LaMelo Ball has reportedly struggled in workouts and interviews, and many league sources believe he could fall out of the top three. Some teams may prefer to play it safe, but if a player with Ball’s upside does slip, a bidding war could commence, as reported by The Ringer.
Josh Longstaff is leaving the Milwaukee Bucks to join Billy Donovan’s coaching staff with the Chicago Bulls, Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Longstaff was previously the head coach of the Erie BayHawks in G League, and an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bulls are hiring Bucks assistant Josh Longstaff for Billy Donovan’s coaching staff, sources tell ESPN. For Longstaff, it is an opportunity to elevate to a front-of-the-bench assistant.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 2, 2020
Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris announced today that the team has named Daryl Morey as President of Basketball Operations. Morey joins the organization after 14 seasons with the Houston Rockets, 13 of which were spent as general manager. With Morey as general manager, Houston compiled a 640-400 (.615) record, the second-best of any NBA team during that span. Among executives with at least 1,000 games of experience, Morey’s record stands as the fifth-best in league history; a top-five that also includes the likes of R.C. Buford and Jerry West.
Between 2007-20, Morey’s teams never had a losing season, winning 50-plus games eight times and qualifying for the postseason on 10 occasions. The Rockets’ eight straight playoff appearances, including multiple trips to the Western Conference Finals, represent the longest streak in the NBA.
In addition, the team announced that General Manager Elton Brand has signed a multi-year contract extension.
“Daryl Morey is one of the very best front-office executives in the NBA and I’m thrilled to welcome him to Philadelphia as the 76ers President of Basketball Operations,” Harris said. “Talent like Daryl rarely becomes available so we moved quickly and aggressively to bring him here. He has an extraordinary track record of success in this league as an innovator, visionary and leader, and I believe he significantly improves our chances of delivering a championship caliber team to our fans. This offseason, we made it our mission to make this organization better and stronger. By hiring a tremendous front-office leader in Daryl and championship coach in Doc, as well as extending Elton, we’re proud of what we’ve assembled. I’m excited for their leadership and look forward to continuing to build a team this city and our fans can be proud of.”
Over the years, Morey played a part in bringing several All-Star-caliber players to Houston through trades and free agency, including James Harden, Kyle Lowry, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. In 2017-18, Morey earned Executive of the Year honors, while Harden was named MVP, following a franchise best 65-17 regular season.
“Thank you to Josh Harris for the trust he has placed in me to lead the 76ers. I am humbled by the challenge and will work tirelessly to win the hearts of Philadelphia’s legendary fans,” Morey said. “The opportunity to work again with Doc Rivers, Elton Brand, and a stacked roster that is ready to win made this a can’t miss opportunity.”
Prior to joining the Rockets as assistant general manager in 2006, Morey served three years as SVP Operations for the Boston Celtics. Originally from Ohio, Morey is a graduate of Northwestern University and also holds an MBA from MIT where he serves as the co-chair of the school’s annual Sports Analytics Conference.
“I appreciate the confidence Josh Harris and this organization have shown in me with this extension,” Brand said. “From the moment I arrived in Philadelphia, my goal has been to find a way to bring a championship to this city and our fans. I love this city, I love our fans and I will do whatever it takes to help this franchise succeed. This offseason, this organization has added two of the most respected and accomplished leaders in the NBA – Daryl Morey as President of Basketball Operations and Doc Rivers as Head Coach – and I’m excited to work and grow with this group.”
Brand was named general manager on Sept. 20, 2018 and has spent the past two seasons in his current role. Under Brand, the 76ers have compiled a 94-61 (.606) regular-season record and twice qualified for the postseason.
OFFICIAL
We have named Daryl Morey as President of Basketball Operations.
📄: https://t.co/OJsx8Uxsa7 pic.twitter.com/5QLWE5H3cQ
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 2, 2020
Fonte: NBA.com.
Isiaha Mike told Rookie Wire’s Bryan Kalbrosky that he will keep his name in the 2020 NBA draft instead of withdrawing and becoming auto-eligible in 2021.
Mike recently left SMU to sign a deal in Germany with Bundesliga club Chemnitz.
Fonte: Rookie Wire.
Projected top-5 pick James Wiseman doesn’t want to be selected at No. 1 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“Wiseman does not want to come to Minnesota because Karl Towns is there,” said Windhorst. “From what I understand, Wiseman doesn’t even want to do anything with the Wolves.”
Wiseman is currently at No. 3 in the ESPN’s Top 100.
Fonte: The Scoop W/ Doggie.
The NBA is estimating that there would be “significant financial turmoil” if the season competed with the Summer Olympics for television ratings, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
A potential mid-January start would take the season into July, thereby competing with the Olympics. A January start could also cost the league up to a billion dollars in revenues. This is why the NBA prefers a December 22nd start date, while the NBPA have pushed for mid-January to begin the season.
Fonte: Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to accelerate their rebuilding process and start competing in the near future, sources told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Cleveland has the 5th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and, per coach JB Bickerstaff, plans to having Andre Drummond for the foreseeable future.
