Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: James Harden

October 10th, 2023 at 5:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Damian Lillard saga ended a couple of weeks ago. The drama regarding James Harden remains unresolved.

Contrary to early concerns, Harden reportedly hasn’t been disruptive during the Sixers’ training camp. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden will be “engaged” as long as he feels Philadelphia’s front office will continue to pursue a trade with the Clippers, his preferred destination.

That seems unlikely to happen in the short term. There’s “no traction” on a potential swap between those two parties, Wojnarowski said on Monday.

Reportedly the Clippers have offered a future first-rounder, a pick swap and expiring contracts for Harden. The Sixers’ top executive, Daryl Morey, is holding out for more assets.

Morey is intent on protecting his cap space for next offseason. That’s why the Sixers’ haven’t pursued an extension with their other starting guard, Tyrese Maxey. They could have the most cap space of any team if they don’t add future salary to their balance sheet.

It’s hard to tell just how much the Clippers want Harden. Coach Tyronn Lue has stated that he wants his club to take the regular season more seriously and get a better seed in a pivotal season for the franchise. Would Harden blend in well with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George or would acquiring him lead to some chemistry issues?

As we saw with Lillard’s situation, there could be a surprise outcome. Few anticipated Lillard would wind up in Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday would become the starting point guard for one of its main Eastern Conference rivals.

So the possibility of Harden winding up with another team that lost out in the Lillard/Holiday sweepstakes, such as Miami or Toronto, can’t entirely be ruled out. It’s also not out of the question Harden could be traded to a non-contender in a salary-dumping move if Morey is willing to add a sweetener or two, rather than the other way around.

That brings us to our topic of the day: How do you think the Harden saga will end? Will he stay in Philadelphia, get traded to the Clippers or be moved to a mystery team?

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

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 9/26/2023

September 26th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The transcript of our weekly Tuesday chat can be found here.

Join us on Tuesday, October 3 for our next live chat.

Community Shootaround: Mavericks’ Season

September 25th, 2023 at 10:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

One of the teams that will be closely watched this season is the Mavericks.

While Luka Doncic is signed through the 2026/27 season – he has a player option in the final year of his contract – the Mavericks need to be a major contender on a yearly basis to prevent Doncic from being the next superstar to ask for a trade.

Dallas rolled the dice on Kyrie Irving last season, making a blockbuster trade for the mercurial point guard. In the short run, it blew up in the Mavs’ faces as they didn’t participate in the postseason. Irving was signed to a three-year, $120MM contract this offseason but that won’t end the speculation that he could eventually be dealt to the Lakers – if Los Angeles wants him.

Dallas’ other big move this offseason was to engineer a sign-and-trade with the Celtics for power forward Grant Williams.

The backcourt duo and Williams will comprise three-fifths of the starting lineup. From there, it gets murky.

Josh Green or Tim Hardaway Jr. would seem to be the logical candidates at small forward but coach Jason Kidd won’t rule out the possibility of Olivier-Maxence Prosper – the 24th pick in the draft — grabbing that spot if he has a strong training camp.

Ditto for center Dereck Lively II, their lottery selection at No. 12. Kidd believes Lively will be a factor from the get-go, even though there are veteran options in Dwight Powell and Richaun Holmes at that position.

The Mavs have also been involved in a number of trade rumors, with Deandre Ayton, Clint Capela and Buddy Hield among the players they’ve been linked to in recent months.

Kidd would seemingly be on the hot seat this season, following last season’s flop and owner Mark Cuban desire to have a serious shot at a title while keeping Doncic happy.

That brings us to our topic of the day: How do think the Mavs will fare this season? What player should they trade for to significantly improve their chances?

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

Community Shootaround: Jazz’s Rotation, Season

September 24th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz embraced a major rebuild last season with the blockbuster trades of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

For a good portion of the year, the Jazz didn’t play like a team headed for the lottery. They hung around the race for a play-in spot in the Western Conference until the final weeks of the season.

There were plenty of positive developments to energize the team’s fan base. Lauri Markkanen blossomed into one of the league’s premier scorers. Rookie center Walker Kessler, one of the players acquired via the Gobert trade, seamlessly replaced Gobert in the lineup and emerged as a defensive force.

Jordan Clarkson was as potent as he’s ever been at the offensive end, posting career highs in points and assists per game.

As they head into training camp, the Jazz have even more reasons for optimism. They pulled off a big trade with the Hawks to acquire power forward John Collins. Even after receiving a long-term deal in Atlanta, Collins remained prominent in trade rumors until a deal finally came to fruition. With a fresh start, Collins should bounce back from a subpar season as part of one of the league biggest frontcourts.

Kelly Olynyk returns as Kessler’s backup, while forward Taylor Hendricks (ninth pick of the draft) should claim a rotation spot in his rookie season.

The backcourt beyond Clarkson is much more unsettled. Clarkson could be a candidate at the point but is more likely to start at shooting guard.

Options are plentiful at the point. Ideally, Collin Sexton – another year removed from major knee surgery – will regain the form he showed in Cleveland. Utah invested a four-year, $71MM contract in him, likely knowing he’d need time to regain strength and confidence.

Kris Dunn experienced a career revival during a stint with the Jazz last season. The versatile Talen Horton-Tucker and rookie Keyonte George will also fight for minutes at the point.

Shooting guard Ochai Agbaji, the 14th overall pick in 2022, didn’t dazzle as a rookie but could make a leap in his second season.

Overall, the Jazz look like a team on the rise in the loaded West after finishing with a 37-45 record last season.

That leads us to today’s topic: How do you think Utah’s rotation will shake out this season, particularly in the backcourt? Will the Jazz make the play-in tournament or even claim one of the top six spots in the West? Or are they destined for the lottery?

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

Community Shootaround: Pacers Prediction

September 18th, 2023 at 8:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers could be one of the more interesting, and unpredictable, teams in the league this upcoming season.

Fresh off signing a rookie scale extension and enjoying an impressive summer with Team USA, Tyrese Haliburton is the undisputed franchise player. Numerous teams are still kicking themselves for letting a potentially longtime All-Star point guard drop to the No. 12 pick of the 2020 draft.

Of course, he was playing in Sacramento until he was dealt to Indiana in a blockbuster 2022 trade. Both sides won, as Domantas Sabonis was just what the Kings needed to end their long playoff drought.

Haliburton’s longtime backcourt partner was seemingly secured in last year’s draft. Bennedict Mathurin, the sixth overall pick in 2022, averaged 16.7 points per game while mainly coming off the bench in his rookie year. Indiana has a solid veteran backup for Haliburton in T.J. McConnell.

Buddy Hield, entering his walk year, remains one of the league’s steadiest 3-point threats. The Pacers made a big splash in free agency by signing Bruce Brown, a key component in Denver’s drive to the championship. A high-level defender with a much improved offensive game, Brown will play major minutes at the wing and perhaps see some action at the point as well.

The Pacers have also got a high-scoring center and premier shot-blocker in Myles Turner. They traded for Obi Toppin, who could blossom after serving as Julius Randle‘s backup in New York. Toppin will battle for minutes at power forward with this year’s lottery selection, Jarace Walker.

There are also a number of young, hungry reserves on the roster, including Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson.

On paper, they look like a pretty solid group and they have one of the best and most experienced coaches in the league, Rick Carlisle, running the show.

Yet no one is talking about the Pacers as being a legitimate contender. They are mostly considered a middle-of-the-pack club that could challenge for a spot in the play-in tournament.

That brings us to today’s topic: How do you think the Pacers will fare this season? Are they underrated or do you think they’re destined for another trip to the lottery? What do you think their ceiling is, given their current roster?

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

Community Shootaround: James Harden

September 17th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The James Harden drama has been one of the big NBA stories this offseason and the latest scuttlebutt suggests it’s not going away any time soon.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Clippers, not Sixers, shut down trade talks this summer.

Harden has been disgruntled (even if Kyrie Irving doesn’t like that description) since the Sixers didn’t give him a lucrative extension. Harden opted out last summer in exchange for a lesser salary with a second-year player option.

Harden opted in before free agency this summer to secure that guaranteed money, then demanded a trade. Philadelphia set a high price with some combination of expiring contracts and draft picks. The Clippers were the only team that seemed mildly interested in trading for the 2018 MVP.

Harden has publicly called Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, one of the guard’s biggest supporters over the years, a liar.

Harden has incentive to report to training camp in a couple of weeks under the new CBA. He stands to lose his unrestricted free agent status for next summer if he holds out.

Morey has already seen how an unhappy Harden can disrupt a team. When Harden wanted to get out of Houston, he came to camp out of his shape and only appeared in eight games before he was traded to Brooklyn.

The Clippers could be posturing, waiting for the Sixers to cave and lower their demands. Or they could simply go with what they’ve got. They already have a point guard battle on their hands with Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann and Bones Hyland angling for playing time.

Windhorst indicated that the Clippers aren’t expected to pursue any trades before the regular season.

That leads us to today’s topic: In light of the latest developments, do you think Sixers will be able to trade James Harden prior to the season? If so, will he wind up with the Clippers or do you think he’ll go to another playoff contender?

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

Community Shootaround: Warriors’ Roster Spots

September 16th, 2023 at 2:31pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors have made some significant changes to their roster this offseason, drafting Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, trading for Chris Paul, and signing veterans Cory Joseph and Dario Saric in free agency. They also re-signed former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, and Lester Quinones is back in the fold as well, returning on a two-way deal after accepting his qualifying offer.

