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2020 NBA Free Agent Power Rankings 2.0

January 31st, 2020 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Since we published the first installment of our 2020 free agent power rankings in November, there haven’t been a ton of injuries, contract extensions, or other developments that will shake up our list in our major way. However, with a handful of free-agents-to-be enjoying breakout years and others struggling, it’s time for an update.

The biggest change this time around is the fact that Mike Conley and Otto Porter no longer show up in our top-20 list. That doesn’t mean that Conley or Porter wouldn’t be one of the top 20 players on the open market this summer if they reach free agency. But due to injuries – and up-and-down play when they’ve been on the court – I no longer feel confident projecting them to even become free agents.

As our full list of potential 2020 free agents shows, Conley has an early termination option worth approximately $34.5MM for next season, while Porter has a player option worth nearly $28.5MM. Unless they make very strong second-half comebacks, I’d be surprised if either player opts out of his contract at season’s end, since they seem highly unlikely to match those 2020/21 salaries on new deals. As such, they’ve been removed from our list of 2020’s top free agents for the time being.

As usual, our 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, older players like Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap have strong short-term value, but didn’t crack our top 20 because they’ll be 35 next summer and are unlikely to sign huge, long-term deals. In other words, age and long-term value are important.

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

  1. Anthony Davis, F/C, Lakers (player option): The No. 1 player on our board is the only legit superstar on track to reach unrestricted free agency this summer. If anything, Davis’ position atop this list is even more secure than it was at the start of the season, since he has posted MVP-type numbers (26.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.5 BPG) for a Lakers team that leads the Western Conference.
  2. Brandon Ingram, F, Pelicans (RFA): While waiting seemed like the safe bet at the time, the Pelicans may be wishing they’d locked up Ingram to a long-term extension during the preseason. The 22-year-old has exceeded all expectations so far in New Orleans, combining strong scoring numbers (25.0 PPG on .471/.404/.856 shooting) with improving play-making (4.3 APG) and earning his first All-Star nod.
  3. Andre Drummond, C, Pistons (player option): Although Drummond continues to hold the No. 3 spot on our list thanks to his elite rebounding (15.6 RPG) and defensive ability (2.1 SPG, 1.8 RPG), I’d be a little nervous about giving him a long-term, maximum-salary contract this offseason. It sounds like NBA teams share that concern, considering the Pistons are willing to move him and the Hawks reportedly backed off their pursuit due to his asking price.
  4. Gordon Hayward, F, Celtics (player option): It won’t be a simple decision for Hayward to turn down his $34MM+ player option for 2020/21. However, that scenario seems increasingly likely as long as he stays healthy and keeps playing like he has. He has essentially posted a 50/40/90 shooting line for the month of January and his overall numbers match up favorably with those from his All-Star 2016/17 season in Utah.
  5. Fred VanVleet, G, Raptors: In our first 2020 free agent power rankings, I expressed some trepidation about making VanVleet the top point guard in my board. That looks like a much safer bet now, as the 25-year-old has been a key cog driving the success of the second-seeded Raptors. A rebuilding team with cap room and a hole at point guard – such as the Knicks – could drive up the price on VanVleet this offseason.
  6. DeMar DeRozan, G/F, Spurs (player option): DeRozan will turn 31 this summer and his ongoing resistance to expanding his shooting range may limit his appeal in free agency. Still, it’s hard to move the four-time All-Star much further down this list when he continues to produce like he has lately. DeRozan is generating rebounds and assists at a career-high rate since joining the Spurs and his .535 FG% this season blows away his previous career high — he may not shoot three-pointers, but he’s certainly an efficient scorer.
  7. Bogdan Bogdanovic, G/F, Kings (RFA): Bogdanovic’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but his contributions go beyond his somewhat pedestrian box score. He’s capable of running an offense, playing on or off the ball, spacing the floor, and holding his own on defense, making him the sort of all-around contributor who would fit perfectly on any roster.
  8. Montrezl Harrell, C, Clippers: The fact that so many of Harrell’s minutes come against bench units may make suitors wary of his production. Still, that production (19.3 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 28.7 MPG) is hard to deny, and his underlying rim-protection numbers are pretty solid too. It’ll be fascinating to see how big a raise the 26-year-old gets on this year’s $6MM salary in July.
  9. Danilo Gallinari, F, Thunder: Gallinari’s numbers have dipped ever so slightly this season in Oklahoma City, but it’s still been an encouraging year for the Thunder forward, who has maintained a scoring average of 19+ PPG and – most importantly – stayed healthy. He’d rank higher on this list if he were a few years younger. Since he’ll be entering his age-32 season later this year and has a history of injury issues, teams may be reluctant to invest major long-term money.
  10. Evan Fournier, G/F, Magic (player option): Fournier is enjoying a career year in Orlando, with 18.8 PPG on .464/.396/.816 shooting. His ability to knock down outside looks and create his own shot is valuable, and he’s still just 27 years old.
  11. Davis Bertans, F, Wizards: Bertans narrowly missed a spot on the top 20 in the previous installment of our power rankings. It’s impossible to keep him off the list now, amid ongoing chatter that he could be looking at $15MM per year on his next deal. Incredibly, Bertans has nearly doubled his rate of three-point attempts per game this year – from 4.4 to 8.5 – while still ranking among the league leaders in 3PT% (.422).
  12. Dillon Brooks, F, Grizzlies (RFA): Like Bertans, Brooks may not have looked like a top 2020 free agent last fall, but a career year has significantly raised his stock. Besides averaging 16.3 PPG with a .404 3PT%, Brooks has played tough, physical defense and hasn’t missed a game, helping lead the overachieving Grizzlies to a .500 record and the No. 8 seed. His frequent foul trouble is a bit concerning, but Brooks is a three-and-D wing who just turned 24 years old — he’s headed for a nice payday.
  13. Serge Ibaka, F/C, Raptors: After playing an important role in the Raptors’ championship run in the spring, Ibaka is having his arguably best year yet in Toronto. While many of his per-game averages are nearly identical to last season’s, his .381 3PT% represents a major step up on last year’s .290 mark and has helped the Raps’ offense remain dangerous without Kawhi Leonard.
  14. Marcus Morris, F, Knicks: Having averaged between 13.6 and 14.1 PPG for four consecutive seasons, Morris is blowing away his previous career highs with 19.2 PPG and a .439 3PT%. Are those numbers an aberration? A byproduct of becoming the de facto No. 1 option in New York? Some combination of both? Teams will have to answer those questions as they weigh whether to pursue the 30-year-old this summer.
  15. Jerami Grant, F, Nuggets (player option): Following a very slow start to the season in Denver, Grant has righted the ship, particularly since entering the starting lineup on January 8. In the 12 games since then, he has averaged 15.5 PPG on .474/.432/.780 shooting while being his usual versatile self on defense. This is the version of Grant the Nuggets were expecting when they gave up a first-round pick for him last July.
  16. Derrick Favors, C, Pelicans: Favors has been limited by injuries this season and his role has been somewhat complicated by Zion Williamson‘s return. But he’s averaging 10.0 RPG in part-time minutes and his on/off-court numbers reflect his value. New Orleans has a +2.2 net rating when he plays (-4.5 when he sits) and is nearly a .500 team (13-14) when he’s in the starting lineup. The club is just 6-13 in the games he has missed.
  17. Joe Harris, G/F, Nets: Harris’ name may have been left out when Kyrie Irving provided the media with his impromptu list of Nets building blocks earlier this month, but the swingman’s ability to score and spread the floor has been crucial again this season. Brooklyn’s offense has cratered – from a 108.4 rating to just 98.2 – when he’s on the bench.
  18. Tristan Thompson, C, Cavaliers: With a double-double average (12.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG) for the second consecutive year, Thompson has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreadful Cavaliers season. When he reaches free agency as a 29-year-old this summer, it’ll be interesting to see whether he sticks out Cleveland’s rebuilding project or jumps ship to a contender.
  19. Tim Hardaway Jr., G/F, Mavericks (player option): If Hardaway weren’t earning $20MM, he’d be considered underrated. He’s connecting on 39.5% of 6.7 three-point attempts per game and has developed into a reliable member of Luka Doncic‘s supporting cast in Dallas.
  20. Hassan Whiteside, C, Trail Blazers: It’s hard to know how to properly rate Whiteside’s value. He’s a maximum-salary player who continues to put up some of the NBA’s best rebounding (14.0 RPG) and block (3.1 BPG) numbers. But the Heat have thrived after jettisoning Whiteside and the Trail Blazers have struggled since he became their starting center. Potential suitors will have to assess just how much value Whiteside’s individual stats actually provide.

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.

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Poll: Should Bradley Beal Be An All-Star?

January 31st, 2020 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced its All-Star reserves on Thursday night, and while none of the players voted in by the coaches were shocking choices, Bradley Beal‘s exclusion from the list of Eastern Conference All-Stars came as a surprise to a number of fans and league observers.

Although Beal’s outside shooting rate has dipped this year – his .325 3PT% is a career-worst mark – he has shouldered the Wizards‘ scoring and play-making burden with John Wall out and has put up some massive numbers. His 28.7 PPG ranks third in the Eastern Conference and would be a career high. His 6.4 APG also represents the best mark of his career. Beal is arguably having a better season in 2019/20 than he did when he was named an All-Star the last two years.

However, the performance of Beal’s team cost him an All-Star spot this season. Even after a win on Thursday, Washington is just 16-31. The seven Eastern All-Star reserves were all from the top six teams in the conference — none of those clubs has a record worse than 31-18.

Despite the Wizards’ struggles, Beal and those around him still felt as if he deserved an All-Star spot. As Fred Katz of The Athletic relays, Beal’s fiancée Kamiah Adams went on the team’s post-game show and called the decision “laughable.” The Wizards guard himself addressed the snub after the game to NBC Sports Washington reporter Chris Miller (link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington).

“I’m a little pissed off about it, but I know how I am,” Beal said. “I was kind of expecting it, honestly. It’s disrespectful. But the real ones know.”

Even Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, delivered an impassioned case for why Beal’s exclusion was the wrong decision. Bartelstein suggested to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that his client is essentially being punished for sticking with the rebuilding Wizards instead of “jumping ship” and forcing his way to a contender.

“He chose not to (leave), and instead stayed the course — only to not be recognized as an All-Star because his team hasn’t won enough games when, in fact, the Wizards have exceeded expectations,” Bartelstein said. “It can’t be just about the gross numbers of wins and losses. It has to be, ‘What is your impact on the game?’ And so I think the coaches are sending a horrible message to players, that if you want to be loyal and go through the tough times in your organization, you’re not going to be an All-Star in those tough times.”

The All-Star case for Beal is an obvious one that centers around his impressive offensive output, but there are arguments against his case as well. For one, the Wizards’ defense has been historically bad this season. That’s not all on Beal, but his play on that end of the court hasn’t helped matters — the Wizards have a dismal 120.7 defensive rating when he plays, compared to 107.0 when he sits.

Jimmy Butler (Heat), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), Khris Middleton (Bucks), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers), Ben Simmons (Sixers), and Jayson Tatum (Celtics) don’t have the gaudy counting stats that Beal does, but they’ve all been very effective on both ends of the court — many of them are candidates for All-Defensive consideration this season.

This debate may end up being moot, since even a minor injury to any one of the 12 Eastern All-Stars within the next couple weeks could open up the door for Beal to be named an All-Star anyway. But for now, he’s on the outside looking in, so we want to know what you think of the decision.

Did the coaches voting on the East’s All-Star reserves make a mistake? Should Beal an All-Star? If so, which of the other seven Eastern reserves would you remove from the roster to make room for Beal?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Community Shootaround: Western All-Star Reserves

January 30th, 2020 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

There was little pushback on the All-Star starter selections from the Western Conference when the NBA announced them last week, and for good reason. All five players voted in as starters from the West – Luka Doncic, James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard – could end up being viable MVP candidates this season.

However, it may be a little more challenging to pick the seven Western players who will join those starters at this year’s All-Star Game. Those seven reserves will be announced on Thursday night, with two more guards, three more frontcourt players, and a pair of wild cards filling out the roster.

Before those players are announced, we want to get your thoughts on which players deserve to be included and which players don’t quite make the cut, as we did with the Eastern Conference on Wednesday.

Let’s start in the middle, where a pair of Northwest centers look like strong candidates to be named All-Stars. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) had a case to be considered as a starter, while Rudy Gobert (Jazz) looks poised to finally earn the first All-Star nod of his career.

Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell has had the best year of his young career and deserves serious All-Star consideration. He’ll face stiff competition among guards though. Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) looks like a lock to make it, and Devin Booker (Suns), Chris Paul (Thunder), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Russell Westbrook (Rockets), DeMar DeRozan (Spurs), and Ja Morant (Grizzlies) are among the other backcourt candidates.

Although they’re long shots, guards like Lou Williams (Clippers), CJ McCollum (Trail Blazers), Jrue Holiday (Pelicans), and De’Aaron Fox (Kings) probably deserve a look too.

While Holiday entered the season looking like the most obvious All-Star candidate on the Pelicans’ roster, Brandon Ingram has emerged as that player instead, enjoying a breakout season in his first year in New Orleans. Danilo Gallinari (Thunder), Bojan Bogdanovic (Jazz), and Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks) are among the other players who are posting at least borderline All-Star numbers in their first year with a new team.

Injuries will likely have an impact on the Western All-Star selections for 2019/20. If they’d been healthy all season long, Paul George (Clippers) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) would have strong cases, but they’ve only played in 26 and 30 games, respectively — we’ll see if that’s enough. While he’s not quite the star that George and KAT are, D’Angelo Russell (Warriors) is in this boat too. Like Towns, he’s had a good year, but has been limited to just 30 games and plays on one of the conference’s worst teams.

Finally, while I view them as long shots, Montrezl Harrell (Clippers), Jaren Jackson (Grizzlies), and LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) have had very good years and deserve at least a passing mention in this discussion.

What do you think? Which seven players are you picking as your Western Conference All-Star reserves?

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

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception

January 29th, 2020 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While relying on ESPN.com’s Trade Machine may be the simplest way for NBA fans to verify whether or not a trade will work under league rules, it’s worth examining the primary tool in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement that determines a trade’s viability — the traded player exception.

Teams with the cap room necessary to make a trade work don’t need to abide by the traded player exception rules. However, if a team makes a deal that will leave its total salary more than $100K above the salary cap, the club can use a traded player exception to ensure the trade is legal under CBA guidelines.

There are two different types of traded player exceptions used in NBA deals. One applies to simultaneous trades, while the other applies to non-simultaneous deals. In a simultaneous trade, a team can send out one or more players and can acquire more salary than it gives up. In a non-simultaneous trade, only a single player can be dealt, and the team has a year to take back the equivalent of that player’s salary, plus $100K.

Let’s look into each scenario in greater detail….

Simultaneous:

In a simultaneous trade, different rules applies to taxpaying and non-taxpaying clubs. A non-taxpaying team can trade one or more players and take back….

  • 175% of the outgoing salary (plus $100K), for any amount up to $6,533,333.
  • The outgoing salary plus $5MM, for any amount between $6,533,333 and $19,600,000.
  • 125% of the outgoing salary (plus $100K), for any amount above $19,600,000.

Here’s a recent example of these rules in effect:

Read more

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Community Shootaround: Eastern All-Star Reserves

January 29th, 2020 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced last week that Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Kemba Walker, and Trae Young will be the five All-Star starters from the Eastern Conference this season, as selected by fans, players, and the media. That leaves seven reserve spots to fill — two more guards, three more frontcourt players, and a pair of wild cards.

Those seven Eastern All-Stars will be announced on Thursday, but before they are, we want to get your thoughts on which players deserve to be included and which players don’t quite make the cut.

Of the five starters, all but Young are from one of the Eastern Conference’s top six teams, and you could actually make a reasonable case that the seven reserves should all be from those clubs too.

Khris Middleton is a strong candidate for the Bucks, with teammate Eric Bledsoe worthy of consideration as well. Heat swingman Jimmy Butler was on a number of ballots for the starting five and looks like a lock to be among the reserves.

Big men Bam Adebayo (Heat) and Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) have enjoyed breakout seasons, playing key roles on both ends of the court for their respective teams. Sabonis’ teammate Malcolm Brogdon has also built an All-Star case, though his numbers have slipped a little as of late and he has missed some time. Even T.J. Warren deserves a look.

Elsewhere among the conference’s top six clubs, guards Kyle Lowry (Raptors) and Ben Simmons (Sixers) have been crucial to their teams’ success, with Fred VanVleet and Tobias Harris making borderline cases for consideration too. The Celtics have a pair of young wings – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – who are candidates to join Walker in the All-Star Game.

If you’re not inclined to give an edge to players from those top Eastern teams, all of whom have at least a 9.5-game cushion on the seventh-best team in the conference, there are a handful of solid candidates in the lottery too. Bradley Beal is putting up huge numbers for the Wizards, while Zach LaVine continues to increase his scoring average for the Bulls.

Derrick Rose and Andre Drummond have had strong seasons and have helped the Pistons remain in the hunt for a playoff spot despite the roster being hit hard by injuries. Devonte’ Graham has had a breakout year for the Hornets, while Marcus Morris has been one of the few bright spots for the Knicks.

Finally, the current seventh and eight seeds in the East don’t have any All-Star locks, since Nets star Kyrie Irving has only played in 17 games. But his backcourt mate Spencer Dinwiddie has earned at least a look, as have the Magic‘s top two scorers, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier.

What do you think? Which seven Eastern Conference players would you take to fill out 2020’s East All-Stars?

Head to the comment section below to share your picks!

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NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Central Division

January 28th, 2020 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of the 2019/20 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.

With just nine days left until the 2020 trade deadline, we’ve surveyed each of the NBA’s divisions three times this season, identifying three potential trade candidates during each go-round. So far, every one of the five in-season trades completed in 2019/20 has included at least one player we’ve previously discussed as a trade candidate. Here’s the full list.

Although we may not have time to circle back through all six divisions a fourth time, we’re revisiting the Central today, taking a look at three more possible trade candidates. Let’s dive in…

Denzel Valentine, SG
Chicago Bulls
$3.4MM cap hit; RFA in 2020

While Valentine has been in and out of the Bulls’ rotation this season, any teams keeping an eye on him Monday night were rewarded with perhaps his best game of 2019/20. He racked up 16 points and made 4-of-6 three-point attempts with a +19 rating in 19 minutes.

The performance provided a glimpse of what kind of value Valentine can bring as a rotation player when things are going well. However, he seems increasingly unlikely to reach his potential in Chicago. Since a solid 2017/18 season, the 26-year-old has appeared in just 27 games due to ankle issues and Jim Boylen‘s rotation decisions. Restricted free agency is on tap for the fourth-year wing this summer, and I’d be surprised if he’s in the Bulls’ plans moving forward.

Given his modest cap hit, controllable rights and .377 career 3PT%, Valentine may appeal to teams looking for a low-cost shooter. The Bulls shouldn’t expect a substantial return, but if they can get a second-round pick out of a deal, it might be an offer worth taking.

Derrick Rose, PG
Detroit Pistons
$7.3MM cap hit; guaranteed $7.68MM salary in 2020/21; UFA in 2021

Like Dwight Howard in Los Angeles, Rose has experienced an impressive resurgence this season. The former MVP isn’t the superstar he once was, but he has been the Pistons’ most reliable scorer, with 18.8 PPG in just 26.6 MPG through 41 contests. He’s a walking bucket and could be a formidable play-making threat for a contender if Detroit decides to move him.

It certainly seems that there has been interest. The Lakers and Sixers were recently cited as potential suitors, with the Clippers also reportedly inquiring. The Pistons may actually have a better chance of acquiring a first-round pick for Rose than they would for Andre Drummond, given the two players’ respective contract situations and cap hits.

Still, with Rose currently battling a sore right knee, potential suitors will proceed with caution. Health has always been the concern for the former Bull, and a contending team willing to surrender a first-rounder for a roster upgrade may prefer to pursue a player with a less worrisome injury history.

John Henson, F/C
Cleveland Cavaliers
$9.7MM cap hit; UFA in 2020

Besides Tristan Thompson, whom we covered in an earlier look at the Central, the Cavaliers have three other veterans on pricey expiring contracts who could be on the move at this year’s deadline. However, none of those players have positive trade value.

Brandon Knight ($15.6MM), Matthew Dellavedova ($9.6MM), and Henson are borderline rotation players, and the Cavs will be hard-pressed to acquire a real asset for any of them unless they’re willing to take on some unwanted multiyear money.

Of the three, Henson looks like the most realistic trade candidate. Knight has barely played this season and is dealing with a knee injury, while Dellavedova’s numbers have been dreadful. Henson, in a part-time role, has at least showed he’s still capable of cleaning the glass and protecting the rim, with 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes. The Cavs also have a -1.4 net rating when he plays, compared to -9.8 when he sits.

Cleveland will still be hard-pressed to get much of value for Henson, but I’d expect the team to get more traction on him than some of its other expendable vets.

Revisit the rest of our 2019/20 Trade Candidate series right here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Honoring Kobe Bryant

January 28th, 2020 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

A Change.org petition asking the NBA to make Kobe Bryant the league’s new logo has surpassed two million signatures, and that idea has some support among players too. Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, the vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, tells Roderick Boone of The Athletic that he’d be on board with the idea of having Bryant’s silhouette replace Jerry West‘s on the league’s logo.

“We are hoping,” Biyombo said. “The NBA is going to do something. As a player, I think you want to see that. You just want to see that because of what the guy has meant to the game, to be honest. For me, I think as a player, I would really like to embrace that because you’ve seen the change, and you’ve seen it over the course of the years. Kobe, he wants to teach. As we see now, he opened the academy, and everybody was going to his academy, and the guy was present there early in the morning early to teach. There’s not many people who are doing that.

“(Making him the logo), it’s an appreciation of what the guy has done for the game of basketball, and that’s what I think we all should be thinking about.”

Biyombo is right that the NBA will certainly find a way to honor the memory of Bryant, who died on Sunday in a tragic helicopter crash near Los Angeles. However, the idea of changing the NBA’s logo isn’t the only one that has been floated this week.

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg (video link) suggested on Get Up this morning that the NBA should name an award after Bryant, in the same way that Bill Russell is the namesake for the league’s NBA Finals MVP award. Pointing to Bryant’s longtime presence and popularity in Europe and Asia, Greenberg proposed that the award named after Kobe could be given annually to the player who does the most to grow the game internationally.

Other suggestions for ways to honor Bryant have involved his jersey numbers. Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) wondered if the NBA might have this year’s two All-Star teams wear No. 8 (for Team LeBron) and No. 24 (for Team Giannis) uniforms.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban announced this week that his team will retire No. 24 in honor of Bryant. There has been speculation that other teams could follow suit. The Lakers, of course, have already retired both No. 8 and No. 24.

We want to know what you think. What would be an appropriate tribute by the NBA to honor Bryant’s memory?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts.

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NBA Players Who Can’t Be Aggregated In Trades

January 28th, 2020 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a rule that states players who are acquired using an exception (ie. not using cap space) can’t be aggregated in a second trade for two months after the original deal.

Aggregating a player in a trade refers to the act of combining his contract with another player’s contract for salary-matching purposes. For instance, an over-the-cap team can’t trade a player with a $5MM salary straight up for a player with a $13MM salary. But if the team aggregates that player with a second player who also earns $5MM, the deal would work.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception]

The rule against including a player in an aggregated trade for two months after he’s acquired doesn’t preclude the player’s team from adding him to a multi-player deal. His salary simply can’t be combined upon with another player’s for matching purposes in such a trade.

For instance, even if a player earning a minimum salary can’t be aggregated in a trade, his team could still include him in a swap involving a pair of $10MM players, since his minimum-salary cap hit wouldn’t be needed for salary matching.

With those rules in mind, here’s the list of players who have been acquired using a cap exception within the last two months and can’t be aggregated in a deadline trade this season:

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NBA Draft Rights Held For 2019/20

January 28th, 2020 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

When a top college prospect is drafted, it’s generally a given that his next step will involve signing an NBA contract. However, that’s not the case for every player who is selected in the NBA draft, especially international prospects and second-round picks.

When an NBA team uses a draft pick on a player, it gains his NBA rights, but that doesn’t mean the player will sign an NBA contract right away. International prospects will often remain with their professional team overseas for at least one more year to develop their game further, becoming “draft-and-stash” prospects. Dario Saric, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Tomas Satoransky are among the more notable players to fit this bill over the last decade.

