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Tag: Rick Carlisle

  • Mavericks fire GM Nico Harrison 9 months after widely panned Luka Doncic trade

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    DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, an admission nine months later that the widely criticized trade of Luka Doncic backfired on the franchise.

    The move came a day after Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont attended a 116-114 loss to the Bucks in which fans again chanted “fire Nico,” a familiar refrain since the blockbuster deal in February that brought Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers and angered the Dallas fan base.

    The Mavericks appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations.

    Dumont’s hope for goodwill with the fans never came even after Dallas landed No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg with just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery.

    There have been plenty of empty seats in the upper deck of American Airlines Center this season, something not seen consistently since 2018, when the Mavericks traded up to get Doncic with the third overall pick.

    Doncic was a 25-year-old generational point guard in his prime when Harrison unloaded him for the oft-injured Davis, who has missed 30 of 44 regular-season games since his arrival in February.

    Harrison was in his fourth season and had engineered three trades that helped the Mavs go on a run to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals two years later.

    The Doncic trade and a slow start to the first full season without the young superstar led to a stunning downfall for Harrison, who declined to comment to The Associated Press. Dallas is 3-8, and Davis has missed six of the 11 games with a calf injury.

    “No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Dumont wrote in a letter to fans. “You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act.”

    While Dumont didn’t directly mention the Doncic trade in the letter, he acknowledged the vitriolic reaction of fans, who protested after the shocking deal. The Las Vegas-based Dumont and Adelson families, who bought the Mavericks from Mark Cuban in late 2023, were targets of the criticism as well.

    “I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had,” Dumont wrote. “Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks.”

    Dumont approved Harrison’s decision to trade Doncic, which kept the Mavericks from having to commit to a $346 million, five-year supermax extension for the Slovenian star.

    Harrison tried to defend the deal by repeating a “defense wins championships” line. But with Davis sidelined by a calf injury and star guard Kyrie Irving still out after tearing the ACL in his left knee last March, defense hasn’t mattered much because Dallas has one of the worst offenses in the NBA.

    With Davis and Irving playing together for just part of one game last season, the Mavericks missed the playoffs a year after Doncic led them to the NBA Finals.

    The slow, injury-plagued start to this season for the Mavericks coincided with Doncic joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA players to open a season with three consecutive games of at least 40 points.

    Doncic’s historic run was interrupted by a three-game injury absence, but the Lakers won twice without him and are 8-3.

    Harrison had spent 20 years with Nike and had close relationships with several NBA stars, including the late Kobe Bryant, when Cuban hired him in 2021.

    The hiring of Harrison was the first step in trying to restore stability after former general manager Donnie Nelson was fired, then Rick Carlisle resigned as coach a day later. Nelson and Carlisle had been together for 13 years.

    Harrison hired Jason Kidd as coach, and the Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals their first season together after Harrison’s first blockbuster trade.

    He broke up the European pairing of Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis and got Spencer Dinwiddie, who played a key supporting role with Doncic as the Mavericks stunned Phoenix with a Game 7 blowout in the second round before losing to Golden State in five games.

    A year later, Dinwiddie was part of the next blockbuster trade, which brought Irving from Brooklyn. The Mavericks faltered the rest of that season largely because of injuries, but they reached their first NBA Finals in 13 years in 2023-24, led by the pair of star guards. Dallas lost to Boston in five games.

    That deep playoff run came in the first six months after Cuban sold the team. He said then that he would maintain control of basketball operations, but that didn’t happen.

    Dumont quickly put full control of the basketball side in the hands of Harrison, who saw Davis as a championship-caliber player in the mold of Bryant. Davis won a title with LeBron James and the Lakers in 2020.

    Cuban criticized the trade of Doncic, saying he never would have approved it and adding that he didn’t think Dallas got enough in return. Months later, though, Cuban credited Harrison for his salary cap management.

    Finley, who was Harrison’s top assistant and has been in the Dallas front office for a decade, was a two-time All-Star for the Mavericks in the early 2000s when Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki was coming of age.

    Finley had moved on to San Antonio when Nowitzki led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2006. Dallas lost to Miami that year but beat the Heat five years later for the franchise’s only championship.

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    AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

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  • Trail Blazers beat Pacers in Lillard’s return from injury

    Trail Blazers beat Pacers in Lillard’s return from injury

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — Jerami Grant scored 28 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers over the Indiana Pacers 116-100 on Sunday night.

    Blazers star Damian Lillard scored 21 points and had six assists in his first game since returning from a calf strain he suffered on Nov. 19. He’s missed 12 games so far this season.

    “It felt good especially coming off last night. We picked up a big win and I just wanted to encourage the team and bring that energy to get us on a win streak,” Lillard said. “I felt normal, I felt good. I think this time it wasn’t as bad as the first time.”

    Anfernee Simons had 22 points and six assists on the night, while Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points and six rebounds.

    The win helped Portland sweep a back-to-back set after winning in Utah on Saturday night.

    One night after Grant and Simons combined to score 78 points in a win at Utah, Lillard wanted to make sure his return didn’t lead to them turning down their own offense.

    “Don’t let me stop you from being aggressive,” Lillard said of Grant and Simons, who combined to score 50 in Sunday’s win. “I’m going to have the ball in my hands and I’m going to find opportunities to do what I do. That’s what I do.”

    Myles Turner led the Pacers with 24 points and nine rebounds. Buddy Hield had 22 points in support as the Pacers were without starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

    Lillard connected on his first field goal attempt — a step back 3-pointer from the corner. With Lillard back in uniform, Portland kept the Pacers at bay for much of the game. Although the Pacers jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter by hitting six of 10 shots, Portland was in control for most of the game.

    “I think at the start of the second half we lost some of our principles defensively,” Turner said. “We got a little too excited offensively and it hurt our defense. We need to play 48 minutes of basketball.”

    The Blazers were hot from the outside, shooting 17 of 40 (42.5%) from the 3-point line. Ball movement was key for Portland as they had 32 assists on 42 made field goals.

    “If we’re really going to win, then it has too be collective,” Lillard said. “It’s really encouraging for me to see it really unfold.”

    Lillard picked up his third foul in the second quarter and the Blazers took him out for the final 2:24 of the first half. During Lillard’s stint on the bench to close the first half, the Blazers extended their lead to 54-49.

    A 3-pointer by Grant extended the lead to 69-53 with 8:54 left in the third quarter and a 3-pointer by Simons pushed the lead to 89-67 with under two minutes in the quarter. Portland took a 93-74 lead into the final period.

    Portland held 22 point leads several times on Sunday night.

    The Pacers showed some grit to start the fourth quarter, cutting the Portland lead to 11 a few times but that was as close as they would get in the final period.

    HALIBURTON OUT

    Haliburton missed his first game of the season with a groin injury on Sunday.

    Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said he also expects Haliburton to sit out when the Pacers travel to the Bay Area to face off against the Golden State Warriors.

    UP NEXT

    Indiana: At Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

    Portland: Host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

    ———

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Why Goga Bitadze Is Likely Not A Rookie Extension Candidate For The Indiana Pacers

    Why Goga Bitadze Is Likely Not A Rookie Extension Candidate For The Indiana Pacers

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    On Monday afternoon, there will be one more deadline for NBA clubs to monitor before the regular season starts this week. 2019 draftees and their teams have until 6 p.m. Eastern Time to agree to terms on a rookie scale contract extension.

    Extensions for players on rookie scale deals must be negotiated before the final year of their contract. So while almost all 2019 first round picks are entering the fourth season of their original deal, they must agree to an extension before Monday afternoon. Otherwise, they will play out the 2022-23 campaign on an expiring contract.

    If no extension is agreed to, the player would become a restricted free agent in the 2023 offseason should he receive a qualifying offer from his prior team. Any extensions that are agreed to, such as recent deals for Brandon Clarke and Jordan Poole, would kick in during the 2023-24 season.

    The Indiana Pacers had the 18th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and they used it to select center Goga Bitadze. Bitadze, a 23-year old interior player, just wrapped up a preseason in which he averaged 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He led the team in three-point percentage (75%) and was third on the team in field goal percentage (64.3%) during the exhibitions.

    “Rick [Carlisle, Pacers head coach], I have a lot of respect for him. Whenever he feels like I should play, I’m going to go out there and do 100%,” Bitadze said during the preseason. He is hoping to take a step forward this year. “That’s what I’ve got to do, just got to stay ready.”

    The three-year pro is currently eligible for a rookie extension, and he will be until the deadline on Monday. However, between Bitadze’s career so far featuring inconsistent impact, the Pacers salary cap situation, and the risks outweighing the reward, it seems unlikely that Indiana and the Georgian big man will agree to terms on a longer contract.

    Bitadze had the best season of his career in 2021-22, averaging 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. After the All-Star break, he elevated his game even further and averaged 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game to close out the campaign. His defensive impact improved, and his general feel for the game was noticeably better than it was during his first two seasons — his positioning and awareness were no longer liabilities.

    The bruising center showed important growth throughout the year, especially down the stretch. But the early portions of his season featured struggles and inconsistent play, which have been themes throughout his career. The Pacers had other bigs on the roster deserving of minutes, which made Bitadze’s role change often, but he struggled to string together consecutive good games until late January of his third season. Prior to that, his time in the pros featured inaccurate play finishing and timing miscues too often.

    It’s difficult to take a long-term gamble on that resume. Sure, the Bitadze that played well for his final 15 appearances of 2022 is worth investing in, but that is too small of a sample for the Pacers to have any confidence that they are making a smart financial decision. With another good, growth-filled season, the Georgian big man would prove that he is worthy of another contract, perhaps even with the Pacers. But that information can’t be discovered until after the rookie scale extension deadline passes.

    Another consideration for the Pacers in any negotiations with Bitadze is their salary cap situation. Indiana projects to have quite a bit of salary cap space next summer, even if they have Bitadze’s free agent cap hold on the books. Any extension for the center would likely start at a salary number that is below his cap hold — roughly $14 million, if he receives a qualifying offer — and that would technically free up some short-term cap space for the blue and gold.

    But with so much cap space potentially available, freeing up a tiny bit more in order to sign Bitadze to a risky extension would be a poor use of funds. If Bitadze has another strong season and proves to be worth more than he is right now, Indiana should be happy to pay him if they want to keep him around. Using their salary cap space on a proven young talent is better business than making a risky investment a year in advance.

    That is why the risks outweighs the possible reward for the Pacers in any potential Bitadze extension. He does not project to be a part of Indiana’s rotation to open the 2022-23 campaign, so committing funds to him now is a bet on growth that may not even be able to take place on the court during the coming season. If Indiana waits until the 2023 offseason to negotiate another contract with the young big man, they will have a better idea about the player he projects to be — and what role he could have on the blue and gold going forward.

    Frontcourt players Myles Turner, Oshae Brissett, Terry Taylor, and James Johnson all currently have expiring contracts for Indiana, so there could be minutes available in the team’s rotation in 2023-24. If Bitadze plays well enough this coming season to earn some of them, then the Pacers should be content to pay him what he is worth as a restricted free agent, assuming he fits their play style. If he doesn’t prove to be a rotation-level player, then Indiana may look for center help elsewhere. The risk that Bitadze doesn’t grow much this season, and is thus overpaid when Indiana’s roster situation is in flux, is not worth taking on for the Pacers since the reward is just that they would save a few million bucks on his next contract. Flexibility is important, and it’s something that the Indiana front office values.

    “Goga really made a couple shots that won the game for us,” Carlisle said this past Wednesday. “Ended up having two blocks. Played huge.” Bitadze finished with eight points in a Pacers comeback win.

    Technically, Bitadze could receive a designated rookie extension, but those are typically reserved for All-Star talents on rookie deals. Assuming that is out of the question, the Pacers can extend Bitadze beyond the 2022-23 season with a contract that would be anywhere from one to four seasons in length and could start at anywhere from Bitadze’s minimum salary all the way up to 25% of the salary cap. Raises from year to year are limited to 8% of the first year salary of the extension.

    Reserve big men such as Andre Drummond, Dewayne Dedmon, and Mike Muscala signed deals that were worth between $3-5 million in annual value this offseason. Can Bitadze grow into that level of player this season? Maybe. But there is little reason for the Pacers to bet that will happen and pursue an extension now instead of just signing the young center to a deserved contract in restricted free agency next offseason if he improves this coming campaign.

    The flip side of the coin is Bitadze’s thinking. It’s hard to imagine he would be interested in a long-term deal with the blue and gold right now. Since being drafted, the Georgian big has been buried on the bench behind Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Isaiah Jackson and, on limited occasions, JaKarr Sampson. This season, it looks like Turner will be the Pacers starting five and Jackson will be his backup, with Jalen Smith getting some playing time at center as well.

    Why would Bitadze rush to sign a long-term contract with a team that doesn’t even have a role for him? Turner has been in trade rumors all summer and is playing on an expiring contract, so there could be minutes in Indiana’s rotation in the future. But without knowing what the roster looks like or what the plans are in the frontcourt, Bitadze may want to wait on an extension and see if a better situation with more opportunity appears next offseason.

    Generally, teams and players are both making a bet during rookie extension negotiations. Front offices are betting that they are getting their young player locked up on a contract that is fair at worst and an underpay at best. Players are betting that they are getting the most money that they could, even if they wait a year until restricted free agency, by signing a deal a full year in advance.

    With Bitadze and the Pacers, it’s difficult to imagine either side takes that bet. If Bitadze’s market value is $3-5 million, then it’s almost impossible to write up a contract that would look favorable and still make sense for the young center to sign. And for Bitadze, what extension offer from Indiana will be there that won’t be obtainable one summer later from either the Pacers or another team? And what extension offer would make sense for Bitadze to sign without assurances of playing time?

    With all these factors at play, it feels exceedingly unlikely that Goga Bitadze and the Indiana Pacers agree on a rookie scale extension. If Bitadze has a good season, the Pacers could be willing to pay him next offseason to be in their rotation going forward. If the center has an okay season, it may be beneficial for both sides to explore their options, both together and apart, in the 2023 summer. And if Bitadze has a bad year, the Pacers may not even want to keep him beyond the current campaign. All outcomes suggest that waiting is the best choice for both Indiana and Bitadze.

    “Right now, I’m feeling good,” Bitadze said of his health situation last week. If he can turn in a healthy, impactful season, then the Pacers and Bitadze can negotiate a new contract next summer. But for now, Indiana and the young big man don’t have enough incentives to push hard for a rookie scale contract extension.

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    Tony East, Contributor

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