thats why i didn't understand the cars not trying to get another first from them...but it is what it is
Official 2018 NBA Offseason Thread: free agency starts 7/1 - Summer League action is here!
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Yeah they could've got one of them 1st's....took on IT who was a terrible fit. That should've been a 1st rounder....take on one of them shitty ass contracts like Tristan...should've been a done deal. Celtics made out like bandits......
Say round ..holla at me in here
Vegas not ruling out LeBron-Heat reunion, as 2019 odds reflect
Ira Winderman
Well, this seems to make little sense -- until you factor perhaps the greatest game changer of all into the equation.
According to the latest NBA futures from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, the Miami Heat are tied for the fifth-best odds to win next season's NBA championship.
Wait? What?
More like: Wait? Who?
Because until LeBron James' potential NBA free agency is sorted out, the wise guys are playing it safe, with the Heat's 20-1 odds to win next season's championship behind only the 5-4 of the Golden State Warriors, 7-2 of both the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers, 8-1 of the Boston Celtics, and tied with the 20-1 of the Los Angeles Lakers, who failed to make the playoffs this past season. Somewhat shockingly, the current line also has the Heat ahead of the 30-1 of James' current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bovada.lv, an offshore book, last week listed the Heat as 25-1 to create a LeBron reunion before the start of next season, with BetOnline putting the Heat's chances for such a reunion at 20-1.
On the face of it, the Heat, who tied for the NBA's 15th best record this past season, appear to be no better than treading water heading into the offseason, without a pick in either round of the June 21 NBA draft nor with cap space for the July 1 start of free agency.
But with James advancing to the NBA Finals the past eight seasons, including the current series against the Warriors, Vegas and those setting lines are playing it safe.
"When you have LeBron in free agency, you have to be careful," Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker John Murray told ESPN. "You've got Philadelphia, Miami, the Lakers and even Houston as potential destinations. We cut all of those teams' odds down, and we'll raise back up the teams he doesn't sign with."
As a matter of perspective, the Heat stood at 100-1 and higher entering this past season, when they finished at 44-38, tying for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and exiting in the first round of the playoffs, falling 4-1 to the 76ers.
As for the never-say-never chances of a reunion with James, who spent four seasons with the Heat, advancing to the NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, winning championships under Erik Spoelstra in 2012 and '13, the odds might be even longer than the odds-makers perceive.
With James holding a $35.6 million player option for next season, he faces a late-June deadline for that decision. If he opts in, he could be traded for similar salary. If he opts out, the Heat's means for staging a reunion would either require a major trim of current payroll through the selling off of assets or the swap of matching salary to Cleveland, with both the Cavaliers and James having to agree to such a post-July 1 swap.
Considering James' stunning decision to leave the Cavaliers in 2010 and his equally surprising decision to return to Cleveland in 2014, bookmakers find themselves practicing prudence.
James has insisted he has yet to deliberate his future, to be left with only weeks between the close of the NBA Finals and the start of free agency. There would be even less time for a decision should he opt into the remaining season on his contract and push for a trade around the time of the draft, as Chris Paul did with last year's shift from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets.
Of those viewed with reasonable odds to lure James from the Cavaliers, only the 76ers and Lakers have the necessary cap space. Suitors such as the Heat and Rockets would need to create trade packages suitable enough to entice the Cavaliers.
For the moment, Westgate's current odds for the 2019 NBA tile stand as:
Golden State 5/4
Houston 7/2
Philadelphia 7/2
Boston 8/1
Los Angeles 20/1
Miami 20/1
San Antonio 25/1
Cleveland 30/1
Toronto 40/1
Utah 60/1
Portland 80/1
Okla. City 60/1
New Orleans 80/1
Minnesota 80/1
Denver 100/1
Milwaukee 100/1
Washington 100/1
New York 100/1
Indiana 100/1
Los Angeles 100/1
Phoenix 200/1
Charlotte 300/1
Detroit 300/1
Brooklyn 300/1
Sacramento 300/1
Chicago 300/1
Dallas 300/1
Memphis 500/1
Orlando 500/1
Atlanta 1000/1
Ira Winderman
Well, this seems to make little sense -- until you factor perhaps the greatest game changer of all into the equation.
According to the latest NBA futures from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, the Miami Heat are tied for the fifth-best odds to win next season's NBA championship.
Wait? What?
More like: Wait? Who?
Because until LeBron James' potential NBA free agency is sorted out, the wise guys are playing it safe, with the Heat's 20-1 odds to win next season's championship behind only the 5-4 of the Golden State Warriors, 7-2 of both the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers, 8-1 of the Boston Celtics, and tied with the 20-1 of the Los Angeles Lakers, who failed to make the playoffs this past season. Somewhat shockingly, the current line also has the Heat ahead of the 30-1 of James' current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bovada.lv, an offshore book, last week listed the Heat as 25-1 to create a LeBron reunion before the start of next season, with BetOnline putting the Heat's chances for such a reunion at 20-1.
On the face of it, the Heat, who tied for the NBA's 15th best record this past season, appear to be no better than treading water heading into the offseason, without a pick in either round of the June 21 NBA draft nor with cap space for the July 1 start of free agency.
But with James advancing to the NBA Finals the past eight seasons, including the current series against the Warriors, Vegas and those setting lines are playing it safe.
"When you have LeBron in free agency, you have to be careful," Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker John Murray told ESPN. "You've got Philadelphia, Miami, the Lakers and even Houston as potential destinations. We cut all of those teams' odds down, and we'll raise back up the teams he doesn't sign with."
As a matter of perspective, the Heat stood at 100-1 and higher entering this past season, when they finished at 44-38, tying for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and exiting in the first round of the playoffs, falling 4-1 to the 76ers.
As for the never-say-never chances of a reunion with James, who spent four seasons with the Heat, advancing to the NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, winning championships under Erik Spoelstra in 2012 and '13, the odds might be even longer than the odds-makers perceive.
With James holding a $35.6 million player option for next season, he faces a late-June deadline for that decision. If he opts in, he could be traded for similar salary. If he opts out, the Heat's means for staging a reunion would either require a major trim of current payroll through the selling off of assets or the swap of matching salary to Cleveland, with both the Cavaliers and James having to agree to such a post-July 1 swap.
Considering James' stunning decision to leave the Cavaliers in 2010 and his equally surprising decision to return to Cleveland in 2014, bookmakers find themselves practicing prudence.
James has insisted he has yet to deliberate his future, to be left with only weeks between the close of the NBA Finals and the start of free agency. There would be even less time for a decision should he opt into the remaining season on his contract and push for a trade around the time of the draft, as Chris Paul did with last year's shift from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets.
Of those viewed with reasonable odds to lure James from the Cavaliers, only the 76ers and Lakers have the necessary cap space. Suitors such as the Heat and Rockets would need to create trade packages suitable enough to entice the Cavaliers.
For the moment, Westgate's current odds for the 2019 NBA tile stand as:
Golden State 5/4
Houston 7/2
Philadelphia 7/2
Boston 8/1
Los Angeles 20/1
Miami 20/1
San Antonio 25/1
Cleveland 30/1
Toronto 40/1
Utah 60/1
Portland 80/1
Okla. City 60/1
New Orleans 80/1
Minnesota 80/1
Denver 100/1
Milwaukee 100/1
Washington 100/1
New York 100/1
Indiana 100/1
Los Angeles 100/1
Phoenix 200/1
Charlotte 300/1
Detroit 300/1
Brooklyn 300/1
Sacramento 300/1
Chicago 300/1
Dallas 300/1
Memphis 500/1
Orlando 500/1
Atlanta 1000/1
LeBron sweepstakes begins as insiders guess landing spots
By Marc Berman
It’s not a fait accompli, but more than half of eight NBA front-office types/coaches interviewed at the Draft Combine said they expect LeBron James to bolt Cleveland this summer as a free agent now that the Cavaliers failed for the second straight season to win a title.
The Cavaliers’ season ended Friday at Quicken Loans Arena in a four-game sweep to the Warriors, and speculation over James’ future will go into overdrive from now until July 1, when he can become a free agent.
The Knicks have a new coach in David Fizdale, who was close to James in Miami, but none of those interviewed predicted he would land at the Garden this summer.
Kenyon Martin, who hasn’t done his salary-cap mathematics, predicted on FOX Sports that James and Paul George would team up with the Knicks, but that is financially impossible. The Knicks, at best, would have enough room for one max if Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn opt out and they trade Courtney Lee to free up cap space. By contrast, the Lakers actually have the cap space for both James and George.
“I don’t see [James joining the Knicks],” one NBA personnel director said. “They don’t have cap space to fit them. But relationships matter, so it’s not off the table in the future.’’
One NBA assistant coach from an Eastern Conference playoff team is convinced James is done with Northeast Ohio. Again.
The assistant coach said if the Cavaliers had soared into the top three in the lottery, James might have remained.
“After receiving the eighth pick, there’s a good chance he leaves,’’ the assistant coach said. “If it was a higher pick and they could get one of the higher guys, maybe he’d stay because LeBron can develop talent and he loves playing with young new talent.”
The assistant imagines the Lakers or the 76ers as James’ top two choices. The Rockets, with which buddy Chris Paul toils, also have been mentioned. Former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, said recently the Sixers have “the leg up’’ in the James sweepstakes, noting his agent Rich Paul also reps Ben Simmons. Griffin, whom James has praised since his departure from Cleveland, is a candidate to replace the fallen Bryan Colangelo as GM in Philadelphia.
“He’s got to look at L.A., but also Philadelphia, a team that can really compete,’’ the assistant said. “Boston is only getting better when they add Kyrie [Irving] and [get Gordon] Hayward back. If the Cavs can’t sign a big free agent, you got to think he’s got to try to find another place.”
Sixers star Joel Embiid is ready to welcome the King to Philadelphia, posting on Twitter: “Trust The Process!!!! Find a new slant @KingJames.”
Elsewhere on the social media front, San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray broke out his Photoshop skills and imagined James in a Spurs jersey.
On the flip side, came an NBA head coach who doesn’t see James pulling off a “Clexit’’ twice in a lifetime.
“I can’t see him leaving there again,” the head coach said. “He lives in Akron. His kids and family is home. This is how he’d want to finish. I think that’s what he’ll do.”
James’ reported dislike for Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who fired Griffin, was never more clear than when he bolted past the owner without acknowledging him after Cleveland knocked out Boston in seven games. Gilbert was clapping the hands of each Cavalier as they came off the court that night.
“It’s a mess up there,’’ an NBA scout said. “It’s been a tough road. What LeBron said when he left for Miami is he went off to college, then he came back. I love that story. This story, I don’t know. I think he will entertain the idea of somewhere else. He’s not going to a rebuilding team. It can’t be Boston, but the Sixers are a good call.’’
The Cavaliers don’t have their 2019 first-round pick, given away in the Kyle Korver deal. That limits possible draft-day deals.
“It depends on how creative Cleveland can get, but in Philly, that makes them a championship-calibre team,’’ said an NBA GM. “Can that happen in Cleveland? Probably not. It’s not good enough. How many teams in the West can the Cavaliers beat? Can they even beat Utah? Might be time for him to go.’’
To the Lakers?
“I got to think L.A. is logical because he lives out there and they have a chance to sign a second superstar,’’ an NBA scouting director added. “I just don’t know if Paul George is that second superstar. I think L.A. makes sense. They have room to pay him, room for another star and have some talented young guys. They should find a way to keep Julius Randle. I think it makes most sense. Unless Cleveland can show they can shake up the roster, but they’re kind of stuck.”
“The gut says he’s chooses Los Angeles. They got some pieces there and Magic [Johnson] is a great salesman, the opportunity to be a third team he’s taken to a championship— all the stuff lines up his legacy.’’
One NBA executive who has dealt with James said: “It’s up in the air. I never thought he was leaving Miami and he did. Who knows? He’s 33 years old. He might want to upgrade his team and stay home. It definitely caught me off guard in Miami. With LeBron you never know because he’s so unpredictable.”
By Marc Berman
It’s not a fait accompli, but more than half of eight NBA front-office types/coaches interviewed at the Draft Combine said they expect LeBron James to bolt Cleveland this summer as a free agent now that the Cavaliers failed for the second straight season to win a title.
The Cavaliers’ season ended Friday at Quicken Loans Arena in a four-game sweep to the Warriors, and speculation over James’ future will go into overdrive from now until July 1, when he can become a free agent.
The Knicks have a new coach in David Fizdale, who was close to James in Miami, but none of those interviewed predicted he would land at the Garden this summer.
Kenyon Martin, who hasn’t done his salary-cap mathematics, predicted on FOX Sports that James and Paul George would team up with the Knicks, but that is financially impossible. The Knicks, at best, would have enough room for one max if Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn opt out and they trade Courtney Lee to free up cap space. By contrast, the Lakers actually have the cap space for both James and George.
“I don’t see [James joining the Knicks],” one NBA personnel director said. “They don’t have cap space to fit them. But relationships matter, so it’s not off the table in the future.’’
One NBA assistant coach from an Eastern Conference playoff team is convinced James is done with Northeast Ohio. Again.
The assistant coach said if the Cavaliers had soared into the top three in the lottery, James might have remained.
“After receiving the eighth pick, there’s a good chance he leaves,’’ the assistant coach said. “If it was a higher pick and they could get one of the higher guys, maybe he’d stay because LeBron can develop talent and he loves playing with young new talent.”
The assistant imagines the Lakers or the 76ers as James’ top two choices. The Rockets, with which buddy Chris Paul toils, also have been mentioned. Former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, said recently the Sixers have “the leg up’’ in the James sweepstakes, noting his agent Rich Paul also reps Ben Simmons. Griffin, whom James has praised since his departure from Cleveland, is a candidate to replace the fallen Bryan Colangelo as GM in Philadelphia.
“He’s got to look at L.A., but also Philadelphia, a team that can really compete,’’ the assistant said. “Boston is only getting better when they add Kyrie [Irving] and [get Gordon] Hayward back. If the Cavs can’t sign a big free agent, you got to think he’s got to try to find another place.”
Sixers star Joel Embiid is ready to welcome the King to Philadelphia, posting on Twitter: “Trust The Process!!!! Find a new slant @KingJames.”
Elsewhere on the social media front, San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray broke out his Photoshop skills and imagined James in a Spurs jersey.
On the flip side, came an NBA head coach who doesn’t see James pulling off a “Clexit’’ twice in a lifetime.
“I can’t see him leaving there again,” the head coach said. “He lives in Akron. His kids and family is home. This is how he’d want to finish. I think that’s what he’ll do.”
James’ reported dislike for Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who fired Griffin, was never more clear than when he bolted past the owner without acknowledging him after Cleveland knocked out Boston in seven games. Gilbert was clapping the hands of each Cavalier as they came off the court that night.
“It’s a mess up there,’’ an NBA scout said. “It’s been a tough road. What LeBron said when he left for Miami is he went off to college, then he came back. I love that story. This story, I don’t know. I think he will entertain the idea of somewhere else. He’s not going to a rebuilding team. It can’t be Boston, but the Sixers are a good call.’’
The Cavaliers don’t have their 2019 first-round pick, given away in the Kyle Korver deal. That limits possible draft-day deals.
“It depends on how creative Cleveland can get, but in Philly, that makes them a championship-calibre team,’’ said an NBA GM. “Can that happen in Cleveland? Probably not. It’s not good enough. How many teams in the West can the Cavaliers beat? Can they even beat Utah? Might be time for him to go.’’
To the Lakers?
“I got to think L.A. is logical because he lives out there and they have a chance to sign a second superstar,’’ an NBA scouting director added. “I just don’t know if Paul George is that second superstar. I think L.A. makes sense. They have room to pay him, room for another star and have some talented young guys. They should find a way to keep Julius Randle. I think it makes most sense. Unless Cleveland can show they can shake up the roster, but they’re kind of stuck.”
“The gut says he’s chooses Los Angeles. They got some pieces there and Magic [Johnson] is a great salesman, the opportunity to be a third team he’s taken to a championship— all the stuff lines up his legacy.’’
One NBA executive who has dealt with James said: “It’s up in the air. I never thought he was leaving Miami and he did. Who knows? He’s 33 years old. He might want to upgrade his team and stay home. It definitely caught me off guard in Miami. With LeBron you never know because he’s so unpredictable.”
even tho this a year away its fitting...
Celtics ‘scared’ of Kyrie Irving’s future with Knicks lurking
By Zach Braziller
The Celtics are concerned about Kyrie Irving’s long-term future in Boston, in part because of his desire to flee for a division rival, according to one NBA insider.
Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports said on his podcast the Celtics are “scared” Irving could leave next summer, and the Knicks are viewed as a potential destination. The 26-year-old Irving, who missed the playoffs following left knee surgery, can opt out of his contract next summer. The Celtics would be able to sign him to a five-year, $200 million max deal, if he wants to stay.
“I think they’re scared,” Mannix said. “I think they’re scared and should be scared to some degree of Kyrie Irving walking in 2019. I know he had a great year, but you know there are people in Cleveland that will tell you that the Knicks should be considered a real threat for Kyrie Irving. Because Kyrie had talked about it, about playing with the Knicks with some players in that Cleveland locker room from what I was told.
“You know things can change. Obviously, you go to Boston and you become the face of the franchise. You’re on a winning team. Maybe the mindset has changed significantly?”
The Knicks, as well as the Spurs, Timberwolves and Heat, were on Irving’s wish list when he demanded a trade from the Cavaliers last offseason. But Irving did not have any leverage and the Cavaliers, in their opinion, got the best offer from the Celtics in a deal led by Isaiah Thomas and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick. Leverage won’t be a problem come free agency for the five-time All-Star.
Irving grew up close to New York City, in nearby West Orange, N.J., before attending Duke for one year. Irving led the Celtics to the second seed in the Eastern Conference before the knee injury cost him the postseason.
The Celtics, however, are far better positioned to contend in the future than the Knicks as their young roster advanced to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals without the injured Irving and Gordon Hayward. The Knicks’ best asset, Kristaps Porzingis, is recovering from a torn ACL that will keep him out until at least late December.
During All-Star weekend, Irving said he sent “well-wishes” to Porzingis after he tore his ACL, and expressed hope to play with him one day.
“I told him I would love to play with a big like you, man, when we played them in the beginning of the season when he came to Boston,’’ Irving said then. “He’s so versatile. So I wish him nothing but the best and hope he comes back even stronger.”
Celtics ‘scared’ of Kyrie Irving’s future with Knicks lurking
By Zach Braziller
The Celtics are concerned about Kyrie Irving’s long-term future in Boston, in part because of his desire to flee for a division rival, according to one NBA insider.
Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports said on his podcast the Celtics are “scared” Irving could leave next summer, and the Knicks are viewed as a potential destination. The 26-year-old Irving, who missed the playoffs following left knee surgery, can opt out of his contract next summer. The Celtics would be able to sign him to a five-year, $200 million max deal, if he wants to stay.
“I think they’re scared,” Mannix said. “I think they’re scared and should be scared to some degree of Kyrie Irving walking in 2019. I know he had a great year, but you know there are people in Cleveland that will tell you that the Knicks should be considered a real threat for Kyrie Irving. Because Kyrie had talked about it, about playing with the Knicks with some players in that Cleveland locker room from what I was told.
“You know things can change. Obviously, you go to Boston and you become the face of the franchise. You’re on a winning team. Maybe the mindset has changed significantly?”
The Knicks, as well as the Spurs, Timberwolves and Heat, were on Irving’s wish list when he demanded a trade from the Cavaliers last offseason. But Irving did not have any leverage and the Cavaliers, in their opinion, got the best offer from the Celtics in a deal led by Isaiah Thomas and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick. Leverage won’t be a problem come free agency for the five-time All-Star.
Irving grew up close to New York City, in nearby West Orange, N.J., before attending Duke for one year. Irving led the Celtics to the second seed in the Eastern Conference before the knee injury cost him the postseason.
The Celtics, however, are far better positioned to contend in the future than the Knicks as their young roster advanced to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals without the injured Irving and Gordon Hayward. The Knicks’ best asset, Kristaps Porzingis, is recovering from a torn ACL that will keep him out until at least late December.
During All-Star weekend, Irving said he sent “well-wishes” to Porzingis after he tore his ACL, and expressed hope to play with him one day.
“I told him I would love to play with a big like you, man, when we played them in the beginning of the season when he came to Boston,’’ Irving said then. “He’s so versatile. So I wish him nothing but the best and hope he comes back even stronger.”
Here is David Fizdale’s Knicks coaching staff
By Ethan Sears
David Fizdale’s coaching staff has been assembled.
The Knicks announced Thursday that Keith Smart, Jud Buechler, Pat Sullivan and Royal Ivey have been hired as assistant coaches. Howard Eisley, a Hornacek assistant, is still in the organization, but it’s unclear whether he’ll keep his assistant role.
Smart, a former player, was a Fizdale assistant in Memphis and worked alongside him on Erik Spoelstra’s staff in Miami. Buechler, who played under Lute Olson in Arizona and had a decade-long career as a player, was an assistant on Luke Walton’s Lakers staff before coming to the Knicks.
Sullivan has been an assistant coach on four different teams since 2004, spending the last two seasons with the Clippers. Ivey comes to New York from Oklahoma City, where he had worked under Billy Donovan since 2016.
“We’re thrilled to have this diverse group of high character coaches join the Knicks,” Fizdale said in a statement released by the team. “They are highly motivated and bring a wealth of basketball experience that will be a great fit in developing and building this team. All four coaches are tireless workers, reliable teammates and share the same intense passion to win.”
By Ethan Sears
David Fizdale’s coaching staff has been assembled.
The Knicks announced Thursday that Keith Smart, Jud Buechler, Pat Sullivan and Royal Ivey have been hired as assistant coaches. Howard Eisley, a Hornacek assistant, is still in the organization, but it’s unclear whether he’ll keep his assistant role.
Smart, a former player, was a Fizdale assistant in Memphis and worked alongside him on Erik Spoelstra’s staff in Miami. Buechler, who played under Lute Olson in Arizona and had a decade-long career as a player, was an assistant on Luke Walton’s Lakers staff before coming to the Knicks.
Sullivan has been an assistant coach on four different teams since 2004, spending the last two seasons with the Clippers. Ivey comes to New York from Oklahoma City, where he had worked under Billy Donovan since 2016.
“We’re thrilled to have this diverse group of high character coaches join the Knicks,” Fizdale said in a statement released by the team. “They are highly motivated and bring a wealth of basketball experience that will be a great fit in developing and building this team. All four coaches are tireless workers, reliable teammates and share the same intense passion to win.”
Nine potential LeBron James landing spots in free agency
Frank Urbina
This offseason, the league will wait with bated breath as its best player decides where he wants to spend the next few seasons of his career.
Whatever he decides will have a ripple effect around the NBA, changing the fortunes and outlooks of various franchises for years to come.
LeBron James holds all the power and, as always, he’ll be meticulous in deciding which destination will be the best for his career.
Because James is so conscientious in everything he does, including taking care of his body…
… he’s still producing at levels unheard of for a player with his years of experience and minutes played.
Even in his age-33 season, James put up 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 three-pointers nightly throughout the 2018 playoffs, on ridiculous 53.9/34.2/74.6 shooting splits (while dropping over 40 points in eight of his 22 outings). Ridiculous.
