Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

2020 NBA Free Agent Power Rankings 3.0

July 15th, 2020 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A lot has changed since we published the second installment of our 2020 NBA free agent power rankings at the end of January. One player who showed up on that list (Dillon Brooks) has since signed a contract extension, taking himself off the 2020 market. More importantly though, the coronavirus pandemic has upended the NBA season and changed the landscape of the ’20 offseason.

In a normal year, most or all of the free agents on our last list would have come off the board by now, reaching contract agreements with new teams or their old clubs shortly after the negotiation period opened on June 30. Now though, the new league year has been pushed back to the fall — the 2020 free agent negotiating period won’t open until October 18.

Additionally, the stoppage forced by COVID-19 and the uncertainty surrounding the 2020/21 season will result in next season’s salary cap coming in lower than initially expected, and many teams around the NBA figure to tighten their purse strings when it comes to free agent spending. That means that the majority of the veterans who hold lucrative player options for ’20/21 are far more likely to simply exercise those options than to try their luck on the open market.

As a result, we’re taking many of the players that were on the last version of our FA power rankings off our list this time around. Andre Drummond, Gordon Hayward, DeMar DeRozan, Evan Fournier, and Tim Hardaway are among the players we’re now projecting to opt into the final year of their respective contracts rather than becoming free agents this fall.

As always, this list reflects each player’s current expected value on the 2020 free agent market, rather than a their present-day on-court contributions. For instance, an older player like Marc Gasol has strong short-term value, but didn’t crack our top 20 because he’s entering his age-36 season and is unlikely to sign a lucrative multiyear deal. In other words, age and long-term value are important.

If you need a refresher on which players will be free agents this fall, be sure to check out our FA lists sorted by position/type and by team.

With all that in mind, here’s the third installment of our 2020 free agent power rankings:

