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Miami Herald
31-07-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Why are maternity wards across South Florida closing? There's more than one reason
Many South Floridians are feeling financially squeezed as costs continue to rise. Hospitals are searching for savings, too. And maternity wards, units that are costly to run and don't make as much money as cardiology and other specialties, are ending up on the chopping block. Over 500 hospitals in the U.S. have closed their labor and delivery units since 2010, including some in South Florida. Soon, Jackson South Medical Center, a public hospital that primarily provides care to an underserved population in southern Miami-Dade, will be added to the list. The hospital plans to shutter its labor and delivery unit in September. 'We're very concerned about this,' said Jamarah Amani, a licensed midwife and executive director of the Southern Birth Justice Network advocacy group based in North Miami Beach. ' … It should be a human right to have safe, respectful, accessible care within a reasonable distance of where you live.' Executives at Jackson Health System, the county's taxpayer-funded public hospital system, have described the impending closure of Jackson South's recently renovated labor and delivery unit as a 'data-driven' decision, fueled by declining birth trends and a push to expand care for cardiology, urology and other more in-demand services. 'We've reduced the service as much as it can be reduced to provide safe care,' Edward Borrego, the chief executive officer of Jackson South and Jackson West, told the Miami Herald last week. 'Any further reduction is not safe.' Recently, Miami-Dade County has recorded some of its lowest birth numbers in 20 years. And the decline is not unique to the Miami area — nationally, births hit a record low in 2024 as more women wait longer to have children or decide to not have any at all. When he spoke with the Herald last week, Borrego noted that Jackson South had only one delivery in the previous week. 'We want to make sure that our patients get the safest and best care, and in that same vein, we also want to provide the services that our market and community tells us they need,' Borrego said. 'The facts are that they're not having as many babies.' While births in Miami-Dade are on the decline, those who are giving birth are choosing to deliver elsewhere. Jackson South has delivered fewer babies in the past decade compared to other hospitals in Miami-Dade, state data shows. But doctors and maternal health advocates who spoke with the Herald are worried that the Jackson South labor ward closure could make it harder for patients to access obstetric care in South Florida and increase the risk for pregnancy-related complications and death, which are trending up. 'The more and more of these departments that close, the less and less access our families have to seek the services,' and the further away they need to travel to get care, said Tenesha Avent, the South Florida director of collective impact and maternal and child health for March of Dimes. The nonprofit focuses on the health of babies and mothers and monitors the ease of access to maternal care services. 'That puts them at risk of higher complications,' Avent said. While Jackson South will no longer do deliveries, patients will still be able to get prenatal and postnatal care at the hospital, a Jackson Health executive told the Herald on Thursday, noting that maternal care extends beyond delivery. 'We really need to be there throughout the entire journey with the mom, more than just the moment that she delivers, and that's what we have committed to,' said Joanne Ruggiero, CEO and senior vice president of Holtz Children's Hospital and the Women's Hospital at Jackson Memorial. She reiterated that the hospital system as a whole is committed to improving maternal health in the region and said that Jackson is focusing on other efforts to that end, including solving transportation issues and improving health literacy in the community. Florida is one of the states that have seen the most obstetric unit closures in rural counties over the past decade, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs, a monthly peer-reviewed healthcare journal. And while much of rural America no longer has nearby access to maternity wards, Miami-Dade and other urban counties are feeling the squeeze, too. At least four South Florida hospitals have shuttered their labor and delivery units since COVID struck in 2020: North Shore Medical Center in North Miami-Dade; Jackson West in Doral; Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale; and North Shore's sister, Hialeah Hospital. 'Unless the financing of maternity care changes, I expect we will see continued closures,' said Katy Kozhimannil, the study's lead author and a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. More closures also mean that the remaining hospitals still operating maternity units will need to prepare for a possible influx of patients and more staffing, which could be a challenge as the country grapples with a shortage of OB-GYNs, nurses and other healthcare workers. Low reimbursement rates, high operation costs, staffing issues and low birth rates are reasons usually floated by hospital administrators when units close, according to Kozhimannil, who tracked the availability of obstetric units at hospitals across the country from 2010 to 2022. 'Sometimes we think when there's a hospital in the community, it's a place where you can give birth, but that's increasingly not the case,' said Kozhimannil. Unlike other parts of the state, Miami-Dade and Broward are not considered 'maternal care deserts,' areas where women have to travel at least 30 minutes to get maternity care, according to the March of Dimes. Still, there are pockets in the community where accessing care is more challenging. Dr. Christ-Ann Magloire knows how difficult it is to care for patients in underserved parts of Miami-Dade. The Haitian American OB-GYN came to South Florida more than 20 years ago to help deliver babies in a part of the county that has a primary care provider shortage. The OB-GYN helped deliver hundreds of babies at North Shore Medical Center in North Miami-Dade, a hospital that accounted for nearly 8% of all county births in 2015, state data shows. But by 2023, deliveries there plummeted to only about 5% of births in the county. The hospital's CEO described the 2024 closure of the labor and delivery and neonatal unit as part of a plan to cut costs because the hospital wasn't making enough money from patients and insurers. 'It was devastating for [patients], devastating for us,' Magloire recalled, thinking back to how she had to quickly help her patients find a new hospital to deliver at. Magloire, who has a private practice in North Miami-Dade, is still providing prenatal care at her office. But she only had privileges to deliver babies at North Shore. Now, she sends her patients to Jackson North and Memorial West, one of the public hospitals in Broward County, when it's time for delivery. Magloire, like other doctors and midwives the Herald spoke with, has expressed concern over South Florida's recent obstetric unit closures, which, like in other parts of the U.S., are disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic communities, two groups usually at higher risk for pregnancy-related complications and death. 'I feel like we're moving in the wrong direction as more and more hospitals across the country are continuing to close down their labor delivery units,' said Dr. Dione Occenad-Nimmo, a board-certified OB-GYN practicing in West Palm Beach. March of Dimes ranks Miami-Dade and Broward counties as having a 'moderate' risk for poor outcomes in its maternal vulnerability index, which measures the risk of adverse health outcomes for pregnancies. Both counties also saw worsening rates for preterm birth in 2023 compared to the previous year, with the rate highest for Black infants, at nearly 15%, according to the nonprofit's latest report. While the infant mortality rate in Miami-Dade has decreased through the years, the risk for Black babies remains slightly higher than the rest of Florida, state data shows. The rates for C-sections, a procedure that can sometimes increase the risk for complications to mom and baby, is also higher in Miami-Dade and Broward compared to the national and state average, data shows. 'If somebody is not able to access care in a timely manner — that can mean the difference between a baby being alive or dead, a mom being alive or dead. It can mean the difference between having a preterm birth and not having a preterm birth,' said Occenad-Nimmo. Ruggiero said Jackson Health is working with other hospitals in the county to create a roadmap on what 'good maternal care' in Miami-Dade should look like, no matter where you go for care. The group, led by nonprofit The Women's Fund, is creating a 'collective voice' on what measures need to be tackled in the community to improve outcomes, she said. While the region has seen several hospitals close obstetrics units in recent years, South Florida organizations are trying to find ways to improve maternal and infant health. The nonprofit Green Cars for Kids, for example, has partnered with Jackson Health and Broward Health, two of the region's public hospital systems, and electric car service Freebee to provide free rides to non-emergency doctor appointments for high-risk pregnant patients. The goal is to make it easier for patients to attend appointments and reduce the risk of preventable pregnancy complications for moms and babies, according to Dr. Catherine Toms, the nonprofit's founder and director. So far, it has provided over 5,000 rides. About 54% of its clients are from Liberty City, Brownsville, Overtown, El Portal and North Miami, communities that have high rates of preterm birth and infant mortality, according to Toms. About 7% of the patients who have utilized the free rides for appointments at Jackson Memorial Hospital live in the Homestead area. Elsewhere in Miami-Dade, the Southern Birth Justice Network is running a mobile midwifery clinic that travels across historically Black neighborhoods to make prenatal and postpartum care more accessible. 'Midwives, we catch babies, but we also catch communities because we don't want them to fall through the cracks,' said Amani, the executive director. The nonprofit's initiative to help reduce C-sections, tackle racial health disparities, end medical racism, and expand access to midwives and doulas was sparked by early advocacy efforts in 2010, when Jackson first tried to close Jackson South's labor and delivery unit, according to Amani. Back then, its closure plans were stopped when county commissioners intervened. 'There was a real big community outcry and presence' in 2010, recalled Sheila Simms Watson, a licensed midwife and the director of Southern Birth Justice's midwifery services and care. She and Amani were part of a group of midwives, doctors and moms who had gathered inside the commission chambers, rallying to keep the ward open. No one knows if county commissioners will step in to halt the closure this time around. 'It doesn't make sense to me,' Amani said of the upcoming Jackson South ward closure. '... We know that families need more options for high-quality perinatal care and that closing hospitals and birth centers leaves more people at risk of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, which we know is rising in Florida and disproportionately impacting Black and Brown families.' Miami-Dade Commissioners Kionne McGhee and Danielle Cohen Higgins, who represent parts of southern Miami-Dade, did not respond to the Herald's requests for comment. Amadeo Lopez-Castro, III, chairman of the Public Health Trust, which governs the public hospital system, declined the Herald's request for an interview and redirected it to Jackson's media relations team. More than 1,800 people have signed an online petition asking the hospital to reconsider the closure plans. Many of those who signed live in southern Miami-Dade, according to data. Carlos Migoya, the longtime CEO that oversees all of Jackson Health System, has described the upcoming September closure as a difficult but necessary decision to ensure the health system uses its financial resources to meet community needs. He made similar remarks during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of Jackson South's new catheterization lab. While talking about Jackson South's growth in services over the years, Migoya noted that 'the market is not there for labor and delivery.' Borrego, Jackson South's CEO, said the hospital's OB-GYNs are still authorized to deliver at Jackson North in North Miami-Dade and at The Women's Hospital at Jackson's main Miami campus, which is better equipped to handle high-risk pregnancies. After a $6 million renovation, The Women's Hospital last year unveiled its new maternity unit with 20 private suites and other amenities. Jackson's main Miami campus also houses the largest Level 4 NICU in Miami-Dade, which provides the highest level of care for premature and critically ill newborns. 'Patients follow their physician when it comes to delivering a baby,' said Borrego, noting that many of Jackson South's high-risk maternity patients were already being referred to Jackson's main Miami hospital because of neonatal and other key services, including fetal surgery. Both Jackson North and The Women's Hospital are more than 20 miles away from Jackson South, which does not have a neonatal unit. Maternity patients experiencing emergencies can still go to Jackson South's ER, where OB-GYNs are on call. Jackson says patients will also be able to receive prenatal care through its partnership with Community Health of South Florida. The nonprofit, which serves South Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys, runs health centers that act as a one-stop shop of care for its patients and offer a variety of services. Spokesperson Tiffani Helberg, in a statement to the Herald earlier this month, said the nonprofit is 'committed to caring for everyone in the community regardless of insurance or economic status. But as the South Dade community continues with development, the demand for care down South continues to rise. Yet funding continues to be a challenge. We are committed to working together to reduce barriers to care.' It's also possible patients in the area may skip Jackson altogether and go to other relatively nearby hospitals for delivery, including Kendall's Baptist Hospital and South Miami Hospital, both run by Baptist Health South Florida, the region's largest not-for-profit healthcare system. Baptist, which will now run the most hospitals in Miami-Dade with maternity wards, in a statement to the Herald noted that it has 'consistently strong birth volumes' at its facilities and remains 'well-positioned to support the needs of growing families in our community.' While the maternity ward at Jackson South is closing, the hospital system has expanded maternal care services in other ways, according to Ruggiero, the CEO of The Women's Hospital and Holtz Children's. Jackson last year launched a new program to reduce hypertension in pregnant and postpartum women. The teaching hospital, in partnership with UHealth, also opened a fetal care center to provide complex care to babies before birth, including in-utero surgery to repair or treat rare birth defects. Ruggiero said the hospital also wants to expand its doula initiative, which began earlier this year and gives patients access to doulas for additional support. 'We're not trying to just change one episode of care,' said Ruggiero, noting that maternal care extends beyond delivery. 'I want us to be committed to making generational changes for these women and their families, and we're not going to do that if we continue to think in a silo. ... The totality of what we're doing is massive, and the impact that we're making, I really think is going to be a generational change for this community.' Other hospitals have also recently made efforts to revamp their maternity service offerings. HCA Florida Mercy Hospital earlier this year completed a $42 million expansion project that included an 'upgraded, dedicated OB emergency department for specialized care' and a new 25-bed neonatal intensive care unit, with dedicated rooms to let parents stay with their babies for 24 hours before going home. Allyssa Tobitt, the hospital's CEO, in a March news release described the expansion as part of efforts to 'ensure that future generations receive the highest level of care in a modern, family-centered environment.' In Miami Beach, Mount Sinai Medical Center is incorporating AI and other tech to improve patient care and is planning to begin construction on its new labor and delivery unit later this year. 'This is really kind of the next step and really going to take us to the next level to really support our families, our mothers, our babies, in terms of optimizing their experience,' said Dr. Alon Weizer, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Mount Sinai Medical Center. Weizer said many of Mount Sinai's maternity patients come from outside of Miami Beach, and that many of them are older. Still, like other Miami-area hospitals, the teaching hospital has seen a decline in deliveries. Even so, Mount Sinai is trying to find ways to expand and improve its prenatal, delivery and postpartum services, he said. 'We're doubling down on that, not because it may or may not make financial sense, but because it's the right thing to do for our community and for our patients,' said Weizer, noting that many health systems are facing 'tough decisions' as they try to provide community care. Occenad-Nimmo, the West Palm OB-GYN, said she would urge hospital administrators to think about the importance of labor wards to local communities and the implications that closing them can have on families. 'We would not go around closing fire departments,' which are also costly to operate, because the units are only extinguishing a certain amount of fires per year, she said. 'It's the same thing for labor and delivery. Despite the cost of it, you want them around to be there for these emergencies.'
Fox Sports
27-06-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
2025 NBA Offseason Buzz: Suns, Booker working toward contract extension
For 28 NBA teams, the offseason has begun, and with that comes drama and buzz about the futures of the best free-agents and potential trade targets. We've got you covered tracking all the rumors from in and around the league: June 27 Suns, Booker "active in working out" record extension The Phoenix Suns remain steadfast in building around guard Devin Booker. The 10-year veteran is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 25.6 points per game, his lowest mark since 2018, to go with a career-high 7.1 assists per game. Booker has three years remaining on a four-year, $220 million contract he signed prior to last season, but is eligible, and reportedly working toward signing a record extension, which would tack on an additional two years at $150 million ($75 million AAV) and keep him under contract in Phoenix through the 2031 season. 76ers pick up Andre Drummond's team option The Philadelphia 76ers retained backup center Andre Drummond by picking up his player option on Friday. Instead of heading into the free-agent market, Drummond will make $5 million on the final year of a two-year contract he signed prior to the 2024-25 season with the 76ers. The two-time All-Star averaged 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds during his 13th NBA season last year. Raptors, president Masai Ujiri part ways The Raptors are moving on from Ujiri, according to ESPN. Ujiri became Toronto's executive vice president and general manager in 2013 and was the architect of the team's 2019 NBA Finals triumph, the team's lone championship. The Raptors are coming off a 30-52 season and haven't won a playoff series since the 2019-20 NBA season. June 26 Austin Reaves rejects extension offer Reaves turned down a four-year, $89.2 million extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, according to The Athletic. This was the maximum offer that the Lakers could make to Reaves, who signed a four-year, $53.8 million contract with the Lakers in 2023; Reaves is entering the third season of that deal, which includes a $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season. Last season, Reaves averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 46.0/37.7/87.7. The Lakers went 50-32 and claimed the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference before losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round of the playoffs. June 25 Knicks interviewing James Borrego New York is interviewing Borrego, the former head coach of the Charlotte Hornets and a current assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans, for its head-coaching vacancy, according to ESPN. Across Borrego's four seasons as its head coach (2018-19 season to 2021-22 season), Charlotte went a combined 148-183. He has been part of head coach Willie Green's coaching staff in New Orleans the past two seasons. Borrego is the fourth person who has interviewed with the Knicks, former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown, former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori being the other three. John Collins opts into player option with Jazz John Collins has opted into his player option for the 2025-26 season instead of testing free agency. The veteran forward averaged 19 points per game and 8.2 rebounds throughout his eighth NBA season. He could have commanded a line of suitors on the open market, but it's possible no team would have offered him more than the $26.58 million he's set to make by remaining with the Utah Jazz. Fred VanVleet, Rockets agree to new deal Houston is signing VanVleet to a two-year, $50 million deal, according to ESPN. VanVleet had a $44.9 million team option in the final year of his three-year, $128.5 million deal for next season, which Houston was set to decline. The 31-year-old VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 37.8/34.5/81.0 last season. The Rockets recently acquired 11-time All-NBA honoree Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. June 24 Pelicans, Wizards make four-player trade New Orleans is trading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to Washington for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, according to ESPN. McCollum is entering the final season of a two-year, $64 million deal, while Poole is entering the third season of a four-year, $128 million deal. The Wizards and Pelicans each missed the playoffs last season, with Washington selecting sixth and New Orleans selecting seventh in the 2025 draft. Knicks interviewing Micah Nori for coaching vacancy New York is interviewing Nori, an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, for its head-coaching vacancy, according to ESPN. The 51-year-old Nori has been an assistant in Minnesota for the past four seasons, preceded by assistant coaching stints with the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors. Nori served as Minnesota's de facto head coach during the 2023-24 NBA postseason when head coach Chris Finch suffered a knee injury. Nori is the third known candidate to interview with the Knicks, former Kings head coach Mike Brown and former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins being the other two. June 23 Gafford intends to sign extension with Mavericks Daniel Gafford reportedly intends to sign a contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks. The center, who is set to enter his seventh NBA season, has one year remaining on a three-year, $40.1 million deal that he signed in 2023. His next deal is expected to be another three-year extension, worth $60 million, that would run through the 2028-29 season. It would be a boost in pay for Gafford after a career-best season in which he averaged 12.3 points per game and 6.8 rebounds. Middleton stays with Wizards Khris Middleton has picked up his $33.3 million player option with the Washington Wizards for the 2025-26 season, according to ESPN. The three-time NBA All-Star was traded to D.C. ahead of the NBA trade deadline by the MIlwaukee Bucks. The 33-year-old wing has been dealing with ankle injuries and only made 37 appearances last season for both teams. Middleton helped the Bucks win the 2019 NBA Finals. June 22 Durant to Rockets in megatrade Kevin Durant will join the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster trade that will see him leave the Phoenix Suns, ESPN reported Sunday . In return, the Suns will reportedly receive veteran guards Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. They'll also receive six draft picks, including the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The other five picks are second-round selections. Durant, who will be 37 at the start of next season, is entering the final season of a four-year, $194.2 million deal. June 19 Rockets extend head coach Ime Udoka Houston signed Udoka to a "long-term" extension that makes him one of the highest-paid head coaches in the NBA, according to ESPN. Earlier this month, the Rockets denied the New York Knicks permission to speak with Udoka about their head-coaching vacancy after they fired Tom Thibodeau. In Udoka's second season as head coach, the Rockets went 52-30, claiming the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Houston is a combined 93-71 under Udoka, who was previously the head coach of the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 NBA season, with Boston reaching the NBA Finals. June 17 Suns asking for the second pick, Stephon Castle Kevin Durant has, reportedly, made it clear that the San Antonio Spurs are his priority destination. But, he may not get his way because the Phoenix Suns' asking price of the Spurs is steep. The Suns, reportedly, want the "second pick (in the 2025 NBA Draft) and/or Stephon Castle." The Spurs would prefer to retain both those assets in any trade for Durant. June 16 Knicks not interested in acquiring Kevin Durant The Kevin Durant destination rumors have been running rampant and the New York Knicks have remained a mainstay in that conversation. They have the assets to acquire the two-time NBA Champion, and he's expressed an interest in landing there. However, the Knicks, reportedly, don't share that desire: "KD wanted the New York Knicks. He wanted to go there. The Knicks have no interest in bringing him in." June 15 Magic land G Desmond Bane from Grizzlies The first major