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Community Shootaround: Who Gets Traded First, John Wall Or Ben Simmons?

September 18th, 2021 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers star Ben Simmons has been in the NBA’s oddest situation all summer, but Rockets guard John Wall may have surpassed him this week.

Wall and Houston management have reportedly reached an agreement to work together to find him a new team, and he won’t play in any games until that happens. Wall will report to training camp and will remain around the team, but there are no plans for him to have any on-court action. Wall reportedly hasn’t asked for a trade, but at age 31 and with his history of injuries, he’s not in the long-term plans for the rebuilding Rockets.

The major impediment to dealing Wall is his contract, which will pay him $44.3MM this season, with a $47.4MM player option for 2022/23. Wall could theoretically make himself more tradable by agreeing to turn down the option in hopes of working out a long-term contract with his new team, just as Chris Paul did with the Suns.

Also limiting the market for Wall is his sparse playing time over the past three seasons, brought on by heel surgery and a ruptured Achilles tendon. He managed to play 40 games last season, averaging 20.7 points and 8.7 assists in 32.2 minutes per night, but wasn’t ever used in both games of back-to-back situations and was shut down in late April with a hamstring injury.

The Rockets are reportedly unwilling to part with multiple first-round picks as an incentive for a team to take Wall and are reluctant to take on unwanted long-term salaries, which further limits their options for finding a trade partner.

Simmons, of course, has been the subject of trade rumors since his baffling performance in the playoff loss to Atlanta. He took offense to comments made by coach Doc Rivers after the conclusion of that series and has threatened to hold out of training camp if the team doesn’t trade him by then.

The Kings, Timberwolves and Warriors have been among the teams most prominently mentioned as potential landing spots for Simmons, but sources say Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has set a very steep asking price. Simmons is reportedly “in step” with Philadelphia’s efforts to move him, but has expressed a desire to go to the Lakers, Clippers or Warriors rather than a rebuilding organization.

Numerous reporters have expressed doubt about whether Wall or Simmons will be traded any time soon, but we want your opinion. Which of these players do you expect to wind up with a new team first? Please leave your answer in the comments section.

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2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Charlotte Hornets

September 17th, 2021 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves, examine what still needs to be done before opening night, and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Charlotte Hornets.

Free agent signings:

Note: Exhibit 10 deals aren’t included here.

  • Kelly Oubre: Two years, $24.6MM. Second year partially guaranteed ($5MM). Signed using cap room.
  • Ish Smith: Two years, $9.225MM. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using room exception.

Trades:

  • Acquired the draft rights to Kai Jones (No. 19 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for the Hornets’ 2022 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
  • Acquired Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to JT Thor (No. 37 pick) from the Pistons in exchange for the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica (No. 57 pick).
  • Acquired Wesley Iwundu (from Pelicans), the Pelicans’ 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected), the draft rights to Tyler Harvey (from Grizzlies), and cash ($2MM; from Pelicans) in a three-team trade in exchange for Devonte’ Graham (sign-and-trade; to Pelicans).

Draft picks:

  • 1-11: James Bouknight
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $19,151,216).
  • 1-19: Kai Jones
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $13,421,215).
  • 2-37: JT Thor
    • Signed to four-year, $6.64MM contract. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using cap room.
  • 2-56: Scottie Lewis
    • Signed to two-way contract.

Draft-and-stash signings:

Contract extensions:

  • Terry Rozier: Four years, $96,258,694. Includes partial guarantee in fourth year. Starts in 2022/23.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Exercised head coach James Borrego‘s option for the 2021/22 season.
  • Hired Norm Richardson as assistant coach.

Salary cap situation:

  • Went under the cap, used their cap room, then used the room exception.
  • Carrying approximately $116.9MM in salary.
  • $410,000 of room exception still available ($4.5MM used on Ish Smith).

Lingering preseason issues:

  • The Hornets have 16 players on guaranteed contracts and will have to trade or release one to get down to 15 for the regular season.
  • Miles Bridges is eligible for a rookie scale contract extension until October 18.
  • Jalen McDaniels is eligible for a veteran contract extension until October 18.
  • Cody Martin will be eligible for a veteran contract extension all season.

The Hornets’ offseason:

A year ago, the Hornets made perhaps the most stunning splash of the NBA offseason when they signed free agent forward Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $120MM contract. Hayward had an up-and-down first season in Charlotte — he played well, but injuries (which also marred his time in Boston) limited him to 44 games and sidelined him for the Hornets’ play-in game in May.

While the jury’s still out on the Hayward signing, the Hornets struck gold on their other major move of the 2020 offseason, nabbing LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 pick in the draft. Like Hayward, Ball missed some time due to an injury, but he displayed star potential when he was healthy, showing off incredible play-making skills and a more reliable jump shot than anticipated.

The Hornets ultimately lost that first play-in game and didn’t earn a postseason spot in the East, but the play of Hayward and Ball showed that the team has a couple key building blocks for a playoff squad — as long as they can stay healthy.

During the 2021 offseason, the Hornets once again had the ability to open up some cap room, but opted against taking another huge swing on the free agent market. Instead, having entered the summer looking to add depth at center and on the wing, Charlotte took a more conservative approach.

Rather than pursuing a top free agent big man such as Richaun Holmes or Nerlens Noel, the Hornets accommodated a salary dump, taking on Mason Plumlee from the Pistons and moving up 20 spots in the second round of the draft in the process. It was a nice piece of business for president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak — Plumlee’s $9.25MM cap hit is hardly onerous, given his steady on-court play. And his contract won’t be a long-term burden even if his production falls off this season, since it’s only partially guaranteed for 2022/23.

In the draft, the Hornets took advantage of James Bouknight‘s slide out of the top 10, scooping him up with the No. 11 pick. Then, when Kai Jones slipped out of the lottery, the Hornets sent a heavily-protected future first-round pick to New York in order to get back into the first round to select Jones at No. 19.

Using the No. 11 pick on Jones would’ve been a bit of a reach, and drafting him to be the primary center would’ve been overly optimistic. But getting him later in the first round for a very reasonable price (the pick the Hornets traded will be top-18 protected in 2022 and top-16 protected in 2023 before becoming lottery-protected in 2024) was a nice get, and having him come off the bench behind a veteran like Plumlee makes more sense for his development as a rookie.

After acquiring Plumlee and signing second-rounder JT Thor, the Hornets still had about $14MM in cap room available and used it to complete a pair of moves — one that added value in the short term and one that was more focused on the long term.

Most of the Hornets’ remaining space went toward signing Kelly Oubre, a solid wing whose market didn’t develop the way he hoped. While Oubre may have envisioned signing a deal in the range of the ones Evan Fournier and Tim Hardaway got (four years, $73-75MM), he had to settle for a two-year, $24.6MM commitment with only one fully guaranteed season.

Oubre has been inconsistent from beyond the arc and isn’t an elite defender, so it wasn’t shocking that no teams were willing to invest big long-term money in him. Still, I expected him to get at least a couple guaranteed years in the $15MM range, like he did on his last contract. It’s a favorable price for the Hornets, especially if Oubre can hit three-pointers at the rate he did in 2019/20 (35.2%). He’ll join a pretty strong group of wings that includes youngsters Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington, and should provide some insurance if Hayward misses time again.

The Hornets used their last bit of cap room to accommodate a minor salary dump, taking on Wesley Iwundu‘s contract from the Pelicans. The acquisition was part of a sign-and-trade deal sending Devonte’ Graham to New Orleans — Charlotte netted a lottery-protected first-round pick in the trade and also received enough cash from New Orleans to cover Iwundu’s modest salary.

The Hornets could’ve comfortably re-signed Graham themselves, but Ball’s emergence, Terry Rozier‘s strong play, and the Bouknight selection lessened the need to do so. Faced with the possibility of not having enough backcourt minutes to go around for all the players who deserved them, the Hornets opted to move on from Graham, signing lower-cost veteran Ish Smith to provide depth as Ball’s backup at the point. Charlotte did well to land Graham with the No. 34 pick in the 2018 draft — perhaps the team can strike gold again with the first-rounder the Pelicans surrendered to sign him.

The last significant move of the offseason for Charlotte was a four-year, $96MM+ extension for Rozier, who had the best year of his career in 2020/21. It’s possible it will end up being an overpay, but Rozier has been terrific as a scorer (19.3 PPG), shooter (.396 3PT%), and play-maker (4.2 APG) since joining the Hornets.

