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Month: November 2024

Knicks Notes: Trade Rumors, Bullock, Ellington, Smith Jr.

December 27th, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Another rocky start in New York has led several Knicks to begin seeking a way out, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Sources tell Begley a few players have said privately that they hope to be dealt before the February 6 trade deadline arrives.

That was always a danger for a team that signed so many players to short-term contracts this summer. Of the seven free agents who came to New York, only Julius Randle has any money guaranteed beyond this season. Management has admitted that it prioritized roster flexibility and future cap room after missing out on its top targets in the free agent market.

Begley expects the team to explore trading options on everyone except rookie guard RJ Barrett and possibly second-year center Mitchell Robinson. He notes that several teams, including the Timberwolves, have expressed interest in Dennis Smith Jr.

There’s more from New York:

  • Two much-needed shooters are expected back in the lineup soon, Begley adds in the same story. Reggie Bullock practiced yesterday with the Knicks’ G League team and is close to making his season debut after having cervical disc herniation surgery in July. Wayne Ellington, who has missed the past 10 games with an Achilles issue, may be ready for Saturday’s game at Washington.
  • Efforts to trade Smith will be complicated by an oblique injury that could sideline him for several games, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Smith started feeling discomfort during an extra workout after playing just seven minutes Monday. There’s no word on how much time he might miss with the injury, which is more common among baseball players. “He pulled something in his oblique while he was playing,’’ interim coach Mike Miller said. “It wasn’t a collision. It was just some kind of movement when he did something, it pulled something. … He’s been testing it and going through treatment as best he can. We’ll just have to see day-to-day how he feels.”
  • Robinson credits an agreement he made with former coach David Fizdale for turning his season around, relays Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Any time Robinson commits a reach-in foul during a game, he has to run laps during practice as punishment. “Who wants to keep running all day in practice?” Robinson said. “Why not jump vertical? It worked out pretty great.”
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Zach Randolph Confirms His Retirement

December 27th, 2019 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

A few months after suggesting that he wanted to continue his NBA career, Zach Randolph tells TMZ his retirement is official. Randolph confirmed the news during a quick interview while he was at the Clippers–Lakers game on Christmas Day.

Randolph earned more than $200MM during his 17 years in the NBA. His time in the league ended unceremoniously last season as he spent time with the Kings and Mavericks, but never got into a game.

Randolph, who plans to devote more time to his music label, also spoke briefly about Ja Morant, saying he’s got a “good chance” to be Rookie of the Year.

In an interview shortly before training camps opened in September, Randolph declared, “I ain’t retired yet,” and seemed to be holding out hope that someone would give him a chance to earn a roster spot. But when that opportunity didn’t come, Randolph accepted that his career is over.

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Buddy Hield: Kings Have “Trust Issues”

December 27th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Buddy Hield complained to reporters about “trust issues” in Sacramento after being benched for much of the fourth quarter in last night’s loss to the Timberwolves, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic.

New Kings head coach Luke Walton has been keeping Hield off the court late in close games ever since a defensive lapse cost the team a victory against San Antonio on December 6, Jones adds. Hield didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter Monday and saw just 4:06 of action in the final frame of Thursday’s double overtime loss.

“Seems like we’re all over the place,” Hield said. “… Trust issues going on, I guess. They stop believing in players. It is what it is.”

Hield’s comments capped an overall miserable night for the Kings, who fell to 12-19 with their fifth straight loss. Not only did they allow Minnesota to snap an 11-game slide, but De’Aaron Fox left the game after two minutes with back spasms and Marvin Bagley III exited in the third quarter with an injured left foot.

But the bigger issue might be Hield, who is lashing out at the organization two months after signing a four-year rookie-scale extension worth $86MM. Hield also clashed with former coach Dave Joerger after repeatedly abandoning set plays to get his own shot, and Jones notes that their uneasy relationship was part of the reason for Joerger’s dismissal.

That’s not going to happen with Walton, who has a four-year contract and the full support of management, Jones adds. He was given the freedom to remove Dewayne Dedmon from the rotation after the team signed the free agent center to a three-year, $40MM contract this summer, and he will be allowed to handle Hield as he sees fit.

Hield didn’t directly attack Walton last night and made it clear to reporters that he doesn’t feel like he’s being singled out by the coaching staff.

“I never said that,” Hield said. “I just feel like I’m one of the better players on the team, I should be in there in the fourth quarter, trying to help my team win, regardless. That’s why I’m here, right?”

Hield hit a key shot in the first overtime and played the entirety of the second one. However, he showed questionable judgment at the end as the Kings had the ball and a chance to win with 11.6 seconds remaining. Hield ran off nearly the entire clock before misfiring on a 3-pointer.

“I don’t coach the team, it is what it is,” he said. “I’m an emotional player. I express my feelings on the bench and they know how competitive I am and they hear me. I don’t say nothing quietly. They know I’m all about winning, I’m a team-first guy and nobody says I’m being selfish so that’s not the case, I’m not a selfish guy.

“I’m all about winning. When I’m not out there, it hurt my gut not to be out there. For the past two games when I feel I can make a difference. … I know they’re trying to prove a point, of course. But the point didn’t get proved; that’s a game we could have won.”

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Southwest Notes: Clemons, Moore, Favors, Barea

December 26th, 2019 at 10:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Clemons‘ new three-year contract with the Rockets features a guaranteed minimum salary this season, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Since it’s prorated, Clemons will have a cap hit of $563K for the rest of this season if the deal is officially finalized on Friday.

MacMahon adds that Clemons’ 2020/21 salary will be non-guaranteed, while 2021/22 will be a team option — both years will also be worth the minimum. Assuming the rookie guard continues to impress and plays out his full contract with the Rockets, he’ll be on track to become a restricted free agent during the summer of 2022.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Following a victory in Portland on Monday, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters that he took the blame for limiting E’Twaun Moore‘s minutes in recent weeks (Twitter link via Scott Kushner of The Advocate). Moore, who started 36 games and averaged 27.6 MPG last season, has fallen out of the rotation at times in 2019/20, which is a contract year for him. He has averaged 11.5 PPG in 22.9 MPG in two games this week, both Pelicans wins.
  • The reintegration of Derrick Favors into the Pelicans‘ lineup has been another factor keying the team’s improved play as of late, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic. A free agent at season’s end, Favors could be a trade candidate this winter.
  • Mike Piellucci of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at Mavericks guard J.J. Barea and the work he has put in to make it back from an Achilles tear at age 35 when he could have easily called it a career.
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Latest On Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert

December 26th, 2019 at 9:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets point guard Kyrie Irving remains on the shelf, but head coach Kenny Atkinson refuted a report claiming that Irving is suffering from thoracic bursitis, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes.

“Whatever that report said is not true,” Atkinson said. “We’re still in the same place the last time I talked. Like I said, the thing is we haven’t gotten to the contact with him. We’re on-court workout situation but the contact just hasn’t been cleared yet. I think that’s the next hurdle. I wish I could tell you when that is. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

Asked if Irving’s lingering shoulder issue would require surgery, Atkinson said that the team doesn’t believe that’s necessary, adding that the six-time All-Star remains focused on his rehab process.

Although Irving’s return doesn’t appear imminent, today’s update on fellow injured guard Caris LeVert was more positive. According to Malika Andrews of ESPN, LeVert told reporters that he was able to go through 5-on-5 work on Tuesday and again on Thursday.

Atkinson was unwilling to commit to getting LeVert back in the lineup during the Nets’ upcoming road trip to Houston (Dec. 28), Minnesota (Dec. 30), and Dallas (Jan. 2), but also didn’t rule out the possibility of LeVert playing in one or more of those games, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“Of course you want to push me. I’m afraid I’m going to say yes and then it doesn’t happen, so I’m not going to go there,” Atkinson said, explaining why he wouldn’t commit to a specific date. “I’d just say, he’s getting really close.”

With LeVert expected to return before Irving does, Atkinson also left the door open for LeVert to play a backup point guard role when he’s healthy.

“Yeah, he’s done it before. Completely comfortable with that. And yes that’s something we’ll think about,” the head coach said. “That’s something we’re going to need, and he’s really good at it, so that’s going to help us when he comes back.”

Brooklyn has been hit hard by injuries as of late and could badly use some reinforcements after tonight’s 12-point home loss to the Knicks. Spencer Dinwiddie was the only Net to score more than 10 points in that game.

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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/26/19

December 26th, 2019 at 8:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • Thomas Bryant, who has been sidelined since December 1 with a foot injury, was assigned to and then recalled from the Capital City Go-Go by the Wizards today, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Bryant apparently participated in a practice with Washington’s G League affiliate.
  • The Knicks assigned veteran swingman Reggie Bullock to the G League, where he practiced with the Westchester Knicks, according to the club (Twitter link). Bullock, who underwent surgery in July for a cervical disc herniation, is nearing his regular season debut.
  • The Bucks assigned big man Dragan Bender to their G League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). Bender, who has averaged 20.2 PPG in six NBAGL contests this season, will be active for the Wisconsin Herd on Friday when the club faces Lakeland.
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Players Eligible For Veteran Extensions During 2019/20 Season

December 26th, 2019 at 7:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted in our glossary entry on veteran contract extensions, rookie scale extensions have historically been the most common form of contract extension in the NBA. However, the league’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement loosened the rules on eligibility for veteran extensions and made them a little more financially advantageous for players who don’t expect mega-deals.

As a result, we’ve seen a bump in veteran contract extensions in recent seasons. So far in the 2019/20 league year, nine players have signed them, matching the number of players who signed rookie scale extensions.

[RELATED: 2019/20 NBA Contract Extension Tracker]

For a star like Anthony Davis, it still makes sense to wait until free agency to sign a new contract — the biggest raise he can receive on an extension would still be less than the maximum contract he’d be eligible to earn on the open market. The maximum starting salary a player like Davis can receive in a veteran extension is up to 120% of his current salary.

A player on a more modest contract can receive a maximum starting salary worth up to 120% of the NBA’s estimated average salary on an extension, assuming that amount is greater than 120% of his current salary. For this season, 120% of the estimated average salary would work out to a $11.47MM salary in the first year of a contract extension. A player who signs an extension that fits that bill could get up to four years and $51.39MM. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Dillon Brooks are among the players who are eligible for that sort of deal.

Now that the regular season is in full swing, the number of veterans eligible for contract extensions has declined, since players with more than one year left on their contracts aren’t permitted to ink an in-season extension. But there are still a number of veterans in the final year of their respective contracts who remain eligible for extensions right up until June 30, the last day of the current league year.

Listed below are the players who meet the criteria for a veteran extension. Players who were recently traded can be extended, but they have to wait for six months after the trade to sign a contract longer than three total years (including the current season) with a first-year raise exceeding 5%. If a player below is noted as having “limited” eligibility until a certain date, that’s why. Once six months pass, those players are eligible to sign an extension of up to five total years (including the current season) with a 20% first-year raise.

Additionally, extension-eligible players with a player or team option for 2020/21 would have to eliminate that option year as part of an extension agreement in order to meet the necessary criteria.

Here’s the full list of veterans currently eligible for contract extensions:

Atlanta Hawks

  • Jeff Teague
    • Note: Limited eligibility for rest of league year.

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

  • None

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

  • Otto Porter
    • Note: 2020/21 player option must be declined.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

  • None

Houston Rockets

  • None

Indiana Pacers

  • None

Los Angeles Clippers

  • None

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

  • None

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Allen Crabbe
    • Note: Limited eligibility for rest of league year.
  • James Johnson
    • Note: 2020/21 player option must be declined.
    • Note: Limited eligibility for rest of league year.
  • Evan Turner
    • Note: Limited eligibility for rest of league year.

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

  • None

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2019/20 In-Season NBA Trades

December 26th, 2019 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

As we did with 2019’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2018/19, we’ll be keeping track of all the NBA trades completed this season as they become official, updating this post with each transaction. This post can be found anytime throughout the season on our desktop sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in our mobile menu under “Features.”

Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been dealt multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. For more details on each trade, click the date above it.

For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks. Trades that have been agreed upon but haven’t been officially finalized will be listed below in italics.

Here’s the full list of the trades completed during the 2019/20 NBA season:

February 6

February 6

  • Hawks acquire Dewayne Dedmon, either the Rockets’ or Heat’s 2020 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), and the Heat’s 2021 second-round pick.
  • Kings acquire Jabari Parker and Alex Len.

February 6

  • Clippers acquire Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas.
  • Knicks acquire Maurice Harkless, the Clippers’ 2020 first-round pick, the Pistons 2021 second-round pick, the right to swap their own 2021 first-round pick with the Clippers’ 2021 first-round pick (top-four protected), and the draft rights to Issuf Sanon.
  • Wizards acquire Jerome Robinson.

February 6

  • Rockets acquire Bruno Caboclo.
  • Grizzlies acquire Jordan Bell and the right to swap the Mavericks’ or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable) with the Rockets’ 2023 second-round pick (top-32 protected).

February 6

February 6

February 6

  • Sixers acquire Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III.
  • Warriors acquire the Mavericks’ 2020 second-round pick, the Nuggets’ 2021 second-round pick, and the Raptors’ 2022 second-round pick.

February 6

  • Hawks acquire Skal Labissiere and cash ($1,759,795).
  • Trail Blazers acquire the Hawks’ 2024 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

February 6

  • Hawks acquire Derrick Walton Jr. and cash ($1,313,576).
  • Clippers acquire the Hawks’ 2022 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

February 6

February 6

  • Magic acquire James Ennis.
  • Sixers acquire the Lakers’ 2020 second-round pick.

February 5

January 25

January 24

January 21

January 16

December 23

  • Jazz acquire Jordan Clarkson.
  • Cavaliers acquire Dante Exum, the Spurs’ 2022 second-round pick, and the Warriors’ 2023 second-round pick.
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Jeff Green Clears Waivers, Becomes Free Agent

December 26th, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Two days after being released by the Jazz, veteran forward Jeff Green has gone unclaimed and cleared waivers, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Green is now an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.

Green, 33, has bounced around the NBA in recent years, spending time with seven franchises in the past six seasons. While he has been a regular rotation player and occasional starter for every team he has played for, he was off to a slow start in Utah, averaging career lows in PPG (7.8), RPG (2.7), MPG (18.4), FG% (.385), and a handful of other categories. The Jazz reportedly loved Green’s professionalism, but felt their bench needed a shake-up.

Since he was on a minimum-salary contract, Green was a candidate to be claimed off waivers, since teams wouldn’t have faced cap obstacles to bring him aboard. However, few teams around the NBA have available roster spots.

While Green is a free agent for now, I’d expect him to catch on with another team on a prorated minimum-salary deal before the end of the season.

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Western Conference All-Stars: Who Should Start?

December 26th, 2019 at 3:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Voting for the NBA 2020 All-Star Game has opened up. We examined who should be the starters in the east on Wednesday. Now let’s take a look at who deserves the starting nod in the Western Conference.

Backcourt Selections

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Where would the Rockets be without James Harden this season? The perennial MVP candidate is carrying the scoring load for Houston, averaging an insane 38.1 points per game, and his VORP tops all players in the league.

Luka Doncic‘s return to the lineup likely closes any window that would allow Damian Lillard to take over the other starting spot (Lillard would be the first guard I’d choose for second-team All-NBA if that ballot was cast today).

Frontcourt Selections

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

The frontcourt in the Western Conference has a clear-cut top three and perhaps the only way to unseat the future Kawhi Leonard–Anthony Davis–LeBron James trio is for one to miss significant time between now and when voting ends for the All-Star starters. James could miss time with his nagging groin injury over the next month, but it’s fair to wonder whether another frontcourt player has the resume to supplant James regardless of how many games he misses.

Both Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George have also missed chunks of time with various ailments. And while Brandon Ingram should certainly earn an All-Star spot with the numbers he’s putting up this season, LeBron’s year to date is arguably more impressive than anything his former teammate could do between now and the end of January to close the gap.

In year 17 of our King from Akron, only four players have a higher win share than the soon-to-be 35-year-old and if you exclude Doncic, Harden, and Giannis, no player has a higher VORP. Not to mention the raw stats: 25.7 PPG, 10.6 APG, and 7.6 RPG. LBJ has likely done enough already to earn a starting spot in the Western Conference regardless of how many games he misses over the next month.

Who do you believe should be the starters in the Western Conference? Take to the comment section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say!

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