NBA News Roundup: 3-time Sixth Man of the Year not planning on retiring this offseason, Utah Jazz reveal the updated list of head coaching candidates, and more - June 20, 2022
The Golden State Warriors just won their fourth title in six Finals appearances. They proved to the NBA world that their dynasty is still alive. Steph Curry finally won the coveted Finals MVP award and several analysts are now including him in their all-time top-10 lists.
In other news, the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz are still looking for a new head coach. Their search isn't going as well as planned though. In an unprecedented move, Kenny Atkinson reneged on Charlotte's head coaching offer and decided to stay on as an assistant with the Warriors. The Jazz, on the other hand, are still interviewing candidates.
The LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are looking to bolster their roster after disappointing campaigns. The two teams were among the favorites to win the title before the 2021-22 season began, but both failed to win a single playoff game.
Let's dive into a few news stories from around the NBA from the past 24 hours.
#1 Lou Williams not interested in retiring from the NBA just yet
Thirty-five-year-old Lou Williams isn't interested in retiring from the NBA and plans on coming back for an 18th season. He is a three-time Sixth Man of the Year recipient and is arguably one of the best bench players of all time. He last played for the Atlanta Hawks and is going to be active in free agency this offseason.
As reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania, Williams' agent Wallace Prather said:
"(Williams) is not pursuing retirement, and I’ll be proactive in talking to teams during free agency."
Playmaking
Can Lou Williams help a team next season? He'll be a free agent.
Here are his Player Profile report cards for the following skill areas:
🍗 Playmaking
🍗 Perimeter Shooting
Explore more with our 2013-22 Player Profiles:
bball-index.com/data-tools-pac… https://t.co/vGO8SfQLtP
#2 Collin Sexton cleared for full practice after missing majority of last season
Collin Sexton missed most of last season as he suffered a torn meniscus to his left knee. But he is expected to be a solid contributor moving forward. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, he has been cleared for full contact training and basketball activities. He reported:
"Cavaliers restricted free agent Collin Sexton has been cleared for full basketball activities, sources said. Sexton underwent surgery in November to repair a torn meniscus and has made a complete recovery on the eve of entering free agency. Rival execs believe Sexton’s market could reach the $20 million-per-year range."
The Cavs want to re-sign Collin Sexton and bring back Ricky Rubio, per @KevinOConnorNBA https://t.co/MuIAkfyWQi
#3 Brooklyn Nets are at an impasse with Kyrie Irving regarding his future
Kyrie Irving's future with the Brooklyn Nets is up in the air and recent reports suggest that the two have reached an impasse.
There is optimism from the rest of the NBA that Irving will enter the free agency market and sign with another team. If Irving decides to leave Brooklyn, teams like the LA Lakers and New York Knicks will be interested. He has eight days until his deadline to opt in to his $36.9 million player option for the 2022-23 NBA season.
As reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania:
"Multiple sources tell The Athletic that conversations about Irving’s future have gone stagnant between him and the Nets. An impasse currently exists among the parties that clears the way for the seven-time All-Star to consider the open marketplace, those sources said."
Kyrie Irving and the Nets are ‘at impasse’ that clears the way for him to test the open market, per @ShamsCharania
The Lakers and Knicks are expected to be suitors https://t.co/LnAgFks2yB
#4 Veteran forward Jeff Green returning to the Denver Nuggets next season
Jeff Green was a valuable piece for the Denver Nuggets last season and the 35-year-old forward has decided to make use of his player option to continue playing alongside the reigning two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic.
He averaged 10.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the field last season and started in 63 of the 75 games he played. He also started in all five playoff games.
Veteran forward Jeff Green exercised his $4.5M player option to return to the Denver Nuggets next season, sources told ESPN.
#5 Utah Jazz release list of candidates for coaching role
The Utah Jazz are in the midst of a huge head coaching search and have interviewed more candidates than any other organization in the NBA. They released a list of 15 potential head coaches who have been selected for the second round of interviews. The list includes 12 assistant coaches, one G-League coach and two former head coaches.
As reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania, the assistant coaches up for the job are New York Knicks' Johnnie Bryant, Utah Jazz's Alex Jensen, Toronto Raptors' Adrian Griffin, Boston Celtics' Will Hardy and Joe Mazzulla, Milwaukee Bucks' Charles Lee, Miami Heat's Chris Quinn, Dallas Mavericks' Sean Sweeney, Detroit Pistons' Jerome Allen and Philadelphia 76ers' Sam Cassell.
The G-League head coach is Jason Terry, who coaches the Grand Rapids Gold, a Denver Nuggets affiliate, while the former head coaches in the mix are Frank Vogel (LA Lakers) and Terry Stotts (Portland Trail Blazers).
bit.ly/39x2LqAUtah Jazz interviewed Jason Terry for their vacant head coaching position & Terry shares with @BallySports why the Jazz are headed in the right direction & is a "good man for the job" & why Donovan Mitchell is an elite athlete.
Full interview here ➡️bit.ly/39x2LqA https://t.co/SVcGa1sLtG