He likely won’t win regular-season MVP for his troubles, as that honor will likely be bestowed upon the bearded dude in Houston. His absurd level of play wasn’t enough to carry the Cleveland Cavaliers to their second title in three years either, but he’s still without question the Association’s top player.
Some pundits expect the 14-time All-Star to find a new home this offseason, one where he can be surrounded by a stronger supporting cast in hopes of winning another championship or two before his play finally starts to taper off.
At the same time, it’s hard to imagine James leaving the team in his home state for the second time in his career. And if he needed even more motivation to stay with the Cavs than that, it should also be noted that Cleveland can offer him the most money on his next contract thanks to the way the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set up.
Either way, we’re in store for a fascinating summer.
Below, we break down James’ likeliest free-agent landing spots.
Los Angeles Clippers
Over the past year, there’s been heavy scuttle connecting James to a team from Los Angeles. But it’s usually regarding the one that wears gold and purple, not red and blue.
However, that changed late in Jan. 2018 when the New York Times’ Marc Steinreported on the Los Angeles Clippers having interest in recruiting James this offseason.
Concerning the second part of Stein’s tweet, the Clippers weren’t able to move either DeAndre Jordan or Lou Williams at the trade deadline. In fact, the latter played so well in his brief time with the team that he convinced L.A.’s management to actually lock him up long-term on a three-year, $24 million deal.
So for James-to-the-Clippers to pick up steam and become plausible, Los Angeles will have to hope Jordan opts out of the final year of his contract (many expect him to, but with how cap-space poor most of the league will be this summer, it’s far from a guarantee), on top of renouncing Avery Bradley’s free-agent rights (the two-guard has a $13.2 million cap hold on the books this offseason) while also hoping one of either Austin Rivers or Milos Teodosic opts out.
Simple enough.
(Los Angeles could always stretch and waive Wesley Johnsonor Boban Marjanovic, try to trade Danilo Gallinari or decline their team option on Patrick Beverley, but any of those would be absolute last-resort moves.)
Only then will the Clippers have enough cap space to sign James to the max contract he assuredly will command.
Because the four-time MVP has been in the league for over 10 years, he is automatically eligible for a max deal that starts at 35 percent of the salary cap. Thus, using the projected cap of $101 million and assuming a three-year deal with a player option on Year-3 (i.e., the exact type of deal he’s coming off of with Cleveland), that would amount to a $111.4 million agreement between any non-Cavs team and James.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, we must ponder: Why exactly would James join the Clippers? Especially a Clipper squad without DeAndre, a two-time All-NBA 3rd Team selection and a player James was reportedly interested in the Cavs going after at the 2018 trade deadline?
Without the 7-footer, James would be joining a Clipper team whose core consists of Williams, Tobias Harris, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell, plus two late 2018 lottery picks. Sure, L.A. could deal the two first-rounders for an established player, but would that nucleus be that much of an upgrade over the present-day Cavs?
Maybe, but it’s not a certainty, either.
The most recent reports on this topic (via the Undefeated’s Marc Spears) stated that even people within the Clippers organization don’t really expect James to consider them in free agency.
But existing in a huge market gives them a puncher’s chance, and with Jerry Westat the helm and Doc Rivers extended as head coach, they can’t totally be ruled out as a potential James landing spot.
Miami Heat
If the salary-cap gymnastics the Clippers would have to execute to have enough cap space for James sounded complicated, that’s nothing compared to what the Miami Heat would have to do to reunite with James.
Nevertheless, the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor recently listed the South Florida franchise as a dark-horse candidate for the three-time champion anyway:
“There’s no perfect destination for LeBron, but from the time I first reported last June that LeBron had eyes for Los Angeles, it’s become apparent that the teams he’s reportedly interested in—favorites like the Rockets, Sixers, and Lakers, or dark horses like the Heat or Clippers—are better equipped to build a true contender than the Cavaliers are. “
The fact James is so familiar with Miami after spending four seasons with the Heat early in the 2010s certainly doesn’t hurt their chances. And if nothing else, Pat Riley’s roster presently has a plethora of strong complementary-type pieces, ranging from Goran Dragic to Hassan Whiteside, that should, in theory, fit nicely around an alpha dog like James.
What Miami lacks, which reared its ugly head in the Heat’s 4-1 playoff defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers, is a star to carry their respectable group of role players.
Adding James to a unit with so many solid complementary pieces would give Miami the makings of a strong Eastern Conference squad – maybe even a contender.
But that the Heat would have to lose so much of its current roster just to open up enough cap room for James makes this fit difficult to envision.
At the moment, Miami is set to carry $117.4 million in player salaries into 2018-19. They’re a lot closer to the projected luxury tax line ($123 million) than they are to the projected cap ($101 million).
Even by renouncing the rights to Wayne Ellington, Jordan Mickey, Luke Babbitt and Udonis Haslem (who is contemplating retirement), that would only open up another $12.7 million in cap room.
If the Heat then manage to trade Whiteside for nothing in return (unlikely, if not downright impossible), then Miami would be at $80.3 million in player salaries, needing to shed another $14.7 million before having enough room to sign James.
Trading Tyler Johnson and the $19.3 million he’s owed for 2018-19 while receiving no money in return would be enough, but again, there’s very little chance that happens. Moving Johnson while receiving no salary back would cost a ton of sweetener (better known as draft picks), which Miami simply does not possess at the moment. Theoretically, the Heat could trade their 2019 first-round pick, but only upon the culmination of the 2018 draft. (It’s a weird rule, one that states teams cannot trade their first-round pick in back-to-back years. Miami’s affected by it currently because their 2018 first-rounder belongs to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Dragic deal, as does their 2020 first-round selection, leaving the Heat without much “sweetener” to add in potential salary-clearing moves.)
A likelier possibility than moving T. Johnson for no salary in return would be trading Dragic and his $18.1 million for draft picks, since the Slovenian floor general is still performing at a borderline All-Star level and could help a team looking to contend.
In that dream scenario for Miami, they would land James, re-sign Dwyane Wade(who we should mention, like Haslem, is also considering retirement) for another season and then surround the legendary duo with T. Johnson (or Dragic), James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Dion Waiters, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo.
That core has an argument to be considered stronger than present-day Cleveland, and would immediately make the Heat one of the most potent teams in the East.
But, again, with how complicated Miami’s roster turnaround would have to be just to open up enough room for a potential James max contract, it simply doesn’t appear to be a very likely outcome.
Nonetheless, you can never count out Riley’s ability to persuade. (And Wade’s close friendship with James makes this interesting as well.)
San Antonio Spurs
There’s one overarching factor connecting James to the San Antonio Spurs, and it’s the man in charge of the Texan team: Gregg Popovich.
Back in February, San Antonio’s head coach made public comments praising James for speaking out against the social injustices African-Americans face in this country, after Fox News’ Laura Ingraham said the Cavs forward should “shut up and dribble.”
Needless to say, Popovich wasn’t having it:
But what most took as a coach sticking up for an athlete he’s known for a long time and has legitimate affection for, others, apparently, took as the subtle beginning of a recruitment.
Apart from that, there hasn’t been much buzz connecting James to San Antonio – aside from the superstar talking to the media about how much he loves Popovich.
But that’s nothing new, as the two have exchanged complimentary quotes back and forth for years.
Nevertheless, in a basketball sense, the potential union does make sense.
For starters, putting one of the league’s brightest head coaches ever with possibly the smartest player in history would be borderline unfair.
Moreover, the Spurs, despite lacking a star (with Kawhi Leonard out of the picture momentarily, at least) are relatively well-stocked at the moment. LaMarcus Aldridge regained his All-Star form this past season. San Antonio also has a few serviceable young players on cheap deals, like Dejounte Murray and Bryn Forbes, who performed well in 2017-18.
However, to open up enough cap room to sign James to a max contract, the Spurs would still have to gut a good bit of their roster, because, at the moment, the five-time championship franchise is projected to carry over $98 million in salariesinto 2018-19.
To start, they’d have to renounce Tony Parker’s rights and clear his $23.2 million cap hold from their books.
San Antonio will also have to not extend the qualifying offer to Kyle Anderson, further clearing his $6.5 million cap hold. (Of course, that would only happen after an assurance from James that he’s signing with the Spurs. If one doesn’t come or if the situation is foggy for an extended period after free agency opens up, San Antonio could extend the qualifying offer to Anderson and then just revoke it if James then decides to join the team.)
Then, they’re going to have to hope both Danny Green and Rudy Gay opt out of the final year of their deals, something both players are presently considering.
At that point, San Antonio will find itself with $81.5 million on their books for next season, still needing to clear another $15 million to have room for James.
They could get there by finding a taker for Pau Gasol and the guaranteed $22.7 million still owed to him over the next two seasons, while taking zero salary back in return.
It wouldn’t be easy, but one has to imagine Popovich and general manager RC Buford would find a way to make all that happen if it means landing the best player in the league.
It’s worth noting that Murray is also represented by Rich Paul, LeBron’s agent and childhood friend, and the 21-year-old started recruiting James publicly on Twitter as soon as the NBA Finals ended. (And it’s very possible the two have talked privately prior to this tweet as well.)
If the Spurs were to execute all of the moves we discussed and then landed James, that would leave San Antonio with a core trio of James, Leonard and Aldridge (provided San Antonio’s apparent rift with Leonard gets cleared up this offseason).
It would take a lot of work, but the Spurs would immediately have one of the most imposing Big 3s in the Association.
At this point, the Spurs don’t seem like a very likely suitor for James, but that could easily change over the coming weeks as his free agency begins to heat up, especially considering his respect for Popovich and the organization.
Golden State Warriors
Before you angrily close this article due to how far-fetched the possibility of James-to-the-Golden-State-Warriors sounds, just wait and find out why we’re even listing it.
On Feb. 1, ESPN’s Chris Haynes, who’s well-connected with James’ camp, reported that if Golden State could manage to open up a max-roster slot this summer (a fantastically huge if), they could be granted a free-agent meeting with their biggest nemesis:
“If the Golden State Warriors can create a max salary slot this offseason, the defending NBA champions could position themselves to secure a meeting with LeBron James, league sources told ESPN.
“There is no indication that Golden State is evaluating such options to acquire the Cleveland Cavaliers star at this time.
“Out of respect for the Warriors’ winning culture, James would listen if Golden State explored ways to clear the necessary cap space, sources said.”
Since then, multiple reports have come out disputing Haynes’ original article. James himself referred to it as, “nonsense,” and a, “non-story,” when asked about it. Even if he felt the need to lie in regards to his potential interest in joining the Warriors (which is doubtful), it would be so difficult for Golden State to open up enough cap space to land LeBron that the how in this scenario isn’t even really worth listing out.
Just know, it would require for the Warriors to go from $129.8 million owed in player salaries for 2018-19 to $65.7 million, meaning a good chunk of the roster would have to get shipped away with no money coming back in return.
Implausible, unlikely and ultimately, not really worth discussing in depth. Even so, Haynes is an extremely reliable reporter, so this scenario did have to at least be covered, even if briefly.
Houston Rockets
Golden State isn’t a very likely landing spot for James. Their 2018 Western Conference foes, on the other hand, could be a bit more plausible.
The Houston Rockets are led by general manager Daryl Morey, an executive known for his boldness in improving his roster; pulling an absolute shocker like landing James would be right up his alley.
Basketball-wise, James to the Rockets makes a ton of sense. He’d be teaming up with James Harden, the likely league MVP for 2017-18 and one of the best pure scorers the game has ever seen. Though Harden does dominate the ball, he showed an ability to play off it as well this season once a certain legendary point guard entered the fray.
The problem is, part of the reason James would likely be enticed to join Houston would be to team up with that point guard, one of his closest friends in the NBA and a member of the famed Banana Boat squad: Chris Paul.
The issue with that idea, though wonderful in theory, is that it’s difficult to see a James-Harden-Paul union happening with how the Rockets’ books are set up at the moment.
If we remove Paul from the picture, all Houston would have to do to open up enough cap space for James is renounce the rights to all of their impending free agents, including Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela and Tarik Black, among others, and find a way to trade Eric Gordon while taking back pretty much zero salary in return.
That would leave the Rockets with around $35.8 million in cap space, enough to sign James to a max deal. They’d also still have the standard mid-level exception available to try and re-sign Ariza (possible) or Capela (unlikely).
The aforementioned moves would leave Houston’s roster a little bare, granted, but a core of Harden and James wouldn’t exactly be difficult to build around.
If we wanted to find a way to get James on the Rockets with his buddy Paul and Harden, that would require for the Rockets to renounce the rights to all of their impending free agents while finding takers for Gordon, Ryan Anderson and PJ Tucker for next to nothing in return, salary-wise.
Only then would Houston have opened up enough cap space ($64 million) to fit in James and Paul, each at the max. According to reports, Paul has already started recruiting James to Houston, so he’s holding out hope that the Rockets can form a Big 3 of Harden, James and Paul.
Difficult but not totally impossible, either. Especially not for Morey.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers, who are set to have the highest amount of cap space of any team in the Association this summer, have been heavily connected with Jamesover the past year and a half (if not longer).
As is, the Lakers have the room to sign James to a three-year, $111.4 million max contract – one with a player option on Year-3. The thing is, many expect Los Angeles to try and sign not just one, but two max-level players this offseason, with the other primary target being Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Paul George.
To have enough space for both George and James, team president Magic Johnsonand Co. would have to waive Tyler Ennis, Ivica Zubac and Thomas Bryant, as well as renounce the rights to promising big man Julius Randle.
At that point, Los Angeles would have $66.4 million in cap space (not counting the salary owed to their incoming first-round pick, No. 25 overall from the Cavaliers, who will be due between $1.2 million and $1.8 million for 2018-19). At $66.4 million, they’d have enough to fit both James and George at the max, since George is a 30-percent-of-the-salary-cap max player, not a 35 percent one like James. Thus, George would be owed $30.3 million for 2018-19 (with five percent increases annually if he chooses Los Angeles) to James’ $35.4 million.
Adding the first-round pick’s money does put the Lakers over the cap by $500,000, but one of James or George could spare a bit of their max deals in order to make it work. Los Angeles could also simply trade the prospect they select, or choose a draft-and-stash-overseas player. There are obvious ways to make it work.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has been trying to recruit James and George to the Lakers for quite some time, but he’s ramping up his efforts on Twitter as the offseason approaches.
With James and George in the fold, Los Angeles would also return almost the entirety of their exciting group of players aged 24 or younger, including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
(Hart also hinted on Twitter that he’s ready to recruit starts like James and George to Los Angeles, but that he’s waiting until the free agency period begins to do so publicly so that he doesn’t get fined.)
If the Lakers can add the best player in basketball and a top-five wing in George to that exciting core, Los Angeles could be contending again sooner rather than later, especially as their young players continues to improve.
Philadelphia 76ers
As Philadelphia has improved over the past year, jumping from 28 to 52 wins, from the cellar of the East to the conference’s No. 3 seed and into the second the round of the playoffs, smoke has picked up regarding a potential James-Sixers union.
Because they’re set to be the team with the second-most cap space this summer, the 76ers wouldn’t have a very hard time finding room to sign James to a max contract.
All it would require is Philadelphia renouncing all of their impending free agents – JJ Redick, Amir Johnson, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova – while finding a taker for Jerryd Bayless and the $8.6 million they owe him.
Unlike the other hypotheticals we listed where teams may have a hard time finding takers for their worst contracts, that wouldn’t be the case for Philadelphia with Bayless. That’s because, for one, his contract isn’t even that bad. Plus, the Sixers have an abundance of draft picks they can use as sweeteners to get someone to take Bayless off their books.
If they don’t want to lose draft picks in a potential Bayless dumping, they could also trade Robert Covington in exchange for zero salary, as the promising wing is coming off a career season and is locked up for the next four years on a very fair contract, which could make him appealing to hypothetical trade partners.
That would give Philadelphia a core of James, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmonsand Dario Saric, and they would still have mid-level exception to use on trying to bring Redick or Belinelli back so that there’s more shooting in the line-up.
Simply put, that potential nucleus would be a terrifying proposition for the rest of the East, one that could legitimately challenge for a championship in 2018-19.
In fact, the 76ers may be James’ best chance at annual title contention, as he would get to stay in the weaker conference and avoid facing Golden State until the Finals while teaming up with one of the deadliest young cores in the Association.
It’s worth noting that LeBron’s agent Rich Paul also represents Simmons. But the relationship between James and Simmons is even deeper than that. They’ve been close for quite some time, with James mentoring Simmons dating back to his high school days.
Three months ago, after a Cavaliers-Sixers game, James raised some eyebrows when he raved about the 21-year-old playmaker in an Instagram caption.
“I told ya’ll a while back that my young King was next in line!” James wrote about Simmons. “Getting better and better every night… Remember lil bro, settle for nothing less than GREATNESS!!!”
Then there’s Embiid, who jokingly tweeted a recruiting pitch to James after the 76ers’ 19-win season in 2014. Now that the Sixers are on the verge of becoming perennial contenders (if all goes as planned), he’s seriously trying to lure the four-time MVP to Philadelphia.
Two stars from the Philadelphia Eagles – quarterback Carson Wentz and tight end Zach Ertz – were also in Cleveland for Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Ertz tweeted that they were there “for one reason only” and that was to “complete the process” by bringing James to Philly.
The Sixers are certainly a franchise to keep an eye on come July 1, as they seemingly have the necessary cap space and attractive young talent to really intrigue James.
Boston Celtics
On June 6, Haynes, the ESPN reporter who linked James to the Warriors, madeother somewhat surprising comments regarding James’ free agency (via CLNS Media):
“ESPN’s Chris Haynes was a guest on the TK Show on CLNS Media and he too says, don’t sleep on the Celtics. ‘Let’s not overlook the Boston Celtics,’ Haynes told host Tim Kawakami. ‘If Boston reached out and said we’re serious, LeBron would listen.'”
That wasn’t the first time James has been tied to Boston recently, either. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith also mentioned the Celtics when discussing James’ impending summer:
“On a program called First Take on ESPN, Smith, a former columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, believed LeBron James would talk to several teams — including the Sixers — this summer if/when he hits free agency. But that’s not the weird thing. [Smith said], ‘He’s going to have a conversation with Boston.'”
James joining the team with which he’s had such an intense rivalry, including so many playoff matchups stretching over different eras, would be nothing short of shocking. Especially considering, one, they just faced off in a hotly contested Eastern Conference Finals, and two, Boston traded for Kyrie Irving, who chose to leave the franchise that drafted him rather than continue being James’ teammate, just last summer.
To make this happen financially wouldn’t be so difficult. All it would require is the Celtics letting Marcus Smart walk in free agency, dumping Marcus Morrisfor draft picks and finding a taker for either Al Horford or Gordon Hayward.
The trickiness here is the dynamic between not just James and one of his biggest rivals historically, but the relationship between he and Irving, which got pretty ugly toward the end of their time in Cleveland.
One can never rule anything out in the NBA. But it’s worth stating that taking a meeting is one thing, James actually agreeing to join the Celtics this offseason is entirely another.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The place where James has spent 11 years of his career, where he’s made countless memories including a 2016 championship, likely has a leg up in re-signing the generational supersar because they can offer him the most money.
But it’s not quite the financial disparity the Cavs probably wish it was.
With eight percent annual increases as opposed to five, on a three-year deal with a player option on Year-3, Cleveland can offer James $114.8 million, which is just $3.4 million more than any non-Cavs team.
Sure, if we get more in depth and start comparing four-year contracts, the disparity does grow a bit – from a difference of $3.4 million to $6.8 million – but the fact James probably wouldn’t accept a five-year deal (the main advantage most free agents’ current teams have over outside suitors), not with how the cap is projected to continue getting richer, thus making max contracts much more valuable going forward, could wind up hurting the Cavaliers’ chances of re-signing their best player ever.
It’s not like James has shown much in the way of slowing down. Father Time may be undefeated, but Father Time hasn’t faced off against a freak like LeBron yet.
So without much of a financial advantage and due to how… shaky Cleveland looked throughout 2017-18 prior to getting swept by the Warriors in the 2018 Finals, never showing much of a real shot at contending for a title, we could very well be seeing James’ time in Northeast Ohio come to an end.
Or, perhaps content with living in his home state on a team that’s a contender for, at the very least, the Eastern Conference crown every year, James could be fine sticking it out with the Cavaliers.
No one knows for sure what he’ll do this summer.
But without a doubt, whatever he does decide will be the main talking point of the offseason and will change the fortunes of whichever lucky franchise is able to sign him.
Frank Urbina
This offseason, the league will wait with bated breath as its best player decides where he wants to spend the next few seasons of his career.
Whatever he decides will have a ripple effect around the NBA, changing the fortunes and outlooks of various franchises for years to come.
LeBron James holds all the power and, as always, he’ll be meticulous in deciding which destination will be the best for his career.
Because James is so conscientious in everything he does, including taking care of his body…
… he’s still producing at levels unheard of for a player with his years of experience and minutes played.
Even in his age-33 season, James put up 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 three-pointers nightly throughout the 2018 playoffs, on ridiculous 53.9/34.2/74.6 shooting splits (while dropping over 40 points in eight of his 22 outings). Ridiculous.
He likely won’t win regular-season MVP for his troubles, as that honor will likely be bestowed upon the bearded dude in Houston. His absurd level of play wasn’t enough to carry the Cleveland Cavaliers to their second title in three years either, but he’s still without question the Association’s top player.
Some pundits expect the 14-time All-Star to find a new home this offseason, one where he can be surrounded by a stronger supporting cast in hopes of winning another championship or two before his play finally starts to taper off.
At the same time, it’s hard to imagine James leaving the team in his home state for the second time in his career. And if he needed even more motivation to stay with the Cavs than that, it should also be noted that Cleveland can offer him the most money on his next contract thanks to the way the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set up.
Either way, we’re in store for a fascinating summer.
Below, we break down James’ likeliest free-agent landing spots.
Los Angeles Clippers
Over the past year, there’s been heavy scuttle connecting James to a team from Los Angeles. But it’s usually regarding the one that wears gold and purple, not red and blue.
However, that changed late in Jan. 2018 when the New York Times’ Marc Steinreported on the Los Angeles Clippers having interest in recruiting James this offseason.
Concerning the second part of Stein’s tweet, the Clippers weren’t able to move either DeAndre Jordan or Lou Williams at the trade deadline. In fact, the latter played so well in his brief time with the team that he convinced L.A.’s management to actually lock him up long-term on a three-year, $24 million deal.
So for James-to-the-Clippers to pick up steam and become plausible, Los Angeles will have to hope Jordan opts out of the final year of his contract (many expect him to, but with how cap-space poor most of the league will be this summer, it’s far from a guarantee), on top of renouncing Avery Bradley’s free-agent rights (the two-guard has a $13.2 million cap hold on the books this offseason) while also hoping one of either Austin Rivers or Milos Teodosic opts out.
Simple enough.
(Los Angeles could always stretch and waive Wesley Johnsonor Boban Marjanovic, try to trade Danilo Gallinari or decline their team option on Patrick Beverley, but any of those would be absolute last-resort moves.)
Only then will the Clippers have enough cap space to sign James to the max contract he assuredly will command.
