Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Jazz sign head coach Will Hardy to contract extension

The Utah Jazz have signed head coach Will Hardy to a multi-year contract extension.

“We are excited to extend Will Hardy’s contract as head coach of the Utah Jazz through 2031. Will is an incredible leader, great communicator – especially with our younger players – and a strong ambassador for this franchise. He has been a tremendous partner to Danny, Justin, and me. There is no one we would rather have leading us to our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship here in Utah,” said Ryan Smith, governor of the Utah Jazz.

Hardy, who will enter his fourth season with the Jazz in 2025-26, became the ninth head coach in Jazz history and the sixth since the franchise’s relocation to Salt Lake City in 1979. He is the first head coach hired since the Smiths purchased the Jazz in December 2020.

“Will’s leadership has been invaluable to our program,” said Danny Ainge, CEO of Jazz Basketball. ”He has established a vision for our players and a strong foundation of core values, competitive habits, and growth mindset. He is one of the brightest young coaches in our league, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him.”

Gregg Popovich transitions from Spurs head coach to president of basketball operations

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Gregg Popovich will transition from head coach to president of basketball operations. In 29 seasons as the Spurs head coach, Popovich amassed 1,422 regular season wins, which is the most in NBA history. During his tenure, the Spurs captured five NBA championships.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” said Popovich. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

After joining the Spurs in the summer of 1988, as an assistant coach on Larry Brown’s staff, Popovich has enjoyed a 37-year career in the NBA as a coach and executive. He spent two seasons, from 1992-94, as an assistant coach for Don Nelson with the Golden State Warriors. His other 35 NBA seasons have all been in San Antonio with the Spurs.

“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” said Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”

Spurs name Mitch Johnson as new head coach

The San Antonio Spurs have named Mitch Johnson as the team’s new head coach.

Johnson becomes the 19th head coach in San Antonio franchise history. He takes over for Gregg Popovich after the Hall of Famer transitioned into the president of basketball operations role following his 29 seasons as head coach. After Popovich stepped away from the team for health reasons five games into last year, Johnson was appointed the Spurs acting head coach for the remaining 77 games of the 2024-25 season.

“We are thrilled for Mitch Johnson to be our next head coach,” said Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt. “Throughout his decade in the organization we have seen that Mitch has the right values, poise and potential to lead us into the future.”

Entering his 10th season with the Spurs, Johnson started with the organization in 2016 as an assistant coach for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate, where he helped guide the team to the 2018 G League Championship. He has spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach on Popovich’s staff, including five of those years on the front of the bench after he was promoted in 2020.

Grizzlies name Tuomas Iisalo as new head coach

The Memphis Grizzlies have named Tuomas Iisalo (twa-mas EE-za-low) as head coach.

“I have full confidence in Tuomas serving as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies going forward,” said Grizzlies President and General Manager of Basketball Operations Zachary Z. Kleiman. “Tuomas’ teams at every level have been disciplined, tenacious and connected on both ends of the floor, consistently exceeding expectations. We look forward to the same in Memphis.”

Iisalo was appointed interim head coach on March 28, 2025, and guided the Grizzlies to the NBA Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. He originally was hired by Memphis on July 7, 2024, as the lead assistant coach following a decorated coaching career in Europe.

Before coming to Memphis, Iisalo captured the 2023-24 EuroCup championship and EuroCup Coach of the Year award in his first season as head coach of Paris Basketball. The architect of the top offense in competition history, Iisalo led Paris to a 20-1 record and the title in the club’s second EuroCup season.

Kings name Doug Christie as new head coach

The Sacramento Kings have announced that Doug Christie has been named head coach.

“After careful consideration, I am excited to announce Doug Christie as the next head coach of the Sacramento Kings,” said General Manager Scott Perry. “I’ve known Doug a long time and have been impressed with his leadership, presence, and ability to connect deeply with his players. He embodies the core values we believe in — toughness, discipline, professionalism, a defensive mindset, and a selfless, team-oriented approach on offense. Our goal is to support him fully and help set the stage for his long-term success. We’re excited to move forward with Doug as our leader.”

“I am deeply humbled to be named head coach of the Sacramento Kings,” Christie said. “This organization and city have been home for over 20 years. I want to thank the Kings organization and Scott for their support during this process. For me, this opportunity is all about service to the team, the organization, and the city of Sacramento. My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this new chapter.”

Dyson Daniels wins 2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player award

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is the recipient of the George Mikan Trophy as the 2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player.

Presented annually since the 1985-86 season, the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award is designed to honor an up-and-coming player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons. Daniels is the second player to earn the honor with the Hawks, joining Alan Henderson (1997-98).

In his third NBA season and first with Atlanta, Daniels averaged career highs of 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.01 steals while shooting career highs of 49.3% from the field and 34.0% from three-point range in 33.8 minutes in 76 games. He became the fifth player to average at least 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals in a season, joining Michael Ray Richardson (1979-80), Magic Johnson (1980-81), Alvin Robertson (three times – 1985-86, 1986-87 and 1988-89) and Michael Jordan (1987-88).

Daniels improved his scoring by +8.3 ppg, rebounds by +2.0 rpg, assists by +1.7 apg and steals by +1.62 spg from last season. He is the third player to have improvements of at least +8.0 ppg, +2.0 rpg, +1.5 apg and +1.5 spg from one season to the next (minimum 50 games played each season), joining Richardson (1978-79 to 1979-80) and Eric Murdock (1991-92 to 1992-93).

Stephon Castle wins 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year award

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle is the recipient of the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy as the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Castle is the fourth player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award with the Spurs, joining David Robinson (1989-90), Tim Duncan (1997-98) and last season’s recipient, Victor Wembanyama (2023-24). The Spurs are the first team to have back-to-back winners of this annual honor since the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014-15 (Andrew Wiggins) and 2015-16 (Karl-Anthony Towns).

In the 2024-25 regular season, Castle averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.91 steals in 26.7 minutes in 81 games. He led all rookies in points per game, ranked fourth in assists per game and finished sixth in steals per game. Castle also had the most total points (1,190), steals (74) and free throws made (249) among first-year NBA players.

Castle was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month twice, for games played in January and March. In 30 games after the All-Star break, he averaged 17.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 28.6 minutes.

Bucks guard Damian Lillard injury update: torn Achilles tendon

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard underwent an MRI today that revealed a torn left Achilles tendon. Lillard suffered the injury during the first period of last night’s game vs. Indiana.

Lillard will miss the remainder of the 2025 Playoffs and undergo surgery to repair the injury.

Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Lillard was injured in the first quarter of the game when he pushed off his left leg to collect an offensive rebound. His leg immediately buckled and he fell to the floor and reached for his lower leg. He sat until play was stopped by a foul, and Lillard needed assistance from Milwaukee coaches and players to exit the court.”

Stephen Curry wins 2024-25 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been named the 2024-25 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.

Presented annually since the 2012-13 season, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.

A panel of league executives selected 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Current NBA players selected the winner from the list of finalists.

Curry has won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award for the first time. He previously won the NBA Sportsmanship Award (2010-11), which honors a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

A 16-year NBA veteran, Curry is a two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, an 11-time NBA All-Star and the league’s career leader in three-pointers made. He has won four NBA championships, all with Golden State, the only franchise for which he has played.

The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award is named for Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes, whose storied friendship transcended their Hall of Fame accomplishments.

Jimmer Fredette named Managing Director of USA Basketball 3×3 Men’s National Team

Jimmer Fredette, the former No. 1 ranked 3×3 player in the world, will be the first managing director of the USA 3×3 Men’s National Team, USA Basketball announced today.

“When I got the call from USA Basketball about playing 3×3, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Fredette said. “I found out quickly that I loved the competition, energy and style of the sport. 3×3 fits my game and my personality. I made friends throughout my journey who will forever be a part of my life. I also saw an opportunity to be able to grow the sport within the USA.

“When USA Basketball approached me about this role, I jumped at it. I’m determined to help build a sustainable program for years to come and, ultimately, the best 3×3 program in the world. I’m so grateful for the USA Basketball Board of Directors for trusting me with this responsibility and I’m ready for the challenge.”

In his role, Fredette will be responsible for identifying the USA 3×3 Men’s National Team coaching staff and players for major international competitions, including the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, FIBA 3×3 World Cup, FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup, FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup, Pan American Games and the FIBA 3×3 pro circuit, as well as the program’s training camp participants over the next three years.

“Jimmer brought his legendary shooting style to 3×3 in 2022 and quickly became one of the most beloved athletes on the halfcourt,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said. “His knowledge of and skill for the game, ability to lead and reputation as one of the game’s best shooters in history puts him in a prime position to become the first person in this role and help shape USA Basketball’s 3×3 men’s national team program on the road to Los Angeles.”

The 2023 USA Basketball 3×3 Male Athlete of the Year, Fredette owns gold medals from the 2023 Pan American Games and 2022 FIBA 3×3 Men’s AmeriCup as well as a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 Men’s World Cup. Fredette was part of USA Basketball’s first 3×3 men’s Olympic Team, which made its debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.