Community Shootaround Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

July 8th, 2017 at 11:06am CST by marksuleymanov

After the Pistons‘ acquisition of Avery Bradley from the Celtics, the team promptly renounced restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The move puts Caldwell-Pope on the open market, free to sign with any NBA team and there has been no shortage of interest in the 24-year-old guard.

The Lakers are reportedly interested in Caldwell-Pope on a one-year commitment whereas the Nets have remained a suitor — and were expected to issue him an offer sheet before he hit unrestricted free agency. The Nets’ cap space is currently tied up after issuing a four-year, $101MM max offer sheet to Otto Porter. While the Wizards are believed to match the offer sheet, the Nets can continue their pursuit of KCP through discussion with his camp about a potential offer if and when Brooklyn retains cap space.

Los Angeles has about $17MM in cap space, which the team can use on a potential one-year deal. The Nets are more interested in long term pacts, especially after acquiring former second overall pick D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers. It’s ironic that the Lakers could have assembled a Caldwell-Pope/Russell back court and now the Nets are in a better position to do so.

In his fourth NBA season in 2016/17, Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, and shot nearly 40% from the floor in 76 contests. His numbers have not seen a drastic improvement but – given his age and ability – his potential may outweigh his production as teams consider his worth.

One minor detail to remember for any team interested in Caldwell-Pope’s services is that he’s suspended for the first two games of the 2017/18 season. Therefore, he will be eligible for 80 out of 82 games but that will likely not impact any teams pursuit.

With all of this in mind, which destination is most ideal for Caldwell-Pope? Does a one-year investment or a long term teal make more sense for the 24-year-old? Which team would benefit most from plugging him into their starting lineup?

Community Shootaround: Were Award Winners Correct?

June 27th, 2017 at 6:38pm CST by Joshua Fischman

On Monday night, the NBA announced the winners of its most important yearly awards live on TNT.

As you know, Russell Westbrook came home with the Most Valuable Player award, Draymond Green was named the Defensive Player of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon won Rookie of the Year, Eric Gordon won Sixth Man, Mike D’Antoni is now the reigning Coach of the Year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo won Most Improved Player.

As anti-climactic as it may seem to announce these honors two weeks after the last NBA Finals game and days after the draft, it is never too late to hold discussions over who should have won each award and why. Furthermore, it is a time-honored tradition in sports fandom and analysis to gather around and make one’s arguments about player performance and superiority until one is blue in the face or the keyboard jams. So, I say, let the discourse commence:

Did the right NBA players take home hardware this season? Who was robbed of his rightful award? Which snubbed players deserved to be finalists? We look forward to reading your thoughts and debate in the comments section.

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Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Awards Show

June 26th, 2017 at 6:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In past seasons, the winners of all the major NBA awards would have been unveiled weeks ago. The league traditionally announced the biggest awards one-by-one while the playoffs were going on.

The regular season has been over for nearly 2 1/2 months but the league has kept the voting under wraps, except for announcing the finalists for each prize. We’ll finally learn tonight who captured the most votes for Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player along with the biggest individual honor, the Most Valuable Player.

The NBA decided to hold back those announcements this year until after the draft by putting together a two-hour extravaganza on TNT.

All of the awards were based on regular-season performance. The two that hold the most intrigue are the Rookie of the Year and MVP selections. Joel Embiid posted by far the best stats among first-year players but appeared in just 31 games. We’ll find out if that was enough games in the voters’ minds or if his Sixers teammate Dario Saric or the Bucks’ Malcolm Brogdon brings home the hardware. Saric and Brogdon were the only unanimous selections for the All-Rookie Team, which was unveiled earlier today.

Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are the three finalists for MVP but most people expect a tight race between Westbrook and Harden. Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson‘s triple-double record, while Harden put up monster numbers of his own after becoming the primary ballhandler in Mike D’Antoni‘s attack.

This leads us to our question of the day: Do you like the idea of having a postseason awards show following the playoffs or would you prefer that the NBA go back to announcing the major awards during the postseason?

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

Community Shootaround: Jimmy Butler Trade

June 24th, 2017 at 9:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

No matter how the picks pan out, draft night 2017 will be remembered for the Jimmy Butler trade.

After more than a year of rumors, the Bulls pulled the trigger on a deal, sending Butler and the No. 16 pick to Minnesota in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 selection. Conventional wisdom says the trade changes the course of both franchises, with the Wolves vaulting to contender status in the West while the Bulls embark on a rebuilding project.

It was remarkably similar to a proposal between the teams a year ago, and Chicago fans might have been much happier if the deal had been completed on draft night 2016. LaVine would have been more appealing before his season-ending ACL tear in February, and Dunn was considered the top point guard in the draft at the time. His stock has fallen considerably after a lackluster rookie season in which he averaged 3.8 points per game and shot 38% from the field.

A key for the Bulls was the seventh pick, which they used on Lauri Markkanen, a stretch four out of Arizona. Chicago was 26th in the league in 3-point percentage this season and needs more shooters to fit into coach Fred Hoiberg’s preferred offense. Bulls management has been criticized for surrendering the 16th choice, which Minnesota used to grab Creighton center Justin Patton, but the Wolves reportedly wouldn’t have done the trade without that pick.

If the Bulls are rebuilding, they still have a long way to go. Chicago will have a starting backcourt with a combined age of 66 if it brings back Rajon Rondo (31) to team with Dwyane Wade (35), who has already announced his intention to opt in for next season.

The Bulls have until Friday to make a decision on Rondo, whose $13.397MM salary for next season only has a $3MM guarantee through the end of June. If they opt to release or trade Rondo, the remaining point guards are on the roster are Cameron Payne, who spent much of his time in the D-League after being acquired in February, Jerian Grant, who was briefly handed the starting role this season, and Isaiah Canaan, a journeyman shooter. There’s also, Dunn, of course, and free agent Michael Carter-Williams.

If the plan is to build around LaVine and Markkanen, there are very few young stars on the roster to join them. Starting center Robin Lopez turned 29 in April, and Nikola Mirotic and Cristiano Felicio are both free agents.

So considering the current makeup of the Bulls’ roster, did they get enough for their franchise player? Please leave your comments below. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: NBA Draft Winners/Losers

June 23rd, 2017 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

While there weren’t many shocking picks, the 2017 NBA Draft featured plenty of activity, with a dozen trades having been officially announced and two more reportedly agreed upon. After the dust settled, Markelle Fultz is a Sixer, Lonzo Ball is a Laker, and…. wait, Jimmy Butler is a Timberwolf?

Minnesota’s acquisition of Butler was the big news on Thursday night, and the Timberwolves have been widely lauded for the deal they made, which saw them give up Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and the No. 7 pick for Butler and the No. 16 pick. However, the Wolves weren’t the only team that has received praise for its night.

[RELATED: Complete 2017 NBA Draft Results]

Several NBA pundits loved the night for the Kings, who landed De’Aaron Fox at No. 5, and also added Justin Jackson, Harry Giles, and Frank Mason later in the night. The Lakers also came away with an intriguing collection of prospects in addition to Ball, drafting Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Thomas Bryant.

The Jazz traded up twice and ended up with Donovan Mitchell and Tony Bradley. The Hornets didn’t have to move up to nab Malik Monk outside of the top 10, and the Raptors may have gotten a steal at No. 23 in OG Anunoby, assuming he returns to full health.

What do you think? Which teams were the winners and losers of draft night? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Communication Between Owner And Star Player

June 20th, 2017 at 4:02pm CST by Joshua Fischman

On Monday, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert parted ways with GM David Griffin, who was up for an extension. Griffin had been instrumental in bringing the Cavaliers’ star player, LeBron James, back to Cleveland. The executive also built a championship team by shrewdly trading for Kevin Love and cleverly filling out the Cavaliers roster over the years with key ancillary players like Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Channing Frye. He did all of this with creativity under considerable budgetary constraints. Unsurprisingly, James had long been an outspoken advocate for Griffin to continue at his GM post. According to Brian Windhorst, LBJ was not notified before Gilbert decided to let Griffin go (link via Twitter). Naturally, this seemed to upset James (link via Twitter).

Should Gilbert have consulted LeBron before getting rid of LBJ’s guy? Is it prudent for an owner to do what he can to make his superstar, who is arguably the best player of all-time, happy? LeBron James left Cleveland once before. Could behavior like this from the owner fuel LBJ’s already potentially wandering eye? Conversely, do you believe that players need not be involved in front office decisions like this one? Should players be divorced from personnel decisions?

We would love to see your thoughts reflected in the comments section.

Community Shootaround: Potential 76ers Big Three

June 17th, 2017 at 2:23pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Even if your mother always warned you not to get ahead of yourself, let’s get ahead of ourselves anyway. After all, Coach Klein did teach Bobby Boucher in The Waterboy that “what Mama don’t know, won’t hurt her.”

Classic movies from 1998 aside, the 76ers are reportedly close to trading for the Celtics‘ No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft. If completed, Philly would very likely select Markelle Fultz, the tantalizing University of Washington freshman with major upside. Can you imagine Fultz on the court with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons? The Sixers could boast three of the most promising young players in the NBA. Fultz is 19 years old, Simmons is 20, and Embiid is 23. Lest we forget, Philly also possesses promising 23-year-olds Dario Saric and Richaun Holmes on its youthful roster.

If Fultz’s workout with the Sixers (scheduled for 6 PM Eastern Time Saturday night) goes as well as expected, the trade could soon be finalized, and 76ers fans could witness their fantasy coming true of a Fultz-Simmons-Embiid big (and young) three. Today’s discussion question is: assuming the trade is completed and the Sixers wind up with Fultz, how special can this trio be together? What kind of obstacles do you expect them to face? If Brett Brown still elects to play Simmons at point guard, would that mostly help or hurt Fultz’s development on the court?

We’d love to hear your insight in the comment section.

Community Shootaround: Sixers Draft

June 11th, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

What the Sixers decide to do with the No. 3 overall pick could shape the entire draft, as I suggested in the team’s offseason preview. While it’s not a forgone conclusion that Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball go in the top-2, counting on any other outcome would be unwise.

Philadelphia has a tough decision to make with No. 3 and that leads us to tonight’s topic: Assuming Fultz and Ball are off the board, what should the Sixers do with their first round pick?

Malik Monk seems like a great fit because of his outside shooting, though it’s likely that he’ll be available in the latter half of the top-10, so trading down may be the best maneuver. If the team stays put, Josh Jackson could be the selection because of his tremendous upside or team president Bryan Colangelo could opt for the explosive skill-set of De’Aaron Fox.

Jayson Tatum is arguably the most pro-ready player in the draft and he could step in from day one alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to form a special young nucleus. If the team intends on playing the 2016 No. 1 overall selection at the point guard spot, having a slasher with Tatum’s repertoire on the wing will only help his development.

Philly could go in multiple directions on draft night and we’re putting you on the clock in tonight’s community shootaround. Tell us what you would do with the No. 3 overall pick in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Community Shootaround: New Policy On Resting Players

June 10th, 2017 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA is ready to address the issue of healthy stars sitting out games during the regular season.

Commissioner Adam Silver held a conference call Friday with the league’s competition committee, developing guidelines to deal with the topic, relays ESPN.com. He plans to “strongly recommend” that teams rest their stars only during home games, with a limit of one per contest.

In theory, this will eliminate the problem of fans in cities where LeBron James or Stephen Curry plays once or twice a year missing out on seeing the stars in action after paying top dollar for tickets.

“Where we’re heading is the adoption of guidelines that will be in place for next season which will strongly recommend that the extent they rest, they rest at home, and teams also not rest multiple starters on the same night,” Silver said. “Let’s see how that plays out.

“I’m reluctant to get into the business of directing these great coaches on minutes. As you know, players are often injured during the season, not to the point where they otherwise can’t play but maybe shouldn’t play. Then it’s a function of league doctors versus team doctors on how healthy a player is and whether it’s appropriate a player should be on the floor that night.

“I’d like to come up with a system that relies on the good faith of our teams that to the extent rest is necessary — and it is on occasion — that it’s done in an appropriate [manner] but the league executives are not dictating to coaches and GMs precisely what games their players should or shouldn’t be playing in.”

It’s a problem unique to the NBA. The series nature of baseball means no one objects when a player gets a night off. NFL players never skip games with they’re healthy, unless it’s a meaningless one at the end of the season. NHL players have a tough-guy code and most wouldn’t think of sitting out a game just for rest.

But it’s an issue in pro basketball, as teams worry about being healthy and fresh for the playoffs.

We want to know what you think of Silver’s new guidelines. Do they go far enough? Do you believe the league will enforce them? Or is this really a problem at all?

Please share your opinion in the comments section. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Draymond Green

June 9th, 2017 at 9:13pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers and Warriors are in the middle of a competitive Game 4 with the NBA title hanging in the balance (for one of them). If Cleveland can’t eke out a victory by the end of the night, they’ll be on the losing end of Golden State’s historic 16-0 playoff run and the offseason will have officially begun.

Such an impressive run, just one season removed from their historic 73-win 2015/16 campaign would put the already legendary Warriors club in even more impressive territory.

This isn’t a post about the Warriors winning the 2017 NBA title, however, as we at Hoops Rumors remain dutifully impartial and simply hopeful that the series will continue and hoops fans the world over get several more games of NBA action.

This is a post about last year.

Earlier this week, notoriously emotional Draymond Green told Zach Lowe of ESPN that he believes his suspension in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals cost his team the title. Green, of course, was sidelined after an incident in which he appeared to take a swipe at LeBron James‘ groin.

Whether or not you agree that the suspension was warranted, the question we’d like to propose is whether or not you think having Green in the lineup for Game 5 last year would have changed the outcome of the best-of-seven series.

If the Dubs had pulled off the 2016 title, they’d be within a game from a threepeat here tonight, which comes with its own place among the league’s greatest dynasties.

The question is, if Golden State were reigning two-time defending champions, would they be perceived any different than they are? Would Kevin Durant still have signed? Would James’ legacy be impacted?

It’ll be a long 15 minutes as we await the third quarter of this fourth game of the 2017 NBA Finals, so join us on a hypothetical journey back to last year.