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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

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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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Community Shootaround: Andre Drummond

August 16th, 2019 at 6:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Unlike the free agent frenzy this summer, next year’s open market will produce precious little drama.

Unless Anthony Davis is serious about testing the waters after the Lakers expended many assets to acquire him, there will be no marquee names on the unrestricted free agent list.

Pistons center Andre Drummond might be the most intriguing and polarizing player on the market.

He can become an unrestricted free agent if he declines his player option of $28.75MM. It might be the ideal time for Drummond to test the waters, considering the lack of star power in next year’s free agent class.

He’s the league premier rebounder, particularly at the offensive end. Despite not developing a 3-point shot — though coach Dwane Casey is willing to give him some chances in the future — Drummond averaged a career-best 17.3 PPG last season.

His free throw shooting is still poor but he’s improved enough to stay on the court in crunch time, going from below 40 percent to around 60 the past two seasons.

He’s adept in pick-and-roll situations and led his team in blocks and steals last season. However, his overall defense often leaves something to be desired.

The Pistons have a dilemma on their hands. They could try to work out an extension with Drummond, who is still only 26 and in the prime of his career.

They could also opt to play things out and perhaps trade him before the deadline if their season goes sour. However, if Drummond has a big year and they hold onto him, they could lose him for nothing next summer and face another long rebuild.

Since Drummond didn’t make an All-NBA team last season, he’s not eligible for the super max. If he wanted a maximum extension, he’d have to decline his player option, then receive a 20 percent raise on his $27MM salary for the upcoming season.

With 8% raises during the ensuing three seasons, Drummond could receive a four-year, $145.65MM extension beginning in 2020/21.

The Pistons have been handcuffed by a bad salary cap situation but beyond Blake Griffin‘s contract, they have few salary commitments after this season and will be in pretty good position to make moves next summer.

That leads us to our question of the day: Should the Pistons offer Andre Drummond an extension? If so, would it be in Drummond’s best interests to accept the offer or should he shop his services in a weak free agent market next summer?

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

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How Players Who Declined Options Fared In Free Agency

August 16th, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the 2019 offseason, 27 veterans held player options on their contracts, allowing them to either opt in for the 2019/20 season or opt out and reach the open market. Of those 27 players, a dozen decided to turn down their options and become free agents.

For some players, that decision was a simple one. Kyrie Irving, for instance, was never going to exercise his $21.3MM option with the Celtics, since opting out allowed him to get a raise, gain long-term security, and land with his preferred team.

The decision wasn’t so easy for every player who opted out though. Now that most of those 12 veterans have officially signed new contracts and the salary details are in, we want to look back on those decisions and see if they paid off.

Let’s dive in…

Opting out was definitely the right call:

  • Kevin Durant
    • Option: $31,500,000 (Warriors)
    • New contract: Four years, $164.3MM (Nets)
  • Kyrie Irving
    • Option: $21,329,752 (Celtics)
    • New contract: Four years, $136.5MM (Nets)
  • Kawhi Leonard
    • Option: $21,329,752 (Raptors)
    • New contract: Three years, $103.1MM (Clippers)
  • Jimmy Butler
    • Option: $19,841,627 (Sixers)
    • New contract: Four years, $140.8MM (Heat)
  • Khris Middleton
    • Option: $13,000,000 (Bucks)
    • New contract: Five years, $177.5MM (Bucks)
  • Julius Randle
    • Option: $9,073,050 (Pelicans)
    • New contract: Three years, $56.7MM (Knicks)

These six players were among free agency’s biggest winners. Durant, Leonard, and Butler landed maximum-salary contracts, Irving can reach the max via incentives, and Middleton secured more overall guaranteed money than all of them. Randle’s overall payday paled in comparison to the others, but it was still a no-brainer for him to turn down his option to return to New Orleans.

All six of these players will receive significant raises for the 2019/20 season over what they could have received on their options, and they all scored multiyear contracts.

Opting out hurt a little in the short term, but will pay off in the long term:

  • Al Horford
    • Option: $30,123,015 (Celtics)
    • New contract: Four years, $109MM (Sixers)
  • Harrison Barnes
    • Option: $25,102,512 (Kings)
    • New contract: Four years, $85MM (Kings)
  • Jonas Valanciunas
    • Option: $17,617,976 (Grizzlies)
    • New contract; Three years, $45MM (Grizzlies)

Horford, Barnes, and Valanciunas will earn less in 2019/20 than they would have if they’d picked up their respective options. But that modest trade-off was worth it for the long-term security.

