Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Miami Heat

August 5th, 2016 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

It’s been an offseason of surprises in Miami, where the Heat’s roster looks much different than it did a couple months ago.

After months of posturing over whether or not the team would be willing to offer Hassan Whiteside the max, Miami relented, holding off aggressive rival suitors to re-sign the star center to a four-year deal. However, several days later, the Heat lost their other key free agent, longtime star guard Dwyane Wade, when he decided to head to Chicago. With Wade no longer on their books, the Heat turned around and matched Tyler Johnson‘s pricey four-year offer sheet from the Nets, an outcome that likely surprised even Johnson.

The Heat also got one of the bargains of the summer when they signed Dion Waiters using their room exception, but the addition of Waiters – along with veterans like James Johnson, Wayne Ellington, and Luke Babbitt – raises questions about the club’s plan for 2016/17.

Will Miami hand the reins to young players like Whiteside, Johnson, Justise Winslow, and Josh Richardson, and start looking ahead to the future? Or is this still a team focused on immediately contending with the help of its veterans?

The status of Chris Bosh could go a long way toward determining the Heat’s future, at least in the short term. If Bosh can return to the court, the club will have its eye on the playoffs and on the 2017 free agent market, where it could pursue an impact player to complement Whiteside, Bosh, and the team’s other core players. If Bosh is deemed medically unfit to return, the Heat may shift into retooling mode. Of course, even with Bosh on the floor, it doesn’t look like Miami has enough talent to seriously challenge LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the East.

Complicating matters is Russell Westbrook‘s recent extension with the Thunder — if the Heat were already looking ahead to the 2017 free agent period, Westbrook likely would have been atop the club’s wish list. Instead, he no longer looks like a viable target until at least 2018.

What do you think? How do you think the Heat should move forward? Should they shift into retooling mode, allowing their young players to take on larger roles? Or should the team still be exploring the trade market and looking ahead to next summer’s free agent market in an effort to make upgrades and compete immediately? Are those two scenarios even mutually exclusive, or is there a way for the club to do both?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the Heat. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Community Shootaround: Russell Westbrook

August 4th, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

After a month of trade speculation, Russell Westbrook shut down that talk earlier today when he signed a brand-new contract extension with the Thunder. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Oklahoma City brass had been prepared to explore the trade market for a package of young players and draft picks if Westbrook had given the team the impression that he was “unenthusiastic” about the future in OKC. However, in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure, Westbrook re-committed to the Thunder, forgoing free agency in 2017.

“The idea of running out to find a super team, that isn’t who he is,” a source close to Westbrook told Wojnarowski. “He thought, ‘These are my guys here,’ and he wanted to go to battle with them.”

While Thunder fans – along with GM Sam Presti – can breathe a sigh of relief for now, Westbrook’s “three-year” extension essentially only guarantees him one extra season in Oklahoma City. The first year of the deal is 2016/17, for which he was already under contract, and the third year (2018/19) is a player option, meaning Westbrook could opt out in 2018, when he becomes eligible for a higher maximum salary.

It’s entirely possible that Westbrook intends to re-sign with the Thunder again at that point, but the team certainly can’t take that for granted, and will have to work hard to fortify the roster around Westbrook over the next year or two. Within his column (linked above), Wojnarowski reiterates something he reported in July, writing that OKC has its eye on Blake Griffin, who played his college ball in Oklahoma and can become a free agent in 2017.

With Westbrook locked up, the Thunder would have to make a trade or two – or part ways with one or two of its RFAs-to-be – in order to create room for Griffin, but the cap work certainly wouldn’t be a major roadblock for the team — the bigger challenge would be convincing Griffin to leave Los Angeles to return to Oklahoma City.

Of course, even if signing Griffin isn’t in the cards, there are a number of other avenues – in free agency or on the trade market – that Presti and the front office could explore to upgrade the roster before Westbrook reaches the open market in 2018.

