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Eastern Notes: Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, Bucks

September 21st, 2024 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela will almost certainly make up two-thirds of the Hawks‘ starting frontcourt, the other starting forward spot remains up for grabs, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who looks at six possible candidates for that role.

De’Andre Hunter looks like the best bet among the contenders for the job, but he was more effective off the bench than in the starting five last season, Williams notes, having made 49.1% of his shots and 42.0% of his three-pointers in 20 games as a reserve.

No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and newly acquired guard Dyson Daniels are among the other options Williams examines. Daniels figures to spend most of his playing time in the backcourt, but could make sense at small forward if Atlanta starts Bogdan Bogdanovic alongside Trae Young in the backcourt and wants to complement them with an elite wing defender.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times explores some of the top storylines to watch in the Bulls‘ training camp this fall, including Patrick Williams‘ and Matas Buzelis‘ roles, Lonzo Ball‘s comeback from multiple knee surgeries, and which player will become the ninth man in Billy Donovan‘s rotation. Cowley projects Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Williams as starters, with Ayo Dosunmu, Jalen Smith, and Buzelis rounding out the top eight, which would leave Torrey Craig, Dalen Terry, Chris Duarte, and Julian Phillips fighting for regular playing time.
In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Stefan Bondy identifies six centers who may be available for trade before February’s deadline and could make sense for the Knicks. Some of the hypothetical targets Bondy lists (such as Nick Richards) are more realistic than others (like Deandre Ayton).
Eric Nehm of The Athletic outlines five lineups he’d like to see the Bucks employ this season, including a small-ball unit featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo at center and a floor-spacing group that includes Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., and A.J. Green.

And-Ones: Sports Betting, NBA Offseason, Injury Returns

September 21st, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA is in favor of federal regulations for sports betting, the league doesn’t unequivocally support the bill introduced last week in Congress, which is considered to have both positives and negatives, per David Purdum of ESPN.

The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act, also known as the “SAFE Bet Act,” would prohibit sportsbook advertising from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (and during live sports broadcasts) and would ban in-game betting. The proposal to eliminate live wagering is one aspect of the bill likely to be opposed by the NBA and other sports leagues, given the increasing popularity of that form of betting, notes Purdum.

A league source tells Purdum that the NBA is keeping an eye on the legislation and views it as a “starting point to a very lengthy process.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the

In a pair of articles for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus finds one word to describe each team’s offseason (including “inactive” for the Lakers, “attrition” for the Nuggets, and “limbo” for the Timberwolves) and outlines a hypothetical three-team trade that he believes could work for the Magic, Pacers, and Nets. Pincus’ proposed three-team deal sends Dorian Finney-Smith and Isaiah Jackson to Orlando, Wendell Carter to Indiana, and Jarace Walker and Caleb Houstan to Brooklyn.
It was a relatively drama-free NBA offseason, according to Zach Kram of The Ringer, who observes that most of the biggest trades, including ones involving Mikal Bridges and Dejounte Murray, were agreed to in June and nearly all of the biggest free agent decisions (such as Paul George‘s and Klay Thompson‘s) were made within the first 24 hours of free agency opening. Last offseason, by comparison, trade candidates like Damian Lillard and James Harden remained on the market all summer.
Knicks forward Julius Randle (shoulder), Bulls guard Zach LaVine (foot), Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (knee), and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) are a few of the key players returning from injuries who will be worth monitoring this fall to see if they’re back to 100%, according to ESPN’s Chris Herring, Jamal Collier, and Ohm Youngmisuk, who also single out several more returning players to watch.

Central Notes: Bucks, Reinsdorf, Bulls, Holland

September 19th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After shaking up their roster with the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade last fall and making two head coaching changes in less than a year, the Bucks are confident that a 2024 offseason defined by continuity will put them in a better position to contend for a championship in 2024/25, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Zach Lowe of ESPN is unconvinced, however, stating on Thursday’s episode of NBA Today (YouTube link) that “the questions outweigh the answers” in Milwaukee.

