Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

NBA Players Union reportedly pauses search for new executive director

So far, 2020 has been the year of pauses and cancellations. Here’s Yahoo Sports with a report on the NBPA:

The National Basketball Players Association has temporarily suspended its search for a successor to executive director Michele Roberts until there is more certainty on the future of the NBA season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

With the union in good hands, Roberts, who has two years remaining on her contract, will continue to lead the NBPA through the coronavirus crisis, which caused the NBA to suspend the season on March 11. Critical decisions and negotiations lie ahead that could drastically affect the players’ earnings in the next CBA in the wake of the pandemic.

Bulls and assistant coach Shawn Respert will reportedly part ways after this season

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on Bulls head coach Jim Boylen and his plans beyond this season — the one that’s currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic — regarding one of his assistants:

Boylen won’t retain assistant coach/player-development coach Shawn Respert when his contract is up at the end of the season, but it was obvious weeks ago that Respert was looking for a new career path long before the season was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Respert had long hinted that he wanted to be a head coach at the college or pro level and couldn’t really envision achieving that goal with his role on the Bulls’ staff.

Steve Kerr hotel check-in alias used to be ‘Austin Powers’

Here’s NBC Sports Chicago reporting a fun item from the Bulls’ past:

In news that really only would have made sense in 1997 or 1998, it appears current Warriors coach Steve Kerr used “Austin Powers” as his alias to check into hotel rooms on road trips while playing with the Chicago Bulls.

NBC Sports Chicago’s Rob Schaefer deduced Kerr’s nom de plume after examining a list of road-trip room assignments that ’97-98 Bulls reserve Rusty LaRue shared on Twitter. Schaefer found that the list, which wasn’t presented in alphabetical order, closely corresponded with an A-Z list of Chicago’s roster from that season.

Kai Sotto signs to play in G League

NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim today announced that Kai Sotto, a top prospect from the Philippines, has signed to play in the NBA G League next season. Sotto, ranked by ESPN as the No. 4 player in Georgia in the Class of 2020, spent this past season at Atlanta-based sports development organization The Skill Factory.

The NBA G League gives top young prospects a chance to begin their professional careers while receiving mentorship and life skills training. Sotto will have the opportunity to accelerate his on-court development as he learns NBA-style basketball.

Sotto joins consensus five-star high school recruits Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix in signing to play in the NBA G League for the 2020-21 season. Details of the new team Sotto, Green, Todd and Nix will play for, which will be unaffiliated with any existing NBA G League franchise or NBA team, are forthcoming.

A 7-2 center, Sotto excelled at Ateneo de Manila High School in Quezon City, the Philippines, before playing at The Skill Factory. In February, Sotto participated in the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp during NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago. He has represented the Philippines in several competitions, including the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

Orlando Magic practice facility likely opening soon for individual workouts

Here’s the Orlando Sentinel with an update on the magic:

The Orlando Magic did not reopen team facilities Tuesday for voluntary individual player workouts amid the coronavirus pandemic as they had tentatively planned last week.

The team now plans to reopen Wednesday, but even that is subject to change, according to a team spokesman.

The Magic delayed the works while they wait for COVID-19 test results for players and staff who will be on hand for workouts, according to the spokesman.

Pacers reportedly taking small steps towards using practice facility

Some NBA teams are taking small steps towards increasing the use of their training facilities, in very limited fashion.

Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting on the Pacers:

The Indiana Pacers are starting to get players back at St. Vincent Center, a league source tells IndyStar, though most staff hasn’t been cleared to enter the building.

A return to business as usual is still a ways off, as are full practices.

“Full team activities will not resume without express permission from the NBA, and only in compliance with the executive orders issued by the State and the City or other clearance,” the Pacers said in a recent statement. “After consulting with the Mayor’s Office and their subsequent discussion with health officials, players can begin regulated individual therapy and training … while adhering to government and NBA guidance on social distancing and other health guidelines for COVID-19 prevention. Currently, we are following testing guidelines laid out by the State of Indiana.”

Will the 2020-21 NBA season start on Christmas?

Here’s the Fort Worth Star Telegram reporting on Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s take on fitting the puzzle pieces together regarding how the rest of this season may play out and when the 2020-21 season might begin:

Mark Cuban believes the NBA can still salvage its 2019-20 season, despite it being suspended for two months and counting amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dallas Mavericks owner pointed to Dec. 25 as the start date for next season and then said you just have to work backward for a potential timeline to resume this season. Most teams, Cuban said, would not be playing an extended schedule as there’s a limited number of teams that would advance through the playoffs.

That, he said, would give the league more leeway as to a hard deadline to resume this season.

“How much of an offseason do we need for the draft, workouts and guys to rest?” Cuban said during an interview on ESPN 103.3 FM on Monday. “Worst-case — we kind of squished the schedule and started late July, early August. That’s just me speculating. Go play a few warm-up games to finish out the season and finalize playoff positioning, then play the playoffs.”

Even without the coronavirus pandemic reshaping much of the world’s schedule, it was possible that future NBA seasons were going to start later in the year. The current suspended-play situation only seems to increase that possibility.

At this point, we’re all playing a waiting game that revolves around health and safety above everything else.

Wizards reportedly offer refunds for postponed games

Here’s NBC Sports Washington reporting that won’t be a surprise, that the Wizards are offering fans some options regarding the batch of regular season games that were postponed:

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is preparing those around the league for games without fans and perhaps beyond the 2019-20 season, if and whenever it resumes. So, it should be no surprise the Wizards are taking steps to reimburse fans who have already paid for tickets.

The team sent out an email to season ticket holders explaining a new policy which will credit people for the remaining games this season for a plan next year. That can be taken as a refund if the ticket holders decide not to renew next season, or if they do renew then an additional three percent credit is added.

We aren’t keeping track of exactly which teams have done this already, but some have, and certainly the rest likely will soon.

The remainder of the 2019-20 NBA regular season remains postponed, not canceled, but with each passing day the likelihood of the season being completed diminishes. Perhaps the playoffs will still be played. We’ll see.

Bulls hire Pat Connelly and JJ Polk to front office jobs

The Chicago Bulls have hired Pat Connelly and JJ Polk, naming Connelly as Vice President of Player Personnel and Polk as Assistant General Manager.

Connelly will primarily be responsible for the structure and processes of the scouting department.

Polk will primarily be responsible for strategic planning and salary cap management, in addition to being involved in all player personnel matters.

“Pat and JJ both bring valuable experience that will enhance our basketball operations department,” said Arturas Karnisovas, Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations. “I know that the skills these two possess will be an asset in building out our program. JJ’s expertise with cap management and negotiations will help us be creative in our deals and contracts, while Pat’s great eye for talent, global contacts and networking capabilities will organize our scouting department in a productive way. Combined, these two basketball minds will help increase functionality and implement our vision of moving this program forward.”

Per the Chicago Sun-Times, “the Bulls announced last week that Marc Eversley was named general manager, bringing the number of front office hires to three for Karnisovas. Expect that number to grow, as the plan all along has been to build out each department in the front office, as well as adding depth to each one.”

Connelly was most recently the Director of Pro Personnel with the Denver Nuggets, a position he held for one season in 2019-20. Prior to his time in Denver, Connelly spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns as Assistant General Manager from 2013-18 and seven seasons with the Washington Wizards from 2006-13. He joined the Wizards as a part-time advance scout and worked his way to Director of Player Personnel, becoming one of the team’s top scouts for college and international play. Prior to his time in the NBA, Connelly was a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team at Baylor University from 2004-06, where he also earned a master’s degree in speech communication. He earned his undergraduate degree in business from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2002. Connelly spent one season as an assistant coach on Nick Nurse’s staff for the Brighton Bears of the British Basketball League in the 2003-04 season, helping guide the team to the league title.

Polk joins the Bulls after spending 10 seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, most recently as Executive Director of Basketball Administration. He was initially hired to the Pelicans as the Director of Player Contracts and Basketball Administration, working two seasons in that role from 2010-12. Before joining the NBA, Polk practiced law at Bryan Cave LLP for six years as an associate in the Real Estate and Banking Practice Group. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law. As an undergraduate at Rice University, Polk earned a political science and managerial studies degree. He played professional basketball in Sweden, Latvia and China from 1997-2000.

Nuggets practice facility to be made available for players

Progress is being made on the NBA player workout front. On an individual level, that is. Not on a team level just yet. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Beginning Friday, the Nuggets’ practice facility will be available to players for voluntary individual workouts, a league source confirmed, but it’s unclear how many players will take advantage. A significant portion of the players aren’t currently in Denver.

If they do choose to take advantage – the first tentative step toward a potential return-to-play – there will be rigorous rules in place at the Pepsi Center practice court. No more than four players will be permitted at the facility at any time, and for any individual workout, only one team staff member can work with the player.

The fate of the currently-suspended NBA season will probably be known in the coming weeks. There’s no deadline for the NBA to make a decision, but conventional wisdom suggests more will be known sometime in May.