Steve Kerr

Warriors’ Kerr Rips Refs For ‘Unconscionable’ Call After NBA Cup Loss

December 12th, 2024 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

After the Warriors fell to the Rockets in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday by a score of 91-90, a furious Steve Kerr blasted the officiating crew for a late-game call that led to Houston’s winning free throws, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“I’m pissed off,” the Warriors’ head coach said. “I wanted to go to Las Vegas. We wanted to win this Cup, and we aren’t going because of a loose ball foul, 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life, and that was ridiculous.”

With Golden State up 90-89 and about 10 seconds left on the clock, Stephen Curry missed a three-point attempt and both teams scrambled to corral the rebound (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). Warriors guard Gary Payton II initially fell on the ball and attempted to pass it to Jonathan Kuminga as two Houston defenders descended on him. Rockets guard Jalen Green gained control and attempted to call a timeout while Kuminga tried to pry the ball away from him.

A whistle blew at that point, but rather than calling a jump ball or a Rockets timeout, referee crew chief Bill Kennedy ruled that Kuminga had committed a foul, awarding Green two free throws with just four seconds left on the clock. Green made both to give the Rockets the lead and Brandin Podziemski had a buzzer-beater attempt blocked by Jabari Smith Jr. to clinch Houston’s win and its spot in the NBA Cup semifinals.

“The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, warranting a personal foul to be called,” Kennedy told a pool reporter after the game in explaining the call on Kuminga.

Kerr, who referred to the foul call as one an “elementary school referee” would have made, argued that the game’s officials had allowed plenty of physical play to that point and that the foul called on Kuminga was hardly the only contact that occurred during the fight for the rebound off Curry’s miss.

“I’ve never seen a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation, 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line,” Kerr said. “I’ve never seen that. I think I saw it in college one time 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is, I mean, unconscionable.

“I don’t even understand what just happened. Loose ball, diving on the floor, 80 feet from the basket, and you’re going to give a guy two free throws to decide the game when people are scrambling for the ball. Just give them a timeout and let the players decide the game. That’s how you officiate. Especially because the game was a complete wrestling match. They didn’t call anything.

“So you’ve established you’re just not going to call anything throughout the game. It’s a physical game. And call a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation with guys diving on the floor? With the game on the line? This is a billion-dollar industry. You got people’s jobs on the line.”

Curry, who was also upset after no foul was called on one of his shot attempts earlier in the fourth quarter (video link), expressed dissatisfaction after the game with both rulings. He admitted that the Warriors, who didn’t score in the final three minutes of the game and were still up by six points with 90 seconds to play, had to take responsibility the loss, but made it clear those officiating decisions didn’t help.

“We can talk about the refs all day, it’s not why we lost,” Curry said. “But there are swings in the game, obviously the last two free throws and that play, it’s a five-point swing.”

Kerr was also critical of the officiating crew after a loss to the Nuggets last Tuesday, screaming at the referees as the game ended and griping about a late-game call during his post-game media session. He wasn’t disciplined by the NBA for those remarks, but seems very likely to face a fine this time around.

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Green, Podziemski, Waters, Rotation

December 4th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr screamed at the officiating crew before leaving the court after the team’s 119-115 loss in Denver on Tuesday night, explaining in his post-game media session that he believed the referees failed to notice Nuggets guard Christian Braun calling for a timeout in the game’s final seconds with his team out of timeouts (Twitter video link).

“Braun called a timeout,” Kerr said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “He dove on the floor, he rolled over. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hire to do the games, and that makes me angry. That’s a technical foul. They don’t have a timeout left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we got a chance to win the game. (The referees) all told me they didn’t see it. … It’s up to the referees to see (it). That’s why we have three of them. Somebody’s got to see it. So yeah, that made me mad.”

Crew chief Tyler Ford told a pool reporter after the game that Braun “never fully or clearly” signaled for a timeout, a ruling Braun agreed with.

“No,” Braun said when asked if he had called timeout. “It might’ve looked like it maybe. I was fumbling the ball on the ground a little bit. My hands moved, but the refs didn’t call it.”

It was a frustrating finish for the Warriors, who were up by 11 points with just over six minutes left and still held a six-point lead with two-and-a-half minutes to play. While Kerr strongly disagreed with the officials’ decision on the Braun play in the final seconds, he acknowledged that it shouldn’t have gotten to that point.

“That’s not why we lost,” Kerr said. “We lost because we didn’t close. Again. This is like the fifth game in a row where we’ve — maybe not all five (losses) — but most of these games in this stretch, we’re not closing, we’re not executing, we’re not making good decisions, and it’s got to improve.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Draymond Green, who missed Tuesday’s game due to left calf tightness, was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to Kerr (story via Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle). As Andy Lindquist of NBC Sports Bay Area relays, Green said on his podcast that he’s a little concerned about the calf issue, but is confident in the medical staff and believes they’re getting ahead of it before it gets any worse.
Kerr expressed frustration with Brandin Podziemski during and after Tuesday’s loss for a pair of reckless turnovers – including one in a 5-on-4 situation in transition – and committing a third-quarter foul on a jump shooter, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic details. “I love Brandin,” Kerr said after addressing a couple specific plays that bothered him. “Hell of a player. Hell of a future ahead of him. But I hope he watches this clip because he needs to hear it. He’s gotta be a smart, tough, great decision-maker. He’s very capable of it. That’s his next step.”
Even with Green sidelined, Kerr trimmed his rotation a little on Tuesday, with Lindy Waters earning his first DNP-CD since November 12 after having logged double-digit minutes in each of Golden State’s past eight games. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area notes, it was a productive night for both Jonathan Kuminga, who scored 19 points as part of the starting lineup, as well as Moses Moody. After playing a season-low three minutes on Saturday, Moody scored 13 points in nearly 21 minutes and had a positive plus/minus rating.

Southwest Notes: Gafford, Popovich, A. Holiday, Morant

November 23rd, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The game is more difficult for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined, but they’re finding ways to win without their injured star, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Daniel Gafford played an important role Friday night with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as Dallas kept its hopes of advancing in the NBA Cup alive with a victory at Denver. Gafford was one of seven Mavs to reach double figures as the team extended its winning streak to four.

“Just paying attention to detail a lot more,” Gafford said about playing without Doncic. “You’ve got to be near perfect when it comes to offense, but honestly, just stay the same as when he was here—taking care of business, having good spacing, and making sure the right guys have the ball in their hands.”

Gafford seems to be fully accustomed to playing for coach Jason Kidd after being acquired from Washington at last season’s trade deadline. He’s averaging a career high 12.6 points per game and leading the NBA with a 70.8% shooting percentage.

“I’m just getting better as the days go by,” Gafford added. “It’s about having patience and trying to expand my offensive game to make more plays. Teams are blitzing and switching more, so I’m figuring out how to make the right passes and take advantage of mismatches.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered enc0uraging words about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before tonight’s game in San Antonio, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Kerr said he communicates frequently with Popovich, who has been away from the team since suffering a mild stroke on November 2, and “the doctors are feeling great about all of that.” Kerr has also been impressed by interim coach Mitch Johnson, who served as an assistant on Team USA this summer. “Mitch is really smart, a great teammate in the coaches’ room,” Kerr said. “He was a big part of all our conversations pre and post practice. He is a really good coach, good guy. I know Pop loves him and feels very strongly about what a good coach he is, and that’s what I saw in Las Vegas (during training for the Olympics).”
Rookie Reed Sheppard and veteran Aaron Holiday have earned spots in the Rockets‘ rotation by providing reliable three-point shooting, observes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Over a recent seven-game stretch, Holiday shot 45.5% from beyond the arc and Sheppard was at 38.9% as both guards are seeing more playing time. Holiday chose to re-sign with Houston in free agency this summer because he likes the city and believes in the future of the team, even though he knew his minutes might decrease.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is missing his eighth straight game with a hip injury tonight, but coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters that he’s been able to do some on-court workouts and continues to make progress (Twitter link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

Warriors Rumors: George, Markkanen, Towns, Expectations

October 22nd, 2024 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who spent a year as teammates with Paul George in Indiana in 2010/11, “led the charge” in the team’s efforts to acquire the star forward from the Clippers in June before George declined his player option and became a free agent this summer, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

As Slater outlines, Dunleavy got Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr involved in the recruitment of George, who was on board with the idea of picking up his player option and getting traded to Golden State. However, the Clippers decided they’d be better off not taking on significant salary in a trade with the Warriors.

“Paul George wanted to come here,” Green said. “So shout out to Mike. The Clippers just wouldn’t do (an opt-in and trade).”

There’s still some “fading frustration” within the organization about the failed pursuit of George, according to Slater, who says the Warriors may argue the Clippers underestimated their chances of losing the forward for nothing in free agency.

While Golden State’s subsequent pursuit of Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was viewed as a Plan B after missing out on George, Slater says it was actually part of Plan A and that the Warriors initially wanted to land both players.

“The conversation was always about that possibility,” Green said. “You get both of those guys, you make a huge splash. But the Clippers weren’t really willing to play ball. Then (Jazz CEO) Danny Ainge was being Danny Ainge.”

The Warriors had hoped they’d be able to acquire George while preserving enough assets to meet Ainge’s asking price for Markkanen, Slater explains. They still talked to Utah about Markkanen after striking out on PG13, but at that point Dunleavy felt it wasn’t the right move for the team to go all-in for the Jazz forward.

“Mike is very sensible,” Kerr said. “He just said to me, ‘It doesn’t make sense to sell your entire future for a team that you think can be pretty good, but isn’t awesome, right?’ Especially at this stage with the ages of our stars.”

Here’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors also spoke to the Timberwolves about a possible Karl-Anthony Towns trade before he was dealt from Minnesota to New York, league sources tell Slater. However, the Wolves targeted a specific Knicks package that the Warriors couldn’t replicate.
Despite striking out on top trade targets this summer, the Warriors are high on the players they added – Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and De’Anthony Melton – and are more bullish than outsiders about their chances this season. According to Slater, the Warriors’ internal models have them in the top six in the West and there has been talk within the organization that 50-plus wins should be the expectation.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Warriors won’t continue to keep an eye out for a chance to acquire an impact player who could help take them to the next level. “We’re sitting about as good as we could, subject to the point that we didn’t catch the big fish that we were going after,” team owner Joe Lacob told Slater. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t. It just means we didn’t yet.”
Dunleavy told reporters on Tuesday that the Warriors aren’t concerned about not having reached an agreement on a contract extension for Jonathan Kuminga before Monday’s deadline, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). “Not much has changed in regards to our hopes for his future with this team,” Dunleavy said. “Sometimes these things get done, sometimes they don’t. … Hope to get something done in the offseason.”

Warriors Notes: Roster, Rotation, Looney, Kuminga, Moody, Staff

September 27th, 2024 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including Anthony Slater of The Athletic and Kendra Andrews of ESPN, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the front office believes it “improved the team” this offseason, though he suggested the club will remain on the lookout for further upgrades.

“We’re probably as impatient a franchise as you can be right now given our time horizon and all that,” Dunleavy said, per Slater. “But there’s a fine line between impatience and undisciplined. I feel good about the discipline that we held this summer and the roster we built and the growth from within that we’re going to have. I know everybody is always looking for big headline breaking news and all that, but I really like this team.”

As Slater writes, Dunleavy stressed that there’s “no point in going all in to be slightly above average,” but he and Warriors owner Joe Lacob have both expressed that they’re willing to surrender some future assets in order to upgrade the current roster.