Horford and Barnes each tacked on upwards of $60MM+ in total guaranteed money to their contracts by opting out. Valanciunas, meanwhile, will accepted a pay cut of about $1.6MM this season in order to secure an extra two years and $29MM on his new deal.

It’s essentially a wash:

  • Nerlens Noel
    • Option: $1,988,119 (Thunder)
    • New contract: One year, $2MM (Thunder)
  • James Ennis
    • Option: $1,845,301 (Sixers)
    • New contract: Two years, $4MM (Sixers)

Noel and Ennis each had minimum-salary options on their contracts. They opted out and signed for… the minimum.

It wasn’t a huge win for either player, but they can each at least claim they’ll be making more in 2019/20 than they would have if they’d opted in. Noel’s salary increased from $1,988,119 to $2,028,594, while Ennis gets a slight bump from $1,845,301 to $1,882,867 (his second year is another player option).

The jury’s still out, but it’s not looking great:

  • Nene
    • Option: $3,825,360 (Rockets)
    • Remains unsigned

The only unsigned player on this list, Nene is unlikely to match the $3.8MM salary he would have earned with the Rockets. Still, if he can catch on with an NBA team on a minimum deal, he’ll at least recoup a good chunk of his lost money — the 2019/20 veteran’s minimum for a player with his experience is $2,564,753.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Poll: Which Team Will Win Southeast In 2019/20?

August 16th, 2019 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

When we recently asked you to make your picks on which teams would win the Pacific and Northwest divisions, there were a handful of strong, viable choices. It’s not outlandish to view the Clippers, Lakers, or Warriors as potential division winners in the Pacific, while the Nuggets, Jazz, and Trail Blazers all have a realistic chance to finish atop the Northwest.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the Southeast is another division that doesn’t have an overwhelming favorite, but it’s not because there are a handful of potential Southeast powerhouses — it’s because the division isn’t particularly strong.

Last season, only one of the East’s playoff teams came out of the Southeast, as the 42-40 Magic sneaked into the postseason and claimed the division crown. The other four Southeast teams finished between ninth and 12th in the conference.

The division doesn’t project to be a whole lot stronger in 2019/20, though the Magic retained all their key free agents and still have room for growth. Orlando had one of the league’s best defenses during the second half of the 2018/19 season, and ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus projections are bullish on the club going forward. As Kevin Pelton details in an Insider story, ESPN’s RPM projections place the Magic fourth in the Eastern Conference for ’19/20, behind only Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia.

Still, the Magic won’t enter the season as the Vegas favorites to win the Southeast. Betting site BetOnline.ag lists the Heat as the current frontrunners. Although Miami missed the postseason last season with a 39-43 record, the team is hopeful that replacing Josh Richardson with Jimmy Butler and getting further development from young players like Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow will be worth several wins.

At this point, Orlando and Miami look like the only truly viable contenders for the division title, but it’s possible one of the other three clubs will significantly exceed expectations. The Hawks might be the best contender. John Collins, Trae Young, and Kevin Huerter should only get better, and if rookies De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish can provide positive contributions immediately, Atlanta could surprise some teams.

The outlook looks a little bleaker for the Wizards and Hornets. Washington, at least, has an All-Star player in Bradley Beal, but the team won only 32 games last season with Beal healthy, and he won’t have much more help this season. In Charlotte, the 39-43 Hornets are expected to take a step back after replacing All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker with Terry Rozier.

What do you think? Which team do you expect to win the Southeast in 2019/20? And are any of the teams in the division capable of winning a playoff series or two in the spring?

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

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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2020 NBA Free Agents By Team

August 16th, 2019 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2020 free agents by team is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2019/20 season.

Players with team or player options for the 2020/21 season are listed, unless they’re still on their rookie scale contracts. Potential restricted free agents are marked with (RFA). Players whose 2020/21 salaries aren’t fully guaranteed are also listed below, assuming they have fully guaranteed salaries in all previous seasons.

This list will continue to be updated throughout the 2019/20 season, so be sure to use it and our list of 2020 free agents by position/type as points of reference. Both lists can be found anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Updated 12-11-20 (10:18am CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  • None

Boston Celtics

  1. Javonte Green ($1,517,981 non-guaranteed salary)

Brooklyn Nets

  1. Jamal Crawford
  2. Donta Hall
  3. Lance Thomas
  4. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot ($1,824,003 partially guaranteed salary)

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