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Five NBA Roster Battles To Watch

October 3rd, 2019 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

For certain NBA teams, the path to finalizing their regular season roster is obvious. The Mavericks, for instance, are currently carrying 15 players with guaranteed salaries and two on two-way contracts. Barring a major surprise in the next couple weeks, those 17 players will open the regular season under contract with the team, while the remaining three players on non-guaranteed camp deals may end up in the G League with the Texas Legends.

In other NBA cities though, the regular season roster isn’t quite so clear cut. A number of clubs haven’t filled their two-way contract slots and/or don’t have 15 players with guaranteed salaries, leaving the door open for camp invitees to compete for those final roster spots.

We don’t know exactly what all these teams are thinking — some may have already made their decisions, or at least could have a good idea which way they’re leaning. But here are five teams that appear to have roster spots up for grabs and are worth watching during training camp and the preseason:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 1
It looks like at least two roster spots are up for grabs in Cleveland — one on the standard roster and one two-way slot. That number could increase to three if the Cavaliers decide to carry a 15th man to open the season, though their proximity to the tax line may discourage them from doing so. An intriguing mix of rookies and young veterans are in the running for those openings, and none have partial guarantees that would give them a leg up.
Contenders: Marques Bolden, Daniel Hamilton, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, J.P. Macura, Jarell Martin (ineligible for two-way), Sindarius Thornwell

Detroit Pistons

Fully guaranteed salaries: 14
Two-way slots open: 0
There’s only one spot available on the Pistons‘ roster, but the battle for it is an interesting one. In one corner is 17-year veteran Joe Johnson, who has appeared in nearly 1,400 total regular season and playoff games, and has a $220K partial guarantee. He’s going up against young forward Christian Wood, who just turned 24 and is already on his fifth NBA team. Wood flashed promise during his end-of-season stint with the Pelicans in the spring, averaging 16.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG in eight games (23.6 MPG), but beating out Johnson will be a tall order.
Contenders: Johnson, Wood

Orlando Magic

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 0
The Magic don’t have a ton of flexibility below the tax threshold, so they may not carry a 15th man to start the season, but they have to carry at least 14. The five non-guaranteed camp invitees that appear for now to be in the running for that 14th spot have appeared in a combined total of 12 regular season NBA games, so it will be interesting to see if Orlando looks to bring in a veteran or goes with a rookie.
Contenders: Hassani Gravett, Isaac Humphries, DaQuan Jeffries, B.J. Johnson, Vic Law

Toronto Raptors

Fully guaranteed salaries: 12
Two-way slots open: 2
Unlike last season, the Raptors don’t have any pressing luxury-tax concerns, so they could carry a full roster, which would leave five spots up for grabs in the preseason. Returning players Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller each have partial guarantees and look like viable candidates for roster spots. But second-round pick Dewan Hernandez and free agent signees Cameron Payne and Isaiah Taylor also have partial guarantees and strong cases for a place on the 15-man squad. It will be interesting to see which way Toronto goes.
Contenders: Boucher (ineligible for two-way), Oshae Brissett, Dewan Hernandez (ineligible for two-way), Sagaba Konate, Miller (ineligible for two-way), Payne (ineligible for two-way), Devin Robinson, Taylor

Washington Wizards

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 1
The Wizards‘ injury woes may complicate their roster decisions and could make them more likely to carry 15 players on their standard roster instead of just 14. The partial guarantees for Jordan McRae, Justin Robinson, and Jemerrio Jones put them in the best position to claim those open roster spots. Meanwhile, only two of the team’s camp invitees are eligible for two-way deals, so that may be a one-on-one competition.
Contenders: Justin Anderson (ineligible for two-way), Phil Booth, Chris Chiozza, Jones (ineligible for two-way), McRae (ineligible for two-way), Robinson (ineligible for two-way)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Giannis, Kennard, Henson, Hutchison

October 2nd, 2019 at 9:58pm CST by clarkcrum

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, last season’s MVP and one of the best basketball players in the world, still needs to improve his shooting ability after making an abysmal 30.2% of his jump shots last season. And as Eric Woodyard of ESPN writes, The Greek Freak is looking at new teammate Kyle Korver for some guidance.

“It’s really important [that] I always try to talk to him a little bit,” Antetokounmpo said of Korver. “And he’s a great guy. He’s not trying to get in your head or overstep and talk too much to you. Whenever he gives me tips, I always try to listen … one of the best shooters to ever play the game.”

Head coach Mike Budenholzer, who coached Korver in Atlanta, also thinks that Korver is going to be a huge addition to the Bucks’ roster.

“His professionalism, his work ethic and attention to detail is just gonna help all of us, including me as a coach. I always say that about Kyle: He makes me a better coach. Adding him to our group was a huge add this summer.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press advocates for Pistons guard Luke Kennard to be moved to a bench role this season. Head coach Dwane Casey seems to agree: “(Kennard) doesn’t fit well with the first unit, but he is one of our most talented players and so the job we have as a coaching staff is to fit him where he’s going to go.”
Coming off an injury-riddled 2018/19 season that saw him traded from Milwaukee to the Cavaliers, big man John Henson is ready to add an element of rim protection to help the Cavs’ defense improve this season. He’s also ready for whatever role the team has in store for him, admitting that he doesn’t yet know exactly where he fits in the rotation, writes Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. Henson is entering the final year of his contract.
Bulls head coach Jim Boylen says forward Chandler Hutchison will not return in the next two weeks and that opening night is in jeopardy, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Hutchison is still recovering from a hamstring strain he suffered in September.

Beilein Stuns Players With Energy Level

October 1st, 2019 at 7:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers are amazed by new coach John Beilein’s work ethic and the 66-year-old’s energy level, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “He has more energy than I do,” forward Larry Nance Jr. said. “He’s always going, always has something on his mind, always something he’s ready to talk about, teach and coach. It’s really exciting to see because as a player that’s what you want. You want somebody that is so eager to get started that they can’t even slow down.

Blossomgame Could Return To Cavs' G League Team

September 27th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Jaron Blossomgame‘s non-guaranteed deal with Houston doesn’t feature an Exhibit 10 clause, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com hears. That may be a hint that the Rockets don’t expect Blossomgame to play for their G League team. His NBAGL rights are still held by the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers‘ affiliate.

Cavs’ Dylan Windler Out 4-6 Weeks With Leg Injury

September 27th, 2019 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are expected to be without one of their three 2019 first-round picks to start the season. According to a press release issued today by the team, rookie guard Dylan Windler experienced discomfort in his lower leg and was diagnosed with a left tibial stress reaction. He’s expected to return in about four to six weeks after undergoing treatment and rehab.

Windler, who turned 23 last Sunday, was the 26th overall pick in this year’s draft, joining Darius Garland (No. 5) and Kevin Porter (No. 30) in the Cavs’ rookie class. He’s coming off an impressive senior season at Belmont, in which he averaged 21.3 PPG and 10.8 RPG with a .540/.429/.847 shooting line in 33 games.

A source tells Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that the Cavs are “not overly concerned” about the injury and that it just needs some time to heal. It doesn’t sound like an issue that should linger and derail Windler’s rookie season.

With Windler out, the Cavs find themselves somewhat thin at small forward behind Cedi Osman. As Fedor notes, the injury may create an opportunity for Porter to play regular minutes at the three in the preseason and at the start of the regular season.

Cavs Sign Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Cut Alex Robinson

September 25th, 2019 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have made a change to their 20-man offseason roster, signing former first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and waiving Alex Robinson to create the necessary roster spot. Joe Vardon of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter) the Cavs’ agreement with Luwawu-Cabarrot, while RealGM’s transactions log confirms both moves are official.

The 24th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Luwawu-Cabarrot spent his first two seasons in Philadelphia before being traded from the Sixers to the Thunder in the Dennis Schroder three-team trade in July 2018. After suiting up for Oklahoma City for the first half of 2018/19, the 24-year-old forward was traded again to Chicago in February.

In 171 total games for his three NBA teams, TLC has averaged 5.7 PPG and 1.9 RPG with a .387/.320/.820 shooting line. While he has yet to develop into a fully reliable NBA rotation player, he’ll get a chance to compete for a roster spot on the rebuilding Cavs, who only have 13 players on guaranteed contracts.

As for Robinson, he may be ticketed for the Canton Charge as an affiliate player unless another team scoops him up before the season begins. The undrafted guard out of TCU would be eligible for a bonus of up to $50K if he spends two months in the G League with the Charge.

Examining Cedi Osman's Mindset Entering Third Season With Cavs

September 22nd, 2019 at 8:37pm CST by JD Shaw

Joe Gabriele of NBA.com examines Cedi Osman‘s mindset entering his third season with the Cavaliers. Osman, 24, is looking to build off an international experience with Turkey in the FIBA World Cup this summer. The young forward, who is extension-eligible, averaged 13 points, 4.7 rebounds and 32.2 minutes in 76 games with Cleveland last season.

Nuggets Notes: Beasley, Hernangomez, Bol, Cancar

September 20th, 2019 at 1:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Possible extensions for Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez are the last pieces of business the Nuggets may address before the opening of training camp, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Denver’s front office acted quickly to give Jamal Murray a max extension, but the others aren’t clear-cut decisions, and Singer examines the positives and negatives of reaching deals with both players before the October 21 deadline.

Beasley emerged as a valuable bench player last season after injuries to Gary Harris and Will Barton. He averaged 15.9 PPG and shot 55% from the field as a starter, including 50% on 3-pointers. He enters this season as Harris’ primary backup, but still needs to improve on defense before coach Michael Malone will be comfortable playing him late in games. Singer speculates that based on last year’s performance, Beasley may want to skip an extension and try his luck as a restricted free agent next summer.

Hernangomez is coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him fall out of the rotation by the second half of the season. He had core surgery after the season ended and is coming off a strong performance with Spain’s gold medal-winning World Cup team. Hernangomez doesn’t have an established role and figures to compete for playing time with Barton, Torrey Craig, Michael Porter Jr. and Jerami Grant.

There’s more today from Denver:

It may be time for the Nuggets to move some of their depth in exchange for an established star, suggests Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. If the Wizards decide to part with Bradley Beal, for example, Kosmider believes Denver could put together a competitive offer involving Harris, Porter and a future first-rounder or possibly Hernangomez, Monte Morris, Beasley and a future pick. Other possible targets could include Kevin Love, Jeff Teague or one of the Raptors‘ veterans.
Bol Bol may spend his entire rookie season in the G League, Kosmider states in a mailbag column. Bol was a highly touted college prospect before injuries cut his season short, and the Nuggets view him as a project that will take time to develop, Kosmider adds, which is why he was signed to a two-way contract. Bol’s progress may be complicated because Denver doesn’t have a direct G League affiliate, which means much of the work will be done by another organization.
Vlatko Cancar may be in the same position, but his standard contract gives him a better chance to win a role in training camp, Kosmider notes in the same piece.

2019 Offseason In Review: Cleveland Cavaliers

September 17th, 2019 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- None
Two-way contracts:
- Dean Wade
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Marques Bolden: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Daniel Hamilton: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- J.P. Macura: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Jarell Martin: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Alex Robinson: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Sindarius Thornwell: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Malik Newman: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).
- Levi Randolph: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Kevin Porter Jr. (No. 30 pick) from the Pistons in exchange for the Jazz’s 2020 second-round pick, the Trail Blazers’ 2021 second-round pick, the Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick, the Heat’s 2024 second-round pick (top-55 protected), and cash ($5MM).

Draft picks:

1-5: Darius Garland — Signed to rookie contract.
1-26: Dylan Windler — Signed to rookie contract.
1-30: Kevin Porter Jr. — Signed to rookie contract (worth less than 120% of the rookie scale).

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Parted ways with head coach Larry Drew.
Hired John Beilein as head coach.
Hired J.B. Bickerstaff as associate head coach.
Hired Lindsay Gottlieb as assistant coach.
Team owner Dan Gilbert hospitalized with stroke symptoms.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $129.77MM in salary.
Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,718,000) still available.
- Note: The Cavaliers are below the tax apron ($138.93MM) and could theoretically use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and/or bi-annual exception, but wouldn’t be able to use those exceptions in full while staying below the apron.

Story of the summer:

LeBron James hasn’t suited up for the Cavaliers since June of 2018, but the franchise remains very much in transition mode following his departure. Most of the team’s expensive contracts for veteran players who were acquired to play alongside James won’t expire until after the 2019/20 season, meaning they were still clogging the cap this summer.

With all those contracts on the books, the Cavs had little flexibility to do anything in free agency. And since most of those vets on expiring deals don’t have positive trade value, the club also didn’t have much leverage to get anything done on the trade market.

As such, the Cavs had essentially completed their offseason work by the end of draft night. The team hired a new head coach in the spring, then added three first-round prospects at the draft. One of those three first-rounders – Kevin Porter Jr. – was acquired in Cleveland’s only trade in the offseason, and the cap-strapped club didn’t sign a single veteran free agent to a guaranteed contract.

While the Cavs may have liked to make a few more moves and accelerate their rebuild a little, their cap situation necessitated patience. The organization will be in a better position to be more active at this year’s trade deadline or in the 2020 offseason.

Key offseason losses:

None of the departing Cavaliers players were core pieces. Channing Frye and J.R. Smith were key contributors during the team’s NBA Finals years, but neither player saw much action last season, though Frye at least was still a positive presence in the locker room.

Marquese Chriss and Nik Stauskas, two former lottery picks, arrived in midseason trades and got a chance to make an impression in the Cavs’ rotation. Stauskas played well enough to earn a roster spot on a contender (Portland). However, Chriss struggled and has seemingly generated little interest on the free agent market this summer, just three years after he was drafted eighth overall. He remains unsigned.

David Nwaba is the other notable departure for the Cavs. The young swingman played some solid two-way ball in Cleveland last season, but he wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans. Despite the fact that he was eligible for restricted free agency, the Cavs did him a favor by declining to tender him a qualifying offer, allowing him to sign outright with the Nets.

Key offseason additions:

Having failed to secure a top-four pick in this year’s draft lottery, the Cavaliers missed out on the very best prospects in the 2019 rookie class, including Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and RJ Barrett. With the No. 5 overall selection, Cleveland nabbed Darius Garland, the second point guard drafted in the top 10 by the team in the last two years.

If the Cavs viewed Garland as the best player available, he was the right pick in that spot, but it’s not an ideal outcome for the Cavs that their first two lottery picks in the post-LeBron era – Garland and Collin Sexton – essentially play the same position. While Sexton sounds bullish on the duo’s chances to emulate the success of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in Portland, that may be an unrealistic goal. It will be interesting to see how the two young guards complement one another.

Cleveland completed its draft by selecting Dylan Windler at No. 26 and Porter at No. 30. Windler, who made 3.0 three-pointers per game at a 42.9% rate in his final season at Belmont, will add some outside shooting to the roster, while Porter is the sort of low-risk, high-upside prospect the Cavs can afford to gamble on at this point in their rebuild — especially since the former USC Trojan became the first player in years to accept a salary lower than 120% of his rookie scale amount.

New head coach John Beilein is the other important addition for the Cavaliers this offseason. Based on the candidates who interviewed to replace Larry Drew, it appeared the team was targeting an up-and-coming assistant in the mold of Lloyd Pierce or Taylor Jenkins. Instead, the 66-year-old Michigan head coach was the choice.

While he doesn’t necessarily fit the mold we envisioned, Beilein makes sense as the pick to lead the Cavs’ rebuild — he has spent the last several decades getting the most out of young college players at Michigan, West Virginia, Richmond, and a handful of other schools, establishing his bona fides as a developmental guru. He’ll look to do the same in Cleveland, working with the likes of Garland, Sexton, Cedi Osman, and Ante Zizic, among others.

Outlook for 2019/20:

With a 19-63 record, the Cavaliers were one of the NBA’s worst teams in 2018/19. Given how little their roster changed during the summer, there’s no reason to believe they won’t be firmly in the lottery once again in 2019/20.

If he’s healthy and isn’t traded before the deadline, Kevin Love could help Cleveland win a few more games, but this is a team that will be focused more on player development than its spot in the standings. The Cavs figure to have fewer veterans on their roster by the end of the season than they do today, and won’t be making the pivot to serious playoff contention for at least another year or two.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clarkston, Thompson Carry Trade Value

September 13th, 2019 at 7:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jordan Clarkson and Tristan Thompson are the Cavaliers veterans with the most trade value beyond Kevin Love, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Matthew Dellavedova, John Henson and Brandon Knight rank next in terms of trade value, as all have expiring contracts, Fedor notes, but none are core pieces.