“Does that mean we’re definitely going to do something? No,” the Warriors’ GM said. “We were super aggressive last year around the deadline. Didn’t do a whole lot. You’ve got to have a partner. Making deals in this league can be tough. But the effort and the urgency will always be there.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Head coach Steve Kerr feels good about the depth the Warriors have on their roster, suggesting that as many as 12 to 13 players have a case for rotation minutes and that multiple starting lineup spots could be up for grabs this fall, according to Andrews and Slater. “What I love about this camp is that we do have (starting) spots available,” Kerr said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who have started a lot of games. Last year Wiggs (Andrew Wiggins), (Jonathan Kuminga), Draymond (Green), Trayce (Jackson-Davis) started some games. (Brandin Podziemski), De’Anthony (Melton), Buddy (Hield) has been a starter most of his career. It’s the easiest thing for me to do is just to tell the guys we’ve got starting spots available. That doesn’t mean I’m going to say how many to you or to them.” As Slater writes, Stephen Curry and Green are locks to start, and Wiggins is a relatively safe bet to join them unless he plays himself out of the job, but there could be a competition for the other two spots in the starting five.
While it’s unclear what sort of role he’ll have for the Warriors in 2024/25, veteran big man Kevon Looney is in “phenomenal shape,” a source told Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area, Looney agreed with that assessment. “I feel lighter on my feet, I feel like I can move better,” he said. “I can move the way I want to for longer and I feel like I got a little more stamina.”
Dunleavy said on Thursday that the team has had “positive conversations” with the representatives for Kuminga and Moses Moody about possible rookie scale extensions, tweets Andrews. “Regardless whether we get something done (by October 21), we want those guys here,” Dunleavy said. “Just because you don’t get an extension done doesn’t mean they’re not going to be here for a long time. We’ll still have their rights in free agency if we can’t come to an agreement by the 21st. I think for them, the most important thing is we’ll get through these next few weeks with a deal or not a deal, but all that matters is they have great seasons.”
The Warriors officially announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve hired Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse as assistant coaches, which was first reported early in the offseason. Khalid Robinson, Jacob Rubin, and Anthony Vereen have also been promoted to assistant coaching roles, the club confirmed.
Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard has passed along some of the highlights from his conversation with Kerr on a recent episode of his TK Show podcast. We relayed some of Kerr’s comments about Klay Thompson‘s departure on Wednesday.

Jonathan Kuminga Discusses Potential Extension, Desire For Starting Role

September 21st, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

As the Warriors look ahead to training camp, Jonathan Kuminga doesn’t have an extension in place or a secure spot in the starting lineup, writes Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard. After displaying signs of stardom over his first three NBA seasons, the 21-year-old is hoping for a breakthrough this year. The contract situation is out of his hands, so he’s focused on proving himself on the court.

“I’m not thinking about that right now,” Kuminga said about earning a starting spot. “But I’m working toward it. The goal is me being a full starter. So I’m not even worried about what’s going to happen, because I know how much work I’ve put in. And I know once I step on that floor, things are going to change.”

Kuminga started 46 of the 74 games he played last season, but he only averaged 26.3 minutes per night. Coach Steve Kerr has been up front with Kuminga about what he needs to do to solidify a starting role, Kawakami adds. That includes making better decisions with the ball, playing at a faster pace, and improving his 32.1% three-point shooting.

Draymond Green is set as the Warriors’ power forward, so Kerr wants Kuminga to adapt his game to become more effective as a small forward.

“I’ve always been a small forward, my whole life,” Kuminga said. “And I don’t have a position at this point, because I feel like … when I go back in the summer, I work on everything. Because I’m a small forward, but I could play any position, so I never just define myself as small forward. I’m definitely confident, and I just can’t wait to go out there and show people what I’ve been working on and stuff. I mean, it’s always my thing to just work on certain things and get better. And I feel like shooting threes, I’ve gotten so much better shooting.”

Kawakami states that the lack of a fully defined role has probably prevented Kuminga from landing a rookie scale extension already. The sides have until October 21 to work out an agreement, but it’s possible the Warriors will wait until next summer and look to re-sign Kuminga as a restricted free agent.

“I haven’t really got into it that much,” he said. “I don’t want to step my foot off track. I’m focusing on how can I be great? How can I help something? The better you play, the more you do things, everything’s going to open up itself. So I’m not worried about things like that because I know who I am, I know myself. At the end of the day, it’s just having an opportunity, a chance to go out there and prove. And just waiting for the moment. It’s God’s plan, so I’m not even tripping or thinking about it day to day. Whenever it happens, it’s going to happen.”

Kuminga added that he would “love to” remain with Golden State long-term if that’s what his future holds. He believes any differences with Kerr were resolved when they met in the middle of last season to discuss Kuminga’s complaints about playing time.

Kuminga is also aware of the offseason trade rumors that had him possibly going to the Clippers as part of a package for Paul George or to the Jazz in exchange for Lauri Markkanen. Kuminga takes the fact that he didn’t get dealt as a sign of confidence from general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.

“I feel like Mike believes in us,” he said. “There’s not too many people who are going to believe in young players, but I feel like Mike believes in the young guys he drafted, the young guys he’s been around and watched their process, how they’re growing and how they’re going to fit with some of the vets we have. I mean, it’s a blessing to still be here. I’m always thankful to be around and Mike having trust in us.”

Team USA Notes: Booker, Curry, Legacies, Durant

August 11th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though Devin Booker generally wasn’t one of Team USA’s primary offensive options in the club’s run to gold at the Paris Olympics, ranking just fifth on the team in points per game, head coach Steve Kerr made it clear that the Suns’ All-Star guard provided an essential, steady two-way presence, David Aldridge of The Athletic (Twitter link).

“He was incredible this entire round,” Kerr said of Booker’s play during the knockout games. “Just what he does, play to play to play. Rock solid. Completely changed his role from the NBA to now. He was kind of our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.”

There’s more out of Team USA:

During the 98-87 gold medal game win against Team France on Saturday, 10-time Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry saved the day by shooting 4-of-4 from long range in the game’s final three minutes, making his final three-pointer over a double team. Even by Curry’s lofty standards, he had a night to remember, writes Aldridge in an article for The Athletic. “Coach (Kerr) reminded me, at a certain point, early, the game will come to you if you allow it,” Curry said. “And even if I was missing shots, just stay engaged. And that kind of fed into being locked in for these last two games, because the game called for me to get shots up, and knock them down. … you just stay confident, stay present, and don’t get rattled by the moment.”
Nabbing a gold medal in Paris helped seal the historic legacies of several Team USA personal, opines Sam Amick of The Athletic. Thirty-nine-year-old LeBron James, 36-year-old Curry, and 35-year-old Kevin Durant may have put the finishing touches on their international careers with this summer’s victory. It was Curry’s first Olympic medal, James’ third gold and fourth medal overall (he won bronze on that infamous 2004 team), and Durant’s record-breaking fourth gold. Curry had won gold at two FIBA World Cup events, but had never participated in an Olympics. “It’s everything I imagined, and more,” Curry said. “The guys in that locker room, we all signed up for the mission to continue USA Basketball dominance. Obviously, I understand it’s gonna be a really tough task, with some great teams that we’re gonna have to face, and there’s a sense of relief at the end, but it’s more a sense of accomplishment, obviously, knowing what we were able to do.”
Durant explained how the team that James has nicknamed the ‘Paris Avengers’ got together, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. “[Team USA managing director Grant Hill and Kerr] came to Brooklyn and they tried to get me to play in the World Cup,” Durant said. “So I knew how important it was for us to be here for 2024 and kind of committed there. And I think last summer, Bron had started texting everybody, giving his input on who should be on the team and if everybody was playing. And so when you start sending those texts out, I kind of knew we were all gonna get together.” Having Curry onboard for the first time in the Olympics made it all click, according to Durant: “This was a special time. I knew Steph was gonna play, as he had never been on an Olympic team before. He had a couple of world championships but never won an Olympic medal. So it was a no-brainer, especially when them two committed. And once the team was built, I kind of knew it was gonna be special.”

Olympic Notes: France, Hill, Lue, Spoelstra, Winners & Losers

August 11th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA has defeated France in the gold medal game in each of the last two Olympics, but the challenge could be more difficult if they meet again in four years, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Both games have been extremely close, and while the U.S. will likely lose several veteran stars by 2028, French basketball appears to be on the rise.

It starts with Victor Wembanyama, who is already a force at age 20 and could be the best player in the world by the next Olympiad. He led France with 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this year and is already looking ahead to his next Olympics opportunity.

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen, but what’s for sure is we’re growing. Basketball is growing here,” Wembanyama said after Saturday’s game. “Nobody is going to take [this experience] from me. I’m learning and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple years.”

France had the top two selections in this year’s NBA draft, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, neither of whom played in the Olympics. French guard Nolan Traore is projected to go in the 2025 lottery and could be part of a loaded roster in 2028.

Nicolas Batum, who retired from international basketball on Saturday after a long career, believes France is ready to challenge the Americans for Olympic superiority.

“The U.S. is still the best team in the world but we’re getting closer and closer,” he said. “We respect them, but we’re not scared of them. We’ll just go out there and try to beat them.”

There’s more from the Olympics:

USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill is looking forward to a break after overseeing a fifth straight gold medal, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The U.S. won’t have another major international tournament until the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, so he’ll have some time to think about assembling the next roster. “Over four years, a lot can and will happen,” Hill said. “Now, getting away from it a little bit, just letting things play out and see how guys continue to develop and see what kind of season guys have over the next year or so. And then, at some point, you start that process all over again.”
Assistants Tyronn Lue and Erik Spoelstra appear to be the favorites to succeed Steve Kerr as Team USA’s head coach, Reynolds adds in the same piece. Kerr committed to coach in the 2023 World Cup and this year’s Olympics when he took over for Gregg Popovich.
As the Olympics prepare to wrap up, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today picks winners and losers from the men’s basketball competition. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Team USA are obvious winners, along with France and Serbia for also capturing medals. Zillgitt’s losers are Canada, Germany, Australia and Spain, which all went home empty-handed despite high expectations, along with Nikola Jokic, whom Zillgitt criticizes for not talking to the media during his brilliant performance.

Celtics Notes: Brissett, Tatum, Kerr, Yabusele

August 7th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent forward Oshae Brissett provided an update on his status during his “Brissy TV” YouTube show, relays Lauren Campbell of MassLive. Brissett, who remains unsigned nearly six weeks into free agency, said he’s still exploring his options and a return to Boston remains a possibility.

“I’m still a free agent now, talking to some teams. You guys will all see obviously when it happens, where I end up. That’s full transparency, man,” Brissett said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. I love every single part about being a Boston Celtic. And I could go back, who freakin’ knows? Hey, the door’s not closed fully. There’s still a spot on the team. Who knows?”

The 26-year-old appeared in 55 games after signing with the Celtics last summer, but he played a career-low 11.5 minutes per night while averaging 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds. His playing time dipped to 5.5 minutes per game in the postseason, and he wasn’t used at all in nine games.

Brissett declined a $2.5MM player option for next season to test the free agent market. He stated that he enjoyed his year in Boston even though he didn’t play as much as he’d hoped.

“Watching literal Hall of Famers all day, practicing with Hall of Famers, you grow. I’m a sponge, a basketball sponge. I like to learn things,” Brissett said. “That, to me, was the reason I would say that was the best season of my career.”

The Celtics are already facing a huge tax bill, so there’s no guarantee they’ll fill their open roster spot. Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk are the only free agents for the defending champs.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Jayson Tatum‘s playing time in the Olympics continues to be inconsistent, observes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. After sitting out Team USA’s opener against Serbia, the Celtics star was used as the 11th man against Brazil on Tuesday. He didn’t get off the bench until two minutes had elapsed in the second quarter, but he played nearly 20 minutes in the blowout, the third-highest total on the team. “Each game is extremely different, but the main thing is that we win,” Tatum said, “so whatever we’ve got to do or I’ve got to do from game to game to be a part of that and contribute when I can, I’m going to do that.”
U.S. coach Steve Kerr, who has led Golden State to four NBA titles, offered some advice for the Celtics as they try to repeat, Himmelsbach writes in a separate story. “When you first win it, I think you have a deeper level of confidence,” Kerr said. “To me, that first time that you try to repeat is actually a little easier. You do it a couple of times and you’re actually exhausted. You try to do it a third time, a fourth time, you go to the Finals three, four, five times in a row, it’s utterly exhausting. But if you win one, you’ve got a deeper level of confidence than you had before and I think that really matters to teams.”
Former Celtic Guerschon Yabusele was one of the stars of France’s win over Canada, scoring a team-high 22 points to spark the upset. Himmelsbach points out that Yabusele is just 28 and suggests that his Olympics performance might get him some looks from NBA teams. He has spent the last three years with Real Madrid.

Warriors Notes: Podziemski, Kuminga, Curry, Green, Moody, More

August 7th, 2024 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors viewed the Jazz‘s asking price in trade talks for Lauri Markkanen as one that would have made it a “bad deal” if they’d met it, sources tell Kendra Andrews of ESPN, which is why discussions between the two teams stalled. Those talks officially came to an end on Wednesday when Markkanen renegotiated and extended his contract with Utah, making him ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason.

Confirming previous reporting from The Athletic, Andrews says the Warriors aren’t feeling any urgency to shift their focus to a new trade target now that Markkanen is off the board, citing team sources who say the club isn’t “hot on” any of the players currently available on the market.

The negotiations with Utah also showed that the Warriors intend to hang onto young players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga “very tightly,” Andrews writes, and would only be willing to move one or both of them in an “overwhelming” deal that made the team better in the long run.

For now, Podziemski, Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis all appear poised to take on larger roles with the Warriors in 2024/25, though nothing will be handed to them, a source tell Andrews, meaning they’ll have to show that they deserve increased minutes and possibly starting spots. While Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are, of course, penciled in as starters, the other three spots in the starting five are considered “wide open” entering training camp, Andrews reports.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Curry and Green want to be consulted on the Warriors’ roster moves, but they’ve made it clear they don’t want to be “final decision-makers,” sources tell ESPN. “Steph has said, ‘Look, I do not want to be making those decisions. It puts me in a different spot than all of my teammates. I do not want that,'” one source said to Andrews. While the two stars are still adjusting to the fact that Klay Thompson is no longer on the roster, they’re excited about the moves Golden State has made this offseason, Andrews adds.
With Thompson and Chris Paul exiting Golden State this summer, adding scoring was the team’s top priority, which was the impetus for the addition of Buddy Hield in particular. The Warriors also expect Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton to contribute in that area while helping to solidify the defense, Andrews writes.
The Warriors haven’t engaged in any serious rookie scale extension discussions with Kuminga or Moody yet, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has expressed interest in exploring deals for both players. Andrews suggests Moody’s next deal could be in the range of $11-13MM per year.
One front office source told Andrews that it was “actually really fun” to be able to operate below the tax aprons this offseason for the first time in years. That allowed the Warriors to use their full mid-level exception (on Melton) and acquire two players (Hield and Anderson) via sign-and-trade.
“Diversifying” the coaching staff and bringing in fresh faces was a goal this offseason, which led to the additions of Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse. A source referred to head coach Steve Kerr and Stotts as “kindred spirits” and said Kerr appreciates the offensive acumen and communication skills the former Blazers head coach will bring to the club. Stackhouse, meanwhile, is expected to team up with assistant coach Chris DeMarco in focusing on the defensive side of the ball, says Andrews.

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