Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division

December 21st, 2020 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on Tuesday, so it’s time to get serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

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.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll wrap things up by heading to the Southwest…

Dallas Mavericks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Mavericks poll.

New Orleans Pelicans

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pelicans poll.

Houston Rockets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Rockets poll.

Memphis Grizzlies

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Grizzlies poll.

San Antonio Spurs

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Spurs poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)

Northwest:

  • Denver Nuggets (44.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • Utah Jazz (42.5 wins): Over (59.9%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (41.5 wins): Over (70.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (29.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Under (64.4%)

Central:

  • Milwaukee Bucks (51.5 wins): Over (73.7%)
  • Indiana Pacers (39.5 wins): Over (57.9%)
  • Chicago Bulls (29.5 wins): Under (61.6%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (23.5 wins): Under (68.5%)
  • Detroit Pistons (22.5 wins): Over (53.9%)

Pacific:

  • Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Over (79.1%)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (47.5 wins): Under (50.4%)
  • Phoenix Suns (40.5 wins): Over (51.0%)
  • Golden State Warriors (38.5 wins): Over (60.3%)
  • Sacramento Kings (29.5 wins): Under (60.7%)

Southeast:

  • Miami Heat (44.5 wins): Over (67.6%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (36.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
  • Washington Wizards (34.5 wins): Under (50.7%)
  • Orlando Magic (31.5 wins): Under (73.5%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (26.5 wins): Over (56.3%)
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Contract, Roster Deadlines Loom For NBA Teams

December 21st, 2020 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

We’re one day away from the start of the NBA’s 2020/21 regular season, making Monday the last day of the 2020 offseason. Today serves as the deadline for a number of contract- and roster-related decisions around the league. Here are the most important ones:

Rookie Scale Extensions

A total of 24 players entered the offseason eligible for rookie scale extensions. Five of those players – Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, and Kyle Kuzma – have already signed new deals. That leaves the following 19 players eligible to sign rookie scale extensions on Monday:

Most of these players won’t sign new deals until the 2021 offseason, when they’re eligible for restricted free agency. But it would be a surprise if at least one or two more players from this list don’t finalize rookie scale extensions today, With Allen, Anunoby, Ball, John Collins, Fultz, and White among the most viable candidates.

The deadline for rookie scale extensions is at 5:00pm central time, ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirms (via Twitter).

Certain Veteran Contract Extensions

A veteran player who signed his current contract at least two years ago (or three years ago if it was a five-year deal) is eligible to sign an extension. That means that many veterans around the NBA are eligible to sign contract extensions today, but that number will significantly drop as of tomorrow.

Once the regular season begins, only veterans in the final year of their contracts can sign extensions — a player that has multiple years remaining is no longer extension-eligible until the following offseason.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Veteran Contract Extension]

In other words, players like Stephen Curry or T.J. Warren, who are under contract through 2021/22, could sign an extension today that covers up to three additional seasons. However, starting on Tuesday, they’ll be ineligible to sign an extension until the 2021 offseason.

An extension candidate like Jrue Holiday, who has a player option for 2021/22, could still sign a new deal during the season, but he’d have to eliminate that option to do so. Picking it up would make him ineligible to complete an extension until the 2021 offseason after today.

The deadline for veteran extensions for players on non-expiring contracts is at 10:59pm CT tonight.

Regular Season Rosters

Most teams around the NBA finalized their roster cuts on Saturday for financial reasons, as we explained over the weekend. However, the deadline to reduce offseason rosters to the regular season limit of 15 players on standard contracts (plus two on two-way contracts) arrives tonight.

Typically, the regular season roster deadline would fall at 4:00pm CT. This year, as Marks tweets, it’s at 10:00pm CT. The NBA adjusted the waiver deadline for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in order to accommodate the preseason games that took place on Saturday night — teams that participated in those games were still able to cut players afterward and have those players clear waivers tonight.

While it’s certainly possible that there will be some additional roster shuffling today as teams tweak their back-end roster spots or fill two-way openings, only two teams – the Thunder and Kings – absolutely have to make cuts, as we detailed on Sunday.

