Following the NBA Draft Combine and through the Conference Finals, HoopsHype has gathered the latest intel on the futures of stars Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard, where some top draft prospects are projected to land for the Clippers, Hawks, and Kings, front office updates on the Lakers, 76ers, and Jazz, and coaching updates on the Bulls, Blazers, and Pelicans.
How long can Kyrie Irving fit alongside Cooper Flagg?
When Masai Ujiri was hired as Mavericks president and alternate governor, he joined Utah’s Danny Ainge, Brooklyn’s Sean Marks, and Denver’s Josh Kroenke as current team executives with an additional alternate governor title or higher ranking.
Since the hiring of Ujiri, his message has been clear – everything going forward is about Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg’s development and building around the 19-year-old phenom. In multiple media availabilities since being hired, Ujiri has publicly said that pairing Kyrie Irving is part of that endeavor.
“Kevin Durant once told me that there’s only one Kyrie walking around in the world,” Ujiri said most recently. “Yeah, I think we have to figure out a way how Kyrie fits with our program. I’ve had those conversations with Kyrie. I think Kyrie will fit. There’s a huge curiosity in our minds to see how Kyrie fits playing with Cooper Flagg. He’s just that kind of like an incredible talent and player. I think we owe this organization that.”
Yet, Ujiri’s adjoining stance that Flagg and Irving can form an effective duo has left rival executives around the league wondering how long Irving, a nine-time All-Star who’s coming off a torn left ACL and just turned 34, can co-exist with Flagg when the two players are on different career timelines?
It’s also worth noting that Irving had immense respect for former Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who was his idol growing up as a New Jersey Nets fan. Now, while owed $39.49 million for the 2026-27 season and has a $42.42 million player option for the 2027-28 season, how will Irving respond to a new head coach and coming back from a torn ACL?
Notwithstanding, new Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz echoed Ujiri’s sentiment and lauded the pairing of Flagg and Irving on paper when looking ahead to the upcoming season. “That’s something you dream of,” Schmitz said. “Having a magician with the ball like that who can pass, dribble, shoot, and someone with the connective qualities of Cooper. It’s a match made in Heaven.”
As the Mavericks and Irving find out the answers to these questions, executives around the league will monitor Irving’s return to play and fit alongside Flagg.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks will have a top-10 pick in the draft in consecutive years for the first time since 2017 and 2018, which gave Schmitz confidence that Dallas can get a “rotation-level player” with their pick.
While Schmitz will be tasked with helping Ujiri identify the right young talent to add to the Mavericks, more help may be on the way.
According to league sources, the Mavericks have expressed interest in adding Philadelphia’s Prosper Karangwa to their front office, and Toronto’s director of global scouting, Patrick Englebrecht, is also a candidate to reunite with Ujiri in Dallas after they worked together since the 2013-14 season.
What’s next for Kawhi Leonard and the No. 5 pick?
Within league circles, there are three questions surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers:
1. When and what will be the result of the league’s Aspiration investigation involving Kawhi Leonard, president Lawrence Frank, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, etc.?
2. Following one of the best seasons of Leonard’s career, will the Clippers get an extension done with him, or gauge his value on the trade market?
3. What will the Clippers do with their No. 5 overall draft pick?
Only the league knows when and what will be the conclusion of their Aspiration investigation. Yet, during the Play-In Tournament, Leonard proclaimed, “I think that we’re going to be in the clear, like I’ve told you before, so I’m not stressing it.”
Nonetheless, amid the investigation, the Clippers got younger by trading James Harden for Darius Garland and also accumulated valuable draft assets by trading Ivica Zubac for what turned out to be the fifth pick in this year’s draft, a 2029 unprotected Pacers first rounder, and a 2028 Mavericks second rounder, with Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson.
With the Clippers trending towards a youth movement in their recent blockbuster transactions, rival executives are monitoring Leonard’s future closely as the seven-time All-Star turns 35 in June.
In fact, several executives have put Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo neck-and-neck for the best player to try to acquire on the trade market if Leonard indeed becomes available.
Conversely, if Leonard signs an extension, would the Clippers flip the fifth pick as part of a larger package to acquire a star who’s ready to contribute more readily?
Should the Clippers utilize the fifth pick, the predominant belief among rival executives at the NBA Draft Combine and since is that Keaton Wagler is the top candidate to be selected.
More intel will unfold in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Hawks draft and coaching intel
Following the NBA Draft Lottery, the Atlanta Hawks landed the eighth pick in the draft via the New Orleans Pelicans from the Derik Queen trade. Since then, rival executives who’ve spoken with HoopsHype project the Hawks to select either a point guard, with one of Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff, and Kingston Flemings expected to be available, or Michigan 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara.
While Atlanta wants to re-sign veteran guard CJ McCollum in free agency, according to league sources, the 13-year veteran turns 35 in September, and the Hawks could use depth at point guard.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder had success with Rudy Gobert, who has a similar physique to Mara and won three of his four Defensive Player of the Year awards while under Snyder’s guidance with the Utah Jazz. The Hawks could also use an infusion of size and rim protection to their frontcourt, which Mara would certainly bring.
Speaking of Snyder, he and the Hawks are expected to have extension discussions, as first reported by HoopsHype on April 12. Snyder is entering the final year of his contract, going into the 2026-27 season. Hawks executive Onsi Saleh and Snyder have developed a notably strong synergy while working together.
Meanwhile, Snyder’s assistant coaching staff will have some holes to fill with Butler plucking Ronald Nored to be their head coach and also adding former Hawks coaching associate Conner Varney, as previously reported by HoopsHype.
One potential candidate to monitor for Atlanta’s assistant coaching staff is the team’s College Park Skyhawks G League head coach, Steve Klei.
In addition, it’s worth noting that Hawks assistant coach Bryan Bailey interviewed for the head coaching position with the Portland Trail Blazers, league sources told HoopsHype. Bailey has been an assistant coach for Snyder with the Hawks and the Utah Jazz. He was also an assistant coach for Jazz coach Will Hardy.
Sacramento Kings draft target emerging?
The Sacramento Kings are enamored with Arkansas star guard Darius Acuff Jr., according to league sources, but will he still be on the board by the seventh overall pick?
Acuff, who’s considered a gifted offensive playmaker and scorer, measured well at the combine with a nearly 6-foot-7 wingspan after executives questioned his defensive potential, looking ahead to the NBA level. The SEC Player of the Year led the conference in points per game (23.5), assists (6.4), and minutes (35.1). He also shot a blistering 44 percent beyond the arc for good measure.
It’s worth noting Sacramento’s general manager, Scott Perry, coached Darius Acuff Sr. at Eastern Kentucky, as Sacramento is in search of a long-term floor general for the future. Should Acuff Jr. be off the board, other guards such as Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and Kingston Flemings could be available.
Bulls coaching search update
As the Chicago Bulls begin their coaching search under new EVP of basketball operations, Bryson Graham, several highly regarded lead assistant coaches hoping to become first-time NBA head coaches across the league have emerged as candidates, including San Antonio’s Sean Sweeney, Minnesota’s Micah Nori, Oklahoma City’s Dave Bliss, and Charlotte’s Lamar Skeeter.
In addition, the Bulls will interview Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn as part of their head coaching search, league sources told HoopsHype. Quinn has a strong background in player development and has worked as an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra’s staff since 2014.
Furthermore, Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is a potential candidate being considered for Chicago’s head coaching position, league sources told HoopsHype. Bryant was a finalist for Phoenix’s head coaching job before Jordan Ott was ultimately hired.
Others with NBA head coaching experience, such as Wes Unseld Jr. and James Borrego, have been linked to the Chicago Bulls due to the team’s organizational ties. Unseld Jr. has been an assistant coach for Billy Donovan in Chicago for the past two seasons after a three-year stint as Washington’s head coach. Borrego spent two different stints with Graham in New Orleans.
Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter is also in the mix for Chicago. However, Splitter has remained in contact with Portland throughout the team’s head coaching search and is among Portland’s finalists to be the team’s permanent head coach, league sources told HoopsHype.
Overall, given the current pool of candidates, there’s a strong chance Chicago will hire a first-time head coach who will be tasked with an emphasis on player development as the organization begins to rebuild.
Where things stand with Portland’s coaching search
New Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon has cut costs since arriving and is projected to have the lowest-paying head coach in the league by the end of the team’s search. These circumstances have led some of the NBA’s top assistant coaches and some college head coaches to decline Portland’s interest in them for the job. Yet, others have valued the opportunity to interview and compete for one of the 30 NBA head coaching jobs available.
Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter has remained in contact with Portland throughout the team’s head coaching search and is expected to be among Portland’s finalists for the job, league sources told HoopsHype. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls also have interest in Splitter for their head coaching vacancy.
Numerous candidates have been in the mix for Portland’s head coaching job, along with Splitter. HoopsHype previously reported Portland interviewed Denver’s Jared Dudley and Houston’s Ben Sullivan as part of their coaching search.
Quietly, the Trail Blazers also interviewed Hawks assistant coach Bryan Bailey for Portland’s head coaching position, league sources told HoopsHype. Bailey has been an assistant coach for Quin Snyder with the Hawks and the Utah Jazz. He was also an assistant coach for Jazz coach Will Hardy.