Today’s discussion questions revolve around the future for the Thunder and for Westbrook: Do you expect Westbrook to stay in Oklahoma City beyond 2018? Is this just a temporary reprieve for the Thunder, or is it a sign that Westbrook is committed to the franchise for the long run? What moves do you expect the Thunder to pull off in the next year or two to get back into title contention?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the future for the Thunder and for Westbrook. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Community Shootaround: Trading Block

August 1st, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Major league baseball teams just completed a whirlwind of activity prior to the non-waiver trade deadline this afternoon. The NBA’s trade deadline doesn’t arrive until after the All-Star break but there could still be a big deal or two prior to training camp.

We’ve already seen some well-known players swap uniforms this offseason, mostly during the week of the draft. Derrick Rose was dealt to the Knicks. Serge Ibaka was sent packing to the Magic in a deal that brought Victor Oladipo to the Thunder. The Pacers picked up a pair of starters in Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young, while George Hill wound up with the Jazz in one of those deals.

Overall, there really hasn’t been a flurry of activity via the trade market. With the rising salary cap, most teams opted to improve through free agency.

Several All-Star caliber players enveloped in trade rumors in recent months appear to be staying put, a group that includes DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler and Blake Griffin.

There are some other starters out there who could eventually get dealt, with an All-Star heading that list. Russell Westbrook‘s situation is fluid, as the Thunder await to hear if he’ll sign an extension. The Sixers have made it known — probably too public — that they’re willing to deal either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor.

The Kings are more than willing to move Rudy Gay, while the Bucks are looking for someone to take Greg Monroe off their hands. Kenneth Faried, Ricky Rubio and D’Angelo Russell are some other players who have heard their names pop up on the rumor mill. It’s also fair to wonder what the Wizards will do with Marcin Gortat, considering they spent a lot of money to sign another center, Ian Mahinmi.

That leads us to our question of the day: Which high-profile player is most likely to be traded prior to the start of the season?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Chicago Bulls

July 30th, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Following a season in which they missed the playoffs, the Bulls figured to be busy this summer. That’s certainly been the case, though they have made a number of surprising moves and decisions.

They traded former franchise player Derrick Rose, which appeared to signal they were in a rebuild mode. Rumors were rampant that their best player, Jimmy Butler, would also be dealt on draft night. Unsatisfied with the packages offered by the Timberwolves and Celtics, among others, Chicago decided to hold onto Butler.

Free agency provided its own series of twists and turns. Veteran big men Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah found new homes, as expected. But rather than build around younger players, the Bulls chose to replace Rose with free agent Rajon Rondo. Then came the big shocker, as Dwyane Wade bolted the Heat and signed with his hometown team.

Second-year coach Fred Hoiberg must now blend the talents of Rondo, Wade and Butler on the court and massage their egos off it. None are adept at 3-point shooting, leaving forwards Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic as their main long-distance threats. They also don’t have a lot of inside punch with Robin Lopez, Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis in the rotation.

The addition of Wade still makes the Bulls an intriguing team to watch. Unfortunately, they’re in an increasingly tough division. Not only are the Cavaliers poised to defend their title, the Pacers and Pistons upgraded their rosters after making the playoffs last season. The Bucks have some serious young talent of their own and should also be on the upswing.

That leads us to our question of the day: Did the Bulls’ moves this offseason make them a playoff team or did they take another step back?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: NBA’s Worst Team

July 29th, 2016 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Much of the offseason discussion over the last month has centered on the Warriors’ chances to make history now that they’ve added Kevin Durant to a team coming off a 73-win season. While most of us expect Golden State to be the NBA’s No. 1 team in 2016/17, it’s also worth taking a look at the clubs on the other end of the spectrum.

Very few NBA franchises head into training camp without playoff aspirations, but there are a handful of teams that will be facing a challenging uphill battle if they attempt to earn a trip to the postseason this season.

The Sixers, despite adding some veteran talent to go along with incoming rookies Ben Simmons and Dario Saric, are still in rebuilding mode, and the Nets are right there with them. The Suns and Lakers signed some veterans in free agency too, but it’s not clear whether either club has enough talent to even aim for a .500 record.

When ESPN released its Eastern and Western Conference forecasts for the 2016/17 season this week, those four clubs were the only ones projected to win less than 30 games. ESPN has the Suns down for 26 victories, with the Lakers (25), Sixers (20), and Nets (20) right behind them. Meanwhile, the Heat, Magic, Pelicans, Nuggets, and Kings are considered likely to compile win totals in the low-to-mid-30s, per ESPN.

What do you think? Which team will be the NBA’s worst in 2016/17? Will the Sixers earn that title for the second straight year, or will another club slip below them? Does ESPN’s projection model have it generally right, or is there a club heading for disaster that’s being overlooked?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on which team will be the worst in the NBA in 2016/17. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Community Shootaround: J.R. Smith

July 28th, 2016 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

In a recent Community Shootaround discussion, we asked which free agent – besides LeBron James – represented the best option still available on the open market. Those of you who responded gave plenty of support to J.R. Smith over other options like Dion Waiters and Maurice Harkless, who have since signed deals, and guys like Lance Stephenson and Donatas Motiejunas, who remain unsigned.

While most observers believe that Smith will eventually re-sign with the Cavaliers, that’s not necessarily a given. We’ve certainly seen plenty of surprising free agent departures this month, and one report from mid-July suggested that Smith was seeking a $15MM annual salary — assuming the Cavs lock up LeBron James for a max or near-max deal, a $15MM salary for Smith would put the team way over the tax line once again, even after this year’s huge salary cap leap.

Meanwhile, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders detailed on Wednesday, the 76ers, Nuggets, and Nets all have over $18MM in cap room, while teams like the Thunder, Lakers, Timberwolves, Suns, and Jazz are all above $12.5MM. Not all of those clubs have a need for a player like Smith, and he may not be interested in a few of them, but perhaps there’s a fit somewhere in that list of eight teams — or with another club for a more modest price.

The Cavaliers are limited in what they can offer outside free agents, making Smith a logical fit, since the team can go over the cap to sign him. But how high should the Cavs be willing to go? And how long should they be willing to wait for Smith to compromise on his asking price? Do you see a more ideal fit for Smith with another team?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on Smith. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Community Shootaround: Boston Celtics

July 25th, 2016 at 7:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics were expected to be quite active this offseason and they haven’t disappointed. Flush with salary-cap room and extra draft picks, Boston made numerous changes to its roster with the promise of more to come.

It’s been one of the league’s worst-kept secrets that the Celtics want to acquire star players to get back into serious title contention. Thus far, they have been unable to land a big fish in the trade market, with a list that includes Blake Griffin, DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler, Russell Westbrook and Jahlil Okafor. They pulled a draft-day surprise when unable to swing a deal, selecting small forward Jaylen Brown with the third overall pick.

Free agency treated Boston well, as highly coveted big man Al Horford spurned other offers and headed to the Northeast. The Celtics added another rotation piece this weekend by agreeing to terms with swingman Gerald Green. They also regained the services of their own restricted free agent, Tyler Zeller.

Boston also lost some notable free agents in the process, though Evan Turner and Jared Sullinger were not a part of its long-term plan. It also retained forwards Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko by guaranteeing their contracts.

The Horford addition arguably makes the Celtics the top threat to the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, though the Raptors would surely beg to differ. That being said, Boston would likely need at least one more big-time player to put it on par with the defending champions.

It has the assets in the form of extra draft picks, including the gift that keeps on the giving, as the Nets owe them a couple more first-rounders for the ill-advised Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade.

That leads us to our question of the day: Will the Celtics pull off a blockbuster trade prior to the season?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Best Available Free Agents

July 24th, 2016 at 9:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

With a week left in July, virtually all of the NBA’s best free agents know where they’ll be playing next season. The excitement of an unpredictable free agency summer began a minute after midnight on July 1st and produced one surprise after another — Kevin Durant to the Warriors, Dwyane Wade to the Bulls, Al Horford to the Celtics, Dwight Howard to the Hawks.

Only a handful of free agents remain on the market, but this is where smart-spending teams can find some bargains. Here are some of the biggest names still available:

J.R. Smith was a valuable part of the Cavaliers’ championship team, hitting more than 200 3-pointers during the season. He seems likely to return to Cleveland, but another franchise could steal him away with the right offer.
Dion Waiters is known mainly as a shooter, but has improved as a defender during his time in the NBA. At only 24, he may still have a bright future.
David Lee was a productive low-post scorer last season in Dallas, averaging 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in a reserve role.
It seems a long time ago that Lance Stephenson was putting up triple-doubles on a Pacers playoff team, but he’s only 26 and averaged 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in limited time with the Grizzlies last season.
Maurice Harkless is a restricted free agent in Portland, and even though teams may think the Blazers are certain to match any offer, he might be worth a gamble at this stage of free agency. The versatile 23-year-old became a reliable starter in Portland and could become even more valuable if he develops a 3-point shot.
Donatas Motiejunas is the only other restricted free agent still on the market. He was developing into an effective low-post player in Houston before back trouble sidelined him in 2015. The back is apparently scaring teams away, as he has yet to receive an offer.
Point guard Mario Chalmers was part of several elite teams in Miami and was productive in Memphis before suffering an Achilles injury.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Not counting LeBron James, who is certain to return to Cleveland, who is the best free agent still available? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Summer Olympics

July 23rd, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nobody is calling this the “Dream Team,” but the United States is still a heavy favorite to win gold in men’s basketball at next month’s Summer Olympics.

Reigning MVP Stephen Curry won’t be part of the team in Rio, and neither will many of the NBA’s brightest stars, such as LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. They all elected to skip the Games because a combination of injury, a desire for rest, or even though none of them said it publicly, possible concerns about security or the Zika virus.

Even in their absence, Team USA boasts a lot of talent with considerable experience in international play. Carmelo Anthony is headed to his fourth Olympics, a record for an American men’s basketball player. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green give the U.S. plenty of star power on a deep roster than also includes Harrison Barnes, Jimmy Butler, DeMarcus Cousins, DeMar DeRozan, Paul George, DeAndre Jordan and Kyle Lowry.

The Americans had their first Olympic tuneup Friday night in Las Vegas, destroying an experienced Argentina team, 111-74. Durant had 23 points to lead Team USA, while George chipped in 18 and Anthony added 17. Luis Scola, a veteran of the NBA and the Argentinian National Team, was impressed by what he saw.

“Obviously, they have the best talent and the best size in the world,” Scola said.

The U.S. team has captured the last two gold medals and hasn’t lost a game in 10 years. While it would be surprising to see anyone else win in Rio, there are several capable opponents with NBA-level talent. Spain is a traditional power, but will be missing Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. Argentina was the last nation to win gold besides the United States, but its roster built around Scola, Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni and Carlos Delfino has gotten old. France, Serbia, Lithuania and the host nation of Brazil are all talented enough to present problems.

That brings us to our question for today: Which team has the best chance at upsetting Team USA in Rio? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Intentional Fouls

July 22nd, 2016 at 8:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Commissioner Adam Silver vowed during the NBA playoffs that changes were coming to discourage defenders from intentionally fouling poor free throw shooters. The Board of Governors approved some new rules this month in that regard, though it seems to be a watered-down compromise.

Under the new rules, if a player is fouled away from the ball in the last two minutes of a quarter, his team will receive one free throw and retain possession of the ball. That rule has been expanded to a player being fouled during an inbounds play.

Previously, the free-throw-plus-possession rule only applied to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Board also expanded its rules on flagrant fouls to include deliberate, overaggressive fouls such as jumping on the back of an opponent during a free throw attempt. That tactic was sometimes used during the last two minutes of games once the free-throw-plus-possession stipulation was in effect.

These changes might make it a little less appealing to intentionally foul but it’s certain that poor free throw shooters such as Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan will continue to get grabbed off the ball before the last two minutes of a quarter. Anybody hoping to see “Hack-A-Dre” and “Hack-A-Dwight” go away will be disappointed.

It’s also difficult for their coaches to leave them in the game during the final two minutes, knowing those big men could be grabbed during pick-and-roll plays or while going for an offensive rebound, which wouldn’t be considered an “away from the ball” foul.

The league could have, for example, given teams the option to decline free throws and simply retain possession on intentional fouls, or even provide the option of having a better free throw shooter go to the line in those situations.

Some executives, such as Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, believe the new rules won’t have much of an effect. Others, such as Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, believe the league shouldn’t be doing anything to discourage “Hack-A” strategies.

This leads us to our question of the day: Did the new rules changes regarding intentional fouls go too far or should the league have done more to prevent the “Hack-A” tactic?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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