  1. Anthony Davis, F/C, Lakers (player option): Davis is the one player who remains a lock to turn down his option for 2020/21 — the cap would have to dip below $96MM for his $28.75MM option salary to be worth more than the 30% max he’d earn as a free agent. He also seems extremely likely to stick with the Lakers, given the team’s success this season, meaning the only mystery left is whether he’ll sign a short- or long-term deal.
  2. Brandon Ingram, F, Pelicans (RFA): Besides Davis, Ingram is the best bet of any free agent this fall to sign a maximum-salary contract. Despite his looming payday, the Pelicans forward said he never considered sitting out the NBA’s restart this summer as his team prepares to push for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
  3. Fred VanVleet, G, Raptors: VanVleet has 76 career NBA starts under his belt, so his placement at No. 3 on this list is perhaps an indictment of the 2020 free agent class as a whole. Don’t sleep on his earning potential though. Rebuilding teams with cap room and a need at point guard – such as the Pistons or Knicks – may view the 26-year-old as an ideal long-term answer, given his abilities as a shooter, play-maker, and defender, which could force the Raptors into a bidding war.
  4. Montrezl Harrell, C, Clippers: Like VanVleet, Harrell is just 26 years old, meaning potential suitors can be pretty confident they’ll be getting his prime seasons even at the end of a four-year offer. Harrell’s per-36-minute production in his contract year (24.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG) has been better than ever, making him an intriguing long-term investment for a club in need of help up front.
  5. Bogdan Bogdanovic, G/F, Kings (RFA): The Kings’ trade-deadline moves, which included moving Dewayne Dedmon‘s pricey multiyear contract for a pair of expiring deals, suggest the team will prioritize locking up Bogdanovic to a new contract this fall. Bogdanovic made a strong impression in the weeks before the NBA season was suspended, moving into Sacramento’s starting lineup without his production missing a beat.
  6. Davis Bertans, F, Wizards: Unlike everyone else on this list, Bertans decided not to participate in the NBA’s restart this summer, citing his history of ACL injuries when he opted out. Still, the decision shouldn’t hurt Bertans’ value on the open market — his .424 3PT% on 8.7 three-point attempts per game make him one of the game’s most valuable stretch fours. The Wizards reportedly want to re-sign him, but they’ll likely face stiff competition.
  7. Malik Beasley, G, Timberwolves (RFA): No one saw his free agency value affected more significantly by a trade-deadline deal than Beasley, who went from an inconsistent bench piece in Denver to a full-time starter and key contributor in Minnesota. Beasley’s performance in 14 post-deadline contests (20.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG with a .426 3PT%) was a double-edged sword for the Timberwolves, who had to feel great about their decision to acquire Beasley and a little less great about his rising price tag.
  8. Danilo Gallinari, F, Thunder: Gallinari’s age (32 in August) and injury history work against his odds of securing a lucrative long-term deal, but he has been one of the NBA’s most reliable frontcourt scorers over the last couple years, averaging 19.5 PPG on .452/.421/.897 shooting since the start of the 2018/19 season.
  9. Joe Harris, G/F, Nets: Three-point shooting is more important than ever in the modern NBA and few players do it better than Harris, who has made 43.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc over the last three seasons.
  10. Serge Ibaka, F/C, Raptors: Ibaka, who turns 31 in September, isn’t the rim-protecting menace he was during his days with the Thunder, when he led the NBA in blocks in consecutive seasons. But he’s still a strong interior defender who can hold his own on switches and contributes on offense — his .398 3PT% in 2019/20 is a career high and will certainly appeal to potential suitors.
  11. Marcus Morris, F, Clippers: Morris was a little shaky in his first 12 games with the Clippers following a deadline deal — his scoring average was cut in half and his percentages dipped to 38.6% from the floor and 28.3% from three. Still, when taking into account the eye-popping numbers he was posting in New York, his full-season stats are strong, and he’s capable of defending offensive-minded forwards.
  12. Jerami Grant, F, Nuggets (player option): It took some time for Grant to adjust to his new team, but he showed in the two months leading up to the hiatus why the Nuggets were willing to surrender a first-round pick for him last summer. In his last 26 games, Grant averaged 14.0 PPG on .481/.420/.785 shooting, and the Nuggets were better with him on the court than off it.
  13. Christian Wood, F/C, Pistons: Wood played well through the season on a per-minute basis. However, he didn’t secure a spot on this list until he entered the starting lineup following the trade deadline and kept up his strong per-minute production while taking on a larger role. In his last 13 games, he posted 22.8 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.0 BPG, and a shooting line of .562/.400/.757. Now he’ll enter unrestricted free agency at age 25.
  14. Paul Millsap, F, Nuggets: I left Millsap off the first two iterations of our 2020 free agent power rankings due to the fact that he’ll turn 36 next February. But the more I see of him this season, the more I’m convinced he’ll still receive a nice payday on a two- or three-year deal this fall. His .440 3PT% is a career high and his impact on the Nuggets’ defense shouldn’t be overlooked. The club has a 102.2 defensive rating when Millsap plays, compared to 110.7 when he doesn’t.
  15. Hassan Whiteside, C, Trail Blazers: Whiteside’s impressive individual statistics don’t always translate to team success, but he deserves credit for the impact he’s had in Portland this season. His 3.1 blocks per game lead the NBA and his 14.2 rebounds per contest rank second. The Blazers have missed Jusuf Nurkic, but Whiteside has been as strong a replacement as the team could have realistically hoped for.
  16. Derrick Favors, C, Pelicans: The former third overall pick will never be an All-Star, but he’s still just 29 years old and has established himself as a reliable defender and rebounder (he’s averaging a career-best 9.9 RPG this season). While certain free agents get paid based on their potential ceiling, Favors’ value stems from his relatively high floor.
  17. Derrick Jones, F, Heat: Jones will reach unrestricted free agency at age 23, which is pretty uncommon for a rotation player on a top-four team in a conference. His numbers don’t jump off the page and his lack of a three-point shot will limit his value this fall. However, Jones is a tremendous athlete and a strong perimeter defender who still has room to improve.
  18. Tristan Thompson, C, Cavaliers: Thompson had one of his best seasons in 2019/20, averaging a double-double (12.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG) with a career-high in APG (2.1). He doesn’t necessarily have the versatility or shooting ability that teams would like to see from their bigs, but his skill set has value and he still has some prime years left.
  19. De’Anthony Melton, G, Grizzlies (RFA): It can be tricky to identify which second- or third-tier restricted free agent will do the best on the open market, since it only takes one suitor to drive up a player’s price. Fellow RFAs Jakob Poeltl and Dario Saric could certainly get better offers this fall than Melton, but I’m a big fan of the Grizzlies guard, an excellent perimeter defender whose +6.2 net rating this season is easily the best mark on the team.
  20. Aron Baynes, C, Suns: I was a little surprised that I ended up finding a spot on this list for Baynes, who will turn 34 this December and has never earned more than $6.5MM in a season. Perhaps I’m slightly overrating his strong season in Phoenix, but the big man showed an ability to score (11.5 PPG) and shoot (.351 3PT%) that he hadn’t before. Already a terrific screen-setter and strong defender, Baynes may be in line for the most lucrative contract of his career this fall. Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, and Jordan Clarkson were among the other candidates for this last spot.

As I noted in the intro, there are some veterans who would earn a spot on this list – or would at least receive consideration – if they turn down player options and become free agents. At this point, I think they’re unlikely to do so, but not all of them are a lock to opt in. Here are some of the most notable names in that group with player options for 2020/21:

  • Avery Bradley, G, Lakers ($5,005,350)
  • Mike Conley, G, Jazz ($34,502,132)
  • DeMar DeRozan, G, Spurs ($27,739,975)
  • Andre Drummond, C, Cavaliers ($28,751,774)
  • Evan Fournier, G/F, Magic ($17,150,000)
  • Tim Hardaway Jr., G/F, Mavericks ($18,975,000)
  • Gordon Hayward, F, Celtics ($34,187,085)

Disagree strongly with any of our rankings? Feel like we omitted any players that should be in the top 20? Weigh in below in the comments section to let us know!

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

List Of Substitute Players Signed For NBA Restart

July 14th, 2020 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Our list of players who have opted out of the NBA restart (or who have been replaced after they contracted COVID-19) includes details on the substitute players who have been signed to replace them. However, not every player who has signed a substitute contract this summer is mentioned within that list.

Players who were signed in place of promoted two-way players or who filled empty two-way contract slots are also among those who technically signed “substitute contracts.” While they’re not replacing a specific player, they fall into the same category as those substitute players who have been signed as a result of opt-outs or positive coronavirus tests.

The following details, which don’t apply to players who signed traditional contracts, apply to substitute players:

  • Their contracts (all of which are worth the minimum) don’t count against their teams’ salary caps.
  • They’ll be unrestricted free agents at season’s end, even if they don’t yet have four years of NBA experience.
  • They won’t have any form of Bird rights (including Non-Bird rights) at season’s end.
    • Note: In a case like Jerian Grant‘s, his Bird rights will actually belong to his old team (the Magic) rather than his current team (the Wizards), since Orlando never renounced him.

Essentially, these substitute contracts are just meant to provide teams with enough bodies not to be short-handed in Orlando this summer. Clubs like the Nets that have to sign multiple substitute players won’t benefit from holding the rights to those players after the season and won’t have the opportunity to make them restricted free agents. However, they also won’t face any additional cap penalties by having to sign several substitute players.

Teams can sign substitute players up until the last day of the seeding games in mid-August. Even after that point, clubs can continue to sign substitute players to replace players who test positive for COVID-19, though substitutes signed in the postseason must have between zero and three years of NBA experience.

Listed below are the players who have signed substitute contracts for the summer. We’ll continue to update this list as more deals are finalized.

Brooklyn Nets

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Lakers

New Orleans Pelicans

Oklahoma City Thunder

Philadelphia 76ers

Portland Trail Blazers

Washington Wizards

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Western Conference Seeding

July 13th, 2020 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed on Friday when we discussed the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, there will be an opportunity for teams to move up – or down – in the standings when play resumes on July 30.

With eight “seeding games” on tap, teams are unlikely to make up five- or six-game deficits on the clubs ahead of them in the standings, but there’s a strong likelihood of a shake-up in instances where teams are only separated by a game or two.

That’s even more true in the Western Conference than it is in the East, albeit not necessarily at the very top of the standings, where the 49-14 Lakers hold a fairly comfortable lead on the 44-20 Clippers. The Lakers’ magic number to clinch the conference is just three, so they’re a safe bet to hang onto the No. 1 seed.

After that though, there’s some congestion in the standings. The Clippers’ lead on the Nuggets (43-22) is just 1.5 games. Denver holds an identical lead over the Jazz (41-23). Utah, meanwhile, is just a couple losses away from slipping down to the No. 6 seed, as the Thunder (40-24) and Rockets (40-24) are right on their heels. The 40-27 Mavericks round out this group of six teams, a game-and-a-half behind OKC and Houston and just 5.5 games behind the second-seeded Clippers.

A number of those six clubs bunched up in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture will face one another when play resumes. For instance, the Thunder – who have the potential to move up or down a couple spots in the standings – will open the restart against the Jazz and Nuggets and eventually finish their season against the Clippers. The Clips will face the Mavericks and Nuggets in addition to OKC. Dallas opens its eight seeding games by playing the Rockets.

Given the strength of competition in the West, seeding could be paramount in the postseason. The Nuggets, for example, could conceivably face the Jazz, Thunder, Rockets, or Mavs in the first round and would likely prefer some opponents to others in that group. The Jazz, currently at No. 4, could be motivated to avoid the No. 6 Rockets in the first round, since they’ve been eliminated by Houston in each of the previous two postseasons.

At the bottom of the playoff picture, the No. 8 Grizzlies (32-33) have essentially no chance to move up, since they’re seven games back of Dallas. But they’ll be looking to increase their lead over the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs, and Suns — if they can finish with more than a four-game lead on all those clubs, they’ll avoid a play-in tournament. If the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds finish within four games of one another, a play-in tournament will be necessary to determine that final playoff spot.

A newly-healthy Blazers squad will be a major threat to the Grizzlies, as will a Pelicans team that faces one of the league’s weakest schedules over the course of the eight seeding games.

What do you think? Do you think we’ll see much movement in the Western Conference’s top eight? Will the Grizzlies be knocked out by one of the challengers behind them in the standings? What do you expect the West’s top eight seeds to look like by the time the playoffs begin?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your predictions!

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Seeding

July 10th, 2020 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Although the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference will still be up for grabs when the NBA’s eight “seeding” games begin on July 30, that race has lost much of its luster as a result of the injuries, COVID-19 cases, and opt-outs that have decimated the Nets‘ and Wizards‘ rosters.

Technically, the Magic (30-35) are the No. 8 seed at the moment, but they’re just a half-game back of Brooklyn (30-34) for the No. 7 spot and seem likely to pass a Nets team that will be without at least seven players, including Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and DeAndre Jordan.

That would leave the Nets to hang onto the No. 8 seed by holding off the Wizards (24-40), who will be missing Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans, and John Wall, but could force a play-in tournament if they finish within four games of Orlando or Brooklyn. Washington is also currently without Thomas Bryant (coronavirus), Gary Payton II (coronavirus), and Garrison Mathews (personal), though some or all of those players may eventually rejoin the team.

While that race for the seventh and eighth seeds may not be quite as dramatic as the NBA would like, there could still be some interesting jockeying for position further up the standings in the East.

The 53-12 Bucks have a 6.5-game cushion over the 46-18 Raptors, so Milwaukee will likely clinch the top seed even if they’re on cruise control during the seeding games. But Toronto’s lead on the third-seeded Celtics (43-21) is just three games, and Boston’s eight-game schedule looks less daunting than the Raptors’ slate.

Five of the Celtics’ eight games are against the Nets, Wizards, Magic, Grizzlies, and Trail Blazers, all of whom are at or near the bottom of the playoff race. The Raptors, meanwhile, will face Orlando and Memphis, but also have games against the Lakers, Heat, Nuggets, Sixers, and Bucks. The Celtics and Raptors face each other as well, in a game that will have important tiebreaker implications.

That No. 2 seed isn’t as important as it once was, given the lack of home court advantage available, but it could mean facing the Magic instead of the Pacers, which should be a more favorable matchup even with Victor Oladipo sidelined.

Speaking of the Pacers, they’re currently tied at 39-26 with the Sixers, with the No. 5 seed up for grabs. Clinching that fifth seed would likely mean securing a first-round matchup with the fourth-seeded Heat instead of the Celtics or Raptors.

The Heat, meanwhile, are 41-24, putting them two games behind Boston and two games ahead of the Sixers and Pacers. They seem like a relatively safe bet to hold their position in the No. 4 vs. 5 matchup, but a hot or cold streak in Orlando could affect their spot in the standings, especially with games vs. Boston, Toronto, and Indiana (twice) on tap.

What do you think? What do you expect the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference to look like by the time the playoffs begin? Will they look relatively similar to the current standings, or will there be some shuffling that results in some unexpected first-round matchups?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Key 2020 NBA Offseason Dates, Deadlines

July 8th, 2020 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

In a typical year, the NBA’s annual draft would have already taken place and the majority of the summer’s top free agents would have come off the board. However, 2020 is about as far from a typical year as we can imagine, which means the league’s usual offseason calendar has been upended.

We still don’t know exactly when the 2020/21 NBA season will start – or even whether the league will be able to safely finish the ’19/20 campaign – but the league has re-established new dates and deadlines for a number of offseason events.

With the help of information from ESPN’s Bobby Marks, here’s a breakdown of many of the NBA’s important dates and deadlines over the next few months:

August 3

  • Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59pm CT).

August 15-16

  • Possible postseason play-in games take place.

August 17

  • NBA playoffs begin.
  • Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59pm CT).
    • Note: For more information on draft-related dates and deadlines, check out our full breakdown.

August 25

  • NBA draft lottery.

October 13

  • Latest possible end date for the 2020 NBA Finals.

November 8

  • Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00pm CT).

November 18

  • NBA draft day.

November 19

  • Last day for decisions on player, team and early termination options (4:00pm CT).
  • Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.

November 20

  • Last official day of the 2019/20 NBA league year.
  • Teams can begin negotiating contracts with free agents (5:00pm CT).

November 21

  • Official start of the 2020/21 NBA league year.
  • Moratorium period begins.
  • Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
  • Teams can begin signing players to rookie scale contracts, minimum salary contracts, and two-way contracts.
  • Third- and fourth-year rookie scale options for 2021/22 can be exercised.

November 22

  • Moratorium period ends (11:00am CT)
  • Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades.
  • The two-day period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins.

December 1

  • Training camps open

December 9

  • Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2020/21 salaries.

December 21:

  • Last day for players eligible for rookie scale extensions to sign new contracts.
  • Last day for players eligible for super-max extensions to sign new contracts.
  • Last day for players eligible for veteran contract extensions to sign new contracts (unless they’re in a contract year).

As gaps in the NBA’s late-offseason calendar get filled in, we’ll update this page with the latest info.

Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

Thabeet Staying Ready For Next Opportunity Despite Cancellation In TBT

July 6th, 2020 at 12:20pm CST by JD Shaw

Former No. 2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet has re-entered unrestricted free agency after a teammate in The Basketball Tournament tested positive for COVID-19 at the start of the month.

Thabeet, 33, was set to compete with the “Playing for Jimmy V” team during the annual tournament, but event rules mandate that any team who receives a positive test be disqualified from competing in the bracket any further. Thabeet tested negative for the coronavirus, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

Thabeet, a lengthy 7’3″ center, remains an intriguing option for teams in need of rim protection. He has received NBA and overseas interest over the past year, working out for teams such as the Knicks, Bucks, Nuggets and Warriors in 2019. The overall consensus remains the same regardless of the atmosphere he plays in: Thabeet appears to be in prime condition.

“Hasheem is in unbelievable shape,” Alex Neumann, the general manager of Playing for Jimmy V, told Hoops Rumors. “He looks better than he ever has. He still has his athleticism and got up and down the floor really well. 

“His basketball IQ is off the charts. Just helping the young guys on the team, helping in film sessions and putting in offensive sets — he absolutely looks like he belongs on the NBA court.”

Thabeet was drafted second overall in 2009 after spending three years at UConn, and subsequently made NBA stops with Memphis, Houston, Portland, Oklahoma City and the L.A. Lakers. He was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA G League Draft to Fort Wayne after spending some time overseas.

Along with his shot-blocking abilities, Thabeet is known for being a respected locker room veteran — Nets superstar Kevin Durant previously stated that Thabeet was one of the best teammates he has ever had. Teams in need of rim protection entering the NBA’s campus in Orlando or training camp later this fall could turn to Thabeet, who is staying active and is eagerly anticipating his next opportunity.

“What I can bring to a team right now is a defensive aspect in the paint,” Thabeet told Hoops Rumors. “You have to know your role. I believe I can bring in defensive plays at a high level. 

“I’m ready to control the paint and get back to playing at a high level of basketball. I really believe I can still play at a high level once I get that one chance, then we’ll go from there.”

The 2019/20 NBA season is scheduled to resume on July 30, with free agency set to start in mid-October and training camps for next season tentatively expected to commence by the start of December. Teams in Orlando are eligible to sign substitute players to their rosters in the event that a player contracts COVID-19 or voluntarily opts out.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Recap Of Moves Made During NBA’s Transaction Window

July 1st, 2020 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA went nearly three-and-a-half months without a single roster move being completed, as league business was put on hold during its coronavirus-related hiatus. However, that roster freeze was lifted last Tuesday (June 23), allowing the 22 teams going to Orlando this summer and the eight teams whose seasons are over to complete certain transactions during the next week.

Now that the transaction window has closed (as of 11:59pm ET on June 30), certain moves related to substitute players will still be permitted, as we detailed on Tuesday. In fact, today could be somewhat busy, as clubs who have already reached agreements with substitute players make those deals official after noon eastern time. However, the standard signings and two-way conversions that were permitted during the last week are now over for the season.

Listed below is a recap of the moves completed from June 23-30 during the NBA’s transaction window. Again, these are only transactions that become official this week, which is why substitute-player signings like J.R. Smith (Lakers) or Trey Burke (Mavericks) aren’t listed.

Brooklyn Nets

Swapping in Johnson for Pinson will be the first of many changes the Nets make to their summer roster. Wilson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan have opted out and Spencer Dinwiddie‘s status is up in the air, so Brooklyn will have at least a couple replacement players to sign — Justin Anderson is expected to be one.

Johnson’s contract is a rest-of-season deal, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this fall.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers entered the transaction window with a pair of open spots on their 15-man roster. They filled one with an outside signing (Bell) and promoted one of their two-way players (Wade) to occupy the other.

Both players received more than the minimum for the rest of 2019/20, with Wade getting $375K while Bell got $250K. In exchange, the Cavs get some flexibility on both contracts — Bell has a non-guaranteed salary for 2020/21, while Wade has three non-guaranteed seasons on his deal, through 2022/23.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets thought highly enough of Dozier to sign him to a new multiyear contract that includes more than $1MM in guaranteed money, which means he’ll get a significant partial guarantee on his 2020/21 salary. According to Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights (Twitter link), that partial guarantee is worth about $1.2MM and the deal includes a non-guaranteed salary for ’21/22.

Cook, meanwhile, slides into Dozier’s two-way slot as a replacement and will be a free agent at season’s end.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons had a full roster when the NBA went on hiatus, but because Donta Hall‘s 10-day contract has since expired, they opened up a spot during the transaction window. They used it on Patton, whose new deal reportedly includes a non-guaranteed second year. The signing was Troy Weaver‘s first move as Detroit’s general manager.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets made one of the more curious transactions of the last week, signing Nwaba to a two-year deal that reportedly includes $900K for this season, despite the fact that the swingman is still recovering from an Achilles tear and won’t be available in Orlando. Houston apparently viewed Nwaba as an ideal three-and-D fit and was willing to pay him nearly $1MM up front to get a team option on him for 2020/21.

Los Angeles Clippers

Noah was just three days into a 10-day contract with the Clippers when the season was suspended in March. That deal was always viewed as a trial run that would likely lead to a rest-of-season commitment, so it came as no surprise when L.A. made that rest-of-season commitment last week.

Memphis Grizzlies

Like Noah, Tolliver was on a 10-day contract before the season was suspended. And like Noah, his team – the Grizzlies – wanted to bring him back on a rest-of-season deal to fill its final open roster spot.

New York Knicks

New Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose was active on the waiver wire this week, making the only two claims of the transaction window. Pinson has a team option for 2020/21, while Harper will be eligible for restricted free agency. Trier, meanwhile, had been up for restricted free agency but now hits the unrestricted market early.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The conversion of Dort’s contract was one of the least surprising moves of the week, as he has emerged into a consistent starter on the wing for the Thunder. Oklahoma City got him on a pretty team-friendly four-year minimum-salary deal, which runs through 2022/23. It’s fully guaranteed for ’20/21 with partial guarantees on the final two years.

Hall, a former Thunder draft pick, slides into Dort’s vacated two-way slot and will be a free agent at season’s end.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers didn’t have any openings on their 15-man roster, but had a two-way slot available to be filled. They used it to add more shooting depth — Broekhoff, who will be a free agent this fall, knocked down 40.3% of his three-point attempts in a part-time role in two NBA seasons.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns’ release of Harper was more than three months in the making and finally became official last week. Phoenix didn’t end up filling his two-way slot, but signed Payne to a two-year deal to take the open spot on the 15-man roster. Payne will add more backcourt depth for the restart this summer and the Suns will have the option of bringing him back for 2020/21 as well.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings will enter the resumption of the season 3.5 games back of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the West. With an open roster spot, they prioritized a player who could contribute immediately, settling on Brewer, who played for Sacramento last season. He’ll give the Kings more depth on the wing, having signed a rest-of-season contract.

San Antonio Spurs

Another challenger for that No. 8 seed in the West, the Spurs needed some frontcourt depth after losing LaMarcus Aldridge to a shoulder injury that will sideline him for the rest of the 2019/20 season. Zeller represents a safe veteran option. His deal with San Antonio includes a non-guaranteed salary for next season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Coaching Search

June 29th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While they may not be the only team looking to hire a permanent head coach this summer or fall, the Knicks are currently the only club actively going through the search process and interviewing potential candidates, as our tracker shows.

And there’s no shortage of potential candidates on the Knicks’ list. In addition to interim head coach Mike Miller, who will interview for the full-time position, the team is reportedly speaking to 10 other contenders for the job. It’s a diverse group, ranging from noteworthy former NBA head coaches to little-known assistants who may not have interviewed for a head coaching job before.

Atop the list is Tom Thibodeau, the former Bulls and Timberwolves coach who has been reported for weeks as the presumptive frontrunner for the Knicks’ vacancy. Thibodeau may not seem like the most obvious fit for a young, rebuilding team, but his long-standing connections to new Knicks executives Leon Rose and William Wesley may give him a leg up.

There are plenty of other viable candidates though. There’s reportedly support within the organization for Kenny Atkinson, who showed in Brooklyn that he’s capable of developing young players and turning a lottery team into a playoff club. In terms of familiar faces, Miller did good work after replacing David Fizdale in December, and Mike Woodson had success during his last stint in New York.

Jason Kidd and Mike Brown are the other candidates with head coaching experience on the Knicks’ list. Brown has a 66-win season and an NBA Finals appearance on his résumé, while Kidd has a good reputation among players.

Among the assistant coaches interviewing for the job, some are more well-known than others. This group consists of Ime Udoka, Chris Fleming, Pat Delany, Will Hardy, and Jamahl Mosley. Of those five, Udoka is probably widely considered the strongest head coaching candidate — he has interviewed for multiple openings in the past, and is viewed as a probable candidate for the Bulls job if they replace Jim Boylen.

We want to know what you think. Which of the Knicks’ candidates would be the best choice to be the team’s next head coach? Should the team opt for someone with previous head coaching experience, such as Thibodeau or Atkinson? Or would you rather see New York choose an up-and-coming assistant such as Udoka? Are there any coaches not on the Knicks’ list that you believe they should be talking to?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the Knicks’ head coaching search!

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

List Of Players Opting Out Of NBA’s Restart

June 29th, 2020 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA will resume its 2019/20 season in July, with the league’s top 22 teams taking part in the restart at Walt Disney World in Florida. However, not every player on those 22 clubs’ rosters will be participating in the resumption of the season.

Players will be permitted to voluntarily opt out of the restart for any reason without facing a fine or suspension from the NBA or their respective teams. A player who opts out would lose a portion of his pay for 2019/20, forfeiting 1/92.6th of his salary for each game missed (up to a maximum of 14 games). Otherwise though, he wouldn’t receive any additional penalty.

If a player voluntarily opts out anytime before August 14, his team can sign a “substitute player” to replace him. The replacement player will receive a rest-of-season, minimum-salary contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, regardless of how many years of NBA service he has. Meanwhile, the player being replaced becomes ineligible to participate in the remainder of the ’19/20 season.

We’ll use this space to keep tabs on the players opting out and the substitute players replacing them. Here are the players who have voluntarily withdrawn from participating:

Trevor Ariza, F, Trail Blazers (story)

Ariza would have missed a one-month visitation period with his son if he had opted to play this summer, since family members aren’t permitted to join players on the NBA’s Disney campus until the end of August.

Jaylen Adams, who finished second this season in NBA G League MVP voting, will take Ariza’s spot on the roster as a substitute player.

Ariza, meanwhile, has a $12.8MM salary for 2020/21, but it’s only partially guaranteed for $1.8MM, so he’s no lock to remain on Portland’s roster beyond this season.

Avery Bradley, G, Lakers (story)

Bradley is the most intriguing player to have opted out so far, since he’s the only one who’s a member of a legitimate championship contender. Although Bradley has been among the players voicing concerns about the resumption of the season drawing attention away from the fight for social justice, family considerations – including the well-being of his three children – were said to be the primary factor in his decision.

Bradley has a $5MM player option for 2020/21, so he could return to the Lakers next season. As for his replacement, L.A. has signed J.R. Smith to a rest-of-season deal.

Davis Bertans, F, Wizards (story)

The first player to opt out of the restart, Bertans did so because he has a history of ACL injuries and doesn’t want to jeopardize his health ahead of a potentially big payday this summer. He projects to be one of 2020’s top unrestricted free agents, following a career year, and his decision won’t affect the Wizards’ desire to re-sign him — it’s still considered a top priority for the franchise.