As Lowe outlines, Lillard turned 34 this summer and “rarely looked comfortable” last season, Khris Middleton has dealt with injuries the last couple seasons and underwent multiple ankle surgeries over the offseason, and defensive anchor Brook Lopez will turn 37 in the spring.

“This team is getting older and less athletic around Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” Lowe said. “They don’t have a lot of young guys in the pipeline. This is a right-now team that went 17-19 under Doc Rivers before the Giannis injury took them out of the playoffs. They just never found their footing, and they’ve got to find it fast in an Eastern Conference that has gotten better top to bottom in the playoff race.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Eric Nehm of The Athletic answers a series of Bucks-related questions in a mailbag, discussing the Antetokounmpo/Lillard pick-and-roll, expectations for the 2024/25 season, and the development (or lack thereof) of some of the team’s young players.
A feature on Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf from MLB writers Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic focuses primarily on the disastrous season that Reinsdorf’s other team – the Chicago White Sox – has endured in 2024. However, the story includes a couple notes on the Bulls, including the claim that Reinsdorf has told employees the White Sox winning is more important to him than the Bulls winning. According to Ghiroli and Rosenthal, the 88-year-old Reinsdorf has also said he’d advise his family to sell the White Sox but hang onto the Bulls after his death.
Can No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland earn a regular rotation spot for the Pistons as a rookie? Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores that question, observing that it would help the 19-year-old’s case for minutes if he can develop a more reliable outside shot. As Langlois writes, Holland figures to work closely with new assistant coach Fred Vinson, who is considered one of the league’s best shooting instructors.

Checking In On Early 2024/25 Roster Battles

September 14th, 2024 at 11:03am CST by Tristan Tucker

Each year, a handful of teams prefer to bring in players to battle it out for the last remaining spots on a given roster. Let’s take a look at a few training camp battles that are already brewing ahead of October.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have been busy in recent weeks, filling out their training camp roster with proven talent. The Bulls have 15 players on standard contracts, but Onuralp Bitim‘s deal is non-guaranteed. In addition, Chicago has two open two-way slots. The Bulls have four players — Talen Horton-Tucker, Kenneth Lofton Jr., E.J. Liddell and Marcus Domask — signed to training camp deals.

Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted to two-way contracts at any time. Horton-Tucker is the only player of that batch who is ineligible for a two-way contract, since he is at five years of NBA service. That gives the Bulls a handful of options for their opening night roster.

In essence, Bitim and Horton-Tucker seem to be battling it out for the Bulls’ 15th roster spot, while Lofton, Liddell and Domask all appear to be candidates for the team’s open two-way slots. Of course, if the Bulls opt to move on from Bitim on a standard deal, they could attempt to re-sign him to a two-way deal. They could also just carry 14 players on the standard roster to begin the year.

New York Knicks

As we detailed Saturday morning, Landry Shamet and Chuma Okeke appear to be battling for the Knicks’ 15th roster spot. Of course, there’s no guarantee that either player will make the roster, but each has a decent case to make the team.

Shamet is a proven three-point shooter while Okeke is a versatile forward who is a previous 16th overall pick. The Knicks will likely assess in training camp what their biggest need is and keep the player who best fits that niche heading into the year.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have a handful of players on non-guaranteed or partially contracts heading into the season. However, previous reporting seems to indicate that the team’s final roster spot will come down to either Kendall Brown or Cole Swider.

Brown is an athletic forward who was the 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He has spent the last two seasons with the Pacers but has also appeared in just 21 total games. Meanwhile, the Pacers signed Swider to a training camp contract this offseason that doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language. Swider is a known three-point shooter who spent last season with the Heat and helped Miami to a summer league championship this offseason.

James Wiseman and James Johnson each have partially guaranteed salaries with the Pacers.

The others

Other teams across the league are poised to either carry just 14 players on standard deals to begin the year or already have their 15-man rosters determined. However, some of those teams have unsettled two-way roster slots.

The Heat have their standard roster filled out, but summer standout Isaiah Stevens is on an Exhibit 10 deal. It seems like Stevens will battle Dru Smith — who currently holds a two-way deal — outright for that spot.

The Hornets have Moussa Diabate and KJ Simpson on two-way deals but have another spot open. Keyontae Johnson could be an option for that spot. Charlotte also has a potential opening on the 15-man roster, with four players signed to Exhibit 10 deals and another agreed to.

The Wizards also have an open two-way slot. Washington signed Leaky Black, Kira Lewis and Jaylen Nowell to Exhibit 10 contracts, but only Black is eligible for a two-way deal. The Wizards also have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, with Jared Butler and his non-guaranteed deal possibly on the outside looking in unless they make a trade.

The Clippers have RayJ Dennis, Kai Jones and Elijah Harkless signed to Exhibit 10 deals. The team also has an agreement with Kevon Harris for another such spot. With only Jordan Miller and Trentyn Flowers on two-way contracts, all of Dennis, Jones, Harkless and Harris are eligible for the team’s third.

Eastern Notes: LaVine, Bulls, Heat, Wizards

September 13th, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Two-time All-Star Zach LaVine was one of the first players to return to the Bulls for workouts this month at their practice facility, the Advocate Center, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network. According to Johnson, the majority of the team’s roster has been present for workouts ahead of training camp.

LaVine, who has been the subject of trade rumors for well over a year, was limited to just 25 games last season due to a foot injury, which required surgery. The 29-year-old is owed $138MM over the next three seasons, including a $49MM player option in 2026/27.

Here are a few more notes from the Eastern Conference:

Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune poses five questions facing the Bulls prior to training camp, which begins Oct. 1. In addition to pondering what it will take to move LaVine, Poe also wonders if head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is on the hot seat after the team failed to make the playoffs the past two seasons and then lost DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade for a minimal return.
On Wednesday, the Heat signed Bryson Warren and Malik Williams to Exhibit 10 contracts. On Thursday, both players were waived. Free agent guard Caleb Daniels is also expected to be signed-and-waived by Miami in the coming days, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The procedural move would allow Daniels to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K — on top of his NBA G League salary — if he spends at least 60 days with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate. Daniels, 25, went undrafted in 2023 out of Villanova. After signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Miami last summer and subsequently being waived, he spent his first professional season with the Skyforce, appearing in 47 games (30.1 MPG) while averaging 12.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG on .429/.368/.841 shooting.
The Wizards were the worst rebounding team in the NBA in 2023/24. They should be better in that category in ’24/25 after adding Jonas Valanciunas and Alex Sarr, among other players, writes Chase Hughes of The Monumental Sports Network. Valanciunas has been one of the league’s best rebounders on a per-minute basis for most of his career.

Former NBA Guard Mitchell Wiggins Dies At 64

September 13th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA guard Mitchell Wiggins passed away this week at age 64 following an illness, his daughter Agney announced on social media, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link). The National Basketball Retired Players Association confirmed the news (via Twitter).

The 23rd overall pick of the 1983 draft, Wiggins played for the Bulls, Rockets and Sixers during the course of his six NBA seasons, averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.6 APG in 389 games (20.8 MPG). In 1987, he was banned from the league for two-plus seasons for testing positive for cocaine, per Sam Goldaper of The New York Times.

After his NBA career ended in 1991/92, Wiggins starred for teams in Greece. He also played in France and the Philippines outside of the United States.

Wiggins, who won a silver medal at the 1982 FIBA world championships with Team USA, met his future wife Marita Payne while the two attended Florida State. She won a pair of silver medals in sprinting for Canada at the 1984 Olympics. They had six children together, with their youngest son being Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft.

Andrew missed extended time during the past two seasons, particularly in 2022/23, for undisclosed personal reasons. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported in April 2023 (Twitter link) that Andrew’s absence was due to Mitchell’s health.

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Wiggins’ family and friends.

2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

September 13th, 2024 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series 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.

In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?

