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Via the Arizona Republic:
Sources informed The Republic this week the Suns are still exploring options regarding Paul, who is in the third year of his four-year, $120-million contract.
The third year is partially guaranteed as the remaining $15 million of the $30.8 million becomes fully guaranteed on June 28.
The Suns could waive him before then, trade him or keep him. Paul currently is in Los Angeles.
Via the Miami Herald:
The big priority of this Heat offseason is adding a star player who can take some of the scoring load off Jimmy Butler.
But what if the Heat could add two?
There is a path to the Heat acquiring both Portland’s Damian Lillard and Washington’s Bradley Beal, but it would require the cooperation of the Trail Blazers and the Wizards, as well as the two stars pushing their way to Miami.
Lillard hasn’t asked for a trade but has said the Heat would appeal to him if he does. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this week that it seems like Portland will keep Lillard and that nothing is percolating on the trade front. But Lillard has left open the possibility of asking for a trade if the Blazers do not build their roster into a contender.
The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have named Darko Rajaković as head coach.
Rajaković becomes the 10th head coach in franchise history, after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies.
“We’re entering a new era – one where we are embracing new ideas, a new attitude, and now a new head coach – but our goals remain the same. A championship. Winning,” Raptors Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri said. “Darko shares those goals, and our belief in culture, professionalism, and hard work. His commitment to both learning and teaching our game is elite, and we are all very excited to welcome him to the Raptors family.”
A native of Serbia, Rajaković was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns for one season (2019-20) following seven years (2012-19) with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, where he served as an assistant coach for five seasons (2014-19). The Thunder averaged 49 wins during his five years on the coaching staff, with four playoff appearances – including a trip to the 2016 Western Conference Finals.
Rajaković joined the Thunder in 2012 as head coach of the team’s then G League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, becoming the first head coach born outside North America in league history. In two seasons (2012-14) at the helm of the 66ers, the team posted a 51-49 record (.510) and reached the G League semifinals in 2013. While serving as Tulsa’s head coach, he was also included as one of the Thunder’s assistant coaches at the 2014 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
“To join and to lead an elite organization like the Raptors is what I have been working for my entire professional life,” Rajaković said. “This is an amazing opportunity, to join a franchise with a supportive ownership group, fantastic front office and fanbase, and elite players. I’m looking forward to the journey ahead as we work together to achieve our goals: development, playoffs, championships.”
Prior to joining Oklahoma City, Rajaković was the head coach of Espacio Torrelodones in Spain for three successful seasons (2009-12), where he led the team to the championship of the Primera Division de Baloncesto in Madrid in his first year. From 2004-11, he also served as European scouting consultant and NBA Summer League assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs.
Rajaković began his coaching career at the age of 16, with the Borac Cacak Youth Team in his hometown of Cacak, Serbia. After three seasons (1996-99) with Borac Cacak, he was named the head coach of the U20 and U18 teams of Red Star Belgrade and led Red Star to two Serbian Youth championships during his eight-year tenure (1999-2007).
On the international stage, Rajaković was as an assistant coach for Serbia at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, helping his country to a fifth place finish at the tournament, which included a win over the United States in the classification round.
Rajaković, 44, received a basketball coaching degree from the Belgrade Basketball Academy in 2004 and a degree in sports management from Alfa BK University in Belgrade in 2006. He and his wife Gaga have a son, Luka, who is five.
Via the Denver Post:
Jokic is now a winner of two NBA MVPs, a Finals MVP and a Western Conference Finals MVP to supplement the Larry O’Brien Trophy he and his teammates hoisted Monday night at Ball Arena. During the course of the five-game series, the Nuggets hung up posters in their locker room with a variety of motivational quotes, including Jokic’s own go-to phrase about the pursuit of a championship: “We have a chance to do something nice.”
Jokic averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists during the Finals while registering his ninth and 10th triple-doubles of the playoffs. He had already passed Wilt Chamberlain’s record for triple-doubles in a single postseason by Game 3, when he became the first player ever to amass a 30-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game in the NBA Finals.
Via ESPN.com:
In the biggest game in Denver Nuggets history, veteran DeAndre Jordan had a second-half message for Jamal Murray during a timeout.
“Go win this game,” Jordan was heard saying on the broadcast. “Twelve minutes bro and you in history.
“Immortal.”
Murray, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets heeded the call for history, doing what they have done this entire magical postseason and adapting to any obstacle or defensive wrinkle thrown their way.
After opening Monday night’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals missing an abysmal 20 of their first 22 3-point attempts, the Nuggets came up with championship-winning plays in the final minutes.
From Jokic’s basket inside with 2:24 left to Bruce Brown’s putback with 1:31 to go, to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s steal off a Jimmy Butler pass with 27.1 seconds left, the Nuggets came up with all the big plays to win their first-ever NBA championship with a hard-fought 94-89 win over the Miami Heat at an overjoyed Ball Arena.
Via ESPN.com:
Nikola Jokic might not have won this third straight Most Valuable Player award this season, but he still ended up with an MVP trophy after all.
In addition to finally getting the championship he has coveted, Jokic was named NBA Finals MVP after the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Miami Heat, 94-89, in Game 5 at Ball Arena.
Jokic closed out Miami with 28 points, 16 rebounds and four assists to help the Nuggets win the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. Like each opponent the Nuggets faced this postseason, the Heat had very little answers for Jokic.
When asked how it feels to be an NBA champion, Jokic told ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the court: “It’s good. It’s good. The job is done, and we can go home now.”
Prior to this championship run, Jokic, 28, was already considered one of the best players of his generation. But now that he has won a championship and a Finals MVP, one NBA Hall of Famer says this catapults the Serbian big man into a different stratosphere.
The Portland G League team has announced Danny Connors has been named General Manager and Eugene “Pooh” Jeter named Assistant General Manager.
Connors becomes the General Manager of the Portland G League team after spending the previous seven seasons with the Trail Blazers organization. He most recently served as the team’s Personnel Analyst since January 2022 where he contributed to the talent evaluation of players at all levels through scouting and analytics. The Yardley, Pennsylvania native joined the team as a Basketball Operations Assistant in 2016 before serving as the team’s High School Scouting Coordinator (2018-21) and Scouting Coordinator (2021-22).
Prior to joining the Trail Blazers, Connors was a graduate assistant for the University of Massachusetts from 2014-16 while earning his Master’s in Sports Management. He also worked as a Basketball Operations Intern for the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 2013. Connors holds a degree in Newspaper and Online Journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, where he worked with former assistant coach Mike Hopkins in an analytics role.
A former standout of the University of Portland, Jeter joins the Portland G League team as the Assistant General Manager after spending the past two seasons with the G League Ignite and averaged 7.4 points (44.2% FG, 44.9% 3-PT, 92.9% FT), 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 17.3 minutes per game in 28 contests for the Ignite during the 2022-23 season. Jeter spent the 2010-11 NBA season with the Sacramento Kings where he appeared in 62 games and brings a wealth of international experience from a prolific career which includes time in Spain, Israel, China, France, Turkey and the Ukraine.
As a Portland Pilot, Jeter was a three-time All-West Coast Conference point guard (2004-06) and ranks No. 2 all-time in scoring with 1,708 career points. Jeter also ranks fourth in steals (160), three-pointers made (200), free throws made (408) and free throw percentage (.846), while his 346 assists is No. 7 all-time.
Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams today underwent successful surgery to repair a tear of the radial collateral ligament of the 3rd metacarpo-phalangeal joint on his left hand.
The team says Williams should make a full return to basketball activities in 6-8 weeks.
Per Boston.com, “Williams is a restricted free agent, which means the Celtics can match an offer sheet that Williams could sign with another club. Williams posted career-highs in points (8.1) and minutes (25.9) during the 2022-23 regular season.”
Via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Three-time all-star Khris Middleton had a procedure on his right knee shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks’ season ended, league sources told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
He is expected to begin court work in July.
It is the same knee he suffered a torn meniscus in during his junior year at Texas A&M in the fall of 2011, which forced him to miss two months of action and ultimately played a role in falling to Detroit in the second round of the 2012 draft.
The Milwaukee Bucks yesterday hired Adrian Griffin as their new head coach.
Griffin, who becomes the 17th head coach in franchise history, brings 15 seasons of NBA coaching experience to the Bucks, most recently spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.
“Adrian is a widely-respected coach and former player, who brings great leadership and experience to our team,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst. “His championship-level coaching pedigree, character, basketball acumen and ability to connect with and develop players make him the ideal choice to lead our team. He has earned this opportunity.”
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to Wes, Jamie, Dee, Jimmy and Jon to be named the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks,” said Griffin. “The Bucks are a championship organization and I’m thrilled to work with an established roster of high character and talented players. I’m excited to be back in Milwaukee and I can’t wait to get started.”
“Adrian is well-regarded throughout the NBA, and we believe that his vast experience working under and playing for successful head coaches makes him the right person to guide our team in competing for championships,” said Bucks co-owners Wes Edens, Jamie Dinan and Dee and Jimmy Haslam. “Following a widespread coaching search, we are extremely impressed by Adrian’s leadership and communication skills and welcome him to the Bucks family.”
The Phoenix Suns have named Frank Vogel as the team’s new head coach.
“We are thrilled to welcome Frank Vogel to the Phoenix Suns as our new head coach,” said Owner Mat Ishbia. “This is an important day for our organization as we continue to build a championship culture on and off the floor. Frank is an accomplished coach who understands how to win an NBA championship, which is our priority. Frank brings incredible character and work ethic, making him the ideal leader to continue to build one of the best organizations in all of sports.”
Per the Arizona Republic, “the 49-year-old Vogel agreed to a five-year, $31-million deal to replace Monty Williams, who was fired after Denver eliminated the Suns in the West semifinals by 25 points in Game 6 in Phoenix.”
“It is an honor to be named head coach of the Phoenix Suns,” said Vogel. “The Suns are a first-class organization, and I am grateful for Mat Ishbia and James Jones to have this opportunity. This is a highly talented team that is committed to winning, and I am excited to get to work.”
“We are excited to announce Frank as our new head coach and I look forward to partnering with him as we elevate our program,” said President of Basketball Operations and General Manager James Jones. “Frank is one of the best coaches in the game, a proven winner and has led some of the league’s toughest defenses over the last decade. He is the right leader and program builder to take our team to the next level.”
Vogel joins the Suns with 11 years of experience as an NBA head coach with the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. In three of his seasons as a head coach, Vogel’s team has led the league in defensive rating and he has five times guided his team to a top-three finish in defensive rating; since he entered the NBA head coaching ranks in 2010-11, no head coach has led the league or ranked in the top three in defense more often than Vogel.