Portland also called the Cleveland Cavaliers for permission to speak with assistant coach Omar Cook early in the process, which was believed to be for a possible assistant coaching position, league sources told HoopsHype.
Other reported candidates, including Terry Stotts, Jeff Van Gundy, Micah Nori, Mike Williams, Greg St. Jean, Jerry Stackhouse, and Tyler Lashbrook, have also been a part of the process.
It’s worth noting that former Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has quietly been connected to Portland within league circles. Yet, will that chatter lead to anything more substantive now or in the future?
One bookmark worth recalling is the last time Portland had a coaching search in 2021, Damian Lillard told Yahoo Sports, “Jason Kidd is the guy I want.”
Now, Portland’s current price range for a head coach is well below Kidd’s remaining contract with the Mavericks, which is for four years and $40 million, according to ESPN. Kidd also expressed a desire to make front office personnel decisions before Dallas hired Masai Ujiri and Portland general manager Joe Cronin signed a multi-year contract extension in April of 2025.
Thus, while the stars may not align on paper for a pairing with Kidd at this juncture, there’s been enough scuttlebutt leaguewide worth keeping tabs on looking ahead.
Overall, it’s hard to pinpoint a leading candidate for Portland’s head coaching position heading into Memorial Day Weekend, as talk of varying finalists and candidates spread like wildfire during the day on Friday.
What’s next for the Pelicans after hiring Jamahl Mosley?
Now that New Orleans head coach Jamahl Mosley is officially in the fold, he’s begun working on his assistant coaching staff for the Pelicans.
Mosley’s coaching staff is expected to include Pelicans holdovers Greg Monroe, Jodie Meeks, Mike Hopkins, and Will Bynum, league sources told HoopsHype.
Additionally, Dale Osbourne and Bret Brielmaier, who were both a part of Mosley’s assistant coaching staff with the Orlando Magic, are strong candidates to join Mosley in New Orleans, league sources told HoopsHype.
Osbourne was in charge of Orlando’s defense and also worked as an assistant coach on Terry Stotts’ staff in Portland. In addition to working on Mosley’s staff in Orlando, Brielmaier was Long Island Nets G League head coach, worked as an assistant coach with Brooklyn for Kenny Atkinson and Jacque Vaughn, and with Cleveland for Mike Brown, David Blatt, and Ty Lue.
What’s next for Philadelphia’s front office?
After the Philadelphia 76ers and Daryl Morey parted ways, managing partner Josh Harris tasked HBSE president Bob Myers with finding a new leader of basketball operations.
Thus far, external candidates, including Cleveland’s Mike Gansey, Minnesota’s Matt Lloyd, and Phoenix Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren, have emerged. Internally, 76ers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson has also positioned himself well to remain with the organization and be in the mix for a possible promotion, league sources told HoopsHype.
While Nelson appears to be the safest of any current 76ers executive on staff, it’s unclear what’s next for others on the staff. For example, Prosper Karangwa has drawn interest from the Lakers and Mavericks, league sources told HoopsHype.
Elsewhere, other plausible candidates could’ve been a part of the search, but ultimately are not. Despite strong ties to Myers from their time together in Golden State, Atlanta’s Onsi Saleh won’t be a part of the search. Saleh finished second in the league’s executive of the year voting, and after losing Bryson Graham to the Bulls, the Hawks declined to let the 76ers interview Saleh. Andre Iguodala, who won four NBA championships and has a close relationship with Myers, also didn’t end up being a part of the process when many around the league speculated he’d be a potential candidate.
Ultimately, whoever is hired will have to work with head coach Nick Nurse, who was retained. Nurse has two years left on his contract, league sources told HoopsHype. In addition, Myers is expected to be involved in all major transactional decisions for the 76ers moving forward, even after a new basketball operations leader is hired.
The search for a new basketball operations leader is expected to continue to the next stage sometime next week.
Lakers front office candidates
The Los Angeles Lakers have expressed interest in several candidates for their front office openings, including Timberwolves assistant general manager Steve Senior, 76ers assistant general manager Prosper Karangwa, Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler, Jazz vice president of player personnel Bart Taylor, and others, league sources told HoopsHype.
Senior passed on an offer from the Lakers and decided to remain with the Timberwolves. With the 76ers and Daryl Morey parting ways, Karangwa has received interest from the Lakers and Mavericks, HoopsHype has learned. Amsler has been with the Heat for 22 years, including winning three NBA championships in seven appearances. Taylor was previously the G League Executive of the Year with Utah’s Salt Lake City Stars.
Utah Jazz G League executive change
The Utah Jazz will name Shane Fenske as general manager of their G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, league sources told HoopsHype. Fenske is also Utah’s assistant general manager. Previously, the Yale graduate worked for the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers.
You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Blue Sky (@MikeAScotto).
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