Given how weak the 2022 free agent market looks, Charlotte would’ve faced stiff competition for the veteran guard next offseason if he kept up his strong play for another year. With no other big long-term contracts on the books besides Hayward’s, the Hornets were in a good position to commit to Rozier now without compromising their future flexibility too much.

The Hornets’ upcoming season:

After bottoming out in 2019/20, the Hornets appeared to be moving back in the right direction in 2020/21. That bodes well for the club’s chances of being back in the play-in mix in ’21/22 and perhaps even earning its first playoff berth since 2016.

Of course, it’s worth noting that a team’s growth isn’t always linear. Ball may struggle to take another step forward following his impressive debut. Hayward may battle more injuries. Rozier’s production may dip a little. Bouknight and Jones may not be ready to contribute right away.

Unlike a few years ago though, when the Hornets’ cap was loaded with big-money deals for the likes of Nicolas Batum, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Marvin Williams, missing out on the playoffs wouldn’t be a disaster for this Charlotte team. There are enough solid building blocks in place to feel confident about the organization’s direction, even if the on-court results are still up and down for another year. And if the Hornets do break through and return to the playoffs, all the better.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

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2021/22 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

September 17th, 2021 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 NBA regular season will get underway next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2020/21, our voters went 17-13 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’21/22?

As a reminder, the NBA played a 72-game schedule in 2020/21, so a team that won 41 games last year finished with a 41-31 record. This year, a club that wins 41 games would be a .500 team (41-41). For added clarity, we’ve noted the record that each team would have to achieve to finish “over” its projected win total.

We’ll turn today to the Central division…

Milwaukee Bucks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bucks poll.

Indiana Pacers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pacers poll.

Chicago Bulls

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bulls poll.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Cavaliers poll.

Detroit Pistons

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pistons poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Brooklyn Nets (55.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (51.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
  • Boston Celtics (46.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
  • New York Knicks (42.5 wins): Over (65.1%)
  • Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Under (50.6%)

Northwest:

  • Utah Jazz (52.5 wins): Over (61.7%)
  • Denver Nuggets (48.5 wins): Over (69.3%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (44.5 wins): Over (53.0%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (34.5 wins): Under (57.1%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (23.5 wins): Under (65.0%)
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Traded Second-Round Picks For 2022 NBA Draft

September 16th, 2021 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each NBA team’s second-round pick for 2022, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first-round picks for 2022 can be found right here.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its second-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2023 if it doesn’t change hands in 2022.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2022 second-round pick:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics: Own pick.
  • Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Pistons.
  • New York Knicks: Own pick.
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Timberwolves or Heat.
    • The Timberwolves will receive the most favorable of the Nuggets’ and Sixers’ 2022 second-round picks; the Heat will receive the least favorable of the two picks. If the Heat’s own first-round pick lands in the top 14, Miami would forward the least favorable of these picks to the Rockets.
  • Toronto Raptors: Traded to Warriors or Hornets.
    • The Warriors will receive this pick if it lands between 31-54; the Hornets will get it if it falls in the 55-60 range. The Raptors’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t get this pick will be extinguished after this season.

Central

  • Chicago Bulls: Traded to Raptors or Kings.
    • The Raptors will receive the most favorable of the Bulls’ and Pistons’ 2022 second-round picks; the Kings will receive the least favorable of the two picks.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Pelicans or Grizzlies.
    • The Pelicans will receive this pick as long as the Lakers’ 2022 first-round pick falls in the 11-30 range and is sent to the Grizzlies. If the Lakers’ first-rounder lands in the 1-10 range, the Pelicans would keep that pick and would send this Cavs second-rounder to the Grizzlies.
  • Detroit Pistons: Traded to Raptors or Kings.
    • The Raptors will receive the most favorable of the Bulls’ and Pistons’ 2022 second-round picks; the Kings will receive the least favorable of the two picks.
  • Indiana Pacers: Traded to Magic.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Lost pick due to free agency gun-jumping.

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Kings (top-55 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hawks’ obligation to the Kings would be extinguished.
  • Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Knicks (top-55 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets’ obligation to the Knicks would be extinguished.
  • Miami Heat: Traded to Cavaliers.
  • Orlando Magic: Own pick.
  • Washington Wizards: Traded to Timberwolves.

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets: Traded to Timberwolves or Heat.
    • The Timberwolves will receive the most favorable of the Nuggets’ and Sixers’ 2022 second-round picks; the Heat will receive the least favorable of the two picks. If the Heat’s own first-round pick lands in the top 14, Miami would forward the least favorable of these picks to the Rockets.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Own pick.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Own pick.
  • Utah Jazz: Traded to Pelicans.

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Own pick.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Spurs.
  • Phoenix Suns: Traded to Pacers.
  • Sacramento Kings: Traded to Pelicans (top-54 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Kings’ obligation to the Pelicans would be extinguished.

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Wizards (top-45 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Mavericks’ obligation to the Wizards would be extinguished.
  • Houston Rockets: Traded to Pacers.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Trail Blazers.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
    • The Pelicans owe their 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected) to Charlotte. If that pick lands in its protected range, New Orleans would send its 2022 second-rounder to the Hornets.
  • San Antonio Spurs: Traded to Cavaliers.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

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2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Brooklyn Nets

September 15th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves, examine what still needs to be done before opening night, and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Brooklyn Nets.

Free agent signings:

Note: Exhibit 10 deals aren’t included here.

  • Patty Mills: Two years, $12.075MM. Second-year player option. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • Bruce Brown: One year, $4.736MM. Accepted qualifying offer as restricted free agent.
  • LaMarcus Aldridge: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Blake Griffin: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • James Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Paul Millsap: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • DeAndre’ Bembry: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception. Partially guaranteed for $750K.

Trades:

  • Acquired Jevon Carter and the draft rights to Day’Ron Sharpe (No. 29 pick) from the Suns in exchange for Landry Shamet.
  • Acquired either the Wizards’ or Grizzlies’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Wizards), the right to swap the Warriors’ 2025 second-round pick for the Wizards’ 2025 second-round pick (from Wizards), and the draft rights to Nikola Milutinov (from Spurs) in a five-team trade in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie (sign-and-trade; to Wizards).
    • Note: The Nets created a $11,454,048 trade exception in the deal.
  • Acquired Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor from the Pistons in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, the Nets’ 2022 second-round pick, either the Wizards’ or Grizzlies’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), either the Warriors’ or Wizards’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the Nets’ 2027 second-round pick, and cash ($5.78MM).
    • Note: Okafor has since been waived.

Draft picks:

Contract extensions:

  • Kevin Durant: Four years, $192,504,908 (base value). Includes $5,152,000 in incentives and 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Added David Vanterpool, Brian Keefe, and Kyle Korver to coaching staff; Ime Udoka and Mike D’Antoni departed coaching staff.
  • Added Steve Clifford as coaching consultant.

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap and above the tax line.
  • Carrying approximately $172.3MM in salary.
  • Used full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.89MM) to sign Patty Mills.
  • Rest of non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($3,646,000) and bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) are unavailable, since using either would create a $143MM hard cap.
  • Three traded player exceptions available, including one worth $11.5MM and another worth $6.3MM.

Lingering preseason issues:

  • The Nets have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus DeAndre’ Bembry on a partially guaranteed deal. In order to carry Bembry on the regular season roster, Brooklyn will need to trade or waive a player with a guaranteed salary.
  • The Nets have an open two-way contract slot.
  • The Nets have two unsigned second-round picks.
  • James Harden and Kyrie Irving remain eligible for veteran contract extensions, and the Nets reportedly would like to get deals done.
  • Nicolas Claxton also remains eligible for a veteran contract extension all season.

The Nets’ offseason:

Even with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving rarely healthy at the same time in 2020/21, the Nets put up some of the best offensive numbers of all time, recording a league-leading 117.3 offensive rating during the regular season. The defense was shaky at times, but tightened up in the playoffs and would’ve been good enough to support a deep postseason run.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, the injury bug bit the Big Three again in the second round vs. Milwaukee, as both Harden and Irving missed multiple games. Their absences were enough to give the Bucks the edge in a series that went down to the wire, with Milwaukee winning Game 7 in overtime.

Given how close that series with the eventual champions was, it’s hard to argue the Nets weren’t a championship-caliber team in their own right entering the offseason. But since Brooklyn can’t necessarily count on Durant, Harden, and Irving to all be 100% healthy during next year’s postseason run, the front office couldn’t just stand pat this summer — it had to do all it could to upgrade the roster around the edges.

And many of those moves made around the edges were very good ones. With the Nets’ Big Three earning a combined $121MM+ in 2021/22, the club had limited resources to fill out its bench, but did so admirably. Patty Mills, Bruce Brown, and Blake Griffin will count against Brooklyn’s cap for a combined $12.3MM this season, while Paul Millsap, LaMarcus Aldridge, and James Johnson were among the other reliable veterans who signed minimum-salary contracts with the team.

Of course, it’s easier to sign players to team-friendly contracts when you’re a title contender based in New York than when you’re a lottery team based in, say, Cleveland. But general manager Sean Marks still deserves high grades for the work he did on the roster this offseason, including adding a pair of low-cost first-round draftees (Cameron Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe) to the mix.

Mills should be a clear upgrade over Mike James and Tyler Johnson in the backcourt, while Aldridge and Millsap are more suited to the Nets’ small-ball lineups than a traditional center like DeAndre Jordan, who was jettisoned in a salary-dump deal.

Losing Spencer Dinwiddie is a blow to the Nets on paper, but shouldn’t have a major impact on the court — after all, Dinwiddie only appeared in three games in 2020/21 before tearing his ACL, so the club did just fine without him last season.

The one spot the team’s depth will be tested is on the wing, where Jeff Green, Landry Shamet, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot are no longer in the picture. Bruce Brown and DeAndre’ Bembry (if he makes the roster) are solid defenders, but aren’t major offensive threats. Thomas was one of the NCAA’s leading scorers last season, but it’s unclear if he’s ready to immediately jump into a regular rotation role on a veteran playoff team. If Brooklyn seeks midseason reinforcements, I’d expect the club to target wing depth.

Of course, as important as those supporting players are, the Nets’ ceiling will ultimately dictated by Durant, Harden, and Irving. All three stars became extension-eligible this offseason and the franchise didn’t waste any time locking up Durant to a new maximum-salary deal.

It will be interesting to see if Harden and Irving also get extensions done before the season begins. They’re essentially the Nets’ second and third options, but they’ll be among the NBA’s very highest-paid players if they receive new max deals. Harden turned 32 this summer; Irving will turn 30 this season. Brooklyn wants to keep them, of course, but it may not just be a matter of simply handing over a blank check, like in the negotiations with Durant.

The Nets’ upcoming season:

The Nets’ 2021/22 regular season may look similar to some of LeBron James‘ later seasons with the Cavaliers. LeBron’s veteran-heavy Cavs teams never pushed all that hard for the top seed in the East, since they knew preserving their legs for a lengthy playoff run was more important than getting an extra home game or two in the postseason.

This Nets team will likely take a similar long view — winning a couple extra games in November and December isn’t all that important if Durant, Harden, and Irving — or even role players like Griffin, Aldridge, and Millsap — are being overextended. Keeping the stars healthy will be Brooklyn’s top priority for most of the year, and if the club still manages to earn the top seed in the East, that’ll be a bonus.

If the three stars are healthy in the postseason, this team looks to me like the favorite to win the 2022 title. That’s a big “if,” but there aren’t many teams around the league that wouldn’t trade positions with the Nets if given the opportunity.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

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2021/22 NBA Over/Unders: Northwest Division

September 15th, 2021 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 NBA regular season will get underway next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2020/21, our voters went 17-13 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’21/22?

As a reminder, the NBA played a 72-game schedule in 2020/21, so a team that won 41 games last year finished with a 41-31 record. This year, a club that wins 41 games would be a .500 team (41-41). For added clarity, we’ve noted the record that each team would have to achieve to finish “over” its projected win total.

We’ll turn today to the Northwest division…

Utah Jazz

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Jazz poll.

Denver Nuggets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nuggets poll.

Portland Trail Blazers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Trail Blazers poll.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Timberwolves poll.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Thunder poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Brooklyn Nets (55.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (51.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
  • Boston Celtics (46.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
  • New York Knicks (42.5 wins): Over (65.1%)
  • Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Under (50.6%)
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Ten Notable NBA Free Agents Who Remain Unsigned

September 14th, 2021 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

All 50 of the players we identified as 2021’s top NBA free agents prior to the start of the new league year last month have come off the board, many of them within hours of the start of free agency. Nearly all the players we listed in our “honorable mention” have found new homes as well.

However, a few of those honorable mentions remain unsigned, as do a handful of other noteworthy veterans. There are many players worth mentioning, and the full list of current NBA free agents can be found right here, but today we’re singling out 10 vets who fall into three particular categories. Let’s dive in and have a look…

Shooters:

  • J.J. Redick: Redick is one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history, having converted 41.5% of his 4,704 career attempts. However, a heel injury slowed him down in 2020/21, and he has stated he’s in no rush to sign a new contract for ’21/22. When he’s ready, he’ll likely favor a team close to his home in New York, with the Nets and Knicks believed to be atop his wish list.
  • James Ennis: Ennis has been a regular NBA role player for the last several years and is coming off a season in which he converted 43.3% of his three-pointers. He has reportedly drawn interest from the Lakers, Bulls, Trail Blazers, and Magic, among other teams, and seems unlikely to remain unsigned for much longer.
  • Garrison Mathews: Mathews emerged as a rotation player for the Wizards while on a two-way contract during the last two seasons, making 38.9% of his threes in 82 total games (15.4 MPG). His solid play earned him a qualifying offer this summer, but Washington pulled that offer on the table during the first week of free agency, making Mathews an unrestricted free agent.
  • Mike Scott: A veteran stretch four, Scott had a bit of a down year in Philadelphia in 2020/21, but still has a .381 3PT% over the last four seasons, an impressive mark for a player who is also capable of battling big men in the paint. The 76ers signed Georges Niang to replace Scott, but the 33-year-old should catch on somewhere.

Offensive specialists:

  • DeMarcus Cousins: Cousins isn’t the same player who earned four All-Star berths and two All-NBA nods earlier in his career, but he wasn’t bad down the stretch with the Clippers this past season, averaging 7.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG on .537/.421/.682 shooting in 16 games (12.9 MPG). Like the other players in this group, he’s not a plus defender, but he can provide some second-unit scoring punch.
  • Jahlil Okafor: Recently waived by the Nets, who were facing a roster crunch, Okafor has played for four teams since being drafted third overall in 2015 and has seen his minutes steadily decline during that stretch. He’s still a solid inside scorer, but his lack of an outside shot limits his effectiveness on offense, and he’s not the sort of center who’s comfortable switching onto perimeter players on defense.
  • Isaiah Thomas: Like Cousins, Thomas has been limited in recent years by health issues. But he claims he’s back to full strength after being bothered by a long-term hip injury, and has worked out for teams like the Lakers and Mavericks in an effort to prove it. It’d be great to see Thomas get another shot, but his injury history and defensive shortcomings have made teams wary.

Defensive specialists:

  • Avery Bradley: Once a coveted three-and-D wing, Bradley has seen his stock dip in recent years as he has bounced around the NBA. Since being traded from Boston to Detroit in 2017, he has played for six different teams. Still, Bradley’s the sort of solid veteran that should eventually end up on a 15-man NBA roster, especially if and when teams start getting hit by the injury bug.
  • Frank Ntilikina: Defense was never a problem for the former lottery pick, but he hasn’t developed enough of an offensive game to be considered a reliable two-way player. A return to Europe could be a possibility for Ntilikina, who reportedly drew interest from Virtus Bologna before the Italian team signed Ty-Shon Alexander.
  • Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: Hollis-Jefferson had a pretty solid year in Toronto in 2019/20, showing the ability to bring energy off the bench and guard multiple positions. So it was a bit of a surprise that he didn’t get a chance to play in ’20/21 until the Blazers gave him a shot during the season’s last two months. He’s still only 26 years old — a team in need of a hard worker and tough defender could do much worse with its 14th or 15th roster spot.
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2021/22 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

September 13th, 2021 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 NBA regular season will get underway next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2020/21, our voters went 17-13 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’21/22?

As a reminder, the NBA played a 72-game schedule in 2020/21, so a team that won 41 games last year finished with a 41-31 record. This year, a club that wins 41 games would be a .500 team (41-41). For added clarity, we’ve noted the record that each team would have to achieve to finish “over” its projected win total.

We’ll kick things off today with the Atlantic division…

Brooklyn Nets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nets poll.

Philadelphia 76ers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Sixers poll.

Boston Celtics

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Celtics poll.

New York Knicks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Knicks poll.

Toronto Raptors

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Raptors poll.

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Traded First-Round Picks For 2022 NBA Draft

September 13th, 2021 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2022 NBA draft is still over nine months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first-round picks for ’22, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first round pick for 2022, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2023 if it doesn’t change hands in 2022.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2022 first round pick:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics: Traded to Spurs (top-four protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Celtics would owe the Spurs their 2023 first-round pick (top-four protected).
  • Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Rockets or Heat.
    • Houston will receive the two most favorable picks of the Nets’, Heat’s, and Rockets’ first-rounders; Miami will receive the least favorable of the three, unless the Heat’s pick is in the top 14, in which case it would be protected and Houston would receive the Nets’ first-rounder and their own first-rounder.
  • New York Knicks: Own pick.
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Nets.
    • The Nets have the option to defer this traded pick to 2023.
  • Toronto Raptors: Traded to Spurs (top-14 protected).

Central

  • Chicago Bulls: Own pick.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Pacers (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Cavaliers would owe the Pacers their 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Detroit Pistons: Traded to Thunder (top-16 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would owe the Thunder their 2023 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
  • Indiana Pacers: Own pick.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Own pick.

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks: Own pick.
  • Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Hawks (top-18 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets would owe the Hawks their 2023 first-round pick (top-16 protected).
  • Miami Heat: Own pick or Rockets‘ pick or Nets‘ pick.
    • Houston will receive the two most favorable picks of the Nets’, Heat’s, and Rockets’ first-rounders; Miami will receive the least favorable of the three, unless the Heat’s pick is in the top 14, in which case it would be protected and Houston would receive the Nets’ first-rounder and their own first-rounder.
    • If the Heat keep their own first-round pick, they would instead send the Rockets a 2022 second-round pick (Denver’s or Philadelphia’s, whichever is least favorable).
  • Orlando Magic: Own pick.
  • Washington Wizards: Own pick.

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets: Own pick.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Own pick.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Traded to Hawks (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Thunder would instead send their own 2024 and 2025 second-round picks to Atlanta.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Blazers would owe the Bulls their 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Utah Jazz: Traded to Grizzlies (top-6 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz would owe the Grizzlies their 2023 first-round pick (top-3 protected).

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Thunder.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Pelicans or Grizzlies.
    • New Orleans will receive this pick if it lands in the top 10; Memphis will receive it if it falls between 11-30.
    • If the Pelicans get the pick, they’ll send the Grizzlies two future second-round picks (Cleveland’s 2022 second-rounder and New Orleans’ own 2025 second-rounder). If the Grizzlies get the pick, the Pelicans won’t get anything.
  • Phoenix Suns: Traded to Thunder (top-12 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Suns would owe the Thunder their 2023 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
  • Sacramento Kings: Own pick.

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks: Own pick.
  • Houston Rockets: Own pick.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Traded to Trail Blazers (top-four protected) or Hornets (top-14 protected).
    • New Orleans will keep this pick if it lands in the top four; Portland will receive it if it falls between 5-14; Charlotte will receive it if it falls between 15-30.
    • If this pick lands in the top four or between 15-30, the Pelicans would owe the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected) to Portland.
    • If this pick lands in the top 14, the Pelicans would instead send their own 2022 and 2024 second-round picks to Charlotte.
  • San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

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Community Shootaround: 2022 Most Improved Player

September 12th, 2021 at 7:00pm CST by JD Shaw

When Knicks All-Star Julius Randle won the 2020/21 Most Improved Player award in May, several intriguing names trailed him in voting: Detroit’s Jerami Grant (second place), Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. (third place) and Houston’s Christian Wood (fourth place) being among them.

Randle deserved the award, however, as the 26-year-old averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and six assists per game, shooting 46% from the field and 41% from deep. The season before, he held per-game averages of 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists, shooting 46% from the floor and 28% from deep.

The competition was tough — Grant, Porter and Wood all put forth respectable campaigns — but that tends to be the norm with the league’s awards. Predicting the Most Improved Player before the season starts is an extremely difficult task, however.

This year figures to have much of the same. Players such as Porter (with Jamal Murray injured), Zion Williamson (featured with a new Pelicans lineup) or Deandre Ayton (coming off his first playoff experience) could be good places to start.

What do you think? Will one of the players who received votes last year reign supreme, or will a surprise name win the award? Feel free to voice your predictions in the comments section below!

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