Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Trade Deadline Winners, Losers

February 6th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Tristan Tucker

This year’s NBA trade deadline will go down in the history books as one of the wildest in North American sports history, if not the most chaotic.

This is, of course, mostly due to the shocking late Saturday transaction that saw Luka Doncic join the Lakers. Still, we saw an NBA record 63 players moved ahead of the deadline, with players like De’Aaron Fox, Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, Brandon Ingram, De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Kuzma and Andrew Wiggins among those changing hands.

Only the Magic, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves and Nuggets didn’t make an in-season trade. The Nets wound up staying out of the days leading up to the deadline after completing their major moves earlier in the season. Cameron Johnson is one notable player who was the subject of trade rumors for most of the season but ended up staying in place.

[RELATED: 2024/25 In-Season Trades]

Outside of that, the Celtics, Pacers and Rockets were among teams who made minor moves on the fringes of their roster.

The five-team deal that saw Butler join the Warriors and Wiggins go to the Heat was one of the biggest moves at the deadline. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Butler’s teammates were sad to see him go, but were happy that he ultimately got what he wanted with a new destination and contract.

While Miami briefly explored trying to acquire Kevin Durant, they pivoted to Wiggins and are happy to have him. Bontemps writes that rival executives like the addition of Wiggins in Miami. Additionally, several of Bontemps’ sources were impressed not only by the return the Heat were able to extract, but also that they were able to stick together through a tumultuous season.

Butler was also a big winner in the eyes of execs after getting his two-year, maximum-salary extension, but Bontemps writes the Warriors have more work to do in terms of spacing the floor. However, at a relatively modest trade price, the Warriors get to bet on their stars meshing and making a deep playoff run as a lower seed, like the Heat have done in the past.

The Warriors winning the Butler sweepstakes ultimately meant that Phoenix missed out on him. For about a month, it was widely reported that there was strong mutual interest between the 35-year-old and the Suns, but Bradley Beal‘s no-trade clause meant a deal was impossible.

That led to the Suns actually taking calls on Durant, though they ultimately kept their three highest-paid players together. The Suns were able to offload Jusuf Nurkic and add two potential rotation guys in Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic, but executives were confused about where Phoenix will go next, according to Bontemps.

After acquiring Doncic ahead of the deadline, the Lakers went all in on adding a big man, sending a first-round pick, a pick swap, and Dalton Knecht to the Hornets for Mark Williams. Los Angeles is taking a massive bet on Williams staying healthy, as they now only have swaps in 2026 and 2028 to send out in trades.

On the other hand, in the wake of the Doncic deal, the Mavericks had a relatively quiet rest of the deadline, acquiring Caleb Martin and sending out Quentin Grimes. “I thought they had more up their sleeve,” a West executive said, per Bontemps.

Both Toronto and Cleveland took big swings in acquiring Ingram and Hunter, respectively. Although the two teams are in much different positions in the conference, those moves showed they both have faith in what they’re building.

The Raptors are likely to try to re-sign Ingram to a multi-year extension, which would add significantly to a payroll that already includes sizable deals for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. The Cavaliers have the second-best record in the league, so giving anything of value in their rotation is a risk to chemistry. But adding Hunter, who’s in the middle of a breakout season, is a bold move to push the team over the top.

For my money, I like how the Jazz and Pistons operated in the Butler trade. The Jazz were able to acquire two second-rounders and take back less expiring money than P.J. Tucker‘s $11.4MM contract, rerouting Dennis Schröder to Detroit, who bought him as an asset in the same Miami-Golden State five-team deal.

As for the Pistons, while they maybe could have gotten Schröder for a lower price if they’d negotiated with the Heat, they netted two second-round picks, added a viable contributor in Schröder and added a bench shooter in Lindy Waters III for simply having cap space as an asset.

Additionally, I think the Hornets did well to acquire Knecht and valuable picks by sending out Williams, Martin and Micic. The Wizards also intrigued me by adding several veterans in Middleton, Marcus Smart and Alex Len, and picking up two fliers in AJ Johnson and Colby Jones, if they stick. Washington essentially consolidated picks, added a 2024 first-rounder in Johnson and other assets in exchange for players who weren’t in their future.

We want to hear from you. Which teams do you think ended up as the biggest winners after deadline day? Were there any teams that should have done more, or did too much? Who lost the deadline? Which teams had the most underrated moves?

Head to the comments section below to let us know!

Community Shootaround: Western All-Star Reserves

January 29th, 2025 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

Last Thursday, the NBA revealed the 10 players – five from each conference – voted as starters for the 2025 All-Star Game. This coming Thursday, the All-Star reserves will be announced on TNT.

We opened up a discussion on Monday about which players were most deserving of All-Star reserve recognition in the Eastern Conference. Today, we’re shifting our focus to the Western Conference, where Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been named starters.

That leaves seven spots to fill in the West — two in the backcourt and three in the frontcourt, along with a pair of wild cards. The reserves will be voted on by NBA coaches, not fans, but we want to get your feedback today on which players have earned those spots.

Naming his seven picks, Zach Harper of The Athletic prioritized frontcourt players, with Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis, and Thunder forward Jalen Williams joined by wild cards Alperen Sengun of the Rockets and Domantas Sabonis of the Kings. Harper’s two guards were Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and Norman Powell of the Clippers.

It looks like a pretty safe bet that Wembanyama and Davis will make the cut. They also showed up on John Hollinger’s seven-player list for The Athletic, as did Williams, Sabonis and Edwards, all of whom have very compelling cases too. However, Hollinger passed on Sengun and Powell in favor of Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.

Jackson would be an easy choice for me, and I was a little surprised not to see him among Harper’s picks. The former Defensive Player of the Year is once again anchoring Memphis on that end of the court while having the best offensive season of his career, with 22.8 points per game on .499/.355/.782 shooting. The Grizzlies rank third in the West with a 31-16 record despite Ja Morant missing 19 games so far. Jackson has arguably been the driving force behind that success.

If I had a vote, I’d make Wembanyama, Davis, and Jackson my frontcourt selections, with Edwards in the backcourt. The second backcourt spot is trickier.

Luka Doncic would be the obvious favorite if not for the injuries that have limited him to 22 games. Devin Booker and De’Aaron Fox have put up big scoring numbers, but their teams have hovered around .500 and their shooting percentages have been below their career rates. Irving has a solid case, as does James Harden, whom I’d put ahead of his Clippers teammate Powell due to his play-making and the fact that Powell greatly benefits from all the defensive attention on Harden.

As Hollinger notes, Williams doesn’t spend a whole lot of time at shooting guard but could perhaps qualify there for the sake of this exercise. Although his scoring stats aren’t as gaudy as some of his competitors, his two-way impact for the West’s top seed makes him a worthy candidate.

If I make Williams my second backcourt pick, I’d probably take Sabonis and Sengun as my wild cards, though as noted above, there are reasonable arguments to be made for Booker, Fox, Irving, Harden, Powell, and Doncic, among others.

We want to know what you think. Which seven players would you pick as All-Star reserves in the Western Conference? Is there anyone I didn’t mention who deserves serious consideration?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Eastern All-Star Reserves

January 27th, 2025 at 6:22pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA revealed the 10 All-Star starters for the 2024/25 season last Thursday, featuring the typical five players from each conference. This coming Thursday, the All-Star reserves will be announced on TNT.

Today, we’ll be focusing on the Eastern Conference reserves, which are voted on by coaches from around the league. Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl-Anthony Towns comprise the East’s starting lineup, leaving seven open spots off the bench.

While the East’s talent pool is generally not as well-regarded as the West’s, there are plenty of players having All-Star caliber seasons in ’24/25. His vote obviously doesn’t count, but Zach Harper of The Athletic says his picks would be Damian Lillard, Trae Young (two backcourt spots), Evan Mobley, Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam (three frontcourt spots), Cade Cunningham and Darius Garland (two wild card spots).

Had they been healthier, Harper writes, Magic forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero would have been in the conversation for Siakam’s spot, but they both missed extended time with torn obliques. Nikola Vucevic, Jarrett Allen and LaMelo Ball are the other players who received consideration from Harper but didn’t make his final cut.

They aren’t mentioned in Harper’s story, but Tyler Herro, Zach LaVine, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Johnson and Scottie Barnes are among the other candidates in the East who could be voted in by coaches. I’d be pretty shocked if Josh Hart or Derrick White get selected, but they’re both having solid seasons too.

I think Herro probably has the most compelling case of the players that Harper omitted. He has been Miami’s best and most consistent player, has only missed one game, and has been highly efficient offensively.

But I don’t think he deserves to be selected over Lillard, Cunningham or Garland, and Young leads the NBA in assists per game by a significant margin. The Heat and Hawks have almost identical records and neither player is a great defender, so there isn’t much of a differentiator there. Tough call between those two.

Allen is a very good player, but his stats aren’t gaudy, and I don’t expect to see four Cavaliers in the All-Star game. Ball’s stats are gaudy, but his efficiency isn’t great, he doesn’t guard, he has missed several games due to injuries, and Charlotte has the fourth-worst record in the NBA.

Haliburton, Maxey and Barnes made the cut in ’23/24, but their numbers have largely declined in ’24/25. Team record and missed games could work against Maxey and Barnes as well.

LaVine and Vucevic are having great offensive seasons. Neither is known for their defense, and the Bulls are just 19-27. Johnson has missed nine games.

Hart has arguably been more impactful to winning for the Knicks than Siakam has been for the Pacers. But he’s fifth on the team in points per game (Siakam leads Indiana in that category) and including him would mean three Knicks (30-16, No. 3 seed) would make the All-Star game vs. zero Pacers (25-20, No. 5 seed). It’s hard to envision that happening.

We want to know what you think. Which players should be selected as All-Star reserves in the Eastern Conference? Did we miss anyone who deserves consideration? Head to the comment section to weigh in.

Community Shootaround: Jusuf Nurkic

January 26th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The focus on the Suns in recent weeks has centered on their pursuit of Jimmy Butler and whether they can convince Bradley Beal to waive his no-trade clause.

However, the Suns also have another issue to deal with – what to do with center Jusuf Nurkic. The former starter has been exiled to the end of the bench and he’s not happy about it.

Nurkic was removed from the starting lineup earlier this month and Phoenix’s acquisition of Nick Richards cemented his diminished role. Richards has already made a positive impact, jumping into the starting lineup and producing a 20-point, 19-rebound game against Washington on Saturday. His +10.1 net rating through four games is the best mark of any Suns player.

Meanwhile, Nurkic hasn’t seen the court since Jan. 7. He was made inactive for awhile, missing six games due to an illness and return-to-play reconditioning, but now he’s just languishing at the end of the depth chart.

Nurkic was acquired from Portland prior to last season to essentially replace Deandre Ayton, who never lived up to his billing as a No. 1 overall pick. The Suns shed Ayton’s four-year, $133MM contract in the process. Nurkic’s contract isn’t nearly as onerous but now it’s become an albatross.

Nurkic, who is making more than $18MM in 2024/25, has one year and $19.375MM remaining on his deal after this season. He’s an excellent rebounder, passer and screener but his overall game has holes. He’s often a liability on defense, can’t stretch defenses and also has trouble finishing at the rim.

Moreover, it’s an uneasy situation for a team with high aspirations. Nurkic says he has no relationship with head coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic is also well aware that the Suns’ salary cap issues – they’re well over the second tax apron – makes it difficult to trade him.

Still, Phoenix is trying to do just that. The Suns sent their unprotected 2031 first-rounder to Utah this week in exchange for three less desirable first-rounders. It’s likely they’ll try to use those picks to pull off a blockbuster, but splitting that ’31 first-rounder into three separate picks gives them the option of using one of them to sweeten a potential Nurkic salary dump.

If they fail to trade Nurkic, a buyout agreement could be an option. The veteran big man would have incentive to leave some money on the table in order to pursue another NBA opportunity. However, he wouldn’t be eligible to sign with a team operating above the first apron and the Suns would lose the ability to try again to trade him during the offseason in order to turn his salary slot into one or more new players.

Even if the Suns were to use the stretch provision to spread out Nurkic’s 2025/26 salary across three seasons, it wouldn’t materially affect their cap situation, since they’d still project to be in second apron territory next season. It would reduce what figures to be a massive ’25/26 tax bill, but would also add salary to future years.

That brings us to today’s topic: Will the Suns be able to trade Nurkic prior to next month’s deadline? Will they end up buying him out or waiving him? Or will they keep him on the roster and try to deal him in the offseason when his then expiring contract may be more valuable to potential suitors?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Community Shootaround: Western Conference Playoff Race

January 21st, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the 15 teams in the Western Conference, only two are clearly focused more on the 2025 draft lottery than the 2024/25 standings. The 10-31 Jazz and 14-28 Trail Blazers don’t have realistic postseason aspirations this season, with management prioritizing the development of young players and the possibility of landing another high draft pick.

Those two teams are sandwiching the 12-32 Pelicans, who definitely didn’t expect their season to play out like this. Plagued by injuries since top offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray broke his hand on opening night, New Orleans has won its past four games but likely dug too deep a hole in the first half to seriously vie for a play-in spot this season, even if the roster gets (and stays) fully healthy.

Still, that leaves 12 teams in the hunt for eight playoff spots in the Western Conference.

We can safely pencil in the Thunder for one of those spots — and it will almost certainly be the top one. At 35-7, Mark Daigneault‘s squad has a seven-game cushion on the next-best team in the conference.

The Rockets (28-14), Grizzlies (28-15) and Nuggets (26-16) round out the current top four in the West and appear well positioned to claim playoff berths. That’s not necessarily a lock, given how competitive the conference is — a single injury could be all it takes for one of those teams to fall back to the pack. But they’re in strong positions.

After the top four, things gets interesting. Here are the current Western Conference standings from five through 12:

Los Angeles Clippers (24-18)
Los Angeles Lakers (22-18)
Dallas Mavericks (23-20)
Sacramento Kings (22-20)
Minnesota Timberwolves (22-21)
Phoenix Suns (21-21)
Golden State Warriors (21-21)
San Antonio Spurs (19-22)

These eight teams are separated by a total of 4.5 games. The gap from No. 6 to 11 is just two games. A five-game winning streak or losing streak for any of these clubs could significantly change the perception of how their season is going.

To that point, as recently as January 4, the Kings were 12th in the conference at 16-19, while the Spurs were in eighth place at 18-16. A Sacramento hot streak and a San Antonio cold spell have resulted in those two clubs swapping places in the standings just seven games later.

The Spurs are probably a little ahead of schedule in their rebuild and didn’t necessarily expect to make the postseason this year, so if they continue to slump, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for them. But the rest of the clubs listed above had serious playoff aspirations this season. The Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Suns, and Warriors are all spending into the tax on their rosters, and the Kings aren’t far off.

Barring a major collapse from one of the top four seeds, one of these clubs (or two, if San Antonio sticks around) will finish outside the top 10, missing out not just on the playoffs but on the play-in altogether. Two more will be eliminated in the play-in tournament and will fail to clinch one of the eight playoff spots in the West.

What happens at the trade deadline could go a long way toward determining how this race plays out down the stretch, but we want to know what you’re thinking at the halfway point of the season.

Which teams do you expect to finish outside of the top 10 in the West? Which teams will be eliminated in the play-in? Which clubs besides the Thunder are the most serious contenders to represent the conference in this year’s NBA Finals?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: First-Time All-Stars

January 19th, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 2024/25 NBA season has been full of surprising performances, from emerging young players and teams alike.

With 24 slots available, will any players make their All-Star debuts next month?

Both of the two best teams in the league, by record, sport young rising talents who could break through this year.

The loaded Cavaliers, currently an NBA-best 35-6 halfway through the year, boast three veteran All-Stars in Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell and Garland seem all but assured to make the cut next month, but All-Defensive forward Evan Mobley, the No. 3 pick in 2021 out of USC, has taken a leap this season. If coaches want to reward Cleveland for its breakout campaign with a third All-Star, Mobley seems to have a better shot at the honor than Allen.

Third-year forward Jalen Williams is the second-best player on the 34-7 Thunder, behind perennial MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. An excellent defensive player who plays a lot bigger than his 6’5″ frame would suggest, Williams is still working to elevate his offense and become a true, championship-level secondary scoring option behind Gilgeous-Alexander. But he’s already done enough to prove his mettle as one of the league’s most exciting young players.

The 23-year-old is averaging a career-high 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks a night.

Another 2021 draftee, former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, has helped propel his revitalized Pistons to a 21-21 record and the East’s No. 8 seed. Cunningham individually has made a pretty solid case for All-Star consideration, and to this writer feels like the safest bet among this crop of potential newbies — well, the second-best, actually. We’ll get to the best in a minute.

This season, Cunningham is averaging 24.3 points, 9.4 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per game. Those eye-popping numbers, combined with Detroit’s remarkable turnaround from a horrific 2023/24 season, should firmly establish him as an All-Star this year. The 6’6″ Oklahoma State alum is also posting an efficient shooting line of .450/.368/.805.

Magic forward Franz Wagner was making a convincing case to make his All-Star debut this year, before he was felled by an abdominal injury. He has now missed too much time to realistically have a shot, but All-Defensive Team guard Jalen Suggs — who has stepped up as a scorer — could be Orlando’s lone representative this season.

The Magic have performed ably while dealing with long-term absences to Wagner and Paolo Banchero, and Suggs’ stabilizing presence has been a huge part of that. With Banchero back and Wagner hopefully returning soon, Orlando could start vaulting up the Eastern Conference standings again soon enough.

Another All-Defensive Team guard, Celtics champ Derrick White, looked to be on the cusp of making his first All-Star team this year, at age 30, thanks to some strong two-way play early this season. The 2024 Olympic gold medalist has fallen back down to earth a bit across the last month, but his reputation and team success might still help him get there.

In one of the happiest surprises for the season, the young Rockets have looked like one of the best teams in the league. Their 28-13 record makes them the No. 2 seed in the West, behind only Oklahoma City. If anyone is to be named an All-Star among Houston’s cadre of talented young players, center Alperen Sengun would be the best fit as the club’s best two-way player. The 6’11” big man has been averaging 19.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 41 healthy games so far.

One player, to this writer, stands tall — literally — above the rest.

Spurs superstar-in-waiting Victor Wembanyama seems all but assured to make his first of many, many All-Star teams this year.

The 7’3″ big man has taken the league by storm in just his second season, pushing his club to a solid 19-21 record in the West. Already the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year according to BetMGM’s Shane Jackson, the 7’3″ center has rounded out his offense, too. The additions of solid vets Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, plus impressive rookie guard Stephon Castle and the growth of some young incumbents, appear to have helped expedite the 21-year-old’s development.

The reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for San Antonio. A talent who can score from anywhere, the Frenchman boasts a shooting line of .474/.353/.868.

Amid some major Jimmy Butler-related turmoil, Heat guard Tyler Herro has become Miami’s most reliable regular season scorer, especially in the clutch. Although there are still questions about his defense, the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year could be the Heat’s lone All-Star representative in February thanks to his stellar output on the other end.

Bulls guard Coby White was playing like a fringe All-Star last season as the top performer on a play-in Chicago team. This season, on the No. 10-seeded Bulls, White’s numbers are pretty comparable to his 2023/24 run, but his play has been overshadowed by Chicago’s two veteran All-Stars, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Either of those two pros seems to have a better chance of being named to his third All-Star squad than White does of making his first.

We want to hear from you. Who, if anyone, do you think should make the All-Star team for the first time this year? Are there any other names worthy of discussion?

Let us know in the comments section below.

Community Shootaround: Rookie Of The Year Race

January 14th, 2025 at 6:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Entering Tuesday’s NBA games, Wizards center Alex Sarr was listed by most sportsbooks as the odds-on favorite to win this season’s Rookie of the Year award, as Zach Harper of The Athletic observes.

It’s no surprise that a No. 2 overall pick like Sarr is in contention for that honor, but his stat line through 34 professional contests isn’t exactly what you’d expect from the Rookie of the Year frontrunner: 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 27.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .406/.325/.641.

The Wizards are 5-29 in games Sarr has played and have an abysmal -16.3 net rating during his 920 minutes on the court (they’re at -10.4 in the 909 minutes he hasn’t played).

Sarr has been playing better basketball over the past month-and-a-half, averaging 13.3 PPG and 7.1 RPG with a .409 3PT% in his last 20 appearances, so those betting odds take into account that he’s trending in the right direction. But is he really the best rookie of the 2024/25 class?

That honor initially belonged to Sixers guard Jared McCain, who averaged 15.3 points per game on .460/.383/.875 shooting in his first 23 games of the season. However, McCain will miss the rest of the ’24/25 campaign due to a knee injury.

The 65-game rule doesn’t apply to Rookie of the Year voting, so a player could win the award without reaching the 65-game threshold, but it’s probably safe to assume 23 solid outings won’t be enough for McCain.

Lakers wing Dalton Knecht has been solid, but has certainly come down to earth since a hot streak in November. For the season, he has averages of 9.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .461/.347/.800 shooting.

A pair of Grizzlies rookies have played good minutes for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference — center Zach Edey has averaged 9.9 PPG and 7.5 RPG through 26 games (19 starts), while Jaylen Wells has been a solid three-and-D piece, putting up 11.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .438/.378/.813 shooting line and solid defense through 40 games (35 starts).

Wells might get my Rookie of the Year vote if the season ended today. But both he and Edey will face stiff competition for playing time if Memphis is fully healthy and battling for playoff seeding during the second half of the season. That could put that Grizzlies duo at a disadvantage down the stretch, since players on lottery-bound teams – like Sarr in Washington – will be getting big minutes and racking up gaudier numbers in games that don’t matter all that much.

As Harper notes, Pelicans center Yves Missi, Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Magic forward Tristan Da Silva, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, and Wizards guard Carlton Carrington are some of the other first-year players who can be found in oddsmakers’ top 10 choices for Rookie of the Year.

We want to know what you think. Who is your Rookie of the First Half? If you were projecting a full-season Rookie of the Year winner today, who would you pick? Are there any dark-horse candidates you like to enter the mix with big second halves?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: First Half’s Pleasant Surprises, Disappointments

January 11th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The fact that Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has been able to play in 19 games so far this season is an achievement in itself, given that he missed the previous two-and-a-half years while dealing with ongoing knee problems. As Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps write for ESPN.com (Insider link), what’s even more impressive is how impactful Ball has been during his time on the court.

Although his numbers, including 5.8 points per game on .359/.318/.750, don’t look especially strong, Ball is once again making the sorts of winning plays that don’t show up in the box score. Chicago has a +6.9 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -5.0 mark when he’s not.

“Someone is going to get him next year and look smart,” one executive said to ESPN of Ball, who is on an expiring contract.

Ball is among several players identified by Windhorst and Bontemps as the pleasant surprises of the first half of the 2024/25 NBA season. Here are a few more of the names on that list:

Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks: “He’s been everything the Knicks were hoping for and more, and his absence has left a larger hole than the Wolves would’ve ever thought,” a scout told ESPN.
Cade Cunningham, Pistons: “When the Pistons gave him the max, there were quite a few people who thought it was a risk, and he’s been very strong,” a general manager said.
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs: “What he’s doing is just ridiculous,” an executive said. “Say whatever you want about him meeting expectations; if he gets that roster to the playoffs, he should get MVP votes. And he might.”
Norman Powell, Clippers: “He’s gotten more minutes and shots, but no one would’ve believed he’d take this leap at this stage of his career,” an exec said to ESPN.

James Harden (Clippers), Dyson Daniels (Hawks), and Cameron Johnson (Nets) are among the others mentioned by ESPN’s duo.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Heat teammates Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez, and Sixers center Joel Embiid are among the season’s biggest disappointments, as identified by Windhorst, Bontemps, and the sources they spoke to. Here are a few more of the players in that group:

Paul George, Sixers: “Philly probably knew there was a chance they’d have a rough PG year on this contract but they probably thought it would be year four — not year one,” an executive said.
Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: “I know he’s dealt with an injury,” one scout told ESPN, “but I think this has been the most disappointing season of his career.”
Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers: “I thought it was a guarantee he’d play much better this year than last and show some things,” an exec said. “I’ve been wrong. His numbers are down, and the eye (test) confirms it.”

We want to know what you think.

Which NBA players have you been most pleasantly surprised or disappointed by so far this season? Are there any names on ESPN’s lists – or scouts’ and executives’ comments – that you strongly agree or disagree with?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Lakers’ Season

January 6th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s still a month to go before the trade deadline arrives, but the Lakers have gotten the jump on the competition.

Late last month, they acquired forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton from the Nets in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks.

Finney-Smith was the centerpiece of the deal for the Lakers. They were seeking a forward who could upgrade their defense and also space the floor.

Thus far, coach JJ Redick has used Finney-Smith off the bench in four games since the deal was completed. The Lakers have a 2-2 record during that stretch. Milton has also received second-unit minutes.

The Lakers’ hopes in the Western Conference still rely on the health and steady contributions of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, as well as the perimeter shooting of Austin Reaves.

Rui Hachimura, Max Christie, rookie Dalton Knecht, and Gabe Vincent are the other players who have received steady minutes. The Lakers have played well since moving Christie into the starting lineup. Knecht has cooled off after a strong start. They’re hopeful of getting a boost soon from forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who has yet to play this season due to foot and knee ailments.

Statistically, the Lakers rank among the top 10 in field goal percentage and fewest turnovers. However, they’re a middling three-point shooting team and they’re in bottom 10 in rebounding and defensive field goal percentage.

The deal with the Nets gave the Lakers some relief below the second tax apron and they still have some draft capital to offer in future deals — a pair of 2025 second-rounders, first-rounders in 2029 and 2031, and first-round pick swaps in 2026, 2028, and 2030.

They don’t have any players with expiring contracts who are making $4MM or more, so they’ll have to be more creative to make another deal.

That brings us to today’s topic: Did the Lakers improve their postseason prospects enough with the addition of Finney-Smith? If not, what other upgrades do they need to make to become true contenders again?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games

December 25th, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Merry Christmas from the Hoops Rumors staff!

As usual, the NBA has a five-game slate on tap for Christmas Day, with many of the league’s top teams and biggest stars in action on December 25. Here’s today’s schedule:

11:00 am CT: San Antonio Spurs (15-14) at New York Knicks (19-10)
1:30 pm CT: Minnesota Timberwolves (14-14) at Dallas Mavericks (19-10)
4:00 pm CT: Philadelphia 76ers (10-17) at Boston Celtics (22-7)
7:00 pm CT: Los Angeles Lakers (16-13) at Golden State Warriors (15-13)
9:30 pm CT: Denver Nuggets (16-11) at Phoenix Suns (14-14)

While the goal on Christmas Day is generally to showcase some of the day’s biggest stars and best teams, this year’s schedule is a little lacking in the latter.

Despite featuring seven teams from the Western Conference, today’s slate of games doesn’t include any of the West’s top three seeds, the Thunder, Rockets, and Grizzlies. While Houston and Memphis weren’t necessarily expected to be this good, Oklahoma City’s absence is conspicuous, given that the Thunder were the No. 1 seed in the West last season.

Over in the East, we’ve got the No. 2 and 3 seeds in action today, but the NBA’s best team, the 26-4 Cavaliers, won’t be part of the Christmas Day slate. Instead, the third Eastern club is the 12th-seeded Sixers, who have been plagued by injuries but at least will have their big three available on Wednesday — Tyrese Maxey and Paul George aren’t on the injury report, and Joel Embiid is listed as available.

Despite the absence of so many top teams, each matchup still has something going for it, with plenty of star power on display.

The afternoon will feature rising phenom Victor Wembanyama visiting Madison Square Garden and the streaking Knicks, who have won four games in a row; a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals between the Timberwolves and Mavericks, who should have star guards Kyrie Irving (available) and Luka Doncic (probable) active today; and those aforementioned three Sixers stars going up against the defending champions in Boston.

The first evening contest between the Lakers and Warriors pits the No. 7 seed in the West against No. 8, but it also could be one of the last few times that NBA legends LeBron James and Stephen Curry face one another. James is considered questionable due to left foot injury management, but I’d be shocked if he didn’t play. A couple more would-be Western contenders who have had up-and-down starts will wrap up the day when the Nuggets visit Phoenix in a game that will feature a pair of former MVPs in Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant.

We want to know what you think. Are there any teams you wish were or weren’t part of today’s schedule? Which of these five games are you most looking forward to? Which five teams are you picking to win this year’s Christmas Day matchups?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in, and feel free to use it as an open thread to discuss today’s games.

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