The final day of the offseason is also the last day for teams to convert Exhibit 10 contracts into two-way deals. However, after Yuta Watanabe, Brodric Thomas, Reggie Perry, Marques Bolden, and Max Strus had their Exhibit 10 deals converted into two-ways over the weekend, I don’t think there are any candidates left for this maneuver.

Finally, Monday is the last day for a free agent to be signed-and-traded. There has been no indication that any potential sign-and-trades are in the works though.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Why Many Teams Are Finalizing Roster Cuts On Saturday

December 19th, 2020 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have until Monday night to officially set their rosters for the 2020/21 regular season. However, a majority of NBA teams will likely have their rosters ready to go on Saturday, with more roster cuts expected today than on Sunday or Monday.

Why is that? Well, releasing a player today will allow him to clear waivers on Monday, before the regular season gets underway.

Players who are cut during the season are also paid for each day they spend on waivers, so a player who hits waivers on Sunday and doesn’t clear until the first day of the season on Tuesday would technically earn one day’s worth of pay, even if his salary isn’t guaranteed. A player waived on Monday would spend two regular season days on waivers.

For players with partial or full guarantees, spending the first day or two of the regular season on waivers doesn’t really matter — they’re getting their full 2020/21 salary no matter when they’re released. But if a team waits until Monday to cut a player with a non-guaranteed salary, that team will be on the hook for two days’ worth of dead money for the player.

Two days’ worth of dead money won’t exactly break the bank — it shouldn’t be more than about $22K for a minimum-salary player. But most teams already know which players are in and which are out, so there’s no need to take the decision down to the wire on Monday. They’ll make those cuts today and will avoid adding extra cap charges to their books for ’20/21. Even that small amount of savings could make a difference for teams who are right around the tax line or up against a hard cap.

While many teams will make their cuts today, clubs like the Pistons and Thunder can afford to wait an extra day or two, since they’ll each be waiving a player who has a full or partial guarantee. Waiting until Sunday or Monday to make that move won’t affect their cap outlook at all.

[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Roster Counts]

Meanwhile, it’s worth keeping an eye on a team like the Knicks, who have 15 players on guaranteed contracts but might want to retain veteran forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, whose deal is non-guaranteed. If New York hangs onto Kidd-Gilchrist and doesn’t trim its roster to 15 players on standard deals today, that’ll signal that the team likely plans to waive a player with a guaranteed salary by Monday.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Southeast Division

December 18th, 2020 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to get serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

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.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll turn today to the Southeast…

Miami Heat

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Heat poll.

Atlanta Hawks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Hawks poll.

Washington Wizards

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Wizards poll.

Orlando Magic

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Magic poll.

Charlotte Hornets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Hornets poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)

Northwest:

  • Denver Nuggets (44.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • Utah Jazz (42.5 wins): Over (59.9%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (41.5 wins): Over (70.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (29.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Under (64.4%)

Central:

  • Milwaukee Bucks (51.5 wins): Over (73.7%)
  • Indiana Pacers (39.5 wins): Over (57.9%)
  • Chicago Bulls (29.5 wins): Under (61.6%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (23.5 wins): Under (68.5%)
  • Detroit Pistons (22.5 wins): Over (53.9%)

Pacific:

  • Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Over (79.1%)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (47.5 wins): Under (50.4%)
  • Phoenix Suns (40.5 wins): Over (51.0%)
  • Golden State Warriors (38.5 wins): Over (60.3%)
  • Sacramento Kings (29.5 wins): Under (60.7%)
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Pacific Division

December 17th, 2020 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

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.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll turn today to the Pacific…

Los Angeles Lakers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Lakers poll.

Los Angeles Clippers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Clippers poll.

Phoenix Suns

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Suns poll.

Golden State Warriors

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Warriors poll.

Sacramento Kings

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Kings poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)

Northwest:

  • Denver Nuggets (44.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • Utah Jazz (42.5 wins): Over (59.9%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (41.5 wins): Over (70.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (29.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Under (64.4%)

Central:

  • Milwaukee Bucks (51.5 wins): Over (73.7%)
  • Indiana Pacers (39.5 wins): Over (57.9%)
  • Chicago Bulls (29.5 wins): Under (61.6%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (23.5 wins): Under (68.5%)
  • Detroit Pistons (22.5 wins): Over (53.9%)
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

December 16th, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

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.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll turn today to the Central…

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:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)

Northwest:

  • Denver Nuggets (44.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • Utah Jazz (42.5 wins): Over (59.9%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (41.5 wins): Over (70.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (29.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Under (64.4%)
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Northwest Division

December 15th, 2020 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

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.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll turn today to the Northwest…

Denver Nuggets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nuggets poll.

