for Talking Stick Resort Arena, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “There are extensive limitations to the player development and training space available in our nearly 30 year old arena,” James Jones said in a press release. “The development of this stand-alone, secure and private facility will enhance our player health, development and wellness capabilities, and allow us to retain and attract the best basketball talent to the Valley for years to come.”