Community Shootaround

Why make a trade when you can get the players you want for free?

Neither Cleveland or Golden State was active around last week’s trade deadline, but the Cavaliers wound up with Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut, while the Warriors first landed Jose Calderon, then replaced him with Matt Barnes.

The NBA buyout process has always benefited the most successful teams, but the outcry seems louder than ever this year as the rich get richer and their competitors are shut out of the process. Williams knew where he wanted to go as soon as his buyout was complete. Bogut took a few days to consider his options before coming to the same conclusion. For veteran players who want to chase a championship ring, there are two options that stand far above the others.

But is this system good for the league, or does it further damage an already shaky competitive balance? With the Big Three in Cleveland and four All-Stars in Golden State, should these teams be allowed to add even more depth through buyouts?

A lot of their rivals don’t think so, and they’re airing their complaints to the league. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reported on Friday that several alternatives have been offered, including a “buyout wire.” Under that system, players who agree to buyouts would go up for bid among all the teams with available cap space. The team that submits the highest bid would get the player, who would have no say in where he winds up. If no bids are submitted, then teams over the cap would be able to make offers, possibly in reverse order of records like the waiver wire.

We want to hear your opinion on this topic. Would this be a good solution to the buyout market? Do you have a better idea, or does it need to be fixed at all?

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

Once Kevin Durant made his surprise decision to bolt the Thunder for the reigning Western Conference champions, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Warriors would once again return to the NBA Finals. There was little evidence to dispel that notion once Durant’s varied skills were assimilated into Golden State’s high-throttle attack.

That all changed in the nation’s capital this week when teammate Zaza Pachulia fell backward onto Durant’s left knee. The perennial All-Star small forward suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and a tibial bone bruise.

Durant will be out at least a month and quite possibly several more weeks. He won’t even be re-evaluated for four weeks and the Warriors are certain to exercise caution. There’s a good chance Durant will miss the remainder of the regular season and it could also affect his status for the postseason. Even if he comes back in time for the playoffs, he could be limited and will have to regain his rhythm on the fly.

Durant’s injury suddenly makes Golden State much more vulnerable. The Warriors still have their former Big Three, which led them to a 2015 championship and nearly another one last season. But they no longer have their other two starters from those seasons, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, and their bench isn’t very deep.

The Spurs and Rockets, in particular, now look like serious threats to dethrone the Warriors. Kawhi Leonard is averaging career highs in points and assists for San Antonio, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol form a solid 1-2 punch in the middle and the roster is loaded with playoff-tested veterans.

Mike D’Antoni‘s decision to turn James Harden into Houston’s primary ballhandler has been a smashing success. The league’s second-highest scoring team added even more firepower at the trade deadline by acquiring Lou Williams from the Lakers.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility for the Clippers to catch fire if their Big Three is healthy coming into the postseason. The Grizzlies, who staged a memorable comeback at Golden State this season, also have a veteran, battle-tested roster. The Thunder improved their bench via a trade-deadline deal with the Bulls, and the Jazz possess a solid 1-2 punch of their own in Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert.

This leads us to our question of the day: Do you expect the Warriors to emerge from the Western Conference playoffs even if Kevin Durant is unavailable or limited due his knee injury? If not, which team is most likely to knock them off their perch and why?

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

The Sixers announced today that center Joel Embiid will miss the remainder of the season. The good news is that the bone bruise and meniscus tear in his left knee are not related to the foot problems that robbed him of his first two NBA seasons. Embiid should be fully recovered well before the start of training camp.

The announcement signals an end to a rookie season that saw Embiid establish himself as one of the league’s best big men. His impressive numbers included 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game with a restriction that limited him to about 25 minutes per night. Adjust those numbers to 36 minutes and they turn into 28.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.5 blocks, which would have him squarely in the race for MVP.

But the number that might cost Embiid the Rookie of the Year trophy is 31, which is how many games he was able to play. Voters will have to decide if a player can earn a major award in just 38% of a season. Patrick Ewing holds the record low among ROY winners with 50 games in 1985-86 and Bill Walton was named MVP in 1977-78 despite playing just 58 times, so voters have a history of forgiving injuries when players are dominant.

Embiid’s major competitor for Rookie of the Year honors is Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon, who averages 9.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists through 58 games. He has become an important part of the Bucks’ rotation, but his stats don’t begin to match Embiid’s. Others who might be considered include Sixers forward Dario Saric and Lakers forward Brandon Ingram.

So how would you vote? Are 31 games of brilliance enough for Embiid to win the trophy? Or should the voters value quantity as much as quality?

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

The final hours before the 2017 trade deadline may not have produced any blockbusters, but they didn’t lack for excitement. Eight deals were completed today involving 11 teams, and rumors involving Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose and others kept the intensity level high right up until 3 p.m. Eastern time.

This year’s biggest deal came four days before the deadline when the Kings agreed to send DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans. Several other significant trades were completed in the past 10 days as some teams got their roster work out of the way early.

Apart from New Orleans, Toronto looks like a major winner, picking up Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker in separate deals. Both should see plenty of playing time as the Raptors hope to challenge for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Some teams decided their best strategy was to stand still. The Pacers turned down all offers for George, and the Bulls elected to hold onto Butler. Both teams may revisit those decisions in the offseason, but for today neither one moved. The Celtics let the deadline pass without a deal, holding on to Brooklyn’s first-rounders in the next two drafts along with a collection of young talent.

Some teams turned their focus to buyout season, which started this afternoon when the Mavericks waived Deron Williams. He seems certain to wind up with the Cavaliers, who are also interested in Andrew Bogut if he agrees to a buyout with the Sixers. However, the Cavs will face competition from the Rockets, who have $3.54MM in cap space, along with the Spurs and maybe others.

Now that the teams have made their decisions, we want to hear yours. Who were the winners and losers from this year’s deadline? Who made the best deal, who made the worst and who should have been more active?

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

After last year’s duel with Zach LaVine in the finals of the slam dunk contest, Aaron Gordon comes into this year’s event as a heavy favorite. The high-flying Magic forward impressed judges with some jaw-dropping dunks a year ago, and LaVine, the two-time defending champion, is out of action with a torn ACL that will sideline him for the rest of the season.

Gordon’s competition will come from Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Pacers swingman Glenn Robinson III and little-used Suns forward Derrick Jones Jr., who has spent most of the season in the D-League.

In the 3-point contest, Golden State’s Klay Thompson is back to defend his title, but fellow “Splash Brother” Stephen Curry is sitting this one out. Thompson will be challenged by Kyrie Irving, C.J. McCollum, Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, Nick Young, Wesley Matthews and Kemba Walker.

There’s a wide-open field in the skills challenge, with MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas among the competitors. He will be challenged by John Wall, Devin Booker, Gordon Hayward, Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis, DeMarcus Cousins and Nikola Jokic.

But before the action gets under way, we want to hear from you. Give us your picks to win the dunk contest, the 3-point contest and the skills challenge, along with the best bet to be named MVP of tomorrow’s game.

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