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Community Shootaround: Joel Embiid

February 11th, 2020 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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.

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2020 NBA Buyout Market Watch

February 11th, 2020 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

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.

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23 Trade Exceptions Generated In Deadline Deals

February 8th, 2020 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

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

February 8th, 2020 at 1:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

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.
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Free Agent Stock Watch 2020: Southeast Division

February 7th, 2020 at 10:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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.

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NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots After Trade Deadline

February 7th, 2020 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

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2020 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

February 7th, 2020 at 12:16am CST by Luke Adams

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.

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Community Shootaround: Winners At The Trade Deadline

February 6th, 2020 at 10:15pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Although the NBA trade deadline was expected to be a quiet one, it was anything but that, with several mega-deals coming in before Thursday’s deadline.

The Timberwolves got their point guard in D’Angelo Russell, pairing him with his friend Karl-Anthony Towns. The front office believes in the duo as its pair of franchise players and the price tag for the former No. 2 overall pick ended up being reasonable, as the Wolves handed the Warriors their 2021 first-round pick (top-3 protected), a 2021 second-rounder, and Andrew Wiggins.

The Rockets made their trade a couple of days before the deadline, landing Robert Covington. The team gave up Clint Capela and a first-rounder in the deal. Houston intends to play a version of small-ball for the remainder of the season.

The Hawks benefited from Houston’s newfound strategy, as they were able to pluck Capela off the Rockets, as part of the four-team, 12-player trade. It cost Atlanta the first-rounder the team had on hand from the Nets, as well as Evan Turner‘s expiring contract. The Hawks also brought back Dewayne Dedmon and cashed in on their open roster spots, collecting roughly $3.2M in trades with the Clippers and Blazers.

The Cavaliers made perhaps the most surprising deal of the day, acquiring Andre Drummond. They didn’t necessarily need another frontcourt player, with Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, and Larry Nance Jr. crowding the paint. However, the price was modest, as it only cost them a pair of expiring deals (Brandon Knight, John Henson) and a second-round pick.

The Knicks made a trade, sending Marcus Morris to the Clippers for Maurice Harkless, a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 pick swap with L.A., and a future second-rounder. Not a bad haul for New York, considering Morris didn’t really fit with the timeline for the franchise’s young core. The Knicks essentially used their cap space this past summer to pick up draft capital. Still, it’s a win for New York in a week where the organization could probably use one.

Do you think the Knicks or any of the aforementioned teams are the biggest winners today? If not, which team had the best trade deadline?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

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Hoops Rumors’ 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer

February 6th, 2020 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

It hasn’t been a particularly busy season for NBA trades so far, but we’re seeing signs of life from the trade market this week.

Andre Iguodala is on the move, and Danilo Gallinari appears likely to join him in Miami; the Sixers added a pair of solid depth pieces; Dewayne Dedmon‘s trade request was granted; and the Hawks, Rockets, Timberwolves, and Nuggets gave us one of the league’s most complicated trades in years, a 12-player deal headlined by Clint Capela and Robert Covington.

With just five-and-a-half hours to go until the 2020 trade deadline arrives at 2:00pm central time, there are still plenty of questions to be answered. Will title contenders like the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks fortify their rosters? How many more 2020 first-round picks will change hands? And will any big-name trade candidates like Jrue Holiday, D’Angelo Russell, Kevin Love, or Andre Drummond end up being moved?

We’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest news and rumors all day long on Hoops Rumors, leading up to 2:00pm.

In the meantime, here are some of our features and trackers to help you prepare for today’s action:

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/26/20-2/1/20

February 1st, 2020 at 2:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

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:

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