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Community Shootaround: Nets’ Outlook

August 21st, 2019 at 2:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s plenty of excitement in Brooklyn these days after the Nets signed two top free agents, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant (though technically Durant came in a sign-and-trade with the Warriors).

The only thing putting a damper on that excitement is Durant’s Achilles injury. While Durant is making good progress rehabbing the ruptured tendon, it’s unlikely he’ll play in the upcoming season.

The Nets essentially swapped out point guards with the more accomplished Irving replacing D’Angelo Russell, who wound up with Golden State. The team added another veteran free agent, DeAndre Jordan, though the Nets already had a promising young center in Jarrett Allen.

That could lead to some playing time issues for coach Kenny Atkinson. Several other players have blossomed under Atkinson’s tutelage in recent seasons, including Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie. Forward Taurean Prince was acquired in a trade with the Hawks, who were a willing partner in a salary dump involving Allen Crabbe in order to acquire other assets. Forward Rodions Kurucs could make a major step forward in his second season if he improves his long-range stroke.

By all accounts, the oft-moody Irving is embracing a leadership role with his new team.

How all those pieces will fit while the franchise waits for the 2020/21 season, when Durant should be back to full strength, remains to be seen. Brooklyn reached the playoffs last season but got knocked out by the more talented Sixers, 4-1, in the opening round. Good chemistry played a role in its regular-season success but this is a different mix.

That leads us to our question of the day: Will the Nets make the playoffs again this upcoming season? If so, how deep of a postseason run can they make?

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

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Examining The Heat’s Two-Way Contract Situation

August 20th, 2019 at 7:34pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Heat have yet to utilize either of their two-way contracts slots, making them one of three rosters not to feature this type of deal (Raptors, Rockets). Jeremiah Martin, Chris Silva, and Kyle Alexander are each under Exhibit 10 contracts, and it’s plausible that the team will end up converting up to two of the three into two-way deals at some point before the season.

Two-way contracts, which allow players to split time between the NBA and the G League, were implemented during the 2017 season and there has been numerous instances where the players under these deals make an impact for their NBA squad. Quinn Cook (Warriors), Tyrone Wallace (Clippers), and Danuel House (Rockets) are among the players who have contributed to their respective team’s success.

Martin, Silva, and Alexander each suited up for the Miami’s summer league team in Las Vegas and each had impressive stints for the squad, which is why the franchise plans on bringing the trio to camp. Each will likely play for the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, should they not receive a two-way deal.

Examine Miami’s roster and its easy to find a need for additional depth. James Johnson, Dion Waiters, and Goran Dragic are among the players to miss extensive time with injuries last season. Kelly Olynyk is already nursing a knee injury that forced him to pull out of the World Cup and while the team brought back Udonis Haslem to man the 15th roster spot, the power forward hasn’t played more than 130 total minutes in a season since the Obama administration was in office.

Hitting on two-way players is critical for this team, as it will help mitigate the risk of sliding down the standings in the event of injuries and back-end of the roster ineffectiveness. The franchise only needs to look back at last season to such occurrences.

Miami’s salary cap situation makes its two-way contract slots even more crucial. The franchise sits less than $1MM below the apron, which represents a hard cap at as a result of the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade. While many teams will have the ability to tinker with the back end of the rotation and replace players with guaranteed contracts who don’t fit. Miami has no such luxury; the organization had no margin for error here.

The Heat could ostensibly make moves, such as releasing Kendrick Nunn, whose contract is non-guaranteed, in order to make another addition to the official roster. It could also waive any guaranteed contract it wants without making an addition. However, those, like many of the paths for Miami to add talent, appears unlikely.

Two-way contracts do not count against the salary cap, though they allow players under these deal to spend up to 45 days in the NBA. Whether it’s a pair from the Silva/Martin/Alexander trio or other players who end up with those deals, Miami may need production from these spots even if it’s only a total of 90 days of NBA service.

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Community Shootaround: Warriors’ Outlook

August 20th, 2019 at 3:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry has been saying all the right things this summer.

Curry remains upbeat about the Warriors’ prospects for the upcoming season despite Kevin Durant‘s departure to the Nets, Klay Thompson‘s knee injury and the loss of numerous other rotation players, including Andre Iguodala (trade) and Shaun Livingston (waived).