We’ll continue our series today with the Central Division…

Milwaukee Bucks

2023/24 record: 49-33
Over/under for 2024/25: 50.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Delon Wright, AJ Johnson, Tyler Smith
- Lost: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jae Crowder, Danilo Gallinari, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Cleveland Cavaliers

2023/24 record: 48-34
Over/under for 2024/25: 48.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Jaylon Tyson
- Lost: Marcus Morris, Damian Jones
- Note: Isaac Okoro is a restricted free agent and is still considered likely to return to the Cavaliers.

Indiana Pacers

2023/24 record: 47-35
Over/under for 2024/25: 47.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Johnny Furphy, James Wiseman
- Lost: Jalen Smith, Doug McDermott

Chicago Bulls

2023/24 record: 39-43
Over/under for 2024/25: 28.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Josh Giddey, Jalen Smith, Matas Buzelis, Chris Duarte
- Lost: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Andre Drummond, Javonte Green

Detroit Pistons

2023/24 record: 14-68
Over/under for 2024/25: 24.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Tobias Harris, Ron Holland, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, Paul Reed, Wendell Moore, Bobi Klintman
- Lost: Quentin Grimes, Troy Brown, Evan Fournier, James Wiseman, Malachi Flynn, Taj Gibson, Chimezie Metu, Stanley Umude

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks (49.5 wins): Over (78.0%)
Memphis Grizzlies (47.5 wins): Under (65.6%)
New Orleans Pelicans (46.5 wins): Under (60.6%)
Houston Rockets (43.5 wins): Under (51.4%)
San Antonio Spurs (36.5 wins): Under (52.9%)

Southeast

Orlando Magic (47.5 wins): Over (57.1%)
Miami Heat (44.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
Atlanta Hawks (35.5 wins): Under (66.4%)
Charlotte Hornets (29.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
Washington Wizards (20.5 wins): Under (56.6%)

Northwest

Oklahoma City Thunder (56.5 wins): Over (68.1%)
Minnesota Timberwolves (52.5 wins): Over (65.2%)
Denver Nuggets (51.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
Utah Jazz (29.5 wins): Under (60.1%)
Portland Trail Blazers (22.5 wins): Under (54.7%)

Central Notes: Thompson, Pistons, Bulls, Bucks

September 11th, 2024 at 10:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Tristan Thompson‘s new one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Cavaliers is non-guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. That will give Cleveland some flexibility with Thompson’s roster spot — while the veteran center seems likely to open the regular season with the team, he could be waived on or before January 7 if the team wants to avoid locking in his full-season salary.

Thompson also waived his right to veto a trade as part of his deal with the Cavs, Hoops Rumors has learned. Players who re-sign with their previous teams on one-year contracts are typically awarded veto rights for the season, but the player can forfeit that right as part of his agreement with his club. Thompson is the 12th player this season to do so, as our tracker shows.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Will the additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr. be enough to make the Pistons a solid outside shooting team after they finished 26th in three-point percentage (34.8%) and 29th in makes per game (11.0) last season? Keith Langlois explores that question in an article for Pistons.com, noting that a full season of trade-deadline acquisition Simone Fontecchio should also help in that department.
Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic poses five burning questions facing the Bulls this season, including whether Lonzo Ball can actually make it all the way back after two-and-a-half seasons lost to knee injuries, what the future holds for veteran trade candidates Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, and what sort of impact Josh Giddey is capable of having in his new situation.
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Eric Nehm explores a handful of Bucks-related topics, including whether the incoming trio of Gary Trent Jr., Delon Wright, and Taurean Prince represents a significant upgrade over departing role players Beasley, Patrick Beverley, and Jae Crowder.

DeMar DeRozan Discusses Free Agency, Decision To Join Kings

September 10th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Podcast P with Paul George on Monday (YouTube link), new Kings forward DeMar DeRozan explained that finding an opportunity to contend for a championship was his top priority when he entered free agency this July, which is why he and the Bulls didn’t work out a new deal despite having previously expressed mutual admiration.

“I had a hell of a time in Chicago,” DeRozan said. “… Great city, great place. I think I was just looking for an opportunity just to win at a high level, wherever that was going to be. I think coming out of last season, that was my view and my approach on this upcoming season.”

