Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Community Shootaround: Super-Teams

August 22nd, 2018 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

“Super-teams” have been part of the NBA since the league was formed. George Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers were the league’s first dynasty in the early 1950s, followed by Bill Russell’s Celtics, who won 11 titles in 13 years. The Lakers and Celtics dominated the ’80s, the Bulls owned the ’90s, the Lakers and Spurs took over next, then LeBron James went to Miami and Kevin Durant joined the Warriors.

The only decade without a repeat champion was the 1970s, when fan interest reached a low point.

While dominant teams have long been a part of NBA culture, they haven’t been controversial until recent years. That’s probably because the earlier dynasties were built through drafting and trades, while the more recent versions have involved star players deciding they want to team up.

Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post recently spoke to players about the super-team issue and found most accept it as part of the modern NBA.

“If you don’t have a super-team, or three superstars, or three All-Stars on your team, it’s very hard to win,” Wizards point guard John Wall said. Washington has won just three playoff series and hasn’t advanced past the second round since Wall joined the team. The last four years, he watched James lead the Cavaliers to Eastern Conference titles.

Paul George passed up a chance to help build a new super-team in Los Angeles this summer when he opted to re-sign with the Thunder. He hears the criticism from former players who don’t like to see the modern stars aligning, but he says it’s necessary for any of them to have a chance at a ring.

“Who would we be fooling if we went out alone and tried to go up against the Warriors? The best guy in our league right now couldn’t do it,” George said. “[James] got swept [in the 2018 Finals]. So that just goes to show you at this point what it takes to win. Because you need guys that are alike talent-wise and skill set-wise to win championships.”

Proponents of super-teams say they promote fan interest and help create a story line for each season. There’s evidence to support that argument, but there may also be a point where interest fades. Television ratings for the NBA Finals have declined in each of the past three years. After cresting at 11.6 in 2015, they dropped to an average of 11.4, 11.3 and then 10.0 last season when the Warriors’ sweep seemed like a foregone conclusion.

We want to get your opinion. Do super-teams make the league more or less interesting? Is the idea of top free agents conspiring to play together good for the NBA or should the league office take steps to prevent it? Please leave your feedback in the space below.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Pacific Notes: Mykhailiuk, Warriors, Gallinari, Kings

August 22nd, 2018 at 7:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers were “terrified” that Kansas sharpshooter Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk would be gone before they could draft him in the second round, owner Jeanie Buss tells Mike Trudell of NBA.com. L.A. acquired the 39th pick from the Sixers, but opted for German guard Isaac Bonga at that spot. Mykhailiuk was still on the board when they picked again at No. 47.

“We felt like he was basically a first-round talent,” Buss said. “We were surprised he was there at 39, and much more surprised he was there at 47.”

Mykhailiuk showed why the Lakers value him so highly with his performance in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 16.6 PPG in seven games and earning second team all-league honors. The Lakers signed him to a three-year deal last month worth about $4.6MM.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Warriors have several options if they can’t reach a deal with restricted free agent Patrick McCaw, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State made a $1.74MM qualifying offer in June that now can’t be pulled without McCaw’s consent. If the second-year shooting guard finds a better deal elsewhere and the Warriors choose not to match, Poole outlines the team’s alternatives, which include re-signing veteran guard Nick Young. Other possibilities are Corey Brewer, Jamal Crawford, Josh Huestis or if he can get medical clearance, Chris Bosh.
  • Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari looked good in the NBA Africa Game, but he won’t be playing for Italy in a pair of upcoming FIBA qualifying contests, tweets Italian journalist Davide Chinellato. “After consulting with the Clippers, medical staff and my agent, the conclusion has been made that it is best to stay in the U.S. in preparation for the upcoming NBA season, rather than participate in these international games,” said Gallinari, who finished last season with a fractured right hand. “I am excited to take on a leadership role with this team and to have a strong start going into training camp.”
  • Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley III could give the Kings a pair of contenders for Rookie of the Year honors, notes Noel Harris of The Sacramento Bee. No Sacramento rookie has claimed the trophy since Tyreke Evans in 2010.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Southwest Notes: Davis, Ariza, G League, Spurs

August 22nd, 2018 at 6:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

After making it back to the playoffs last year, the Pelicans are about to enter a crucial season for the future of the franchise, writes Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate. The organization may need a strong follow-up to its second-round ouster to ensure a long-term future with star big man Anthony Davis.

Davis will be eligible for a super-max contract next offseason worth up to $230MM. If he doesn’t agree to the deal, speculation will immediately begin about his impending free agency and he could be the top name on the market in 2020. Davis’ current contract includes a $28.75MM player option for 2020/21.

