Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Rudy Gay Talks Health, DeRozan, Spurs’ Expectations

August 20th, 2018 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Although he was able to get back on the court last season after tearing his Achilles during the 2016/17 campaign, Rudy Gay never seemed to be fully at 100%. He was nagged by Achilles and heel issues, appearing in just 57 games in his first season for the Spurs.

Having re-signed with San Antonio though, Gay is feeling better as the 2018/19 season approaches, telling Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News that “everything is clicking” and that he feels “athletic again.”

Gay spoke a little more about his health and also touched on several other Spurs-related topics in his conversation with Orsborn, so let’s round up a few highlights from the veteran forward…

On his offseason workouts:

“I’ve been working hard, man. I lost about five pounds. Last year was a little bit of a struggle for me, so I tried to alleviate that by taking the weight off my feet by losing a couple of pounds through working out and eating better. It’s now or never right now for me.”

On how DeMar DeRozan, unhappy about being traded by the Raptors, will fit right in with the Spurs:

“That’s the thing about this whole team – everybody has a chip on his shoulder. His is just more publicized. But, look, I’m healthy (and have something to prove), LaMarcus (Aldridge) always finds someway to have a chip on his shoulder. Jakob (Poeltl) wants to prove he can be a great player. DJ (Dejounte Murray) has a chip on his shoulder because he wants to be known as one of the best at his position.

“I think we have a great mix of guys, a great basketball team. (Spurs GM) R.C. (Buford) put together a great team. It will be fun to watch.”

On his quick decision to re-sign with the Spurs in free agency:

“I always knew I wanted to come back. When I opted out, I felt like I had options. But the best option was to just stay where I was at.”

On modest expectations for the Spurs, who have an over/under of 43.5 wins on the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas:

“Nobody expects us to be good. I don’t know why. … Why were we expected to be so much better last year? Because Kawhi (Leonard) may have come back? He didn’t, and we were still a playoff team, really a couple of wins away from being a third or fourth seed in the West.

“They don’t have many expectations for us. But the Spurs always exceed the expectations. Don’t expect anything less this year.”

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Recent NBA Rookie Scale Extension History

August 19th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after the July moratorium ended last month, Suns guard Devin Booker became the first player to sign a rookie scale extension in 2018, inking a five-year, maximum salary contract that will take effect in 2019/20. Currently, it’s projected to be worth just over $158MM.

While Booker was the first fourth-year player to sign a rookie scale extension this year, he likely won’t be the last. Twenty-two other players are extension-eligible up until the first day of the regular season, and in a typical NBA offseason, between four and eight rookie scale extensions are completed.

Listed below are all the rookie scale extensions that have been signed over the last five offseasons. These deals should help give us an idea of what we can expect this year

Typically, at least a couple mega-deals are completed in each offseason, so it’s a safe bet that at least one more star (likely Karl-Anthony Towns) will join Booker in that group. A handful of less lucrative contracts are often finalized in each offseason too, so non-stars can be extension candidates — Bobby Portis, Larry Nance, Justise Winslow, and Trey Lyles are among the players who could fit that bill this offseason.

Here’s the full list of rookie scale extensions from the last five years:

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Alexey Shved Drew NBA Interest This Summer

August 19th, 2018 at 8:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA guard Alexey Shved received interest from multiple NBA teams this offseason, but decided to remain overseas for the time being, agent Obrad Fimic told Russian outlet Izvestia (translation via HoopsHype).

Shved, who played for the Timberwolves, Sixers, Rockets, and Knicks during his previous stint in the NBA from 2012 to 2015, has been a member of Russian club Khimki since returning to Europe three years ago. While the 29-year-old will remain with Khimki for the upcoming season, Fimic suggests that the Pelicans, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Suns all expressed interest in signing his client.

According to Fimic, Shved received a couple minimum-salary offers, and one offer that would’ve been in the $4MM range for 2018/19. However, the agent for the Russian guard believes the summer of 2019 may be a better time to revisit the possibility of a return to the NBA.

“Next year, Alexey will still be under contract with Khimki, but we’ll be carefully considering offers from the NBA,” Fimic said. “Everyone says the NBA teams will have more available money next summer. Therefore, the probability of his departure will increase.”

In 2017/18, Shved was the EuroLeague’s leading scorer, averaging 21.8 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 2.6 RPG in 34 EuroLeague contests. He also put up 23.6 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 2.3 RPG in 24 Russian League games.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Poll: Who Will Be East’s Best Player In 2018/19?

August 19th, 2018 at 6:39pm CST by Luke Adams

During the 2017/18 season, five of the league’s 15 All-NBA players were from the Eastern Conference. Two of those stars – LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan – headed to Western Conference teams this offseason, leaving only three All-NBA players in the East: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Victor Oladipo.

Anteokounmpo, Embiid, and Oladipo will head into the 2018/19 season as virtual locks for the Eastern All-Star team, assuming they stay healthy, especially given the relative lack of talent in the conference. However, they’re not the only stars left in the East.

Kawhi Leonard wasn’t an All-NBA player last year, but he earned a spot on the First Team in each of the previous two seasons. His health remains a major question mark, given his lost ’17/18 season, but if he’s back to full strength for the Raptors, he could be in line for a monster contract year. Having lost their leading scorer in the trade that sent Kawhi to Toronto, the Raptors figure to lean heavily on Leonard on both ends of the court.

Kyrie Irving didn’t miss as much of last season as Leonard did, but injury issues ended his year early as well. Irving earned a little MVP buzz during the first half of the season, and while the Celtics’ roster may be too deep for the star point guard to put up massive individual numbers, he’ll likely be the best player on what is expected to be the best team in the East.

Another Sixer, Ben Simmons, figures to give Embiid a run for his money for the title of best player on Philadelphia’s roster. Already an excellent finisher, play-maker, and passer, Simmons is capable of becoming one of the NBA’s most dangerous players if he can add a reliable jump shot. Both he and Embiid have future MVP potential, though Embiid looks closer to reaching those heights in 2018/19.

Elsewhere in the East, John Wall, Blake Griffin, Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward, Kyle Lowry, Bradley Beal, Kevin Love, and Goran Dragic are among the players that figure to vie for spots on the All-Star roster, but it would be a surprise if any of them is the most effective player in the conference in 2018/19.

What do you think? Who will be the East’s best player next season? Will Antetokounmpo take another step forward and claim that title? Will Leonard bounce back after his change of scenery and reclaim his spot as a First Team All-NBA player? Can Embiid stay healthy all year long and ascend to new heights?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Teams With Most, Fewest Guaranteed Salaries

August 19th, 2018 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

At this point in the NBA offseason, most teams are carrying 14 and 15 players on guaranteed salaries. The clubs with 14 guaranteed contracts on their books will likely either enter the season with an open roster spot or allow camp invitees to compete for that 15th-man role. Teams with 15 players already on guaranteed deals have their regular-season rosters all but set already.

Still, several teams around the NBA have more than 15 or fewer than 14 fully guaranteed salaries on their cap for now. Using our roster counts tool, here’s a look at those teams, with details on what they might be thinking as the 2018/19 season nears:

Fewer than 14 guaranteed contracts:

  • Houston Rockets (11 guaranteed contracts): In addition to their 11 fully guaranteed contracts, the Rockets also figure to hang onto Michael Carter-Williams, who has a significant partial guarantee. Second-round pick De’Anthony Melton is a good bet to sign a guaranteed contract at some point too. That would increase the Rockets’ roster count to 13, with Zhou Qi the most likely candidate for the 14th spot.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (12): While they only have 12 guaranteed salaries on their books for now, the Cavaliers figure to increase that count by two once they officially sign David Nwaba and bring back Rodney Hood.
  • Miami Heat (12): The Heat continue to wait on Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem to make decisions on whether or not they’ll continue their respective careers. They’ll be penciled in to the 13th and 14th spots if they elect to return.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (12): Although he only has a partial guarantee, James Nunnally is a safe bet to make the Timberwolves’ roster as the 13th man. It’s not clear what the team intends to do with its last opening or two.
  • New Orleans Pelicans (12): Only 12 Pelicans have fully guaranteed salaries, but there are several legit NBA players – Emeka Okafor, DeAndre Liggins, Jahlil Okafor, and Troy Williams – vying for roster spots on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. At least two of them figure to make the team.
  • Atlanta Hawks (13): The Hawks will increase their roster count to 15 guaranteed salaries once Vince Carter and Daniel Hamilton make their deals with Atlanta official.
  • Golden State Warriors (13): The Warriors plan to enter the season with 14 players under contract, leaving a spot open for flexibility. Their 14th man will likely be Patrick McCaw, who is still a restricted free agent for now.
  • Toronto Raptors (13): The Raptors may enter the season with a 14-man roster. Lorenzo Brown is currently the top candidate for that 14th spot, though Chris Boucher and others could provide competition.

More than 15 guaranteed contracts:

  • Sacramento Kings (16): When the Kings took advantage of their leftover cap room to sign Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell, it created a roster crunch. If the club doesn’t trade a player before the season begins, Iman Shumpert, Kosta Koufos, Ben McLemore, and Deyonta Davis are among the release candidates on the roster — all four are on expiring contracts.
  • Los Angeles Clippers (15 + Patrick Beverley): The Clippers technically only have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, but Beverley, who is on a non-guaranteed deal, will probably make the team. Assuming he does, that will mean trading or releasing another player, perhaps Wesley Johnson or Jawun Evans.
  • Memphis Grizzlies (15 + Andrew Harrison): Like Beverley in L.A., Harrison is on a non-guaranteed salary, but may not be expendable. If he remains on Memphis’ roster, the Grizzlies may end up releasing Dakari Johnson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: BIG3 Expansion, Chambers, Thunder

August 19th, 2018 at 3:50pm CST by Austin Kent

One of the co-founders of the BIG3 believes that the league is planning on expanding, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes. Citing demand from players that would like to participate and the league’s own goal of expanding to new cities, Jeff Kwatinetz discussed the possibility when the league was in town over the weekend.

“The idea of trying to figure the exact format for next year is something I think we will decide and wait a couple of weeks,” Kwatinetz said. “The demand is there and we’re not watering down the quality of the basketball. As long as we’re making it more competitive and incredible, then we will do that.”

One hurdle that the two-year-old league may face is managing its broadcasts, as only a few of the league’s games are televised on Fox Sports 1 on any given night. Adding more games would complicate that further.

Kwatinetz spoke about adding high profile NBA veterans to the Big3 as well as potentially cooperating with the league in a formal capacity. At this stage there have been no formal discussions between the two leagues.

There’s more from around the league:

  • It’s been ten years since the SuperSonics relocated from the Pacific Northwest to Oklahoma City. Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman wrote about the Thunder franchise’s impact on the city and the impact that the city’s identity has had on the club itself over the past decade.
  • Former NBA All-Star Tom Chambers has been charged with assault following an altercation at an Arizona restaurant, Bree Burkitt of The Arizona Republic writes.
  • As F5 Season winds down and NBA fans are left waiting for the start of training camp, now is your chance to get caught up on what has has (and what hasn’t) officially happened since July 1. We have a meticulously updated tool that tracks the player contract count for each NBA roster.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Southeast Notes: Heat, Green, Bass

August 19th, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Austin Kent

There have been no shortage of players who’ve stepped up for the Heat over the course of the past two seasons but at the end of the day, the club may need Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow to settle into roles as rotation players, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

While Richardson and Winslow make for intriguing complementary players, the club may benefit most by channeling its offense through some combination of Dion Waiters, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside.

Richardson averaged 12.9 points per game for the Heat as a 24-year-old last season and Winslow chipped in with 7.8 points per game of his own.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • What exactly should teams look for with their 15th roster spot? Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explores what the Heat have done with the spot in the past and what they should do with presently unsigned veteran Udonis Haslem as the season approaches.
  • The move to Washington will reunite recently signed Wizards forward Jeff Green with head coach Scott Brooks. Green spoke with Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington about his relationship with the man he played for during a rookie season with the Seattle SuperSonics.
  • In a feature celebrating the life of former Hornets general manager Bob Bass, who passed away on Friday, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer calls the old school executive the most impactful that the city has had.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Weekly Mailbag: 8/13/18 – 8/19/18

August 19th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.

ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz said this week that Kyrie Irving and the Celtics have a “mutual understanding” about a long-term contract. If Irving and Jimmy Butler want to play together, does that mean Butler might be coming to Boston? — Stephen W., via Twitter

In an appearance on “The Jump,” Arnovitz said, “My best intel is that the Celtics and Kyrie have a pretty good mutual understanding that he wasn’t going to get traded in the offseason and that there are long-term aspirations for both parties.” While things can change over the course of the season, that’s a pretty strong indication that Irving doesn’t plan to leave Boston. The Celtics potentially have enough cap room to sign a max-level free agent next summer, but only if Al Horford opts out and they renounce his rights, which isn’t likely. A better path toward Butler is a trade around the deadline, but salary matching will be tricky because Boston’s roster is filled with high-end contracts and rookie deals. Assuming Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are off the table, it’s hard to see what the Celtics might offer that the Timberwolves would accept.

If the Lakers are struggling at midseason, do you think LeBron James and the front office will be OK staying the course or will they push for an aggressive trade deadline deal? Wondering how important winning this next season really is. — VJ Cruz, via Twitter

The Lakers’ priority is finding a second star to play alongside LeBron. With all the one-year contracts the organization handed out this summer, it will be in position to offer another maximum deal in 2019. The Lakers won’t make any trades that interfere with that, even if a deal might seem like the difference in making the playoffs. However, if they can get their second star during the season — if things don’t work out for Kawhi Leonard in Toronto, for example — then the Lakers will be very willing to engage in trade talks.

Say an undrafted rookie gets signed to a two-way contract, plays only in the G League all year, then gets an upgrade the next year to the main team. His day limit is used up strictly by attending practices just in case someone on the main team gets hurt, but doesn’t actually play a game, not even suiting up and sitting on the bench. The next year though, after making the main team roster, he blows up. Is he eligible for Rookie of the Year? — Nicolas Galipeau

Under NBA rules, all players are considered rookies until they appear in their first game. That’s why Ben Simmons and Blake Griffin, who sat out their first seasons with injuries, were able to win Rookie of the Year honors. The two-way status in your hypothetical example doesn’t change that. As long as a player doesn’t appear in an actual game, his rookie status isn’t affected.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Texas Notes: Ginobili, DeRozan, Anderson, Jordan

August 19th, 2018 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Manu Ginobili‘s announcement on whether he plans to play another season could come this week, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Speaking at a basketball clinic, Ginobili’s older brother, Sepo, suggested the veteran Spurs guard is nearing a decision, tweets Spanish-language broadcaster Carlos Altamirano.

The 41-year-old is entering the second season of a two-year contract he signed with the Spurs last summer. He will make $2.5MM if he decides to play in the upcoming season, which would be his 17th in San Antonio.

There’s more NBA news out of Texas:

  • DeMar DeRozan feels like he has something to prove after being traded from the Raptors to the Spurs this summer, and Jakob Poeltl thinks that should be frightening for opponents, Orsborn relays in a separate piece. Poeltl came to San Antonio with DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard deal and knows what his teammate is capable of. DeRozan is a four-time All-Star and may push his game to greater heights in response to the trade. “It’s a little bit scary, to be honest,” Poeltl said, “because I know what he can do when he has a chip on his shoulder, when he gets that extra motivation. Yeah, I think he’s going to be ready.”
  • The Rockets are running into dead ends in their quest to trade Ryan Anderson, according to Ashith Mathur of AmicoHoops. Teams are reluctant to take on Anderson’s contract, which pays him more than $20.4MM this season and nearly $21.3MM in 2019/20. “They’ve done everything short of posting an ad on Craigslist,” a rival executive said. Anderson slipped out of Houston’s rotation late last season and saw his scoring average fall below 10 points per game for the first time in eight years.
  • The addition of free agent center DeAndre Jordan solves two glaring problems for the Mavericks, notes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News in his latest player profile. Jordan should help with rebounding and offensive efficiency as he has led the NBA in effective field-goal percentage in five of the past six seasons.
Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Alessandro Gentile Expected To Join Rockets For Camp

August 19th, 2018 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Alessandro Gentile tells Italian website BasketNet he will be in training camp with the Rockets next month. Houston owns the rights to the 25-year-old swingman after acquiring them in a draft night trade in 2014. Gentile was selected by the Timberwolves with the 53rd pick that year.

“I know that they have been following me for two years,” Gentile said. “[Rockets coach Mike] D’Antoni already spoke to me in 2016 and now they want to see me.”

Gentile has been playing in Europe since 2009 and spent last season with Virtus Bologna in Italy. He’s a two-time Italian League all-star and was named Finals MVP in 2014.

The Rockets were hoping to have Gentile as part of their entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, but he needed surgery for a fractured finger on his right hand. It’s the second surgery on the hand in two years, but he says the latest procedure fixed the problem.

Gentile said he is looking forward to playing alongside Chris Paul after talking to fellow Italian Marco Belinelli about the experience. Belinelli was Paul’s teammate for two seasons in New Orleans.

Winning a regular-season roster spot may be difficult, but there should be at least one roster spot available in Houston, even after second-round pick De’Anthony Melton signs his first NBA contract.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts