Month: November 2024

Southwest Notes: Miller, Gay, Morey

September 15th, 2017 at 7:10pm CST by Austin Kent

With a vacancy in their starting lineup, the Pelicans could look to trot out Darius Miller in their first five, Will Guillory of The Times-Picayune writes. Miller was acquired after seasoning his game abroad over the last two seasons.

Miller may be a better bet to replace Solomon Hill than Tony Allen because of the spacing issues that will present themselves with Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday in the backcourt together.

Of course free agent Dante Cunningham could potentially take that spot if he is eventually signed but Guillory notes that there’s no indication that will happen before training camp begins next week.

There’s more from the Southwest:

After tearing his Achilles last season, Rudy Gay is betting on himself to salvage his career with the Spurs. The forward signed for $17M over two seasons but could opt out of his 2018/19 commitment to pursue a more lucrative offer if he earns one after this year, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News writes.
The NBA is more about money and winning than it is about loyalty, Dirk Nowitzki says. Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports recently parsed through comments that the 19-year Mavs veteran made this week.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey may be the NBA’s most outspoken executive, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports writes. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Morey is fined far more often than is reported, not necessarily surprising considering how quick he is to issue provocative statements through the press.

Central Notes: Wade, Irving, Quicken Loans Arena

September 15th, 2017 at 4:58pm CST by Austin Kent

While there’s reason to believe that Dwyane Wade would graciously accept a buyout from the Bulls, he’s not going to put up a fuss about it, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Wade, after all, has 23.8 million reasons to put up with being a good sport for the rest of the season.

It’s been said that Wade started hoping for a buyout following the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. If that deal serves as the symbolic beginning of Chicago’s rebuild, then it doesn’t make an awful lot of sense for the Bulls, as an organization, to continue paying such an exorbitant amount for a 35-year-old that isn’t particularly motivated to stay there.

Wade averaged a respectable 18.3 points per game for the Bulls last season and could no doubt contribute to a contender should he be bought out and freed up to sign with one. That said, the 15-year-veteran has a solid reputation, not to mention a legacy, to uphold during the final years of his career.

There’s more from the Central Division:

According to Iman Shumpert, the Cavaliers weren’t exactly surprised when Kyrie Irving asked to be traded, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. Shumpert adds that Irving didn’t have anything against LeBron James, just that he was eager to move on.
The Bulls have named Jannero Pargo the new head coach of their Windy City G League team, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
Construction has begun at Quicken Loans Arena, Jay Miller of Crains writes. The renovations of the Cavaliers‘ stadium were originally scheduled in June but held up by citizens groups that pushed for a referendum regarding the use of tax money for the project.
Despite only suiting up for seven games during his rookie year, Diamond Stone finds himself on his fourth team since getting drafted last summer. His latest opportunity, with the Bulls, could be his best yet, Dan Santaromita of CSN Chicago writes.

Pelicans Sign Tony Allen To One-Year Deal

September 15th, 2017 at 4:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 15: The Pelicans have officially signed Allen, announcing their deal today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 11: The Pelicans are finalizing a one-year contract with veteran swingman Tony Allen, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

Barring a late breakdown in negotiations, this ends a prolonged free agent odyssey for the 35-year-old defensive stalwart. Early in the process, the Clippers were reportedly interested in working out a sign-and-trade deal for Allen until their roster got overloaded with newcomers. The Timberwolves were also interested, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reported.

It was apparent that the Grizzlies were moving on from Allen when one of the free agents they signed, shooting guard Ben McLemore, broke his foot and they still didn’t show any serious interest in Allen.

New Orleans needed another small forward after Solomon Hill suffered a torn hamstring, an injury that is expected to sideline him for most of the upcoming season.

Allen has only played for two teams in his NBA career. He spent his first six seasons with the Celtics before joining Memphis for the 2010/11 season. He was a rotation player for the Grizzlies over the past seven seasons and started 66 games for them last year. Overall, he appeared in 71 games and averaged 9.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 1.6 SPG in 27.0 MPG. He’s a career 28% shooter from long range, which has made him an increasing offensive liability in a league that has become heavily reliant on 3-point shooting.

Allen should still see quite a bit of action at both small forward and shooting guard, where Jrue Holiday is expected to start with the addition of point guard Rajon Rondo. With the offensive firepower provided by Holiday, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the Pelicans can afford to have a defensive specialist at the wing spot.

As for the terms of Allen’s one-year deal, those haven’t yet been reported, but the Pelicans still have their bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) available and have a bit more breathing room below the luxury tax line after trading Quincy Pondexter earlier this month.

2018 NBA Free Agent Power Rankings

September 15th, 2017 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The list of 2017 free agents continues to dry up, which means it’s time to shift our focus to the group of players on track to reach the free agent market in 2018. We’ve got a full list of those 2018 free-agents-to-be, divided by position and FA type, and a separate list that sorts them by team.

Since we’re still more than nine months away from the 2018 free agent period opening, those lists look a little more star-studded now than they’ll end up being. A handful of top-tier restricted free agents figure to sign extensions with their current teams before opening night in October, and it’s possible that a couple veterans will do so as well — Russell Westbrook, for instance, could ink a Designated Veteran Extension with the Thunder within the next month.

Still, even though not all of the top potential 2018 free agents will reach the open market – and not all of them will change teams if they do – the list includes enough big names that it should still look pretty impressive when next July rolls around.

Below, we’ve taken our first crack at ranking some of the top potential free agents for 2018. While this is our first extended look at 2018’s top free agents, it certainly won’t be our last. Extensions, injuries, breakout years, trades, and poor performances figure to affect these rankings over the course of the 2017/18 season, so we’ll be revisiting the list every month or two to make updates and changes.

Our list reflects each player’s current expected value on the 2018 free agent market, rather than how we think they’ll perform on the court for the 2017/18 season. For instance, older players like J.J. Redick and Dwyane Wade have solid short-term value, but didn’t make our top 20 because they’re unlikely to sign huge, long-term deals next summer. In other words, age and long-term value is important.

Here’s the first installment of our 2018 free agent power rankings:

LeBron James, F, Cavaliers (player option): James will be 33 years old when he reaches free agency next summer, which normally would be enough to drop him a couple spots on this list. However, virtually any team in the league would still jump at the chance to give him as many years and dollars as possible next summer, since he has yet to show any real signs of slowing down.
Kevin Durant, F, Warriors (player option): Of all the players on this list, Durant is probably the least likely to change teams in 2018. He’s simply going year by year with the Warriors because it makes more sense than locking himself into a long-term deal — that decision allowed him to get a raise this offseason while forgoing his maximum salary to help Golden State re-sign other key players. Nonetheless, he remains on track to technically become a free agent in 2018, so he deserves this spot, if not the one LeBron is currently holding.
Russell Westbrook, G, Thunder (player option): Four players this offseason were eligible for the NBA’s new Designated Veteran super-max contracts — Stephen Curry, James Harden, and John Wall all signed theirs, but Westbrook has yet to put pen to paper. If he does so before opening night, he’ll come off this list and the Thunder will breathe a little easier. If not, let the rumor-mill fun begin.
Paul George, F, Thunder (player option): While the Thunder remain optimistic about locking up Westbrook, they have no misconceptions about extending George before next July. The former Pacers forward has been long rumored to be eyeing a move to the Lakers, but what happens this season in Oklahoma City – not to mention in Los Angeles – could go a long way toward determining if that’s really his best move nine months from now.
Chris Paul, G, Rockets: Paul was a fixture in the top five of our 2017 free agent power rankings, but when an opportunity to be traded to the Rockets arose in June, he unexpectedly opted into the final year of his contract and put off free agency for another year. It sounds like both the Rockets and Paul expect to continue their relationship beyond the 2017/18 season, but we’ve yet to see the veteran point guard play a single game with his new club, so shouldn’t necessarily pencil CP3 into Houston’s lineup for years to come quite yet.
DeMarcus Cousins, C, Pelicans: While the Kings never came out and said it, it appeared the team wasn’t fully comfortable committing to a max (and possibly a super-max) salary for Cousins’ next contract, opting to trade him before having to make that decision. Cousins’ performance this season in New Orleans may have a significant effect on how many other teams will be ready to make such a commitment. Few NBA big men can score like Cousins, who is even developing a reliable outside shot, but he has yet to play for a winner, and if he can’t break through with another superstar teammate (Anthony Davis), that may dampen some potential suitors’ enthusiasm.
Andrew Wiggins, G/F, Timberwolves (RFA): It’s been a somewhat unusual summer for Wiggins, who was involved in several Kyrie Irving-related trade rumors and then fired his agent after receiving a five-year, maximum salary extension offer from the Wolves. Even if he’s at all put off by owner Glen Taylor requesting a face-to-face meeting before making that commitment, Wiggins seems pretty unlikely to turn down an offer of that magnitude, so I expect him to accept it and come off this list at some point soon.
Joel Embiid, C, Sixers (RFA): No potential 2018 free agent is trickier to evaluate than Embiid, who has famously only appeared in 31 NBA games during his first three years in the league. Of course, Embiid’s health will be a huge factor in determining whether he slips out of the top 10 during the 2017/18 season, or whether he climbs even higher. When he’s on the court, Embiid looks like the type of player who should have his pick of long-term, maximum salary offers at 12:01am on July 1. If he battles injuries once more though, those offers may be for a shorter term or packed with games-played incentives — and if his health issues get even worse, those offers may not be on the table at all.
Avery Bradley, G, Pistons: Bradley isn’t at the same level as guys like Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward, so it makes sense that the Celtics were willing to part with him in order to secure more All-Star caliber talent. But Bradley is a dynamic two-way threat who shot 39.0% from three-point range and plays strong defense. That type of player is extremely valuable in today’s NBA, making him highly coveted on the open market in 2018.
Gary Harris, G, Nuggets (RFA): Harris’ numbers don’t pop off the stat sheet, but neither did Otto Porter‘s, and Harris had a more effective third NBA season than the Wizards forward, who signed a maximum salary offer sheet earlier this year. Having just turned 23, Harris has plenty of room to improve on last year’s 14.9 PPG and .420 3PT%, and could be one of the hottest commodities on the RFA market next summer if the Nuggets don’t extend him this year.

Here’s the rest of our top 20:

Jusuf Nurkic, C, Trail Blazers (RFA)
Jabari Parker, F, Bucks (RFA)
Clint Capela, C, Rockets (RFA)
Isaiah Thomas, G, Cavaliers
DeAndre Jordan, C, Clippers (player option)
Zach LaVine, G, Bulls
LaMarcus Aldridge, F/C, Spurs (player option)
Brook Lopez, C, Lakers
Carmelo Anthony, F, Knicks (player option)
Rodney Hood, G, Jazz (RFA)

Disagree strongly with any of our rankings? Feel like we omitted any players that should be in the top 20 (or the top 10)? Weigh in below in the comments section to let us know!

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavs Currently Have No Plans To Trade Kevin Love

September 15th, 2017 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Cavaliers have contemplated trading Kevin Love off and on in recent years, the club currently has no plans to shop or deal the big man, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

Cleveland’s current stance on Love doesn’t come as a real surprise. The team already traded one of its Big Three within the last month, sending Kyrie Irving to Boston in a package that included Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. The Cavs lost some star power in that deal and likely don’t want to turn over their roster any more, with the 2017/18 season fast approaching.

While it’s easy to forget now, since the second half of the offseason in Cleveland was dominated by Irving trade talk, Love was one of the players most often mentioned in trade rumors earlier in the summer, particularly around the time of the draft. As Lowe notes – and as multiple other reporters have suggested – the Cavs nearly included Love in a three-team trade that would have landed Paul George in Cleveland in late June. However, the Pacers reportedly got cold feet on that deal, which was said to involve the Nuggets as well.

Now that Love is poised to remain in Cleveland, the Cavaliers are re-designing their offense to feature him more prominently, and may also re-work their rotation to get him more minutes at center, according to Lowe. Love has continued to play well in Cleveland, averaging a double-double (19.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG) last season. However, his numbers have paled in comparison to the ones he posted in Minnesota, where he was more of a focal point and – as Lowe details – he was used more creatively.

As Lowe writes in his in-depth feature on the four-time All-Star, the Cavs “are confident Minnesota Love still exists.” Whether the club’s new-look roster allows that old Love to resurface this season remains to be seen, but for now at least, he won’t have to deal with being the subject of constantly swirling trade rumors.

Free Agency Notes: Bogut, Morrow, Marbury

September 15th, 2017 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

With Tony Allen, Shabazz Muhammad, and Jarrett Jack among the veteran free agents officially coming off the market this week, the list of available NBA unrestricted free agents continues to dwindle. While the restricted market still features several interesting names – Nikola Mirotic, Mason Plumlee, Alex Len, and JaMychal Green – there aren’t many UFAs out there with those players’ combination of youth and NBA experience.

For teams in need of backcourt help, Deron Williams, Monta Ellis, and Jason Terry are among the options that could hold some appeal, while clubs searching for frontcourt depth may zero in on Andrew Bogut, Spencer Hawes, David Lee, or Thomas Robinson. On the wing, Alan Anderson, Mike Dunleavy, Matt Barnes, Dante Cunningham, and Gerald Green are available. You can check out our full list of NBA free agents who remain unsigned right here.

As we wait to see if those veterans find new homes, let’s round up a few more free agency notes…

Agent David Bauman tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter links) that a CT scan on Andrew Bogut‘s tibia shows “complete healing,” and a radiology report shows that Bogut’s leg is “solidly united.” According to Aldridge, Bogut will be back in America early next week, and if NBA teams agree with his agent’s outlook on his health, the veteran center seems like a good bet to land a new deal soon. We heard earlier this week that four NBA clubs have expressed interest.
Anthony Morrow will officially come off the market shortly, having reached an agreement with the Trail Blazers. Before striking a deal with Portland though, Morrow also received interest from several teams, including the Timberwolves, Bucks, Pelicans, and Bulls, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
Former NBA guard Stephon Marbury, who has expressed a desire to return to the league once more before calling it a career, told The Associated Press this week that he has spoken to at least one NBA team (link via New York Post). “It’s still premature right now, but I’m open to coming back and trying to play that veteran leadership role,” Marbury said. “For myself it’s a perfect ending being able to mend ties. It will be a team that I will be able to help and I’m looking forward to it.”

Knicks Sign Jarrett Jack To Non-Guaranteed Contract

September 15th, 2017 at 12:17pm CST by Austin Kent

SEPTEMBER 15, 12:17pm: Jack has officially signed his one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Knicks, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

SEPTEMBER 14, 4:10pm: The Knicks have agreed on a deal with veteran point guard Jarrett Jack, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders writes. The deal is said to be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact.

We wrote just last week that the Knicks were in the market for a veteran point guard, supposedly considering a number of options ranging from Jack to Trey Burke and Archie Goodwin. Already rostered on the squad are Ramon Sessions and promising – but raw – lottery pick Frank Ntilikina.

Where Jack slots into the Knicks’ plans remains to be seen. The deal that Scotto reports is non-guaranteed, so it’s possible that the club will simply gauge Jack’s effectiveness through training camp. The 33-year-old has been ravaged by injuries since the first half of the 2015/16 season.

If Jack can establish himself as reliably healthy – a potentially significant “if” – he could potentially slot into the starting position ahead of Sessions, a career backup. If Jack ends up getting released, Sessions and second-year man Ron Baker could share the role until Ntilikina is ready to assume the top spot, which may not happen this season.

Through 12 seasons, including 343 starts, Jack has averaged 11.0 points and 4.5 assists per game. Aside from a two-game stint with the Pelicans last season, Jack’s last stint saw him post 12.2 and 5.4 across two seasons with the Nets.

Poll: Denver Nuggets’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 15th, 2017 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets missed the postseason in 2016/17, but you could make a convincing case that they were the most talented team to land in the lottery. Only the Heat had a better record than Denver among non-playoff teams, but the difference was only one game, and the Nuggets played in the stronger conference.

That conference has gotten even more daunting within the last few months. Not only have teams above the Nuggets in the standings, such as the Rockets and Thunder, added star talent, but some of the West’s other lottery teams, like the Timberwolves and Pelicans, have made major moves and hope to enter the postseason picture themselves.

