Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Miami Heat hire Caron Butler as an assistant coach

The Miami Heat announced today that former first-round pick Caron Butler is returning to where his NBA career began and will become an assistant coach on Head Coach Erik Spoelstra’s staff.

Butler, who has spent the last several seasons working as an NBA television analyst, is the fourth former HEAT player currently on Spoelstra’s staff joining Chris Quinn and former teammates Malik Allen and Anthony Carter.

The 14-year NBA veteran whose career included an NBA Championship (2011 with Dallas) and a pair of All-Star appearances (2007 and 2008 with Washington) spent the first two years of his career with Miami.

“Caron has a remarkable personal story and is someone who is universally respected throughout the NBA for his character, dedication and work ethic,” said Spoelstra. “He brings a mental toughness and nearly 20 years of experience in the NBA as a player, broadcaster and media member that will make him a valuable asset to our coaching staff and players. Most importantly, he has Miami HEAT DNA having started this journey with us and we are excited to welcome him back home.”

Butler, who was the 10th overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, appeared in 146 games (134 starts) in his two seasons (2002-04) with the HEAT. He averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.45 steals and 33.5 minutes with Miami while shooting 40.2 percent from the floor and 80.2 percent from the foul line. He earned All-Rookie First Team honors following the 2002-03 season after leading the HEAT in points, field goals made and attempted, free throws made and attempted, steals and minutes played. A four-time NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, Butler still owns the HEAT rookie records for points scored (1,201), free throws made (309) and minutes played (2,858). He also appeared in 13 postseason games with Miami and averaged 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.15 steals and 39.3 minutes while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 82.5 percent from the line. Butler was traded by the HEAT to the Lakers on July 14, 2004 along with Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and a first-round pick in the deal that brought Shaquille O’Neal to Miami.

In addition to Miami, Butler’s career included stops in Los Angeles with both the Lakers and Clippers, Washington, Dallas, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Detroit and Sacramento. He appeared in 881 regular season games (732 starts) and finished his career with averages of 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.32 steals and 32.2 minutes while shooting 43.4 percent from the floor, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 84.7 percent from the line. He also appeared in 65 postseason contests (49 starts) and averaged 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.12 steals and 31.4 minutes while shooting 39.9 percent from the floor, 28.6 percent from three-point range and 83.8 percent from the lone.

The Racine, WI native has served as a Turner Sports NBA analyst since 2018, including being featured on NBA TV’s signature studio show, NBA Game Time, and NBA on TNT’s PlayersOnly franchise. Most recently, he’s hosted the “NBA Together” initiative. He has also worked as a studio analyst for Spectrum SportsNet’s coverage of the Lakers and worked as an occasional game analyst for the Washington Wizards during the 2019-20 season. In addition, Butler hosted a podcast Tuff Juice with Caron Butler and in 2015 wrote an autobiography (Tuff Juice).

Bulls hire Maurice Cheeks, Josh Longstaff, John Bryant, Damian Cotter and Billy Schmidt as assistant coaches

The Chicago Bulls have announced the hires of Maurice Cheeks, Josh Longstaff, John Bryant, Damian Cotter and Billy Schmidt as assistant coaches on Head Coach Billy Donovan’s staff. Additionally, Henry Domercant, Ronnie Burrell, Ty Abbott and Max Rothschild were brought on as player development coordinators.

Hall of Famer Maurice Cheeks returns home to Chicago after completing his ninth total season with Oklahoma City, five in his second stint as an assistant on Billy Donovan’s staff from 2015-20, and four from 2009-13. He brings more than 40 years of NBA experience to the Bulls as both a player and a coach. Cheeks has amassed a head coaching record of 305-315 (.492) with the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers. He was head coach of the Pistons in 2013-14, and from 2005-09, he was at the helm of the 76ers. In Philadelphia, he posted a record of 122-147, securing a playoff appearance in the 2007-08 campaign. Prior to joining the Sixers, Cheeks spent three-plus seasons as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers (2001-05). During his time in Portland, he posted a 162-139 (.538) mark, accounting for the seventh-highest win total in Blazers coaching history. He helped the Blazers reach the NBA Playoffs twice, and in 2002-03, tied for second in the Pacific Division with a 50-32 record. Before being head coach in Portland, Cheeks spent seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Sixers, and in 2000-01 he helped guide the 76ers to a record of 56-26 (.683) and a spot in the NBA Finals.

A 15-year NBA veteran, Cheeks was selected 36th-overall in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft by the 76ers and retired from the NBA as its all-time leader in steals after playing with Philadelphia, San Antonio, New York, Atlanta and New Jersey. He was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team five times (First Team: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986; Second Team: 1987) and played in four All-Star games (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988). A member of the 76ers’ 1983 World Championship team, Cheeks was honored by the club through having his number 10 retired. He was elected to the 2018 class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. As an NBA player, Cheeks compiled career averages of 11.1 points, 6.7 assists and 2.10 steals in 1,101 games while shooting .523 from the field and .793 from the free throw line.

Longstaff joins the Bulls after spending the previous two seasons under Mike Budenholzer at the Milwaukee Bucks. He has 11 seasons of coaching experience in the NBA, and prior to becoming an assistant with the Bucks ahead of 2018-19, Longstaff was the head coach of the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League for the 2017-18 season. As head coach of the BayHawks, Longstaff led Erie to a Southeast Division title and a 28-22 (.560) record before reaching the Eastern Conference Final. This marked the BayHawks’ first playoff appearance since the 2011-12 season and first-ever Eastern Conference Final appearance. Longstaff was awarded NBA G League Coach of the Month in January 2018 after leading the BayHawks to an 8-3 record. Prior to his time as head coach with Erie, Longstaff was an assistant coach with the New York Knicks for three seasons from 2014-17. He began his career in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2010 as a player personnel and video coordinator before being promoted to video analyst and player development coach. While Longstaff was with Oklahoma City, the Thunder made the playoffs all four seasons, including two appearances in the Western Conference Finals and one appearance in the NBA Finals. A native of Portland, Maine, Longstaff played collegiately at Bryant University in Rhode Island, and following his graduation in 2005, he coached high school basketball in Maine for five years, including two years as a varsity head coach. Longstaff and his wife, Kerri, recently welcomed their first child, Leo.

Bryant comes to Chicago after spending four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, the last two with the title of assistant coach. He joined Philadelphia in 2016 as a player development coach after completing the two prior seasons as an assistant coach with the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. During those two seasons, he was also an assistant coach with the Nigeria men’s national team, which won the 2015 African Championship and competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Currently, he also serves as an assistant coach with the Angola men’s national team, which recently competed in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. Bryant served as associate head coach and head strength and conditioning coach with the Bakersfield Jam of the G League for three seasons before joining Delaware. Prior to his coaching career, he played professionally in the NBA G League with Bakersfield, as well as in Australia, England, Germany and the ABA. Bryant played his collegiate ball at St. Joseph’s University from 2001-05, where he started on the 2003-04 team that went 27-0 in the regular season and reached the Elite Eight. He is married to Allison, and they have three children: Miles, Vera and Moses.

Cotter was head coach of the Windy City Bulls in 2019-20 after being the lead assistant coach at the G League’s Capital City Go-Go in 2018-19 and with the Long Island Nets in 2017-18. The Australian native has 10 years of FIBA coaching experience with Australia, including five World Championships and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Cotter began his coaching career in 2000 as head coach of the Knox Raiders Senior Men’s Team in the South East Australian Basketball League. From 2007-14, he moved up to the New South Wales Institute of Sport in Sydney and was a head coach there. From 2006-13, he was involved with the Australian Junior Men’s Team as an assistant coach and then head coach, before joining the Australian Senior Women’s Team as an assistant coach from 2013-16.

Schmidt joins the Bulls after serving the past five seasons with the Thunder as a director of quality control. Previously, he had spent two decades coaching at the collegiate level, including the 2014-15 season at the University of Florida under Billy Donovan as assistant to the head coach. Before Gainesville, Schmidt spent the prior three seasons at Georgia Tech and eight seasons at the University of Dayton. During his tenure at Dayton, Schmidt was named associate head coach prior to the start of the 2009-10 season. During his eight seasons with Dayton, he helped lead the Flyers to 172 victories, two NCAA Tournament appearances and three NIT berths. He moved to Dayton after nine seasons coaching in the SEC, Big East and Big Ten. Schmidt also worked at Seton Hall and Michigan. A native of Stamford, Conn., he began his coaching career in the high school ranks, serving as an assistant coach to Steve Smith at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, for two years (1992-94). During his tenure, Oak Hill won back-to-back national championships. Schmidt comes to Chicago with his wife, Caroline.

Domercant was previously an assistant coach for the Windy City Bulls for two seasons from 2018-20. Originally from the Chicago area, he attended Naperville North High School before playing college basketball at Eastern Illinois from 1999-2003. A professional career that started in Europe and spanned from 2003 to 2015 – including an All-Euroleague team selection in 2011 and three European domestic league championships – culminated in a return to the USA in 2015-16 with the G League’s Idaho Stampede. His transition into coaching started with an assistant position for the Maine Red Claws in 2017-18 before returning to Chicagoland to join Windy City. Domercant and his wife, Alexandra, have two children: Gabrielle and Canon.

Burrell was an assistant coach with the Long Island Nets in 2019-20 and was a player development and video assistant for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2018-19 season. He also coached at IMG Academy in the summer of 2018 and Florida Atlantic University from 2016-18, where he earned a Master of Business Administration in Sports Management. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and played professionally overseas.

Abbott has previous player development experience with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2019-20 season and the Delaware Blue Coats in 2018-19. The Arizona State University graduate played basketball professionally in the G League and overseas.

Rothschild was previously a player development associate with the 76ers during the 2019-20 season. He played college basketball at Penn, graduating in 2019, and was a two-time captain of the team. The Chicago native played high school basketball for the University of Chicago Laboratory School before prepping for a year at New Hampton.

New Orleans Pelicans reveal new City Edition uniforms

The New Orleans Pelicans today unveiled their latest City Edition uniform, which is heavily inspired by the municipal flag of New Orleans. The Pelicans will begin wearing these uniforms during the 2020-21 season.

DESCRIPTION OF PELICANS CITY EDITION UNFORMS, PER THE TEAM

The City Edition jersey mirrors the flag of New Orleans, featuring a large white base with three gold fleur-de-lis across the chest, bordered by a red stripe and blue stripe. The color scheme and design dates back to 1918 when the official flag was adopted by the City of New Orleans.

A city and team that prides itself on perseverance, strength and resilience, the 2020-21 Pelicans’ City Edition uniform represents the people of New Orleans that exemplify those characteristics every day.

“These jerseys embody who we are and why we love New Orleans,” said Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha. “Our fans never stop fighting and neither do we. We are proud to wear these jerseys to represent New Orleans on a national stage and can’t wait to see our fans support their home team in this City Edition look.”

The waistband of the shorts features the Pelicans traditional “Fleur-De-Lis” logo. In addition, the uniform sports “NOLA” in gold font across the blue stripe on the shorts.

Charlotte Hornets reveal new City Edition basketball court design

The Charlotte Hornets today unveiled a new City Edition court design that will be used for games in which the Hornets wear the corresponding City Edition uniform at Spectrum Center during the 2020-21 season.

After having a Classic Edition court during the last three seasons, the Hornets will now have a City Edition court for the first time.

DESRIPTION OF THE COURT PER THE HORNET

Like the City Edition uniform, the court features a mint, gold and granite color scheme that celebrates Charlotte’s history as home of the first U.S. Branch Mint and the Carolina Gold Rush of the early 1800s, while also incorporating the state rock of North Carolina.

Highlights of the design include:

The court features the “Buzz City” logo at center court outlined in gold and mint.

A tonal mint-colored cell pattern fills the area between the three-point line and free-throw lane.

A gold and graphite version of the secondary logo appears inside the three-point lines.

The free-throw lane is graphite with gold lines.

The court apron is graphite with gold accents on the home time end of the court and mint accents on the visiting team end.

A “coin-ridged” stripe matching the pinstripes on the City Edition uniform runs throughout the apron.

The baseline near the home bench says “Charlotte” in gold and the baseline near the visiting bench says “Hornets” in mint.

The apron has a gold “C” in the official team font at center court, similar to the waistband of the City Edition shorts and reminiscent of the “C” that appeared on coins from the Charlotte Mint.

The gold “C” on the apron is flanked by the word “Trade” in gold across from the home bench and the word “Tryon” in mint across from the visiting team bench, representing Trade and Tryon Streets, the major intersection two blocks away from Spectrum Center at the heart of Uptown Charlotte that divides the area’s four wards.

A pair of Spectrum Center logos continue to live outside the three-point lines.

The Novant Health logo will continue to appear on the apron in front of each bench.

Pacers hire Kaleb Canales and Greg Foster as assistant coaches

The Indiana Pacers have hired Kaleb Canales and Greg Foster as assistant coaches, joining new head coach Nate Bjorkgren’s staff for the 2020-21 season. Additionally, Bill Bayno was retained as assistant coach.

Canales holds 12 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach of the New York Knicks after five seasons with the Dallas Mavericks in the same role. Canales began his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers and spent nine years serving in various roles within the organization. He joined the Trail Blazers as a video intern in 2004 before becoming an assistant coach in 2008 and eventually serving as interim head coach during the 2011-12 season. Canales became the first Mexican-American head coach in NBA history and was elected into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Foster served as an assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks during the last two seasons (2018-20) after spending four years as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks (2014-18). He began his NBA coaching career as a player development coach with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14 after spending two seasons in the collegiate ranks at Texas-El Paso, his alma mater. Selected with the 35th overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, Foster played in 656 career games over 13 NBA seasons with the Washington Bullets, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors.

Bayno enters his fifth season as an assistant coach with the Pacers. The Pacers have recorded a 183-136 (.574) record during the regular season over the past four years and have reached the postseason in every season. Bayno previously served as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers.

San Antonio Spurs promote coaches Mitch Johnson and Darius Songaila

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been promoted. Johnson fills the position vacated by Tim Duncan.

Additionally, Darius Songaila has been elevated to assistant coach.

Johnson was named an assistant coach with the Spurs in 2019 after spending three seasons (2016-19) 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. Prior to joining Austin, Johnson spent one season as an assistant at the University of Portland in 2016. Before his stint with Portland, he coached in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and served as a basketball coaching intern at Seattle University in 2011.

Johnson played collegiately at Stanford University and spent three seasons playing in the G League and overseas in Europe.

Songaila enters his third season with the Silver and Black after spending last season on the Spurs coaching staff as a player development assistant. In his first year with the team he served as a quality assurance assistant in the video department. A native of Lithuania, Songaila spent three seasons as an assistant coach with Žalgiris Kaunas in the LKL and EuroLeague before joining the Spurs.

Songaila played eight seasons in the NBA, averaging 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 495 career games. He also played professionally in Lithuania, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and Ukraine. Songaila made the move to the United States while in high school and played collegiately at Wake Forest University.

Tim Duncan stepping away from Spurs assistant coaching job

Tim Duncan reportedly won’t be a San Antonio Spurs assistant coach in 2020-21. Here’s the San Antonio Express-News:

Tim Duncan is headed back into retirement.

After spending the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 NBA campaign working as an assistant on the Spurs’ bench, Duncan has decided not to return for another tour of duty alongside Gregg Popovich.

The decision did not come as a surprise to those in the Spurs’ organization, who understood the 44-year-old Duncan would be a short-term addition when the franchise cornerstone shocked the NBA world by pausing his retirement to join the staff in the summer of 2019.

“Something tells me it’s not going to be his passion for life,” Popovich said at the start of last season.

It won’t be a surprise if Duncan does continue with the Spurs in some way, perhaps on a part-time basis. Not necessarily immediately, but down the road.

FYI: New Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is a big Bruce Springsteen fan

The OKC Thunder have a new coach, promoted from within the organization. Here’s the Oklahoman with some personal insight on the man who got the job:

The Thunder’s new boss had a song for his big day.

It was by The Boss.

Mark Daigneault is a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen. Thunder general manager Sam Presti joked that he didn’t hold that fandom against Daigneault, even though the coach talks about the singer all the time. Daigneault has even been known to blast Springsteen tunes during basketball practice.

He was thinking Wednesday, though, about Springsteen’s “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

“Because the first line is, ‘Grab your ticket and your suitcase. Thunder’s rolling down this track,’” he said…

Presti said after nearly two months of searching for a new coach, there were lots of reasons Daigneault was the right person for the job. How he relates to players. How he teaches the game. How he develops the talent.

The big Thunder news lately, aside from this coaching promotion, is that legendary veteran point guard Chris Paul’s name is appearing in lots of trade rumors. Coach Daigneault’s approach to the squad surely depends on if CP3 is still on the roster next season. Because if he isn’t, the team is rebuilding, and all sorts of objectives and expectations will change.

OKC Thunder name Mark Daigneault as Head Coach

The Oklahoma City Thunder named Mark Daigneault the team’s new head coach, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

“We are thrilled to have Mark assume the role of head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder,” said Presti. “He has been a selfless and effective leader within our organization since his arrival in 2014. Mark is a values-based leader, continuous learner, and someone that will help us continue the repositioning of our organization on and off the court. The amount of head coaching experience and diverse experiences through his tenure with the Blue is rare for someone his age. He has also shown the ability to empower both the players and staff he works with, and we are confident that he will help us continue to modernize our approach as an organization in a constantly evolving industry. Most of all, Mark has a great belief in and commitment to Oklahoma City and he will be a tremendous ambassador for our State.”

Daigneault (DAYG-nalt) becomes the fourth head coach in Thunder history after originally joining the organization as head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue in 2014. He is the first person to become an organization’s head coach after previously being the club’s G League head coach.

“It has been tremendous to see Mark’s growth as a coach and leader in this organization,” said Clayton I. Bennett, Thunder Chairman. “He’s made Oklahoma City his home and is a proud member of the Thunder and the community. We are extremely confident that he is going to do a wonderful job for the team on and off the court.”

Prior to joining the Thunder coaching staff for the 2019-20 season, Daigneault spent five seasons as head coach of the Blue, where he amassed a 143-107 record (.572) and led the team to three consecutive division titles and four playoff appearances. During his final season at the helm of the Blue in 2018-19, Daigneault guided the club to a franchise-record 34 wins. He received G League Coach of the Month honors on two occasions during the season.

“The opportunity to be the head coach of the Thunder is truly a special honor,” said Daigneault. “Over my six years in Oklahoma City I’ve developed a deep commitment to the organization and a care for what is truly a special community that I call home. From my first day here, my values have always been aligned with those of the organization, and I’m looking forward to helping them continue to be lived out on and off the court. I want to thank Mr. Bennett, Sam and the entire organization for the opportunity, and I’m grateful to all the coaches, staff and especially players who have helped me throughout my career.”

Under Daigneault’s watch, the Blue had eight players called up to NBA rosters, four players signed to Two-Way Contracts and 10 Thunder players assigned.

In addition to Daigneault’s role on the Thunder bench during the 2019-20 season, he also served as a Thunder assistant coach during the 2015-16 season.

Daigneault spent four years at the University of Florida before joining the Thunder organization. During Daigneault’s four years in Gainesville, the program posted a 120-30 record (.800) while advancing to the Elite Eight each season. The Leominster, Mass. native spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Holy Cross before joining the Florida coaching staff.

A 2007 graduate of the University of Connecticut, Daigneault served as a student manager with the Huskies from 2003-07. Daigneault holds a master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Florida.

Atlanta Hawks hire Nate McMillan as Assistant Coach

The Atlanta Hawks today announced the hiring of Nate McMillan as an Assistant Coach on Head Coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff.

McMillan, former Head Coach with Seattle (2000-05), Portland (2005-12) and Indiana (2016-20), has led his teams to a 661-588 (.529) mark in 1,249 career regular season games, and has 53 games of postseason coaching experience. Last season, the Pacers finished 45-28 (.616), second in the Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. In his four years with Indiana, the club recorded a 183-136 mark (.574), advancing to the playoffs each season.

“I reached out to Nate after he became available and we’ve had extensive conversations centering around the value, expertise and experience he would add as we look to progress next season. This is a unique opportunity that will benefit me, our coaching staff and our entire roster,” said Hawks Head Coach Lloyd Pierce.

“In his 16 years as a successful NBA head coach, his teams have emulated his playing style and personality. They’ve always been disciplined, competitive, played together and won at a high level. I have great respect for Nate as a man and as a coach, and I feel fortunate to welcome him to our staff and to the Hawks.”

After playing collegiately at North Carolina State, McMillan was drafted 30th overall by Seattle in the 1986 NBA Draft, spending his entire NBA career with the Sonics before having his number (10) retired. He ranks second in franchise history in assists and steals, and ranks in the Top 10 in several other categories. He was twice named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team (1994 and 1995), leading the league in steals in 1994-95 (2.96 spg). He reached the postseason 11 times in his 12 seasons.

He was named Seattle’s interim Head Coach in 2000, eventually becoming the team’s permanent Head Coach until 2005, when he took over in Portland. He recorded a 212-183 mark (.537) with the Sonics and a 266-269 record (.497) with the Blazers, reaching the postseason in his final three full seasons in Portland.

McMillan has also served as an Assistant Coach on the U.S. National Team, where he earned gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, as well as the 2006 FIBA World Championships.