Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Jabari Parker reportedly exercises option to remain with Kings for 2020-21

Jabari Parker will remain in Sacramento. Here’s the Sacramento Bee:

Kings forward Jabari Parker has reportedly exercised his player option and will remain in Sacramento for the 2020-21 season.

Sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania on Tuesday that Parker is picking up his $6.5 million option for next season, a move that comes as no surprise. Parker is still only 25 years old, but his career has been plagued by injuries since the Milwaukee Bucks selected him from Duke with the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Parker played 32 games for the Hawks last season and averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, and was traded to the Kings, for whom he played just six games, averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per outing.

Rockets superstar James Harden reportedly seeks trade to Nets

Now this is big. James Harden, one of the best players in the NBA, and one of the league’s most potent offensive superstars in many years, is reportedly ready to move on from the Houston Rockets. Where would Harden like to be traded? Brooklyn, reportedly. Here’s the Houston Chronicle:

James Harden on Monday went from interested to determined in regard to making the career- and franchise-changing move of leaving the Rockets for the Brooklyn Nets. And he took an unprecedented step to prove it.

Harden turned down the Rockets’ offer of a two-year, $103 million contract extension, two individuals with knowledge of the offer confirmed. ESPN was the first to report the offer that would have had Harden, 31, under contract, for five more seasons.

The extension would have put Harden in line to become the highest-paid player in NBA history.

Harden made it clear that rather than finish his career with the Rockets, he wants to be dealt to the Nets to play with Kevin Durant, his former Oklahoma City teammate, and Kyrie Irving. He also indicated he has no interest in going anywhere besides Brooklyn and believes the Rockets should make the best deal with the Nets that they can, even if they do not consider it satisfactory.

Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer the past three seasons, has three seasons, worth $133 million, remaining on his contract, the last season at a player option.

Harden and Kyrie Irving aren’t necessarily a perfect backcourt match, but their individual talent is undeniable, and their potential, along with Durant in the frontcourt, would make for an incredibly powerful NBA trio.

For now, this just remains Harden’s alleged wish. By no means does this appear to be a trade in motion just yet.

Pelicans reportedly trading Jrue Holiday to Bucks

The Bucks are about to upgrade their backcourt. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading the star two-way guard to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and three first-round picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The move largely completes the transition from the team’s last playoff run in the 2018. Star big man Anthony Davis was traded to the Lakers in 2019, and previous coach Alvin Gentry was fired in August.

Now that Holiday has been sent north, the lone player from the roster that swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs in 2018 still under contract is Darius Miller, who missed the entirety of last season with an Achilles injury.

Three first round picks? That’s a lot for the Bucks to give up.

For the Pelicans last season, Holiday averaged 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. For the Bucks last season, Bledsoe put up 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists, while Hill off the bench averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan exercises contract option for 2020-21 NBA season

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that guard DeMar DeRozan has exercised his player option for the 2020-21 season.

Per the San Antonio Express-News, it’s a $27.7-million contract option.

In two seasons with the Spurs, DeRozan has averaged 21.6 points, 5.9 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 34.5 minutes while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 83.7 percent from the foul line.

More from the Express-News: “With NBA coffers decimated by the pandemic and the salary cap remaining flat at $109 million next season, free agency became a less attractive option for players in DeRozan’s position. Of players across the league with an option worth more than $10 million next season, only one — the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis — chose to opt out.”

Last season, DeRozan and league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo were the only two players in the NBA to average 20-plus points, 5-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists while shooting over 50.0 percent from the field. He is also the first player in Spurs history to total more than 3,000 points, 800 rebounds and 800 assists in his first two seasons in San Antonio.

A two-time All-NBA selection, DeRozan is one of just five players to score 1,500-plus points in each of the last five seasons, joining LeBron James, James Harden, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.

