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The NBA community is enjoying the conference finals as the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat try to hang on to their leads over the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics, respectively.
The LA Lakers continue to look for a head coach and their roster for next season still appears to be undecided. The NBA is reportedly looking to abolish the infamous "transition take foul" as it takes away the pace and excitement of the game.
Moreover, the Heat and Celtics are battling injuries during this series. Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Robert Williams and Marcus Smart have all walked in and out of the lineup in these playoffs.
Let's look at the rumors around the NBA in the past 24 hours.
Charlotte Hornets and LA Lakers have the same head coaching frontrunners
The LA Lakers have been hunting for a head coach ever since they were eliminated from play-in contention. Their search has made all the headlines so far. However, Laker Nation hasn't realized that the Charlotte Hornets have the same contenders for their head coaching vacancy.
A coach might choose an up-and-coming young team in the Hornets over a mediocre roster in the Lakers that is bound to fail. So far, Terry Stotts, Kenny Atkinson and Darvin Ham have all been tied to the Lakers and Hornets.
LA Lakers journalist Trevor Lane pointed out the unpredictable nature of the LA Lakers head coaching search. He mentioned that essentially, both franchises could choose the same candidate.
LeBron James prefers Bucks assistant Darvin Ham for the new head coaching job
LeBron James suddenly has a horse in the race for the LA Lakers head coaching job. They have narrowed it down to Terry Stotts, Darvin Ham and Kenny Atkinson. It looks like Ham might join the Purple and Gold soon.
Stotts is the former head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and is a free agent. Darvin Ham and Kenny Atkinson are assistant coaches for the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors, respectively.
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, Darvin Ham has piqued the interest of the four-time MVP. He reported:
"The Lakers may be willing to take that leap of faith because Ham spent two years with the organization. His personality isn’t easily forgotten. Ham brings a lot of energy to a gym.
"He’s arguably the best fit for the locker room, with veterans like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and possibly Russell Westbrook in need of a coach they can relate to and respect. 'He’s the guy LeBron wants,' a competing source said."
Darvin Ham worked with the LA Lakers coaching staff from 2011 to 2013. The organization remembers him from his time back then and his experience with veteran players puts him ahead in the race.
Andrew Wiggins expected to lace up for Game 3 despite questionable status
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes his star forward will join the lineup for Game 3 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Andrew Wiggins has been an iron man throughout his career. He has played over 70 games in a season seven times in his eight-year career, playing all 82 games in three of them. Steve Kerr spoke to the media ahead of Game 3 and said he expects Wiggins to lace up. He said:
"I expect him to play. Technically, he's questionable, but I expect him to play."
Sacramento Kings might trade their fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
The Sacramento Kings landed the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery and many believe they will try to trade it for an active player.
Several rebuilding teams will want to move up in the draft and the Kings would be in a prime position to make a trade. According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the Kings will likely make a move anytime ahead of the draft. He reported:
"There's a strong belief among rival teams that Sacramento will explore trading the fourth selection, either out of the draft entirely for an impact veteran or down later in the lottery to net a contributing rotation player in the process."
New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers emerge as trade candidates ahead of the NBA Draft
The NBA Draft brings several opportunities for playoff-contending teams to make a trade. Many rebuilding teams are hungry for first-round picks and the mid-table teams can get assets in return for them.
The New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers are two teams looking to get into playoff contention every season. They have the eighth pick and seventh pick in the 2022 NBA draft, respectively.
As reported by Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer:
"In addition to Sacramento at No. 4, league personnel have pegged the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans—picking seventh and eighth, respectively—as strong trade candidates."
"Both the Blazers, starring Damian Lillard, and Pelicans, fresh off a playoff appearance, have designs on competing for the postseason. And akin to the Kings, there’s a likelihood that both Portland’s and New Orleans’ front offices could move those selections for an established veteran or to trade down while adding another rotation piece along the way."
