Mike Brown
By tabbing former Cavaliers/Lakers/Cavaliers/Kings coach Mike Brown as their next coach, the Knicks are the first team in 20 years to make the conference finals, fire their coach then hire an experienced replacement.
Every other conference finalist that fired its coach since the Pistons replaced Larry Brown with former (and future) Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders in 2005 promoted an assistant to his first head-coaching post:
2022 BOS: Ime Udoka → Joe Mazzulla
2013 MEM: Lionel Hollins → Dave Joerger
2008 DET: Flip Saunders → Michael Curry
Brown is a relatively safe hire. But is the known entity good enough to guide New York deeper in the playoffs than Thibodeau did? The Knicks are definitely going a different direction than other recent teams in their position.
Malik Beasley
Malik Beasley had a $5.8 million judgment made against him in a lawsuit by a loan company, put his current and future NBA contracts up as collateral to get a loan from another company, had a dentist garnish his Pistons wages, lost another judgment in a lawsuit by a barber, is being sued by his former agent and is being sued by his landlord, Robert Snell of The Detroit News covers in a fascinating and deeply reported story.
Even if the FBI gambling investigation involving Beasley leads nowhere, I wonder whether NBA teams will just see him as too much of a liability. He served 78 days in jail in 2021 over an incident of pointing a gun at people. At a certain point, his personal life just becomes too erratic.
Malik Beasley
Here's video of Malik Beasley – his Timberwolves down 9 with five seconds left in a game they were +8.5 – racing the length of the court to dunk and swing the betting line as Minnesota lost by seven to the Clippers.
Is it fair to assume Beasley bet on the game? Absolutely not!
Does the video at least raise eyebrows, given the latest developments? Yeah…
However, we generally praise athletes for playing hard until the final buzzer. The dunk also gave Beasley 21 points. Players care about eclipsing the 20-point mark.
Still, that garbage-time hustle leaves a lasting impression.
Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton was repeatedly late to team flights and practices, skipped rehab appointments, slammed chairs when pulled from games and threw tantrums in the locker room with the Trail Blazers, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. The Suns had similar frustrations with Ayton.
Anyway, congratulations to the Lakers on their new center.
Seriously, despite his flaws, Ayton is a moderately productive center and obviously has the tools to perform better. LeBron James has helped summon quality production from other immature players. Maybe he can do the same with Ayton – if still in Los Angeles himself. Perhaps, Ayton is ready to turn the corner in his approach to the game.
But his history suggests he will challenge the Lakers' culture.
Damian Lillard
Report, via Chris Haynes, who said he spoke to Damian Lillard: Lillard learned he was getting stretched when it became public Tuesday.
Counter-report, via Eric Nehm, Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic: The Bucks informed Lillard on Sunday.
Players love to complain about how they were told of a transaction. The Bucks are obviously incentivized to maintain a perception they treating their players well, even outgoing players. I'm not sure who to believe.
But this move doesn't sound like a well-kept secret until the moment news broke. Bobby Marks of ESPN noted Monday that Milwaukee wasn't signing Kevin Porter Jr. with the bi-annual exception, as it appeared. With the Bucks – stunningly to most of us – opening cap space, Porter will go into the room exception.
Myles Turner
The Pacers offered Myles Turner $23 million annually, according to Eric Nehm, Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
That's more than the $20 million another report had Indiana offering.
But it still wasn't enough.
The Bucks are paying him $26.75 annually – over four years. Indiana's offer reportedly was just three years.
Milwaukee Bucks
A team can't stretch someone if his cap hit would give the team more than 15% of the salary cap in dead salary.
Damian Lillard's cap hit is 14.6% of the salary cap.
For the Bucks to stretch Vasilije Micic, he'd need to sacrifice at least $6,067,810 of his $8,109,150 salary in a buyout.
Maybe he'd do that. Maybe he'll give up less in a buyout, as the Bucks can probably clear enough cap space for Myles Turner without stretching Micic (depending on exact terms pledged to Turner and Bobby Portis). The 15% limit applies only when stretching players.
Longest tenures
With Myles Turner leaving the Pacers for the Bucks and Kevon Looney leaving the Warriors for the Pelicans, that'll end two of the longest tenures in the league:
Stephen Curry (GSW): 16 seasons
Draymond Green (GSW): 13 seasons
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): 12 seasons
Dwight Powell (DAL): 11 seasons
Nikola Jokic (DEN): 10 seasons
Devin Booker (PHO): 10 seasons
Myles Turner (IND): 10 seasonsKevon Looney (GSW): 10 seasons
Dante Exum
With Dante Exum, the Mavericks have committed about $900,000 in salary above their second-apron hard cap to 16 players (one more than the regular-season standard-contract limit).
Could another long-tenured player – Dwight Powell – be on his way out?
Dallas could stretch Powell's $4 million expiring contract, dipping below the second apron and getting more wiggle room than the team had last season.
Brandon Williams' minimum salary is unguaranteed. Waiving him would also give the Mavericks enough second-apron clearance and wouldn't incur a cap hit. But Williams can actually play.
Gregg Popovich-Mitch Johnson
Gregg Popovich is still the all-time leader in coaching wins.
But Don Nelson just gained ground.
The NBA is assigning the Spurs' 32-45 record with Mitch Johnson as acting coach last season to Johnson, removing the wins (and losses) from Popovich's record, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Popovich retroactively retires with 1,390 wins – 55 more than Nelson.
I'm not sure exactly where everyone's incentives lied. Popovich gets fewer wins, but a better win percentage. Johnson gets credit for a season of head-coaching, but a meager record.
Most importantly: The 32-45 record feels to me like it should belong to Johnson – especially with Johnson continuing as San Antonio's coach going forward. We didn't necessarily know at the time Johnson was replacing Popovich for good, but that's what happened.
That's the big reason the Warriors' 39-4 record with Luke Walton as acting coach in 2015-16 falls under Steve Kerr. Kerr remained Golden State's coach after his absence.
Hollinger & Duncan
Watch John and Nate break down the wacky start of free agency:
-Dan Feldman