Denver made a signficant move of its own when free agency opened, landing All-Star big man Paul Millsap, who is expected to make an excellent frontcourt partner for breakout star Nikola Jokic. With young guards Gary Harris and Jamal Murray showing signs of developing into core pieces as well, the Nuggets have a strong foundation and look poised to get over the hump and make the playoffs in the West this season.

Still, Denver’s roster isn’t without its weaknesses. The point guard position remains unsettled, with neither Jameer Nelson nor Emmanuel Mudiay looking like a solid starter at this point. Longtime Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari is also gone, and it still feels like the club needs to make one more trade for its roster to really take shape.

Oddsmakers are optimistic about the Nuggets’ chances of taking a major step forward in 2017/18 though. After finishing last season with a 40-42 record, Denver is currently projected to have an over/under of 45.5 wins for the coming year, per offshore betting site Bovada.

What do you think? Can the Nuggets finish with 46 wins or more, or is the Western Conference simply too tough for a non-playoff team like Denver to make that kind of leap in 2017/18? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 53.5 (68.82%)
Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 50.5 (71.77%)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 48.5 (55.69%)
Toronto Raptors: Over 48.5 (64.21%)
Washington Wizards: Over 47.5 (71.29%)
Milwaukee Bucks: Over 47.5 (63.88%)

NBA’s Board Of Governors To Vote On Lottery Reform

September 15th, 2017 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

9:33am: The NBA has been “aggressively” lobbying team owners on the merits of the lottery reform proposal in recent days, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical (Twitter links). Mannix adds that there’s “cautious optimism” on the proposal being approved, but it’s not a lock.

Meanwhile, following up on his previous tweet (noted below) about the other issue on the table, Wojnarowski says the Competition Committee’s proposal on DNP-Rest would give commissioner Adam Silver the latitude to fine teams for resting healthy players in nationally televised games, or for resting multiple healthy players in a single game.

8:50am: The NBA’s Competition Committee has formally recommended the league’s proposal on draft lottery reform, and a vote on the issue will take place at the NBA’s Board of Governors meeting later this month, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

As we’ve detailed in previous stories, the highlights of the NBA’s proposal are as follows:

The new system would take effect for the 2019 NBA draft.
Rather than having odds of 25%, 19.9%, and 15.6%, respectively, for the No. 1 overall pick, the top three lottery picks would each have a 14% chance.
The odds for the remaining lottery teams would increase by 1-2% apiece, and would decline smoothly.
The top four spots in the draft would be determined by the lottery, meaning a team could fall up to four spots instead of three. For instance, the No. 1 lottery seed could end up with the No. 5 pick.

According to Wojnarowski, the vote on the NBA’s lottery reform proposal is scheduled to take place on September 28, when the league’s team owners meet. A three-quarters majority is required, so at least 23 out of 30 team owners will need to approve the proposal for it to officially take effect.

The Board of Governors is also set to vote on the Competition Committee’s recommendation for rules that will curb DNP-Rest games during the regular season, per Wojnarowski. The NBA has altered its schedule to reduce back-to-backs and eliminate stretches of four games in five days, but as we heard last month, new rules regarding resting players are expected to be implemented as well.

Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Crowder, Zeller

September 14th, 2017 at 9:58pm CST by Austin Kent

While the Celtics won’t struggle to replace the statistics that Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder posted, they’ll be hard-pressed to find a replacement for the toughness and temperament they brought to Boston, A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSN New England writes.

Both Thomas and Crowder took their careers to a new level in Boston, blossoming into substantial core pieces for the rejuvenated Celtics. Some of the franchise’s best moments from the past few seasons, Blakeley writes, can be attributed directly to the twosome.

That underdog mentality was and is a major component for any team looking to unseat LeBron James and Cleveland in the East. Now Thomas and Crowder will bring that tough, scrappy frame of mind with them to a Cavaliers squad that’s looking like an underdog itself — at least compared to the champions in Golden State.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Prior to signing Tyler Zeller this week, the Nets had just two players taller than 6’8″ on their roster, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes.
The Raptors doubled down on a winning formula this summer but it may be for naught, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes. Toronto’s core is intact, but what they could really benefit from is the development of some of their young assets.
Count former Celtics great Paul Pierce among those high on Jayson Tatum. The future Hall of Famer told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England that the rookie, with his footwork and step-back, reminds him of himself toward the later stages of his career.