Because the four-time MVP has been in the league for over 10 years, he is automatically eligible for a max deal that starts at 35 percent of the salary cap. Thus, using the projected cap of $101 million and assuming a three-year deal with a player option on Year-3 (i.e., the exact type of deal he’s coming off of with Cleveland), that would amount to a $111.4 million agreement between any non-Cavs team and James.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, we must ponder: Why exactly would James join the Clippers? Especially a Clipper squad without DeAndre, a two-time All-NBA 3rd Team selection and a player James was reportedly interested in the Cavs going after at the 2018 trade deadline?
Without the 7-footer, James would be joining a Clipper team whose core consists of Williams, Tobias Harris, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell, plus two late 2018 lottery picks. Sure, L.A. could deal the two first-rounders for an established player, but would that nucleus be that much of an upgrade over the present-day Cavs?
Maybe, but it’s not a certainty, either.
The most recent reports on this topic (via the Undefeated’s Marc Spears) stated that even people within the Clippers organization don’t really expect James to consider them in free agency.
But existing in a huge market gives them a puncher’s chance, and with Jerry Westat the helm and Doc Rivers extended as head coach, they can’t totally be ruled out as a potential James landing spot.
Miami Heat
If the salary-cap gymnastics the Clippers would have to execute to have enough cap space for James sounded complicated, that’s nothing compared to what the Miami Heat would have to do to reunite with James.
Nevertheless, the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor recently listed the South Florida franchise as a dark-horse candidate for the three-time champion anyway:
“There’s no perfect destination for LeBron, but from the time I first reported last June that LeBron had eyes for Los Angeles, it’s become apparent that the teams he’s reportedly interested in—favorites like the Rockets, Sixers, and Lakers, or dark horses like the Heat or Clippers—are better equipped to build a true contender than the Cavaliers are. “
The fact James is so familiar with Miami after spending four seasons with the Heat early in the 2010s certainly doesn’t hurt their chances. And if nothing else, Pat Riley’s roster presently has a plethora of strong complementary-type pieces, ranging from Goran Dragic to Hassan Whiteside, that should, in theory, fit nicely around an alpha dog like James.
What Miami lacks, which reared its ugly head in the Heat’s 4-1 playoff defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers, is a star to carry their respectable group of role players.
Adding James to a unit with so many solid complementary pieces would give Miami the makings of a strong Eastern Conference squad – maybe even a contender.
But that the Heat would have to lose so much of its current roster just to open up enough cap room for James makes this fit difficult to envision.
At the moment, Miami is set to carry $117.4 million in player salaries into 2018-19. They’re a lot closer to the projected luxury tax line ($123 million) than they are to the projected cap ($101 million).
Even by renouncing the rights to Wayne Ellington, Jordan Mickey, Luke Babbitt and Udonis Haslem (who is contemplating retirement), that would only open up another $12.7 million in cap room.
If the Heat then manage to trade Whiteside for nothing in return (unlikely, if not downright impossible), then Miami would be at $80.3 million in player salaries, needing to shed another $14.7 million before having enough room to sign James.
Trading Tyler Johnson and the $19.3 million he’s owed for 2018-19 while receiving no money in return would be enough, but again, there’s very little chance that happens. Moving Johnson while receiving no salary back would cost a ton of sweetener (better known as draft picks), which Miami simply does not possess at the moment. Theoretically, the Heat could trade their 2019 first-round pick, but only upon the culmination of the 2018 draft. (It’s a weird rule, one that states teams cannot trade their first-round pick in back-to-back years. Miami’s affected by it currently because their 2018 first-rounder belongs to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Dragic deal, as does their 2020 first-round selection, leaving the Heat without much “sweetener” to add in potential salary-clearing moves.)
A likelier possibility than moving T. Johnson for no salary in return would be trading Dragic and his $18.1 million for draft picks, since the Slovenian floor general is still performing at a borderline All-Star level and could help a team looking to contend.
In that dream scenario for Miami, they would land James, re-sign Dwyane Wade(who we should mention, like Haslem, is also considering retirement) for another season and then surround the legendary duo with T. Johnson (or Dragic), James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Dion Waiters, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo.
That core has an argument to be considered stronger than present-day Cleveland, and would immediately make the Heat one of the most potent teams in the East.
But, again, with how complicated Miami’s roster turnaround would have to be just to open up enough room for a potential James max contract, it simply doesn’t appear to be a very likely outcome.
Nonetheless, you can never count out Riley’s ability to persuade. (And Wade’s close friendship with James makes this interesting as well.)
San Antonio Spurs
There’s one overarching factor connecting James to the San Antonio Spurs, and it’s the man in charge of the Texan team: Gregg Popovich.
Back in February, San Antonio’s head coach made public comments praising James for speaking out against the social injustices African-Americans face in this country, after Fox News’ Laura Ingraham said the Cavs forward should “shut up and dribble.”
Needless to say, Popovich wasn’t having it:
But what most took as a coach sticking up for an athlete he’s known for a long time and has legitimate affection for, others, apparently, took as the subtle beginning of a recruitment.
Apart from that, there hasn’t been much buzz connecting James to San Antonio – aside from the superstar talking to the media about how much he loves Popovich.
But that’s nothing new, as the two have exchanged complimentary quotes back and forth for years.
Nevertheless, in a basketball sense, the potential union does make sense.
For starters, putting one of the league’s brightest head coaches ever with possibly the smartest player in history would be borderline unfair.
Moreover, the Spurs, despite lacking a star (with Kawhi Leonard out of the picture momentarily, at least) are relatively well-stocked at the moment. LaMarcus Aldridge regained his All-Star form this past season. San Antonio also has a few serviceable young players on cheap deals, like Dejounte Murray and Bryn Forbes, who performed well in 2017-18.
However, to open up enough cap room to sign James to a max contract, the Spurs would still have to gut a good bit of their roster, because, at the moment, the five-time championship franchise is projected to carry over $98 million in salariesinto 2018-19.
To start, they’d have to renounce Tony Parker’s rights and clear his $23.2 million cap hold from their books.
San Antonio will also have to not extend the qualifying offer to Kyle Anderson, further clearing his $6.5 million cap hold. (Of course, that would only happen after an assurance from James that he’s signing with the Spurs. If one doesn’t come or if the situation is foggy for an extended period after free agency opens up, San Antonio could extend the qualifying offer to Anderson and then just revoke it if James then decides to join the team.)
Then, they’re going to have to hope both Danny Green and Rudy Gay opt out of the final year of their deals, something both players are presently considering.
At that point, San Antonio will find itself with $81.5 million on their books for next season, still needing to clear another $15 million to have room for James.
They could get there by finding a taker for Pau Gasol and the guaranteed $22.7 million still owed to him over the next two seasons, while taking zero salary back in return.
It wouldn’t be easy, but one has to imagine Popovich and general manager RC Buford would find a way to make all that happen if it means landing the best player in the league.
It’s worth noting that Murray is also represented by Rich Paul, LeBron’s agent and childhood friend, and the 21-year-old started recruiting James publicly on Twitter as soon as the NBA Finals ended. (And it’s very possible the two have talked privately prior to this tweet as well.)
If the Spurs were to execute all of the moves we discussed and then landed James, that would leave San Antonio with a core trio of James, Leonard and Aldridge (provided San Antonio’s apparent rift with Leonard gets cleared up this offseason).
It would take a lot of work, but the Spurs would immediately have one of the most imposing Big 3s in the Association.
At this point, the Spurs don’t seem like a very likely suitor for James, but that could easily change over the coming weeks as his free agency begins to heat up, especially considering his respect for Popovich and the organization.
Golden State Warriors
Before you angrily close this article due to how far-fetched the possibility of James-to-the-Golden-State-Warriors sounds, just wait and find out why we’re even listing it.
On Feb. 1, ESPN’s Chris Haynes, who’s well-connected with James’ camp, reported that if Golden State could manage to open up a max-roster slot this summer (a fantastically huge if), they could be granted a free-agent meeting with their biggest nemesis:
“If the Golden State Warriors can create a max salary slot this offseason, the defending NBA champions could position themselves to secure a meeting with LeBron James, league sources told ESPN.
“There is no indication that Golden State is evaluating such options to acquire the Cleveland Cavaliers star at this time.
“Out of respect for the Warriors’ winning culture, James would listen if Golden State explored ways to clear the necessary cap space, sources said.”
Since then, multiple reports have come out disputing Haynes’ original article. James himself referred to it as, “nonsense,” and a, “non-story,” when asked about it. Even if he felt the need to lie in regards to his potential interest in joining the Warriors (which is doubtful), it would be so difficult for Golden State to open up enough cap space to land LeBron that the how in this scenario isn’t even really worth listing out.
Just know, it would require for the Warriors to go from $129.8 million owed in player salaries for 2018-19 to $65.7 million, meaning a good chunk of the roster would have to get shipped away with no money coming back in return.
Implausible, unlikely and ultimately, not really worth discussing in depth. Even so, Haynes is an extremely reliable reporter, so this scenario did have to at least be covered, even if briefly.
Houston Rockets
Golden State isn’t a very likely landing spot for James. Their 2018 Western Conference foes, on the other hand, could be a bit more plausible.
The Houston Rockets are led by general manager Daryl Morey, an executive known for his boldness in improving his roster; pulling an absolute shocker like landing James would be right up his alley.
Basketball-wise, James to the Rockets makes a ton of sense. He’d be teaming up with James Harden, the likely league MVP for 2017-18 and one of the best pure scorers the game has ever seen. Though Harden does dominate the ball, he showed an ability to play off it as well this season once a certain legendary point guard entered the fray.
The problem is, part of the reason James would likely be enticed to join Houston would be to team up with that point guard, one of his closest friends in the NBA and a member of the famed Banana Boat squad: Chris Paul.
The issue with that idea, though wonderful in theory, is that it’s difficult to see a James-Harden-Paul union happening with how the Rockets’ books are set up at the moment.
If we remove Paul from the picture, all Houston would have to do to open up enough cap space for James is renounce the rights to all of their impending free agents, including Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela and Tarik Black, among others, and find a way to trade Eric Gordon while taking back pretty much zero salary in return.
That would leave the Rockets with around $35.8 million in cap space, enough to sign James to a max deal. They’d also still have the standard mid-level exception available to try and re-sign Ariza (possible) or Capela (unlikely).
The aforementioned moves would leave Houston’s roster a little bare, granted, but a core of Harden and James wouldn’t exactly be difficult to build around.
If we wanted to find a way to get James on the Rockets with his buddy Paul and Harden, that would require for the Rockets to renounce the rights to all of their impending free agents while finding takers for Gordon, Ryan Anderson and PJ Tucker for next to nothing in return, salary-wise.
Only then would Houston have opened up enough cap space ($64 million) to fit in James and Paul, each at the max. According to reports, Paul has already started recruiting James to Houston, so he’s holding out hope that the Rockets can form a Big 3 of Harden, James and Paul.
Difficult but not totally impossible, either. Especially not for Morey.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers, who are set to have the highest amount of cap space of any team in the Association this summer, have been heavily connected with Jamesover the past year and a half (if not longer).
As is, the Lakers have the room to sign James to a three-year, $111.4 million max contract – one with a player option on Year-3. The thing is, many expect Los Angeles to try and sign not just one, but two max-level players this offseason, with the other primary target being Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Paul George.
To have enough space for both George and James, team president Magic Johnsonand Co. would have to waive Tyler Ennis, Ivica Zubac and Thomas Bryant, as well as renounce the rights to promising big man Julius Randle.
At that point, Los Angeles would have $66.4 million in cap space (not counting the salary owed to their incoming first-round pick, No. 25 overall from the Cavaliers, who will be due between $1.2 million and $1.8 million for 2018-19). At $66.4 million, they’d have enough to fit both James and George at the max, since George is a 30-percent-of-the-salary-cap max player, not a 35 percent one like James. Thus, George would be owed $30.3 million for 2018-19 (with five percent increases annually if he chooses Los Angeles) to James’ $35.4 million.
Adding the first-round pick’s money does put the Lakers over the cap by $500,000, but one of James or George could spare a bit of their max deals in order to make it work. Los Angeles could also simply trade the prospect they select, or choose a draft-and-stash-overseas player. There are obvious ways to make it work.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has been trying to recruit James and George to the Lakers for quite some time, but he’s ramping up his efforts on Twitter as the offseason approaches.
With James and George in the fold, Los Angeles would also return almost the entirety of their exciting group of players aged 24 or younger, including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
(Hart also hinted on Twitter that he’s ready to recruit starts like James and George to Los Angeles, but that he’s waiting until the free agency period begins to do so publicly so that he doesn’t get fined.)
If the Lakers can add the best player in basketball and a top-five wing in George to that exciting core, Los Angeles could be contending again sooner rather than later, especially as their young players continues to improve.
Philadelphia 76ers
As Philadelphia has improved over the past year, jumping from 28 to 52 wins, from the cellar of the East to the conference’s No. 3 seed and into the second the round of the playoffs, smoke has picked up regarding a potential James-Sixers union.
Because they’re set to be the team with the second-most cap space this summer, the 76ers wouldn’t have a very hard time finding room to sign James to a max contract.
All it would require is Philadelphia renouncing all of their impending free agents – JJ Redick, Amir Johnson, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova – while finding a taker for Jerryd Bayless and the $8.6 million they owe him.
Unlike the other hypotheticals we listed where teams may have a hard time finding takers for their worst contracts, that wouldn’t be the case for Philadelphia with Bayless. That’s because, for one, his contract isn’t even that bad. Plus, the Sixers have an abundance of draft picks they can use as sweeteners to get someone to take Bayless off their books.
If they don’t want to lose draft picks in a potential Bayless dumping, they could also trade Robert Covington in exchange for zero salary, as the promising wing is coming off a career season and is locked up for the next four years on a very fair contract, which could make him appealing to hypothetical trade partners.
That would give Philadelphia a core of James, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmonsand Dario Saric, and they would still have mid-level exception to use on trying to bring Redick or Belinelli back so that there’s more shooting in the line-up.
Simply put, that potential nucleus would be a terrifying proposition for the rest of the East, one that could legitimately challenge for a championship in 2018-19.
In fact, the 76ers may be James’ best chance at annual title contention, as he would get to stay in the weaker conference and avoid facing Golden State until the Finals while teaming up with one of the deadliest young cores in the Association.
It’s worth noting that LeBron’s agent Rich Paul also represents Simmons. But the relationship between James and Simmons is even deeper than that. They’ve been close for quite some time, with James mentoring Simmons dating back to his high school days.
Three months ago, after a Cavaliers-Sixers game, James raised some eyebrows when he raved about the 21-year-old playmaker in an Instagram caption.
“I told ya’ll a while back that my young King was next in line!” James wrote about Simmons. “Getting better and better every night… Remember lil bro, settle for nothing less than GREATNESS!!!”
Then there’s Embiid, who jokingly tweeted a recruiting pitch to James after the 76ers’ 19-win season in 2014. Now that the Sixers are on the verge of becoming perennial contenders (if all goes as planned), he’s seriously trying to lure the four-time MVP to Philadelphia.
Two stars from the Philadelphia Eagles – quarterback Carson Wentz and tight end Zach Ertz – were also in Cleveland for Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Ertz tweeted that they were there “for one reason only” and that was to “complete the process” by bringing James to Philly.
The Sixers are certainly a franchise to keep an eye on come July 1, as they seemingly have the necessary cap space and attractive young talent to really intrigue James.
Boston Celtics
On June 6, Haynes, the ESPN reporter who linked James to the Warriors, madeother somewhat surprising comments regarding James’ free agency (via CLNS Media):
“ESPN’s Chris Haynes was a guest on the TK Show on CLNS Media and he too says, don’t sleep on the Celtics. ‘Let’s not overlook the Boston Celtics,’ Haynes told host Tim Kawakami. ‘If Boston reached out and said we’re serious, LeBron would listen.'”
That wasn’t the first time James has been tied to Boston recently, either. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith also mentioned the Celtics when discussing James’ impending summer:
“On a program called First Take on ESPN, Smith, a former columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, believed LeBron James would talk to several teams — including the Sixers — this summer if/when he hits free agency. But that’s not the weird thing. [Smith said], ‘He’s going to have a conversation with Boston.'”
James joining the team with which he’s had such an intense rivalry, including so many playoff matchups stretching over different eras, would be nothing short of shocking. Especially considering, one, they just faced off in a hotly contested Eastern Conference Finals, and two, Boston traded for Kyrie Irving, who chose to leave the franchise that drafted him rather than continue being James’ teammate, just last summer.
To make this happen financially wouldn’t be so difficult. All it would require is the Celtics letting Marcus Smart walk in free agency, dumping Marcus Morrisfor draft picks and finding a taker for either Al Horford or Gordon Hayward.
The trickiness here is the dynamic between not just James and one of his biggest rivals historically, but the relationship between he and Irving, which got pretty ugly toward the end of their time in Cleveland.
One can never rule anything out in the NBA. But it’s worth stating that taking a meeting is one thing, James actually agreeing to join the Celtics this offseason is entirely another.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The place where James has spent 11 years of his career, where he’s made countless memories including a 2016 championship, likely has a leg up in re-signing the generational supersar because they can offer him the most money.
But it’s not quite the financial disparity the Cavs probably wish it was.
With eight percent annual increases as opposed to five, on a three-year deal with a player option on Year-3, Cleveland can offer James $114.8 million, which is just $3.4 million more than any non-Cavs team.
Sure, if we get more in depth and start comparing four-year contracts, the disparity does grow a bit – from a difference of $3.4 million to $6.8 million – but the fact James probably wouldn’t accept a five-year deal (the main advantage most free agents’ current teams have over outside suitors), not with how the cap is projected to continue getting richer, thus making max contracts much more valuable going forward, could wind up hurting the Cavaliers’ chances of re-signing their best player ever.
It’s not like James has shown much in the way of slowing down. Father Time may be undefeated, but Father Time hasn’t faced off against a freak like LeBron yet.
So without much of a financial advantage and due to how… shaky Cleveland looked throughout 2017-18 prior to getting swept by the Warriors in the 2018 Finals, never showing much of a real shot at contending for a title, we could very well be seeing James’ time in Northeast Ohio come to an end.
Or, perhaps content with living in his home state on a team that’s a contender for, at the very least, the Eastern Conference crown every year, James could be fine sticking it out with the Cavaliers.
No one knows for sure what he’ll do this summer.
But without a doubt, whatever he does decide will be the main talking point of the offseason and will change the fortunes of whichever lucky franchise is able to sign him.
Iman Shumpert exercises option to return to Kings. How that affects the roster
By Jason Jones
Iman Shumpert, who played for the Cavaliers in 2017, exercised his option to return to the Kings next season. He was acquired by Sacramento in a February trade for George Hill. Tony Dejak AP file
Jason Jones, Sacramento Kings beat writer
In an expected move, Kings guard Iman Shumpert has officially exercised his $11 million option Friday to return to the Kings next season, a league source confirmed to The Bee.
Shumpert joins center Kosta Koufos as veterans who have decided to exercise player options on contracts for next season. Koufos' option is worth $8.7 million.
The only veteran with a player option the Kings are still waiting to hear from is guard/forward Garrett Temple, who would make $8 million next season.
Shumpert, 27, appeared in 14 games last season with Cleveland before being traded to the Kings in February as part of the deal that sent George Hill to the Cavaliers. Shumpert did not play in any games with the Kings after the trade while recovering from knee and foot injuries.
That's a reason it was expected Shumpert would pick up his option rather than test free agency, even though the Kings have devoted roster spots to young players at shooting guard.
The Kings have Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield, who are priorities in Sacramento's rebuild. Shumpert could probably play some small forward given the Kings' lack of depth there.
If the Kings draft Luka Doncic, that would also impact any plans with Shumpert.
By Jason Jones
Iman Shumpert, who played for the Cavaliers in 2017, exercised his option to return to the Kings next season. He was acquired by Sacramento in a February trade for George Hill. Tony Dejak AP file
Jason Jones, Sacramento Kings beat writer
In an expected move, Kings guard Iman Shumpert has officially exercised his $11 million option Friday to return to the Kings next season, a league source confirmed to The Bee.
Shumpert joins center Kosta Koufos as veterans who have decided to exercise player options on contracts for next season. Koufos' option is worth $8.7 million.
The only veteran with a player option the Kings are still waiting to hear from is guard/forward Garrett Temple, who would make $8 million next season.
Shumpert, 27, appeared in 14 games last season with Cleveland before being traded to the Kings in February as part of the deal that sent George Hill to the Cavaliers. Shumpert did not play in any games with the Kings after the trade while recovering from knee and foot injuries.
That's a reason it was expected Shumpert would pick up his option rather than test free agency, even though the Kings have devoted roster spots to young players at shooting guard.
The Kings have Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield, who are priorities in Sacramento's rebuild. Shumpert could probably play some small forward given the Kings' lack of depth there.
If the Kings draft Luka Doncic, that would also impact any plans with Shumpert.
Jamal Crawford on NBA Finals, Wolves' year, front-office goal and more
Alex Kennedy
In this episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Alex Kennedy is joined by 18-year NBA veteran and current Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jamal Crawford. Time-stamps are below.
1:00: Crawford shares his thoughts on the NBA Finals, including his reaction to JR Smith‘s blunder and what the Cleveland Cavaliers can do from here.
3:45: In Crawford’s opinion, what’s the best way to attack this Golden State Warriors team?
5:00: Will the Warriors’ dominance cause another super-team to form? Crawford has many friends around the NBA; is this something that he’s heard players around the league discuss?
7:52: Crawford has been on both sides of recruiting – he’s been recruited by his peers (including Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and LeBron James) and he’s recruited players to his teams. When one player is recruiting another player, what does that typically entail? And has recruiting become more prominent in the last decade?
10:50: Crawford shares his thoughts on the Bryan Colangelo story and how he would react if his team’s general manager was tweeting controversial stuff about him (and his teammates) from a burner account.
13:05: On the same night that the Colangelo story broke, Pusha T released his Drake diss track “The Story of Adidon.” Crawford weighs in on the beef between the two rappers.
16:08: The Timberwolves won 47 games and made the playoffs. Crawford shares his thoughts on this season and whether the team played to their full potential.
17:00: Crawford discusses how special it was to be part of ending the Timberwolves’ 13-year playoff drought.
18:05: This season, Crawford only averaged 20.7 minutes, which was his fewest minutes per game since his rookie campaign in 2000. He discusses how frustrating that was considering he’s used to a bigger role (having won three Sixth Man of the Year awards).
19:35: There’s been a lot of talks about the Wolves’ potential. What did Crawford see from Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in terms of their work ethic, development and ceiling?
20:45: Jimmy Butler was a big reason Crawford decided to join Minnesota. Crawford discusses how great it was to play with Butler and adds that he doesn’t get enough respect when we’re discussing the game’s best players.
22:40: Throughout the season, fans and media were critical of how many minutes Tom Thibodeau was playing the starters because it seemed to tire them out and there’s some fear that he may run them into the ground (which many people felt he did in Chicago with Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah). Behind the scenes, was there a sense that the starters were playing too much and that it was taking a toll on those guys?
24:25: Crawford shares how much he enjoyed the fans in Minnesota.
25:10: Crawford has a player option for the 2018-19 season, meaning he can opt out and become an unrestricted free agent next month. He discusses how he’ll go about making that decision.
26:20: Crawford is a Seattle native who spends every offseason the city. He discusses the ongoing buzz about Seattle possibly getting an NBA team again.
27:30: Crawford shares what elements of his games he’s focused on improving this offseason.
28:10: Crawford has missed just five games over the last three seasons, which is unheard of for a 38-year-old player in their 18th season. He discusses the keys to his longevity and durability.
29:20: How much longer does Crawford want to continue playing and how will he know when the time is right to retire? He also discusses how he’s extremely motivated entering next year.
31:40: Crawford has played for 18 different head coaches in 18 NBA seasons. He discusses the positives and negatives of having so many different coaches throughout his career.
34:50: Crawford discusses his desire to land a front-office job when his playing days are over and why that post-playing career is appealing to him
Alex Kennedy
In this episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Alex Kennedy is joined by 18-year NBA veteran and current Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jamal Crawford. Time-stamps are below.
1:00: Crawford shares his thoughts on the NBA Finals, including his reaction to JR Smith‘s blunder and what the Cleveland Cavaliers can do from here.
3:45: In Crawford’s opinion, what’s the best way to attack this Golden State Warriors team?
5:00: Will the Warriors’ dominance cause another super-team to form? Crawford has many friends around the NBA; is this something that he’s heard players around the league discuss?
7:52: Crawford has been on both sides of recruiting – he’s been recruited by his peers (including Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and LeBron James) and he’s recruited players to his teams. When one player is recruiting another player, what does that typically entail? And has recruiting become more prominent in the last decade?
10:50: Crawford shares his thoughts on the Bryan Colangelo story and how he would react if his team’s general manager was tweeting controversial stuff about him (and his teammates) from a burner account.
13:05: On the same night that the Colangelo story broke, Pusha T released his Drake diss track “The Story of Adidon.” Crawford weighs in on the beef between the two rappers.
16:08: The Timberwolves won 47 games and made the playoffs. Crawford shares his thoughts on this season and whether the team played to their full potential.
17:00: Crawford discusses how special it was to be part of ending the Timberwolves’ 13-year playoff drought.
18:05: This season, Crawford only averaged 20.7 minutes, which was his fewest minutes per game since his rookie campaign in 2000. He discusses how frustrating that was considering he’s used to a bigger role (having won three Sixth Man of the Year awards).
19:35: There’s been a lot of talks about the Wolves’ potential. What did Crawford see from Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in terms of their work ethic, development and ceiling?
20:45: Jimmy Butler was a big reason Crawford decided to join Minnesota. Crawford discusses how great it was to play with Butler and adds that he doesn’t get enough respect when we’re discussing the game’s best players.
22:40: Throughout the season, fans and media were critical of how many minutes Tom Thibodeau was playing the starters because it seemed to tire them out and there’s some fear that he may run them into the ground (which many people felt he did in Chicago with Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah). Behind the scenes, was there a sense that the starters were playing too much and that it was taking a toll on those guys?
24:25: Crawford shares how much he enjoyed the fans in Minnesota.
25:10: Crawford has a player option for the 2018-19 season, meaning he can opt out and become an unrestricted free agent next month. He discusses how he’ll go about making that decision.
26:20: Crawford is a Seattle native who spends every offseason the city. He discusses the ongoing buzz about Seattle possibly getting an NBA team again.
27:30: Crawford shares what elements of his games he’s focused on improving this offseason.
28:10: Crawford has missed just five games over the last three seasons, which is unheard of for a 38-year-old player in their 18th season. He discusses the keys to his longevity and durability.
29:20: How much longer does Crawford want to continue playing and how will he know when the time is right to retire? He also discusses how he’s extremely motivated entering next year.
31:40: Crawford has played for 18 different head coaches in 18 NBA seasons. He discusses the positives and negatives of having so many different coaches throughout his career.
34:50: Crawford discusses his desire to land a front-office job when his playing days are over and why that post-playing career is appealing to him
Tyronn Lue said he intends to return as Cavaliers coach
Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
Updated 2:38 AM; Posted 2:28 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he intends to return next season, even though he may lose LeBron James and is coming off a tumultuous year in which he missed two weeks of games because of health problems.
"Yeah, I do," intend to return as coach, Lue said. "I had some tough problems going on throughout the course of the season, and ... I probably could have folded myself, but I wasn't going to do that."
Questions were raised during the regular season about Lue potentially being fired while the Cavs were suffering huge losses, and several sources close to him have speculated that he may decide not to return because he is not enamored with being a head coach. For now, it seems those speculations aren't going to materialize.
Lue, 41, has coached the Cavs for 2A1/2 seasons and guided them to three Finals. He was the coach when they won the title after coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors in 2016, but his team is just 1-8 over the last two Finals against Golden State.
The Cavs were swept out of the 2018 Finals by the Warriors with a 108-85 loss in Game 4.
There are three years left on Lue's contract, which was worth $35 million over five years. Last week, team owner Dan Gilbert tweeted a vote of confidence, writing that Lue "and staff have stood in there with about as much noise and premature judgment that can be thrown at a coach and guided us back to the dance."
Lue is 128-77 as coach during the regular season, and 41-20 in the playoffs.
The Cavs went 6-13 in one stretch this season and were ranked 29th defensively for the entire year. They won 50 games and finished fourth in the East, and survived two Game 7s to get back to the Finals.
Cleveland suffered multiple humiliating blowouts during the regular season, and players who were since traded (Dwyane Wade, Isaiah Thomas) complained that Lue did not make in-game adjustments.
Lue also was forced out of three games because of a series of health issues apparently related to anxiety. He had several symptoms, including chest pains and coughing up blood, and stepped away for 10 games to get those issues under control.
"I knew that even if I wasn't feeling a hundred percent, I had to get back for the playoffs," Lue said. "That's my time. That's my moment. I didn't want to put our coaches in that situation. I didn't want to put our players in that situation, and I had to fight through it. That's what champions do. I gave everything I had."
Lue likes the strategy and preparation involved with being a coach. He has stated several times his distaste for the spotlight shined on him by coaching James and even for doing media interviews -- which are required of all head coaches.
There also has been no shortage of drama over the years, ranging from dramatic roster turnover to JR Smith throwing soup at an assistant, to James' occasional spats with Love and Kyrie Irving when he was here.
Lue didn't disclose he was dealing with anxiety as the root cause of his health issues until the start of the Finals, and said Friday "I came back when I wasn't quite ready."
"I had to," Lue said. "That's who I am. I'm never going to give up and never going to give in. I stayed the course and was able to have a pretty special year, outside of losing in The Finals."
Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
Updated 2:38 AM; Posted 2:28 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he intends to return next season, even though he may lose LeBron James and is coming off a tumultuous year in which he missed two weeks of games because of health problems.
"Yeah, I do," intend to return as coach, Lue said. "I had some tough problems going on throughout the course of the season, and ... I probably could have folded myself, but I wasn't going to do that."
Questions were raised during the regular season about Lue potentially being fired while the Cavs were suffering huge losses, and several sources close to him have speculated that he may decide not to return because he is not enamored with being a head coach. For now, it seems those speculations aren't going to materialize.
Lue, 41, has coached the Cavs for 2A1/2 seasons and guided them to three Finals. He was the coach when they won the title after coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors in 2016, but his team is just 1-8 over the last two Finals against Golden State.
The Cavs were swept out of the 2018 Finals by the Warriors with a 108-85 loss in Game 4.
There are three years left on Lue's contract, which was worth $35 million over five years. Last week, team owner Dan Gilbert tweeted a vote of confidence, writing that Lue "and staff have stood in there with about as much noise and premature judgment that can be thrown at a coach and guided us back to the dance."
Lue is 128-77 as coach during the regular season, and 41-20 in the playoffs.
The Cavs went 6-13 in one stretch this season and were ranked 29th defensively for the entire year. They won 50 games and finished fourth in the East, and survived two Game 7s to get back to the Finals.
Cleveland suffered multiple humiliating blowouts during the regular season, and players who were since traded (Dwyane Wade, Isaiah Thomas) complained that Lue did not make in-game adjustments.
Lue also was forced out of three games because of a series of health issues apparently related to anxiety. He had several symptoms, including chest pains and coughing up blood, and stepped away for 10 games to get those issues under control.
"I knew that even if I wasn't feeling a hundred percent, I had to get back for the playoffs," Lue said. "That's my time. That's my moment. I didn't want to put our coaches in that situation. I didn't want to put our players in that situation, and I had to fight through it. That's what champions do. I gave everything I had."
Lue likes the strategy and preparation involved with being a coach. He has stated several times his distaste for the spotlight shined on him by coaching James and even for doing media interviews -- which are required of all head coaches.
There also has been no shortage of drama over the years, ranging from dramatic roster turnover to JR Smith throwing soup at an assistant, to James' occasional spats with Love and Kyrie Irving when he was here.
Lue didn't disclose he was dealing with anxiety as the root cause of his health issues until the start of the Finals, and said Friday "I came back when I wasn't quite ready."
"I had to," Lue said. "That's who I am. I'm never going to give up and never going to give in. I stayed the course and was able to have a pretty special year, outside of losing in The Finals."
Warriors owner planning on Kerr extension
CLEVELAND -- Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob expects to sign coach Steve Kerr to a contract extension this summer.
Kerr just finished the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million deal with his third NBA championship in four years. He has dealt with health issues for the past three seasons, but Lacob told ESPN late Friday night that he believes Kerr wants to remain as coach long term.
"We'll get it done this summer," Lacob said after the Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. "Let him rest a little bit. But we'll get it done. He wants to be with us. We want him long term.
"He obviously has some health issues he's still working through, but we'll get it done. I think as long as he feels comfortable doing it long term, we want him."
Kerr was able to coach without any interruptions this season after missing time each of the previous two seasons because of health issues stemming from complications following back surgery in 2015. Kerr is still bothered by those symptoms but told ESPN that he had been able to manage them better this season.
"The job and my family carry me through," Kerr told ESPN Radio after Friday's game. "There's a lot of difficulties when you have some health issues, and it's not easy. But when you have something to be excited about when you wake up in the morning and you have a great family like I do, it's all worth it."
CLEVELAND -- Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob expects to sign coach Steve Kerr to a contract extension this summer.
Kerr just finished the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million deal with his third NBA championship in four years. He has dealt with health issues for the past three seasons, but Lacob told ESPN late Friday night that he believes Kerr wants to remain as coach long term.
"We'll get it done this summer," Lacob said after the Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. "Let him rest a little bit. But we'll get it done. He wants to be with us. We want him long term.
"He obviously has some health issues he's still working through, but we'll get it done. I think as long as he feels comfortable doing it long term, we want him."
Kerr was able to coach without any interruptions this season after missing time each of the previous two seasons because of health issues stemming from complications following back surgery in 2015. Kerr is still bothered by those symptoms but told ESPN that he had been able to manage them better this season.
"The job and my family carry me through," Kerr told ESPN Radio after Friday's game. "There's a lot of difficulties when you have some health issues, and it's not easy. But when you have something to be excited about when you wake up in the morning and you have a great family like I do, it's all worth it."
The Sun Finally Came Out for Rodney Hood
CLEVELAND — It’s early May inside Oracle Arena’s media dining area, and Game 2 of an ostensibly competitive second-round series between the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors is minutes away from tipping off. Over a dozen folding tables are lined in a row, each bookended by a television that beams the climax of another NBA game from over 2500 miles away.
Crowded near one are three Pelicans employees, picking at plates of fried chicken and steamed vegetables. On the screen, Kevin Love catches a kick-out pass from LeBron James, pump fakes Jakob Poeltl into Air Canada Center’s court-side seats, and drills the open three. A few feet to Love's right, standing in the strong-side corner is Rodney Hood.
“How much do you think Hood gets this summer?” It's the type of question that, if posed to ten intelligent people, may bear ten different answers. At the end of this table, it's greeted by a collective shrug. “I don’t know, $16 million?” The other two nod as Hood gets subbed out of the game. They rise, button their blazers, scrape chicken bones into a nearby trash can, and head to their seats.
This is almost exactly a week before Saturday Night Live will poke fun at LeBron's supporting cast and Hood will supposedly refuse to enter Game 4 of the same series. A restricted free agent heading into a marketplace that isn't exactly flush with cash, Hood finds himself in a more delicate situation than most expected him to be even six months ago. After posting a career-high usage rate and True Shooting percentage in the opening months of this very season, Hood tallied zero points in the second round after Love hit that three, and was nearly squeezed out of the entire conference finals, earning four DNP’s and garbage time minutes in Game 5.
Heading into Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost six straight games in which he’s appeared. But Wednesday night in Quicken Loans Arena, Hood flashed why that contract speculation from a Pelicans staffer was (and maybe still is) in the ballpark of reality. In 26 minutes, the 25-year-old scored 15 points (on 11 shots), grabbed six rebounds, and provided legitimate sustenance on the defensive end. He pummeled the Warriors in transition and carved out soft floaters over some of the league's longest, rangiest, most bewildering individual defenders. It was, for one night, the type of performance Cleveland expected on a regular basis when they acquired Hood at the trade deadline.
He Euro-stepped through cracks without hesitation, recognized mismatches, and splashed contested short twos through the rim—in one of the most stress-inducing basketball environments imaginable—with an effortlessness very few players can manage. Even more important? LeBron trusted Hood to come through and he did, stabbing Golden State with a barrage of one-dribble pull-ups, feints, and turnarounds.
It seems minor, but it can't be overlooked whenever James gives the ball up this early in a critical game after he grabs a defensive rebound.
“That was Rodney Hood, man. He was just aggressive from the beginning when he got in the game, even though he missed his first three. He had a wide-open shot, but he just continued to push and push,” LeBron said after Game 3. “His athleticism and his length and his touch around the rim, you know, it was more than just what he did for the team, I think for himself, that was just a huge moment for himself. That was good to see. That was great to see, actually.”
He was fearless when plays broke down against, literally, one of the best defenders in NBA history.
If Game 3 proves anything, it’s that Hood remains a tantalizing commodity. Sometimes his game politely knocks on a door it should punch a hole through. For better or worse, that’s who he is right now: methodical, patient, and composed. But he gets in trouble when those refined tendencies turn into debilitating passiveness. Instead of getting to the rim, a place where Hood is long and deft enough to succeed, he too often settles outside the restricted area for inefficient attempts that don’t carry the risk/reward ratio desired by simple math.
According to Cleaning the Glass, he’s never finished above the 32nd percentile in shot frequency at the basket. He placed in the fifth percentile before this year’s trade deadline and 20th after it. That’s a definite issue. Even when it yields a bucket, watching him stop short sometimes feels like a frustrating malfunction—the same sensation that happens when you punch your PIN into an ATM only to have the machine shake its head. Why isn’t this working?
But it’s not a fatal flaw; there’s an optimistic dichotomy about Hood’s game, where you can’t call his mid-range-heavy attack antiquated without pointing out the boon attached to his futuristic qualities. Hood already has the physical tools to attack in isolation and create for himself, a major benefit going forward as more defenses around the league engineer switch-heavy schemes. He’s a convenient, if not ideal, chess piece.
The transition from Utah to Cleveland was difficult for myriad reasons, but Hood’s all-around game on the right night looks like a paragon for the modern wing. He was an extremely effective pick-and-roll playmaker in a Jazz jersey, and was pretty good scoring the ball out of those situations in Cleveland, but according to Synergy Sports, the percentage of Hood’s pick-and-roll plays where his pass led to an immediate shot, turnover, or foul was 31.1 percent in Utah. With the Cavs, that number chopped down to 15.5 percent.
In other words, his current role has effectively lowered his ceiling. He’s excellent at reading help defenders and knowing when to get off the ball so teammates can attack openings created by his own penetration. At 6'8", Hood is also tall enough to see over defenders and skip it, on point, to an open man—the type of pass typically made by an All-Star.
He’s valuable operating off the ball, be it as a spacer (he made 39 percent of his threes on a high volume before the trade deadline) or someone able to attack off designed movement. Here's Hood curling off a stagger screen for a catch-and-shoot jumper, but he doesn't panic when Anthony Davis sniffs it out, instead taking his time and working Rajon Rondo down into his patented short turnaround.
It’s all so smooth. A laminated skill-set with room to grow. As he steps into an uncertain future, where a tempered marketplace makes $16 million per year (or more) feel unlikely but not impossible, Hood has yet to reach his prime. This is a player who’s more familiar with exceeding expectations than sinking beneath them.
The son of parents who played college basketball—and a mother who went on to become a school principal—Hood was raised with work ethic as a priority. His childhood was molded by discipline and structure. “He didn’t win any participation trophies at home,” Hood’s coach at Mississippi State, Rick Stansbury, tells VICE Sports. “I can promise you that.”
Now on the verge of what may be his final game in a Cavaliers uniform, one day after the most important game of his career, Hood sat down for an extended Q&A with VICE Sports. In it he covers a wide variety of topics, including how he’s dealt with an up-and-down, pressure-packed postseason, what the trade deadline was like, how he deals with life as LeBron's teammate, what he expects in free agency, and so much more.
VICE Sports: What were you thinking immediately after Game 3, and how are you processing it today?
Rodney Hood: Last night, it felt great, honestly. Just from dealing with adversity, then coming out on the biggest stage and making an impact. It felt great. It would’ve felt 10 times better if we would’ve won. But we still got a game left, and just hopefully we’ll have a follow up to Game 4.
You've said there were a lot of sleepless nights heading into Game 3. Was that the most nervous you’ve ever been for a basketball game in your life?
Yeah, yeah. I felt like that was kind of like a defining moment for me. I had been working so hard to be ready when my name was called, and I felt like that was pretty much my last chance to be in the rotation. And just to come out and play well and make an impact on the game, you know, it meant a lot.
Can you remember being in a situation like that before, where dropping out of a rotation entirely is possible?
No. This is the first time in my life where I got DNPs, where I haven’t played big minutes. Even when I was coming off the bench in Utah I was still playing around 29, 30 minutes, so this is the first time, and it’s been a learning process. It’s been tough. But it all made me stronger in the end.
Obviously Cleveland lost, but for you, individually, was there any sense of relief?
Definitely. I was definitely happy. Like I said, I think everybody knows the adversity I’ve been in since I’ve been in Cleveland the last couple months, and I think everybody was happy for me—knowing what type of person I am and seeing how hard I work behind closed doors—to come out and have a game like yesterday.
My dad told me "It can’t rain forever." It felt like it was raining for a long time, but the sun came out a little bit.
LeBron said “that was Rodney Hood” afterwards. What do you think he means by that?
LeBron has, I wouldn’t say "watched me closely," but he’s known about my game, just from playing against him. And he knew what type of player was coming to the Cavs when I first got here. And it hasn’t went as smoothly as everybody would think, but this is what he saw when I was playing with Utah. This the aggressiveness, this the skill-set that everybody’s been kind of waiting to see. It took a while—it took getting to the Finals—but I think he was happy for me that it happened in the Finals.
Photo by Ken Blaze - USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure you’re asked all the time about playing with LeBron, and the good and bad that can come with it. Is there something different about when he passes you the ball vs. any other teammate you’ve ever had?
That’s a good question. Let me see how to word this. There’s definitely a difference because LeBron is a guy that can score and he’s a willing passer, and one thing about him is you’ve gotta be ready to shoot every time he throws you the ball. You know, you’ve got to make the right play, and that’s what he expects of us. To knock down shots and things like that. So it is a difference. I can’t really pinpoint the difference but there’s definitely a difference.
Is there added pressure?
Yeah, I think you could say that. I think you could say there’s a different pressure. Not a bad pressure, but it’s like if this guy trusts you enough to throw you the ball for you to knock down a shot, you want to shoot it every single time because he expends a lot of energy driving to the lane, creating. You want to knock it down every single time. So I can agree with that.
There was one play in the 4th quarter of Game 3 where he grabbed a defensive rebound and then quickly flipped you the ball racing up the left sideline. You went all the way to the rim, knocked Kevin Durant out of the way, and scored. What’s going through your head during that particular possession? From afar, you looked more emboldened than you've been in a long time.
LeBron gives, not only me, but everybody confidence. I think my first bucket I scored last night is when I got a rebound and he was behind me yelling to me just go. He was like ‘Go Hood!’ That play shows a lot of...I don’t think it would’ve happened before last night, you know what I mean? He knew I had it going. He saw I really wanted the ball, and he trusted me with the ball. I think that was a big step.
And also the other play when I went to the basket and Draymond was guarding me and I did a spin move and scored, he gave me the ball again and just told me to go to work. That means a lot to us as players, knowing that the best player in the world wants you to be aggressive and wants you to just play your game. It really shows out there on the court like it did in that play that you talked about.
Going back to the trade deadline, how did you hear about getting dealt?
We played in Memphis and flew back to Utah. I woke up the next morning and obviously I knew the trade deadline was that day so my phone was loud. Travis, my agent, called me, and all he said was "Cleveland. We’re going to Cleveland." He said "We’re going to the Finals."
There were mixed feelings, I would say. I enjoyed my time in Utah. I loved playing there. The coaching staff and organization gave me a chance to start as a young player and to grow. They gave me a shot, so that was kind of sad. But obviously it was exciting, getting a chance to come to Cleveland and try to compete for a championship.
I’m so fascinated by that moment when players first learn about getting traded. What exactly were you doing? Was anyone with you? Do you hang up the phone with your agent and call anybody? What was that whole scene like, as I’m sure you had a lot of stuff going through your head.
The couple days before it there was kind of an awkward feeling because I kind of knew I was on the trading block. Me and Quin Snyder, we didn’t really know but we knew it was in the air. So me and him had a good talk and he was like "Regardless of what happens, we’re always gonna be friends. We’re always gonna keep in touch, and we’ll always have a special bond." And then when we got back late to Utah, and I slept. I had my phone on loud, and then Travis called. I was watching on NBATV to see what was happening, and then Travis called to say Cleveland and I talked to him for like three or four minutes. I hung up the phone and I just yelled. Me and my wife are sitting there and we just yelled because we knew it was an opportunity for me to play on the big stage and make a name for myself. And then I went to the gym and saw Quin Snyder and saw [Utah GM] Dennis Lindsey, two guys that’s been very instrumental in my career. I got a chance to thank them and say my last goodbyes to them and it was very, very emotional. Me and Quin Snyder came into the league together and Dennis Lindsey gave me the opportunity to grow as a young player, so that was emotional. And then I sat there for the rest of the night. I drove around Utah, said my last goodbyes to people that I know, and then I got packed up, ready, and went to Atlanta.
Do you remember your first conversation with Ty Lue?
I do. I was at the airport headed to Atlanta because that’s where they were playing, and Ty Lue was just saying "Man, welcome. I love your game. We’re gonna have some fun. Don’t be nervous, and don’t believe everything you see and read in the media." I remember him saying that. It was a quick conversation and then when we got to Cleveland we got a chance to know each other a little bit better.
Photo by Winslow Townson - USA TODAY Sports
Do you remember your first conversations with any of your new teammates? Kevin Love or LeBron?
I saw them that night in Atlanta. They were about to play in a game. Me, Jordan [Clarkson], Larry [Nance, Jr.], and George [Hill] had just gotten to Atlanta. We said what’s up to everybody. We met everybody in the organization. That was pretty much about it. We went on a couple team dinners. We went to Boston next, went on a team dinner and got to know each other a little bit better then.
That was a big win in Boston.
That was a very exciting game.
What did the coaches tell you about your role on this team, and what they expected from you?
They really didn’t. At that time it was just about figuring everything out. I think the coaching staff wanted to see how everything would fit. We were trying to see how everything would fit. I knew I’d be coming off the bench at first, and they just wanted me to go out and play my game. That was really about it. That was the only real conversation that we really had.