If Washington were higher in the standings, Bertans may have made a different decision, but the team faces long odds to even make the playoffs. And even if the Wizards do defy those odds and claim the No. 8 seed, the Bucks would likely make quick work of them in round one.

Point guard Jerian Grant has replaced Bertans on the Wizards’ roster as a subsitute player.

Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Mavericks (story)

Cauley-Stein and his partner are expecting a newborn child in July, prompting him to skip the restart to spend time with his family. With a $2.29MM player option for 2020/21, he could still return to Dallas next season.

Despite missing Cauley-Stein and injured big man Dwight Powell in their frontcourt, the Mavs didn’t make it a priority to add another center. With Courtney Lee and Jalen Brunson also on the shelf due to injuries, Dallas instead focused on adding backcourt depth, reaching a deal with veteran guard Trey Burke to become the substitute player for Cauley-Stein.

Wilson Chandler, F, Nets (story)

An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, Chandler has decided to use the summer to spend more time with his family, including his grandmother (who raised him) and his three children.

Like the Mavs, Brooklyn has been hit hard by injuries, with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Nicolas Claxton also sidelined for the return to play. Those injured players aren’t eligible to be replaced by a substitute player, but Chandler is. That substitute player is Lance Thomas, who has now signed with the Nets.

Thabo Sefolosha, F, Rockets (story)

Sefolosha, who opted out on July 1, had previously expressed concerns about heading to Walt Disney World for an extended duration of time, away from his family with the coronavirus pandemic still on the rise, calling it a “huge commitment.” He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this fall, so it’s possible he has played his last game with Houston.

The Rockets have signed Luc Mbah a Moute as a replacement player for Sefolosha. Mbah a Moute has previous experience with Houston, so it should be a quick readjustment for the veteran forward.

Caleb Swanigan, F, Trail Blazers

Swanigan cited person reasons when he decided to opt out of the NBA’s restart back on July 1. He rarely saw any action for the Blazers, who decided not to sign a substitute player to replace him. Swanigan will be an unrestricted free agent this fall.

In addition to the players who are voluntarily opting out of the restart for a wide variety of reasons, there will also be players who opt out or are replaced as a result of a COVID-19 diagnosis. Here are the players who won’t participate in the remainder of the season due to a positive COVID-19 test:

  • Spencer Dinwiddie, G, Nets (story)
  • DeAndre Jordan, C, Nets (story)
    • Jordan was immediately ruled out for the summer after testing positive for the coronavirus. He has been replaced in Orlando by big man Donta Hall.
  • Taurean Prince, F, Nets (story)
    • Prince tested positive just before the Nets were scheduled to travel to Orlando. The team ruled him out because his chances of recovering in time to contribute were in jeopardy and signed Michael Beasley as a substitute player.
  • Michael Beasley, F, Nets (story)
    • Beasley became the first substitute player who needed to be replaced, having tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after he signed with the Nets. Brooklyn signed Justin Anderson after voiding Beasley’s new contract.
  • Josh Gray, G (story)
    • The Pelicans announced in early July that they’d signed Sindarius Thornwell as a substitute player, without indicating which player Thornwell was replacing. Three Pelicans had tested positive for COVID-19 at that point, and a subsequent report suggested one of those players was being replaced by Thornwell. When the NBA announced New Orleans’ official roster, Gray wasn’t on it, so it appears that he was the one replaced by Thornwell.
  • Gary Payton II, G (story)
    • The Wizards signed Jarrod Uthoff as a substitute player without announcing which player he’d be replacing. However, Payton reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and wasn’t on the team’s official roster when it was announced, so it looks like he was the one replaced by Uthoff.

Players who have been ruled out of the restart due to injuries won’t forfeit their salaries and aren’t eligible to be replaced by substitute players, so they’re not listed here. However, that growing list of players is not insignificant — it includes Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and John Wall, among others.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

What To Expect During This Week’s Transaction Window

June 23rd, 2020 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

It has been nearly three-and-a-half months since an NBA team made a transaction. On March 10, the Warriors signed guard Mychal Mulder to a multiyear contract. Two days later, a report indicated that the Suns had waived two-way player Jared Harper.

However, by then, the 2019/20 season had already been halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the NBA and NBPA agreeing shortly thereafter to a moratorium that halted roster activity. As a result, signings, waivers, and other transactions have been on hold for months, and Harper still hasn’t technically cleared waivers.

As a weekend report indicated, Harper will hit waivers on Tuesday, once the NBA officially opens a week-long transaction window for all 30 teams, including the eight that aren’t participating in the resumed season. That window will open today at noon eastern time and will close next Tuesday (June 30) at 11:59pm ET.

However, not every form of transaction will be permitted once that moratorium lifts in less than 24 hours. With the help of Bobby Marks’ primer at ESPN.com and a handful of other reports, here’s a breakdown of what we can expect during the league’s week-long transaction window:

Teams will be permitted to convert players on two-way contracts to standard deals.

This may not be as pressing a priority for some teams as it typically would be, since the NBA will allow players on two-way contracts to play in the postseason for this year only. That means a player like Chris Chiozza (Nets) doesn’t necessarily need to sign a standard contract to participate in the playoffs.

Still, there’s incentive for teams to do so if there’s a spot available on their 15-man rosters, as is the case with the Thunder and Luguentz Dort. Oklahoma City could potentially get Dort locked up to a more team-friendly contract, and moving him to the 15-man roster would open up a two-way contract slot.

The top 22 teams will be able to sign players to two-way contracts (as of June 27).

Normally, January 15 represents the last day that teams can sign a player to a two-way contract. After that date, no two-way signings are permitted until the new league year begins. This year, however, the teams participating in the Orlando restart will be able to sign players to two-way contracts, starting Saturday, assuming they have a spot available or can open one up.

As our two-way contract tracker shows, the Suns and Sixers currently have open two-way slots. A team like the Thunder could create one if they convert a player to their standard roster.

On the other hand, a bottom-eight team with a two-way opening, such as the Hawks or Warriors, won’t be permitted to fill it during this week’s transaction window, since the rule change is designed to give teams in Orlando some added depth.

The usual rules will apply to eligibility for two-way players, so a team won’t be able to sign a 10-year veteran to a two-way deal.

Teams will be able to sign free agents or make waiver claims using open roster spots.

Teams that don’t have full 15-man rosters will be given the opportunity to sign players to fill those open spots, whether or not they’re participating in the resumed season. Any player who played in the NBA or G League and wasn’t on a professional non-NBA roster after September 30, 2019 is eligible to sign, per Marks.

Players such as J.R. Smith and Jamal Crawford, who weren’t in the NBA this season, are also eligible to be signed, since they didn’t play in an international league. A player like Greg Monroe, who played for Bayern Munich in Germany during the 2019/20 season, wouldn’t be eligible to sign with an NBA team now.

The Nuggets, Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Thunder are among the top 22 teams with open roster spots. The Clippers, Grizzlies, and Kings also have openings, though they’re expected to be filled by Joakim Noah, Anthony Tolliver, and Corey Brewer, respectively.

Rest-of-season or multiyear contracts are permitted. Obviously, for bottom-eight teams, a rest-of-season contract wouldn’t provide any value, so if those clubs make roster additions, they’ll be multiyear deals. The Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors, and Timberwolves currently have open roster spots.

Rest-of-season, minimum-salary contracts will be worth 20/177th of their full-season values. Marks has the specific breakdown right here. Interestingly, Marks also notes that any free agent who signs a rest-of-season contract will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, even if he doesn’t have four years of NBA experience.

Teams will be able to waive players.

Of course, even if a team doesn’t currently have a roster spot available, that club could open one up by waiving one of its current players. For example, the Hawks may decide that it makes sense to release retiring forward Vince Carter in order to create space to sign a promising G League prospect to a long-term deal.

Playoff teams with full 15-man rosters may also consider making a cut or two to bring in someone new. The Rockets and Mavericks are reportedly among the teams mulling a change.

A player waived after March 1 is ineligible to participate in the postseason with a new team, so that rule applies to anyone waived during the transaction window too. For instance, the Mavs couldn’t pick up Carter for a playoff run if Atlanta cuts him.

As Marks notes (via Twitter), Sunday, June 28 at 5:00pm ET will be the deadline this week to release a player, in order to ensure that the player clears waivers before the transaction window closes on Tuesday night.

Teams will be able to sign “substitute players” — under certain circumstances.

Even without an open roster spot, a team will be permitted to sign a “substitute player” to replace a player who meets one of the following criteria:

  1. Tests positive for COVID-19.
  2. Is deemed “protected” or “excused” from participating for health reasons related to COVID-19.
  3. Voluntarily opts out of participating by June 24, forfeiting at least eight games’ worth of salary.
    • Note: A player who opts out can’t lose more than 14 games’ worth of salary, per Marks.

In other words, players like Trevor Ariza and Davis Bertans, who have voluntarily opted out, can be replaced with substitute players by the Trail Blazers and Wizards, respectively, without those teams needing to open up roster spots.

However, an injured player can’t be replace by a substitute player, meaning the Nets can’t sign free agents to replace Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving without an opening on their 15-man roster. They’ll likely designate their two-way players – Chiozza and Jeremiah Martin – as Durant’s and Irving’s replacements instead.

Substitute players are subject to slightly different rules than typical free agent signees. They can’t be signed to multiyear deals, and their salaries won’t count against a team’s cap or tax. They also can be signed as of July 1, rather than during this week’s transaction window.

Substitutes for players meeting any of the criteria listed above can be signed until August 14, the last day of the seeding games. After that, they can be signed only if a player tests positive for COVID-19. A substitute player signed after the seeding games are over must have between zero and three years of service, ruling out certain veterans. The substitute player will also have to quarantine for a minimum of seven days upon arriving in Orlando.

If a player is replaced by a substitute player, he becomes ineligible to return this summer. For instance, if the Wizards sign a player to replace Bertans, then Bertans wouldn’t be able to have a change of heart and rejoin the Wizards in the event that they claim the No. 8 seed in the East.

Teams won’t be able to make trades.

The one type of transaction that we won’t see at all this week is a trade. Because the 2019/20 trade deadline passed in February and the season isn’t over yet, those deals remain off the table for the time being, so any roster changes will have to come in the form of signings, waiver claims, or cuts.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts