Storyline: Kristaps Porzingis Free Agency
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Brad Townsend: Mavs announce @Kristaps Porzingis contract signing. Terms not released, but we all know he received a 5-year, $158 million max contract.
Mavs, Kristaps Porzingis agree on five-year deal
Meanwhile, a league source told The News that within minutes after free agency opens Sunday the Mavericks expect to formalize a five-year, $158 million agreement with arguably this year’s premier restricted free agent, Kristaps Porzingis.
Last week, a source close to Porzingis told The News that his priorities were to finalize a longterm contract with Dallas as soon as possible, and to spent a large part of the summer, most likely August, training with Doncic.
Brad Townsend: Source close to @kporzee tells me his priorities are: 1. Get longterm deal done with Dallas ASAP. 2. Spend a big chunk of the summer training with @luka7doncic. Clearly he’s all in on Dallas and Luka. Why wouldn’t he be?
Chris Mannix: Unclear what contract route Porzingis takes. But I’m told KP forged a strong connection with Luka Doncic in his short time in Dallas and has enjoyed his experience with @Mark Cuban. Seems like a good long term fit.
Mavs offering Kristaps Porzingis a max contract
Shams Charania: Restricted free agent Kristaps Porzingis and the Dallas Mavericks will meet when free agency opens on June 30 and the franchise plans to offer Porzingis a full five-year, $158 million maximum contract, league sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Due to injury, Latvian Porzingis has yet to play for the Texans. “Right now it’s really about his health and getting him 100 percent healthy, 100 percent strong and preparing him for an entire NBA season. He’s done an awful lot of work over the last two years since the injury” Carlisle said and went on: “He’s worked really hard since coming to us in February, and so we feel like he’s going to be able to be 100 percent and be ready to go come training camp.” The 23-year-old big is set to become a restricted free agent. “He’s a free agent on July 1. We have to get him re-signed and then he’ll have a program through the summer” his head coach confirmed and added: “Camp starts, I believe, Sept. 30, this year, so the plan is for him to be ready to go on Day One.”
Brad Townsend: Porzingis is “our No. 1 priority” this offseason, Nelson says.
Tim MacMahon: Mark Cuban, asked his expectations for Kristaps Porzingis next season: “To f—info crush it. We’re looking for The Unicorn to unicii. I don’t know if that’s a word, but that’s what we expect.”
Porzingis, who will be a restricted free agent that the Mavs plan to sign to a five-year, $158 million maximum contract this summer, is preparing to help Dallas end a three-year playoff drought next season. “For me personally, the goal is to take that first step at least and make the playoffs,” Porzingis said. “I want to experience that. I want to get that first feel. I understand that we’re not going to win a championship in one year, but that is the end goal. But in my mind, we have to take that first step: make the playoffs, see how far we can get in the playoffs, get that first experience, get that first taste. Then take the next step and make the right moves towards that next step.”
Porzingis said he plans to be active in recruiting free agents to sign with the Mavs, who created the salary cap space to be aggressive shoppers this summer by trading forward Harrison Barnes to the Kings soon after dealing for Porzingis.
Marc Stein: Powerful quote from Mavs owner Mark Cuban that will be part of Tuesday’s @nytimes NBA newsletter: “It was my mistake not to keep Dirk (Nowitzki) and Steve (Nash) together longer,” Cuban tells @NYTSports. “I won’t make the same mistake with Luka (@Luka Doncic) and KP (@Kristaps Porzingis).”
The inquiry was about whether Porzingis, the 7-foot-3 centerpiece of the trade, plans to sign a long-term deal with the Mavericks when he enters restricted free agency this summer. “I can answer that for you,” Cuban said. “Yeah, he does.” Porzingis, 23, responded with a laugh. Asked for confirmation he said, “We’re on the same page. Don’t even ask.”
Porzingis still has the option of playing next season on a $4.5 million qualifying offer instead of accepting an offer that can be worth as much as $158 million over five years. The Mavs, however, are confident that Porzingis will play in Dallas for years to come. “It’s not a concern I have,” Cuban told ESPN after the news conference. “Everything so far, all the conversations so far, have been very positive. Unless it’s something that we don’t expect pops up, hopefully he’ll be a Maverick for the next 20 years.”
Marc Stein: Mark Cuban on Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis: “Our goal is to keep them together for the next 20 years.”
Kristaps Porzingis is Charlotte Hornets center Willy Hernangomez’s best friend. Hernangomez loved playing with Porzingis before and wants to play with him again. So Hernangomez has already planted a seed should Porzingis, traded Thursday from the New York Knicks to the Dallas Mavericks, reaches unrestricted free-agency in the summer of 2020. “I will try to get him here. I’m his friend. I would love to play with him (again). I will say, “KP., come here!’” Hernangomez told the Observer Friday. “I’ve already told him; he knows how amazing Charlotte is. If he would come here, we’d sure welcome him. If not, we’ll play against him.”
“I don’t know,” Hernangomez said when asked if he could see Porzingis signing the qualifying offer. “I think for him it’s trying to have a good year, (focusing on) getting back his rhythm. Maybe I could see him signing there, but I will try to get him here.”
Hernangomez is also close with Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic, having played with him in Spain. Doncic, a 19-year-old Slovenian, appears to be a favorite at this point in the season to end up NBA Rookie of the Year. “They are two of my best friends. I was talking to KP one day about the trade (possibilities) and everything while playing (the online video game) Fortnight with Luka,” Hernangomez recalled.
Tim MacMahon: Mavs agreed to a trade with plan to sign Kristaps Porzingis to a long-term deal this summer and are confident they can with Luka Doncic and Dirk Nowitzki selling him. “He loves Luka and Dirk,” a source said.
Shams Charania: Porzingis is incredibly fond of Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic — and the Mavericks have confidence they will be able to keep Porzingis, league sources said. Knicks/Mavericks talks started picking up steam Wednesday night.
Ian Begley: Worth noting: Kristaps Porzingis is familiar with Luka Doncic from his workouts in Madrid over the summer. Porzingis spent time in the city while rehabbing his ACL at the Real Madrid facility.
Rick Bonnell: In @Willy Hernangomez first game back in NY against the Knicks, he said he wants to recruit close friend Kristaps Porzingis to the @Charlotte Hornets He said that in a joking manner, but if Porzingis reaches UFA status in summer of 2020, put him to work.
Eric Pincus: For context, no player has ever turned away a max extension off their rookie-scale contract under the current CBA and I believe the last CBA as well – if Porzingis does (not saying he won’t), he’ll be the first
Adrian Wojnarowski: Kristaps Porzingis, who can become a restricted free agent this summer, has yet to make a decision on his future with Dallas, league sources tell ESPN. He expects to start the process of getting to know the organization soon. Porzingis will continue to rehab his ACL injury.
The Knicks get a point guard of the future in Smith, who had a triple-double at the Garden on Wednesday night, and should now have enough cap space for two maximum free agents — with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving squarely on their radar. A source said general manager Scott Perry and Mavs chief Donnie Nelson were behind closed doors at the Garden discussing scenarios when the Mavericks faced the Knicks on Wednesday night.
The Knicks, by including the contracts of Hardaway and Lee, will clear the requisite salary-cap space this summer to pursue two maximum contract free agents, while Dallas will be able to pair Porzingis — who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in July — with its star rookie Luka Doncic.
Bobby Marks: Kristaps Porzingis is eligible to receive a $4.485M Qualifying Offer by New York this summer. While the Knicks have leverage, signing the QO would make KP unrestricted in 2020. Only 15 players have signed the QO with Ben Gordon representing the highest pick (no. 3).
Porzingis, sidelined for nearly a year with an ACL injury, can become a restricted free agent this summer. Increasing tensions on both sides could culminate with the Knicks initiating trade talks prior to Thursday’s trade deadline or in the offseason to move Porzingis out of New York, league sources said. His uncertain standing with the Knicks has been the focus of multiple teams around the league, who’ve wondered if there would be pathway to acquire him, front office sources told ESPN.
Kristaps Porzingis concerned with Knicks' losing
Adrian Wojnarowski: Reporting with @ZachLowe and @RamonaShelburne: In meeting with management today, Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis expressed his concern with the losing, franchise direction and an uncertainty that a culture is developing that will enable sustainable organizational success.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Porzingis wants to play for a winner in New York, but is searching for clarity on his future role with the team and Knicks direction. Porzingis — out with an ACL injury — can be a restricted free agent this summer.
The other issue is the uncertainty over how enamored Porzingis is with staying in New York. That troubled at least one small-market GM. “You’re going to have to give him the max,” he said, “but if he isn’t happy in New York, what are the chances he’s going to be happy in Portland or Indiana or San Antonio?”
Spurs eyeing Kristaps Porzingis?
The Spurs are also viewed as a team with significant interest in Porzingis, according to league front office sources, though it’d be difficult for San Antonio to create enough cap space this summer. In any case, signing a max offer sheet would make him an unrestricted free agent in 2023 (or in 2022 if it included a player option).
As Porzingis continues to rehabilitate his injury, teams around the league are looking ahead to his restricted free agency this offseason. With the Knicks looking to create enough cap space to sign Durant, which will require renouncing free agent rights and trading either Tim Hardaway Jr. or Courtney Lee, teams are wondering what will happen with Porzingis.
Regarding No. 2, watch out for the Brooklyn Nets. Sean Marks, the team’s GM, is high on Porzingis, according to a source, and has a history of offering big money to restricted free agents.
At this point, the question isn’t just whether the Knicks should offer Porzingis a max contract but also whether he should sign one. Because the word on Porzingis is that he loves New York but is skeptical about the Knicks. And who wouldn’t be?
In between the extremes, there’s the Knicks offering less than the full max. Some around the league believe the team will try to include protections in the contract, meaning it wouldn’t be fully guaranteed should Porzingis miss an allotted amount of games due to a specific injury. Joel Embiid’s deal is structured in such a way. However, Porzingis views himself as a max player — as he should — and coming to the negotiating table with less risks discord, especially after letting it reach this point of restricted free agency. The Sixers extended Embiid’s contract before he became a free agent.
Knicks president Steve Mills was asked on The Michael Kay Show if Kristaps Porzingis is unhappy with the Knicks’ decision not to sign him to a rookie extension. He said that wasn’t the case. “We’ve been very straightforward in our communication with KP’s brother (Janis Porzingis), who is his agent.”
Steve Mills: “One thing about my relationship with KP is that when he is unhappy about something or disappointed about something he’s been very forthright in coming to me and saying, ‘Steve you know what? I’m not happy about this. And throughout this whole process he’s been very excited about David Fizdale as the coach, he’s been very excited about the players, the young players that we have. “
Steve Mills: “We believe it was the smart move. But primarily because over the summer, Scott and I sat down with KP’s brother (Janis Porzingis, Kristaps’ agent) and talked about the different options that we have in front of us as it related to his extension. We were clear that the best option to make the Knicks a better team long term and have a better group of guys that KP can grow with long term was to not do the extension at this point.”
Alan Hahn: GM Scott Perry today acknowledged decision to not sign Porzingis to contract extension now (leaving him to go to RFA this summer) was motivated by “financial flexibility” that “is created by that.” Said both sides understood the math. #Knicks
Alan Hahn: Perry also added that Porzingis “wants to win, as do we” and “we both want to see a #Knicks roster that is going to be highly competitive for the long term.” He said the team and KP “are at a comfortable place” with the decision.
Stefan Bondy: Scott Perry on if it’s a risk letting Porzingis become free agent: “I’m not going to get into predicting anything about the future. I would just reiterate that I think as a group and we have a shared goal of making the Knicks a very good basketball team going into the long term.”
Mike Vorkunov: Today’s the deadline for Knicks to sign Kristaps Porzingis to a rookie extension. The indications are that it won’t happen. The Knicks will have an extra $10 mil in cap space next summer by waiting to re-sign him then. With no deal does Fizdale sense KP is on board w/ NYK future? pic.twitter.com/fzUP1I7dFK
Bobby Marks: Here are the deadlines for Monday: * Rookie extensions- 6 PM EST. * Vet extensions for a player with 2 years left on his contract. * Rosters set (DET, LAC, MIL, PHX and SAS still need to trim)- 5 PM EST. * Exhibit 10 converted to a Two Way. * CLE $2.5 and $1.3M TPE expires. Ian Begley: The Knicks are not expected to come to an agreement with Kristaps Porzingis on a rookie extension prior to today’s deadline, so he will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Knicks brass is paying off Kristaps Porzingis in encouraging words rather than extra millions. The Knicks have until mid-October to give Porzingis a $158 million contract extension but are not planning to do so.
At Thursday’s press conference, Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry said Porzingis understands the predicament. Brass has taken great lengths to convince him he’s still “The Franchise.” … The Knicks hope to re-sign Porzingis when he is a restricted free agent in 2019. That way, the team could climb over the salary cap. An extension now would take up precious cap room. Doing it next summer would open up $10 million in cap space.
“Our philosophy is that we’re going to stay connected with [the Porzingis camp],” Perry said. “It’s a long-term thing. Obviously you mentioned the point of the cap space in July. But we just feel like we’re in a real good space with him, as well as he is with us. And we’re going to do the right thing by him and this organization.” Mills said they have made it clear to Porzingis the Knicks’ orbit still revolves around him. “He’ll never feel like he’s not a cornerstone part of what we’re trying to do here,” Mills said. “He understands that. We make that crystal clear to him and his representation.”
Mike Vorkunov: GM Scott Perry wouldn’t comment on whether Knicks and Kristaps Porzingis have had negotiations on a contract extension. So is he headed towards restricted free agency next summer? “We continue to stay in touch with Kristaps and he’s part of our long-term plan.” — Perry
Ian Begley: There are more than a few teams who can offer a better package to San Antonio for Kawhi than the Knicks can (assuming they don’t include Porzingis), but people close to Leonard have expressed a desire for Leonard to play in New York, per sources. twitter.com/chrisbhaynes/s…
In an article published Tuesday, Janis Porzingis suggested that Porzingis would not decide to sign an extension solely because the Knicks can offer him the most money, fueling speculation that Porzingis would leave the Knicks rather than signing a rookie extension. Asked before Friday’s game about the possible fan reaction to his brother’s comments, Kristaps Porzingis strongly indicated that he planned to remain with the Knicks. “I think fans know I’m here in New York, I love New York and I see myself as a Knick for a long, long time,” he said. “And I think they shouldn’t be worrying about that.”
He is eligible to sign a five-year rookie extension starting this summer that is worth between 25 and 30 percent of the salary cap (a projected $157 million to $188 million in total). If he wanted to become an unrestricted free agent, Porzingis would have to play his fifth season with the Knicks on a qualifying offer, which would be for $7.5 million — significantly less annual money than he could earn via an extension.
Ian Begley: The Knicks picked up the 2018-19 team option on Kristaps Porzingis’ contract on Wednesday, per the Real GM transaction wire.
He’ll be the youngest player in the NBA Africa Game here Saturday, where he’ll look to do his part to spread goodwill. Even more important, he’s anxious to do the same next season with the Knicks. “So far it’s been tough in New York, but my journey is only beginning and I hope to stay there my whole career, so as a city we can have some fun and win some games and do something big,” he said. “For me, it’s now home.”
Kristaps Porzingis’ brother Janis Porzingis said the Knicks forward wishes to remain in New York but also wants the club to create an environment conducive to player development and winning. His brother made it clear that if traded, Porzingis intends to play out his contract and test free agency. “Kris wants to stay in New York; he feels at home there. There is no question about it. The only thing he wants is for the Knicks to create an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win,” Janis Porzingis said in an interview with ESPN. “If he were traded, he would play out his contract and head into free agency, where he can choose his own destiny.”
Porzingis will be eligible to make 25 percent of the actual salary cap (as opposed to a previous artificial cap figure that’s lower). That starting max wage for Porzingis in 2019 is projected at $27.5 million, according to sources. In the old agreement, a fifth-year player next year would have started at a long-term max of $21 million.
April 2, 2020 | 9:36 pm EDT Update
Arn Tellem said that in his more than 30 years as a sports agent and five years in the Pistons front office, he has never faced a more difficult challenge. “I’ve experienced long lockouts as an agent,” he said. “I’ve experienced the economic downturns. That definitely had an impact on our business. We went through the tragedy of 9/11, which had an impact. But nothing like this.”
For the time being, and likely for weeks or months to come, basketball is no longer the team’s primary public concern. “We’re trying to get ahead of the game as best we can,” Tellem said. “As part of that, it’s changing our whole public face. Usually we’re talking about upcoming games, the draft, free agency, all those things in our advertising and content online and obviously we’re now changing that content.”
The league has not made public any plans for the remainder of the season or playoffs, which were supposed to start April 18. Per a contract agreement with the league, players received paychecks April 1 despite the suspended season, but the NBA has yet to reach a long-term agreement, ESPN reported. “There will be a time, when we flatten the curve and we’re on the significant down side of the curve, that professional sports and all sports will play an important role in the healing of this country,” Tellem said.
Youngstown State Sophomore Darius Quisenberry announced on Twtter that he has decided to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft. He will not hire an agent, and will maintain his eligibility.
Somehow, though Donnie Walsh still isn’t exactly sure how, he’s been plopped in the middle of America’s most famous infectious disease doctor’s basketball claim to fame. “I said, ‘How did that happen?'” Walsh said in a phone interview Wednesday. “This has been one of the most out-of-the-blue things I’ve ever been involved in.” Sixty-two years ago, Anthony Fauci took his high school’s 1-16 team onto Walsh’s court — and won.
Walsh wishes he could recall that game in 1958, what with all the hullabaloo surrounding Fauci now. But he doesn’t. “I don’t remember this game at all. I don’t remember Fauci,” Walsh said. “I’d like to say ‘I remember him and he’s a tough little guy,’ but I just don’t.”
Ujiri’s contention came in his legal response to Alan Strickland’s litigation, which claims Ujiri hit him trying to access the court after the final buzzer in Game 6 that ended the season on June 13, 2019. Strickland also sued the NBA, which contended as well in its response that the security guard was the aggressor.
April 2, 2020 | 8:15 pm EDT Update
Kyle Goon: Frank Vogel just spoke on a conference call about the possibility the 2019-20 season might not resume: “That certainly is a possibility, and it would be a huge disappointment if we aren’t able to play. However, we get it, and this is bigger than basketball.”
Mike Trudell: Vogel has his assistants “working on the playoff opponents as if the (regular) season were not to resume and they were to go right into the playoffs,” just in case. “So whenever we’re able to resume we’re ready to go.”
Mike Trudell: LAL built terrific chemistry, were in a nice rhythm when the season was suspended, having just beat MIL+LAC, w/a 5.5 game lead. Vogel said they’re going to have to “re-create” it. Can’t assume it will maintain. But he’s confident due to how quickly they found it to start season.
Bill Oram: On conference call with Lakers beat writers, Frank Vogel just said… • Coaches and staff were not tested for COVID-19, only players, saying “everybody recognized the shortage of tests.” • “Us getting back on the court is not the most important thing for the world right now”
P.J. Tucker will release a new limited-edition collection of clothing items next week to help promote awareness of coronavirus safety measures and raise funds for the Houston Food Bank and local businesses and vendors. Tucker announced that he and The Better Generation will make items available for a preorder through the weekend or while supplies last. The items will include long and short sleeve shirts, shorts and a baseball cap and feature COVID-19 awareness graphics.
“We all came together and said we wanted to do something positive,” Tucker said. “With so much negativity and so much stuff going on right now in the world, we wanted to do something to give back and help out. We’re doing three different shirts, three different shorts and a hat. There is a social distancing logo and messaging on the back with the logo for the store.”
Tucker said he “for sure, for sure” hopes the season can be salvaged “in some way, for sure. “I’m all for playing anywhere,” he said. “However they want to do it, I’m all for it. I don’t care. I just want to play.”
April 2, 2020 | 5:36 pm EDT Update
Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. said Thursday that the right ankle injury he suffered at Milwaukee on Jan. 31 was “worse than I thought” and that he was playing through pain when he did return after the All-Star break. Porter called the NBA’s hiatus a blessing in disguise because of that.
Porter, who spent one season at Missouri, said he’s got a private gym that he can access whenever he wants. “I’ve literally been in the gym just as much as I was in Denver, which has been really good,” Porter said on Altitude’s digital show. “I feel like I haven’t really lost a lot. And it’s been good for my ankle, too, because you know my ankle was still kind of sore.”
In his downtime, he said he’s been preparing for the NBA 2K tournament that will air Friday night on ESPN. Porter, a No. 12 seed, drew No. 5 seed Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns. Booker’s a notorious gamer, but Porter liked his chances. “I’m just naturally good at 2K,” he said. “It’s kind of weird. 2K, if you’re good at actual basketball, like it translates.”
The NBL would like to clarify the current situation regarding LaMelo Ball and the Illawarra Hawks. The league can confirm LaMelo Ball and his management had discussions about being involved with the club while he was playing in the NBL last season.
At this point we are continuing to work with current licence holder Simon Stratford on a number of options for what we hope will be a fruitful outcome for Illawarra and the NBL. The NBL has final approval on any transfer of licence and no application has been made to date. The NBL has no further comment at this stage.
The Atlanta Hawks, through the Hawks Foundation and State Farm, are funding the preparation of 4,000 meals weekly to be delivered to the more than 1,000 frontline healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients at Emory Healthcare through a four-week pilot that is part of the newly-formed Atlanta Healthcare Heroes inaugural program. The meals are provided in partnership with two local Atlanta restaurants, which are now able to re-employ “hundreds” of workers who were recently laid off or furloughed due to the financial effects of the crisis, according to Hawks CEO Steve Koonin.
How important is it to keep the Atlanta economy alive during this time for the Hawks? Koonin: It’s critical to help small businesses. You know, we might be the only place that wears the name Atlanta across their chest when we go to work every day. We’re very proud to be a basketball team that wears its city name and it’s unbelievably important to support that [city].
April 2, 2020 | 5:11 pm EDT Update
If the NBA decides to have a postseason, Louisville could be a destination as a neutral site, according to the New York Post. The article said the league is considering Louisville along with Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Orlando, the Bahamas and Hawaii. It could be a “fan-less, 16-team playoff and a 5-to-7 game regular season prelude” decided in best-of-three series.
If the NBA is weighing this, KFC Yum! Center general manager Eric Granger said he has not heard about it from anyone. “I’ve had no contact with the NBA,” Granger said. “I’ve reached out to a few of my contacts and not gotten a response yet, but obviously we’d be very excited about the opportunity to host this event.”
Though it is just a reported possibility, Granger said he wants to be prepared if it ever did gain some traction, saying it could help prove Louisville would be a good future home for a permanent team. “We’re trying just to make sure the experience is second to none for the NBA,” Granger said. “This would be an opportunity for us to showcase to the NBA what we’re capable of doing.”
Wichita State guard Dexter Dennis announced on his social media accounts on Thursday afternoon that he is entering his name in the 2020 NBA Draft, but plans to maintain his college eligibility with the option of returning for his junior season with the Shockers.
Although it launched last October, the Utah Jazz is using their Utah Jazz Podcast Network as an outlet for players to broaden their off-the-court reach and skills. “Our players have obviously been focused on keeping themselves healthy and making sure that their family and those close to them are healthy,” Bart Sharp, the Jazz’s senior vice president of marketing, said. “But they’ve also expressed a desire to try and provide some sense of normalcy and entertainment to our fan base during this time and wanted to find ways in which they can help people during this unique period.”
Already, some of the Jazz’s most well-known players are lending a hand to help produce content for the team. Utah rolled out its first player-specific podcast series, Ingles Insight, centered around Jazz shooting guard Joe Ingles, on March 21. The fifth-year player out of Adelaide, South Australia, is accompanied on Ingles Insight by his wife, Renae Ingles. The inaugural episode had more than 11,000 downloads in the first week, over 200 five-star reviews, and was the second-most popular basketball podcast in the United States on Apple Music, Sharp said.
Another new video podcast series hosted by Utah power forward Georges Niang, Drive and Dish, launched its first episode on Tuesday, March 31. Filmed out of Niang’s home and recorded through Zoom, Drive And Dish is described by Sharp as an “interview-style” podcast. The first episode saw Niang talk with teammate Jordan Clarkson about what is going on right now in a basketball-less world: what Clarkson is doing during the quarantine, his various tattoos, his distinct fashion taste, and other topics. After the debut of Drive And Dish, Sharp and the Jazz are preparing for another podcast series starring both Niang and Donovan Mitchell.
April 2, 2020 | 4:36 pm EDT Update
Doc Rivers wasn’t immediately impressed with Williams when the Clippers acquired him from the Houston Rockets. On Thursday’s episode of The Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman Podcast, Rivers spoke about his first impressions of Williams. “When we traded for Lou, I was not having Lou,” Rivers said. “I saw a guy that kept getting traded. And I appreciated his offense, but not nearly, never thought it was this good… When he finally showed up three days before training camp, I was not having him. I was like, ‘We’re not gonna work’, you know?”
“I brought him up in the office and I told him my feelings,” Rivers said. “I said, ‘Lou, you’re one of these guys that wanna do whatever you wanna do, and you don’t want to buy-in. We asked everybody to come in. Everyone did except for you… I don’t know how this is gonna work.’ And he said, ‘I’ve been traded five years in a row. Why would I buy-in to you?’, and I didn’t have an answer.”
So with 19.5 seconds remaining in overtime and the Hawks trailing by seven to the New York Knicks, head coach Lloyd Pierce checked Carter into the game and the emotions began to hit him as the home crowd chanted. “I kind of made eye contact with coach (Pierce) and he’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah,'” Carter said on the latest episode of “Winging it with Vince Carter and Annie Finberg.” “Right then, it’s like a chill just hit me.”
“I can say this now, who knows how the season ends and navigates, but, regardless – I won with either result, or either way this ends up,” Carter said. “If that was the last game and that was the last shot, I made my last shot and I’m cool with it, and I feel good about my career and how things ended.”
EuroLeague still hopes to complete the season after suspending all action in March. And while having the Final Four in May at this point is a more than a long shot, as EuroLeague Chief Operating Officer Edward Scott recently said to Eurohoops, the last possible scenario to save the season might be an express-tournament, not unlikely the plans of the Chinese CBA.
As Scott said to the Spanish newspaper “El Pais”: “If due to sanitary reasons or deadlines it is not possible to play in the 18 team arenas, we would choose to concentrate all the matches in one or two gyms in a single city. The last option would be for the clubs to establish the corresponding modification of the competition format for a more direct resolution”.
April 2, 2020 | 4:30 pm EDT Update
Knicks front office staying put
For now, Leon Rose is proceeding as status quo with an inherited front office in following an unofficial NBA hiring/firing stoppage with the world stopped cold. According to sources, Rose is actively holding scouting meetings with his staff via conference call/video regarding the draft. “I don’t see any teams hiring or firing during this,” one NBA source said. “That’s the sense.”
“With the workouts and games done, Leon has to lean on people who spent the entire year scouting,” said one NBA source who has spoken to Knicks brass. “As of now, everything is status quo.”
It’s a good bet Knicks GM Scott Perry will be in place for the NBA Draft 2020 whenever it is held. The current date is June 25. What happens after the Knicks’ draft is unclear. Because of the self-isolation rules, Rose will look to rely on his current personnel men who spent the season scouting college games.
Youngstown native, and former Ursuline basketball player David Collins is entering his name in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Javon Freeman-Liberty announced on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon that he was declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. Freeman-Liberty becomes the fourth Valparaiso player to declare for the draft as an early entrant in the last five years.
Pelicans shooting guard JJ Redick and his wife, Chelsea, are spearheading a campaign that will provide millions of meals throughout south Louisiana while it battles the coronavirus. On Thursday, the Redicks, the Pelicans and the Lineage Logistics, a food transportation and distribution company, announced donations to Second Harvest Food Bank. Together, they aim to provide 1.8 million meals in 23 parishes.
The initiative will also create jobs for employees who work during Pelicans games at Smoothie King Center. They will help staff Lineage Logistics’ warehouses in the New Orleans area.
April 2, 2020 | 4:21 pm EDT Update
NBA participating in COVID-19 plasma project
On Sunday, the NBA league office reached out to team physicians encouraging players who have recovered from the virus to consider opting in to the experimental treatment, according to a copy of the memo obtained by ABC News. The NBA also donated $100,000 to the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project as part of the NBA Together campaign.
The NBA’s donation and plea for players to opt in to the program comes amid criticism that the league coordinated VIP testing of players while other Americans showing symptoms struggled to access tests. Dr. Joyner said that while “testing at many levels will be highlighted” when all is said and done, the players deserve credit for offering their help.
Marcus Smart, a guard for the Boston Celtics, confirmed through his agent that he is one of the players who will opt in to the program. Smart announced Monday on Twitter that he had been cleared of the virus by the Massachusetts Department of Health. The identities of the other three players planning to participate are not known.
Buckeye star Kaleb Wesson entering draft
Ohio State star Kaleb Wesson plans to enter the NBA draft. Wesson tweeted Wednesday night that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the draft. He is ranked No. 54 in ESPN’s rankings of the top prospects for the draft.
South East Melbourne Phoenix Next Star Terry Armstrong will enter the 2020 NBA Draft after one season in the NBL.
Junior forward Romello White became the second Arizona State player in as many days to declare for the NBA draft, doing so Wednesday afternoon, about 24 hours after junior point guard Remy Martin did the same.
Karl has not coached in the NBA since leaving the Kings. Cousins has suffered a number of serious injuries. And so, on April Fools’ Day, Karl decided to joke about a potential reunion, saying that both were headed back to the Kings.
