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Follow Pro Football Rumors For NFL Draft Updates

April 20th, 2020 at 10:29am CST by Hoops Rumors

The first ever “fully virtual” NFL Draft kicks off this Thursday. This year’s draft is more unpredictable than ever, and you can stay tuned for every pick, trade, and rumor with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).

The drama starts as high as No. 3 overall, where the Lions are torn between their favorite draft crushes. They’re also discussing trades – a move down the board may allow them to add more draft ammo and still land Ohio State star Jeff Okudah.

The Giants, at No. 4, are also open for business. Will they trade down? Will they use this pick to take a stud offensive tackle? Will they be tempted by the freakish athleticism of Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons?  Will they do the unthinkable and draft quarterback Justin Herbert, one year after using the No. 6 pick on Daniel Jones? The draft is just around the corner and every scenario is on the table.

For the latest on the draft, free agency, and more from this wild NFL offseason, stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter, @pfrumors.

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Community Shootaround: Resuming The Season

April 18th, 2020 at 12:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Most NBA fans were eagerly awaiting this day. Prior to the hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs were supposed to begin on Saturday.

Play was halted a little over five weeks ago but it seems so much longer for basketball fans, who were looking forward to a postseason that promised to hold plenty of intrigue. The Western Conference had plenty of storylines — the Los Angeles rivalry, the Rockets’ superstar guards and small-ball approach, the up-and-comers like the Nuggets, Jazz, and Mavericks, hoping to make a statement of their own. The Eastern Conference had a clear favorite – the Bucks – but the Celtics, the defending champion Raptors, and the enigmatic Sixers had the potential to make things interesting and dash Milwaukee’s aspirations.

All of the possible plot changes have been put on hold. Unfortunately, the league is no closer to setting a date for resuming play than on the scary night when everything came to a stop. Commissioner Adam Silver told the media on Friday that there’s still no way to tell if and when the season can restart. A lot of hurdles must be cleared for teams to even begin training again.

It’s generally assumed that if games are played again this season, spectators will be prohibited. There’s also been widespread speculation that games would be conducted at a neutral site such as Las Vegas but Silver indicated that the league isn’t actively pursuing a “bubble city” plan.

Meanwhile, financial losses are piling up. “Revenues, in essence, have dropped to zero,”  Silver said.

That brings us to our question of the day: Do you believe the 2019/20 NBA season can salvaged? If so, how will the league be able to pull it off and still ensure the safety of all involved?

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

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2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Denver Nuggets

April 17th, 2020 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.

After placing second in the Western Conference and winning a playoff series in 2018/19, the Nuggets were on nearly an identical pace this season, holding a 43-22 record prior to the NBA’s hiatus, the best mark of any non-L.A. team in the West.

In order to seriously contend for a title, Denver may need Jamal Murray and/or Michael Porter Jr. to evolve into a bona fide star alongside Nikola Jokic. In the meantime, the team isn’t weighed down by a ton of onerous contracts, but also may not be in a position to comfortably retain both Jerami Grant and Paul Millsap if and when they reach unrestricted free agency this offseason.

Here’s where things stand for the Nuggets financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

The Nuggets have just shy of $96MM of guaranteed money on their books for 2020/21, but that’s only for six or seven players. If we assume they’ll retain Morris and Bates-Diop on their minimum-salary deals and keep their first-round pick, that salary total surpasses $100MM, likely eliminating the possibility of cap room for the 2020 offseason.

The Nuggets will have Bird rights on their three most important free agents – Grant, Millsap, and Craig – and could theoretically retain all three. However, depending on the price tags, that could push the club up into luxury tax territory, so some tough decisions may be on the horizon.

For now, we’re assuming that Denver will look to avoid the tax, but if the team is willing to cross that threshold, it would lose the full mid-level exception and bi-annual exception, gaining access to the more modest taxpayer MLE.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 6
  • Bi-annual exception: $3,623,000 6
  • Trade exception: $3,321,030 (expires 2/5/21)
  • Trade exception: $1,845,301 (expires 2/8/21)

Footnotes

  1. This is a projected value. Murray’s actual maximum salary will be 25% of the cap, wherever it lands.
  2. Bates-Diop’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 24.
  3. Morris’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 18.
  4. Millsap’s cap hold will be the lesser of $45,525,000 or 35% of the 2020/21 cap.
  5. The cap hold for Jefferson remains on the Nuggets’ books because he hasn’t been renounced after going unsigned since 2018. He can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
  6. This is a projected value.

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Dallas Mavericks

April 16th, 2020 at 5:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.

While the Mavericks were expected to take a step forward in 2019/20, few expected the team to come out of the gates by winning 16 of its first 22 games, with Luka Doncic playing like a legit MVP candidate. Dallas slowed down from there, but still entered the NBA’s hiatus comfortably holding a playoff spot in the West, at 40-27.

Having installed Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis as the two cornerstones of the franchise, the Mavs will be looking for ways to continue finding help for those young stars, whether that means adding more complementary role players or trying to find a way to land a third impact player.

Here’s where things stand for the Mavericks financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • None

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

Hardaway had a strong season in 2019/20, but is unlikely to be offered a starting salary of $19MM if he opts out, so he’s a good bet to pick up his player option. Assuming he does, the Mavericks will enter the offseason without any cap room available.

Still, regardless of where the cap ultimately ends up, Dallas should have its full mid-level exception available to use in free agency. The club won’t have its bi-annual exception this time around, since it was used during the summer of 2019.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 2

Footnotes

  1. The cap holds for Nowitzki, Harris, and Mejri remain on the Mavericks’ books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2019/20. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
  2. This is a projected value.

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers

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

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.

The Cavaliers‘ win-loss record says their 2019/20 season played out exactly as expected — projected by oddsmakers to be approximately a 24-win team, Cleveland was on a 24-win pace when the NBA went on hiatus.

However, the path the club took to its 19-46 record – including keeping big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, trading for Andre Drummond, and parting ways with first-year head coach John Beilein – wasn’t quite so predictable.

Depending on what happens this offseason with Drummond, the Cavs may enter the 2020/21 league year without any cap room, so major changes aren’t necessarily coming. The franchise will instead focus on continuing to acquire and develop young talent as its rebuild continues.

Here’s where things stand for the Cavaliers financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

Drummond’s player option is the wild card for the Cavaliers. If he opts out, there’s a path for the team to carve out some salary cap room, but with the cap in flux as a result of COVID-19, exercising that $28.8MM option looks like the safe play for the veteran center. That would eliminate Cleveland’s chances of creating cap space.

How much flexibility the Cavs ultimately have below the luxury tax line will hinge on a few other factors, including whether or not the team re-signs Thompson.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 3
  • Bi-annual exception: $3,623,000 3
  • Trade exception: $3,837,500 (expires 12/24/20)

Footnotes

  1. The Cavaliers can’t offer Zizic a starting salary worth more than his cap hold, since they declined his rookie scale team option for 2020/21.
  2. The cap holds for Frye and Stauskas remain on the Cavaliers’ books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2019/20. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
  3. This is a projected value.

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Chicago Bulls

April 14th, 2020 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.

Viewed as a potential playoff sleeper pick in the Eastern Conference entering the 2019/20 season, the Bulls made little forward progress. Presumed building block Lauri Markkanen had his worst year as a pro, newcomer Thaddeus Young didn’t fit in as planned, and starting small forward Otto Porter missed nearly the entire season with a foot injury.

The disappointing showing resulted in some front office changes for the Bulls, who fired Gar Forman, reassigned John Paxson, and hired Arturas Karnisovas as their new head of basketball operations. With 12 of 15 Chicago’s players under contract for 2020/21, Karnisovas may not have a ton of cap flexibility to make significant changes right away, so it will be interesting to see how many of the current pieces he retains and how soon he looks to put his own stamp on the roster.

Here’s where things stand for the Bulls financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • None

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

With just shy of $78MM in guaranteed money on their 2020/21 books for 11 players, the Bulls seemingly could create cap room. However, adding Porter’s $28MM+ player option – which he’ll almost certainly exercise – and the cap hold for their No. 4 pick eliminates that potential space in a hurry.

As such, the Bulls figure to operate as an over-the-cap team, though they shouldn’t be anywhere close to the tax line. That means the club will have the full mid-level exception and bi-annual exception available this offseason.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 1
  • Bi-annual exception: $3,623,000 1

Footnotes

  1. This is a projected value.

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Follow Pro Football Rumors For Latest NFL Draft Updates

April 14th, 2020 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s no stopping the NFL offseason. Whether you’re a hardcore football fan or a casual Sunday watcher, you can follow every pick, trade, and rumbling with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).

The “fully virtual” NFL Draft is just around the corner with several potential superstars on the board. At No. 1, the Bengals seem keyed in on quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns (!), and just six interceptions in his final year at LSU. Then, at No. 2, the Redskins could snag Chase Young, an absolute sack machine who could be a generational talent in the making.

Beyond that, the draft is wide open: The Lions are listening to offers for the No. 3 pick and the Giants are “open for business” at No. 4. The Dolphins, at No. 5, are one of several teams that could be tempted to move up for their next QB, which could be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

For the latest on the draft, free agency, and more from this wild NFL offseason, stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter, @pfrumors.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Bi-Annual Exception

April 14th, 2020 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The most common tool over-the-cap teams use to sign free agents from other teams is the mid-level exception, but that’s not the only exception those clubs have to squeeze an extra player onto the payroll. The bi-annual exception is a way for a team to sign a player who may command more than the minimum salary, but less than the mid-level.

As its name suggests, the bi-annual exception can only be used every other season. Even if a team uses only a portion of the exception, it’s off-limits during the following league year.

During the 2019/20 league year, four teams – the Bucks, Pelicans, Knicks, and Spurs – were ineligible to use the bi-annual exception at all, since they used it in 2018/19. Four teams have used the BAE this season, with the Mavericks signing Boban Marjanovic, the Pistons signing Markieff Morris, the Grizzlies signing Marko Guduric, and the Raptors signing Stanley Johnson. Those four clubs won’t have the exception at their disposal during the 2020/21 league year.

The bi-annual exception is available only to a limited number of clubs, even among those that didn’t use the exception during the previous season. Teams that create and use cap space forfeit the BAE, along with all but the smallest version of the mid-level (the room exception). Additionally, teams lose access to the bi-annual exception when they go over the “tax apron,” a figure approximately $6MM+ above the tax line. So, only teams over the cap and under the tax apron can use the BAE.

If a team uses all or part of the bi-annual exception, the tax apron becomes the club’s hard cap for that season. Teams that sign a player using the BAE can later go under the cap, but can’t go over the tax apron at any time during the season once the contract is signed.

[RELATED: NBA Teams With Hard Caps For 2019/20]

The bi-annual exception allowed for a starting salary of up to $3,623,000 in 2019/20. Under the NBA’s previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, the value of each season’s bi-annual exception was determined in advance. However, under the current CBA, the value of the BAE in future league years is tied to salary cap increases or decreases. If the cap goes up by 5%, the value of the bi-annual exception will also increase by 5%.

A player who signs a contract using the bi-annual exception is eligible for a one- or two-year deal, with a raise of 5% for the second season. For players who signed using the BAE in 2019/20, the maximum value of a two-year contract was $7,427,150. Teams also have the option of splitting the bi-annual exception among multiple players, though that happens much less frequently than it does with the mid-level exception, since a split bi-annual deal may not even be worth more than a veteran’s minimum salary.

The bi-annual exception starts to prorate on January 10, decreasing in value by 1/177th each day until the end of the regular season.

When the NBA went on hiatus last month, several teams remained eligible to use the bi-annual exception in 2019/20. However, it seems extremely unlikely that any will actually do so, even if the league is able to resume its season later in the spring. Assuming those BAEs go unused, they’ll be available to those teams in 2020/21.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years by Luke Adams and Chuck Myron. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: NBA’s Best H-O-R-S-E Player

April 11th, 2020 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s H-O-R-S-E competition will begin tomorrow, but not with the field that fans were probably hoping for when the project was first discussed.

The eight-person tournament will include just four current NBA players, Thunder guard Chris Paul, Hawks guard Trae Young, Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Jazz guard Mike Conley. The field will be rounded out by a pair of retired players, Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce, along with three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley and newly-elected Hall-of-Famer Tamika Catchings.

The talent pool is understandable given the restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus. All the participants will be shooting on their home courts, either indoors or outdoors. Many active players don’t have access to courts with training facilities being shut down, and fears of transmitting the virus make it impossible to bring the competitors together in one location.

Oddsmakers have installed Young and Paul as the favorites, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who notes that Young has 2/1 odds to win the tournament, while Paul is 5/2. They are trailed by Conley (3/1), Pierce (4/1), LaVine (5/1), Billups (6/1), Quigley (8/1) and Catchings (10/1).

The competition will follow traditional rules of the popular playground game. A coin toss will determine who goes first, and each player must describe the shot before shooting. Dunking won’t be allowed.

The tournament will raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and will provide the first glimpse of live basketball on television in more than a month. However, it won’t answer the question of who’s really the best H-O-R-S-E player in the NBA.

Once the league gets back to normal, we’d like to see an expanded version, maybe involving a representative from each of the league’s 30 teams. Imagine a tournament with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Damian Lillard and other stars competing under the same format.

We want to get your input. Who do you think has the best array of shots to win a league-wide H-O-R-S-E tournament? Please leave your answer in the space below.

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2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Charlotte Hornets

April 11th, 2020 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.

Projected by oddsmakers before the 2019/20 season to be the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets outperformed those low expectations, holding the 10th spot in the East when the NBA suspended play, albeit with an uninspiring 23-42 record.

While this roster isn’t stacked with talent and Charlotte doesn’t have great odds to land a top-four pick in the 2020 draft, the organization is at least getting some money off its books this summer. In addition to getting out from under Bismack Biyombo‘s massive contract, the team also moved on from longtime Hornets Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams earlier this year. With Nicolas Batum‘s $27MM option for ’20/21 still on the books, the slate isn’t entirely clean, but the Hornets should finally have a little cap flexibility going forward.

Here’s where things stand for the Hornets financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

Although they have less than $50MM in guaranteed money currently committed for 2020/21, the Hornets can expect that number to rise significantly when Batum officially opts in. Throw in Graham’s modest team option and a cap hold for their lottery pick and the Hornets are up near $86MM in guarantees.

Still, that’s not a massive number. Even after accounting for empty roster charges and a potential dip in the ’20/21 cap, Charlotte still projects to have $19-22MM in space to work with. And that number would increase if the cap does.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Room exception: $4,767,000 5

Footnotes

  1. Graham’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 24.
  2. Martin’s new salary guarantee date is unknown.
  3. McDaniels’ new salary guarantee date is unknown.
  4. The cap holds for Mack, Roberts, and Paige remain on the Hornets’ books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2019/20. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
  5. This is a projected value.

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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