“It’s just a change in dynamic all the way around,” Curry said this month. “We’re excited about the opportunities, the challenges for the whole roster, because we’ve got a lot of guys that have the opportunity to really prove themselves and make a difference in our team. Obviously our core, ’til Klay gets back, we know how to win and we know how to play. We’re just going to do it a little differently.”

It’s uncertain if and when Thompson will return from his ACL injury. Most likely it will be after the All-Star break and the Warriors will certainly take a cautious approach with an All-Star who just signed a $190MM contract.

D’Angelo Russell was the team’s big offseason acquisition and it remains to be seen how he’ll mesh with Curry while playing off the ball. What they’ll do with Russell once Thompson is healthy enough to play is another major question mark.

The Warriors should have a decent one-two punch defensively at center with Kevon Looney and another off-season addition, Willie Cauley-Stein.

The remainder of the roster is dotted with young, unproven players and a couple of others trying to revive their careers. Their backup shooting guard options include Alec Burks, Jacob Evans and Jordan Poole. Alfonzo McKinnie, Glenn Robinson III, and two-way player Damion Lee are the main contenders at small forward while Omari Spellman, Alen Smailagic and Eric Paschall are the other big man reserves.

Hardly an imposing lot. The good news is that the trio of Curry, Russell and Draymond Green — provided he’s motivated and stays in top shape — are better than the top three players on most other rosters. Additionally, Steve Kerr is one of the top coaches in the league and will be out to prove he can maximize the talent he has on the roster.

That brings us to our question of the day: Will the Warriors make the playoffs during the upcoming season? If so, what is their postseason ceiling?

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

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Traded First Round Picks For 2020 NBA Draft

August 19th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020 NBA draft is still 10 months away, but several teams have already traded their first round picks for that night, and more clubs are likely to do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first round pick for 2020, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2021 if it doesn’t change hands in 2020.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2020 first round pick:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics: Own pick.
  • Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Timberwolves (top-14 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Nets would owe the Timberwolves their 2021 first-rounder (top-14 protected).
  • New York Knicks: Own pick.
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Nets (top-14 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Sixers would owe the Nets their 2021 first-rounder (top-14 protected).
  • Toronto Raptors: Own pick.

Central

  • Chicago Bulls: Own pick.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Pelicans (top-10 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Cavaliers would owe the Pelicans their 2021 and 2022 second-rounders (unprotected).
  • Detroit Pistons: Own pick.
  • Indiana Pacers: Traded to Bucks (top-14 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Pacers would owe the Bucks their 2021 first-rounder (top-14 protected).
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Celtics (top-7 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Bucks would owe the Celtics their 2021 first-rounder (unprotected).

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks: Own pick.
  • Charlotte Hornets: Own pick.
  • Miami Heat: Own pick.
  • Orlando Magic: Own pick.
  • Washington Wizards: Own pick.

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets: Traded to Thunder (top-10 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Nuggets would owe the Thunder their 2021 first-rounder (top-10 protected).
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Own pick.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Traded to Sixers (top-20 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Thunder would owe the Sixers their 2022 and 2023 second-rounders (unprotected).
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Own pick.
  • Utah Jazz: Traded to Grizzlies (1-7, 15-30 protection).
    • If not conveyed, the Jazz would owe the Grizzlies their 2021 first-rounder (1-7, 15-30 protection).

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors: Traded to Nets (top-20 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Warriors would owe the Nets their 2025 second-round pick (unprotected).
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Knicks.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Own pick.
  • Phoenix Suns: Own pick.
  • Sacramento Kings: Own pick.

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks: Own pick.
  • Houston Rockets: Traded to Nuggets.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Celtics (top-6 protected).
    • If not conveyed, the Grizzlies would owe the Celtics their 2021 first-rounder (unprotected).
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
  • San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

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Poll: Lakers’ Options At Center

August 19th, 2019 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA training camps are still six weeks away, and opening night won’t arrive for more than two months, but an injury to a key player already has the Lakers considering ways to address their roster.

Since DeMarcus Cousins went down with a torn ACL last week, the Lakers have expressed some interest in veteran center Dwight Howard. Although Howard remains under contract with the Grizzlies, he’s viewed as a strong candidate for a buyout, and Memphis has reportedly granted permission to the Lakers to talk to the big man and his reps.

Howard isn’t the only veteran center who might be interested in joining the Lakers. When he first reported L.A.’s interest in a possible reunion with Howard, Shams Charania of The Athletic also mentioned Joakim Noah. While Charania didn’t explicitly identify Noah as a player the Lakers are targeting, he probably wasn’t just speculating when he threw his name out there — the former Defensive Player of the Year may also be on the Lakers’ radar.

Besides Howard and Noah, other options who may appeal to the Lakers include Kenneth Faried, Nene, Marreese Speights, Salah Mejri, and Amir Johnson. Our current list of free agents, which also features vets like Eric Moreland, Zaza Pachulia, and Tyler Zeller, can be found here.

Of course, a free agent signing isn’t an absolute necessity for the Lakers. For now, the team only projects to have one opening on its 15-man regular season roster, and the front office may prefer to keep that spot open in the hopes of landing a player later in the season in a trade or on the buyout market. Until then, the Lakers could lean more heavily on JaVale McGee while also playing Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, or other forwards at the five.

Still, Davis is reportedly averse to spending much time at center, and Kuzma, LeBron James, and the club’s other forwards are probably too undersized to bang down low with the NBA’s top big men. Biting the bullet and filling that 15th roster spot with a center right away might be the best path for the Lakers — especially since the team could theoretically open another roster slot by waiving Cousins if he’s ruled out for the entire season.

As the Lakers mull their options, we want to get your two cents. Is a reunion with Howard the right play for the team, given how poorly their union went in 2012/13? Should the Lakers target another free agent? Or should the club be content to hold steady for now, perhaps asking Davis to play a few more minutes in the middle?

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

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15

August 19th, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed earlier, players who signed new contracts as free agents during the 2019/20 league year can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever comes later. That means that every team has at least one player – and generally a handful – who won’t become trade-eligible until mid-December.

There’s also a small subset of free agent signees whose trade ineligibility lasts for an extra month. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.

Listed below are the players who meet this criteria and can’t be traded until at least January 15, 2020. We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months, if necessary.

Boston Celtics

Chicago Bulls

Dallas Mavericks

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Milwaukee Bucks

New Orleans Pelicans

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

San Antonio Spurs

Washington Wizards

Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until December 15

August 19th, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

As teams explore the trade market for potential deals to complete their rosters for training camp, there are a number of trade restrictions those clubs must take into account. For instance, recently-signed draft picks can’t be traded for 30 days and waiver claims can’t be traded for until the 30th day of the regular season. Most notably, newly-signed free agents can’t be dealt until at least December 15.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a free agent who signs with an NBA team can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever is later. So, players who sign new contracts prior to September 15 won’t be trade-eligible until at least December 15.

There are also some recently-signed players who meet a few specific criteria and can’t be traded until January 15. That list of players can be found right here. Players who have unique trade-eligible dates can be found right here.

For now, here are the players who aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15. Players whose contracts haven’t been officially finalized aren’t yet listed below. Players who have the ability to veto trades in 2019/20 are marked with a caret (^). We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months as players are signed or waived.

Updated 12-16-19 (7:17am CT)

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • None

Dallas Mavericks

Read more

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Hoops Rumors’ 2019 NBA Free Agent Tracker

August 19th, 2019 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

We’re over a month and a half into 2019’s NBA free agent period, and with news of contract agreements and signings continuing to trickle in, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this offseason.

To this end, we continue to update our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • Some of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect tentative agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will sometimes be based on what’s been reported to date, so those amounts could be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • Our tracker will continue to be updated with the latest moves right up until opening night. Signings completed after the season begins won’t be included.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2019 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. On our mobile site, it can be found in our menu under “Free Agent Lists.”

The tracker will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

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Five Key Stories: 8/10/19 – 8/17/19

August 17th, 2019 at 6:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:

DeMarcus Cousins suffered his third serious injury in the past 19 months, tearing his left ACL while working out Monday in Las Vegas. Although no timetable has been set, there’s a possibility that Cousins will miss all of the 2019/20 season. Because the injury happened so late in the summer, the Lakers have limited options for replacing Cousins, who signed as a free agent last month.

De’Aaron Fox announced that he was leaving Team USA to concentrate on the upcoming season. The Kings guard is the latest in a series of high-profile withdrawals that have dwindled the number of players competing for roster spots. P.J. Tucker, Kyle Lowry and Marvin Bagley also left the team this week.

Joseph Tsai reached an agreement with Nets majority shareholder Mikhail Prokhorov to acquire full ownership of the team. Tsai also receives the Barclays Center in the deal, which still must be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors.

The Clippers are reportedly nearing a deal to add Tyronn Lue as the top assistant to Doc Rivers. Lue, who coached the Cavaliers to the NBA title in 2016, is a long-time friend of Rivers and has been in demand since he was fired early last season.

The NCAA amended its new regulations for agents who represent prospects considering the NBA draft. The change got rid of the controversial “Rich Paul Rule” that required all prospective agents to have a bachelor’s degree.

Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from the past week:

  • The NBA released its schedule Monday for the 2019/20 season, with the Pelicans visiting the Raptors and the Lakers facing the Clippers on opening night. Full schedules for all 30 teams are available here.
  • Michael Beasley reached an agreement with the Pistons and is expected to battle for the final roster spot. If he makes the team, Beasley will miss the season’s first five games because of a drug suspension.
  • The Clippers signed forward Patrick Patterson to a veteran’s minimum deal. He reached a buyout with the Thunder at the beginning of August.
  • Justin Patton, whose time with the Timberwolves was derailed by injuries, signed with the Thunder. Patton, who was traded to the Sixers last season, got into just three games for Philadelphia before being waived in April.
  • The Bucks invited Hasheem Thabeet for a private workout. The second player picked in the 2009 draft, Thabeet hasn’t played in the NBA since 2014.
  • Speculation grew about a possible destination for Carmelo Anthony amid a report that he was working out regularly with several Nets players. However, a source said Brooklyn has no current interest in adding Anthony.
  • A knee injury will prevent Heat big man Kelly Olynyk from representing Canada in the FIBA World Cup. He is expected to recover in time for the start of the regular season.
  • Several Chinese teams are willing to welcome Jeremy Lin if he doesn’t get invited to an NBA training camp.
  • Shabazz Muhammad, who spent five seasons with the Timberwolves and Bucks, and Zhou Qi, who played briefly for the Rockets, both reached new deals in China.
  • Jonas Jerebko, who appeared in 73 games with the Warriors last season, has signed to play in Russia.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/10/19 – 8/17/19

August 17th, 2019 at 2:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

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:

  • Luke Adams analyzed how players who turned down player options fared in free agency this offseason. He found a number of players who made the right move.
  • Adams broke down with players are going to be free agents next offseason by team and made a list of notable big men on the free agent market right now.
  • In honor of Magic Johnson’s 60th birthday (and the NBA legend’s Twitter feed), we made a list of the top 60 players heading into the 2019/20 season.
  • We outlined some of the key dates and deadlines this NBA preseason.
  • Dana Guaruder asked whether the Pistons should offer Andre Drummond an extension in one Community Shootaround discussion and started a conversation about the NBA schedule changes in another.
  • In an additional Community Shootaround, we asked how DeMarcus Cousins‘ injury will impact the Lakers.
  • We asked which team is going to win the Southeast Division next season. As of this writing, over 40% of Hoops Rumors readers believe it will be the Heat.
  • Roughly a third of Hoops Rumors readers who answered our poll on the Northwest Division believe the Nuggets will again take the division crown.
  • Adams detailed the 2019 draft-and-stash signings and chronicled which teams claimed players off of waivers so far during the 2019/20 league year.
  • Which players have trade kickers in 2019/20? Adams listed each player along with the percentage of salary amounts of each trade kicker.
  • The Spurs have appeared in 22 straight postseasons. In a Community Shootaround, Arthur Hill asked whether the team will make it 23 in a row.
  • Which NBA clubs have a G League affiliate? We provided the answer.
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