Although Davis has said repeatedly that he enjoys playing in New Orleans, he may not be convinced that the Pelicans will be an annual contender. There was a bit of a roster upheaval over the summer as the team lost DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo in free agency and found younger replacements in Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Trevor Ariza may not be gone from the Rockets for good, suggests Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Ariza agreed to a one-year, $15MM contract with the Suns in the early hours of free agency last month, but Bontemps doesn’t see that developing into a long-term relationship. If the Suns remain near the bottom of the West, Ariza could become a buyout candidate in February. The Rockets, who are still short on defensive-minded wings after losing Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in free agency, could see a reunion with Ariza as an easy solution.
  • Brad Jones has been named as the new head coach of the Grizzlies‘ G League affiliate, the team announced today. He won a G League title in 2012 as head coach in Austin and led Utah to the finals in 2009. In his last job, Jones served as general manager for the G League Iowa Wolves and as a scout for the Timberwolves.
  • The Spurs are the latest organization to have an official corporate partner, according to a release posted on the team website. The Spurs will team up with Frost Bank, a prominent banking, investment and insurance company in Texas, and will wear the company’s logo on their jerseys.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Go-Go Stock Roster in G League Expansion Draft

August 22nd, 2018 at 4:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Capital City Go-Go welcomed their first 14 players today in the G League expansion draft, tweets Adam Johnson of Two Ways and 10 Days. The Wizards’ new affiliate stocked its roster with a mixture of young players and veterans, including a few names familiar to NBA fans, including Lavoy Allen, Alonzo Gee and Luke Harangody.

As we saw with last year’s expansion draft, being selected isn’t a guarantee that any of these 14 players will take the court for Capital City in its inaugural season. Many of the players chosen today are still seeking NBA opportunities and some will head overseas.

Allen, 29, played 388 games for the Sixers and Pacers, with his last NBA action coming in the 2016/17 season. Gee, 31, played for six teams in eight seasons and has also been out of the league since 2016/17. Harangody, 30, appeared in 70 total games with the Celtics and Cavaliers and hasn’t been in the NBA since 2011/12.

The other G League franchises were permitted to protect up to 12 players on their roster, and Capital City was limited to taking a maximum of two players from a single team. The Go-Go will begin play this fall, bringing the G League to 27 teams and leaving the Pelicans, Nuggets and Trail Blazers as the only NBA clubs without direct affiliates.

The other new members of the Go-Go, listed alphabetically, are:

Quinton Chievous

Michael Cobbins

Will Cummings

Alex Davis

Will Davis

Duje Dukan

Kellen Dunham

Tyler Harvey

Pe’Shon Howard

Vince Hunter

Stephen Zimmerman

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Poll: Which Team Will Be NBA’s Worst In 2018/19?

August 22nd, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns, who finished with a 21-61 mark, had the NBA’s worst record in 2017/18, finishing just behind the Grizzlies (22-60), Mavericks (24-58), and Hawks (24-58) in the final standings. Having added Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges in the draft, along with Trevor Ariza in free agency, Phoenix has higher hopes for the 2018/19 season, but the club is still projected to be one of the NBA’s worst.

Multiple oddsmakers, including the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and betting site Bodog.eu, have the Suns’ over/under for wins next season set at 28.5, making them one of the few NBA teams expected to win fewer than 30 games. While that projection may seem pessimistic for a team seemingly on the rise, the competition in the Western Conference will be fierce — in addition to playing the eight playoff teams from last year, the Suns will also have to deal with the Nuggets, Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies, and Clippers, all of whom have postseason aspirations for 2018/19.

One Western team that probably doesn’t have realistic playoff expectations for next season is the Kings, whose over/under on sports books is generally in the range of 25.5 wins. Sacramento finished ahead of Phoenix in the standings last season, but Marvin Bagley isn’t necessarily expected to make an immediate impact like Ayton is, and the Kings’ free agent additions, including Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell, don’t have Ariza’s résumé.

Over in the Eastern Conference, it may not be quite as challenging to pick up wins on a night-to-night basis, but there are still a handful of teams viewed as bottom-feeders, including the Hawks. Atlanta traded away its most productive player from 2017/18 – Dennis Schroder – and rookie Trae Young is unlikely to match Schroder’s production. Other newcomers like Jeremy Lin and Alex Len also aren’t the sort of difference-makers who will increase Atlanta’s win total substantially — oddsmakers have the Hawks’ over/under at just 23.5 wins.

No other team in the East is viewed that unfavorably, but oddsmakers aren’t expecting much from the Bulls (over/under of approximately 28 wins) or the Knicks (29.5 wins), who will be without Kristaps Porzingis for the first part of the season. The Cavaliers, Magic, and Nets are also projected to miss the playoffs, albeit with win totals in the low-30s.

What do you think? Which team will finish the 2018/19 season with the NBA’s worst record? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to explain your pick.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

How Players Who Declined Options Fared In Free Agency

August 22nd, 2018 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

In 2016 and 2017, the majority of veterans who held player options for the following season decided to turn down those options, preferring to try their luck on the open market, where teams were handing out record-setting contracts.

In 2018, that trend shifted — with little cap room available around the NBA, most vets chose to pick up their player options and take the guaranteed money. In total, 20 of 28 player options for 2018/19 were exercised.

For a handful of the eight players who opted out of their contracts, the decision was easy — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Paul George were at no risk of finding themselves empty-handed on the open market. That wasn’t the case for all eight veterans who turned down their player options though.

Here’s a breakdown of how the eight players who declined options earlier this offseason have fared on the open market:

LeBron James

  • Player option: $35,607,968 (Cavaliers)
  • New contract: Four years, $153,312,848 (Lakers)
  • James’ starting salary with the Lakers is a little higher than what he would have made on his option with the Cavaliers. He’s locked in for $112MM in fully guaranteed money, with a $41MM+ player option for 2021/22.

Paul George

  • Player option: $20,703,384 (Thunder)
  • New contract: Four years, $136,911,936 (Thunder)
  • Like James, George passed on the opportunity to go year-to-year on his new deal in favor of a massive long-term contract. And like James, George will have the opportunity to make another player-option decision in the summer of 2021 — he’ll earn $99MM+ in the first three seasons of his new contract before deciding on a player option worth nearly $38MM.

Kevin Durant

  • Player option: $26,250,000 (Warriors)
  • New contract: Two years, $61,500,000 (Warriors)
  • Durant could have negotiated a longer-term deal, but opted for a small raise on his player-option salary with an eye toward a more lucrative contract in 2019.

DeAndre Jordan

  • Player option: $24,119,025 (Clippers)
  • New contract: One year, $22,897,200 (Mavericks)
  • Jordan will technically earn a slightly lesser salary in 2018/19 than he would have had he opted in with the Clippers, but he was ready to move on from L.A. and can probably live with the slight pay cut. Plus, the lack of income taxes in Texas will help ensure that Jordan’s earnings don’t really decline.

Rudy Gay

  • Player option: $8,826,300 (Spurs)
  • New contract: One year, $10,087,200 (Spurs)
  • Gay’s raise wasn’t substantial, but his decision to opt out ultimately paid off, even if he’ll return to the same team.

Kyle O’Quinn

  • Player option: $4,256,250 (Knicks)
  • New contract: One year, $4,449,000 (Pacers)
  • While O’Quinn didn’t land the sort of payday he likely sought as a free agent, a modest raise and an opportunity to join a winning team still made opting out the right call.

Joffrey Lauvergne

  • Player option: $1,656,092 (Spurs)
  • New contract: Two years (Fenerbahce)
  • Terms of Lauvergne’s new two-year deal with Fenerbahce weren’t reported, so we don’t know how much he’ll make with the Turkish club. His option was only worth the NBA minimum though, and Fenerbahce is one of the most successful teams in the EuroLeague, so I expect he’s coming out ahead.

Jamal Crawford

  • Player option: $4,544,400 (Timberwolves)
  • New contract: Still unsigned
  • Even though Crawford has suggested that finding the right fit is more important than money at this point in his career, it’s still fair to question his option decision, given that he remains without an NBA home. I think he’ll sign somewhere eventually, but I don’t know that he’ll get more than the veteran’s minimum ($2,393,887), which would be worth just over half of his option salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2019 NBA Free Agents By Team

August 22nd, 2018 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2019 free agents by team is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2018/19 season.

This list will continue to be updated throughout the 2019 offseason, up until the start of the 2019/20 season, so be sure to use it and our list of 2019 free agents by position/type as points of reference. Both lists can be found anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu.

If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Updated 10-17-19 (2:04pm CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  1. Alex Poythress (two-way)

Boston Celtics

  1. Jonathan Gibson

Brooklyn Nets

  • None

Read more

Retweet 17 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Mental Health, Rookie Extensions, BIG3

August 22nd, 2018 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The mental health of NBA players has become a more frequent topic of conversation over the last year, with stars like DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love speaking out about their own battles with issues like depression and anxiety. ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan is taking a deep dive into the subject this week with a five-part series on mental health and the NBA.

The first installment of MacMullan’s series featured some fascinating tidbits about individual players, along with an interesting note about the disagreement between the union and some team owners about how mental health issues ought to be handled. According to MacMullan, the player’s union insists that mental health treatment remain confidential, but multiple NBA owners want access to their players’ files, given their level of investment in those players. The NBA has sided with the players on issues of confidentiality.

For those interested in the subject, the second and third pieces in MacMullan’s series have also been published and are worth checking out. Parts four and five will go up later this week.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Which of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions this year are the best candidates to receive new deals? Tom Ziller of SBNation.com breaks it down, noting that Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis are the only viable candidates for maximum-salary extensions now that Devin Booker has signed one.
  • Teams who lose a star player or find themselves trending downward after years of playoff contention should think long and hard before committing to tanking, according to Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders, who makes the case that an all-out tank isn’t always the best path for a rebuilding team to take.
  • The BIG3 announced several awards for its 2018 season, including Corey Maggette for MVP, Al Harrington for the “Too Hard to Guard” award, and – of course – Gary Payton for the title of Best Trash Talker (all Twitter links).
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Manu Ginobili Seriously Considering Retirement, Will Meet With Popovich

August 22nd, 2018 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

Manu Ginobili has yet to make any decisions about his future, but he’s seriously weighing the possibility of retiring, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, Ginobili will meet with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in the coming days to discuss his future.

Ginobili, who still has one year left on his contract with San Antonio, has been working out at the team’s practice facility in preparation of the 2018/19 season, but has yet to commit to returning, Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter). He has been a Spur since the 2002/03 season, winning four championships during his time with the organization.

If Ginobili does decide to play for another year, he’d be in line for a $2.5MM salary in the final season of the two-year contract he signed with the Spurs last summer. The club remains hopeful that the 41-year-old will decide to keep playing, and is giving him all the time he needs to make a decision, league sources tell Wojnarowski.

Although Ginobili’s best days are behind him, the NBA’s second-oldest player continued to be an effective part-time contributor in 2017/18, averaging 8.9 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 2.2 RPG in 65 regular season contests (20.0 MPG) for the Spurs.

Currently, the Spurs have 14 players on guaranteed salaries on their books, including Ginobili, so if the veteran guard retires, it would create an opening for another player to make the regular season roster.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Stars Discuss Pros, Cons Of Super-Teams

August 22nd, 2018 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

While NBA fans have – at best – mixed feelings on so-called “super-teams” that feature multiple stars, many players around the league view them as the only realistic way to compete for a championship, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post details.

“If you don’t have a super-team, or three superstars, or three All-Stars on your team, it’s very hard to win,” Wizards point guard John Wall told Bontemps at last month’s Team USA mini-camp.

Former NBA stars, particularly those who won championships in the past, have been critical of the idea of current All-Stars teaming up in free agency or via trade requests in an effort to compete for a title. However, Paul George doesn’t believe those criticisms take into account the challenges of the modern-day NBA.

“No team has won [a title] where one single guy was the lone star and it was their team. It’s not that era. I’m not sure how the veterans, the legends, don’t understand that part,” George said. “It’s a different game now. For those guys to chime in and say we’re not built the same . . . I never understood that, because who would we be fooling if we went out alone and tried to go up against the Warriors? The best guy in our league right now couldn’t do it. [LeBron James] got swept [in the 2018 Finals]. So that just goes to show you at this point what it takes to win. Because you need guys that are alike talent-wise and skill set-wise to win championships.”

Of course, with star players assuming more agency and more control when it comes to building super-teams around the NBA, some clubs are bound to be left out. Given the limits of the talent pool, the league can only realistically support a handful of super-teams at a time, and stars aren’t necessarily clamoring to leave their own situations for certain cities or franchises.

“Being in Memphis, being part of a smaller market, you have a tough time in free agency, and you have to build through the draft,” Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley told Bontemps. “With all the things teams have been able to accomplish through free agency, and through all the player movement, you kind of miss out on that.”

Even in a small market though, the idea of constructing a super-team isn’t impossible — if a club can acquire a superstar player that other stars around the league want to play with, such as Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, it’s a stepping stone toward acquiring other impact players. As Eric Gordon tells Bontemps, players want to go to “winning situations,” so if a team establishes a “winning culture,” it presents a clearer path to attracting top talent. And the Rockets guard views that as good thing for the NBA.

“It’s good to see all these super-teams, because [it means] guys are willing to win,” Gordon said.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts