Community Shootaround

On Wednesday night, we opened up a discussion on the best roster move of the offseason, from a team perspective. While the Lakers‘ signing of LeBron James was probably the single-most impactful move of the summer, other deals – such as the Warriors‘ signing of DeMarcus Cousins and the Nuggets‘ addition of Isaiah Thomas – received plenty of praise as well.

Today, we’re shifting our focus to look at the deals on the other end of the spectrum. Which roster moves were the worst of the offseason?

We can get a little creative here. If there’s not a single free agent signing or trade that stood out for you as awful, then a series of moves made – or not made – by a club could qualify for this “honor.” For instance, perhaps you weren’t a fan of the Rockets replacing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute with James Ennis and Carmelo Anthony, even if none of those moves on their own are particularly egregious.

A handful of ESPN analysts weighed in on this question this week. Among their choices? The Wizards‘ offseason moves, including the signing of Dwight Howard; the Bulls‘ signing of Jabari Parker to a two-year, $40MM deal; and the Lakers‘ deal with Lance Stephenson.

Those are hardly the only candidates to qualify for the most questionable move of the summer. Perhaps you’re skeptical about Devin Booker‘s new five-year maximum-salary extension with the Suns, or particularly disliked one side or the other in the Kawhi Leonard/DeMar DeRozan mega-deal. Maybe one of the signings at the very start of free agency, such as the three-year deals the Pacers and Bucks gave Doug McDermott and Ersan Ilyasova, respectively, drew your ire.

Draft-night trades also qualify for this discussion, so if you hated the Hawks‘ move to pass up on Luka Doncic for Trae Young, or the Suns‘ decision to give up an unprotected future first-rounder to move up six sports for Mikal Bridges, let us know.

What do you think? Which offseason move do you think is the worst – or just your least-favorite – of 2018?

The frenzy that is the NBA free agency period has largely come to a close, with 48 of our 50 top-rated 2018 free agents now having either agreed to sign or signed a new deal. Only Rodney Hood and Dwyane Wade remain free agents.

Out of those 48 free-agent signings, Chris Paul signed the largest deal, both in terms of total and per-season value, while Nerlens Noel (per-season value) and Isaiah Thomas (total value), who was ironically expected to sign a large deal not too long ago, signed the least lucrative deals.

LeBron James‘ deal with the Lakers was a close second in value to Paul’s contract with the Rockets. Widely considered to be the best player in the world, it’s hard not to consider James’ contract with the Lakers the best offseason deal.

However, one could realistically argue that Paul George re-signing with the Thunder, after last summer having so clearly iterated his intentions to go to L.A. when he became a free agent this summer, or Clint Capela‘s team-friendly deal with the Rockets, to be better overall deals that James’. Moreover, the defending champion Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins – a bonafide star when healthy – to a one-year deal for the mid-level exception, which is generally reserved for role-type players.

So that leads us to our topic of discussion: Which summer signing/reported signing do you think was the best deal of the summer? Was it clearly James’ heading to L.A. or does another situation exceed that signing?

Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.

A year ago, Paul George and Kyrie Irving were the highest-profile stars to push their way out of their longtime NBA homes, asking for trades to new teams and having those requests granted. During the 2018 offseason, Kawhi Leonard followed suit.

Now that Leonard has been dealt to the Raptors in a trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio, there are no marquee names still out there on the trade market.

Kevin Love looked like a possible trade candidate in the wake of LeBron James‘ free agency departure, but the Cavaliers opted to lock up Love to a long-term extension rather than shopping him. Kemba Walker was also viewed as a potential trade chip, but both he and the Hornets have been saying all the right things as of late about keeping their relationship going beyond his 2019 free agency.

With offseason roster moves slowing down, there doesn’t appear to be a star player out there who is unhappy enough in his current situation to request a trade before the season begins. Still, based on recent NBA history, it’s likely only a matter of time before the next star player becomes available.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tackled this topic on Tuesday, speculating about a few All-Stars who might be among the next group of disgruntled veterans to seek a change of scenery. Kyler named Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, and Anthony Davis as possible candidates, though he acknowledges that it would take a disaster scenario for some of those names to show up in the rumor mill.

A player’s contract situation and his team’s success – or lack thereof – generally goes a long way toward determining how stable his situation is. A player like Butler is a candidate for this list because he can become a free agent next summer and the Timberwolves aren’t necessarily a lock to make the postseason in a hyper-competitive Western Conference. If Minnesota gets off to a poor start and whispers about supposed tension between Butler and his younger teammates persist, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear his name involved in trade rumors before the 2019 deadline.

Still, Butler is hardly the only candidate to be the next star player traded. Besides Kyler’s choices, newly-acquired stars like Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins could find themselves back on the trade block at some point in 2019 if things don’t go well with their new teams. Maybe the Wizards underperform again and decide to break up their All-Star backcourt. Perhaps a healthy Celtics roster creates playing-time problems for certain players and makes one of the team’s veteran stars unhappy.

Some of these situations are, of course, less likely than others, but it’s hard to rule anything out entirely — after all, we never thought the Leonard/Spurs situation would become as toxic as it did.

What do you think? Who will be the next NBA star who is traded, either as a result of a trade request or his team deciding to make a change?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

The early returns on the Raptors’ gamble by trading for Kawhi Leonard have been promising.

No one was quite sure how Leonard would react to playing in Toronto next season after his acrimonious feelings toward the Spurs convinced San Antonio to trade him. Leonard met recently with new Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and seemed to be genuinely excited about Nurse’s plans for him.

“It was fun to listen to his take,” Nurse told the Toronto Star about his 45-minute meeting with Leonard. “He asked me, ‘How are you going to use me? Where are you going to get me the ball? What do you see?’ And I told him, ‘Listen. To me, you can do pretty much everything. You can post. You can drive. You can handle it up the floor. You can play screen and roll. You can come off pindowns.’ I said, ‘Did I miss anything?’ He’s like, ‘No, that’s about it.’ I said, ‘You’ll probably be doing all that stuff.’”

The ultimate goal for the Raptors is to convince Leonard to stay long-term. Leonard can opt out of his contract next summer and become an unrestricted free agent. It’s well-known that he longs to play in Los Angeles and could join forces with LeBron James on the Lakers.

However, the Raptors have nearly a year to change his mind, just like the Thunder did after trading for Paul George. OKC’s roll of the dice paid off, as the Thunder organization made such a positive impression on George that he opted to stay put.

The Raptors are more dangerous team with a healthy Leonard but that, too, is a big unknown. Leonard played just nine games last season due to a nagging quad injury and he could easily miss a large chunk of the season if he re-injures it. The path to the Finals should be easier for Leonard in the Eastern Conference, especially with James out of the picture.

That leads us to our topic of the day: How do you think Toronto will fare next season with Kawhi Leonard? Do you think he’ll stick around or leave for Los Angeles or another destination next summer?

Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.

On Thursday, we opened up a discussion on the Western Conference, asking for your early predictions on the playoff race in the NBA’s more competitive conference. Today, we’re shifting our focus to the East.

Three Atlantic teams appear poised to enter the 2018/19 season as the odds-on favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. According to the early odds at sports betting site Bovada.lv, the Celtics are the clear frontrunners, as they re-add Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to a roster that came within one game of the NBA Finals.

Boston is followed by the Raptors and Sixers. While the Raptors have continually come up short in the postseason, they racked up 59 wins last season, and probably increased their ceiling by replacing DeMar DeRozan with Kawhi Leonard. The 76ers, meanwhile, will bring back a roster similar to last year’s, but will be banking on further improvements from young stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

No other Eastern team has better than 15-to-1 odds to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, but there are a few interesting clubs worth keeping an eye on.

The Pacers didn’t lose any major pieces, and have added Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott to a squad that finished fourth in the East last season. The Bucks may have the best player in the conference in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and a new head coach should create more stability in Milwaukee. The Wizards underperformed last season, but have a pair of All-Star guards and a newly-added eight-time All-Star center in Dwight Howard.

The Pistons and Heat are both strong candidates to earn playoff spots as well. Detroit will have a full year of Blake Griffin, health permitting, and brought aboard Dwane Casey, the reigning Coach of the Year. Miami has one of the deepest teams and most talented coaches in the conference.

Those eight teams may enter the year as the favorites for playoff spots, but there are several other contenders. The Cavaliers don’t have LeBron James, but there are still plenty of solid players on their roster, including All-Star forward Kevin Love. The same is true of the Hornets, who have a handful of solid role players surrounding their lone All-Star, Kemba Walker.

Young teams like the Knicks and Nets could make a little noise in 2018/19, as could the Bulls, who have added Jabari Parker and Wendell Carter to a group that already featured Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine, and Kris Dunn.

The Hawks and Magic still appear lottery-bound, but perhaps new head coaches can spark an unexpected run in Atlanta or Orlando.

What do you think? Which eight teams do you expect to earn postseason berths in the East? Are the Celtics your early pick to come out of the conference, or can the Raptors, Sixers, or another team upend them?

Jump into the comment section below to give us your early thoughts on the new-look Eastern Conference.

Before asking Kevin Love to become their new franchise player, the Cavaliers decided to pay him like one. Cleveland reached a four-year, $120MM extension this week with the All-Star forward, who becomes the face of the franchise now that LeBron James has left for the Lakers.

It’s a radical role change for Love, who came to Cleveland as the third member of a Big Three that also included Kyrie Irving. That group reached three straight NBA Finals and won a title in 2016 before the Cavs granted Irving’s trade request and shipped him to the Celtics last summer.

Love showed he can handle being a No. 1 option during the first six years of his career in Minnesota. He made three All-Star appearances in that stretch and posted some impressive numbers, including a 26.1/12.5/4.4 line during his final season with the Wolves.

Love never came close to matching that production in Cleveland, especially in scoring, where he often subjugated his offense in deference to James and Irving. Love spent much of his time waiting for kick-out passes at the 3-point line and often seemed directionless as his star teammates dominated the ball.

Now Love is the star and should get more touches than anyone. He will be the focal point of an offense that features plenty of shooters such as Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith and Rodney Hood if he re-signs, but few creators or playmakers, unless rookie point guard Collin Sexton is ready to contribute right away.

Even before LeBron announced his latest decision, Cavaliers management was making it clear that there were no plans to tank without him. Cleveland will be counting on Love to keep its playoff streak alive, not just in 2018/19 but well into the next decade.

We want your opinion on the new deal. Is Love worth the money he’s going to make in his extension, or is this a panic move by an organization that should be rebuilding after losing its two best players in back-to-back summers? Please leave your feedback in the space below.

NBA teams aren’t necessarily done reshaping their rosters for 2018/19 quite yet, but nearly all of this summer’s impact free agents are off the board. And unlike last year, when Kyrie Irving was traded in late August and Carmelo Anthony was moved in September, the majority of this year’s biggest-name trade candidates have already been dealt or seem unlikely to go anywhere at this point.

With the major offseason roster moves out of the way, we can start evaluating what the NBA playoff picture might look like next season. We’ll kick off that discussion today by examining the Western Conference, where it took 47 wins to claim a postseason berth this past spring.

The competition in the West figures to be no less fierce in 2018/19. With the possible exception of the Rockets, who lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, and the Pelicans, who lost DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo, none of the eight Western Conference teams from last year look any worse.

The Warriors are bringing back all their key pieces and added Cousins; the Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, and Jazz look almost the same as they did last year, with all their top players still under contract; the Thunder brought back all their most important free agents while adding a couple complementary pieces in Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel; and the Spurs replaced a star who appeared in just nine games last season with another All-Star in DeMar DeRozan.

There aren’t many clear candidates to fall out of the top eight in the West, and there are plenty of teams in the bottom seven who improved their rosters and have postseason aspirations. The Lakers‘ addition of LeBron James was the most obvious and noteworthy free agent move made by a Western lottery team, but it was hardly the only one.

The Nuggets re-signed Nikola Jokic and Will Barton while adding Isaiah Thomas, and will have a healthy Paul Millsap this year as they look to improve upon a 46-win season. The Clippers, who finished above .500, are deeper and arguably more talented than they were last season. The Mavericks made a pair of very intriguing additions in DeAndre Jordan and Luka Doncic. The Grizzlies should have Mike Conley at full health to go along with Marc Gasol and newcomers like Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson, and Garrett Temple.

We’ve mentioned 13 of the 15 Western Conference teams, with only the Suns and Kings perhaps not viewed as viable playoff threats. Even those clubs have plenty of promising young talent and could theoretically improve upon last season’s results — particularly the Suns, who added Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Trevor Ariza.

What do you think? Are there any playoff locks in the West besides the Warriors and Rockets? Which of last year’s teams will fall out of the top eight? Which Western lottery teams are on track to reach the postseason next spring?

Jump into the comment section below to share your two cents and your Western Conference top eight.

Carmelo Anthony‘s path to the Rockets now seems clear after an agreement was reached this week on a three-team trade that will send him to the Hawks, who will buy him out. Once that process plays out and Anthony clears waivers, he will be free to sign with anybody, but it’s a poorly kept secret that he plans to head to Houston.

There’s a lot to be figured out about what Anthony’s role will be with the Rockets, but he didn’t exactly excel as a third option in Oklahoma City. His playing time dropped to a career-low 32.1 minutes per game last season and his scoring average fell bellow 20 PPG for the first time since he entered the NBA in 2003.

After winning 65 games and reaching the Western Conference finals, Houston suffered a couple of key personnel losses. Trevor Ariza signed with the Suns on the first night of free agency, and Luc Mbah a Moute left for the Clippers soon afterward. That’s a loss of two defensive specialists who match up very well with the Warriors, while Anthony represents a question mark on both counts.

There have been whispers that the Rockets may be considering a sixth-man spot for Anthony, with defensive-minded free agent addition James Ennis taking Ariza’s spot in the starting lineup. Chris Paul, one of Anthony’s close friends, may be able to sell him on the idea, but his response when asked about a similar role with the Thunder isn’t encouraging.

“I’m not sacrificing no bench role,” he told ESPN’s Royce Young in April. “So that’s out of the question.” (Twitter link).

Anthony brings extra firepower to a Rockets offense that is already loaded. As several observers have noted, he is most effective when playing with elite passers — as he has done on the Olympic team — and he’ll have those in Houston with Paul and James Harden. However, the move from Ariza to Anthony won’t be a seamless switch. They are very different types of players, and many writers are predicting a greater gap between the Warriors and Rockets with Anthony on board.

We want to get your prediction. Will a move to Houston bring out the best in Anthony’s game, or will he be a distraction on offense and a liability on defense? Please leave your answers in the space below.

Whether Jabari Parker becomes a star or a bust, he’s not going to do it in Milwaukee. The 23-year-old forward, who seemed like a vital part of the Bucks’ future when they made him the second player taken in the 2014 draft, is headed to their division rivals in Chicago.

Two ACL injuries prevented Parker from reaching his full potential in Milwaukee. The first came during his rookie season and limited him to 25 games. The second, in January of 2017, cost him a significant part of two seasons. Parker was showing signs of stardom before that injury struck, posting a 20.1/6.2/2.8 line through 51 games.

Despite his medical history, the Bulls were willing to gamble on Parker’s talent, giving him $40MM over two years to make a fresh start in Chicago. The organization limited its risk by guaranteeing only the first season, with a team option on the second.

If Parker’s health holds up, it could be a major win for the maligned front office duo of John Paxson and Gar Forman. Parker would be a valuable piece alongside Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Wendell Carter Jr., giving the Bulls one of the best collections of young talent in the East.

Chicago has only been out of the playoffs for one year, but Paxson and owner Jerry Reinsdorf quickly grew frustrated with the rebuilding process, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. They wanted a shortcut to become a contender again, and Parker may able to provide that.

We want to get your predictions on the move. Will Parker be able to revive his career in Chicago and turn the Bulls into a winner again, or is this a reckless gamble on a player whose knees will always be a concern? Please leave your responses in the space below.

NBA restricted free agency can be a double-edged sword — this summer, for instance, it has been beneficial for players like Aaron Gordon, Zach LaVine, and Dante Exum, who have each signed player-friendly deals that don’t look much different than contracts they might have earned as unrestricted free agents.

For other players though, the lack of leverage in restricted free agency creates tough decisions. Those players may have to choose between settling for a multi-year offer lower than what they believe they’re worth, or signing their one-year qualifying offer in the hopes of securing a better offer as an unrestricted free agent in 2019.

Clint Capela (Rockets), Marcus Smart (Celtics), Jabari Parker (Bucks), and Rodney Hood (Cavaliers) are among the big-name restricted free agents still on the board, with Montrezl Harrell (Clippers), Yogi Ferrell (Mavericks), David Nwaba (Bulls), and Patrick McCaw (Warriors) also still unsigned.

There’s a sense that if any one of those players signed an offer sheet within reason, his current team would match it. But those clubs may not be eager to negotiate directly and risk bidding against themselves — they’d rather let the market set the price for those restricted free agents. But with only a small handful of teams still able to offer more than the mid-level exception to free agents, the market simply hasn’t developed for some of these players.

While things may look bleak for a few restricted free agents on July 12, we expect all of them to be back under contract by October 12. So we want to know how you think some of these contract situations will be resolved.

Will the Rockets, Celtics, Bucks, or Cavaliers negotiate long-term deals with their restricted free agents? Will any of the teams with substantial cap room – the Hawks, Kings, Bulls, and Nets – make a play for one of the available RFAs?

Will anyone sign his qualifying offer with an eye toward unrestricted free agency in 2019? Do you foresee any major negotiating missteps for any of this year’s RFAs, like Nerlens Noel turning down a $70MM offer in 2017?

Jump into the comment section below to weigh on 2018’s remaining RFAs!