Let’s get you caught up on some of the latest buzz from around the NBA. including potential coaching changes, Houston Rockets rumors and checking in on the Executive of the Year award.
Potential Coaching Changes
The Wizards plan to retain Wes Unseld Jr. heading into next season, though several other teams appear more likely to undergo a coaching change.
The Pistons, Rockets, and Raptors are teams to watch in regard to a coaching change, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Casey and Detroit’s team owners had a meeting earlier this week and there’s a general sense that he won’t be back. Fischer names Bucks assistant Charles Lee as the top candidate if/when the position becomes open. Lee has interviewed with the Suns and the Wizards in the past among other teams.
Rockets Rumors
The future of Nick Nurse is rather interesting with rumblings that he could be the next coach of the Rockets. Nurse recently told reporters that he will take some time to evaluate his future after the season.
For what it’s worth, Bill Simmons recently suggested Nurse will be heading to Houston. I’m not aggregating that as a news report, though as someone who has aggregated NBA news and covered the league for 10 years, I can express that detecting truth in reports can be like a game of poker sometimes. My read is that Simmons has good information, though he’s holding the cards close for whatever reason as opposed to reporting it more formally.
Nurse isn’t the only candidate for the gig in Houston. Old friend Scott Brooks is rumored to also be a candidate. I’d imagine that if Brooks is brought in, it would signal that the franchise feels like there’s a real chance that James Harden will return to Houston. Pistons assistant Rex Kalamian, who previously worked on Brooks’ staff in Oklahoma City (with Harden on the roster) is also being linked to the Rockets.
NBA Executive of the Year Talk
Much of the NBA awards talk has been centered around the MVP, though the Executive of the Year award is actually my favorite among the trophies that are handed out after the season.
Michelle Beadle, who recently sat down with me to answer 21 Questions, favors Monte McNair of the Kings to win the award.
After the front office put together an impressive streak of roster moves, Sacramento is headed to the playoffs for the first time since Rihanna released her debut single Pon de Replay
Last trade deadline, the team made a major move to acquire Domantas Sabonis and the 2022 offseason was about optimizing the roster around him and Fox. Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, and first-round pick Keegan Murray were among the successful additions.
As mentioned many in my previous Executive of the Year writings at Hoops Rumors, Bringing in players is only part of an NBA GM’s job; evaluating what you already have in place is the other side of the coin. McNair showcased an understanding of how Fox would continue to develop with the right pieces around him and of how veteran wing Harrison Barnes would be a fantastic glue piece that helped bring everything together.
Sacramento’s GM isn’t the only worthy candidate for the award, however. Cleveland’s Koby Altman is another lead contender after trading for Donovan Mitchell. Pushing the chips in for the right star at the right time is a skill in precision and years of planning.
Both Cleveland and Sacramento found success via a major trade, though I wonder if Altman will get the nod because the Mitchell trade actually occurred during this past year and that’s a bigger splash than Sacramento’s solid optimization around a deal that occurred last year.
It’s worth noting that the NBA’s Executive of the Year award is not voted for by the selected NBA media members but rather, the executives of the league’s 30 teams vote for the award.
