Basketball Wiretap

Suns To Hire Mike Budenholzer On Deal Worth Approximately $10M Per Season

May 10, 2024 11:01 AM

The Phoenix Suns will hire Mike Budenholzer on a contract worth approximately $10 million per season.

Budenholzer will return to coaching one season after he was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks. Budenholzer's Bucks defeated the Suns during the 2021 Finals.

The Suns parted ways with Frank Vogel as head coach this week after one season in the job.

After a disappointing first round exit, the Suns intend to keep their core of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in place. 

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Tags: Phoenix Suns, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Rick Carlisle Fined $35,000 By NBA For Criticizing Refs After Game 2

May 10, 2024 11:02 AM

Rick Carlisle has received a $35,000 fine by the NBA for his comments after the Indiana Pacers' Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks. Carlisle criticized the officiating in the game and also questioned the integrity of the NBA and its officials.

"I'm always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials," said Carlisle after the game. "But we deserve a fair shot. And there's not a consistent balance. And that's disappointing."

Carlisle also talked about the possibility of the size of the two teams markets making a difference in how the game is officiated. 

"Small-market teams deserve an equal shot,” Carlisle added. “They deserve a fair shot no matter where they are playing."

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA Fines

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Hornets Hire Lamar Skeeter As Top Assistant Coach Under Charles Lee

May 10, 2024 4:32 PM

The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to hire Lamar Skeeter as the lead assistant coach under Charles Lee.

Skeeter spent the past decade with the Utah Jazz under Quin Snyder and Will Hardy.

Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Tags: Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Hollinger & Duncan: Playoffs Week 3: The CRUCIBLE 2024

May 11, 2024 11:27 AM

John and Nate catch up on the playoffs so far and discuss:

  • The key strategic trends of the playoffs so far
  • The best team so far?
  • Whether Jalen Brunson has emerged as a top-5 player?
  • The coaching performances
  • Most surprising players
  • Most disappointing players
  • The playoff crucible
    • Who withstood?
    • Who is ash?

Plus they give their opinions on the Budenholzer and Lee hires in Phoenix and Charlotte.

Four more episodes with Nate & Danny per week are available exclusively on Dunc’d On Prime, plus it’s the only place to hear John Hollinger & Nate as well! DuncdOn.SupportingCast.FM

Plus, subscribe on YouTube to see our hilarious faces and, more importantly, the key moments from the pod each week.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: NBA

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Jayson Tatum: Narrative Says We're A Superteam, But We Didn't Get Rewarded Like We Are

May 10, 2024 11:10 AM

After a disappointing Game 2 loss for the second consecutive series, Jayson Tatum spoke about the expectations outsiders have placed on the Boston Celtics following their dominant regular season.

“We get it,” Tatum said after the Celtics were blown out in the second half by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2. “The world thinks we’re never supposed to lose. We’re supposed to win every game by 25. It’s not gonna be like that all the time. We don’t expect it to be easy. This is a good team we’re playing. It’s the second round of the playoffs. It’s going to be fun the rest of the series, especially come Saturday.”

Tatum also talked about the superteam narrative placed on the Celtics.

“That’s the narrative you might see on TV,” Tatum said. “The idea that we have a superteam. It’s two-fold, right? We didn’t have the Coach of the Year. We didn’t have the MVP. We only had two All-Stars. They say we’re a superteam, but we didn’t get rewarded like we are. We know we’ve got a good team. We’re not perfect. We play the right way more often than not. We know we gotta be better.”

Tim Crowley/NESN.com

Tags: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBA B-Ball IQ

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Toronto Awarded WNBA Expansion Franchise Beginning In 2026

May 10, 2024 11:39 AM

Toronto has been awarded a WNBA franchise beginning in the 2026 season. The franchise will be owned by Kilmer Sports Inc., which is run by Larry Tanenbaum.

Tanenbaum is a minority owner and chairman of sporting giant Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment which owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors, TFC, Argos and Marlies.

Tanenbaum reportedly attempted to purchase the team through MLSE, but other members of the board turned down the opportunity. 

The WNBA recently expanded to 13 teams with San Francisco beginning play in 2025.

Shireen Ahmed/CBC

Tags: NBA

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Suns To Offer David Fizdale Front Office Role

May 11, 2024 12:00 PM

The Phoenix Suns are expected to offer lead assistant David Fizdale a job in the front office.

The move comes after the Suns hired Mike Budenholzer as the team's new head coach.

Fizdale is not expected to accept the offer, according to The Athletic. 

Shams Charania, Doug Haller & Eric Nehm/The Athletic

Tags: Phoenix Suns, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Luka Doncic Questionable For Game 3 With Knee, Ankle Injuries

May 11, 2024 2:24 AM

Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a right knee sprain and left ankle injury.

Doncic has been playing with a sprained right knee since Game 3 of the first round against the Clippers.

Doncic suffered the ankle injury in Game 2 against the Thunder.

Doncic is averaging 28.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists in the playoffs.

Tim MacMahon/ESPN

Tags: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, NBA, NBA Injury, NBA Playoffs

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2024 NBA Playoff Snapshots (May 9): Cavaliers/Celtics, Mavericks/Thunder

May 10, 2024 3:09 PM

What happened in two snapshots in the NBA Playoffs on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: NBA, NBA Playoffs, Infographic

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Brian Keefe Considered Frontrunner As Wizards Begin Coaching Interviews

May 10, 2024 9:51 AM

The Washington Wizards are expected to begin interviews for their next head coach later this week or early next week. Rival teams believe that interim head coach Brian Keefe is the frontrunner for the job.

Keefe took over at midseason, after Wes Unseld Jr. was fired by Washington. Keefe went 8-31 in 39 games in his first head coaching opportunity. Keefe had been an NBA assistant for 14 years with the Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets.

Other candidates for the Wizards opening could include Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Houston Rockets assistant Royal Ivey and Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney. 

Josh Robbins/The Athletic

Tags: Washington Wizards, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Mike Conley Not Ready To Put Timeline On Retirement

Sam Amick/The Athletic

2024 NBA Playoff Snapshots (May 8): Knicks/Pacers

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2024 NBA Playoff Snapshots (May 7): Celtics/Cavaliers, Thunder/Mavericks

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Dunc'd On: DAL/OKC and CLE/BOS Game 2s; Bud to Replace Vogel?

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Trent Perry Commits To UCLA

Jeff Borzello & Paul Biancardi/ESPN

OG Anunoby Ruled Out For Game 3, Considered Unlikely To Play Game 4

Chris Herring/ESPN

Mike Budenholzer Emerges As Top Candidate For Suns

Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Frank Vogel Fired By Suns

Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

David Zaslav: WBD Still In 'Active Negotiations' On Media Right Deal To Keep NBA On TNT

Ryan Glasspiegel/New York Post

Patrick Beverley Suspended Four Games By NBA For Incidents During, After Game 6

RealGM Staff Report

NBC Closing In On NBA Package At $2.5B Per Year Unless TNT Increases Offer To $2.8B

Tom Friend/SportsBusinessJournal

Karl-Anthony Towns To Receive 23-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award

Marc J. Spears/Andscape

Thanasis Antetokounmpo Suffers Torn Achilles

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Hornets Hire Charles Lee As Head Coach On Four-Year Deal

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Pacers Submit 78 Plays To NBA For Review From First Two Games Vs Knicks

Brian Windhorst/ESPN

Candace Parker Named President Of Adidas Women's Basketball

Ben Pickman/The Athletic

Brandon Ingram, Willie Green Had 'Minor Exchange' In Game 2 Versus Thunder

Zach Harper & Shams Charania/The Athletic

Teams Monitoring Chauncey Billups' Situation With Blazers

Marc Stein/The Stein Line

Rick Carlisle After Ejection: Small-Market Teams Deserve An Equal Shot

RealGM Staff Report

Lakers Hold Meeting To Establish Criteria For Next Head Coach

Marc Stein/The Stein Line