In more recent news, the Golden State reached agreements with former Rockets big man Usman Garuba (two-way) and former Hawks wing Donovan Williams (camp deal). Williams will reportedly compete for a roster spot in training camp after impressing the Warriors during scrimmages at their facility.

Once those two deals are official, the Warriors will have 16 players under contract, including 13 players on guaranteed standard deals, with one two-way slot open. Since they’re above the NBA’s second tax apron, they can only offer free agents the veteran’s minimum.

Over the past month-plus, the Warriors have reportedly been holding workouts with a number of veteran free agents. Some of the players mentioned include former Warriors Kent Bazemore and Juan Toscano-Anderson, veteran wings Jaylen Nowell, Will Barton and Stanley Johnson, plus big men Dewayne Dedmon, Tony Bradley and Derrick Favors, among others.

Interestingly, they’re also meeting with free agent center Dwight Howard next week, who is by far the most accomplished player of the group, though he’s also 37 years old and was out of the league last season, having played in Taiwan. An eight-time All-NBA member and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game (60 appearances) for the Lakers in 2021/22.

Golden State will need to add at least one more player to its 15-man standard roster for opening night, with Howard reportedly a “real option” to fill a spot. Due to the Warriors’ luxury tax situation, they might only carry 14 players for most of the season — that’s what happened in ’22/23, as they waited until mid-March to promote Anthony Lamb from a two-way deal. Lamb wasn’t given a qualifying offer this summer, so he remains an unrestricted free agent.

If the Warriors have fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, they’ll only be able to use their two-way players for up to 90 combined games, as we explain in our glossary entry. Having a full 15-man roster and all three two-way slots filled would create more options off the bench, as two-way players are each eligible to appear in up to 50 games.

Williams seems like a decent candidate for the last two-way spot. But the bigger question is, who should the Warriors sign to fill out their standard roster? Head to the comments section and let us know what you think.

Community Shootaround: 2024 U.S. Olympic Roster

September 9th, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two losses this week in World Cup competition offered another reminder that USA Basketball isn’t as far ahead of the rest of the world as it used to be.

The Americans couldn’t overcome a huge early deficit on Sunday against Lithuania as bigger and stronger opponents continue to cause problems for the U.S. team. After blowing out Italy on Tuesday in the start of the elimination round, the same issues emerged on Friday against Germany, which held on for a two-point victory that sent Team USA into the bronze-medal game.

It might be easy to dismiss the losses as a result of not having its best players participating, but that’s true for a lot of nations with the Olympics looming in 2024. Only two All-NBA players took part in the World Cup — Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and neither represented the U.S.

The stakes will be much higher in Paris next summer, as Olympic gold medals are considered the greatest prize in international basketball. Few of the 12 players who made up the World Cup team may get Olympic invitations, as the USA will have its traditional collection of All-Stars to pick from. But with opening ceremonies only about 10 months away, it’s not too early to think about who should be there.

With Steve Kerr serving as head coach, Warriors star Stephen Curry will be an obvious target. Curry hasn’t played in an international tournament since the FIBA World Championship in 2010, but the NBA’s best-ever three-point shooter would be a perfect weapon in the international game.

Kerr may also push for Klay Thompson, who’s also a deadly shooter but hasn’t been as effective since missing two full seasons with injuries. Draymond Green, who was part of the gold medal winners in the last Olympics, provides versatility and aggressive defense in the frontcourt, but he’ll turn 34 next year.

Age is an issue for several traditional USA Basketball standouts. LeBron James will turn 39 in December, and although he still plays at a high level, it may be tough for him to commit to an Olympic schedule if the Lakers make another long playoff run. The same goes for Kevin Durant, the leading scorer for the 2021 gold medalists, who will celebrate his 35th birthday this month.

Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard and Bam Adebayo are the most obvious candidates to return from the last Olympic team, and Zach LaVine and Jrue Holiday should get consideration as well. That provides plenty of wing scoring, but leaves the U.S. at risk of being undersized.

Joel Embiid would solve the center problem if he commits to the U.S., but he also has French citizenship and France may be aggressive in its pursuit after failing to advance past pool play at the World Cup. Anthony Davis might be the best option if the U.S. can’t land Embiid.

Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves have all impressed in World Cup play and may be asked back for the Olympics. Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Paul George and Ja Morant are current All-Stars who might receive consideration, along with anyone who has a breakout performance in the upcoming season.

We want to get your opinion. If you were putting together USA Basketball’s Olympic roster for 2024, who would make up the core of your team? Please leave your answer in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Nuggets’ Offseason

September 8th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets had a dominant playoff run in 2022/23, going 16-4 to claim their first NBA championship. Led by the brilliance of two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, who averaged a remarkable 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 block on .548/.461/.799 shooting over 20 postseason games, Denver will look to defend its title in ’23/24.

A hallmark of the Nuggets’ success last season was strong team chemistry on both ends of the court, with role players sacrificing individual numbers for the betterment of the team. But Denver used an eight-man rotation during the playoffs, and two of those players — Bruce Brown and Jeff Green — joined new teams in free agency, signing with the Pacers and Rockets, respectively.

That’s why I was a little bit surprised to see an ESPN panel predict the Nuggets to be pretty heavy favorites to go back-to-back in ’23/24.

As the team’s sixth man, Brown played a major role for the Nuggets, with his two-way versatility coming through in key moments. The 27-year-old received far more money from Indiana than the Nuggets could have given him because they only had his Non-Bird rights, so it’s not like they did something wrong. He just got (handsomely) rewarded for his strong play.

Green was a key voice in the locker room and averaged 17.2 minutes per night in the playoffs, but he’s 37 years old and will carry a $9.6MM cap hit for the Rockets this season. That’s a pretty penny for someone at the tail end of their career. Again, understandable why he wasn’t retained, even if he will be missed.

The Nuggets didn’t re-sign veteran guard Ish Smith, who remains a free agent, while Thomas Bryant signed with the Heat. And unfortunately, forward Vlatko Cancar tore his ACL playing for Slovenia at the World Cup, so he’s likely out for the season.

Still, the incredibly effective starting lineup of Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. remains intact. The Nuggets will also have youngsters Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji back, assuming the roster stays as is. Braun, who was a rookie last season, was the eighth man in the playoff rotation, and will almost certainly have a bigger role in ’23/24.

Denver opted to re-sign veterans Reggie Jackson (two years, $10.25MM) and DeAndre Jordan (one year, veteran’s minimum) to guaranteed contracts. I didn’t love the fact that the Nuggets used their taxpayer mid-level exception on Jackson, but apparently they think he’s capable of more than he showed in ’22/23.

In other offseason moves, Denver signed veteran wing Justin Holiday, and drafted a trio of players — Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson — to round out the roster. Interestingly, while Strawther was the team’s lone first-round pick, both Pickett and Summer League standout Tyson have more guaranteed years (three) on their deals than the former Gonzaga wing does (two).

Denver’s offseason roster is full at the moment, with the aforementioned 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, as well as three players on Exhibit 10 deals. All three two-way slots are filled (by Collin Gillespie, Jay Huff and Braxton Key).

With limited financial flexibility, the Nuggets chose to prioritize continuity, player development and experienced college players just as much as NBA veterans. Will it pay off with another championship? Time will tell.

What did you think of Denver’s offseason? Does the team have enough depth to win another title in ’23/24? Head to the comments to share your thoughts.

Community Shootaround: Magic Backcourt

September 4th, 2023 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie of the Year award winner Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could be one of the league’s top forward combinations for years to come. Wendell Carter Jrr. has a stranglehold on the starting center job.

The mystery for the Magic is how their backcourt will shake out. They’re loaded with high draft picks at the guard positions and coach Jamahl Mosley will have some tough decisions regarding his rotation, particularly at the point.

Markelle Fultz is the favorite to be the starter at the point. He appeared in 60 regular season games last season and started them all, averaging 14.0 points and 5.7 assists per night.

Cole Anthony saw extensive playing time, mostly off the bench. He averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists in 60 games during his third NBA season.

The Magic invested the sixth pick in a loaded draft on Arkansas’ Anthony Black. The one-and-done college player averaged 12.8 points and 3.9 assists — along with 2.1 steals — for the Razorbacks last season. It stands to reason that Black will get some immediate playing time, given his draft status.

Then there’s Jalen Suggs, the No. 5 pick of the 2021 draft. Suggs had a stellar college career at Gonzaga but his first two NBA seasons haven’t been memorable. He’s been nagged by injuries, though he still started 19 of the 53 games he played last season. Suggs averaged 9.9 PPG and 2.9 APG and will be entering a pivotal season in his NBA career. He’ll come to training camp with plenty to prove and perhaps a chip on his shoulder.

Orlando also invested a lottery pick this summer on Jett Howard. He played one season at Michigan for his father, Juwan Howard, and ran the point for the Wolverines. He averaged 14.2 points in his lone college campaign.

Gary Harris remains the likely starter at shooting guard but it’s not a given. Harris has been a steady, if unspectacular, performer during his NBA career. He started 42 of 48 games last season but only averaged 8.3 points.

Another Michigan product, Caleb Houstan, could be a bigger factor in his second NBA season. Houstan was a high second-round pick in 2022 and made 51 appearances off the bench.

Veteran Joe Ingles, a free agent acquisition, is likely to back up at the forward spots but he could play some minutes at the off-guard spot.

A couple of natural point guards could share the court, but it’s quite a puzzle for Mosley.

That brings us to our topic of the day: How do you think the Magic’s backcourt will shake out? Who will start and who will be the main reserves?

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

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