Category: NBA Basketball

Fred Van Vleet says of free agency: “I’m trying to get paid

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from nba.com: Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet will be one of the most coveted players on the free agent market when negotiations begin on Nov. 20. And he knows it. When speaking recently on JJ Redick’s podcast  “The Old Man and the Three,” VanVleet asserted that he’s ready to cash in. “I’m trying to get paid, man,” he said. “I’m not shy about that. I don’t have to tell people that I value winning. Like, just look at my story, do your research, I’ve never been on a losing team in…

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Hawks add Nate McMillan to coaching staff

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From nba.com: ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks today announced the hiring of Nate McMillan as an Assistant Coach on Head Coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. 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…

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Oklahoma City to promote Mark Daigneault to head coach

Brandon King

From nba.com: The Oklahoma City Thunder are promoting assistant Mark Daigneault to become the team’s next head coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Daigneault, 35, makes the rise after Oklahoma City and former head coach Billy Donovan mutually agreed to part ways in September.  After a two-month coaching search, the franchise ultimately decided to hire from within. Daigneault has been with the franchise since 2014, mostly serving as head coach of the G League Oklahoma City Blue. He previously worked as an assistant under Donovan at the University of Florida. Daigneault, who will become…

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“Discouraging” Pro Day could hurt Edwards’ draft stock

Brandon King

From Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg: Anthony Edwards has been considered a potential No. 1 pick for the 2020 NBA draft on Nov. 18, but his televised pro day on Oct. 29 might have hurt his stock. According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, “multiple front offices were somewhat discouraged watching Edwards” during his pro day because of his “sluggishness and inconsistencies with his jump shot.” Some have reportedly been concerned the Georgia guard has a low likelihood of reaching his potential, and his pro day didn’t help silence the criticism. Givony still believes Edwards will be taken…

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NBA season to tip off 72-game season December 22

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From Sam Quinn cbssports.com: The NBPA has approved ownership’s proposal for the 2020-21 NBA season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. That proposal includes starting on Dec. 22, in time for the league’s marquee Christmas slate of games. The schedule will be 72 games long.  The plan had initially received quite of a bit of resistance from the players, who wanted a longer offseason after the mentally exhausting Orlando bubble. The Lakers and Heat will now have an offseason just over two months long after reaching the NBA Finals. The Celtics and Nuggets will both lose a significant amount of…

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NBA Players Reps likely to approve Dec 22 season start

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from ESPN.com: Adrian WojnarowskiZach Lowe The NBA’s board of governors and players’ association will hold separate meetings on Thursday expected to culminate with an agreement on starting the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22 and playing a reduced 72-game schedule, sources told ESPN. The National Basketball Players Association is planning to take a formal vote of the team player representatives late Thursday, and sources told ESPN that everything is progressing toward an agreement on a pre-Christmas start to the season. The NBPA is holding team conference calls this week, including several…

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Houston Rockets to hire Stephen Silas as head coach

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from nba.com: The Houston Rockets are finalizing a deal with Stephen Silas to become the team’s next head coach, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Silas previously was an assistant coach under Rick Carlisle with the Dallas Mavericks for the past two seasons. Prior to joining Dallas, the 47-year-old coach had spent his previous nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets. His 20-year NBA coaching career also includes stops with the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington…

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Utah Jazz to be sold to tech entrepreneur Ryan Smith

Brandon King

from the AP: SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The majority interest of the Utah Jazz is being sold to technology entrepreneur Ryan Smith, a move that when formally approved by the NBA will end the Miller family’s 35-year run as owners of the franchise. The Jazz said Wednesday that “definitive agreements” have been struck with Smith on the sale of the team, Vivint Arena, the team’s G League affiliate and management of a Triple-A baseball club. Part of those agreements call for the team to remain in Utah. Smith is a co-founder…

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Amar’e Stoudamire joins Steve Nash’s staff in Brooklyn

Brandon King

from nba.com: One of the NBA’s most famous pick-and-roll combinations is reuniting as coaches in Brooklyn. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, former NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire will serve as an assistant coach on the Nets under their new coach, Steve Nash. Stoudemire and Nash were teammates on the Suns from 2004-10 as one of the league’s most feared guard-big man combinations in the early 2000s. Nash was hired to coach the Nets earlier this month in what will be his first head coaching job in the NBA. He spent the previous five…

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Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie leaves Roc Nation, considering self-representation

Brandon King

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is leaving Roc Nation and “seriously considering representing himself.” Dinwiddie’s departure comes barely a year after joining the agency in September 2019, shortly after his former agent , Raymond Brothers was hired by the firm.

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