However, draft-and-stash players can be former NCAA standouts too. Sometimes a college prospect selected with a late second round pick will end up playing overseas or in the G League for a year or two if there’s no space available on his NBA team’s 15-man roster. This was the case for former Gonzaga standout Nigel Williams-Goss, who was drafted by the Jazz in 2017 but didn’t join the NBA team until 2019.

While these players sometimes make their way to their NBA teams, others never do. Many clubs currently hold the NBA rights to international players who have remained overseas for their entire professional careers and are no longer viewed as top prospects. Those players may never come stateside, but there’s often no reason for NBA teams to renounce their rights — those rights can sometimes be used as placeholders in trades.

For instance, during the 2019 offseason, the Warriors and Timberwolves agreed to a trade that sent Treveon Graham, Shabazz Napier, and cash to Minnesota. For Golden State, the deal was just about getting off a pair of guaranteed salaries and remaining under the hard cap, but the Wolves had to send something to the Warriors in the deal. Rather than including an NBA player or a draft pick, Minnesota sent Golden State the draft rights to Lior Eliyahu, the 44th pick in the 2006 NBA draft.

Eliyahu, who is currently playing for Maccabi Ashdod in Israel, has had a long, decorated career overseas, but he’s 34 years old and at this point is unlikely to ever come to the NBA. Still, his draft rights have been a useful trade chip over the years — he was also included in a Rockets/Timberwolves deal back in 2012.

Listed below are all the players whose NBA draft rights are currently held by NBA teams. A few of these players will eventually arrive in America and join their respective NBA clubs, but many will end up like Eliyahu, plying their trade overseas and having their draft rights used as pawns in NBA trades.

Atlanta Hawks

  • Augusto Binelli, C (1986; No. 40): Retired.
  • Alain Digbeu, F (1997; No. 49): Retired.
  • Marcus Eriksson, G/F (2015; No. 50): Playing in Germany.
  • Alpha Kaba, C (2017; No. 60): Playing in France.

Boston Celtics

  • None

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

  • Albert Miralles, C (2004; No. 39): Retired.
  • Jon Diebler, G (2011; No. 51): Last played in Turkey.

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Checking In On 10-Day Contracts

January 27th, 2020 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s 2020 trade deadline just 10 days away, most teams around the league are looking to preserve roster flexibility, which means that several teams with open roster spots are currently opting not to bring in a 15th man on a 10-day contract.

While that’s understandable for teams with potential tax concerns, like the Rockets and Thunder, a number of teams that aren’t up against the tax – including the Kings, Timberwolves, and Magic – are currently carrying just 14 players, leaving an open roster spot rather than bringing in a player on a 10-day audition.

We’ll see if that changes in the coming days, but for now it looks like those clubs may wait to add a 15th man until after they see what happens at the deadline. That would be a little surprising, since 10-day contracts can be terminated before they expire if necessary at a low cost, and a team like Orlando could use the depth.

Currently, there are just three players league-wide who are on active 10-day contracts, and two of them are on the same team. Here’s the list:

  • Tyler Cook, F (Cavaliers)
    • Second 10-day contract with Cavs; runs through January 29.
  • Alfonzo McKinnie, F (Cavaliers)
    • Second 10-day contract with Cavs; runs through February 1.
  • Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, G/F (Nets)
    • Second 10-day contract with Nets; runs through February 3.

Those three players are the only ones who have signed multiple 10-day contracts so far this season, as our tracker shows. The other four – Justin Anderson, Paul Watson, Josh Magette, and Gary Clark – signed just one 10-day deal apiece with their respective teams, though Watson did get a two-way contract with Toronto after spending 10 days with Atlanta.

Currently, seven teams have at least one open spot on their 15-man roster (the Warriors have two). The Cavaliers and Nets would join that list if they don’t re-sign their 10-day players to rest-of-season deals when those contracts expire.

We still have a few more days left in January, but barring a surge in 10-day deals this week, 2020 will become just the second year since the strike season in 2011/12 not to feature 15 or more 10-day signings in January. The only other recent year to start with so few 10-day deals was 2018, when just eight were signed during the entire month of January.

As always, you can keep tabs on all of this season’s 10-day contracts – and all the 10-day deals dating back to 2007 – using our tracker.

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