Hoops Rumors Originals

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Roster Moves Required Soon For Hornets, Rockets, Clippers

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement requires teams to carry at least 14 players on their rosters during the regular season, not counting two-way players. However, clubs are allowed to dip below that line for up to two weeks at a time.

At the February 6 trade deadline, with so many players on the move, a handful of teams around the league fell below that 14-player threshold, meaning they’ll have to get back up to 14 later this month.

Here’s a breakdown of which teams must make at least one roster move shortly after this weekend’s All-Star Game:

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets had a quiet trade deadline, but completed a pair of buyouts a couple days later, officially releasing Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on February 8. They’ll have until February 22 to add at least one player to their roster.

Since the 18-36 squad is well out of playoff contention, Charlotte is far more likely to sign a G League prospect than an NBA veteran. By the end of the season, I’d expect the Hornets to fill both their 14th and 15th roster spots with young players on multiyear deals, in the hopes that one or both of them prove to be keepers.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets had been carrying 14 players since waiving Gary Clark last month. On February 5, they dipped to 13 when they acquired Robert Covington and Jordan Bell (later flipped for Bruno Caboclo) in a deal that saw them send out Clint Capela, Gerald Green, and Nene. They’ll have to add a new player before they resume play next Thursday.

Houston is closely monitoring the buyout market, but if there’s no one that interests the team now, I’m not sure that’ll change within the next week. I could see the Rockets signing a player to a 10-day contract to give them some flexibility to continue keeping an eye on the buyout market for the rest of the month.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers were carrying 15 players leading up to the trade deadline, but moved Maurice Harkless, Jerome Robinson, and Derrick Walton last week while only getting Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas back. Thomas was waived on February 8, reducing the team’s roster count to 13. Like Charlotte, the Clips will have until February 22 to add a 14th man.

Since they’re also a contending team, the Clippers figure to join the Rockets in scouring the buyout market for veteran help in the coming weeks. With the possible exception of Tyler Johnson, I’m not sure any recently-waived vets will attract much interest from L.A., so a stop-gap option on a 10-day deal is a possibility after the All-Star break.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Buyouts

Once the NBA trade deadline passes, the league’s buyout season begins. What exactly are buyouts, and how do they work? Today’s Hoops Rumors glossary entry will examine those questions. Let’s dive in…

What is a buyout?

While the term “buyout” is often applied colloquially when any veteran is released after the trade deadline, it applies specifically to a player who gives up a portion of his salary to accommodate his release. Rather than waiving a player outright, a team will negotiate the terms of the player’s release. Then, once the player clears waivers, his guaranteed salary with his previous team will be reduced or eliminated altogether.

So far this season, we’ve seen Hornets forwards Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams agree to buyouts. Those two veterans each surrendered between $800K and $1MM to Charlotte in order to reach free agency.

What’s the motivation for a buyout?

The most common form of buyout involves a veteran player on a non-contending team being granted his release during the final year of his contract to join a playoff club down the stretch. It typically happens after the trade deadline because by that point there’s no other way for a player to change teams.

Kidd-Gilchrist and Williams fit this bill. The 18-36 Hornets aren’t going to make the playoffs and are focused on developing their young players. Buyouts for Kidd-Gilchrist and Williams gave those two players the opportunity to join the Mavericks and Bucks, respectively — now they’re both headed to the postseason.

For the player, the motivating factor is generally the desire to play for a winning team. In their buyouts with Charlotte, Kidd-Gilchrist and Williams gave up roughly the amount of money they’ll make on their new prorated minimum-salary contracts, so they won’t come out ahead financially — they’ll just get a chance to play in the postseason before returning to free agency in the summer.

As for the team, there’s little downside to letting a veteran go, since the player is usually in the final year of his contract and the club completing the buyout is rarely in contention for a playoff spot. Buying out that veteran can save the team some money, earn some goodwill with a player and an agent, and open up minutes for a younger player to take over.

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Community Shootaround: Joel Embiid

Last spring, the Sixers took the eventual champion Raptors to the limit in a seven-game playoff series. This season, their star center Joel Embiid seems more interested in testing the limits of everyone’s patience.

Philadelphia has the league’s best home record but overall it has been a disappointment. The Sixers are just 9-19 on the road and Embiid’s effort and focus has been the subject of scrutiny.

Embiid seemingly made a vulgar comment directed toward the home fans on Sunday and heard many boos during pregame introductions on Tuesday.

Embiid denied that he criticized the home fans but then continued to stir the pot on social media. He even insinuated in an Instagram exchange with former teammate and Heat swingman Jimmy Butler that he’d rather be in Miami.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst indicated on a podcast that rival executives have started to openly wonder whether the Sixers would consider moving Embiid if the team has an abbreviated postseason run.

It’s hard to imagine that the Sixers would give up on Embiid despite his injury history and penchant for stirring controversy. His stats have dropped off this year but he’s still on the short list of the league’s best big men. At 25, Embiid is just entering his prime, as long as health issues don’t sidetrack his career.

Embiid is signed through the 2022/23 season and there figures to be plenty of interest around the league if Philadelphia’s front office grows weary of his act and looks to shake things up.

That brings us to our question of the day: If the Sixers getting knocked out early in this year’s playoffs, should they consider trading center Joel Embiid?

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

2020 NBA Buyout Market Watch

The 2020 NBA trade deadline is behind us, but that doesn’t mean teams are finished making roster moves. With two months left in the 2019/20 regular season, there are still a number of roster spots to be filled around the NBA, as well as veterans who might not finish the year with their current teams.

For the rest of February, the NBA’s buyout market figures to be active. A veteran in an undesirable situation due to his playing time or his team’s place in the standings (or both) could ask to be released and may even be willing to give back a little money to accommodate the move. Some teams might make that decision unilaterally, opting to release a veteran to open up a roster spot for a younger player.

Over the rest of the month, we’ll use the space below to monitor the buyout market, keeping tabs on which veteran players have been bought out or released, and which have found new teams. We’ll also keep an eye on players who are potential buyout candidates. The list will be updated daily.

A player on an NBA contract must be waived by the end of the day on March 1 in order to retain his playoff eligibility, so that will be a key date to watch.

Here’s our breakdown of the 2020 NBA buyout market:

Last updated 3-3-20 (7:27am CT)

Veterans who have been bought out or released this season and are free agents:

* Players in italics are still on waivers.

C.J. Miles, Chandler Parsons, Gerald Green, and DeMarcus Cousins have also been released. However, they have major injuries and may not return this season, so they don’t look like viable candidates to be signed by a new team.

Veterans who have been bought out or released and joined new teams:

Other veterans who were candidates to be bought out or released, but ultimately stayed put:

Some of the players in this group are likelier buyout candidates than others. We’ll keep updating this list based on reports and rumors in the coming days and weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

23 Trade Exceptions Generated In Deadline Deals

As we explain in our glossary entry on the NBA’s trade rules, teams that complete a “non-simultaneous” deal can create what’s called a traded player exception. These are salary cap exceptions a team can use anytime during the following calendar year to acquire one or more players whose salaries are no greater than the amount of that exception (plus $100K).

A number of the traded player exceptions created at the 2019 trade deadline expired this week without being used, but nearly two dozen new TPEs were generated as a result of the trades completed at this year’s deadline. They’ll expire next February, so they could be used during the offseason or sometime next season.

The full list of traded player exceptions created this week is below, sorted by amount. The player whose departure helped generate the TPE is noted in parentheses. The full list of available trade exceptions can be found right here.

In addition to the traded player exceptions from the deals completed on February 6, this list includes the exceptions created on February 5 in the four-team trade involving the Hawks, Timberwolves, Rockets, and Nuggets.

It doesn’t include trade exceptions generated in deals earlier this season, such as the $7,069,662 TPE the Trail Blazers got when they sent Kent Bazemore to Sacramento in a five-player trade. Again, the full list of current TPEs can be found here.

If you have any questions or corrections, please let me know in the comment section below.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/2/20-2/8/2020

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:

  • In the lead up to February 6’s NBA trade deadline, Luke Adams created a helpful trade deadline primer to guide readers through the various players and teams to watch.
  • Now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, check out our trade deadline recap page tabulating all the deadline day transactions.
  • Want to know which NBA teams have open roster spots now that the trade deadline has passed? Look no further than right here.
  • Davis Bertans and Jae Crowder number among the Southeast Division free agents-to-be in 2020 who have seen their stock rise this season, Dana Gauruder details in the latest installment of our Free Agent Stock Watch series.
  • In our Community Shootaround, we asked you to weigh in on who won this year’s action-packed trade deadline.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2020: Southeast Division

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Southeast Division:

Davis Bertans, Wizards, 27, PF (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $14.5MM deal in 2018
The fact that the Wizards set such a high price on the unrestricted free agent, reportedly asking for two first-rounders and possibly more, shows how much Bertans is valued by the organization and other clubs. He’s averaging 15 PPG, albeit for one of the league’s worst teams, but his 3-point shooting is craved around the league. Big guys who can shoot 42.9% from deep, as Bertans has the past two seasons, command a high price tag. Washington desperately wants to re-sign Bertans and hopes the loyalty it showed will have an impact this summer. But the Wizards will have plenty of competition for his services.

Treveon Graham, Hawks, 26, SG (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $3.16MM deal in 2018
Graham was tossed into the deal that sent Allen Crabbe to the Timberwolves last month. Perhaps the only thing surprising about Graham is that he wasn’t thrown into another trade by the very active Atlanta front office. He received steady playing time with Minnesota (20.1 MPG), including 20 starts, but his impact on the Hawks has been minimal. He’s scored a total of 12 points in nine appearances. Graham just isn’t enough of an offensive threat and defenses don’t have to respect him on the perimeter. He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and he’ll be looking at minimum deals at best.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Hornets, 26, SF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $52MM deal in 2016
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.. Yes, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft is still in the league. In fact, he’s just 26 years old. Injuries sidetracked MKG’s career but a bigger issue is his lack of an offensive game. Ben Simmons can get a max contract without a 3-point shot because of his wondrous playmaking skills and defensive versatility. A 6’6” forward without an outside shot is a dinosaur into today’s NBA. MKG has appeared in just 12 games this season and hasn’t seen the floor since late December. Charlotte’s front office is just counting the days to get his contract off its books.

Jae Crowder, Heat, 29, SF (Up) – Signed to five-year, $35MM deal in 2015
Crowder was quietly enjoying one of his best seasons with the Grizzlies before getting dealt to Miami just before the deadline. He started regularly for Memphis despite modest offensive numbers (9.9 PPG on 36.8% shooting), finding other ways to contribute. He was averaging career highs in rebounding (6.2 RPG) and assists (2.8 APG) along with playing his usual solid defense. It will be interesting to see how coach Erik Spoelstra incorporates Crowder into the rotation but the impending unrestricted free agent will get an opportunity to show his value on a now serious Eastern Conference contender.

James Ennis, Magic, 29, SF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $4MM deal in 2019
Ennis’ playing time had diminished before the Sixers, who acquired perimeter shooters from the Warriors, found a new home for the journeyman forward. The Magic were willing to give up a second-round pick in order to secure Ennis’ services. Orlando president Jeff Weltman said Ennis will add “shooting, athleticism, and toughness” to the team, so from all indications he’ll jump right into the rotation. Ennis is an adequate perimeter shooter and a factor in the open floor. Ennis holds a $2.13MM player option on his contract next season and could choose to opt out with a strong finish.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots After Trade Deadline

The 2020 NBA trade deadline has come and gone, so teams that had been holding open roster spots in case they needed them before a last-minute deal can now fill those openings, if they so choose. The Nets did exactly that today — after holding their 15th roster spot open through the deadline, they signed Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to a multiyear contract today to fill it.

While Brooklyn no longer has an open roster spot, a number of teams around the league still do. Here’s a quick breakdown of which clubs fit that bill and what their roster situations are, with their roster openings noted in parentheses:

  • Golden State Warriors (3): The Warriors initially had six roster openings, but signed Juan Toscano-Anderson and promoted Ky Bowman and Marquese Chriss to fill three of them. Zach Norvell and Jeremy Pargo are expected to sign 10-day deals, allowing Golden State to get to the league-mandated minimum of 14. The Dubs will probably keep their 15th slot open as they attempt to stay below the tax line.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (2): Alfonzo McKinnie agreed to a long-term contract with the Cavaliers and will fill one of their two open spots once his deal becomes official. However, the team could re-open that second slot this weekend when Marques Bolden‘s 10-day contract expires.
  • Houston Rockets (2): The Rockets figure to keep a close eye on the buyout market as they look to reinforce their depth. They’ll have up to two weeks to get back to at least 14 players.
  • Atlanta Hawks (1): The Hawks opened a roster spot by trading Jabari Parker and Alex Len to Sacramento for Dewayne Dedmon. They’re not anywhere near the tax, so I’d expect them to fill that opening soon with a young player, either on a 10-day deal or a rest-of-season contract.
  • Los Angeles Clippers (1): The Clippers opened up one roster spot by trading Derrick Walton. They’re expected to open up a second by waiving Isaiah Thomas, a move that isn’t yet official. Like Houston, the Clips figure to scour the buyout market in an effort to fill its roster. Darren Collison is also an option if he decides to make a comeback.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (1): The Thunder stood pat at the deadline and seem unlikely to fill that final roster spot anytime soon, since a 15th man would increase their projected tax bill.
  • Portland Trail Blazers (1): The same goes for the Trail Blazers, who remain in the tax even after moving Skal Labissiere for nothing at the deadline.
  • Denver Nuggets / Memphis Grizzlies / Orlando Magic (0): The Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Magic don’t currently have roster openings, but likely will soon. Denver is expected to waive Gerald Green, Memphis reportedly doesn’t intend to keep Dion Waiters, and Gary Clark‘s 10-day contract with Orlando will expire tonight.

Note: These roster counts are up to date as of the time of publication. This list is just a snapshot and won’t be updated to reflect subsequent moves, but our roster counts page will be.

2020 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

The 2020 trade deadline wasn’t quite as eventful as 2019’s record-setting deadline, but we still got a flurry of activity before the clock struck 2:00pm central time on Thursday afternoon.

Although it was a quiet week for several potential contenders, including the Lakers, Bucks, Raptors, and Celtics, big-name trade candidates like D’Angelo Russell and Andre Drummond were on the move and a total of 11 deals were officially completed on deadline day.

We’ll use the space below to recap all of 2020’s deadline deals, starting with the moves that were finalized on Thursday.


Trades completed on deadline day:

Timberwolves finally land D’Angelo Russell (story)

  • Timberwolves acquire D’Angelo Russell, Omari Spellman, and Jacob Evans.
  • Warriors acquire Andrew Wiggins, the Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick (top-three protected), and the Timberwolves’ 2021 second-round pick.
    • Note: The Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick will become unprotected in 2022 if it’s not conveyed in ’21.

Cavaliers emerge as surprise landing spot for Andre Drummond (story)

Clippers beat out Lakers for Marcus Morris in three-team trade (story)

  • Clippers acquire Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas.
  • Knicks acquire Maurice Harkless, the Clippers’ 2020 first-round pick, the Pistons 2021 second-round pick, the right to swap their own 2021 first-round pick with the Clippers’ 2021 first-round pick (top-four protected), and the draft rights to Issuf Sanon.
  • Wizards acquire Jerome Robinson.

Heat acquire Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder in three-team deal (full stories)

Hawks re-acquire Dewayne Dedmon (story)

Sixers fortify their bench (story)

  • Sixers acquire Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III.
  • Warriors acquire the Mavericks’ 2020 second-round pick, the Nuggets’ 2021 second-round pick, and the Raptors’ 2022 second-round pick.

Rockets flip Jordan Bell to Memphis (story)

  • Rockets acquire Bruno Caboclo.
  • Grizzlies acquire Jordan Bell and the right to swap the Mavericks’ or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable) with the Rockets’ 2023 second-round pick (top-32 protected).

Magic acquire James Ennis (story)

  • Magic acquire James Ennis.
  • Sixers acquire the Lakers’ 2020 second-round pick.

Nuggets, Wizards swap backup guards (story)

Trail Blazers trade Skal Labissiere to reduce their tax bill (story)

  • Hawks acquire Skal Labissiere and cash ($1,759,795).
  • Trail Blazers acquire the Hawks’ 2024 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

Clippers move Derrick Walton Jr. to open roster spot (story)

  • Hawks acquire Derrick Walton Jr. and cash ($1,313,576).
  • Clippers acquire the Hawks’ 2022 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

Players waived on deadline day:

Note: Isaiah Thomas (Clippers) and Gerald Green (Nuggets) are expected to be waived and Dion Waiters (Grizzlies) will likely be released or bought out, but those moves have not yet been made official.


Trades completed in the month leading up to the deadline:

Rockets, Hawks, Timberwolves, Nuggets complete massive 12-player trade (story)

Mavericks acquire injury replacement for Dwight Powell (story)

Thunder reduce tax bill, acquire a rookie forward (story)

Trail Blazers acquire Trevor Ariza, shed salary (story)

Hawks re-acquire Jeff Teague (story)

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.