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Clipps and Drew

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Etan Thomas

Ethan Fuller

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Jeff Pearlman

Jonathan Concool

Katie Heindl

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Kenyon Martin

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Nekias Duncan

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Vinny Del Negro

Yasmin Duale

The New Orleans Pelicans have named Stan Van Gundy as the franchise's next head coach. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1318975775157161984?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Van Gundy signed a four-year contract with the team</a>.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski says the Pels were sold on Van Gundy's abilities to teach a young roster, his history of building top defensive teams and his vision for the current New Orleans roster.
On his Twitter acount, <a href="https://twitter.com/realStanVG/status/1318986910040264704?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Van Gundy stated</a>:
"I&rsquo;m excited to join a talented New Orleans Pelicans team. It will be an honor to work with our players and to work for Mrs. [Gayle] Benson and David Griffin, Trajan Langdon, their staff and the great people of New Orleans. I can&rsquo;t wait to talk to our players and get the process started."
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1318974917820313601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Van Gundy last helmed an NBA franchise in 2017-18 with the Detroit Pistons. His head coaching career includes eight years with the Orlando Magic, including a 2008-09 NBA Finals appearance, and four years in Detroit, with a career record of 523-384. Van Gundy more recently was part of the NBA broadcast crew at Turner Sports.

Van Gundy will replace Alvin Gentry in the role for the Pelicans.

Stan Van Gundy named Pelicans head coach

The Denver Nuggets are as tempting a trade partner as almost any team in the league.
The most tantalizing &ldquo;win-now&rdquo; move for the Nuggets would be to acquire 27-year-old Washington shooting guard Bradley Beal. The league&rsquo;s No. 2 scorer behind James Harden, Beal represents arguably the juiciest trade chip across the league. But there are several obstacles to Beal landing in Denver.&nbsp;
From Denver&rsquo;s perspective, trading for Beal means including rookie Michael Porter Jr. That&rsquo;s a non-starter for the Nuggets, who are highly unlikely to part with Porter unless they get a superstar in return, according to a league source.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/10/19/nuggets-trade-bradley-beal-victor-oladipo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer of The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS: Although adding a Bradley Beal or Victor Oladipo would certainly help the Nuggets chances of reaching the Finals, Denver's front office is not willing to part ways with their rising star, Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr. sat out his rookie season with a back injury, but had a coming out party when the NBA resumed it's season in Orlando this year, and was named to the Second All-NBA Seeding Games Team.
Porter, who is just 22 years-old, has a very high ceiling as a 6'10'' forward in this league. And for that reason, the Nuggets are resistant to include him in any package that would land them Bradley Beal or Oladipo.

The Nuggets do not have plans to move their young rising star, Michael Porter Jr.

Nuggets unlikely to trade Porter Jr. for Beal

It doesn&rsquo;t mean the Knicks will pick him if he falls to No. 8 in the NBA Draft, but Killian Hayes currently has a narrow edge as the team&rsquo;s second point guard on the board after LaMelo Ball, according to NBA sources.
Hayes, the 19-year-old left-hander who played in Germany last season, is considered to have a more supreme skill set than the other lottery-projected point guards such as Tyrese Haliburton, Kira Lewis, Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, Theo Maledon and Tyrese Maxey.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://nypost.com/2020/10/20/knicks-favor-killian-hayes-as-second-pg-in-nba-draft-after-lamelo-ball/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&amp;utm_medium=site%20buttons&amp;utm_campaign=site%20buttons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Berman of the New York Post</a>
ANALYSIS: The Knicks are exploring all their options in this year's draft and now seem to be high on the 6'4'' guard out of France, Killian Hayes. Hayes, who is 19 years-old, has been playing internationally for the past couple years, most recently in Germany where he averaged 12.8 points and 6.2 assists per game in 26.8 minutes. Killian Hayes has good size for a point guard and is very effective when driving to the rim.&nbsp;
There are still a lot of question marks surrounding the guard out of France as not many people know about Hayes. He will look to make a strong impression on scouts in his pre-draft workouts coming up, which the Knicks are expected to be invited to.&nbsp;

The Knicks are high on the 19 year-old out of Germany Killian Hayes and he has been on the Knicks radar for the 2020 draft.

Killian Hayes rising on Knicks draftboard

For all the changes to the Rockets since last season, with the departure of Mike D&rsquo;Antoni as coach and Daryl Morey as general manager, owner Tilman Fertitta said on Tuesday that the stars of his roster will remain. The &ldquo;window,&rdquo; he said, is still open, giving him no reason for more widespread changes.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/rockets/article/No-reason-to-blow-up-Rockets-roster-Tilman-15661906.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&amp;utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_medium=referral">Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle</a>
ANALYSIS: Despite the sudden departure of long time Rockets GM Daryl Morey, owner Tim Fertitta still has championship aspirations for his team next year. The Rockets are searching for their first NBA Finals appearance since 1995 when they won back to back championships.
The Rockets have yet to name a head coach since the departure of D'Antoni, as they are taking a slow and methodical approach through the hiring process. Finding a new head coach will be the first step in shaping out an identity for this Houston team next year.&nbsp;

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta will not entertain the idea of rebuilding Houston's current roster.

Tilman Fertitta not ready to 'rebuild' Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers have requested a career-ending injury application to remove the salary of retired forward Luol Deng from the team books.&nbsp;
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1318591296865435649" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Lakers initially signed Deng to a four-year contract worth $72 million in 2016, but waived the two-time All-Star using the stretch provision in 2018. Deng last suited up for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2018-19 season and retired with the Bulls in October 2019. The Lakers owe Deng just under $5 million each of the next two seasons.&nbsp;

The retired small forward is owed money from the Lakers through 2022.

Lakers request Deng contract removal

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Indiana Pacers are hiring Toronto Raptors assistant Nate Bjorkgren as the the team's next head coach.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1318585001919873027?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS: Bjorkgren was a part of Nick Nurse's staff in Toronto for the past two seasons and also won a G League (formerly D-League) title with the Iowa Energy back in 2010-2011. He became the first assistant coach to win championships in both the NBA and NBA G League. Bjorkgren replaces Nate McMillian, who coached the Pacers for four years but failed to lead the team past the first round of the postseason.

The Indiana Pacers have found the next leader of their team.

Pacers hire Nate Bjorkgren as head coach

Multiple sources have emphatically said Milwaukee will not look to trade Antetokounmpo if he passes on the extension. Instead, the Bucks will try to improve their roster and use the next year to show Antetokounmpo why he should stay. Waiting would give Antetokounmpo maximum leverage over Milwaukee over the next 12 months. If the Bucks are willing to add to their payroll to improve the team &mdash; something ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported they are &mdash; Milwaukee could chase a significant upgrade in trades (despite being short on prime assets).
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30127108/nba-free-agency-people-power-make-big-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Bontemps of ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: Even if Giannis doesn't sign an extension with the Bucks this offseason, Milwaukee will focus on building a championship-caliber roster around their reigning MVP in hopes of persuading Giannis to stay with the franchise long-term. The Bucks have no interest in shopping Antetokounmpo at this time.&nbsp;
It is no secret that Antetokounmpo loves Milwaukee and the Bucks' fanbase, but Giannis wants to win championships and have a legendary career. He will have to decide if Milwaukee is the place where he can fulfill those dreams.

Despite the expectation that Giannis will not sign an extension with Milwaukee, the Bucks will not consider trading the reigning MVP.

Sources: Bucks won't consider trading Giannis

Add Jerami Grant to the list of players expected to interest the Heat this offseason. Grant is expected to opt out of his $9.3 million player option with Denver, but it would be a coup if Miami could land him with its $9.3 million mid-level exception. Grant, a 6-8 swing forward, averaged 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 26 minutes and shot 38.9 percent on threes in 71 regular season games, including 24 starts. 
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://account.miamiherald.com/paywall/registration?resume=246514150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami Herald</a>
ANALYSIS: Jerami Grant, who is expected to opt-out of his contract in hopes of securing a bigger deal, could ponder the idea of signing for a similar amount of money to join the Miami Heat. Grant will have to weigh out what is most important to him this offseason, competing for titles or securing the bag. Jerami is coming off a strong season and was a key factor in Denver's playoff run which has led many teams to show interest in the versatile forward.&nbsp;
Grant averaged 11.6 points during Denver&rsquo;s postseason run, starting 16 of the 19 games.