DeRozan noted with a laugh that he had to wait for George to make his free agent decision before he was able to get clarity on his own options. After George agreed to sign with the 76ers, there were no contenders with cap room pursuing DeRozan, but Sacramento expressed interest in bringing him in and had the ability to make him a competitive contract offer via a sign-and-trade deal.

“Sac came about and they were showing interest. Like, real interest,” DeRozan said. “So when I sat back and looked at it and analyzed the team, great players, great coach. I just always remember the last couple years always seeing them light the damn beam and winning and all that.”

When George interjected to observe that the Kings have built “a movement” during the past couple years, snapping a lengthy playoff drought and gaining respectability under head coach Mike Brown, DeRozan agreed.

“That’s definitely one thing you always want to be a part of, is a contagious culture of an organization that wants to win,” DeRozan said. “When I looked at all that, I just felt like it fit. It was a big key piece that I felt like I could bring from a leadership standpoint and definitely from a skill standpoint that could kind of push us over the edge. It became more and more appealing as I weighed it. I kind of took a while to sign because I just wanted to make sure the next decision I made gave me the best opportunity to win. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Asked by George what other teams he considered in free agency, DeRozan identified Philadelphia as one possibility he looked at, though the Sixers may have been eliminated as an option after using most of their cap space to sign George. DeRozan said he also considered another Eastern Conference contender, along with his two hometown teams.

“I was thinking about Philly. Philly definitely was an option. Lakers was an option, always. Clippers was an option. And the Heat was an option,” DeRozan said. “I’d say those teams, for sure, were the real, legitimate options for me, that I was considering.”

The Lakers and Heat are operating right up against the second tax apron, so they would’ve needed to shed salary to acquire DeRozan unless he was willing to take a substantial pay cut.

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament

September 8th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The play-in tournament ensures that at least 10 teams in each conference will get a taste of the postseason.

Unless something unforseen happens, eight teams in the Eastern Conference can already plan on playing beyond their regular season finales. It’s safe to assume the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, Magic, Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers and Heat will occupy eight of the postseason slots. The only mystery regarding those clubs is which two teams will have to come out of the play-in tournament.

Predicting which two Eastern teams among the remaining seven will participate in the play-in is a much tougher call. The Bulls and Hawks snared the last two spots last season, but there’s reason to believe they’ll wind up in the lottery.

The Bulls dealt away leading scorer DeMar DeRozan and top defender Alex Caruso this offseason and would like to make more moves. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have been on the trading block for quite a while and they could be wearing different uniforms at some point during the season. The addition of Josh Giddey, joining Coby White in the backcourt, could be enough to get them back to the play-in but that’s certainly no lock.

The Hawks, of course, broke up their high-scoring backcourt by dealing Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans. Atlanta did wind up with the top pick in the draft, but Zaccharie Risacher isn’t your typical top overall selection. No one quite knows what the Hawks have in Risacher, who is unlikely to have the sort of first-year impact that Victor Wembanyama or Brandon Miller did a year ago.

The Raptors have a much different roster than in recent years but they should improve on their 25-win total. They have built around Scottie Barnes with a backcourt of former Knicks Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

The Hornets could be on the upswing if LaMelo Ball can finally stay healthy for a whole season. They have two high-scoring wings in Miller and Miles Bridges.

The Wizards signed Jonas Valanciunas and have two promising forwards Bilal Coulibaly and No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr. They still seem to be a couple of years away from entering the postseason picture.

The Nets, of course, traded away their top player in Mikal Bridges with their sights set on next offseason, when they’ll have extra first-round picks and plenty of cap space.

Last, but maybe not least anymore, are the Pistons. Coming off the worst season in franchise history, the Pistons used their ample cap room to get Cade Cunningham more help. The additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. should make them more competitive.

That leads us to our topic of the day: Among the Bulls, Hawks, Raptors, Hornets, Wizards, Nets and Pistons, which of those Eastern Conference teams will make the play-in tournament this upcoming season?

Please take to the comments section to address this topic. We look forward to your input.