Utah Jazz

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Jazz 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:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies, Pistons, Thunder Carrying More Than 15 Guaranteed Salaries

December 15th, 2020 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

While NBA teams can carry 20 players on their rosters for the time being, that limit will shrink by opening night next Tuesday. Before the regular season gets underway, clubs will be required to have no more than 17 players on their roster — 15 on guaranteed contracts and two on two-way deals.

For most teams, that won’t be a problem. Six NBA clubs are currently carrying exactly 15 players with fully guaranteed salaries, while 21 more have between 10 and 14 guaranteed contracts on their books for 2020/21. For most of those 27 clubs, setting their roster will simply be a matter of cutting a few players with non-guaranteed salaries, and won’t require eating any dead money.

However, there are three clubs that currently have more than 15 players on guaranteed contracts on their rosters and will have to either trade or release one or more of those players before opening night. Here’s a look at those three clubs:

Memphis Grizzlies

Let’s start with the simplest situation of the three. At one point, the Grizzlies were carrying 17 players with guaranteed salaries, but they quickly tipped their hand on which two would be the odd man out by not bringing Mario Hezonja and Marko Guduric to training camp.

Hezonja has since been waived. Barring a major surprise, Guduric, who is on an expiring contract, figures to be released in the coming days as well.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have 16 players with fully guaranteed salaries. However, despite the fact that the team is in the midst of a retooling period, not many of those players look like candidates to be cut. Many of them were either specifically targeted by new GM Troy Weaver this offseason, or – in the case of incumbents like Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, and Sekou Doumbouya – have too much value to be simply released.

While Dzanan Musa and Wayne Ellington may be on the fringe of the roster, Rodney McGruder looks to me like the probable odd man out. There were rumors last month that he might be waived and stretched to allow the Pistons to complete their series of offseason moves, and while that wasn’t necessary at the time, the fact that it was under consideration suggests that he’s probably not part of the team’s long-term plan.

McGruder’s $5MM salary for 2021/22 is non-guaranteed, so Detroit wouldn’t be on the hook for any dead money beyond this season if he’s released.

Oklahoma City Thunder

After having arguably the most eventful offseason of any NBA team, the Thunder are also the trickiest club to figure out heading into the regular season. They have 17 players on guaranteed contracts, so at least two cuts will be required.

Many of Oklahoma City’s newcomers were acquired in trades in which another asset (a draft pick or a player) was clearly the primary motivator for the deal, meaning it’s hard to say exactly what the team thinks of those players.

Kenrich Williams, Admiral Schofield, Darius Miller, and T.J. Leaf all fit this bill, and I’d expect the two cuts to come from that group. Isaiah Roby could also be a release candidate, though he started the team’s first preseason game and played pretty well, with seven points and 11 rebounds. None of Miller, Williams, Schofield, Leaf, or Roby have fully guaranteed salaries beyond 2020/21.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Notable Veterans Still Available In Free Agency

December 15th, 2020 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

The 50 players on our list of 2020’s top free agents came off the board relatively quickly last month, but there are still a number of intriguing veteran free agents who have yet to sign a new deal or who have reached the open market since we compiled that list.

There aren’t many roster spots available around the NBA — with just a week to go until opening night, most teams have a pretty good idea of what their 14- or 15-man squads will look like to open the season. That means there are far fewer viable landing spots for veteran free agents than there were earlier in the offseason.

Still, whether it happens before or after opening night, there are plenty of unsigned players who seem like realistic candidates to eventually join an NBA team. Injuries, positive coronavirus tests, and trades could all open up roster spots for those players to fill.

With that in mind, here’s a brief recap of some of the more notable players who are still available to be signed:

Point Guards

Shabazz Napier is among the most productive point guards still on the market. He was playing some of the best basketball of his career with the Wizards during a 20-game stint to finish the 2019/20 season, averaging 11.6 PPG and 3.8 APG on .428/.358/.831 shooting in 24.4 minutes per contest.

Another former Wizards point guard, Isaiah Thomas, recorded 12.2 PPG, 3.7 APG, and a .413 3PT% in 40 games (23.1 MPG) for the team last season, but lost his job due to his play on defense. He has repeatedly insisted that he’s feeling even better now following his most recent hip procedure, but no team has been willing to take a shot on him so far.

If the Mavericks weren’t willing to keep J.J. Barea around, it’s not clear how much he has left in the tank, but he could be an option for a team looking for a third point guard who would be an asset in the locker room.

A team seeking a player with some upside may prefer to turn to Emmanuel Mudiay, a former lottery pick who is still just 24 years old, or Jordan McLaughlin, though he’s still a restricted free agent and may be hard to pry away from the Timberwolves.

Yogi Ferrell, Jeremy Lin, Brandon Knight, Gary Payton II, Ky Bowman (once he clears waivers), and reigning G League MVP Frank Mason are among the other unsigned point guards.

Wings

A team in need of shooting off the bench should have a few options in free agency, including Kyle Korver (a career 42.9% three-point shooter), Troy Daniels (39.5%), Allen Crabbe (38.7%), and – once he clears waivers – Ryan Broekhoff (40.3%).

The market also features microwave scorers young and old, including Jamal Crawford (41 in March) and Allonzo Trier (25 in January). Two members of the Lakers’ 2020 championship squad remain unsigned too, in J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters.

The health histories of certain players – including Zhaire Smith, Andre Roberson, and Luc Mbah a Moute – may scare teams away. Age, meanwhile, may be a bit of a concern for clubs eyeing veterans like Thabo Sefolosha (36) and DeMarre Carroll (34).

Jordan McRae, Iman Shumpert, and Mario Hezonja are a few of the other options that could intrigue certain teams, depending on what sort of skill set they’re seeking.

Bigs

Ersan Ilyasova and Anthony Tolliver are the headliners among the veteran stretch fours on the open market. Ilyasova saw his role decline in Milwaukee over the last two seasons, but was still his usual self from beyond the arc — last season’s .365 3PT% was exactly in line with his career average. Tolliver, meanwhile, played on three teams in 2019/20, but was effective for Memphis down the stretch, making 41.5% of his threes in 13 games.

Teams seeking a tough veteran up front could turn to Taj Gibson, Kyle O’Quinn, Ian Mahinmi, or Lance Thomas. Tyson Chandler and Pau Gasol could also be options, though each of them could just as easily retire.

I’ll be interested to see if Dewayne Dedmon can bounce back after a down year in Sacramento and Atlanta. It’s hard to believe it now, but he was referred to by ESPN’s Zach Lowe as “sneakily the most coveted under-the-radar free agent in the league” during the 2019 offseason. A year-and-a-half later, he should be able to find a minimum-salary deal.

Skal Labissiere, Noah Vonleh, Jordan Bell, and John Henson are some of the other free agents available for teams seeking interested in another frontcourt piece.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Warriors Revival?

December 14th, 2020 at 9:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite another devastating injury to Klay Thompson, the Warriors seem intent on regaining their status as an elite team.

Last year was essentially a throwaway season. An injured Kevin Durant bolted for the East Coast, Thompson was out for the season with a knee injury and Stephen Curry busted his thumb in the early weeks of the season.

The reward for an otherwise wasted campaign was the second pick in the draft. They used it on the highest-rated big man in James Wiseman, who practiced for the first time on Monday and made a swift impression.

“I thought James was all over the place today, which was great to see,” Draymond Green said.

Green and Wiseman will form the frontcourt duo, Curry will run the show and Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. will man the wings. The Warriors also possess some good depth, particularly in the frontcourt with the likes of Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss and Kevon Looney.

Oubre was acquired even though his salary added to an already enormous luxury tax bill. The Warriors certainly aren’t tanking this season, but in the loaded Western Conference, it’s fair to say they’re no longer going to overwhelm the opposition.

Still, Green wants the bar set high.

“When I don’t win a title, that’s unsuccessful,” Green said. “There’s no moral victories.”

That brings us to our question of the day: Will the revamped Warriors return to the playoffs this season?

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

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts