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Harden’s Wish List Now Includes Blazers, Celtics

December 24th, 2020 at 4:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets All-Star guard James Harden, the talk of this young 2020/21 season for a variety of reasons, has expanded his wish list of NBA trade destinations to include the Trail Blazers and Celtics, according to Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of the Athletic.

The Nets, Sixers, Heat and Bucks were the four teams Harden has previously identified as preferred landing spots. The Heat have reportedly paused cursory talks surrounding a Harden trade, apparently balking at the Rockets’ asking price. The Bucks are also not expected to pursue Harden.

Finding salaries to match Harden’s in a trade is no small feat. The 31-year-old has two guaranteed years remaining on his current max contract, and holds a $47.4MM player option for the 2022/23 season.

The Trail Blazers, led by All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and talented shooting guard C.J. McCollum, impressed during their run to the 2019 Western Conference Finals. Though he has yet to make an All-Star team, the 29-year-old McCollum could be the kind of high-level scoring target around which Portland could begin build a trade. Last season, with Lillard clearly the focal point of Portland’s offense, McCollum averaged 22.2 PPG, 4.4 APG, 4.2 RPG, 0.8 SPF and 0.6 BPG while posting a shooting line of .451/.379/.757.

The Celtics have appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals for three of the last four seasons. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is almost certainly untouchable in any Harden deal, but versatile 24-year-old forward Jaylen Brown, who has emerged as a two-way force, might appeal to Houston.

Iko and Amick note that the Rockets have talked with teams that are not on Harden’s list of preferred landing spots. The Nuggets are among this group. Denver has not made star guard Jamal Murray available in trade discussions yet, though the Rockets remain intrigued by second-year forward Michael Porter Jr.

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James Harden’s Availability For Tonight’s Opener In Jeopardy?

December 23rd, 2020 at 9:38am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA office and Rockets officials are reviewing a social media video of James Harden at a strip club to determine the date it occurred, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. If it is found to be recent, it could be considered a violation of COVID-19 protocols and Harden may not be allowed to play in tonight’s season opener.

MacMahon adds that the NBA’s health and safety protocols state that “failure or refusal to comply with the protocols may subject players and team staff to disciplinary action by the NBA or his or her team which may include a warning, fine, and/or suspension” (Twitter link). A suspension for Harden would cost him $284,517 per game, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

It’s the latest controversy for the former MVP, whose desire to be traded has been the dominant story of Houston’s offseason. Harden was late reporting to camp as images surfaced of him partying in Atlanta and Las Vegas, and a report surfaced Tuesday of tension between Harden and his teammates, including an incident where he reportedly threw a basketball at Jae’Sean Tate.

Harden first issued a trade request during the offseason, indicating that he had lost confidence in the organization’s ability to build a championship contender around him. Since arriving at camp, he has brushed aside questions about a possible deal, but hasn’t relented in his desire to leave the Rockets.

According to reports, Houston hasn’t been able to reach any traction in trade talks with a number of teams. The Heat pulled out of discussions this week and the Nuggets weren’t willing to part with Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr.

Marc Stein of The New York Times wrote in his newsletter this week that it has “recently become known” that the Celtics and Raptors have had exploratory talks about Harden, but it’s not clear if Stein is reporting – or confirming – that himself, or referring to other unconfirmed reports.

The Rockets have been steadfast in saying they won’t part with Harden unless they get a young star and a package of draft picks in return. We’ll see if this latest incident affects their asking price.

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Kemba Still "A Long Way Away," Thompson Close

December 22nd, 2020 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Celtics point guard Kemba Walker is still “a long way away,” head coach Brad Stevens said today (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Walker, who is rehabbing a left knee injury, is still limited to 1-on-1 work with a coach, and the team won’t update his status until the first week of January. Stevens is hopeful that big man Tristan Thompson (hamstring) will be able to play in Boston’s opener on Wednesday, Bontemps adds (via Twitter).
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Celtics Waive Amile Jefferson

December 19th, 2020 at 5:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics got down to the roster limit by waiving power forward Amile Jefferson, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

Jefferson, 27, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston two weeks ago, so he could wind up with the Celtics’ G League affiliate. He played a combined 30 games for the Magic in his first two NBA seasons before being waived in February. Jefferson got into 18 games last season, but played just 4.1 minutes per night.

Boston’s roster appears to be set for the regular season, with all 15 slots filled, as well as a pair of two-way players.

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NBA GMs Vote Lakers As Offseason Winners, Title Favorites

December 18th, 2020 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s general managers liked the Lakers‘ offseason moves and are bullish on the team’s chances to repeat as champions in 2020/21, as John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes in his annual survey of the league’s GMs.

An impressive 81% of the responding general managers picked the Lakers to win the championship in 2021, which is the third-highest percentage any team has received since Schuhmann began conducting his annual GM survey 19 years ago. The Clippers ranked second at 11%, while the Nets and Heat received one vote apiece.

Meanwhile, the Lakers (37%) beat out the Suns (22%) and Thunder (15%) in the voting for best offseason roster moves. The Hawks, Bucks, and Sixers each received two votes, while the Trail Blazers got one too.

Here are a few more of the interesting responses from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

  • The Suns‘ acquisition of Chris Paul (44%) and the Bucks‘ trade for Jrue Holiday (33%) were voted the moves that will have the biggest impact this season. The Clippers‘ signing of Serge Ibaka (15%), the Pelicans‘ deal for Steven Adams (11%), and the Trail Blazers‘ trade for Robert Covington (11%) were the front-runners for the most underrated offseason player acquisition. Gordon Hayward‘s $120MM contract with the Hornets (54%) was voted the most surprising offseason move.
  • While NBA GMs view Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (39%) as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year over Warriors big man James Wiseman (29%), Wiseman received the most votes (36%) among this year’s rookies to be the best player in five years, followed by Ball (25%). Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton, meanwhile, was voted the biggest steal in the 2020 draft (43%).
  • Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were the top choices as the player GMs would want to start a franchise with today. They each received 43% of the vote, with Lakers stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James and Pelicans youngster Zion Williamson also picking up votes.
  • Speaking of Williamson, he helped the Pelicans receive the nod for the team with the most promising young core (41%). The Grizzlies (22%), Hawks (11%), Celtics (11%), and Nuggets (11%) also got multiple votes.
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More On Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Extension, Bucks

December 16th, 2020 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Bucks‘ second-round postseason loss to Miami, reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo made a conscious decision to play a more vocal role in upgrading the team’s roster, according to a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Kevin Arnovitz.

During a fall lunch with Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, GM Jon Horst, and Giannis’ agent Alex Saratsis, Antetokounmpo named a number of players whom he thought would be good offseason targets for Milwaukee, including Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, per Windhorst and Arnovitz.

Beal wasn’t available, the Bucks never got close to a deal for Oladipo, and their efforts to sign-and-trade for Bogdanovic fell through. However, Milwaukee zeroed in on another player on Giannis’ list, Jrue Holiday, believing he’d be a natural fit in the team’s lineup.

According to ESPN’s duo, the Nuggets and Celtics were aggressive in attempting to acquire a top-10 pick in last month’s draft to flip for Holiday. The Hawks were also interested in moving the No. 6 pick in a deal for the Pelicans guard, but ultimately abandoned that plan due to uncertainty over whether he’d want to remain in Atlanta beyond 2021.

The Bucks didn’t have a top-10 pick in 2020 to offer for Holiday, but were willing to put plenty of future first-rounders on the table. According to Windhorst and Arnovitz, Milwaukee initially offered Eric Bledsoe, two first-round picks, and a pick swap (plus salary filler), then “reluctantly” added George Hill to the offer. The Pelicans countered by asking for one more first-rounder and one more pick swap.

Sources tell ESPN that the Bucks’ decision-makers knew that giving up two rotation players, three first-round picks, and two pick swaps was an overpay, especially since an extension for Holiday may cost in the neighborhood of $30MM per year.

However, the club badly wanted to upgrade its roster and to send a message to Antetokounmpo and decided to pull the trigger. If that deal ultimately helped convince Giannis to sign his super-max extension, the front office presumably feels the cost was worth it.

Here’s more on the Bucks and the Antetokounmpo extension:

  • The report from ESPN’s Windhorst and Arnovitz is worth checking out in full, as it’s packed with interesting nuggets about the process of extending Antetokounmpo. According to the ESPN duo, when the Lakers acquired Dennis Schroder from Oklahoma City, Giannis wanted reassurance that Milwaukee had made a “valiant effort” to land Schroder.
  • As a trio of writers from The Athletic reported on Tuesday, Windhorst and Arnovitz confirm that the Bucks first formally made their extension pitch to Antetokounmpo on December 5. During that meeting, team ownership and management focused on the team’s commitment to building a champion, pointing to its aggressive pursuit of Holiday and its willingness to pay future luxury tax bills, per ESPN.
  • David Aldridge of The Athletic argues that the Antetokounmpo extension is good for the NBA, since it’s hard for fans in non-glamor markets to fully invest in their teams if they believe star players always have one foot out the door.
  • Joe Vardon of The Athletic throws some cold water on the news of Antetokounmpo’s extension, writing that the new deal offers the Bucks a temporary reprieve, but doesn’t guarantee the superstar forward will be with the franchise for the next five years. Jobs will be “on the line” in Milwaukee if the team doesn’t make the NBA Finals and win a title within the next couple years, says Vardon.
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2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

December 14th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll kick things off today with the Atlantic division…

Boston Celtics

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Celtics poll.

Brooklyn Nets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nets poll.

Philadelphia 76ers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Sixers poll.

Toronto Raptors

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Raptors poll.

New York Knicks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Knicks poll.

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Examining Celtics' Upcoming Season, Rotation, More

December 13th, 2020 at 6:33pm CST by JD Shaw
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic examines the Celtics‘ upcoming season, previewing their rotation, making predictions and projecting the team’s record entering the campaign. When healthy, the C’s are expected to sport the same starting lineup they used during the postseason, having also added players such as Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson in free agency to bolster the bench.
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Atlantic Notes: Durant, Irving, Harris, Thompson

December 13th, 2020 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

For the first time since signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July of 2019, the Nets will have the All-Star duo together on the court today, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Durant has fully recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals, while Irving is ready to go after last season’s shoulder surgery.

“We had 11 and 7 (Irving and Durant) sitting out for a lot of these games last year, and finally to have them back we’re ready to do big things with them, and we’re all excited,” Jarrett Allen said. “Two All-Stars, two most likely going to be Hall of Famers and watching them growing up, playing against them, playing with them and finally going to be on an actual NBA court it’s going to be an experience. I never thought I’d be in this position, but I’m ready to take advantage of it and soak it all in.”

Today will also mark the head coaching debut of Steve Nash, who was a surprise hire to run the team. He plans to take advantage of Durant’s versatility, which may include some time at point guard.

“Kevin will offensively play all five positions,” Nash said. “I don’t know that we’ll see a ton of time with him at the 1, but he’s definitely a ballhandler, playmaker and can thrive in pick-and-roll situations. So he’ll play the 1 at times. We’re trending toward positionless basketball.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Nash hasn’t talked to Irving about his refusal to speak with the media, Lewis adds in a separate story. The league fined Irving and the Nets $25K each this week for failing to comply with media access rules. “He’s been unbelievable in camp,” Nash told reporters. “He’s been playing at an extremely high level. He’s been a leader. So, while he may not be in your guys’ good books right now, he’s in my good book.”
  • Tobias Harris is poised for a bounce-back season as he reunites with Sixers coach Doc Rivers, who also coached Harris with the Clippers, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The trade of Al Horford will allow Harris to spend more time at power forward, which is his natural position. “We have changed our system since I was in L.A. with Tobias, but clearly, I know what works for him,” Rivers said. “It doesn’t really matter the system, it matters the way Tobias plays.”
  • Tristan Thompson joined the Celtics as a free agent during the offseason, but he heard rumors in the past that he might be traded there, he says in an interview tweeted by Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.
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Tristan Thompson May Not Be Ready For Celtics’ Opener

December 12th, 2020 at 4:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent addition Tristan Thompson hasn’t practiced yet and may not be in uniform when the Celtics begin the season December 23, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Coach Brad Stevens offered an update on Thompson, who is recovering from a strained hamstring. It’s a change in tone from a week ago, when Stevens was optimistic that Thompson could be ready for the season opener with Milwaukee.

“I think that’s hard to say right now,” Stevens said after today’s practice. “He’s not been in any part of practice yet. He’s done our pre-practice … 2-on-2, 3-on-3, very light, simulated reads work on both ends. So that’s it.”

Thompson was Boston’s top addition of the offseason, signing a two-year, $19MM contract to add size and experience to the frontline. He spent his first eight NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, who were among the eight teams not invited restart the season in Orlando, so he hasn’t been on the court since March.

“He hasn’t played in a long time,” Stevens said. “He didn’t play in the bubble, so there will be a ramp-up period for him whenever he is able to go live in practice, and I’m assuming it won’t be just one of those situations where you’re available one day and you get a good practice in and you can play. I think it’ll be a little more than that. I don’t know what that means with regard to December 23. Every day that passes I’d say that becomes more unlikely.”

The Celtics were already preparing to start the season without point guard Kemba Walker, who is rehabbing an injured left knee and won’t be available until early January. Stevens also updated Walker’s condition, saying he’s working on individual spot shooting with “a little bit of movement,” but isn’t doing any activities in a team or small-group setting.

Jeff Teague, the Celtics’ other free agent signing this offseason, said the coaching staff hasn’t talked to him about whether he will start at point guard until Walker is ready.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “But it really don’t matter. We’ve got a lot of great guys, a lot of talented players, and it’s going to be a whole team effort not having a guy like that right now, a dynamic point guard like that, so I guess we’ll figure it out.”

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