Fonte: Brian Windhorst.
The Toronto Raptors have discussed playing at the Prudential Center in Newark next season, sources told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
The league reportedly prefers Newark as the Raptors’ temporary home next season due to its proximity to their division rivals and a desire to limit traveling: as Knicks, Nets, 76ers, Celtics, and Wizards are all within 225 miles of the Prudential Center, Newark would be a smart choice in that regard.
The Raptors have also discussed playing in Tampa Bay and Nashville, according to sources.
Fonte: Stefan Bondy.
The NBA fears that starting the league in January instead of December could cost the league between $500 million and $1 billion in revenue, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The financial consequences would result in a steep drop in salaries. There remains “significant gaps” between the NBA and NBPA on how to account for financial losses for last season and steeper projected declines for next season.
Meanwhile, both sides have agreed to push back the deadline of potentially terminating the CBA until next Friday, November 6.
Fonte: Adrian Wojnarowski.
The NBA is allowing all 30 teams to open practice facilities for group practices, workouts and scrimmages with up to 10 players, reports The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The teams who were not included in the NBA’s restart had two-week minicamps in late September and early October.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the players must be tested every day for COVID-19 and return a negative test each time to be allowed to participate.
The NBA may offer the NBPA a 50-game season if the players maintain their position of wanting the season to start on Martin Luther King Day on January 18th, reports Marc Stein of the New York Times. The league, and its television partners, is reportedly pushing for a 72-game season beginning on Christmas Day.
As compensation for players adheres to a regular season schedule, a 50-game season would mean a significant reduction in revenues. The NBA’s 72-game model would begin on December 22nd and stretch for approximately 14 games per month through May, followed by the playoffs through mid-July prior to the start of the Olympics on July 23rd.
Fonte: Marc Stein.
Mike D’Antoni and Ime Udoka have reached an agreement to become assistant coaches under Steve Nash with the Brooklyn Nets, Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
D’Antoni left the Houston Rockets at the end of last season.
Udoka spent last season in Brett Brown’s coaching staff with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Udoka spent seven years on Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio, and has interviewed for several head coaching jobs. He spent last season with Philadelphia. Jacque Vaughn is the Nets top assistant coach. Nash has built a strong staff for his first season as head coach. https://t.co/apfndGdlnM
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 30, 2020
According to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, LaMelo Ball is not performing well in job interviews with teams prior to NBA Draft.
Per RealGm, Lamelo Ball is reportedly struggling during his pre-draft interviews, sources told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
“Here is what I’m hearing from the league at large: LaMelo Ball is not performing very well at job interviews. I’ve heard that from multiple sources. He is not improving his perception via job interview.
“There are people drafting later in the top ten who were not preparing for the possibility of Ball still being around … there are teams later in the top ten who are doing more research on him,” said Bonnell on Sports Radio WFNZ.
The Houston Rockets are not interested to trade James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package centered around Ben Simmons.
With Morey joining the 76ers as new president there have been already speculation on who Phila may try to sign in the next NBA market.
Per RealGM, “I’ve already been told with a few expletives included by somebody with the Rockets: ‘No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don’t ask,’ said Tim MacMahon on the Brian Windhorst podcast.
“It’s not up to the Rockets, is it?” replied Windhorst, referring to the possibility of Harden asking for a trade at some point.
“The answer is no on that,” added MacMahon on whether Houston would trade Harden for Simmons.
Bradley Beal said that when he signed the contract extension with the Washington Wizards he tried to get flexibility because his primary goal is to win.
Beal, via “ The Old Man & The Three ”
“It was more or less, do I want to have something built around me? And I had that opportunity to do it here. Or do I kind of want to test the waters? And that’s kind of what made me do so.
But I signed my deal and kind of structured it to where I had some flexibility, because, at the end of the day, I still want to win. And the organization has to show me that we want to win. I want to see what John’s like, as well. So, there’s always going to be hope in that direction.
But you still want to be able to protect yourself and kind of be selfish in that regard. How can I create some type of flexibility for myself if we aren’t winning, if I do choose to get out.
Beal’s salary (via Hoopshype):
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
2019/20, $27,093,018
2020/21, $28,751,774
2021/22, $34,502,129
2022/23, $37,262,299 (player option)
Fonte: NBC Sports.
Projected top-3 pick LaMelo Ball met with Minnesota Timberwolves’ President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas and head coach Ryan Saunders, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
The Timberwolves have the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming Draft on November 18th.
He is also expected to interview with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls, Givony reports.
Fonte: ESPN.
Elton Brand recently signed a two-year contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brand will remain as GM also with the arrival of Daryl Morey as president of the basketball operations.
The general manager has three years remaining on his contract with the 76ers.
Per Philadelphia Inquirer, “There’s a report out of Philly today, from Keith Pompey, that Elton Brand has three years left on his contract. Well, a month ago he had one year left on his contract, so I think there was a possibility Elton Brand got a contract extension that they didn’t announce.”
The NBA and NBPA are negotiating methods of artificially inflating the 20-21 salary cap to keep it around $109 million, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.
If the NBA and players were to link the salary cap to overall league revenue, it would have fallen to around $90 million. Those discussions are at the core of what needs to be decided to finalize a revised collective bargaining agreement. Both sides must also agree to an escrow system to account for the anticipated shortfall.
Fonte: ESPN.
In addition to Pacers’ assistant Dan Burke, Doc Rivers’ coaching staff in Philadelphia will be strengthen by former Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Cassell has worked under Rivers for the last six years with the Clippers, and his move to Philadelphia was widely expected.
Fonte: Keith Pompey.
Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Stephen Silas is finalising a deal to become the next head coach of the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 47-year old Silas, son of longtime NBA head coach Paul, has worked with several NBA franchises since the 1999-2000 season. While he will make his debut as a head coach, he served as an assistant for Charlotte, New Orleans, Cleveland and Golden State before joining the Mavericks in 2018.
Fonte: Adrian Wojnarowski.
The NBA’s revenues dropped 10% to $8.3 billion during the 2019-20 season amid losses due to the pandemic, according to financial numbers shared with teams and reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.
The balance of the finances included an $800 million loss in gate receipts, a $400 million loss in sponsorships and merchandise and a $200 million in deemed “net negative impact” from a months-long splintering of a partnership with China.
The NBA bubble in Orlando recouped $1.5 billion in revenue that would’ve been lost without restarting the season, with the bubble costing $190 million.
The 2019-20 season losses are slight in comparison to what awaits the NBA in 2020-21 if the season advances without fans and accompanying gate-night receipts, the league told teams: a projected 40% loss in overall revenue, or approximately $4 billion.
Fonte: ESPN.
Former All Star Victor Oladipo would be reportedly happy to sign a contract extension with the Indiana Pacers if they could agree to terms, but a source says joining the Miami Heat would be No. 1 on his list should he leave as a free agent in 2021, as reported by Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.
Miami’s interest, though, wouldn’t likely extend to the possibility of an in-season trade, should Indiana will make Oladipo available for it during the course of next season.
Fonte: Barry Jackson.
The Philadelphia 76ers are hiring longtime Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke, league sources tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Burke joins former Grizzlies and Kings coach Dave Joerger on Doc Rivers’ coaching staff, and is widely regarded for his defensive acumen.
Fonte: Tim Bontemps.
The Clippers have interest in signing the Lakers’ Rajon Rondo, reports Marc Stein of the New York Times, and are expected to pursue Rondo when free agency opens in November.
While the Lakers are reportedly determined to re-sign Rondo after the role he played in their title run, the the Clippers are eager to upgrade at point guard.
Two-time NBA champions has said he is planning to test the market: this means he is very likely to decline his $2.7m option for next season.
Fonte: Marc Stein.
The Utah Jazz have agreed to be sold by the Miller family to Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith for $1.66 billion. The deal will include Vivint Arena and is pending approval from the NBA Board of Governors, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Millers have owned the Jazz for 35 years. Larry Miller passed away in 2009 at the age of 64 with his widow Gail Miller running the team in the subsequent years.
The Philadelphia 76ers are hiring Daryl Morey to a five year contract, as reported by Shams Charania.
Morey will become the president of the basketball operations of the franchise.
Morey joins the 76ers after his long tenure with the Houston Rockets he left at the end of the Orlando’s bubble.
The Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder had an agreement in place for Danilo Gallinari at last NBA trade deadline.
Per RealGM, the deal fell through when he signaled he would test free agency and not agree to an extension.
The Miami Heat were also interested in trading for Gallinari at the deadline.
Gallinari is unlikely to re-sign with the Thunder and they could agree to a sign-and-trade with Dallas. Sign-and-trade agreements must be for a minimum of three seasons.
The Charlotte Hornets want to select James Wiseman in the next NBA Drart and they are open to trading up.
Charlotte has the third pick in the draft but Wiseman could be selected in one of the first two positions.
Per Charlotte Observer, The Hornets are highly interested in selecting former Memphis center James Wiseman in the Nov. 18 draft, two NBA sources with knowledge of the situation told The Observer.
One of those sources said he views Georgia guard Anthony Edwards as the Hornets’ backup plan if Wiseman isn’t available to Charlotte.
The two teams drafting before the Hornets — the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 1 and the Golden State Warriors at No. 2 — appear open to trading out of those spots.
The Dallas Mavericks want to win now and they are willing to add a third star in the next NBA market.
Per Dallas News, All players on the Mavericks are available beyond Doncic and Porzingis. Dallas would also be willing to take on bad salary from another team to help facilitate a trade, which runs counter to their previously perceived preference to maximize their 2021 cap space to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Mavericks own the 18th and 31st picks in the draft and have a strong desire to trade into the lottery.
Fonte: RealGM.
The NBA salary cap for the 2020-21 season is expected to be no less than $109 million, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
“The teams I’ve talked to have said the cap will be no lower than $109 million,” said Bobby Marks on The Lowe Post. “That’s what they’ve been assured. It could be $111 million.”
Fonte: RealGM.