Landry Fields
The Hawks fired general manager Landry Fields, they announced.
Fields became lead executive in 2022, seemingly on the basis of his alignment with Nick Ressler, Director of Business and Basketball Operations and son of Hawks owner Tony Ressler. Travis Schlenk resigned reportedly after opposing the trade for Dejounte Murray, which Nick Ressler and Fields favored, and Fields got promoted.
The Murray trade mostly flopped, but Fields did well to get Murray onto what looked like a bargain extension then flip him to the Pelicans for Dyson Daniels and a couple first-round picks. Fields' other move of major consequence was drafting Zaccharie Risacher No. 1, though the results of that pick remain quite unknown. Fields also signed Jalen Johnson to an extension that rates as one of the NBA's most team-friendly contracts.
Mostly, though, Atlanta remains in a similar place – middling, with uncertainty about how to build around Trae Young or whether they should just trade Trae Young. The main difference in the Hawks' standing: They had losing records and missed the playoffs both of Fields' full seasons in charge.
Onsi Saleh
The Hawks named Onsi Saleh general manager, but they are also hiring a new president of basketball operations. The new hire will run the front office – maybe with Saleh as the No. 2 executive, maybe not. Don't let the ostentatious title confuse the situation.
Elton Brand
Elton Brand is a candidate to become Hawks president, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
It's unclear whether Brand is getting named because he's especially prominent in the search or because he's just the possibility Stein and Fischer know of.
While running the 76ers, Brand traded for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris then infamously chose Harris over Butler, giving Harris and Al Horford large contracts that aged poorly while Butler was leading the Heat to the Finals. Maybe Brand learned from that, but he probably wouldn't be my first choice.
Executives
Lead executives fired in the last two weeks: 4
Lead executives fired in all of 2022, 2023 and 2024: 3-4*
*The Wizards' Tommy Sheppard, Hornets' Mitch Kupchak and Pistons' Troy Weaver were definitely ousted. You can debate whether Travis Schlenk straight resigned from the Hawks or actually got forced out.
Landry Fields follows the Nuggets' Calvin Booth, Pelicans' David Griffin and Kings' Monte McNair for a run of executive firings unseen in a dozen years.**
**In April-May 2013, five lead executives got the axe: Suns' Lance Blanks, Timberwolves' David Kahn, 76ers' Tony DiLeo, Raptors' Bryan Colangelo and Kings' Geoff Petrie.
Fresh blood atop all these front offices could result in bold new thinking across the league. Then again, teams are hiring Scott Perry, Joe Dumars and maybe Elton Brand.
Dallas Mavericks
Mavericks director of player health and performance Johann Bilsborough and athletic performance director Keith Belton got into a heated exchange after the Mavericks nearly unknowingly played Dereck Lively II with a stress fracture – a fireable offense, according to one of the sources Tim MacMahon of ESPN quoted in his absolutely SCATHING article on the Mavericks' training staff.
MacMahon paints a picture of underqualified/flawed yes men – Nico Harrison hired both Bilsborough and Belton – causing dysfunction that swept up Luka Doncic and the rest of the team. Evaluating training staff/injury outcomes is difficult, but this article covers a lot of ground.
Dallas Mavericks
Kevin Durant left the 2019 Warriors in free agency. LeBron James left the 2018 Cavaliers in free agency. LeBron left the 2014 Heat in free agency. Shaq demanded a trade from the 2004 Lakers. Michael Jordan retired from the 1998 Bulls.
The 2024 Mavericks chose to trade Luka Doncic.
Klay Thompson
Powerful video of Klay Thompson, who hunched over when asked after the Mavericks' season-ending play-in loss Friday whether he still would have joined Dallas with the benefit of hindsight:
"Don't do this to me. Don't do that to me. Don't do that. That's kind of a ridiculous question, because I don't own a time machine, and I don't believe in going back, looking back. If I did that my whole career, I would not be where I'm at, and I wouldn't have been able to persevere through two really hard injuries. So, I'm here in Dallas, and I enjoyed my time and I'm looking forward to the future."
Translation: No, he wouldn't have, but life doesn't work that way, and he doesn't want to dwell on something he can't change.
That's a healthy attitude from Thompson, but this answer reveals how difficult maintaining that approach can be.
Awards
Award finalists with our picks:
Most Valuable Player
Finalists: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Nate: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum
Danny: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum
Dan: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo
The only question answered here: Giannis Antetokounmpo will top take third over Jayson Tatum. We already knew Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic will finish 1-2 (probably, though not absolutely, in that order).
