NBA Buzz: Jazz, Davis, Irving, Morant, Heat, George, Nuggets, Mobley

Quin Snyder recently came up as a potential replacement for Gregg Popovich for the Spurs head coaching position, but he’s also listed as a probable candidate to take over for Frank Vogel shall the Lakers decide to move on from him.

However, Snyder addressed those reports, suggesting that it’s disrespectful to all parties involved, he told Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune

“To be honest, having to address this type of question in any form, in my view, is disrespectful to the teams that are mentioned themselves,” Snyder said. “I think specifically, these types of discussions are also disrespectful to coaches. And I love the guys that I coach. I love these players. And frankly, my focus is on our guys and our team. And as I said, addressing hypotheticals in these types of questions in any form I feel like is disrespectful. And that’s how I would characterize that.”

More NBA Rumors, News & Notes

Anthony Davis could return from his right foot strain as soon as the first week of April, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports. If the Lakers hope to pull off an upset this postseason, they’ll need the best version of Davis to show up.
Kyrie Irving is now eligible to play games at any New York City venue, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. However, the NBPA is encouraging all eligible players to receive a booster shot with the “possibility of new variants on the horizon,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Oddsmakers at PointsBet currently have the Nets the third most favored to win the championship this season with +625 odds.
Ja Morant is out at least two more weeks due to knee soreness, but the Grizzlies expect him to be good for the playoffs, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies are 15-2 without Morant, but if they hope to make a deep postseason run, they’ll need their MVP candidate.
The Heat are seen as a “legitimate” suitor for Bradley Beal if he decides that he wants a change when he hits free agency, Shams Charania of The Athletic writes. However, a return to the Wizards is still seen as the most likely scenario.
Paul George practiced for the first time on Thursday since he was sidelined with a tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. If the Clippers can get George healthy and somehow emerge from the play-in tournament, they’ll be a tough out even as one of the lower seeds in the Western Conference.
The Nuggets have agreed to a contract extension with head coach Michael Malone, according to the team in a press release. He currently owns the third most wins in Nuggets history.
Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes‘s all-around play on contending teams have redefined the Rookie of the Year Award, Eric Koreen of The Athletic opines. Cade Cunningham has shown immense potential as the first overall pick in that draft class, but he’s currently toiling away on a bad Pistons team, thus giving Mobley and Barnes strong consideration among voters.