You’ve said that Joe Johnson and Johnnie Bryant reached out and offered words of encouragement during your postseason struggles. What sort of things did they actually say?
They sent texts and I talked to them on the phone. They were very encouraging, just telling me to stay ready, like "Your number is gonna get called at some point. It has to be called at some point. And you’re gonna make a big splash on the scene, and everything that happened before that will be erased." When I talked to Joe Johnson, he was just telling me to stay in the gym and stay positive, and just pay attention to my family. Don’t get clouded into this job and thinking the sky is falling. Just to focus on my family and focus on the important things. The big quote that my dad told me was "It can’t rain forever." It felt like it was raining for a long time, but the sun came out a little bit [in Game 3].
Did anyone else reach out?
It was a bunch of guys I played with. Chris Johnson. Donovan Mitchell reached out. Ekpe Udoh, Alec Burks. All my guys. Gordon Hayward, I talked to him during the Boston series, we was texting. It was definitely a bunch of guys that were texting me, telling me to stay ready and keep my head up.
Just from looking at your numbers, you made a lot more plays for teammates out of the pick-and-roll in Utah than you have in Cleveland. Did you expect that coming in?
Yeah, I expected there to be a drop because I know LeBron has the ball in his hands a lot and everything goes through him, so there’s not a lot of opportunities for pick-and-roll in our offense. So I understand there’s gonna be a drop. Pick-and-roll is a big part of my game, it was a big part of my game in Utah. That’s where I got a lot of my threes, where I was able to be more aggressive, so I knew there was gonna be a little bit of a drop. I really don’t get any [pick-and-roll opportunities] unless it’s in transition, but I’m just trying to figure out other ways to score and be aggressive. Hand-offs, just running the court, cutting to the basket, whatever I can to try and make an impact scoring wise.
Before the series started Ty Lue told me he liked how you could attack in isolation against switches. How do you think your game fits in the modern NBA and where the league is going?
I fit perfectly. I’m 6’8”. I’m a guy that can take it off the bounce. I feel like I can score at all three levels. In isolation, a lot of people are switching, so I’m able to get my own shot. Pull up for mid-range shots. Get to the foul line. Pull up for three, if need be. So I fit perfectly. And I’m able to create for other guys, being able to pass the ball and make the right basketball play and not just be a black hole as a scorer. I’m continuing to evolve and I think I’m only gonna continue to get better from here on out.
Is there any way you can pinpoint or identify why you’ve struggled over the past couple months?
It’s just different. Starting off the playoffs, I was starting Game 1. Then the next game I’m coming off the bench. I didn’t play Game 4 of the Raptors series and then in Game 1 I had a decent game. I was aggressive. And then the next game I didn’t play that much. I probably played nine, ten minutes. So it’s just been...what I’ve adjusted to since I’ve been out is just learning that I can’t let the game come to me, and that’s a tough adjustment because I’ve always been a guy who’s let the game come to me. I’ve got to force the action. I’ve got to come in the game ready to go, no matter if I play nine minutes, eighteen minutes, fifteen minutes. That’s the adjustment that I made, and I wasn’t going to let that mistake happen again last night. I just had to go in there and get it. That’s really the mental part of it, just going in there ready to go as soon as I get in the game.
I think a lot of people have the perception of NBA players as being supremely confident at all times because you’re the best in the entire world at what you do, but throughout the past few weeks did doubt creep into your head at all, about who you are and what you’re capable of?
To be honest, no. But it does start to creep in, like, you get to thinking "Damn, how did I get to this point where I'm not even playing in games and I know I can help the team" and things like that. But I think it’s all in the work that I put in with [Cavaliers assistant coach] Phil Handy. I stayed in the gym. I was playing pick up, one-on-one. I stayed ready and put confidence back in my game that way. Obviously, the ultimate confidence is gonna be from playing in games and producing in games, but I just knew it was gonna come a time where I would play better and I'd get a chance to really play. It just so happened to be a long time before it happened.
When you’re watching YouTube clips of yourself, is there any one game or play or moment from earlier in your career that stands out and makes you feel good when you think about it?
There’s a lot of them, but I think the main one that I watched was right before I got traded. We played New Orleans in New Orleans. I had like 30, but I just remember how I felt that game. My mind was clear. I had so much fun. New Orleans is close to my home town so I had family in the arena. It was a great game not because I scored but because of how I felt. I had a bounce to my step. That was probably the most confident I’ve been since I’d been in the league. I really watched that game a lot.
How do you get your mind off basketball-related issues when things aren’t going your way? Do you read? Do you watch Netflix? Listen to podcasts? Go for walks? Is there anything you do to try and step away from the game?
Oh definitely. I always try to go to the movies. I’ve got three kids. My son is two years old. I’ve got two newborn twins. I spend as much time with them as I can. I just try to be family man because when I’ve been struggling, those are the people that have been behind me and stuck with me. I just want to give all my time to them when I’m not working, just trying to make sure they’re alright because they feel all the same pain that I feel, you know what I mean? Just trying to spend as much time with them as I can, staying off of watching basketball and trying not to think about the game. Just thinking about being a man, being a person. I think sometimes we lose that.
What’s the last movie you went to see?
I actually saw the Gabrielle Union movie.
Was that good?
It was good! I kind of saw it because I was kind of bored, but it was a good movie. And then I saw Deadpool as well. That was a good one too.
What have you learned from this whole experience that you feel can help you going forward?
I think a lot of it has been mental. I feel like I can get through adversity now. As a young player, I played a lot in Utah, I got to shoot a lot in Utah. Everything was kind of handed to me. Here I had to kind of earn it. And I worked myself through some adversity. When everybody was doubting me and critiquing me—I wouldn’t say talking negative, but critiquing me—and things like that, I knew I could make it through that, by having the game I had last night. By staying grounded, by praying to God. I think that’s the biggest thing. This is a point in my career I’m gonna always be able to pinpoint and say "I can make it through a tough time." And at the end of the day it’s just a game. I’ve just got to go out there and play. I think that’s the biggest thing I can take away from the situation.
You're a restricted free agent this summer. Looking ahead, how do you focus on staying in the moment, knowing you may not be in Cleveland next year?
It’s tough. It’s very tough. A lot of guys will say "You don’t think about it" or "It’s not on your mind" but it is. I’ve got three children, I’ve got a wife, I’ve got a family I’ve got to take care of. You don’t be a free agent every single year. It only comes around two or three times, luckily, in your career. Whatever happens, whether I’m here or whether I’m somewhere else, I want to be able to say I won a championship and say I played in the Finals and played well in the Finals, and I can be able to take this experience with me somewhere else or if I stay here in Cleveland I’ll be able to take this and really propel my career to something bigger and better.
This is a point in my career I’m gonna always be able to pinpoint and say "I can make it through a tough time."
How often do you think about free agency?
I don’t think about it a lot. It’ll come up every now and then but I don’t think about it as much as you probably think.
I would be thinking about it nonstop.
[Laughs] I try my best to stay in the moment.
Do you have any expectations regarding your next contract?
As far as...like a number or something?
A number, a situation, a team.
Not really a number. I think that will all be worked out in the future. I do know there are teams, including Cleveland, that are very interested in me playing there for the next four years. Three, four years. But I want to be somewhere where I’m embraced as a player. Go somewhere where I can grow as a player, grow into who I’m becoming as a player, person, and a man. That’s pretty much all I’m looking forward to. You look at different guys in the league, whether it’s Victor Oladipo or any guy that goes to a situation where people might not think it’s gonna work out but because people embrace them and back them they propel themselves and it goes to another level, so that’s what I’m trying to do next year and in years to come.
Photo by David Richard - USA TODAY Sports
How much of what you do this summer is realistically tied to LeBron’s decision?
I’m not sure. I’m not sure. I think that’s for Cleveland. Obviously their number one priority is LeBron and seeing what he’s gonna do. I think they do want me in their future. They’ve told me that. But obviously the money has to be worked out and so I really don’t know exactly what has to happen. But for me it’s just about doing what’s best for me and my family. I think Cleveland is going to do what’s best for that organization, and LeBron is going to do what’s best for him, and everybody can respect that.
Do you have any plans this summer after your contract situation resolves itself? Any vacation or idea where you'll be training?
I’m thinking about going to Atlanta. I know they just opened P3 down there. And I worked out a lot there in Santa Barbara, in P3, so I think that’ll be a fun thing. Atlanta is a city I’m familiar with, being from the south. As far as after free agency, of course I’ll celebrate. It’s a great accomplishment, no matter what the dollar amount is, no matter what the situation is, just being able to be in this great league for another three to four years.
And I’ve got my camp at the end of the summer that I’m always excited for, where I have a bunch of kids from all over the south come to a free camp where they can have fun and learn before they go back to school. And just relaxing with my kids, my wife, and just have fun.
Do you hold the camp in Mississippi?
Yeah it’s in Meridian, Mississippi, my home town.
How long have you been doing that?
This is the third year. Both years have been an amazing success. It’s getting bigger and bigger. A lot of kids come. Over 500 kids. The most talented kids in the state come, and get a chance to meet me. I interact with them. I play 5-on-5 with them. It’s just a fun time right before they go back to school.
You’re still only 25 years old, about to enter your fifth season. What part of your game do you want to improve the most this summer?
I think everything, but what I really can expound on that I haven’t really explored since I’ve been in the league, or really in general, is a post game. I think with my size, being able to shoot over guys that play my position, shooting guards and small forwards, being able to post up. I think I can really focus in on that and add that to my game and make that a strength.
Your high school coach, Randy Bolden, once said you used to intentionally miss free throws just to stay in the game when it looked like you were about to be taken out. Is that true?
It’s definitely true.
I wanted to contrast that with Game 4 in the second round where you didn’t enter the game after Ty Lue asked you to. Can you explain that situation in your own words just so people know your perspective on what happened?
That was a tough situation. We were up 30, headed to the Eastern Conference Finals, and there were guys already out there playing. Cedi was out there, Jordan Clarkson was out there. I think Big Z [Ante Zizic] was out there, and a couple more guys. So there were four guys out there and LeBron was still in the game. So then he asked for a sub. Jose Calderon was warming up, so the whole time I’m thinking "I’m not getting in the game." So they call my name. I was like, you know, I was over there chillin'. I had ice bags on my legs. And then I just told T. Lue to put Jose in the game. So he put Jose in the game.
The game was over with, I went to the locker room, we celebrated getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. We went home, and then the next day my mom wakes me up at 6:30 in the morning saying there’s a story that I refused to go in the game or that I had an attitude or something like that. So that was a tough 24 hours because you had so many people taking a story, a headline, that wasn’t even the case, and they were just going in. They were saying so much things about me, that I was pouting and I was whining. And in hindsight, I probably should’ve went in, but I definitely didn’t think that was a story, heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, but it’s something to learn from, obviously. I was put in the same situation four, five times after that, and I went in with no problem. Everybody who knows me knows I’m a selfless guy. That’s not even my M.O. It’s just tough when people don’t even know your character and are just getting to know you, they pass judgement on you and don’t even know the whole story. That’s the tough part.
So then I’m walking off the court and there’s a guy sitting in front of our bench who’s talking very, very reckless the whole entire game...
And then another situation I wanted to get your perspective on, I think it was in Washington earlier this season when Tony Brothers throws you out for arguing a call, and then as you walk back towards the locker room you slap a cell phone out of a fan’s hand. What was going through your head during that time leading up to that play and sequence?
I’ll get to the phone incident. But the two techs, I got my first at the very end of the first half. I felt like a guy pushed Ricky Rubio into my legs, and I didn’t see the play until after the game. But I thought it was a blatant foul and obvious call and they didn’t call it. I said something, got a tech, and I was fine with that. And then I felt like I got hit a couple plays going to the basket, and then the third play when I went to the basket in the second half, I felt like I got hit. I didn’t say nothing out the way to Tony. Tony knows me. But I said something, he called a tech. I think everybody was moaning and complaining about calls the whole game, so I had to be the one to take the whipping for it. So then I’m walking off the court and there’s a guy sitting in front of our bench who’s talking very, very reckless the whole entire game. And he was saying some things as I was walking off the court, and I slapped the phone out his hand and just walked off. It was wrong on my part. At the end of the day, I should’ve gotten security to say something to him, tell him to chill out. I should never do that, but you know it’s tough. I’m human. Things happen. You move on from it.
For the record I thought it was very funny and he probably deserved it, but we should move on before I get you in trouble.
[Laughs] I appreciate it.
Before Game 3, I saw you hug Donovan Mitchell on the floor. Did you watch the Jazz play in the postseason and if you did how strange was it to watch your former team go through the playoffs without you?
It was fun seeing those guys. I don’t think I would’ve looked at it that way if I wasn’t in the playoffs, but it was fun seeing those guys because those guys, the coaching staff, those guys are great people to be around, and I was so happy that they made the playoffs. I felt like I was a part of that. I was a part of those wins as well. Just to see their growth and guys step up. Alec Burks stepped up when he wasn’t playing as much throughout the whole season. Royce O’Neal. Donovan took his game to another level. It was fun just to watch those guys. I thought it would be hard. The first time I saw them play, I was like "I don’t know if I want to watch it," but then I got to watching it and it was just good to see guys that I call my friends go out there and play well on national TV.
CLEVELAND — It’s early May inside Oracle Arena’s media dining area, and Game 2 of an ostensibly competitive second-round series between the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors is minutes away from tipping off. Over a dozen folding tables are lined in a row, each bookended by a television that beams the climax of another NBA game from over 2500 miles away.
Crowded near one are three Pelicans employees, picking at plates of fried chicken and steamed vegetables. On the screen, Kevin Love catches a kick-out pass from LeBron James, pump fakes Jakob Poeltl into Air Canada Center’s court-side seats, and drills the open three. A few feet to Love's right, standing in the strong-side corner is Rodney Hood.
“How much do you think Hood gets this summer?” It's the type of question that, if posed to ten intelligent people, may bear ten different answers. At the end of this table, it's greeted by a collective shrug. “I don’t know, $16 million?” The other two nod as Hood gets subbed out of the game. They rise, button their blazers, scrape chicken bones into a nearby trash can, and head to their seats.
This is almost exactly a week before Saturday Night Live will poke fun at LeBron's supporting cast and Hood will supposedly refuse to enter Game 4 of the same series. A restricted free agent heading into a marketplace that isn't exactly flush with cash, Hood finds himself in a more delicate situation than most expected him to be even six months ago. After posting a career-high usage rate and True Shooting percentage in the opening months of this very season, Hood tallied zero points in the second round after Love hit that three, and was nearly squeezed out of the entire conference finals, earning four DNP’s and garbage time minutes in Game 5.
Heading into Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost six straight games in which he’s appeared. But Wednesday night in Quicken Loans Arena, Hood flashed why that contract speculation from a Pelicans staffer was (and maybe still is) in the ballpark of reality. In 26 minutes, the 25-year-old scored 15 points (on 11 shots), grabbed six rebounds, and provided legitimate sustenance on the defensive end. He pummeled the Warriors in transition and carved out soft floaters over some of the league's longest, rangiest, most bewildering individual defenders. It was, for one night, the type of performance Cleveland expected on a regular basis when they acquired Hood at the trade deadline.
He Euro-stepped through cracks without hesitation, recognized mismatches, and splashed contested short twos through the rim—in one of the most stress-inducing basketball environments imaginable—with an effortlessness very few players can manage. Even more important? LeBron trusted Hood to come through and he did, stabbing Golden State with a barrage of one-dribble pull-ups, feints, and turnarounds.
It seems minor, but it can't be overlooked whenever James gives the ball up this early in a critical game after he grabs a defensive rebound.
“That was Rodney Hood, man. He was just aggressive from the beginning when he got in the game, even though he missed his first three. He had a wide-open shot, but he just continued to push and push,” LeBron said after Game 3. “His athleticism and his length and his touch around the rim, you know, it was more than just what he did for the team, I think for himself, that was just a huge moment for himself. That was good to see. That was great to see, actually.”
He was fearless when plays broke down against, literally, one of the best defenders in NBA history.
If Game 3 proves anything, it’s that Hood remains a tantalizing commodity. Sometimes his game politely knocks on a door it should punch a hole through. For better or worse, that’s who he is right now: methodical, patient, and composed. But he gets in trouble when those refined tendencies turn into debilitating passiveness. Instead of getting to the rim, a place where Hood is long and deft enough to succeed, he too often settles outside the restricted area for inefficient attempts that don’t carry the risk/reward ratio desired by simple math.
According to Cleaning the Glass, he’s never finished above the 32nd percentile in shot frequency at the basket. He placed in the fifth percentile before this year’s trade deadline and 20th after it. That’s a definite issue. Even when it yields a bucket, watching him stop short sometimes feels like a frustrating malfunction—the same sensation that happens when you punch your PIN into an ATM only to have the machine shake its head. Why isn’t this working?
But it’s not a fatal flaw; there’s an optimistic dichotomy about Hood’s game, where you can’t call his mid-range-heavy attack antiquated without pointing out the boon attached to his futuristic qualities. Hood already has the physical tools to attack in isolation and create for himself, a major benefit going forward as more defenses around the league engineer switch-heavy schemes. He’s a convenient, if not ideal, chess piece.
The transition from Utah to Cleveland was difficult for myriad reasons, but Hood’s all-around game on the right night looks like a paragon for the modern wing. He was an extremely effective pick-and-roll playmaker in a Jazz jersey, and was pretty good scoring the ball out of those situations in Cleveland, but according to Synergy Sports, the percentage of Hood’s pick-and-roll plays where his pass led to an immediate shot, turnover, or foul was 31.1 percent in Utah. With the Cavs, that number chopped down to 15.5 percent.
In other words, his current role has effectively lowered his ceiling. He’s excellent at reading help defenders and knowing when to get off the ball so teammates can attack openings created by his own penetration. At 6'8", Hood is also tall enough to see over defenders and skip it, on point, to an open man—the type of pass typically made by an All-Star.
He’s valuable operating off the ball, be it as a spacer (he made 39 percent of his threes on a high volume before the trade deadline) or someone able to attack off designed movement. Here's Hood curling off a stagger screen for a catch-and-shoot jumper, but he doesn't panic when Anthony Davis sniffs it out, instead taking his time and working Rajon Rondo down into his patented short turnaround.
It’s all so smooth. A laminated skill-set with room to grow. As he steps into an uncertain future, where a tempered marketplace makes $16 million per year (or more) feel unlikely but not impossible, Hood has yet to reach his prime. This is a player who’s more familiar with exceeding expectations than sinking beneath them.
The son of parents who played college basketball—and a mother who went on to become a school principal—Hood was raised with work ethic as a priority. His childhood was molded by discipline and structure. “He didn’t win any participation trophies at home,” Hood’s coach at Mississippi State, Rick Stansbury, tells VICE Sports. “I can promise you that.”
Now on the verge of what may be his final game in a Cavaliers uniform, one day after the most important game of his career, Hood sat down for an extended Q&A with VICE Sports. In it he covers a wide variety of topics, including how he’s dealt with an up-and-down, pressure-packed postseason, what the trade deadline was like, how he deals with life as LeBron's teammate, what he expects in free agency, and so much more.
VICE Sports: What were you thinking immediately after Game 3, and how are you processing it today?
Rodney Hood: Last night, it felt great, honestly. Just from dealing with adversity, then coming out on the biggest stage and making an impact. It felt great. It would’ve felt 10 times better if we would’ve won. But we still got a game left, and just hopefully we’ll have a follow up to Game 4.
You've said there were a lot of sleepless nights heading into Game 3. Was that the most nervous you’ve ever been for a basketball game in your life?
Yeah, yeah. I felt like that was kind of like a defining moment for me. I had been working so hard to be ready when my name was called, and I felt like that was pretty much my last chance to be in the rotation. And just to come out and play well and make an impact on the game, you know, it meant a lot.
Can you remember being in a situation like that before, where dropping out of a rotation entirely is possible?
No. This is the first time in my life where I got DNPs, where I haven’t played big minutes. Even when I was coming off the bench in Utah I was still playing around 29, 30 minutes, so this is the first time, and it’s been a learning process. It’s been tough. But it all made me stronger in the end.
Obviously Cleveland lost, but for you, individually, was there any sense of relief?
Definitely. I was definitely happy. Like I said, I think everybody knows the adversity I’ve been in since I’ve been in Cleveland the last couple months, and I think everybody was happy for me—knowing what type of person I am and seeing how hard I work behind closed doors—to come out and have a game like yesterday.
My dad told me "It can’t rain forever." It felt like it was raining for a long time, but the sun came out a little bit.
LeBron said “that was Rodney Hood” afterwards. What do you think he means by that?
LeBron has, I wouldn’t say "watched me closely," but he’s known about my game, just from playing against him. And he knew what type of player was coming to the Cavs when I first got here. And it hasn’t went as smoothly as everybody would think, but this is what he saw when I was playing with Utah. This the aggressiveness, this the skill-set that everybody’s been kind of waiting to see. It took a while—it took getting to the Finals—but I think he was happy for me that it happened in the Finals.
Photo by Ken Blaze - USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure you’re asked all the time about playing with LeBron, and the good and bad that can come with it. Is there something different about when he passes you the ball vs. any other teammate you’ve ever had?
That’s a good question. Let me see how to word this. There’s definitely a difference because LeBron is a guy that can score and he’s a willing passer, and one thing about him is you’ve gotta be ready to shoot every time he throws you the ball. You know, you’ve got to make the right play, and that’s what he expects of us. To knock down shots and things like that. So it is a difference. I can’t really pinpoint the difference but there’s definitely a difference.
Is there added pressure?
Yeah, I think you could say that. I think you could say there’s a different pressure. Not a bad pressure, but it’s like if this guy trusts you enough to throw you the ball for you to knock down a shot, you want to shoot it every single time because he expends a lot of energy driving to the lane, creating. You want to knock it down every single time. So I can agree with that.
There was one play in the 4th quarter of Game 3 where he grabbed a defensive rebound and then quickly flipped you the ball racing up the left sideline. You went all the way to the rim, knocked Kevin Durant out of the way, and scored. What’s going through your head during that particular possession? From afar, you looked more emboldened than you've been in a long time.
LeBron gives, not only me, but everybody confidence. I think my first bucket I scored last night is when I got a rebound and he was behind me yelling to me just go. He was like ‘Go Hood!’ That play shows a lot of...I don’t think it would’ve happened before last night, you know what I mean? He knew I had it going. He saw I really wanted the ball, and he trusted me with the ball. I think that was a big step.
And also the other play when I went to the basket and Draymond was guarding me and I did a spin move and scored, he gave me the ball again and just told me to go to work. That means a lot to us as players, knowing that the best player in the world wants you to be aggressive and wants you to just play your game. It really shows out there on the court like it did in that play that you talked about.
Going back to the trade deadline, how did you hear about getting dealt?
We played in Memphis and flew back to Utah. I woke up the next morning and obviously I knew the trade deadline was that day so my phone was loud. Travis, my agent, called me, and all he said was "Cleveland. We’re going to Cleveland." He said "We’re going to the Finals."
There were mixed feelings, I would say. I enjoyed my time in Utah. I loved playing there. The coaching staff and organization gave me a chance to start as a young player and to grow. They gave me a shot, so that was kind of sad. But obviously it was exciting, getting a chance to come to Cleveland and try to compete for a championship.
I’m so fascinated by that moment when players first learn about getting traded. What exactly were you doing? Was anyone with you? Do you hang up the phone with your agent and call anybody? What was that whole scene like, as I’m sure you had a lot of stuff going through your head.
The couple days before it there was kind of an awkward feeling because I kind of knew I was on the trading block. Me and Quin Snyder, we didn’t really know but we knew it was in the air. So me and him had a good talk and he was like "Regardless of what happens, we’re always gonna be friends. We’re always gonna keep in touch, and we’ll always have a special bond." And then when we got back late to Utah, and I slept. I had my phone on loud, and then Travis called. I was watching on NBATV to see what was happening, and then Travis called to say Cleveland and I talked to him for like three or four minutes. I hung up the phone and I just yelled. Me and my wife are sitting there and we just yelled because we knew it was an opportunity for me to play on the big stage and make a name for myself. And then I went to the gym and saw Quin Snyder and saw [Utah GM] Dennis Lindsey, two guys that’s been very instrumental in my career. I got a chance to thank them and say my last goodbyes to them and it was very, very emotional. Me and Quin Snyder came into the league together and Dennis Lindsey gave me the opportunity to grow as a young player, so that was emotional. And then I sat there for the rest of the night. I drove around Utah, said my last goodbyes to people that I know, and then I got packed up, ready, and went to Atlanta.
Do you remember your first conversation with Ty Lue?
I do. I was at the airport headed to Atlanta because that’s where they were playing, and Ty Lue was just saying "Man, welcome. I love your game. We’re gonna have some fun. Don’t be nervous, and don’t believe everything you see and read in the media." I remember him saying that. It was a quick conversation and then when we got to Cleveland we got a chance to know each other a little bit better.
Photo by Winslow Townson - USA TODAY Sports
Do you remember your first conversations with any of your new teammates? Kevin Love or LeBron?
I saw them that night in Atlanta. They were about to play in a game. Me, Jordan [Clarkson], Larry [Nance, Jr.], and George [Hill] had just gotten to Atlanta. We said what’s up to everybody. We met everybody in the organization. That was pretty much about it. We went on a couple team dinners. We went to Boston next, went on a team dinner and got to know each other a little bit better then.
That was a big win in Boston.
That was a very exciting game.
What did the coaches tell you about your role on this team, and what they expected from you?
They really didn’t. At that time it was just about figuring everything out. I think the coaching staff wanted to see how everything would fit. We were trying to see how everything would fit. I knew I’d be coming off the bench at first, and they just wanted me to go out and play my game. That was really about it. That was the only real conversation that we really had.
You’ve said that Joe Johnson and Johnnie Bryant reached out and offered words of encouragement during your postseason struggles. What sort of things did they actually say?
They sent texts and I talked to them on the phone. They were very encouraging, just telling me to stay ready, like "Your number is gonna get called at some point. It has to be called at some point. And you’re gonna make a big splash on the scene, and everything that happened before that will be erased." When I talked to Joe Johnson, he was just telling me to stay in the gym and stay positive, and just pay attention to my family. Don’t get clouded into this job and thinking the sky is falling. Just to focus on my family and focus on the important things. The big quote that my dad told me was "It can’t rain forever." It felt like it was raining for a long time, but the sun came out a little bit [in Game 3].
Did anyone else reach out?
It was a bunch of guys I played with. Chris Johnson. Donovan Mitchell reached out. Ekpe Udoh, Alec Burks. All my guys. Gordon Hayward, I talked to him during the Boston series, we was texting. It was definitely a bunch of guys that were texting me, telling me to stay ready and keep my head up.
Just from looking at your numbers, you made a lot more plays for teammates out of the pick-and-roll in Utah than you have in Cleveland. Did you expect that coming in?
Yeah, I expected there to be a drop because I know LeBron has the ball in his hands a lot and everything goes through him, so there’s not a lot of opportunities for pick-and-roll in our offense. So I understand there’s gonna be a drop. Pick-and-roll is a big part of my game, it was a big part of my game in Utah. That’s where I got a lot of my threes, where I was able to be more aggressive, so I knew there was gonna be a little bit of a drop. I really don’t get any [pick-and-roll opportunities] unless it’s in transition, but I’m just trying to figure out other ways to score and be aggressive. Hand-offs, just running the court, cutting to the basket, whatever I can to try and make an impact scoring wise.
Before the series started Ty Lue told me he liked how you could attack in isolation against switches. How do you think your game fits in the modern NBA and where the league is going?
I fit perfectly. I’m 6’8”. I’m a guy that can take it off the bounce. I feel like I can score at all three levels. In isolation, a lot of people are switching, so I’m able to get my own shot. Pull up for mid-range shots. Get to the foul line. Pull up for three, if need be. So I fit perfectly. And I’m able to create for other guys, being able to pass the ball and make the right basketball play and not just be a black hole as a scorer. I’m continuing to evolve and I think I’m only gonna continue to get better from here on out.
Is there any way you can pinpoint or identify why you’ve struggled over the past couple months?
It’s just different. Starting off the playoffs, I was starting Game 1. Then the next game I’m coming off the bench. I didn’t play Game 4 of the Raptors series and then in Game 1 I had a decent game. I was aggressive. And then the next game I didn’t play that much. I probably played nine, ten minutes. So it’s just been...what I’ve adjusted to since I’ve been out is just learning that I can’t let the game come to me, and that’s a tough adjustment because I’ve always been a guy who’s let the game come to me. I’ve got to force the action. I’ve got to come in the game ready to go, no matter if I play nine minutes, eighteen minutes, fifteen minutes. That’s the adjustment that I made, and I wasn’t going to let that mistake happen again last night. I just had to go in there and get it. That’s really the mental part of it, just going in there ready to go as soon as I get in the game.
I think a lot of people have the perception of NBA players as being supremely confident at all times because you’re the best in the entire world at what you do, but throughout the past few weeks did doubt creep into your head at all, about who you are and what you’re capable of?
To be honest, no. But it does start to creep in, like, you get to thinking "Damn, how did I get to this point where I'm not even playing in games and I know I can help the team" and things like that. But I think it’s all in the work that I put in with [Cavaliers assistant coach] Phil Handy. I stayed in the gym. I was playing pick up, one-on-one. I stayed ready and put confidence back in my game that way. Obviously, the ultimate confidence is gonna be from playing in games and producing in games, but I just knew it was gonna come a time where I would play better and I'd get a chance to really play. It just so happened to be a long time before it happened.
When you’re watching YouTube clips of yourself, is there any one game or play or moment from earlier in your career that stands out and makes you feel good when you think about it?
There’s a lot of them, but I think the main one that I watched was right before I got traded. We played New Orleans in New Orleans. I had like 30, but I just remember how I felt that game. My mind was clear. I had so much fun. New Orleans is close to my home town so I had family in the arena. It was a great game not because I scored but because of how I felt. I had a bounce to my step. That was probably the most confident I’ve been since I’d been in the league. I really watched that game a lot.
How do you get your mind off basketball-related issues when things aren’t going your way? Do you read? Do you watch Netflix? Listen to podcasts? Go for walks? Is there anything you do to try and step away from the game?
Oh definitely. I always try to go to the movies. I’ve got three kids. My son is two years old. I’ve got two newborn twins. I spend as much time with them as I can. I just try to be family man because when I’ve been struggling, those are the people that have been behind me and stuck with me. I just want to give all my time to them when I’m not working, just trying to make sure they’re alright because they feel all the same pain that I feel, you know what I mean? Just trying to spend as much time with them as I can, staying off of watching basketball and trying not to think about the game. Just thinking about being a man, being a person. I think sometimes we lose that.
What’s the last movie you went to see?
I actually saw the Gabrielle Union movie.
Was that good?
It was good! I kind of saw it because I was kind of bored, but it was a good movie. And then I saw Deadpool as well. That was a good one too.
What have you learned from this whole experience that you feel can help you going forward?
I think a lot of it has been mental. I feel like I can get through adversity now. As a young player, I played a lot in Utah, I got to shoot a lot in Utah. Everything was kind of handed to me. Here I had to kind of earn it. And I worked myself through some adversity. When everybody was doubting me and critiquing me—I wouldn’t say talking negative, but critiquing me—and things like that, I knew I could make it through that, by having the game I had last night. By staying grounded, by praying to God. I think that’s the biggest thing. This is a point in my career I’m gonna always be able to pinpoint and say "I can make it through a tough time." And at the end of the day it’s just a game. I’ve just got to go out there and play. I think that’s the biggest thing I can take away from the situation.
You're a restricted free agent this summer. Looking ahead, how do you focus on staying in the moment, knowing you may not be in Cleveland next year?
It’s tough. It’s very tough. A lot of guys will say "You don’t think about it" or "It’s not on your mind" but it is. I’ve got three children, I’ve got a wife, I’ve got a family I’ve got to take care of. You don’t be a free agent every single year. It only comes around two or three times, luckily, in your career. Whatever happens, whether I’m here or whether I’m somewhere else, I want to be able to say I won a championship and say I played in the Finals and played well in the Finals, and I can be able to take this experience with me somewhere else or if I stay here in Cleveland I’ll be able to take this and really propel my career to something bigger and better.
This is a point in my career I’m gonna always be able to pinpoint and say "I can make it through a tough time."
How often do you think about free agency?
I don’t think about it a lot. It’ll come up every now and then but I don’t think about it as much as you probably think.
I would be thinking about it nonstop.
[Laughs] I try my best to stay in the moment.
Do you have any expectations regarding your next contract?
As far as...like a number or something?
A number, a situation, a team.
Not really a number. I think that will all be worked out in the future. I do know there are teams, including Cleveland, that are very interested in me playing there for the next four years. Three, four years. But I want to be somewhere where I’m embraced as a player. Go somewhere where I can grow as a player, grow into who I’m becoming as a player, person, and a man. That’s pretty much all I’m looking forward to. You look at different guys in the league, whether it’s Victor Oladipo or any guy that goes to a situation where people might not think it’s gonna work out but because people embrace them and back them they propel themselves and it goes to another level, so that’s what I’m trying to do next year and in years to come.
Photo by David Richard - USA TODAY Sports
How much of what you do this summer is realistically tied to LeBron’s decision?
I’m not sure. I’m not sure. I think that’s for Cleveland. Obviously their number one priority is LeBron and seeing what he’s gonna do. I think they do want me in their future. They’ve told me that. But obviously the money has to be worked out and so I really don’t know exactly what has to happen. But for me it’s just about doing what’s best for me and my family. I think Cleveland is going to do what’s best for that organization, and LeBron is going to do what’s best for him, and everybody can respect that.
Do you have any plans this summer after your contract situation resolves itself? Any vacation or idea where you'll be training?
I’m thinking about going to Atlanta. I know they just opened P3 down there. And I worked out a lot there in Santa Barbara, in P3, so I think that’ll be a fun thing. Atlanta is a city I’m familiar with, being from the south. As far as after free agency, of course I’ll celebrate. It’s a great accomplishment, no matter what the dollar amount is, no matter what the situation is, just being able to be in this great league for another three to four years.
And I’ve got my camp at the end of the summer that I’m always excited for, where I have a bunch of kids from all over the south come to a free camp where they can have fun and learn before they go back to school. And just relaxing with my kids, my wife, and just have fun.
Do you hold the camp in Mississippi?
Yeah it’s in Meridian, Mississippi, my home town.
How long have you been doing that?
This is the third year. Both years have been an amazing success. It’s getting bigger and bigger. A lot of kids come. Over 500 kids. The most talented kids in the state come, and get a chance to meet me. I interact with them. I play 5-on-5 with them. It’s just a fun time right before they go back to school.
You’re still only 25 years old, about to enter your fifth season. What part of your game do you want to improve the most this summer?
I think everything, but what I really can expound on that I haven’t really explored since I’ve been in the league, or really in general, is a post game. I think with my size, being able to shoot over guys that play my position, shooting guards and small forwards, being able to post up. I think I can really focus in on that and add that to my game and make that a strength.
Your high school coach, Randy Bolden, once said you used to intentionally miss free throws just to stay in the game when it looked like you were about to be taken out. Is that true?
It’s definitely true.
I wanted to contrast that with Game 4 in the second round where you didn’t enter the game after Ty Lue asked you to. Can you explain that situation in your own words just so people know your perspective on what happened?
That was a tough situation. We were up 30, headed to the Eastern Conference Finals, and there were guys already out there playing. Cedi was out there, Jordan Clarkson was out there. I think Big Z [Ante Zizic] was out there, and a couple more guys. So there were four guys out there and LeBron was still in the game. So then he asked for a sub. Jose Calderon was warming up, so the whole time I’m thinking "I’m not getting in the game." So they call my name. I was like, you know, I was over there chillin'. I had ice bags on my legs. And then I just told T. Lue to put Jose in the game. So he put Jose in the game.
The game was over with, I went to the locker room, we celebrated getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. We went home, and then the next day my mom wakes me up at 6:30 in the morning saying there’s a story that I refused to go in the game or that I had an attitude or something like that. So that was a tough 24 hours because you had so many people taking a story, a headline, that wasn’t even the case, and they were just going in. They were saying so much things about me, that I was pouting and I was whining. And in hindsight, I probably should’ve went in, but I definitely didn’t think that was a story, heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, but it’s something to learn from, obviously. I was put in the same situation four, five times after that, and I went in with no problem. Everybody who knows me knows I’m a selfless guy. That’s not even my M.O. It’s just tough when people don’t even know your character and are just getting to know you, they pass judgement on you and don’t even know the whole story. That’s the tough part.
So then I’m walking off the court and there’s a guy sitting in front of our bench who’s talking very, very reckless the whole entire game...
And then another situation I wanted to get your perspective on, I think it was in Washington earlier this season when Tony Brothers throws you out for arguing a call, and then as you walk back towards the locker room you slap a cell phone out of a fan’s hand. What was going through your head during that time leading up to that play and sequence?
I’ll get to the phone incident. But the two techs, I got my first at the very end of the first half. I felt like a guy pushed Ricky Rubio into my legs, and I didn’t see the play until after the game. But I thought it was a blatant foul and obvious call and they didn’t call it. I said something, got a tech, and I was fine with that. And then I felt like I got hit a couple plays going to the basket, and then the third play when I went to the basket in the second half, I felt like I got hit. I didn’t say nothing out the way to Tony. Tony knows me. But I said something, he called a tech. I think everybody was moaning and complaining about calls the whole game, so I had to be the one to take the whipping for it. So then I’m walking off the court and there’s a guy sitting in front of our bench who’s talking very, very reckless the whole entire game. And he was saying some things as I was walking off the court, and I slapped the phone out his hand and just walked off. It was wrong on my part. At the end of the day, I should’ve gotten security to say something to him, tell him to chill out. I should never do that, but you know it’s tough. I’m human. Things happen. You move on from it.
For the record I thought it was very funny and he probably deserved it, but we should move on before I get you in trouble.
[Laughs] I appreciate it.
Before Game 3, I saw you hug Donovan Mitchell on the floor. Did you watch the Jazz play in the postseason and if you did how strange was it to watch your former team go through the playoffs without you?
It was fun seeing those guys. I don’t think I would’ve looked at it that way if I wasn’t in the playoffs, but it was fun seeing those guys because those guys, the coaching staff, those guys are great people to be around, and I was so happy that they made the playoffs. I felt like I was a part of that. I was a part of those wins as well. Just to see their growth and guys step up. Alec Burks stepped up when he wasn’t playing as much throughout the whole season. Royce O’Neal. Donovan took his game to another level. It was fun just to watch those guys. I thought it would be hard. The first time I saw them play, I was like "I don’t know if I want to watch it," but then I got to watching it and it was just good to see guys that I call my friends go out there and play well on national TV.
Report: Grizzlies shopping trade package of Chandler Parsons and No. 4 pick
By Dan FeldmanJun 14, 2018, 5:28 PM EDT
Rob Carr/Getty Images
The Grizzlies have one of the NBA’s best assets in the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft.
They also have one of the NBA’s worst assets in Chandler Parsons, the injury-prone forward who has two years and $49,209,769 remaining on his contract.
What if Memphis combined both those?
Michael Scotto of The Athletic:
The Memphis Grizzlies have gauged the trade market on a package of Chandler Parsons and the No. 4 overall pick, league sources told The Athletic.
The No. 4 pick’s value is probably more positive than Parsons’ value is negative. Rebuilding teams with cap space like the Hawks and Bulls would likely jump at paying Parsons if it meant landing such a high pick.
But would anyone send the Grizzlies enough value to bridge the gap? Depends what they’re looking for.
Robert Pera just completed an expensive buys-sell process to keep control of the team. He might want to unload salary. It’d be a real shame for Memphis fans if that meant sacrificing the No. 4 pick, though.
The Grizzlies – partially by their own choosing, partially by their contracts – are pretty locked into a Marc Gasol–Mike Conley core. Dumping Parsons wouldn’t create a massive amount of flexibility to upgrade the roster. It’d just cost whatever sweetener, No. 4 pick or otherwise, is necessary to dump his contract.
It can be tough to tell when a team is just exploring its options. Memphis should want to know the value of Parsons and the No. 4 pick, as it’s helpful to know the value of all assets.
But the possibility the Grizzlies would use the No. 4 pick to rid itself of Parsons – rather than use it to add a top prospect – is concerning.
By Dan FeldmanJun 14, 2018, 5:28 PM EDT
Rob Carr/Getty Images
The Grizzlies have one of the NBA’s best assets in the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft.
They also have one of the NBA’s worst assets in Chandler Parsons, the injury-prone forward who has two years and $49,209,769 remaining on his contract.
What if Memphis combined both those?
Michael Scotto of The Athletic:
The Memphis Grizzlies have gauged the trade market on a package of Chandler Parsons and the No. 4 overall pick, league sources told The Athletic.
The No. 4 pick’s value is probably more positive than Parsons’ value is negative. Rebuilding teams with cap space like the Hawks and Bulls would likely jump at paying Parsons if it meant landing such a high pick.
But would anyone send the Grizzlies enough value to bridge the gap? Depends what they’re looking for.
Robert Pera just completed an expensive buys-sell process to keep control of the team. He might want to unload salary. It’d be a real shame for Memphis fans if that meant sacrificing the No. 4 pick, though.
The Grizzlies – partially by their own choosing, partially by their contracts – are pretty locked into a Marc Gasol–Mike Conley core. Dumping Parsons wouldn’t create a massive amount of flexibility to upgrade the roster. It’d just cost whatever sweetener, No. 4 pick or otherwise, is necessary to dump his contract.
It can be tough to tell when a team is just exploring its options. Memphis should want to know the value of Parsons and the No. 4 pick, as it’s helpful to know the value of all assets.
But the possibility the Grizzlies would use the No. 4 pick to rid itself of Parsons – rather than use it to add a top prospect – is concerning.
Man they including that pick too...they just saying take this fucker
LeBron James visited with Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem in Miami during NBA playoffs
BocaMike7857
Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6), Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) and Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem (40) walk off the floor dejected during second half action of game one of the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs Thursday June 06, 2013, at American Airlines Arena in Miami.(Bill Ingram/Palm Beach Post)
HOLLYWOOD — During the Cavaliers’ long playoff run, LeBron James visited Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
When asked about the possibility of James returning to the Heat this offseason, Haslem revealed Thursday that James visited Miami during a break in the playoffs.
“Right before they started the Finals against Golden State, I spent some time with Bron,” Haslem said to reporters during a visit to the Heat’s youth summer camp at South Broward High. “He was in Miami. Me, him and Dwyane got together and we spent some time together and we just chopped it up and we just talked.”
James’ future was not discussed, though, with the visit actually coming between the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals.
“That wasn’t part of the conversation,” Haslem said. “Obviously, he was getting ready for the NBA Finals.”
But if James really is considering a return to the Heat, Haslem is willing to get in on the recruiting.
“There are great pieces here and we all know the city loves him and we all know what he’s capable of doing,” Haslem said. “I’m sure the organization and I would love to have him. But as a friend, once again, I support LeBron with whatever decision he makes. So we’ll see. Am I going to be a part of the recruiting process? Hell yeah. If he reaches out and we talk, I’m going to throw it out there. But you just never know.”
Haslem said he’s heard the speculation of a possible James-Heat reunion, with multiple Las Vegas sports books and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith including Miami as one of the teams in the running for the 14-time All-Star.
“That’s what everybody is saying and that’s what I’ve been hearing,” Haslem said. “Honestly, I hear it more on the outside than I have from him.”
But there’s one big issue, the Heat currently lack the salary-cap space to sign James in free agency.
The Heat are already close to the luxury tax line with 10 players under contract for 2018-19 who are due $119 million. That puts Miami way above the projected $101 million salary cap and very close to the projected $123 million luxury tax line, and definitely not in position to sign a max player like James unless it can shed a lot of salary.
The easiest path to a James-Heat reunion is through a sign-and-trade agreement with the Cavaliers or James opting into the final year of his current contract and then getting Cleveland to trade him to Miami.
Free agency begins July 1.
BocaMike7857
Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6), Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) and Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem (40) walk off the floor dejected during second half action of game one of the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs Thursday June 06, 2013, at American Airlines Arena in Miami.(Bill Ingram/Palm Beach Post)
HOLLYWOOD — During the Cavaliers’ long playoff run, LeBron James visited Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
When asked about the possibility of James returning to the Heat this offseason, Haslem revealed Thursday that James visited Miami during a break in the playoffs.
“Right before they started the Finals against Golden State, I spent some time with Bron,” Haslem said to reporters during a visit to the Heat’s youth summer camp at South Broward High. “He was in Miami. Me, him and Dwyane got together and we spent some time together and we just chopped it up and we just talked.”
James’ future was not discussed, though, with the visit actually coming between the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals.
“That wasn’t part of the conversation,” Haslem said. “Obviously, he was getting ready for the NBA Finals.”
But if James really is considering a return to the Heat, Haslem is willing to get in on the recruiting.
“There are great pieces here and we all know the city loves him and we all know what he’s capable of doing,” Haslem said. “I’m sure the organization and I would love to have him. But as a friend, once again, I support LeBron with whatever decision he makes. So we’ll see. Am I going to be a part of the recruiting process? Hell yeah. If he reaches out and we talk, I’m going to throw it out there. But you just never know.”
Haslem said he’s heard the speculation of a possible James-Heat reunion, with multiple Las Vegas sports books and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith including Miami as one of the teams in the running for the 14-time All-Star.
“That’s what everybody is saying and that’s what I’ve been hearing,” Haslem said. “Honestly, I hear it more on the outside than I have from him.”
But there’s one big issue, the Heat currently lack the salary-cap space to sign James in free agency.
The Heat are already close to the luxury tax line with 10 players under contract for 2018-19 who are due $119 million. That puts Miami way above the projected $101 million salary cap and very close to the projected $123 million luxury tax line, and definitely not in position to sign a max player like James unless it can shed a lot of salary.
The easiest path to a James-Heat reunion is through a sign-and-trade agreement with the Cavaliers or James opting into the final year of his current contract and then getting Cleveland to trade him to Miami.
Free agency begins July 1.
2018 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Michael Porter Jr. is this year’s biggest mystery
Rob Dauster
7 hours ago
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Michael Porter Jr. is the single-biggest mystery in this year’s NBA draft.
He is a tantalizing talent that can do things athletically and as a shooter that 6-foot-11 people are not supposed to be able to do. He was absolutely sensational at the 2016 Peach Jam, which is the finals of the EYBL circuit and arguably the highest level of basketball that Porter played prior to college. He impressed at the 2016 FIBA Americas tournament. He was good enough at Hoop Summit and on the all-star circuit that there were people that were projecting him as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft as recently as November.
But all of that changed in the course of the last seven months.
It starts with the back injury. After playing in a scrimmage against Kansas and just two minutes of Missouri’s season-opener against Iowa State, Porter shut it down, opting to undergo a microdiscectomy, a surgery on a bulging disc in his back that kept him out of action until the start of postseason play. He returned to the Missouri lineup and … looked like a kid that had been out of action for four months while recovering from surgery. He didn’t have his wind. He didn’t have his legs. He was rusty.
And, up until a workout last Friday — where, according to reports and sources that NBC Sports has spoken to, Porter was impressive — that’s all the tape we had on him. Porter also sent out the results of a physical that was conducted by the Bulls medical staff to every NBA team. One front office member that NBC Sports spoke with said the results came back “fine”, that there was nothing in those results that was overly concerning.
Then Wednesday happened.
Porter canceled a second workout that was scheduled to take place on Friday, and varying reports coming out on Thursday said that he was dealing with hip spasms that made it difficult for him to get out of bed despite the fact that an MRI that was conducted came back clean. It’s worth noting here that when his initial injury was reported by Missouri, it was termed a hip injury.
Is this a smokescreen? Does Porter have a promise from someone in the lottery that is looking to keep the teams drafting above them from taking him? Or is this something that is truly concerning, a reoccurrence of his previous injury? Back injuries for 7-footers are concerning, and Porter is 6-foot-10. No team wants to end up with the next Greg Oden in the top seven.
And that’s before you get into the questions about his position and his makeup.
Porter has a ceiling as high as anyone in this draft, but when the floor is as low as his is, it makes him a scary — and risky — player to take.
HEIGHT: 6-foot-10
WEIGHT: 230
WINGSPAN: 7-foot-0.5
2017-18 STATS: 10.0 points, 6.7 boards, 30% 3PT, 53 total minutes
DRAFT RANGE: 2-15
(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
STRENGTHS
On paper, Porter checks every single one of the boxes that teams are looking for frontcourt pieces for the modern NBA. He’s big, he’s athletic and he is a natural wing, far more comfortable playing on the perimeter than in and around the paint.
It’s all centered around his shooting ability and the physical tools that he’s been blessed with. Let’s start with the latter. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-0.5 wingspan and a 9-foot-1 standing reach, he has the size to play the four at the next level with the potential to play the five in smaller lineups. He has dunk contest leaping ability and is mobile enough that he can grab defensive rebounds and go the length of the court. He’s always going to be a lob target, especially in transition, where he thrived as a prep player.
Porter can be a terrific shooter as well. He’s a catch-and-shoot threat that is more than comfortable getting to his shot in isolation and off of hang dribbles. He has the height to elevate over smaller defenders and range beyond the NBA three-point stripe. He can also be run off of screens or used in pick-and-pop actions, which gives him more value and versatility in terms of the kinds of offense that he can be successful in.
His ceiling is as a player that can get you 25 points a night in the NBA, and as a 6-foot-10 shooter, he’s not all that common.
WEAKNESSES
Without question, the biggest issue facing Porter in his basketball career is his health. Bad backs are not typically something that just go away with time, but we’ll get to that.
Here, we’re going to focus on the issues that he has on the court, and his biggest center around the fact that he plays ‘high’, but not in the J.R. Smith way. Porter has high hips and a high center of gravity, and that manifests itself in three ways: An inability to blow by defenders on the perimeter, issues staying in front of quicker ball-handlers and a lack of strength when it comes to holding his position in the paint.
For my money, his issues putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim is the biggest concern. He lacks some of that initial burst to get his shoulders by a defender, and even when he does, his frame doesn’t have the strength or the balance to take the hit and play through. As it stands, Porter has a tendency to revert into a high-volume, low-efficiency jump-shooter, a player that survives too much on contested mid-range jumpers to get his points. That’s not a death sentence for his career — see: Anthony, Carmelo — but you have to be extremely good at what you do to make yourself a positive influence on a team that way, especially when you are not a natural playmaker; Porter is a score-first player, through and through.
And let me be clear: That is not necessarily a bad thing. Porter might just be good enough to be a star in the NBA as a scorer, and it’s not unheard of for someone that was a bit selfish in the high school ranks to develop the ability to pass as he learns more about the game. I wasn’t kidding when I said that he could end up averaging 25 points in the NBA, but that gets us to the other problem.
The defense.
Porter doesn’t always sit in a stance and move his feet, staying in front of quicker players. That is a problem if he wants to be a wing in the NBA. There is an incredible value in a player that has positional versatility and the ability to keep a man in front when put on an island. As we saw with the last two rounds of the playoffs, the modern NBA is becoming increasingly more about switching and isolation play, and there are valid concerns over whether or not Porter has the lateral quickness to thrive defensively.
The same can be said if you project him as a four. Can he handle the physicality of the paint in the NBA? Will he get knocked off his spot if one of the NBA’s best big wings tries to back him down? This concern is added by the fact that his frame is slender. He doesn’t have broad shoulder. Just how much more weight and muscle will be be able to add?
Superstardom comes for Porter if, given his scoring acumen, he is a versatile defender, and there are real questions about whether or not that will ever come to fruition.
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NBA COMPARISON
Let’s say that Porter’s back really is completely healthy, he’s able to play 75 games a year and that he adds the strength and quickness necessary to become a plus-defender as a big wing in the NBA. If all of that happens, I can see Porter being something of a Paul George 2.0. That’s his ceiling.
His floor? Terrifyingly low given the injury concern. It took Joel Embiid until his fourth season to play more than 31 games and his third season to play, period, and even now, the entire city of Philadelphia goes full lemon booty every time he hits the floor. Imagine that, but instead of Embiid it’s the 2017-18 version of Andrew Wiggins.
Or Michael Beasley.
Knowing what they know now, do you think the Kings would still take Beasley over Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love?
OUTLOOK
The biggest thing with Porter at this point is the unknown.
His performances in college were quite unimpressive, and it is really, really difficult to get that out of your head. That said, it is important to do so, because it’s obvious to anyone that watched Porter play before college that he was nowhere near 100 percent in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
It’s also important to remember that Porter is now effectively a year behind the rest of the players in this draft class. What I mean by that is that some of these issues Porter has as a prospect are things that can be coached out of him. Some of these issues can be resolved when he gets into an NBA strength and conditioning program that will add muscle to his lower body, strengthen his core and get him quicker and more explosive. Those red flags are no an uncommon problem for tall, skinny freshmen to have.
But unlike those other tall, skinny freshmen, Porter’s one season in college was spent rehabbing from back surgery instead of spending time in the weight room and on the practice court. That issue is compounded by the fact that he is old for his grade. Porter will turn 20 on June 29th, making him two months older that Kevin Huerter and Josh Okogie, likely first round picks that both spent two seasons in college before declaring for the draft.
That has to be considered by NBA teams as well.
As does the intel that has leaked out of Missouri regarding Porter as a teammate. A source close to the Missouri program called Porter entitled and arrogant, that he’s not the best teammate and may be more into the celebrity that comes with NBA stardom that the NBA itself. Other outlets have reported similar concerns about him, and that’s to say nothing of the reputation for being soft that he carried with him throughout his high school career.
The issue isn’t so much a character concern as it is a question of whether or not he will be willing to accept a role initially in the NBA and how he will handle the hazing that comes with being a rookie in the NBA. I think it’s important to note that Porter comes from a big family. He has seven brothers and sisters, all of whom are or were home-schooled through eighth grade. Porter was so shy, his father told NBC Sports, that he wouldn’t even be able to order food from a waiter at a restaurant. The family bought and ran a shaved ice stand in their hometown in an effort to get Porter to learn how to handle human interaction.
That’s a tough adjustment, something he might grow out of but still another thing for NBA teams to have to consider.
All in all, it’s caused Porter to slip. He’s a risk, one that is probably worth taking in the 6-8 range but not quite for teams picking in the top five.
That said, chew on this: The last time a one-and-done combo-forward from Missouri with concerns about efficiency, toughness, defense and a reliance on being an isolation scorer was drafted, he turned into Jayson Tatum.
And that pick looks pretty savvy today.
Rob Dauster
7 hours ago
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Michael Porter Jr. is the single-biggest mystery in this year’s NBA draft.
He is a tantalizing talent that can do things athletically and as a shooter that 6-foot-11 people are not supposed to be able to do. He was absolutely sensational at the 2016 Peach Jam, which is the finals of the EYBL circuit and arguably the highest level of basketball that Porter played prior to college. He impressed at the 2016 FIBA Americas tournament. He was good enough at Hoop Summit and on the all-star circuit that there were people that were projecting him as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft as recently as November.
But all of that changed in the course of the last seven months.
It starts with the back injury. After playing in a scrimmage against Kansas and just two minutes of Missouri’s season-opener against Iowa State, Porter shut it down, opting to undergo a microdiscectomy, a surgery on a bulging disc in his back that kept him out of action until the start of postseason play. He returned to the Missouri lineup and … looked like a kid that had been out of action for four months while recovering from surgery. He didn’t have his wind. He didn’t have his legs. He was rusty.
And, up until a workout last Friday — where, according to reports and sources that NBC Sports has spoken to, Porter was impressive — that’s all the tape we had on him. Porter also sent out the results of a physical that was conducted by the Bulls medical staff to every NBA team. One front office member that NBC Sports spoke with said the results came back “fine”, that there was nothing in those results that was overly concerning.
Then Wednesday happened.
Porter canceled a second workout that was scheduled to take place on Friday, and varying reports coming out on Thursday said that he was dealing with hip spasms that made it difficult for him to get out of bed despite the fact that an MRI that was conducted came back clean. It’s worth noting here that when his initial injury was reported by Missouri, it was termed a hip injury.
Is this a smokescreen? Does Porter have a promise from someone in the lottery that is looking to keep the teams drafting above them from taking him? Or is this something that is truly concerning, a reoccurrence of his previous injury? Back injuries for 7-footers are concerning, and Porter is 6-foot-10. No team wants to end up with the next Greg Oden in the top seven.
And that’s before you get into the questions about his position and his makeup.
Porter has a ceiling as high as anyone in this draft, but when the floor is as low as his is, it makes him a scary — and risky — player to take.
HEIGHT: 6-foot-10
WEIGHT: 230
WINGSPAN: 7-foot-0.5
2017-18 STATS: 10.0 points, 6.7 boards, 30% 3PT, 53 total minutes
DRAFT RANGE: 2-15
(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
STRENGTHS
On paper, Porter checks every single one of the boxes that teams are looking for frontcourt pieces for the modern NBA. He’s big, he’s athletic and he is a natural wing, far more comfortable playing on the perimeter than in and around the paint.
It’s all centered around his shooting ability and the physical tools that he’s been blessed with. Let’s start with the latter. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-0.5 wingspan and a 9-foot-1 standing reach, he has the size to play the four at the next level with the potential to play the five in smaller lineups. He has dunk contest leaping ability and is mobile enough that he can grab defensive rebounds and go the length of the court. He’s always going to be a lob target, especially in transition, where he thrived as a prep player.
Porter can be a terrific shooter as well. He’s a catch-and-shoot threat that is more than comfortable getting to his shot in isolation and off of hang dribbles. He has the height to elevate over smaller defenders and range beyond the NBA three-point stripe. He can also be run off of screens or used in pick-and-pop actions, which gives him more value and versatility in terms of the kinds of offense that he can be successful in.
His ceiling is as a player that can get you 25 points a night in the NBA, and as a 6-foot-10 shooter, he’s not all that common.
WEAKNESSES
Without question, the biggest issue facing Porter in his basketball career is his health. Bad backs are not typically something that just go away with time, but we’ll get to that.
Here, we’re going to focus on the issues that he has on the court, and his biggest center around the fact that he plays ‘high’, but not in the J.R. Smith way. Porter has high hips and a high center of gravity, and that manifests itself in three ways: An inability to blow by defenders on the perimeter, issues staying in front of quicker ball-handlers and a lack of strength when it comes to holding his position in the paint.
For my money, his issues putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim is the biggest concern. He lacks some of that initial burst to get his shoulders by a defender, and even when he does, his frame doesn’t have the strength or the balance to take the hit and play through. As it stands, Porter has a tendency to revert into a high-volume, low-efficiency jump-shooter, a player that survives too much on contested mid-range jumpers to get his points. That’s not a death sentence for his career — see: Anthony, Carmelo — but you have to be extremely good at what you do to make yourself a positive influence on a team that way, especially when you are not a natural playmaker; Porter is a score-first player, through and through.
And let me be clear: That is not necessarily a bad thing. Porter might just be good enough to be a star in the NBA as a scorer, and it’s not unheard of for someone that was a bit selfish in the high school ranks to develop the ability to pass as he learns more about the game. I wasn’t kidding when I said that he could end up averaging 25 points in the NBA, but that gets us to the other problem.
The defense.
Porter doesn’t always sit in a stance and move his feet, staying in front of quicker players. That is a problem if he wants to be a wing in the NBA. There is an incredible value in a player that has positional versatility and the ability to keep a man in front when put on an island. As we saw with the last two rounds of the playoffs, the modern NBA is becoming increasingly more about switching and isolation play, and there are valid concerns over whether or not Porter has the lateral quickness to thrive defensively.
The same can be said if you project him as a four. Can he handle the physicality of the paint in the NBA? Will he get knocked off his spot if one of the NBA’s best big wings tries to back him down? This concern is added by the fact that his frame is slender. He doesn’t have broad shoulder. Just how much more weight and muscle will be be able to add?
Superstardom comes for Porter if, given his scoring acumen, he is a versatile defender, and there are real questions about whether or not that will ever come to fruition.
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NBA COMPARISON
Let’s say that Porter’s back really is completely healthy, he’s able to play 75 games a year and that he adds the strength and quickness necessary to become a plus-defender as a big wing in the NBA. If all of that happens, I can see Porter being something of a Paul George 2.0. That’s his ceiling.
His floor? Terrifyingly low given the injury concern. It took Joel Embiid until his fourth season to play more than 31 games and his third season to play, period, and even now, the entire city of Philadelphia goes full lemon booty every time he hits the floor. Imagine that, but instead of Embiid it’s the 2017-18 version of Andrew Wiggins.
Or Michael Beasley.
Knowing what they know now, do you think the Kings would still take Beasley over Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love?
OUTLOOK
The biggest thing with Porter at this point is the unknown.
His performances in college were quite unimpressive, and it is really, really difficult to get that out of your head. That said, it is important to do so, because it’s obvious to anyone that watched Porter play before college that he was nowhere near 100 percent in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
It’s also important to remember that Porter is now effectively a year behind the rest of the players in this draft class. What I mean by that is that some of these issues Porter has as a prospect are things that can be coached out of him. Some of these issues can be resolved when he gets into an NBA strength and conditioning program that will add muscle to his lower body, strengthen his core and get him quicker and more explosive. Those red flags are no an uncommon problem for tall, skinny freshmen to have.
But unlike those other tall, skinny freshmen, Porter’s one season in college was spent rehabbing from back surgery instead of spending time in the weight room and on the practice court. That issue is compounded by the fact that he is old for his grade. Porter will turn 20 on June 29th, making him two months older that Kevin Huerter and Josh Okogie, likely first round picks that both spent two seasons in college before declaring for the draft.
That has to be considered by NBA teams as well.
As does the intel that has leaked out of Missouri regarding Porter as a teammate. A source close to the Missouri program called Porter entitled and arrogant, that he’s not the best teammate and may be more into the celebrity that comes with NBA stardom that the NBA itself. Other outlets have reported similar concerns about him, and that’s to say nothing of the reputation for being soft that he carried with him throughout his high school career.
The issue isn’t so much a character concern as it is a question of whether or not he will be willing to accept a role initially in the NBA and how he will handle the hazing that comes with being a rookie in the NBA. I think it’s important to note that Porter comes from a big family. He has seven brothers and sisters, all of whom are or were home-schooled through eighth grade. Porter was so shy, his father told NBC Sports, that he wouldn’t even be able to order food from a waiter at a restaurant. The family bought and ran a shaved ice stand in their hometown in an effort to get Porter to learn how to handle human interaction.
That’s a tough adjustment, something he might grow out of but still another thing for NBA teams to have to consider.
All in all, it’s caused Porter to slip. He’s a risk, one that is probably worth taking in the 6-8 range but not quite for teams picking in the top five.
That said, chew on this: The last time a one-and-done combo-forward from Missouri with concerns about efficiency, toughness, defense and a reliance on being an isolation scorer was drafted, he turned into Jayson Tatum.
And that pick looks pretty savvy today.
Report: Dwane Casey, Nick Nurse not on good terms after Raptors coaching change
Dan Feldman
10 hours ago
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
The Raptors fired Dwane Casey after a largely successful tenureand promoted his assistant, Nick Nurse, to head coach. Casey landed on his feet, becoming the Pistons’ head coach and drawing a hefty salary.
So, all good?
Not quite.
Dave Feschuk of The Star:
Multiple NBA sources will tell you the one-time mentor and his long-time assistant have not been on affable terms in the midst of Toronto’s coaching-staff shakeup.
“No love lost between ’em,” said one basketball lifer who would know, speaking of Casey and Nurse.
One league source suggested that on a bench occupied by the defence-first Casey and defensive co-ordinator Rex Kalamian, Nurse’s offence-forward suggestions were never fully heard nor understood.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Did Nurse do anything to undermine Casey? If so, I understand the grudge. If not, Casey shouldn’t blame Nurse for Masai Ujiri wanting to go another direction. Easier said than done, I understand, though.
I’m also interested in the dynamics in Toronto. Though offense got most attention, purely in terms of points scored and allowed per possession, the Raptors improved more defensively than offensively from last season to this season. Now, Casey and Kalamian – who oversaw that defense – are gone. Perhaps, Nurse will take the offense even further now that he’s in charge. But don’t underestimate how risky this shakeup is.
2018 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Michael Porter Jr. is this year’s biggest mystery
Dan Feldman
10 hours ago
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
The Raptors fired Dwane Casey after a largely successful tenureand promoted his assistant, Nick Nurse, to head coach. Casey landed on his feet, becoming the Pistons’ head coach and drawing a hefty salary.
So, all good?
Not quite.
Dave Feschuk of The Star:
Multiple NBA sources will tell you the one-time mentor and his long-time assistant have not been on affable terms in the midst of Toronto’s coaching-staff shakeup.
“No love lost between ’em,” said one basketball lifer who would know, speaking of Casey and Nurse.
One league source suggested that on a bench occupied by the defence-first Casey and defensive co-ordinator Rex Kalamian, Nurse’s offence-forward suggestions were never fully heard nor understood.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Did Nurse do anything to undermine Casey? If so, I understand the grudge. If not, Casey shouldn’t blame Nurse for Masai Ujiri wanting to go another direction. Easier said than done, I understand, though.
I’m also interested in the dynamics in Toronto. Though offense got most attention, purely in terms of points scored and allowed per possession, the Raptors improved more defensively than offensively from last season to this season. Now, Casey and Kalamian – who oversaw that defense – are gone. Perhaps, Nurse will take the offense even further now that he’s in charge. But don’t underestimate how risky this shakeup is.
2018 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Michael Porter Jr. is this year’s biggest mystery
Report: The Nuggets are (still) trying to trade Kenneth Faried
Dane Carbaugh
2 hours ago
Getty
The Denver Nuggets finished ninth in the Western Conference this season, and are one of a few teams in the NBA that will likely find themselves struggling for a playoff spot despite having a massive salary. Per Hoops Hype, Denver has $106 million in committed cap space and holds for the 2018-19 season.
So it makes sense the Nuggets would want to try and improve their talent or cap situation, preferably both, before the next season starts.
According to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Denver is looking to offload some contracts, including forward Kenneth Faried. You may have heard this rumor before, because it’s been widely acknowledged that Faried has been on the trade market for some time.
Via AJC:
The Hawks would seek draft picks, young players or both as part of a deal with the Nuggets or any other team that wants to reduce payroll. The Nuggets own the No. 14 overall pick in next week’s draft, and their expendable young players include recent draft picks Malik Beasley and Tyler Lydon.
The Nuggets are looking to reduce their salary commitments for next season. Faried is owed $13.8 million in 2018-19, the final year of his deal, and he fell out of Denver’s rotation this season with a career-low 461 minutes played.
Cunningham’s story goes on to name ways the Atlanta Hawks might take on Faried’s contract, although come the offseason — particularly around the draft — it’s likely there could be several teams in the mix to help offload the embattled forward.
The Nuggets are in an interesting position given they have a pick in the top half of the first round, but are already loaded with a young core. Do they really need to add another player at that level and that age, or will they prioritize offloading salary?
Faried has been waiting on the trade block for a while. No doubt his movement is the key for the Nuggets right now.
Dane Carbaugh
2 hours ago
Getty
The Denver Nuggets finished ninth in the Western Conference this season, and are one of a few teams in the NBA that will likely find themselves struggling for a playoff spot despite having a massive salary. Per Hoops Hype, Denver has $106 million in committed cap space and holds for the 2018-19 season.
So it makes sense the Nuggets would want to try and improve their talent or cap situation, preferably both, before the next season starts.
According to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Denver is looking to offload some contracts, including forward Kenneth Faried. You may have heard this rumor before, because it’s been widely acknowledged that Faried has been on the trade market for some time.
Via AJC:
The Hawks would seek draft picks, young players or both as part of a deal with the Nuggets or any other team that wants to reduce payroll. The Nuggets own the No. 14 overall pick in next week’s draft, and their expendable young players include recent draft picks Malik Beasley and Tyler Lydon.
The Nuggets are looking to reduce their salary commitments for next season. Faried is owed $13.8 million in 2018-19, the final year of his deal, and he fell out of Denver’s rotation this season with a career-low 461 minutes played.
Cunningham’s story goes on to name ways the Atlanta Hawks might take on Faried’s contract, although come the offseason — particularly around the draft — it’s likely there could be several teams in the mix to help offload the embattled forward.
The Nuggets are in an interesting position given they have a pick in the top half of the first round, but are already loaded with a young core. Do they really need to add another player at that level and that age, or will they prioritize offloading salary?
Faried has been waiting on the trade block for a while. No doubt his movement is the key for the Nuggets right now.
Marvin Bagley III reportedly to sign shoe deal with Puma
Kurt Helin
4 hours ago
Getty Images
Puma wants to jump back into the basketball game.
The last time we were talking about anyone wearing Puma on a basketball court(at about any level) it was Vince Carter signing with them straight out of North Carolina — then instantly wanting out of the deal (jumping to Nike a year later). Walt “Clyde” Frazier wore Puma back in the day.
Puma is still prominent in soccer — they sponsor Arsenal FC, Borussia Dortmund, A.C. Milan, and others — as well as having a considerable presence in track and field (sponsoring the Jamaican national team, for one). Basketball had been ceded to Nike, and to a lesser degree Adidas.
No longer, they are going hard into this draft class to get new sponsors, reports Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic.
Even the top rookies don’t make that much money on shoe deals (relatively), the top picks getting deals in the $2 million to $3 million range. That’s the top end, often it is less.
For Puma to come in and land Bagley — almost a lock top three pick — or any other player, they would have to come in way over the top on those standard deals. They did, Durant’s deal was seven years, $60 million, so this likely is in the $9 million or more a year range.
We’ll see if it works for the Germany-based shoe company, basketball is a lucrative market, but it’s hard to break the Nike stranglehold on it.
Now, if Puma can design some suede game shoe’s were talking.
2018 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Michael Porter Jr. is this year’s biggest mystery
Kurt Helin
4 hours ago
Getty Images
Puma wants to jump back into the basketball game.
The last time we were talking about anyone wearing Puma on a basketball court(at about any level) it was Vince Carter signing with them straight out of North Carolina — then instantly wanting out of the deal (jumping to Nike a year later). Walt “Clyde” Frazier wore Puma back in the day.
Puma is still prominent in soccer — they sponsor Arsenal FC, Borussia Dortmund, A.C. Milan, and others — as well as having a considerable presence in track and field (sponsoring the Jamaican national team, for one). Basketball had been ceded to Nike, and to a lesser degree Adidas.
No longer, they are going hard into this draft class to get new sponsors, reports Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic.
Even the top rookies don’t make that much money on shoe deals (relatively), the top picks getting deals in the $2 million to $3 million range. That’s the top end, often it is less.
For Puma to come in and land Bagley — almost a lock top three pick — or any other player, they would have to come in way over the top on those standard deals. They did, Durant’s deal was seven years, $60 million, so this likely is in the $9 million or more a year range.
We’ll see if it works for the Germany-based shoe company, basketball is a lucrative market, but it’s hard to break the Nike stranglehold on it.
Now, if Puma can design some suede game shoe’s were talking.
2018 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Michael Porter Jr. is this year’s biggest mystery
Report: Darrell Arthur exercises player option
By Christian Clark
June 15, 2018
Darrell Arthur plans to be a Denver Nugget for a sixth straight year. On Friday, the veteran forward exercised his one-year player option worth $7.4 million, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
By Christian Clark
June 15, 2018
Darrell Arthur plans to be a Denver Nugget for a sixth straight year. On Friday, the veteran forward exercised his one-year player option worth $7.4 million, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Kawhi Leonard Seeking Trade From Spurs
JUN 15, 2018 1:21 PM
Kawhi Leonard is seeking a trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard was limited to nine games this season due to a chronic quad injury.
Leonard has reportedly grown uncomfortable with the Spurs and is ready to move on. Leonard is eligible for a supermax contract extension this offseason that he can only sign with the Spurs.
JUN 15, 2018 1:21 PM
Kawhi Leonard is seeking a trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard was limited to nine games this season due to a chronic quad injury.
Leonard has reportedly grown uncomfortable with the Spurs and is ready to move on. Leonard is eligible for a supermax contract extension this offseason that he can only sign with the Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard Has Lakers Atop Trade List
JUN 15, 2018 1:31 PM
Kawhi Leonard has playing in Los Angeles at the center of his preferences for a trade. Leonard would prefer if the trade is to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Leonard has also expressed interest in playing for the New York Knicks, according to sources that spoke with Ian Begley.
The Knicks are unlikely to come up with an attractive trade package for Leonard without including Kristaps Porzingis.
Leonard has spent extended periods of time rehabbing in New York.
It was reported on Friday that Leonard is seeking a trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard has one more season remaining on his contract, which gives him some degree of leverage on controlling his trade destination.
JUN 15, 2018 1:31 PM
Kawhi Leonard has playing in Los Angeles at the center of his preferences for a trade. Leonard would prefer if the trade is to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Leonard has also expressed interest in playing for the New York Knicks, according to sources that spoke with Ian Begley.
The Knicks are unlikely to come up with an attractive trade package for Leonard without including Kristaps Porzingis.
Leonard has spent extended periods of time rehabbing in New York.
It was reported on Friday that Leonard is seeking a trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard has one more season remaining on his contract, which gives him some degree of leverage on controlling his trade destination.
Grizzlies Explore Trading No. 4 Pick To Unload Chandler Parsons
JUN 14, 2018 9:35 PM
The Memphis Grizzlies have explored the possibility of packaging the contract of Chandler Parsons along with the No. 4 overall pick.
Parsons is owed $49.2 million over the next two seasons.
Parsons has missed a combined 94 games over the past two seasons since signing a four-year max contract with the Grizzlies in 2016.
A rebuilding team with cap space could absorb Parsons' contract to add a high draft pick.
JUN 14, 2018 9:35 PM
The Memphis Grizzlies have explored the possibility of packaging the contract of Chandler Parsons along with the No. 4 overall pick.
Parsons is owed $49.2 million over the next two seasons.
Parsons has missed a combined 94 games over the past two seasons since signing a four-year max contract with the Grizzlies in 2016.
A rebuilding team with cap space could absorb Parsons' contract to add a high draft pick.
Nurse’s Raptors intend to think outside the box
Raptors introduce Nurse as ninth head coach in team history
TORONTO – Raptors president Masai Ujiri remembers the first time he met his new head coach, Nick Nurse.
It was in the mid-’90s. Ujiri was nearing the end of a short-lived, but well-travelled playing career. His team, the Derby Storm – formerly of the British Basketball League – was facing the Birmingham Bullets, coached by Nurse. Both men would have been in their late-20s at the time.
“He played really hard,” Nurse said of his boss, with a laugh. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of Ujiri’s skill level, but perhaps it explains why he wears a tailored suit to work instead of a basketball jersey these days.
Nurse has been in coaching for almost three decades, with most of that experience coming at the front of the bench. That team was one of the first he led. What does Ujiri remember about them?
“There was always something about the Birmingham team that was different from the [rest of the] league, I remember that,” he said, all these years later. “People would talk about them that way. I can’t remember what it was [specifically], but I knew [they were different].”
Different. That’s what Ujiri was looking for after making the controversial decision to fire long-time head coach Dwane Casey and begin the search for his replacement just over a month ago.
He wanted a “new voice”, which was the primary explanation he offered up when breaking the news to Casey, according to a source, and just about the only one he used with the media later that day. So, for some, it came as a surprise when word of Nurse’s promotion leaked out earlier this week.
The Raptors had let a Coach of the Year finalist go, only to replace him with his assistant? You can understand why some eyebrows were raised, why people might wonder whether an internal guy is different enough to be the new voice that was promised.
Sure, on the surface the optics of this hiring aren’t great, but Ujiri hardly concerns himself with optics. He’s never cared about winning the headline. His priority is and always has been winning basketball games.
In eight years as a top NBA executive, this was Ujiri’s first ever head coaching hire and, as you can imagine, he did his due diligence. He hired a leadership consultant and conducted at least nine interviews with at least seven candidates before deciding on Nurse.
What stood out about Nurse in this process is the same thing Ujiri has always admired about the 50-year-old Iowan: he’s an outside-the-box thinker, who’s not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom, get creative and try something different, whether it’s ultimately successful or not.
“He thinks the game differently,” Ujiri said after officially introducing Nurse as the ninth head coach in Raptors franchise history on Thursday. “In the NBA, we’re a copy-cat league. That’s what we are. We copy everything that everybody else is doing. I’d love not to be that and go different ways, whether they are new, whatever they are. Sometimes they might fail, but what’s the next best thing?”
“I think the game in general is changing so fast right before our eyes,” Nurse echoed. “I think it's changed so much in the last five years, it's changed so much in the last three years. So I think the leadership that I'm bringing and the coaching staff that we’ll eventually hire, we’ve gotta be innovative, we’ve gotta be trying to think of what’s coming next before it comes next if we want to stay ahead of the game.”
“We wanna be creative. I think you’re gonna see some different things. There’s probably gonna be some uncomfortableness at times when we try things that are maybe a little too far outside the box, but again, the season’s a process.”
Now, to be fair, it’s not like Casey isn’t adaptable. He was open to change, at least when he needed to be, evident in his willingness to oversee the front office mandated culture shift last season.
However, Nurse isn’t just open to change. It’s his mantra. Dating back to his early days as a player-coach with – ironically – Derby, a few years before Ujiri played there, Nurse has always explored different ways of approaching the game. It’s one of the reasons he left his hometown Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League, having just won a championship there, to coach the Rio Grande Valley Vipers – affiliate of the Houston Rockets. There, he learned from Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in a program that has become renowned for their innovative, analytically driven style of play.
To his credit, Casey has always empowered his assistants, delegating more than most head coaches. Still, as an assistant your job is limited and your tasks are pretty specific. Nurse, like the rest of the assistants, was in charge of game prep, which consisted of tedious film sessions and research. Yes, he also oversaw the offence, but all that assistants can really do is make suggestions. At the end of the day, the head coach makes the decisions, manages the rotation and calls the plays. Now that falls on Nurse, which could give him an opportunity to blossom, but it also comes with pressure to push the right buttons.
“I think if you’re going to be a little bit innovative or risk taking sometimes you’re going to be wrong and it’s going to look bad,” Nurse admits. “I understand that. That’s one of the things I learned going to work for the Rockets at Rio Grande. I know it’s the D-League and no one cares, but they were encouraging me all the time, do this, try this, if it doesn’t work, throw it out, if it works, keep it. I’m not saying it’s a hundred things a game but there are some things, some ideas that I have that I want to try and do and we gotta try them. If they don’t work, I’ll stand in front of you guys, take the heat.”
Of course, the general concept of the sport is as basic as it gets: score more points than the other team. Nobody is reinventing the wheel, in that sense. But game strategy is constantly shifting and it’s important to be on the right side of each trend, or at least be quick to adjust to them.
Ujiri and Casey had a long and productive working relationship, but Casey will always veer towards a more traditional way of seeing the game, and this is the way Ujiri has wanted his team to play for some time. He wants them to be proactive instead of reactive, to be trendsetters instead of the team that’s trying to catch up.
The reality is there are two pretty crucial things that the league’s trendsetting teams tend to have in common. One: they have a coach that’s willing to take risks, be bold and try something different, and two: they have great players, verging on transcendent, that are talented enough to create matchup problems and force other teams to emulate how they play. Without the latter ingredient, the former isn’t going to get you very far.
Those Phoenix Suns teams under Mike D’Antoni didn’t speed up the tempo because they ran a lot. They changed the game because they had Steve Nash. His Rockets team isn’t making people rethink their shot spectrum because they shoot a bunch of threes. It’s because they’ve got James Harden and a supporting cast that fits their unique style of play. Also see: Warriors, Golden State.
The hiring of Nurse was a big decision for Ujiri and the Raptors, but it’s only the first step, assuming the goal is to be different. This is the challenge they’re faced with as next week’s draft approaches and the free agency period opens 10 days after that.
Nurse is a different type of coach than Casey. Whether different means better or different means worse remains to be seen. Under their new head coach, the Raptors have an idea of how they want to play and insist they’re not afraid to tinker along the way, even if some of the things they try fail in spectacular fashion. If nothing else, it won’t be boring.
Still, they can’t expect a drastically different result unless they go out and upgrade the roster, tailoring it around this new philosophy of theirs. This is a crucial summer for the franchise, but if exchanging head coaches is the biggest change they end up making, it isn’t likely to be a successful one. Now the real work begins.
Raptors introduce Nurse as ninth head coach in team history
TORONTO – Raptors president Masai Ujiri remembers the first time he met his new head coach, Nick Nurse.
It was in the mid-’90s. Ujiri was nearing the end of a short-lived, but well-travelled playing career. His team, the Derby Storm – formerly of the British Basketball League – was facing the Birmingham Bullets, coached by Nurse. Both men would have been in their late-20s at the time.
“He played really hard,” Nurse said of his boss, with a laugh. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of Ujiri’s skill level, but perhaps it explains why he wears a tailored suit to work instead of a basketball jersey these days.
Nurse has been in coaching for almost three decades, with most of that experience coming at the front of the bench. That team was one of the first he led. What does Ujiri remember about them?
“There was always something about the Birmingham team that was different from the [rest of the] league, I remember that,” he said, all these years later. “People would talk about them that way. I can’t remember what it was [specifically], but I knew [they were different].”
Different. That’s what Ujiri was looking for after making the controversial decision to fire long-time head coach Dwane Casey and begin the search for his replacement just over a month ago.
He wanted a “new voice”, which was the primary explanation he offered up when breaking the news to Casey, according to a source, and just about the only one he used with the media later that day. So, for some, it came as a surprise when word of Nurse’s promotion leaked out earlier this week.
The Raptors had let a Coach of the Year finalist go, only to replace him with his assistant? You can understand why some eyebrows were raised, why people might wonder whether an internal guy is different enough to be the new voice that was promised.
Sure, on the surface the optics of this hiring aren’t great, but Ujiri hardly concerns himself with optics. He’s never cared about winning the headline. His priority is and always has been winning basketball games.
In eight years as a top NBA executive, this was Ujiri’s first ever head coaching hire and, as you can imagine, he did his due diligence. He hired a leadership consultant and conducted at least nine interviews with at least seven candidates before deciding on Nurse.
What stood out about Nurse in this process is the same thing Ujiri has always admired about the 50-year-old Iowan: he’s an outside-the-box thinker, who’s not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom, get creative and try something different, whether it’s ultimately successful or not.
“He thinks the game differently,” Ujiri said after officially introducing Nurse as the ninth head coach in Raptors franchise history on Thursday. “In the NBA, we’re a copy-cat league. That’s what we are. We copy everything that everybody else is doing. I’d love not to be that and go different ways, whether they are new, whatever they are. Sometimes they might fail, but what’s the next best thing?”
“I think the game in general is changing so fast right before our eyes,” Nurse echoed. “I think it's changed so much in the last five years, it's changed so much in the last three years. So I think the leadership that I'm bringing and the coaching staff that we’ll eventually hire, we’ve gotta be innovative, we’ve gotta be trying to think of what’s coming next before it comes next if we want to stay ahead of the game.”
“We wanna be creative. I think you’re gonna see some different things. There’s probably gonna be some uncomfortableness at times when we try things that are maybe a little too far outside the box, but again, the season’s a process.”
Now, to be fair, it’s not like Casey isn’t adaptable. He was open to change, at least when he needed to be, evident in his willingness to oversee the front office mandated culture shift last season.
However, Nurse isn’t just open to change. It’s his mantra. Dating back to his early days as a player-coach with – ironically – Derby, a few years before Ujiri played there, Nurse has always explored different ways of approaching the game. It’s one of the reasons he left his hometown Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League, having just won a championship there, to coach the Rio Grande Valley Vipers – affiliate of the Houston Rockets. There, he learned from Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in a program that has become renowned for their innovative, analytically driven style of play.
To his credit, Casey has always empowered his assistants, delegating more than most head coaches. Still, as an assistant your job is limited and your tasks are pretty specific. Nurse, like the rest of the assistants, was in charge of game prep, which consisted of tedious film sessions and research. Yes, he also oversaw the offence, but all that assistants can really do is make suggestions. At the end of the day, the head coach makes the decisions, manages the rotation and calls the plays. Now that falls on Nurse, which could give him an opportunity to blossom, but it also comes with pressure to push the right buttons.
“I think if you’re going to be a little bit innovative or risk taking sometimes you’re going to be wrong and it’s going to look bad,” Nurse admits. “I understand that. That’s one of the things I learned going to work for the Rockets at Rio Grande. I know it’s the D-League and no one cares, but they were encouraging me all the time, do this, try this, if it doesn’t work, throw it out, if it works, keep it. I’m not saying it’s a hundred things a game but there are some things, some ideas that I have that I want to try and do and we gotta try them. If they don’t work, I’ll stand in front of you guys, take the heat.”
Of course, the general concept of the sport is as basic as it gets: score more points than the other team. Nobody is reinventing the wheel, in that sense. But game strategy is constantly shifting and it’s important to be on the right side of each trend, or at least be quick to adjust to them.
Ujiri and Casey had a long and productive working relationship, but Casey will always veer towards a more traditional way of seeing the game, and this is the way Ujiri has wanted his team to play for some time. He wants them to be proactive instead of reactive, to be trendsetters instead of the team that’s trying to catch up.
The reality is there are two pretty crucial things that the league’s trendsetting teams tend to have in common. One: they have a coach that’s willing to take risks, be bold and try something different, and two: they have great players, verging on transcendent, that are talented enough to create matchup problems and force other teams to emulate how they play. Without the latter ingredient, the former isn’t going to get you very far.
Those Phoenix Suns teams under Mike D’Antoni didn’t speed up the tempo because they ran a lot. They changed the game because they had Steve Nash. His Rockets team isn’t making people rethink their shot spectrum because they shoot a bunch of threes. It’s because they’ve got James Harden and a supporting cast that fits their unique style of play. Also see: Warriors, Golden State.
The hiring of Nurse was a big decision for Ujiri and the Raptors, but it’s only the first step, assuming the goal is to be different. This is the challenge they’re faced with as next week’s draft approaches and the free agency period opens 10 days after that.
Nurse is a different type of coach than Casey. Whether different means better or different means worse remains to be seen. Under their new head coach, the Raptors have an idea of how they want to play and insist they’re not afraid to tinker along the way, even if some of the things they try fail in spectacular fashion. If nothing else, it won’t be boring.
Still, they can’t expect a drastically different result unless they go out and upgrade the roster, tailoring it around this new philosophy of theirs. This is a crucial summer for the franchise, but if exchanging head coaches is the biggest change they end up making, it isn’t likely to be a successful one. Now the real work begins.
Amid offseason of drama, Timberwolves walking dangerous line between breakthrough and breakdown
3 hours ago
By all metrics, things are going well for the Timberwolves. But reports out of Minnesota depict a frayed team. What's going on here?
By all metrics, things are going well in Minnesota. For the first time in 14 years, the Timberwolves were in the playoffs, winning 47 games and improving by 16 wins, second-most in the NBA. They pushed their offensive rating from 10th to fourth, and their defensive rating from 26th to 22nd. Coach Tom Thibodeau, after just his second season, ranks third in the franchise’s short history in wins and second in all-time winning percentage (.476).
They did all this despite losing Jimmy Butler — the star guard the Wolves acquired in a trade with the Bulls last summer — for 17 games from late February to early March, the most difficult stretch of Minnesota’s schedule. The Timberwolves managed to hold steady, though, and went 8-9 without him.
Despite that positive arc coming into the offseason, reports out of Minnesota depict a frayed team, its stars lacking a comfortable fit with one another, its most promising young players unsure how they fit with the veterans Thibodeau prefers — especially those who played for him in his first stint in Chicago.
Begin with the rumor that Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the most promising young stars in the league, could be up for a trade. The genesis of that entire thread goes back to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggesting on a podcast that while Pelicans star Anthony Davis won’t be traded, the situation with Towns “might be a different story.”
There was not much to the rumor, and Towns will be up for an extension this summer. It will be a max deal, and there’s virtually no chance that Towns won’t sign it when offered. True, Towns’ defensive lapses have frustrated Thibodeau in the past two years, and neither Towns nor Thibodeau were happy about the relative lack of an impact Towns had in the postseason series against Houston — just 15.2 points on 12.0 shots per game, after averaging 21.3 points on 14.3 shots in the regular season. But Towns is only 22 and simply too talented to be traded.
The situation with the Wolves’ other young star, Andrew Wiggins, is different. He signed a $146.5 million extension last summer, a deal that, at the time, team owner Glen Taylor told KSTP reporter Darren Wolfson would require extra work from Wiggins.
“He can’t be paid just for what he’s doing today,” Taylor said then. “He’s got to be better.”
Wiggins didn’t get better. He regressed. He gave up shot attempts to Butler, but his efficiency dropped, his true shooting percentage going from 54.3 down to 50.5. His player efficiency rating dropped from 16.5 to 13.0. Because 15.0 is considered average, the Wolves last year were giving a max salary to an offensively below-average wing.
That’s where this offseason gets particularly sticky for the Wolves. Not only is Towns up for an extension, but Butler will be entering the final year of his contract and is also eligible for an extension.
Sources familiar with the situation told Sporting News that Butler is uncertain about playing with Wiggins — Butler had problems last season with Wiggins, his work ethic and his approach on the defensive end of the floor. Thibodeau has had similar problems with Wiggins in the past, too, and he had some hope that bringing a tough-minded veteran like Butler into the locker room would spur Wiggins to improve. It didn’t.
The security of a contract extension would be welcome for Butler. But the Wolves are locked into Wiggins for five years, starting next season. If Butler signs on to stay in Minnesota, he could be locking himself into playing with Wiggins for the foreseeable future. That’s risky from Butler’s perspective.
Ideally, the Wolves would find a deal to send Wiggins out of town. But his new five-year contract is just kicking in, making a trade almost impossible, unless Minnesota finds a team with cap space willing to absorb Wiggins, or takes back a contract at least as hefty. And there are few of those floating about.
Another source of friction with the Wolves has been the way that Thibodeau used his bench last season, which has long been a criticism of Thibodeau, carried over from his time in Chicago. He rides his starting unit hard, and all five Wolves starters averaged 33.0 minutes or more. The Wolves had three players — Butler, Wiggins and Towns — in the top 14 in minutes per game last season.
That has left Minnesota with very little internal player development, despite a roster built around youngsters Wiggins and Towns. The team ranked as the seventh-oldest in the league last year. Its first-round pick, Justin Patton, appeared in just one game for the Timberwolves. If Wiggins and Towns address their shortcomings and blossom into elite players in the next few years, who will be there to fill roles around them?
The player who has been most stonewalled by Thibodeau’s preference for veterans — to the frustration of Wolves fans — has been backup point guard Tyus Jones, who is just 21 years old and played all 82 games last year. But his minutes fluctuated, his playing time sapped by the presence of Jamal Crawford (age 37) and midseason signee Derrick Rose. With starter Jeff Teague averaging 33.0 minutes and Crawford getting 20.7 minutes, there wasn’t much room for Jones to continue his growth.
Teague, according to a source, went to Thibodeau during last season and suggested that Jones play more. The Wolves are considering bringing Rose back for next season, and that’s fueled speculation that Jones would be traded this offseason — a package of Jones and Minnesota’s No. 20 pick could bring back some much-needed perimeter shooting.
But sources told Sporting News that Jones met with team management after the playoffs, and Thibodeau reasserted his support of Jones and his development. Even if the Wolves re-sign Rose, Jones was assured, his minutes and opportunities would increase because Crawford is not expected to return to the team. Rose mostly played shooting guard with the Wolves last season, so there’s a chance Jones could play alongside Rose as a backcourt bench unit.
Jones had considered requesting a trade, but the meeting with the team defused that notion before it arose. And for now, at least, the Wolves have no intention of dealing him.
The situation, though, is indicative of the complicated back-and-forth the Wolves are undergoing as they try to move forward with the reality of a coach who can sometimes be too stubborn and a payroll that is about to get too unwieldy. The team is also looking to trade big man Gorgui Dieng, pulled from the starting five in favor of Thibodeau favorite Taj Gibson just a year into his own four-year, $64 million extension.
There’s restricted free agent Nemanja Bjelica, too, who could come back on a qualifying offer but is likely to receive an offer that will price him out of the Wolves’ limited range.
It’s a lot to sort out. Last season was a breakthrough for the Wolves, and should be the start of an upward trend for the franchise. But it’s a thin line between breakthrough and breakdown. This summer will be critical to staying on the right side of that line.
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