Defensive Player of the Year
Finalists: Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, Dyson Daniels
Nate: Evan Mobley, Rudy Gobert, Ivica Zubac
Danny: Evan Mobley, Ivica Zubac, Draymond Green
Dan: Evan Mobley, Rudy Gobert, Ivica Zubac
Draymond Green's campaigning worked, at least to some degree. Dyson Daniels' historic steal rate should count a lot. Steals are the most valuable defensive play. But I suspect voters over-indexed on that easily countable stat and didn't properly consider a non-big's difficulty affecting possessions. And I say that as Dunc'd On's resident Daniels supporter.
Rookie of the Year
Finalists: Jaylen Wells, Zaccharie Risacher, Stephon Castle
Nate: Zaccharie Risacher, Zach Edey, Donovan Clingan
Danny: Jaylen Wells, Donovan Clingan, Zaccharie Risacher
Dan: Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, Stephon Castle
Though we were lower on Stephon Castle, he will likely win the award. Really, I'm impressed voters rewarded Jaylen Wells, whose contributions were more subtle. In a relatively flat race, Zaccharie Risacher got a bump as the No. 1 pick.
Sixth Man of the Year
Finalists: Payton Pritchard, Malik Beasley, Ty Jerome
Nate: Payton Pritchard, Malik Beasley, De'Andre Hunter
Danny: Payton Pritchard, Malik Beasley, Scotty Pippen Jr.
Dan: Payton Pritchard, Malik Beasley, Ty Jerome
Is, as Nate argued, Ty Jerome even the best reserve on his own team? Maybe not. But sustainable or not, all those shots Jerome made count. That swayed me and, apparently, enough voters (though I had more separation between the top two and Jerome than Jerome and whomever was No. 4).
Most Improved Player
Finalists: Cade Cunningham, Ivica Zubac, Dyson Daniels
Nate: Evan Mobley, Austin Reaves, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Danny: Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Norman Powell
Dan: Ivica Zubac, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley
I guess I was wrong when I expressed surprise Ivica Zubac wasn't getting more buzz for this award. I just must have missed it.
Clutch Player of the Year
Finalists: Jalen Brunson, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards
Dan: Jalen Brunson, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Anthony Edwards is a perfectly fine third finalist. It was wide open after Jalen Brunson and Nikola Jokic to me.
Coach of the Year
Finalists: Kenny Atkinson, J.B. Bickerstaff, Ime Udoka
Nate: Kenny Atkinson, Mark Daigneault, J.B. Bickerstaff
Danny: Mark Daigneault, Kenny Atkinson, Ime Udoka
Dan: Kenny Atkinson, J.B. Bickerstaff, Mark Daigneault
Having guided the Thunder to a 68-14 record, Mark Daigneault is the first coach to win more than even 65 games without being reigning Coach of the Year and NOT finish top three for Coach of the Year.
Tyronn Lue
Watch Nate and Danny lose their minds as Tyronn Lue kept Ivica Zubac on the bench in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' Game 1 loss to the Warriors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J7IyXoPpig
Thankfully for the Clippers, they have a coach who's experienced and adept at overcoming their coach's early-series foibles.
Thunder-Grizzlies
With their 51-point victory over the Grizzlies yesterday, the Thunder broke the record for largest Game 1 win in NBA history.
The previous record was 47 – by the Lakers over the Spurs in 1986 and Magic over Celtics in 1995.
Largest Game 1 wins:
No team that won Game 1 by more than 40 has ever lost the series. Only one team that won Game 1 by even 35+ has lost the series.
In the 1982 Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics beat the 76ers by 40 in Game 1 then lost in seven.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored more than 20 points in 72 straight games – the longest such streak since Wilt Chamberlain.
He also finished with just 15 points yesterday.
That doesn't end the streak, which counts only regular-season games. And it's obviously mostly because he played just 23 minutes in the blowout (though he also didn't shoot well, 4-of-13, including 1-of-7 on 3-pointers).
But still an interesting oddity.
Miami Heat
The last team with a losing record to win a playoff series was the 1987 SuperSonics, who went 39-43 then upset the Mavericks in the 2-7 series.
With a 21-point Game 1 loss to the Celtics, the Heat don't look like the next losing team to do it.
Dunc'd On Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOsd31RJETY
-Dan Feldman