NBA free agent Jerami Grant has interest from the Miami Heat this off-season.

Heat to show interest in Jerami Grant

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who hold the top pick in this year's NBA Draft, are reportedly "high" on Dayton forward Obi Toppin.
Source: <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2913808-how-high-will-2020-nba-drafts-most-popular-prospect-climb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Wolves have been heavily rumored to pursue a range of directions with their top pick, including drafting LaMelo Ball or trading out of the spot entirely. But according to Wasserman, Minnesota is among the many teams coveting Toppin's offensive versatility. The 2019-20 Wooden Award winner averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.

The Dayton forward has a host of potential lottery suitors, and Minnesota is atop the draft board with the first overall pick.

Timberwolves interested in Obi Toppin?

Drummond has a $28.7 million player option for 2020-21. No team would give him anything close to that in this uncertain climate. Not to mention, there are only a few room teams and limited contenders in that group. Even though Altman said there isn&rsquo;t clarity on Drummond&rsquo;s decision, the logical conclusion is Drummond opting in.
The real question is what happens after. At one point, there was mutual interest in an extension. However, the sides have been far apart in those preliminary discussions, sources say. The Cavs recognize Drummond&rsquo;s talent but they are also honest about his flaws, especially in this pace-and-space era, where bigs like him are easy to attain. They don&rsquo;t want to commit to an unfriendly deal that could limit future moves, not after an eight-game sample size. Drummond, meanwhile, wants to be compensated for bypassing a chance at 2021 free agency, when many teams will have significant cap space. Given the differing, current monetary views, an extension seems unlikely.&nbsp;
Source: <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2020/10/will-cleveland-cavaliers-trade-andre-drummond-hey-chris.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor</a>
ANALYSIS: Drummond had a cup of coffee with Cleveland before the pandemic shut down the Cavaliers' season. It is smart for J.B. Bickerstaff and co. to see how a player of his skill set fits with the up-and-coming guards before making a commitment to him, especially in a new era of basketball where traditional bigs are taking a back seat.

Drummond had a cup of coffee with Cleveland before the pandemic shut down the Cavaliers' season.

Cavs, Drummond 'far apart' on extension talks

The NBA G League's players' union has begun shaping its Interim Executive Committee, and longtime South Bay Laker Andre Ingram will serve as union president. Fellow Laker David Stockton will serve as Vice President, and G League Ignite's Isaiah Todd is the Secretary-Treasurer.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1318281149182021632" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania via Twitter</a>
ANALYSIS: The most prominent name here is Todd, who is one of the pilot players for the G League's professsional pathway team. Todd enters the pro ranks as a five-star high school player and will be a central piece of upstart Ignite, joining top prospects including Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Daishen Nix on the squad.

Andre Ingram, Isaiah Todd and David Stockton will serve in leadership roles for the Interim Executive Committee.

Ingram, Todd headline G League Players Union

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly "much more likely now" to target Detroit Pistons point guard Derrick Rose this offseason.
Source: <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/los-angeles-lakers/derrick-rose-pistons-trade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sean Deveney of Heavy.com</a>
ANALYSIS: Rose is under contract with the Pistons for two more seasons, but with the franchise entering a rebuild and the Lakers looking to remain a title contender, a trade could be in the works. The former 2010-2011 MVP has continued to grow out of his injury-stricken past. Last year, Rose averaged 18.1 points and 5.6 assists per game for the Pistons, with both being the highest per-game averages since before he tore his ACL in 2012.

The Pistons point guard could be a valuable acquisition for the defending NBA champions.

Lakers 'much more likely' to pursue Rose?

Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet is hitting unrestricted free agency this offseason, and according to reports, could land a lucrative deal similar to that of Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon. The New York Knicks are among the teams with serious interest in VanVleet.
Source: <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-raptors-fred-vanvleet-20201014-gn77zjyswfdhnenxbc274eefbm-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stefan Bondy/New York Daily News</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;VanVleet has massively improved every year since he entered the league as an undrafted rookie. The 26-year-old turned a breakout series in the 2019 NBA Finals into a strong 2019-20 campaign where he averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game for the Raptors. Now he could earn a contract in the range of four years, $85 million (Brogdon's deal). The Knicks have well-documented struggles at the point guard position, and could see VanVleet as both a short and long-term solution.

With the 26-year-old point guard hitting free agency, teams like New York are preparing to give VanVleet a lucrative offer.

Knicks could offer VanVleet big pay day

According to a source, Heat assistant coach Dan Craig made a strong impression during his Friday interview for the Indiana Pacers head coaching job. New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach Chris Finch is still considered the favorite to replace Nate McMillan, who was dismissed after his team was swept by the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article246514150.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami Herald</a>
ANALYSIS: Dan Craig has been a part of the Miami Heat organization since the 2003-2004 season, starting as a video intern and climbing the ranks to now assistant coach status. Craig is searching for his first NBA head coaching position this offseason as he also interviewed for the Bulls job before Billy Donovan was hired.
The Pacers were thoroughly impressed with Craig's interview on Friday, but<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-head-coach-indiana-pacers-chris-finch"> Chris Finch remains the top candidate for Indiana at this time</a>.&nbsp;

Heat assistant coach Dan Craig made a strong impression with the Indiana front office in his interview last week.

Dan Craig makes strong impression on Pacers

For the moment Houston Rockets 3 finalists to be their next head coach: Dallas Mavs ass&rsquo;t Stephen Silas, Jeff Van Gundy &amp; Rockets dir/player development John Lucas.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Berman of Fox 26 (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Houston seems set on naming a new head coach very soon. The Rockets next step will be to consult with their players about the candidates, and shortly after a decision should follow. Rockets assistant John Lucas has been gaining a lot of momentum recently and might be considered a favorite at this time.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Houston Rockets reportedly have narrowed thier coaching search to three finalists.

Rockets narrow coaching search to three

Bradley Beal recently joined the On the Road with Buck &amp; Phil podcast and discussed his future with the Wizards after signing his two-year, nearly $72 million extension with Washington last October. Here&rsquo;s part of what he had to say when asked what it would mean for him to stay in D.C. for his entire career:
&ldquo;That would mean the world, man. I&rsquo;m a loyal guy. I want to be here. I&rsquo;m here. I&rsquo;ve signed my extension. And that will mean the world to me. That honestly would you know, being able to finish your career in one place? You know, you don&rsquo;t see that in today&rsquo;s game.&rdquo;
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://ontheroadwithbuckandphil.libsyn.com/episode-23-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On the Road podcast with Buck &amp; Phil&nbsp;</a>
ANALYSIS: Beal has another year left on his two-year extension that he signed in 2019 and seems happy with where he's at on the Wizards. Obviously Bradley Beal would like to win more games and go deeper into the postseason, but Beal described himself as a 'loyal' guy and is not the type to switch teams and chase rings. Beal values longevity with a franchise very highly and his intent is to finish his career in Washington, which would mean the &lsquo;world&rsquo; to him.

Bradley Beal would like to spend whole career with Wizards, says he is a 'loyal' guy and it would mean the 'world' to him.

