Community Shootaround

There’s still a lot of uncertainty regarding Dwyane Wade‘s status for the upcoming season. A report late last month indicated that Wade was ‘inclined to play’ another season and if he does, it will be with the franchise he’s played for most of his career.

Even if Wade doesn’t return, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will have a lot of tough decisions to make regarding his rotation during the upcoming season. Miami’s roster is filled with solid but unspectacular players and Spoelstra will have to sort out which are most deserving of steady minutes.

Thanks to team president Pat Riley basically standing pat with his roster this summer, there aren’t a lot of players with clearly defined roles.

Point guard Goran Dragic seems like the only sure thing in terms of the backcourt. Tyler Johnson is the listed backup but Dion Waiters could get some playing time there, as well as Wade if he re-signs.

The shooting guard spot has a major logjam whether or not Wade is added to the equation. Along with Waiters coming back from an ankle injury, the Heat have Johnson, Rodney McGruder,  Wayne Ellington and Josh Richardson vying for minutes there.

Richardson could start at small forward but Justise Winslow will also be in the mix, along with summer league star Derrick Jones. Richardson led the team last season in minutes played per game but that was partly due to the injuries sustained by Waiters and McGruder, who started 65 games two seasons ago. Ellington led the team’s rotation players last season with his 39.2% shooting from beyond the arc.

Winslow will also play the ‘four’ in smaller lineups but Spoelstra also has to figure out a way to juggle Hassan Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo and James Johnson at the center and power forward positions. Whiteside brooded about his reduced playing time last season and he won’t be happy with the status quo. But Adebayo’s role should expand in his second season while James Johnson, Olynyk and Winslow all played between 23-27 minutes on average last season.

That’s an awful lot for Spoeltra to sort out.

That leads us to our topic of the day: If you were the Miami Heat coach, what would your starting lineup look like? Which players should get the most minutes off the bench and which should be out of the rotation?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Training camps haven’t opened yet, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next summer, which will feature one of the most impressive free agent classes in recent history. LeBron James may be off the market, signing a four-year contract with the Lakers after a series of one-year deals with options, but there are plenty of big names to replace him as we outlined Friday in our 2019 Free Agent Power Rankings 1.0.

The Warriors’ Kevin Durant holds the top spot and will probably be there all year. He has solidified his position among the league’s elite players by helping Golden State capture back-to-back titles in his two seasons with the team. While he’s in a great situation with the Warriors, Durant may decide he wants another challenge, and speculation has already started about possible destinations. He has played on one-year contracts with options the past two seasons, but at age 31 he may be ready for a long-term deal similar to LeBron’s.

Karl-Anthony Towns is currently No. 2 on the list, but there’s a good chance he’ll sign an extension with the Timberwolves before the October 15 deadline. If he doesn’t, that’s a strong sign that the locker room chemistry in Minnesota is even worse than we’ve been led to believe. If Towns hits the open market, his combination of skills and youth will create a league-wide demand, even though he’ll be a restricted free agent.

The Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard checks in at No. 3 with another situation that could change during the season. Leonard’s desire to play in Los Angeles is one of the factors that pushed him out of San Antonio, and a trade to the Lakers or Clippers could happen if Toronto isn’t confident about re-signing him when we reach the February trade deadline.

The reported dissension in Minnesota may also affect Jimmy Butler, who is fourth on our list. Butler brings an old-school mentality to the game and has reportedly clashed with Towns and Andrew Wiggins over their more relaxed attitudes. The Wolves surrendered a lot to get Butler just 15 months ago, so they may look to move him before the deadline if they decide it’s not a good fit.

Klay Thompson rounds out the top five heading into a pivotal offseason for Golden State. With two of the top five free agents plus Draymond Green eligible for an extension, it’s about to get a lot more expensive to keep the core of the back-to-back champions together.

Tonight we want you to predict how many of the top five free agents will be changing teams next summer. Incumbent teams hold the advantage of being able to offer longer contracts and bigger annual raises, but the 2019 free agent market looks unsettled with two sets of teammates in the top five and Leonard possibly in a short-term arrangement in Toronto. Please give us your feedback in the space below.

The Lakers will have enough salary-cap space to sign another top-level free agent next summer and there’s sure to be plenty of speculation about who will join LeBron James in Los Angeles. Will it be Kevin Durant? Kawhi Leonard? Jimmy Butler? Klay Thompson? DeMarcus Cousins?

However, there’s still a full season to be played before those stars hit the market. Someone will have to emerge as the No. 2 scoring option from the current roster and establish himself as a top-level performer in his own right.

After securing a commitment from James, the Lakers front office brought in an eclectic mix of free agents on short-term deals. It’s more likely that James’ right-hand man will be one of the young holdovers.

Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma are the most obvious candidates. Ingram, the second overall pick of the 2016 draft, showed significant improvement in his second season. He averaged 16.1 PPG and shot 47% from the field and 39% from long range. He also display playmaking ability by averaging nearly four assists per contest.

Kuzma made an immediate impact despite lasting until the 27th pick of the 2017 draft. The stretch four also averaged 16.1 PPG last season while connecting on 45% of his attempts and 36.6% from deep.

It’s logical to assume they’ll play together when the Lakers go small; in more conventional looks, one or the other will be on the bench when James is on the court.

That could open up the possibility of a guard becoming the secondary option. If that’s the case, then Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could wind up as the second-leading scorer. Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.4 PPG in his first season with the Lakers and re-signed on a one-year deal. He’s improved steadily as a 3-point threat, making a career-best 38.3% last season.

And while Lonzo Ball‘s first year in the league didn’t go as smoothly as planned, the Lakers thought enough of him to use the No. 2 overall pick last summer on him. His shot needs a lot of work but he’s always a threat to post a triple-double and he’ll play more off the ball with the additions of James and Rajon Rondo.

That leads us to our question of the day: Who will emerge as the Lakers’ No. 2 scoring option during the upcoming season?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Could the “Timber-Bulls” be getting another member?

Minnesota is considered a possible destination for Luol Deng, who reached a buyout agreement with the Lakers today. Once he clears waivers, Deng could become the latest ex-Bull to reunite with Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, joining Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose. Free agent guard Aaron Brooks is another Thibodeau Bull who played for Minnesota last season.

Wolves management has been keeping an eye on Deng as the buyout process played out, along with another former Chicago player, Knicks center Joakim Noah, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minneapolis. Today marked the first day that teams could lock in salaries for the 2018/19 season, meaning that the final year of Deng’s and Noah’s contracts could be stretched separately.

While Deng would certainly fit in with the Wolves, there are reports that several contending teams are interested in the two-time All-Star. The Rockets lost a pair of perimeter defenders to free agency this summer in Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute and might see Deng as a low-cost replacement. The Spurs have a history of getting the most out of veteran players, new Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak was responsible for signing Deng in L.A., and Deng’s name appeared on the infamous leaked photos of the Magic’s whiteboard that made their way to social media last year.

The main problem for anyone thinking about signing Deng is that he’s had virtually a year off from the game. Coach Luke Walton used Deng for 13 minutes in last year’s opener, then never put him into another game. Deng averaged 7.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG in his first season with the Lakers, and a year without wear and tear might be good for the 33-year-old, but no one knows for sure. He got a chance to show his skills in last month’s NBA Africa game and finished with 14 points, three steals and three rebounds.

We want to get your opinion on Deng’s future. Which team can offer him the best situation, or do you believe he’s too far past his prime to help anybody? Please leave your responses in the space below?

Nets GM Sean Marks raised a few eyebrows earlier this month when he stated the team’s goal this upcoming season was to make the playoffs. He told season-ticket holders that he thinks there’s enough talent on the roster to make that happen.

“I don’t see any reason why we can’t make a push for the playoffs,” he said. “Isn’t that the objective here? We’re not sitting here trying to win 20 games, so let’s put our best foot forward and push each other and see where it goes.”

It’s no secret that next summer is even more important to the franchise. Brooklyn will have gobs of salary-cap space and can make a strong push for two or even three top-flight free agents.

According to Basketball Insiders, the Nets have less than $17MM in guaranteed salaries on their books next summer. Even if Allen Crabbe exercises his $18.5MM player option and the team exercises its options on Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, it will still be able to chase a couple of big-name free agents. Failing that, it could absorb the contract of an All-Star caliber player or two in trades.

As for the upcoming season, the Nets don’t have anything resembling an All-Star on the roster but they should have plenty of competition for minutes. If D’Angelo Russell can remain healthy and start playing at the level expected of a No. 2 overall pick in the draft, Marks’ goal would seem more realistic.

Brooklyn also has some other notable options at point guard, including Spencer Dinwiddie and free agent addition Shabazz Napier. LeVert and Joe Harris will likely see the most action at shooting guard, while holdover starter DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe are a solid 1-2 punch at small forward.

Along with Allen, the Nets’ power rotation will include returnee Rondae Hollis-Jefferson; Kenneth Faried, acquired from the Nuggets in a salary dump; a prolific rebounder Ed Davis, another free agent signee.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Marks’ optimism is the general weakness of the East beyond the Celtics, Sixers and Raptors (assuming Kawhi Leonard is healthy).

That leads to our question of the day: Do the Nets have enough pieces to make the playoffs?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Twelve months ago, few NBA fans understood what two-way contracts were. After a year in place, it’s clear that teams have vastly different philosophies on how to utilize this new class of player.

Instituted under the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, two-way contracts give the best G League prospects a chance to get some NBA exposure, while giving teams an easily accessible supply of reinforcements in case of injuries. Each team has a pair of two-way slots to use, and players with two-way contracts are limited to 45 days of NBA service, which counts practices and traveling as well as games.

A player who hits the 45-day limit cannot spend any more time with his NBA team until the G League season ends, unless his contract is converted to a standard NBA deal. Players with two-way contracts are also ineligible for the postseason, which is why the Warriors had to open a roster spot for Quinn Cook in April, which cost them Omri Casspi.

Cook was the most successful two-way player last season, appearing in 33 games, starting 18, and posting a 9.5/2.5/2.7 line. He was a valuable reserve for the Warriors all the way through their run to a championship.

While NBA service time is limited in two-way deals, so is compensation. The minimum salary ranges from $838,464 for a player with no experience to $1,621,415 for a player with four years of service, which is the maximum allowable for a two-way contract. Rules allow two-way players to collect up to $275K, but most make far less.

That salary structure is among the reasons the contracts aren’t universally popular. Even though they create 60 more NBA jobs, an unidentified agent recently told Justin Jett of DefPen that the league is taking advantage of the new system.

“Teams are explicitly violating two-way compensation rules,” the agent claimed. “There’s no good way to ‘police’ these deals. Agents get paid basically nothing on these deals and teams flat out lie to try to steal money from, and exploit, two-way contract players.”

We want to get your opinion. Have two-way contracts been good for the NBA and the players, or do changes need to be made? Please leave your responses in the space below.