An 11-year veteran, DeRozan was originally drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. For his career, the four-time All-Star has appeared in 820 games, averaging 20.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 34.0 minutes. DeRozan has seen action in 58 playoff games, averaging 21.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 37.3 minutes.

Pelicans add Bob Beyer, Casey Hill, Rex Walters, Corey Brewer and Beno Udrih to coaching staff

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the hiring of Bob Beyer, Casey Hill, and Rex Walters as assistant coaches, along with Corey Brewer and Beno Udrih as player development coaches. They join Assistant Coach Fred Vinson and Teresa Weatherspoon, who has been promoted to assistant coach, and Player Development Coach Darnell Lazare on Head Coach Stan Van Gundy’s staff.

“I am excited about our coaching staff,” said Van Gundy. “We have a great mix of background, experience, perspective and expertise. Four of our assistants have been head coaches at the professional or NCAA Division I levels. Five of our coaches played in the NBA or WNBA. Three coaches have institutional knowledge having worked for Griff, Trajan and current Pelicans players, while three others have worked with me and two bring us an entirely new perspective. I am looking forward to working with this staff to maximize the potential of our talented players.”

Bob Beyer joins the Pelicans bench with over 35 years of coaching experience at the NBA and collegiate levels. He was most recently an assistant coach on the Sacramento Kings staff during the 2019-20 season. Prior to joining the Kings, Beyer served as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2018-19 season. Beyer has spent nine seasons on Stan Van Gundy’s coaching staff, including four seasons with the Detroit Pistons (2014-18) and five seasons with the Orlando Magic (2007-12), where he helped Orlando reach the postseason five consecutive times including a 2009 NBA Finals appearance. Beyer has also been an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats (2013-14), Golden State Warriors (2012-13) and Toronto Raptors (2003-04). Before joining the NBA ranks, Beyer spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas Tech under Bob Knight from 2001-03. His college coaching experience also includes stints at the University of Albany, Siena College (head coach), University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University and University of Dayton.

Casey Hill enters his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Prior to joining Doc Rivers’ staff, Hill spent the 2017-18 season as head coach of the Clippers’ NBA G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers, leading the team to a 23-27 record in its inaugural season. Hill joined the Clippers after four seasons as head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors, G League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, where he led the franchise to its first-ever G League title in 2014-15. Hill and his staff in Santa Cruz earned the 2013-14 NBA G League “Development Champion” award, an annual honor that recognizes the team that best embodies the league’s goals of developing NBA basketball talent via call-ups and assignments. Prior to joining Santa Cruz staff, the Trinity University grad worked under his father, longtime NBA coach Bob Hill, with the Tokyo Apache, a professional team in Japan.

Fred Vinson begins his 11th season as an assistant coach in New Orleans. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Vinson was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2007-09. In addition to his duties as an assistant coach, Vinson also served as director of player programs for the Clippers, where he was responsible for mentoring young players and easing their transition to the NBA. Vinson played 13 years of professional basketball, including two NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and Seattle SuperSonics. In addition to playing in the United States Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association and American Basketball Association, Vinson spent several years overseas with professional clubs in the Philippines, Israel, Venezuela, Poland and France. In 2003, Vinson was a member of the CBA Champion Yakima Sun Kings, in addition to being named a CBA All-Star that season. He also holds the record for most points in a game in Guaiqueries de Margarita (Venezuela) team history with 53.

Rex Walters enters his first season with the Pelicans. Walters, who served as an assistant coach under Stan Van Gundy in Detroit during the 2017-18 season, most recently served as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University during the 2019-20 season. Prior to joining Van Gundy’s staff in 2017, Walters was the head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive, the NBA G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. At the collegiate level, Walters spent eight seasons (2008-16) as head coach at the University of San Francisco where he guided the Dons to two 20-win seasons and two postseason appearances. Walters was named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2013-14, becoming the first USF coach to win the award since Pete Barry in 1980-81. He amassed a 126-125 (.501) record at USF. Prior to becoming head coach at USF, he served two seasons (2006-08) as head coach at Florida Atlantic University after being an assistant coach in the 2005-06 season. Walters has also served as an assistant coach on the collegiate level at the University of Nevada (2018-19) and Valparaiso (2003-05). Drafted 16th overall in the 1993 NBA Draft by New Jersey, the University of Kansas product played seven seasons with the Nets, Philadelphia, and Miami.

Teresa Weatherspoon returns for her second season with New Orleans after serving as a two-way player development coach in 2019-20. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Weatherspoon served as the director of player and franchise development with the WNBA’s New York Liberty from 2016-19. Weatherspoon served as the head coach at her alma mater, Louisiana Tech University, from 2009-14, leading the Lady Techsters to a 99-71 (.582) record over six seasons, making consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament in 2010 and 2011, and winning the WAC tournament in 2010. She initially joined the women’s basketball program at Louisiana Tech in the 2008-09 season, serving as associate head coach after serving as the head coach of the Westchester (NY) Phantoms of the American Basketball Association during the 2007-08 season. After a collegiate playing career at Louisiana Tech from 1984-88, where she helped lead her team to the 1988 NCAA National Championship during her senior campaign, Weatherspoon embarked on a 16-year playing career, beginning overseas with stops in Italy, France and Russia from 1988-1996, then joining the New York Liberty from 1997-03, and finishing her professional career as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2004. In 254 career regular season games in the WNBA, Weatherspoon averaged 5.0 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals while earning multiple accolades along the way, including back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1997 and 1998, four consecutive All-WNBA Second Team nods from 1997-2000 and five straight All-Star appearances from 1999-2003. At the conclusion of her career, Weatherspoon was named one of the WNBA’s top 15 players of all time in 2011 and was a member of the WNBA Top 20@20 list in 2016. A 2010 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Weatherspoon was recently enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts as part of the 2019 class.

Corey Brewer joins the Pelicans as a player development coach after a 13-year NBA career. Selected seventh overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Brewer holds career averages of 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 819 regular season games for Minnesota, Dallas, Denver, Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and Sacramento. Brewer averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists during his three-year collegiate career and was a key member of the University of Florida’s back-to-back National Championship teams in 2006 and 2007, earning the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award in 2007.

Darnell Lazare returns for his second season as player development coach with the Pelicans. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Lazare served as a player development coach and assistant video coordinator for the Memphis Grizzlies and previously served as an assistant coach for the NBA G League’s Iowa Energy. The Baton Rouge native played four years at Louisiana State University, where he appeared in 120 games and helped lead the Tigers to the 2006 Final Four. Lazare played professionally in the NBA G League for the Maine Red Claws, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and Idaho Stampede, as well as overseas in Sweden, Ukraine, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Beno Udrih joins the Pelicans organization as a player development coach after most recently serving as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks’ NBA G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, during the 2019-20 season. Selected 28th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, the Slovenian native holds career averages of 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 831 regular season games for San Antonio, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Orlando, New York, Memphis, Miami and Detroit, winning two NBA Championships with the Spurs (2005, 2007). In addition to his 13-year NBA career, Udrih has played professionally in Israel, Russia, Italy, Lithuania, and his native Slovenia, winning multiple championships across Europe.

Brian Ormandy begins his fourth season as the Pelicans’ video coordinator after serving as the team’s assistant video coordinator from 2015-17. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Ormandy served as a video intern with the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors during the 2014-15 season and the Houston Rockets during the 2013-14 season. In 2012-13, Ormandy served as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Ormandy is joined by video assistants Nathan Bubes and Jon Tramer, who enter their second seasons with the Pelicans, along with player development assistant Brandon Demas, who begins his third season with the team.

Magic sign rookie forward Chuma Okeke, who was drafted in 2019

The Orlando Magic have signed rookie forward Chuma Okeke, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Okeke (6’8”, 230, 8/18/98) was selected in the first round (16th overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chuma (Okeke) to the team,” said Weltman. “He’s demonstrated all of the characteristics that we had seen in him when we drafted him and we look forward to him starting his career with us.”