Bradley Beal on Wizards: 'I want to be here'

If point guard Chris Paul makes his way to the Knicks via a trade, sources have said Anthony is likely to want to follow. Anthony and Paul are close friends and have dreamed of playing together on an NBA team. Both players were represented by Knicks president Leon Rose when he was basketball chief of Creative Artists Agency. A source said Rose is amenable to an Anthony return even without Paul.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://nypost.com/2020/10/16/nba-free-agency-carmelo-anthony-suddenly-looking-ripped/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Berman of the New York Post</a>
ANALYSIS: Chris Paul would prefer to land with a contender as OKC is likely to trade him this offseason, but the Knicks are a real possibility. The Thunder are entering full rebuild mode with a young roster and a new coach, so trading Chris Paul and his hefty contract make a lot of sense for OKC. There have been several reports that CP3 would be interested in playing for New York because of the big market they have to offer. If CP3 does end up on the Knicks roster, Carmelo is reportedly likely to follow because of their close relationship and his ties with the Knicks.
Anthony, however, did recently say he would be returning to the Blazers next season, but his mind may change if his long time friend Chris Paul ends up in New York.

Carmelo Anthony would reportedly be interested in a return to the Knicks if Chris Paul ended up there.

Carmelo Anthony open to Knicks return?

The NBA and National Basketball Players' Association have extended the deadline to negotiate changes on the Collective Bargaining Agreement to October 30.
Source: <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30123004/nba-nbpa-extend-negotiating-window-cba-modifications-oct-30" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Among the COVID-19 pandemic's sport-altering effects is the loss of revenue to be used by the league. The NBA and NBPA will continue to discuss modifications to the CBA, with conversations conintuing on how this will effect player salaries. The deadline to make changes has been repeatedly moved back, so October 30 may not be the final change.&nbsp;

The league and the Players' Association continues to discuss changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

NBA extends CBA negotiations

The Golden State Warriors are rumored to be favoring Memphis center James Wiseman with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, should the franchise keep the pick.
Source: <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30120353/new-nba-draft-intel-trade-talk-sleepers-perfect-fits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Jonathan Givony</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Wiseman is one of the draft's top prospects.&nbsp; He's an athletic center with prolific physical tools and the potential to be a floor-spacer and elite rim protector. The Warriors have been lacking at the center spot and could see Wiseman as a good fit. However, rumors have connected GSW with numerous players, and a trade should not be ruled out, either. Right now, though, it appears Wiseman is a frontrunner.

Wiseman, one of the NBA Draft's top prospects, could fit a Warriors team looking for its center of the future.

Warriors likely to pick Wiseman at No. 2?

In Los Angeles, there is an unquestioned, A-1 superstar in Leonard. His presence both instantly made the Clippers a title contender and also eventually ruffled the feathers of some teammates because of the preferential treatment showed to him from top to bottom.
Players like [Patrick] Beverley, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams &mdash; Clippers bedrocks before the arrival of Leonard and George &mdash; bristled when Leonard was permitted to take games off to manage his body and to live in San Diego, which often led to him being late for team flights, league sources said. The team also allowed Leonard to dictate to Rivers when he could be pulled from games, among other things. Lue was on Rivers&rsquo; bench for all of this, but the Clippers were Rivers&rsquo; show.
Source: <a href="https://theathletic.com/2141520/2020/10/15/in-tyronn-lue-the-clippers-found-a-familiar-coach-who-can-bring-needed-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Vardon and Jovan Buha of The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS: It was only a matter of time before a story came out about last season's Clippers, right? Such is the standard practice of when one door closes, another opens. Whether we find out that that Leonard's treatment was more preferential than others is true or not, we do know that Lue will have the task of checking everyone's ego at the door.

A few of the pre-Kawhi Leonard Clippers were reportedly bothered by his preferential treatment due to his superstardom.

Several Clippers bristled by Kawhi's treatment?

The Minnesota Timberwolves have reportedly been actively pursuing a trade involving the top overall pick in this year's draft.
Source: <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30120353/new-nba-draft-intel-trade-talk-sleepers-perfect-fits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Jonathan Givony</a>
ANALYSIS: The Wolves have been rumored to be looking at trades for their top pick, and it seems those discussions are picking up. In a draft that analysts say lacks star potential at the top, it makes sense for the Wolves to pursue a trade that could land the team a win-now player to join Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell.
&nbsp;

The Wolves continue to pursue a trade involving the top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.