As the first round of the playoffs comes to a close, HoopsHype has gathered the latest intel on Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as front office and coaching updates for the Lakers, Bulls, Timberwolves, Magic, Pacers, and Wizards.
What a difference a few months has made for the Orlando Magic.
During the season, Orlando dealt with injuries to Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black, which forced all three to miss significant time and played a factor in the team’s Play-In Tournament standing and eventual No. 8 seed. Improbably, Orlando has now taken a commanding 3-1 series lead over the East’s top seed, the Detroit Pistons.
A few months prior, with heightened expectations entering the season after making a blockbuster trade to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando explored making another huge splash. The Magic expressed interest in trading for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline, league sources told HoopsHype.
Antetokounmpo was originally drafted 15th overall in 2013 by current Magic senior advisor John Hammond. Magic president Jeff Weltman and Hammond have always been enamored with length and size in building their teams through the years, which is one of Antetokounmpo’s many strong suits.
Despite not having significant draft capital to acquire Antetokounmpo after making the Bane trade, Orlando has talented young players in former No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero and Wagner. Black also took a step in his development this season. Each player could have appealed to Milwaukee on paper, but it’s unclear how far the talks progressed between both sides.
Ultimately, the Bucks kept Antetokounmpo despite various interest in him from across the league. They’ve since hired Taylor Jenkins, who was an assistant coach under Mike Budenholzer when the Bucks won 60 games and advanced to the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals. It’s worth noting that Antetokounmpo and Jenkins are said to have a good relationship, according to league sources.
Speaking of coaches, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has admirers in New Orleans, as previously reported on HoopsHype. While Mosley would be toward the top of their coaching candidate list if he hit the coaching market, the Magic have been on a roll, and the Pelicans have already begun interviewing coaches.
Looking ahead, Orlando’s run in the playoffs will dictate how incentivized the franchise will be to make another potential run at Antetokounmpo and determine Mosley’s future with the franchise.
Despite winning Game 4 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves lost Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the playoffs after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon and superstar Anthony Edwards will be listed week-to-week after suffering a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise.
While the Timberwolves have already lost two key players while leading their first-round series 3-2 over the Denver Nuggets, the franchise could also lose key members of their front office and coaching staff.
Within league circles, there’s a strong belief that the Dallas Mavericks will eventually pursue Timberwolves president Tim Connelly for their lead executive position. Amid that buzz, the Minnesota Timberwolves have expressed interest in extending Connelly as their lead executive for the foreseeable future, league sources told HoopsHype.
Connelly helped build Denver’s core, including drafting Nikola Jokic in the second round, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr., while acquiring Aaron Gordon via trade. That core eventually won a championship during Connelly’s first season with Minnesota. Since joining the Timberwolves, Connelly and Minnesota have gone to consecutive Western Conference Finals.
Elsewhere, Connelly’s right-hand man and Minnesota’s general manager, Matt Lloyd, is considered arguably the front runner for the lead executive role with the Chicago Bulls. If Lloyd indeed is hired by the Bulls, Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori will be a strong candidate for Chicago’s head coaching position.
As Minnesota’s playoff run continues, these situations will continuously be monitored.
As the Chicago Bulls narrow their front office executive search, Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd, Atlanta Hawks Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham, and Detroit Pistons Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsey have garnered palpable buzz within league circles regarding their candidacy as finalists entering this week.
Amid that chatter, another wild card candidate has surfaced as part of Chicago’s executive search. Last week, the Bulls interviewed Boston Celtics assistant general manager Dave Lewin, league sources told HoopsHype. Lewin will now join Lloyd, Graham, and Lindsey in advancing to the next stage of Chicago’s interview process.
During Lewin’s 14-year tenure in Boston, the Celtics have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals six times and the NBA Finals twice, including winning the 2024 NBA championship.
Meanwhile, as Chicago progresses in its executive search process, there’s an early coaching candidate to keep in mind. If the Bulls hire Lloyd as an executive, Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori would be a strong candidate for Chicago’s head coaching vacancy, league sources told HoopsHype.
Nori has interviewed for several NBA coaching jobs recently and is knocking on the door of becoming a head coach in the league. He’s been an assistant coach on Chris Finch’s staff in Minnesota since 2021 and previously worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons under Dwane Casey, Denver Nuggets under Michael Malone, and also was an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors.