NBA rumors: Warriors-KAT blockbuster, MVP frontrunner, Hornets HC candidates

NBA rumors: Hornets to interview four assistant coaches for open HC job

The Charlotte Hornets are in the market for a new head coach. Steve Clifford is expected to step down at season's end and accept a role in the Hornets' front office, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. While ownership was open to bringing Clifford back, the 62-year-old does not want to commit to the "year-round grind" of coaching.

That places Charlotte in poll position on the 2024-25 coaching carousel. New ownership has time to consider all its options and potentially get a head start on landing the best replacement before other teams join the fray. The Hornets have already lined up interviews with four top assistants from around the NBA, per Woj. Included are Boston's Charles Lee, Denver's David Adelman, Sacramento's Jordi Fernandez, and Phoenix's Kevin Young.

All four names have popped up in prior coaching searches. Lee, for example, spent the last five years on Mike Budenholzer's staff in Milwaukee before joining Joe Mazzulla on the Celtics bench for 2023-24. At 39 years old, he brings the experience of an ex-player, as well as intimate knowledge of how to grow and develop stars.

Kevin Young is another development expert. He has six years of G League coaching experience, as well as time spent under Brett Brown in Philadelphia and Monty Williams (and Frank Vogel) in Phoenix.

David Adelman, son of former NBA player and head coach Rick Adelman, has spent the last seven years under Mike Malone in Denver. He's a recent NBA champion and he previously coached at the high school level.

Last, but certainly not least, Jordi Fernandez is a popular dude in Sacramento. He has spent the last three years as the Kings' associate head coach under Mike Brown. He's also head coach of the Canadian National Team, with built-in relationships to players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and R.J. Barrett.

The Hornets will surely undergo a thorough search. There's truly no rush at this point in the season. That said, a few of the best candidates around the league are already on the Hornets' radar, with no other teams around to limit the available pool.

NBA rumors: Nikola Jokic leads ESPN's MVP straw poll

The latest MVP straw poll from ESPN's Tim Bontemps has been released. While it does not offer a definitive portrait of the MVP race, we are roughly two weeks removed from the end of the season. The vote features 100 members of media and, in the end, NBA media decides the winner. So, it's worth your attention.

Here are the full results, ordered by total points, which are weighted based on the volume of first, second, third, fourth, or fifth-place votes.

Shouts to the one person who voted for Jaylen Brown. Follow your heart.

Anyhow, it's hard to quibble too much with how the faux votes turned out. This feels like an exceedingly probable final top-five, maybe even in the exact order. There's probably room for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic to flipflop in the No. 3 and 4 spots, but Nikola Jokic has garnered a commanding lead in the realm of public opinion. The Denver Nuggets center received 85 of 100 first-place votes, with 10 going to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Those are your frontrunners, folks.

Jokic has obviously earned it; he should probably be winning his fourth straight, if we're being honest. The case for SGA is strong, and OKC's team success in the face of such overwhelming youth is a credit to Gilgeous-Alexander's leadership, among other factors. But, in the end, most metrics side with Jokic, and he's doing all the things we are accustomed to from the best player in the world.

Averaging 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.0 assists on .579/.341/.823 splits, Jokic is on the verge of joining a select club of NBA legends. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson are the only three-time winners in league history.

NBA rumors: Proposed Warriors-Timberwolves trade for Karl-Anthony Towns

A pivotal offseason awaits the Golden State Warriors. With Klay Thompson slated to hit free agency and their dynastic mortality in full view, it's time for Golden State to put up or shut up. Stephen Curry only has so much longer at the peak of his powers, and the roster as it currently stands will not contend for a championship.

If the Warriors are bold enough to dangle their most beloved vets in trade talks, there is potential for a blockbuster to emerge. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey has just such a deal in mind — one that features two Hall of Fame talents heading to the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Folks... it's a doozy.

• Warriors receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Rui Hachimura, Garrison Matthews
• Timberwolves receive: Austin Reaves, Chris Paul, Trayce Jackson-Davis, two first-round picks, one second-round pick
• Hawks receive: Draymond Green, D'Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Wendell Moore Jr., two first-round picks
• Lakers receive: Trae Young, Josh Minott, Gui Santos

We can be honest. A trade of that scale will never happen. There are too many moving parts, and thus too many avenues for talks to fall apart. That said, the core idea of sending Karl-Anthony Towns to Golden State is fascinating, and it wouldn't be terribly hard to find a third team for Draymond Green — even with all the baggage. So, the rough framework from the perspective of Golden State and Minnesota is quite sturdy.

Green has been the heart and soul of the Warriors' dynasty, supplying an invaluable competitive fire on the court and critical leadership in the locker room. That said, a sad, unfortunate toxicity has seeped into the Draymond experience in recent years, especially this season. The antics are getting old, and while he's still an impactful player, he's not quite good enough to gloss over all the blustering arrogance and reckless behavior.

Now, again, that doesn't mean another team won't (or even shouldn't) try to land Draymond. He's a dominant defender and one of the smartest basketball players of his generation. If the Warriors can stomach parting with a franchise legend, the combined offensive firepower of Towns and Curry would be difficult for opposing defenses to contain. Golden State would essentially pair the greatest shooter of all time with the greatest shooting 7-footer of all time, not to mention Thompson's inevitable extension.

This sort of deal could give Curry one last shot at reaching the mountaintop and completely change the narrative around KAT's career. It's an interesting thought, at the very least.