The Phoenix Suns will interview Monty Williams for a second time in the coming days.

Robert Sarver is expected to be included in the second interview Williams has conducted with the Suns.

Williams is also a candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Suns fired Igor Kokoskov last week.

The New Orleans Pelicans will hire Aaron Nelson as their athletic trainer.

Nelson had been head athletic trainer of the Suns for 19 seasons. Nelson is often credited with prolonging the careers of Steve Nash and Grant Hill.

David Griffin previously worked with Nelson when he was a member of the Suns' front office.

The Pelicans' training staff has received criticism in the past.

The Dallas Mavericks intend to pursue Khris Middleton and Kemba Walker with the hopes they will sign one of them.

The Mavericks have also been linked with Nikola Vucevic, but shooters, athleticism and veterans are the priorities.

The Mavericks will also manage the restricted free agency of Kristaps Porzingis.

Kevin Durant said he doesn't believe James Harden is "cheating" the game with how he plays.

"I wouldn't say that he has an advantage," Durant said. "I think everybody, once they get into the lane, they use little tricks to try to get their shots off. I don't think he's any different.

"He may bump guys off going to the rim, but everybody does that. I wouldn't say that he's found a way to ... cheat the rules. I wouldn't say that. I just think that he has his style of play. It might not be what everybody likes to see, but it's been effective. And I don't think he's been cheating the game at all."

Durant said Harden has "always been clever" at being able to get to the paint and putting pressure on the defense.

Many members of the media have called attention to the lack of respect NBA referees are shown by players and coaches. That argument is now also being made by actual coaches.

“It is out of control and that includes my own team at times,” said one coach of a playoff team. “The league needs to do something about it.”

Chris Paul was fined but not suspended for making contact with a referee at the end of Game 1.

“This isn’t the first time that this player has been involved with referees,” former NBA referee Steve Javie said on Sirius XM NBA Radio. “Even during my career he’s been very, very difficult. And I’ll put that in a kind way; very, very difficult for referees and it seems like he has a disdain for referees. I don’t know whether that’s because he’s so competitive. At some point in your career you would learn to control yourself more be a little more mature and he’s not.”

Gregg Popovich is expected to sign a three-year extension to remain as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

Popovich will still continue to take his coaching future on a year to year basis. The owners of the Spurs believe Popovich has earned the right to manage his future as he deems fit.

Popovich will coach Team USA in the FIBA World Cup in China in September and in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

The Washington Wizards are interviewing Gersson Rosas for their general manager vacancy.

Rosas has interviewed with the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans this offseason. Rosas also interviewed with the Charlotte Hornets last offseason.

Tommy Sheppard is running the front office in the interim and is the only candidate Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has publicly acknowledged.

Rosas currently works for the Houston Rockets as vice president of basketball operations.

RJ Hampton will graduate high school early and reclassify to 2019.

Hampton will be eligible for collegiate basketball this summer and could declare for the 2020 NBA Draft. Hampton was the No. 4 recruit in the ESPN 100 class of 2020.

"I've decided to reclassify to the 2019 class," Hampton told ESPN. "I am doing this because I feel that from a development standpoint, this is the right move for me at this time in order to play against the highest level of competition possible. I am eager to test myself against older and more physically developed players in order to help improve my weaknesses and prepare me for reaching the ultimate goal of playing in the NBA."

ESPN has moved Hampton to No. 6 in their 2020 mock draft.

"This is a move we've been contemplating for some time and we don't take lightly," RJ Hampton's father, Rod, told ESPN. "As someone that played in college as well as professionally in Europe, I know that you can't skip steps in a player's development. Thankfully, because of the hard work that RJ has put in in the classroom -- achieving a 3.75 GPA and a 1280 SAT -- he was able to have this option. This weekend playing against the top players in high school basketball at the Nike EYBL, as well as earlier this month at USA Basketball, my wife Markita and I realized that RJ is ready to take the next step and challenge himself by taking the next step in level of competition."

Hampton is considering Kentucky, Kansas, Memphis and Texas Tech.

What happened in two snapshots in the NBA Playoffs on Monday, April 29, 2019.

League sources believe the Houston Rockets may be circumventing a NBA rule regarding complaints about competition-related matters by leaking a report about the officiating during the Western Conference Finals last season.

The NBA sent a memo to all postseason participants reminding teams that the process for raising “competition-related matters” that include officiating matters need to be shared with their opponent.

The Golden State Warriors were aware of Houston's complaints to the NBA last season, but had moved on. The Warriors "had forgotten about it" until the report was leaked to The Athletic on Sunday, according to a source.

The Rockets protested "landing area" calls on several occasions during Game 1.