He played and started in 38 games during the 2018-19 campaign as a sophomore at Auburn University, averaging 12.0 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 1.9 apg., 1.82 stlpg. and 1.21 blkpg. in 29.1 minpg., while shooting .387 (55-142) from three-point range. Okeke led the Tigers in rebounding, steals (third in the SEC) and blocked shots. He was named to the 2019 SEC All-Tournament Team and the 2019 All-Midwest Regional Team. Okeke helped the Tigers reach the 2019 NCAA Final Four, but sustained a season-ending knee injury (torn left ACL) during their Sweet Sixteen win against North Carolina. During that contest, he became the first Auburn player since 2000 and fifth ever to record 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in a NCAA Tournament game.

Okeke played in 72 career games (38 starts) during two seasons (2017-19) at Auburn University, averaging 9.9 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 1.5 apg. and 1.28 stlpg. in 25.5 minpg., while shooting .389 (89-229) from three-point range.

Clippers hire Dan Craig, Kenny Atkinson, Chauncey Billups, Larry Drew and Roy Rogers to coaching staff

The LA Clippers announced today that Associate Head Coach Dan Craig and Assistant Coaches Kenny Atkinson, Chauncey Billups, Larry Drew and Roy Rogers have joined Head Coach Tyronn Lue to complete the team’s coaching staff for the 2020-21 NBA season. Cam Hodges, Shaun Fein, Dahntay Jones and Beau Levesque will also be joining the organization in coaching and player development roles.

The Clippers have retained Assistant Coaches Jeremy Castleberry and Brendan O’Connor.

“We have assembled a strong and experienced group of coaches with diverse backgrounds and perspectives,” said Lue. “They will provide our players with every opportunity to improve individually and excel as a team. As coaches, their skillsets are different, but they are all great teachers with a passion for player development, who understand how to impart their knowledge. I couldn’t be more excited to get on the court with this group.”

Craig comes to L.A. following 17 seasons with the Miami Heat, which included four years as an assistant coach and one year as the head coach of Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Craig quickly rose through Miami’s coaching ranks after joining the franchise in 2003 as a video intern. Craig helped the Heat to six NBA Finals appearances, including three NBA Championships (2006, 2012, 2013). As head coach of the Skyforce in 2016, Craig led the team to its first G League title and was named G League Coach of the Year. The Chelmsford, Mass., native played collegiately at Plymouth State University.

Atkinson joins the Clippers after spending the last four seasons as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, leading the team to a postseason berth in 2018-19. Before the Nets, Atkinson spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks, helping the franchise to four Playoffs appearances, including an Eastern Conference Finals trip in 2015. He was also an assistant coach with the New York Knicks and the Director of Player Development for the Houston Rockets. A native of Northport, N.Y., Atkinson played professionally for 14 years in the United States Basketball League and overseas. He was a standout collegiate player at the University of Richmond and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2010.

A familiar face to Clipper Nation, Billups joins the bench after working in television as an NBA analyst for ESPN, and a Clippers game analyst for Prime Ticket. A five-time NBA All-Star, 2004 NBA Finals Champion and Finals MVP, Billups spent 16 seasons in the league, averaging 15.2 points and 5.4 assists in 1,043 career appearances with the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks and Clippers. The Denver, Colo., native was named to three All-NBA teams (2006, 2007, 2009), two All-Defensive teams (2005, 2006) and had his jersey (#1) retired by the Pistons in 2016.

Drew joins the coaching staff with 28 seasons of experience as an NBA coach, most recently having spent six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, including one year as the team’s head coach in 2018-19. As a Cavs assistant coach, he helped lead the franchise to four straight NBA Finals appearances (2015-18) and an NBA Championship in 2016. Before Cleveland, Drew served as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. In Atlanta, he compiled a 128-102 (.557) overall record and led the Hawks to the postseason in each of his three campaigns on the bench. Drew has also served as an assistant coach for the Hawks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers. The Kansas City, Mo., native played 10 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 714 games with the Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Clippers and Lakers.

Rogers comes to the Clippers with 12 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach, having spent the 2019-20 campaign with the Chicago Bulls. Before that, Rogers spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets, where he helped the team to four playoff series wins and an appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 2018. Rogers also served as an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics and New Jersey Nets. A former NBA player, Rogers appeared in 137 games with the Vancouver Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.

Hodges begins his first season as a Clippers’ coaching associate, after spending the 2019-20 season with the Philadelphia 76ers and three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. Hodges also spent one season as an intern with the Erie Bayhawks, the then-G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic.

Fein enters his first season as a Clippers player development coach, after spending the last four years with the Brooklyn Nets, most recently serving as the head coach of the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. Throughout his time in Brooklyn, Fein worked in the Nets’ video department before becoming the team’s player development coordinator. Fein also spent two seasons with the Maine Red Claws, the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate, as an assistant and player development coach.

Jones will serve as a player development and video coach for the Clippers. He was originally selected as the 20th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2003 NBA Draft and went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA, winning a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. The Trenton, N.J., native appeared in 624 contests, including 33 with the Clippers, and averaged 5.4 points and 1.7 rebounds over his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Cavaliers.

Levesque joins the Clippers staff as a player development and video coach following two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, most recently serving as the team’s assistant video coordinator/player development assistant. He previously worked as a graduate assistant for St. John’s University, where he helped with the team’s video operations, statistical analysis and scouting reports.

In addition to Castleberry, in his second season with the Clippers, and O’Connor, in his seventh, a number of staffers are returning. Among them, Dan Fitzpatrick has been promoted to Head Video Coordinator and Conor Dunleavy has been elevated to Assistant Video Coordinator.

Thunder reportedly close to trading Chris Paul to Suns

Veteran star NBA guard Chris Paul may be on the move from Oklahoma City to Phoenix.

According to ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns and Thunder are close to agreeing to a trade that would send CP3 to the Suns.

In return for Paul, the Thunder would reportedly receive Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2020 first round draft pick.

The Thunder finished 5th in the Western conference last season, but are apparently looking to rebuild.

The Suns tied with the Grizzlies for the 10th best record in the West last season, but are on the rise. By adding Paul, they’ll be adding to their age, but also to their experience and ability to compete for a playoff spot right away.

Paul is 35 years old, averaged 17.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game last season. He’s on a very expensive contract that will pay him over $41 million in 2020-21, with a player option to make over $44 million in 2021-22.

Mavericks will reportedly hire Zach Guthrie as assistant coach

While the league prepares for the draft and a free agent frenzy like no other, coaching job news continues to roll out. Here’s the Desert News:

The shuffle on the Utah Jazz’s bench is reportedly continuing.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday morning that assistant coach Zach Guthrie is leaving to take an assistant role with the Dallas Mavericks. It would mark the fifth assistant coach transaction involving the Jazz this offseason, as Johnnie Bryant left for the New York Knicks, while Utah has hired Dell Demps, Keyon Dooling and Sergi Oliva.

Both the Mavs and Jazz made the playoffs this past season, and both should contend to do so in 2020-21.

Suns mentioned in Chris Paul trade talks

Here’s Arizona Sports with a quick Suns note as the league prepares to open up for signinigs, trades and all other transactions:

On Monday at 10 a.m. Mountain Time, the NBA trade freeze will be lifted and teams can begin to deal players, according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein…

The Phoenix Suns have been involved in trade rumors surrounding Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul. Such a deal, which would likely require Phoenix to send away Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre, would be allowed to be completed at that time should the two sides agree to a trade.

Months worth of NBA offseason moves are about to happen in the next few weeks.

Inside Hoops will be updating constantly.