trade of the NBA offseason has been agreed to. The Magic have acquired Bane from the Grizzlies for guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, along with four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap, ESPN reported. The picks Memphis is receiving are the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns' 2026 first-round pick in 2026, Orlando's 2028 unprotected first-round pick and Orlando's 2030 first-round pick. The pick swap is a lightly protected first-round pick in 2029, according to ESPN. Bane, who'll turn 27 later in June, has been a big reason why the Grizzlies have made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. The 2020 first-round pick has averaged 20.2 points per game in that stretch, including 19.2 points per game this past season. He's also been among the game's top 3-point shooters over that time, making 40.7% of his attempts from deep since the start of the 2021-22 season. The Magic will hope that Bane will provide the necessary scoring and shooting the team needs alongside emerging star wings Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. While both players averaged over 24 points per game in 2024-25, they both shot 32% or lower from 3-point range, which is considered well below average. Orlando's offense wasn't great as a result, ranking 27th in offensive rating (108.9) en route to a 41-41 regular season. The Magic got the No. 7 seed in the East through the play-in tournament, but lost to the Boston Celtics in five games in the first round. As for the Grizzlies, the trade marks the first big shake-up to their core in recent years. Memphis earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. However, it never made it past the second round of the playoffs in either season. It missed the playoffs in 2023-24 as Ja Morant missed most of the year due to injuries and a suspension. It got the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference this past season, getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins just weeks before the start of the playoffs. June 14 Kevin Durant's preferred destinations revealed The disgruntled Suns star prefers to be traded to the Houston Rockets or the San Antonio Spurs, according to a report from The Athletic. The Spurs and Houston Rockets have previously been linked to Durant, in addition to the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. The 11-time All-NBA honoree, who will be 37 at the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, is entering the final season of a four-year, $194.2 million deal. Last season, Durant averaged 26.6 points per game, while shooting 52.7/43.0/83.9. He was limited to 62 games due to calf and ankle injuries. It became clear toward the end of the 2025 NBA regular season that Kevin Durant's time in Phoenix would come to an end with the close of the regular season. The Suns have reportedly placed a loose deadline on when they will move Durant. The Suns are aiming to trade Durant before the NBA Draft on June 25. Rockets extend Steven Adams Houston signed Adams to a three-year, $39 million extension, ESPN reported. Adams, who will be 32 at the start of next season, averaged 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this year in his first healthy season with the Rockets. June 13 Knicks set to interview coaching candidates New York will interview Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown for its head-coaching vacancy next week, per The Athletic. Both coaches were fired by their respective teams during the regular season; Jenkins was fired by the Grizzlies, and Brown was fired by the Sacramento Kings. Across Jenkins' six seasons as the Grizzlies' head coach, the team went a combined 250-214, making the playoffs four times, counting this season. Should he be hired by New York, it would be Jenkins' second NBA head-coaching stint. Across Brown's three seasons as the Kings' head coach, the team went a combined 107-88, winning 46-plus games in each of the first two seasons, with the franchise making the playoffs for the first time in 17 years in Brown's first season on the job (2022-23 season). Should he be hired by New York, it'd be Brown's fifth NBA head-coaching stint. New York's request to interview Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd about its vacant head-coaching position was rejected, ESPN reported on June 11. The Knicks also were denied permission to speak with Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, SNY reported. New York fired Tom Thibodeau after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Russell Westbrook to decline option, become free agent Westbrook will decline his $3.4 million player option with the Denver Nuggets for the 2025-2026 season, per ESPN. Westbrook is recovering from hand surgery to repair multiple fractures sustained during the season, but in the past those types of injuries have cost him 14 and 12 games in a season, respectively, so the expectation is that he'd be ready to go well before training camp in the fall. The veteran guard averaged 13.3 points and 6.1 assists while shooting nearly 52% on 2-point attempts in 75 games for the Nuggets. June 12 Spurs, 76ers discussing first-round pick swap Per multiple reports, Philadelphia has discussed moving up in the draft from No. 3 to No. 2 with San Antonio. The Spurs already have a full backcourt — which is where the presumed second-overall selection, Rutgers' Dylan Harper, would end up — while the Sixers are looking to add to their own backcourt that already includes Tyrese Maxey. Whether the Spurs would actually look for a deal that would net them some additional draft assets to make up for the gap between the second and third picks is unknown, but the two teams have at least discussed the swap. June 11 Heat and Tyler Herro working toward extension The Heat and Herro seem to be on the same page as the two sides work toward an extension. Herro is entering the penultimate year of his prior deal, in which he's set to be paid $31 million in 2025-26 and $33 million in 2026-27. The extension he and the Heat are eyeing is reportedly a three-year deal, worth $149.7 million ($49.9 million AAV). The potential raise is warranted for Herro, who's coming off a 2024-25 season in which he posted career-bests in points (23.9 per game) and assists (5.5) and earned his first All-Star nod. June 2 Raptors eyeing offseason shake-up — is Giannis Antetokounmpo on the table? After three consecutive playoff-less seasons, Toronto is looking to make changes. On Sunday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on "The Hoop Collective" that the Raptors will try to acquire a "big fish" this offseason. There are a few big fish that could be available — Durant, who's expressed a desire to leave Phoenix — comes to mind. The Raptors, though, could also try to lure Antetokounmpo, which would be like reeling in a great white shark. Toronto has accumulated players with the salaries needed to build a package for a move like this — trading for and extending Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Realistically, if Antetokounmpo is on the table, nobody should be off limits for Toronto, including young star Scottie Barnes. It would make sense for Antetokounmpo, too, because, while he hasn't formally asked to be traded away from Milwaukee, he's expressed a desire to stay in a much weaker Eastern Conference. According to an ESPN report from May, the two-time MVP said he's "open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Basketball Association recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
NBC Sports
27-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Knicks coaching search update: Kidd not leaving Dallas, James Borrego to interview in New York
The Knicks' coaching search continues to crawl along with another former head coach, James Borrego, set to be interviewed. And if any Knicks fans (or people in their front office) were hoping the Jason Kidd situation in Dallas might change, Nico Harrison squashed that like a cockroach this week. This weekend, the Knicks will interview former Hornets and current Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego, a story broken by James Edwards III of The Athletic and confirmed by multiple other Knicks reporters. Borrego has the reputation of a creative, analytics-driven offensive coach, which would be a change in style from the coach he is interviewing to replace, Tom Thibodeau. While Borrego compiled a 138-163 record in four seasons with Charlotte, that undersells the job he did with a rebuilding roster. It felt like he had the team maybe turning a corner, the Hornets appeared to get better each year and won 43 games his final season (which did not make the playoffs in the East that year). Borrego is also a CAA client, the firm where Knicks president Leon Rose had worked. The Knicks have previously interviewed former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, former Cavaliers/Lakers/Kings coach Mike Brown, and Timberwolves lead assistant Mikah Nori for the job. One guy the Knicks will not interview is Jason Kidd. New York reached out to Dallas with a request to interview Kidd several weeks ago and was shot down, but that was not enough to kill the rumors. The theory went that Kidd really, secretly, wanted the Knicks job — despite the Mavericks just landing Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick — and he would pressure Dallas to change its mind. Those rumors were presented to Mavericks GM Nico Harrison hours after they selected Flagg, and he seemed surprised that anyone thought that, and then he officially and unequivocally crushed them, as quoted by Christian Clark at The Athletic. 'Are there rumors still out there about J-Kidd?' Harrison said. 'I thought I shut them down. Yes, he will be the coach next year.' Can we move on now? Borrego is now the betting favorite to replace Thibodeau, but there is no clear frontrunner yet. Whoever gets the job will have tough shoes to fill because in his five years at the helm of the Knicks Thibodeau led the team to the playoffs for times — the same number of playoff appearances the team had in the 20 years prior to him becoming coach — and the team's first Western Conference Finals in 25 years. There was a segment of Knicks nation, and apparently a large segment of the Knicks front office, who thought Thibodeau's message and style had worn out in the locker room and he had taken them as far as he could. The idea was that if the Knicks wanted to win a title, they needed a new coach. However, Thibodeau was fired without an upgrade in the wings, or even really a succession plan. So the process continues as we are three days away from the start of free agency.
New York Post
27-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
James Borrego the new betting favorite to be Knicks' next coach after interview reveal
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. It's anyone's guess who gets hired to be the next coach of the New York Knicks. Jason Kidd originally was tagged as a -150 favorite to take over the bench at Madison Square Garden, but it's now essentially a four-way tie between candidates James Borrego, Mike Brown, Micah Nori and Taylor Jenkins to be the next Knicks coach. Those, of course, are the four candidates who have either interview for the job or are set to do so. Borrego (+250) is the new favorite to be the next Knicks coach, according to DraftKings, followed by Brown (+300), Nori (+400), and Jenkins (+400). The odds certainly showcase the chaos that has surrounded the Knicks' coaching search. Knicks next coach odds Coach Odds James Borrego +250 Mike Brown +300 Micah Nori +400 Taylor Jenkins +400 Michael Malone 12/1 Johnnie Bryant 12/1 Steve Nash 25/1 Jeff Van Gundy 30/1 Rick Brunson 30/1 Frank Vogel 30/1 Mike Budenholzer 35/1 Monty Williams 40/1 Odds via DraftKings Since firing Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks have asked for permission to interview Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, and Kidd, among others, but they were rebuffed at each request. That has led to a new favorite emerging from the pack. Jason Kidd is not listed as a candidate to be the next Knicks coach. Getty Images Borrego's favorite status, no matter how short it is between the other three candidates, is noteworthy. Knicks President Leon Rose is the former head of CAA and, as The Post's Stefan Bondy reported, CAA is the agency that also represents Borrego. Bettors don't think Borrego is being interviewed as a formality or favor for his former client. Jenkins, also a CAA client, isn't getting as much respect as Borrego based on his +400 odds. Betting on the NBA? Kidd is no longer listed by DraftKings, considering the Mavericks rejected their interview request, but it remains possible that he lands the job, The Post previously reported. Borrego previously operated as the Hornets' coach from 2018-22. Why Trust New York Post Betting Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he's showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Super Drone!
The city of Wichita Falls has applied for a grant that would bring a super drone to the skies over the city. If the city gets the grant, it would acquire a smart drone capable of beating police and firefighters to the scene of crimes and mishaps. "Say you have a motor vehicle theft occurring or a burglary occurring or a fire. We can launch this thing and it gets there before our first responders get to it, and we can get eyes on what's happening in that situation prior to our arrival," Police Chief Manuel Borrego told councilors on Tuesday. "If there's a fire, we can send it out, the fire department can look at it and see what's going on and if they need to send more help." Borrego said the drone would be kept in a strategic location where a dispatcher or designated person could launch it. He said the drone can also launch itself when certain 911 calls come in. When its assignment is done, it can fly back to its home base, land, and change out its batteries. The drone would be part of a $305,000 catalytic converter grant from the Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority. The city would have to pay $61,000 of the cost. Borrego said the city probably will not hear back about the application until late 2026. More: Winners of MSU President's Medal for Excellence honored More: Attorneys present differing motives in Anthony Kienlen trial This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Super Drone!
