Hoops Rumors Originals

Community Shootaround: Lakers Offseason

May 31st, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers’ franchise has been in a downward spiral since Christmas Day, when LeBron James suffered a groin injury during an upset victory at Golden State that sidelined him for more than a month.

From that point, the most notable developments the remainder of the season were their failed attempt to acquire Anthony Davis, their inability to make the playoffs, and the abrupt resignation of team president Magic Johnson.

It’s only gotten worse in the offseason. The Lakers fired head coach Luke Walton and their search for a replacement gave the franchise another black eye. Then got spurned by Monty Williams and saw negotiations with Tyronn Lue fall apart before settling on Frank Vogel. They also hired Jason Kidd as Vogel’s top assistant, putting Vogel in the awkward spot of having his potential replacement in the next chair.

Then came Johnson’s bridge-burning interview on ESPN in which he labelled GM Rob Pelinka a backstabber and detailed the dysfunction and indecision within the organization. This week, a detailed ESPN story spoke of the fear and confusion among staffers that developed when Johnson and Pelinka took charge and the heavy turnover in personnel.

It also detailed owner Jeanie Buss’ odd and ineffective management structure and the undue influence of James’ agent Rich Paul and others in James’ camp.

The only good thing that’s happened for the Lakers is that they moved up in the draft lottery.

Meanwhile, the franchise heads into a pivotal summer. It’s positioned financially to chase high-profile free agents and/or make a blockbuster trade.

Unquestionably, the Lakers need to acquire at least one superstar talent to pair up with James or else this offseason will be viewed as a complete disaster.

That leads us to our question of the day: Can the Lakers overcome the dysfunction and disarray within the organization and sign or trade for at least one superstar this offseason? Or are they doomed for a disastrous summer?

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

Five Key Offseason Questions: Washington Wizards

May 31st, 2019 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been a precipitous drop-off over the last two years for the Wizards, who racked up 49 wins and pushed the Celtics to a seventh game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2016/17 season.

A year later, they backed into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed before being eliminated in the first round. This season, they cratered out of the postseason picture entirely, finishing the season with a 32-50 record and an unclear picture of when their injured – and increasingly expensive – franchise point guard will be able to return to the court.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. Who is running the front office?

As our front office shakeup tracker shows, the Wizards are the only team that has ousted its previous top executive this spring and hasn’t yet identified a replacement.

After targeting Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, Washington was unable to convince him to leave Denver. The team has also conducted multiple interviews with former Cavs and Hawks GM Danny Ferry, Thunder executive Troy Weaver, and interim GM Tommy Sheppard, but has yet to commit to any of those candidates.

Sheppard is running the show for now, and with every passing day, it looks increasingly likely that he’ll be the one making the calls for the Wizards this summer. After all, the draft is less than three weeks away, and the free agent period will begin in a month. There’s not a lot of time left for someone new to come in and make sweeping changes to the organization’s philosophy and offseason big boards.

It’s possible that the Wizards are still waiting on an executive whose team is active in the playoffs — perhaps Larry Harris of the Warriors or even Masai Ujiri of the Raptors. But if not, it would be in owner Ted Leonsis‘ best interests to resolve the situation sooner rather than later. This will be a big offseason for the Wizards, and leaving the front office in limbo with the draft rights around the corner isn’t the best way to kick it off.

2. What can or should the Wizards do with John Wall?

The biggest issue facing the Wizards’ new head of basketball operations is what do with Wall. The point guard’s super-max extension, which will pay him a projected $38.15MM in 2019/20 and $170.91MM over four years, goes into effect in July, but he won’t be ready to play by opening night.

Wall is still recovering from a torn Achilles, which is a scary proposition for a player whose best traits are his speed and explosiveness. Even if Wall makes a full recovery, he’ll be 29 years old by the time he gets back on the court and 32 by the final year of his contract. It’s not hard to see why the deal is viewed by NBA observers as one of the least team-friendly pacts in the league.

For now though, there’s not really a lot the Wizards can do about Wall’s contract. With four years left on it, waiving and stretching it isn’t a realistic option. A trade doesn’t make sense either, since Washington would have to attach way too many other assets to make it worthwhile. All the team can really do is wait it out and hope that Wall comes back strong and the contract starts looking a little more manageable in a year or two.

With Wall’s salary taking up 35% of the cap and reducing the Wizards’ flexibility, it will be extremely difficult to build a legit contender in the short term. As such, the best move for the organization probably involves taking a step back this offseason, focusing on ways to compile assets and compete down the road, rather than shoving all its chips in for 2019/20.

3. How about Bradley Beal?

If the Wizards do take a step back next season and don’t plan to push to contend in the short term, the question of what to do with Beal becomes a fascinating one too. In Wall’s absence, he emerged as Washington’s best player, averaging an impressive 27.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 5.1 RPG on .476/.359/.822 shooting in his 47 games after Wall’s injury.

Would it make sense for the Wizards to take advantage of his increased value by trading Beal now? He’d almost certainly net some strong pieces for a rebuild, and Wall’s cap hit wouldn’t limit the team’s flexibility as much if it’s the only maximum salary on the books for the next couple years. It’s even possible – albeit unlikely – that the Wizards could unload Wall’s contract altogether in a Beal trade.

The decision on Beal will likely come down to the new GM’s vision, but I’d be surprised if the Wizards seriously look to move him this offseason. He remains under contract for the next two seasons, and after falling short of a spot on an All-NBA team this year, he’s not eligible for a super-max extension, meaning the club could potentially extend him at a fair rate if he’s interested.

Most importantly, Beal is still only 25 years old and has proven he’s the kind of impact player and scorer that is very hard for NBA teams to find. If the Wizards were to trade him for a package of several pieces and then bottomed out next season, there’s no guarantee that any of the players they acquire in that package – or in next year’s draft lottery – would ever develop into the sort of star Beal already is.

4. How should the Wizards use the No. 9 overall pick?

The results of the 2019 draft lottery illustrate why it’s risky for the Wizards to count on the lottery to put them in position to land a difference maker. Washington entered the night ranked sixth in the lottery standings, but saw the seventh-place and eighth-place teams (New Orleans and Memphis) leapfrog them for the top two spots in the draft. The Lakers also moved up, pushing the Wizards all the way down to No. 9.

Although the outcome was disappointing and could’ve looked drastically different if one ping pong ball had been drawn differently, the Wizards can still get a good player at No. 9 — even in a year when there aren’t a ton of sure things in the lottery.

Texas center Jaxson Hayes could be an intriguing target, since the only centers currently under contract in D.C. are Ian Mahinmi and Dwight Howard, overpriced veterans who aren’t part of the club’s long-term plan.

If a forward like Cam Reddish slips to No. 9, he’d be a nice upside play for the Wizards. French forward Sekou Doumbouya, who has been compared to Pascal Siakam, would fit that bill too. UNC’s Nassir Little is a polarizing prospect, but his length and athleticism are tantalizing.

Whoever the Wizards end up with, the fact that they even have this pick available is a positive sign. In many recent seasons, the club has traded away its first-round pick for short-term help. Those moves haven’t always turned out badly, but the franchise’s cap issues can be attributed in part to not having enough players on affordable rookie contracts.

Without those deals, it became harder for the cap-strapped Wizards to keep the players they traded for, which turned potential building blocks like Bojan Bogdanovic into three-month rentals. Starting to add more players on rookie contracts is a step in the right direction for a club that will have to work around some expensive investments.

5. Which of the Wizards’ top free agents will the team try to keep?

Despite having nearly $90MM committed to their 2019/20 cap, the Wizards have a ton of empty roster spots and a handful of key contributors who will be hitting the free agent market this summer. Tomas Satoransky, Thomas Bryant, and Bobby Portis will be restricted free agents, while Trevor Ariza will be unrestricted.

Under Ernie Grunfeld, the Wizards expressed serious interest in locking up Satoransky, even exploring an in-season extension with him. It’s not clear that the new head of basketball operations will have that same level of interest, but with Wall expected to miss most of the 2019/19 season, re-signing Satoransky would add some much-needed stability at the point guard spot. The Wizards will control the process since Satoransky will be an RFA, so I’d expect the team to make a strong effort to bring him back as long as he doesn’t sign an outrageous offer sheet.

The Wizards’ decision on Portis will be interesting. With Jabari Parker unlikely to return to the Wizards, Portis would be the only player left from the trade that sent Otto Porter to Chicago. If Washington doesn’t push to bring back Portis, it would be a tacit acknowledgment that the Porter deal was just a salary dump.

Depending on the price, it might make more sense to prioritize Bryant, who had a breakthrough season at age 21, averaging 10.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 0.9 BPG while leading the league in 2PT% (.685). While Portis is a more dangerous offensive threat, Bryant is a stronger defender and doesn’t need the ball much, which should make him a better fit with Beal and – eventually – Wall.

As for Ariza, the Wizards acquired him with the intent of keeping him beyond 2018/19, but he’ll have plenty of other options and I don’t expect him to give Washington any sort of discount. Ariza is more of a win-now player, so while the Wizards may like to retain him if they can, they should certainly avoid any sort of bidding war for him.

Check out the Washington Wizards’ offseason salary cap outlook right here.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Three Potential Landing Spots For J.R. Smith (And His Valuable Contract)

May 30th, 2019 at 11:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

One year removed from starting Game 1 of the NBA Finals, J.R. Smith sits on the sidelines, a place he has been since November of 2018. The Cavaliers explored trading him during the season, though they were unable to come to an agreement with another club before the trade deadline. A buyout seemed possible, but Smith’s contract, which was signed in 2016, remained a carrot that the team simply could not throw to the streets.

Smith’s 2019/20 salary of $15.68MM is only guaranteed for $3.87MM, Another team that lacks cap flexibility could potentially use his contract to quickly carve out upwards of $18MM in extra cap space, as our own Luke Adams detailed earlier in the season. To maximize those savings, a team would have to use the stretch provision on Smith, a move that would bring his cap hit to approximately $1.29MM.

The latest Collective Bargaining Agreement changed the calculus for salary matching in trades involving non-guarantees. The new rules took away the ability to swap guaranteed salary for non-guaranteed contracts as a means of creating salary cap space.

Had Smith signed under the new agreement, his contract would only count for $3.87MM (the guaranteed portion) for salary-matching purposes instead of his full salary ($14.72 for the 2018/19 season). While other players are currently under high salary deals with low or no guarantees, Smith’s is the only deal remaining from the former Collective Bargaining Agreement that fits that bill.

The Cavaliers have a trade chip that no other team possesses, though the clock is ticking on the asset; Smith’s entire salary for next season will be fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster come July 1. Let’s examine some teams that make sense as suitors.

Trail Blazers

The Blazers are projected to be a taxpaying team, with roughly $126MM in guaranteed salary on the books. The luxury tax threshold is expected to come in at $132MM and the team will have trouble bringing back Enes Kanter and Rodney Hood—two key members of their playoff run—without skyrocketing over the tax line.

Acquiring Smith would allow Portland to reshuffle its financial portfolio. Evan Turner ($18.6MM next season) is the team’s third-high paid player. Maurice Harkless ($11.5MM), and Meyers Leonard ($11.3MM) are fifth and sixth, respectively. If the Blazers feel Kanter or Hood are higher priorities than any of the three, they can swap one of those deals for Smith’s and give themselves a chance to compete for their guys on the free agent market without the internal dilemma of luxury tax concerns.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are expected to be active this offseason, searching the free agent market for additions to the Kristaps Porzingis–Luka Doncic core. They’ve been connected to Tobias Harris, Khris Middleton, and Kemba Walker.

Dallas would probably love to get out from Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s contract (approximately $20MM next season), but the fact that his contract still has multiple years left on it, running through the 2020/21 campaign, makes him a hard sell.

Shedding Courtney Lee ($12.7MM) may be easier and would give Dallas more flexibility this offseason. Dallas could attempt to entice Cleveland with a prospect like Justin Jackson or offer up the No. 37 overall pick in this year’s draft in order to acquire Smith. It’s not clear if anything short of a first-round pick will be enough to pry Smith away from the Cavs.

Brooklyn Nets

Whispers that the Nets are contenders to sign two max free agents can’t get too loud until the team clears out enough cap space to accommodate two stars. As our Salary Cap Digest indicates, Brooklyn doesn’t even have the ability to sign one max free agent without renouncing D’Angelo Russell or making additional transactions.

Moving Allen Crabbe, who has one year and $18.5MM left on his deal, would aid their quest for a star summer. The team has three selections among the first 31 picks in the upcoming draft (No. 17, 27, 31) and attaching one of those picks to Crabbe in exchange for Smith would create a clear path to additional cap space.

Revisiting Hoops Rumors’ 2018/19 NBA Predictions

May 30th, 2019 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Back in October, seven members of Hoops Rumors’ writing team made predictions for the 2018/19 season, attempting to name the top eight teams in each conference, the conference and championship winners, and the players and coaches who would take home this year’s major awards.

Revisiting preseason predictions several months later is always a humbling experience, as events that seemed inevitable in the fall never quite play out the way we expect during the season. But in the interest of full accountability, we’re taking a look back at those predictions today to see where we went wrong and which picks we got right (or at least close enough to claim a win).

Let’s dive in…

The Good:

We weren’t exactly going out on a limb, but six of us had the Warriors winning the NBA Finals, with two of us specifically identifying the Raptors as their opponent. That scenario is still in play.
Two of us predicted that Giannis Antetokounmpo would win the 2018/19 MVP award, and he currently appears to be the frontrunner among the three finalists.
All seven of us picked either Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Deandre Ayton for Rookie of the Year, and they’re the three finalists for the award.
Elsewhere on the awards front, three of us had Rudy Gobert as our Defensive Player of the Year, and he remains in the running. Plus, three of us predicted Mike Budenholzer would win Coach of the Year — he’s one of the finalists.

The Bad:

Not one of us predicted the Bucks would place higher than third in the Eastern Conference (they finished first). We were also too low on the Nuggets, with no one expecting them to come in higher than fourth in the West (they finished second).
All seven of us expected the Heat and Wizards would make the playoffs in the East. Miami narrowly missed out, while Washington didn’t come close. We were also too high on the Pelicans in the West (five of us had them making the postseason).
Sixth Man of the Year is a tricky award to predict, since rotations and lineups can change over the course of the season, but the fact that none of us had Lou Williams as our winner still isn’t great. None of our picks – including J.J. Redick and Eric Gordon, who didn’t last long as bench players – became finalists. To make matters worse, two of our Sixth Man selections – Tyreke Evans and Carmelo Anthony – are no longer even in the NBA.

The Ugly:

The Celtics and Lakers made all of us look bad this year. All seven of us had Boston playing in the Eastern Conference Finals, with five of us putting Boston in the NBA Finals. As for the Lakers, we all predicted they’d make the playoffs, forecasting them to finish as high as third in the West. They finished 10th.
It’s possible we were way too bullish on the idea of LeBron James having a transcendent year. Five of us had him as our 2018/19 MVP. He missed over a month during the season and barely made an All-NBA team.
Apologies to Trail Blazers fans. Only three of us picked them to make the postseason, with no one putting them higher than seventh in the conference. They earned the No. 3 seed and made the Western Conference Finals.
Most Improved Player is another difficult award to predict, but a couple of us were way off the mark in choosing Markelle Fultz. The former No. 1 overall pick played just 19 games in a disappointing sophomore season.

With the NBA Finals set to get underway and the major awards set to be unveiled in a few weeks, which of your own predictions for the 2018/19 season were right on the money or way off the mark? Head to the comment section below to boast about your foresight and/or laugh about your missteps.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Checking In On Early Entrants For 2019 NBA Draft

May 30th, 2019 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

The NCAA’s deadline for early entrants in the 2019 NBA draft to withdraw and retain their college eligibility passed on Wednesday night at midnight. Although we relayed most of the draft decisions before that point, a few more trickled in late.

Most notably, Western Kentucky big man Charles Bassey, who appeared ready to go pro, had a last-minute change of heart and decided to withdraw from the draft, as Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports (via Twitter). Bassey, who had been a top-80 prospect on ESPN’s big board and was a candidate to be drafted, will instead head back to Western Kentucky for his sophomore season.

Meanwhile, a list of early entrant decisions from Jeff Goodman of Stadium includes two withdrawals that previously flew under the radar. According to Goodman’s list, Prairie View A&M forward Devonte Patterson and Redemption Christian Academy swingman Tony Goodwin II both pulled out of the draft before Wednesday’s deadline.

As our list of early entrants shows, that leaves almost an even split behind the college underclassmen who remain in the draft pool (88 players) and those who withdrew (89). However, the early entrant list hasn’t yet been finalized.

While the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline has now passed, the NBA’s withdrawal deadline doesn’t arrive until June 10, which means the league won’t formally issue a complete list of early entrants eligible for the 2019 draft until after that date.

In the weeks and days leading up to June 10, we can expect to hear plenty of updates on decisions being made by international early entrants, who weren’t subject to the NCAA’s deadline. A total of 59 international players showed up on the initial list of early entrants for 2019, but the majority of them will likely withdraw from the draft by June 10. At that point, we’ll have a complete picture of which players will be draft-eligible on June 20.

Five Key Offseason Questions: New Orleans Pelicans

May 29th, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Like the Timberwolves, the Pelicans entered the 2018/19 season hoping to build on a promising return to the playoffs during the previous spring, but instead saw their year torpedoed by a trade request that led to a messy public saga.

Unlike Minnesota, New Orleans didn’t actually end up trading its star, but that didn’t help the team’s general manager save his job. Dell Demps was dismissed during the season and has since been replaced by David Griffin, a veteran executive who has an NBA championship on his résumé.

It’ll now be up to Griffin to decide what to do with Anthony Davis, but it’s not all bad news for the Pelicans’ incoming executive VP of basketball operations — by virtue of winning the draft lottery earlier this month, the team is positioned to secure a new franchise player, Zion Williamson, even if its current one has played his last game for the club.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. Would David Griffin be willing to keep Anthony Davis with no long-term assurances?

Griffin and Davis met today in Los Angeles. According to a report, the two sides are expected to “continue a dialogue” about their future going forward. But for now, let’s assume that despite his best efforts, Griffin is unable to convince Davis to withdraw his trade request and recommit to the Pelicans.

Davis is still under contract for one more year before he can reach unrestricted free agency, and the Pelicans aren’t obligated to trade him. While AD may have burned some bridges with fans in New Orleans, he seemed to be getting along with his teammates and Alvin Gentry‘s coaching staff just fine through the end of the 2018/19 season. He also acknowledged at season’s end that it won’t really be up to him where he plays in 2019/20, admitting that he could return to the team next season.

All that is to say that Griffin and the Pelicans could roll the dice with their All-Star big man, keeping him on the roster to start the ’19/20 campaign. That would give the club more time to sell Davis on a future in New Orleans, and would give AD a chance to see what it’d be like to play alongside Williamson. If he’s still not sold by February, the Pels could flip him at the trade deadline and should still be able to secure a serious haul.

That approach would be a risky one though. If Davis is willing to bypass a super-max extension with the Pelicans this offseason, why should the team have any confidence that he’d change his mind a few months later? And if Davis should suffer a major injury as a Pelican in the fall or winter, his trade value would crater. By moving him this summer, the Pels could bring more suitors to the table and would increase their chances of maximizing the return for their top asset.

2. What kind of return could the Pelicans get for Davis?

If we assume the most likely outcome for Davis is a trade during the 2019 offseason, it’s worth exploring what the Pelicans might be able to get back for him. Chris Crouse’ examination of the top trade assets held by several potential Davis suitors is a good place to start.

The most attractive offer for Davis figures to depend on what sort of pieces the Pelicans value most. If they’re looking ahead to the distant future, a Knicks package headlined by this year’s No. 3 overall pick, several future selections (including Dallas’ 2021 unprotected first-rounder), and a youngster or two (the Pels would likely target Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox) could be tantalizing. The Lakers and Celtics could also offer packages heavy on draft picks and young prospects.

On the other hand, if New Orleans wants to try to contend right away, there are other teams that would be better fits. How aggressive might the Clippers be going after Davis, for instance? Because acquiring some combination of players from a group that features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Landry Shamet, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and Danilo Gallinari could really appeal to New Orleans.

Ultimately, the Pelicans’ return for Davis could come down to one team holding a player New Orleans seriously covets. We’ve seen this happen several times in recent years — the Kings targeted Buddy Hield when they traded DeMarcus Cousins, the Pacers loved Victor Oladipo when trading Paul George, and the Spurs – who wanted an All-Star caliber player for Kawhi Leonard – zeroed in on DeMar DeRozan.

If there’s a specific player out there that the Pelicans are in love with, whether that’s someone like Jayson Tatum, Gilgeous-Alexander, or a target who comes out of left field like Oladipo did, that could give that player’s team a significant upper hand in the AD sweepstakes.

3. Does Griffin plan on rebuilding or retooling the roster?

When a new executive takes over an NBA front office, he generally has a few years to build the sort of team he wants to before he starts having to worry about being on the hot seat or making job-saving moves. That allows that exec to be patient as he acquires assets and lines up his new team’s salary cap favorably for the future.

An all-out rebuild along those lines in New Orleans is possible. If Griffin doesn’t see an immediate path to contention, he could shop both Davis and Jrue Holiday for long-term assets and would almost certainly end up with a boatload of them as he looks to build around Williamson.

But that’s probably not the most logical path for the new Pelicans exec, whose situation is a little different than it would be for someone taking over a typical lottery team. Williamson is the sort of prospect who can contribute right away, so it doesn’t necessarily make sense for the Pelicans to aim to be good in two or three years while they wait for him to develop into an impact player — he’s capable of being that player now.

Similarly, Holiday is under contract for at least two more seasons (he has a player option for 2021/22) on a reasonable deal, given the rising cap, and remains very much in his prime. New Orleans also has virtually no bad deals on its books outside of Solomon Hill‘s, and that contract ($12.76MM in 2019/20) will come off the cap a year from now, so there’s no need to wait several years to gain flexibility.

Even if Griffin ultimately decides to trade Davis, the players and picks he gets in return could complement Williamson and Holiday right away, or could be flipped into pieces that would. I’d expect the team to take that route. That doesn’t mean that Griffin will push all his chips in the middle in the hopes of short-term success, but there’s no need to tear everything down either. This is a core capable of getting back to the playoffs pretty soon.

4. Will Julius Randle be back with the Pelicans?

Randle, 24, just kept improving in 2018/19, averaging a career-best 21.4 PPG for the Pelicans on .524/.344/.731 shooting. Now, he’ll face an interesting decision, as his two-year contract with New Orleans features a $9MM player option for 2019/20.

Randle has never been a particularly strong defender, and the going rate for scoring big men who do most of their work close to the basket isn’t what it used to be. As such, it’s not a lock that Randle would do better on the open market than he would if he opts in for $9MM. Opting in would also put him a position to reach unrestricted free agency in 2020, which projects to be a weak FA class.

Still, I’d be a little surprised if Randle doesn’t explore the market this summer, and if he does, I’m not sure how aggressively the Pelicans will try to bring him back. Many of his offensive skills overlap with Zion’s, creating some uncertainty about how those two players would complement one another. If that pairing doesn’t work, Randle would likely have to come off the bench again. He may want to seek another opportunity that would give him a better chance at a starting role.

If Randle opts in or is willing to sign another short-term deal, New Orleans could welcome him back, but if not, the team may scour the market for a more defensive-minded big, or one that can spread the floor a little more on offense.

5. How about the rest of the Pelicans’ free agents and non-guaranteed players?

Only four Pelicans players – Davis, Holiday, Hill, and E’Twaun Moore – currently have guaranteed contracts for next season. However, the team still has control of a handful of young players via non-guaranteed salaries, team options, or restricted free agency.

Stanley Johnson and Cheick Diallo can be RFAs, while Jahlil Okafor has a minimum salary team option and Christian Wood, Frank Jackson, Kenrich Williams, and Dairis Bertans all have non-guaranteed minimum salaries.

Griffin, of course, didn’t acquire any of those players and won’t necessarily be attached to any of them, but a few of them look like good value plays. Okafor, Wood, Jackson, and Williams all flashed upside at times in 2018/19, and cost a total of about $6.4MM for next season. I’d be a little surprised if the club lets them get away for nothing.

The others are wild cards, but Johnson will be a free agent worth watching. I’m not particularly confident that the Pelicans will even issue him the $4.49MM qualifying offer necessary to make him a restricted free agent, but he just turned 23 years old today, and his three-and-D potential still exists. If New Orleans gives up in him and he lands in a favorable situation elsewhere, he’ll be a candidate to finally emerge as a reliable rotation player.

Check out the New Orleans Pelicans’ offseason salary cap outlook right here.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Poll: 2019 NBA Finals Predictions

May 29th, 2019 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2019 NBA Finals are set to get underway on Thursday night. Game 1 will be the first Finals game to take place outside of the United States, as the 58-24 Raptors narrowly beat out the 57-25 Warriors for home court advantage.

Despite Toronto’s home court advantage and regular season edge – including a 2-0 record vs. Golden State – the Warriors will enter the series as the overwhelming favorites to win their fourth title in five years, and third in a row. Even without Kevin Durant in their lineup for the start of the series, the Dubs have enough weapons on both ends of the court that they’ll be difficult to beat.

Of course, Golden State’s top weapon is Stephen Curry, who has gone into full-on Human Torch mode since Durant went down vs. Houston. In his last five games – all Warriors wins – Curry shot 41.7% on 14.4 three-point attempts per contest, and has scored at least 33 points in every game.

Klay Thompson has been a reliable No. 2 scoring option, averaging 22.6 PPG with a .400 3PT% over those five games, while Draymond Green has filled up the box score (14.8 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 8.4 APG, 2.4 BPG, 2.0 SPG) and been everywhere on defense.

Still, the Warriors have yet to face a defense like this Raptors’ unit in the postseason. Toronto’s starting lineup features a pair of former Defensive Players of the Year (Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol) and a former All-Defensive guard (Danny Green) to go along with stout and savvy point guard Kyle Lowry and an athletic forward who can guard all five positions (Pascal Siakam).

Throw in three-time All-Defensive player Serge Ibaka off the bench, and this is a Raptors team that’s capable of adjusting its scheme to a variety of offensive attacks, and switching, trapping, and helping as necessary. It’s possible that no NBA team can truly stop the Warriors, but this looks like the club that’s best equipped to slow them down.

The Raptors haven’t been as dangerous on offense during the playoffs, but Leonard is capable of single-handedly carrying the squad on that end of the court at times, and has turned in an all-time postseason performance through three rounds (31.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, .507/.388/.875 shooting). In Thompson, Green, and Andre Iguodala, the Warriors have plenty of excellent defenders to throw at him, but Leonard is talented enough to score 30 points even on nights when the defense plays him well.

What do you think? Will the Warriors cement their place in NBA history by becoming the first franchise since the 2000-02 Lakers to win three straight championships? Or will the Raptors pull off the upset and bring Canada its first ever NBA title?

After voting in our poll, head to the comment section to weigh in further on this showdown. Will we see much of Durant this series? How heavily will the outcome weigh on his presence or absence? Will other injured players like DeMarcus Cousins or OG Anunoby make an impact? Which matchups do you expect each team to try to exploit?

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Top 25 Assets Among Presumed Anthony Davis Contenders

May 29th, 2019 at 8:07am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Anthony Davis sweepstakes are expected to be in full swing until the Pelicans trade the disgruntled big man. Hoops Rumors surveyed past and present NBA executives and scouts to compile a ranking of the players and picks available to the presumed Davis contenders.

We included the Lakers, Knicks, and Celtics, as each has been linked to the big man, as well as the Clippers, who could be the wild card team that acquires him. There may be a number of other suitors for Davis once trade talks begin in earnest, but for now these are the four teams that look best positioned – and most motivated – to make a play for the Pelicans’ star.

Before we move onto our rankings, it’s worth noting that we did not including LeBron James when speaking with sources, since it’s extremely unlikely the Lakers would trade him. Players with the ability to hit the open market, such as Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, were also not included.

Let’s dive in…

1. Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clippers)
3. No. 3 Overall Pick (Knicks)

There’s an important distinction to remember as we navigate through these players and picks: not everyone within the league is aligned on the value of each asset. The top tier, like many of these clusters, comes down to what exactly you value most.

What route the Pelicans will take if they meet Davis’ trade request isn’t known. New head of basketball operations David Griffin could opt for a full rebuild around Zion Williamson. Or he could look to build around Jrue Holiday and Williamson, aiming to contend for a playoff spot sooner rather than later. The Pelicans were not immediately available to comment on their plan or ranking.

Jayson Tatum is a sure thing. Plug him into the starting lineup in New Orleans and he immediately raises the club’s floor. While he may not ever develop into a true MVP-caliber player and has just two years remaining on his rookie-scale contract, he’s a tantalizing trade chip.

A prospect like R.J. Barrett, the favorite to be selected No. 3 overall, would be on a cost-controlled deal for four years and his cap projection would align with Zion’s in New Orleans, providing an enormous amount of flexibility for a franchise.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has three years remaining on his rookie deal, showed progress over the course of the season and the Clippers love him. While there’s a chance he doesn’t reach it, SGA may have a higher ceiling than Tatum.

One former executive said Gilgeous-Alexander should be No. 1 on this list, telling Hoops Rumors that the 6’5″ point guard would be under strong consideration for the No. 2 overall pick if he were in this year’s draft. Other opinions ranged from definitive top-five selection to simply top 10.

Steve Ballmer‘s club has every asset needed to get a deal done with the Pelicans without including SGA. As for the Celtics, Tatum may not even be on the table in a Davis deal either. Boston could ostensibly acquire Davis without including Tatum, but it would likely require Griffin to have googly eyes for Jaylen Brown or the 2020 Memphis pick (more on that below).

We haven’t heard officially whether the Knicks would pony up the No. 3 overall pick for Davis. There were conflicting reports before the lottery on whether they would have been willing to trade the rights to Williamson for AD if they had landed the No. 1 pick.

4. No. 4 Overall Pick (Lakers)
5. Memphis’ 2020 Top-6 Protected First-Rounder (Celtics)

Opinions are split on the Memphis pick. Some believe the league has overvalued the Celtics’ accumulated selections. For example, the Kings’ selection was once perceived as gold. It ultimately ended up as this year’s No. 14 overall pick (Boston’s, via the Markelle Fultz deal with Philly, via Sacramento’s salary dump of Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, and Jason Thompson).Read more

Memphis is expected to seriously consider trading Mike Conley and beginning a rebuild this summer; it could be a while before the Grizzlies sniff contention again. However, the selection is top-six protected for next year, meaning if the club as inexperienced as expected, the Grizzlies will retain the pick.

The asset is still extremely valuable, but regardless of what most predict will happen with the Grizzlies over the next few years, ranking this year’s selection ahead of that pick comes down to a bird-in-hand philosophy, according to sources. The certainty of a top-five pick today trumps the possibilities of tomorrow, even if there’s a perceived drop-off between the top three in the upcoming draft (Williamson, Ja Morant, and Barrett) and everyone else.

6. Lonzo Ball (Lakers)

Distractions surrounding the Lakers and Lonzo Ball aside, the point guard remains highly valued around the league. One source indicated that he would only take Tatum or one of the top-five picks in this year’s draft over the point guard.

7. Mavericks’ 2021 Unprotected First-Rounder (Knicks)

The Mavericks’ 2021 unprotected pick is a juicy asset. The franchise operates with a sense of confidence – or arrogance, depending on who you ask – betting on its infrastructure and its front office to attract talent and put out a contender. The Mavs have had some success with this approach (Harrison Barnes, Chandler Parsons, etc), but have also seen their share of strikeouts (such as the post-title Tyson Chandler decision).

Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis make Dallas’ future bright and it’s arguable that joining that duo on the upswing is a more desired situation than teaming up with an aging Dirk Nowitzki was. The situation brings hope for the future.

But it’s not certain that the Mavericks will rise in the Western Conference. New Orleans landing Zion likely takes a long rebuild – one that would have the Pelicans still picking up the pieces from a Davis departure in 2021 – off the table.

The Warriors, Rockets, Jazz, Blazers, and Nuggets all have solid foundations that are unlikely to deteriorate by the 2020/21 season. The Clippers proved they can put out a playoff-caliber roster this season and they’ll be in the hunt for major free agents this summer and next. The Thunder will be several seasons into the Paul George–Russell Westbrook pairing and the Lakers may have already found a co-star for LeBron by then. The Kings, Wolves, and Suns have young nuclei on similar trajectories to the Mavs, while the Spurs will have seen a few seasons from their rotation of young guards by 2021.

How many Western Conference teams are nearly certain to be worse than Dallas? The Grizzlies may be the only franchise with a definitely dimmer two-year outlook than Mark Cuban‘s squad and even they could strike gold if Morant (or any prospect they take over the next two drafts) has a Chris Paul– or Deron Williams-like effect.

With the likely Rookie of the Year winner on hand, the Mavericks’ future is bright and the team could just as easily be a perennial playoff contender by 2021. However, that outcome is far from a certainty, which makes this pick’s upside evident and the asset one of the most valuable in the Knicks’ cupboard.

8. Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
9. Jaylen Brown (Celtics)

Kyle Kuzma may deserve a higher ranking. One former NBA scout tells Hoops Rumors that Kuzma is closer to Tatum than most people think. Kuzma and the No. 4 overall pick is likely a more attractive pair of assets than Tatum and the No. 14 overall pick, a former executive said.

It’s not certain if Jaylen Brown can ever become a first or second option on a true title contender and his inability to efficiently create his own shot worries some organizations.

However, Brown is still a tantalizing talent. He remains valued despite a mildly disappointing third season and his next deal (which would begin in 2020/21) is not a worry to many within the league. He’s a notch ahead of any one of the Knicks’ current players, per several sources.

10. Kevin Knox (Knicks)
11. Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)

Some remain high on Kevin Knox, with one league official telling Hoops Rumors that the former No. 9 overall pick is “right there” with this year’s Knicks selection (No. 3) as the team’s top asset.

Some would rather Knox over Dallas’ 2021 pick. Others were more bearish on Knox. There was a sense that he remains the team’s most valuable player under contract, but there are surely teams around the league that don’t believe he’s likely to become All-Star worthy. If the Pelicans are in that group, then he’s not adding a ton of value in a Davis proposal.

Marc Stein of the New York Times previously reported that Mitchell Robinson would be a top-10 pick if the league re-did the 2018 draft. The chatter we heard echoes that sentiment. One former scout tells Hoops Rumors that Robinson can be an elite defensive big, though he still has work to do in learning how to play at the NBA level.

Robinson’s contract can be considered the definition of team-friendly. It’s essentially the sort of standard rookie-scale deal a first-round pick would sign (with non-guaranteed money instead of a typical team option in year three). He’ll take home roughly $1.62MM next season followed by $1.66M (non-guaranteed) and then about $1.8M in 2021/22 (team option).

If Robinson can come close to becoming “elite” in any category at that price, then we are talking about a 2013-17 Warriors with Stephen Curry-like salary cap advantage for the Knicks or whichever team acquires him in a trade.

12. Landry Shamet (Clippers)
13a. Miami’s 2021 Unprotected First-Rounder (Clippers)
13b. No. 14 Overall Pick (Celtics)

Landry Shamet‘s inclusion this high may seem surprising, considering he was sandwiched between four outgoing draft picks in the Tobias Harris deal earlier this year. However, his second half of the season with the Clippers did not go unnoticed around the league.

The Miami pick, which has now been held by four teams, came to Los Angeles in the Harris deal, and it’s a gem. Depending on what kind rebuild the Pelicans (or any other team that makes a deal with the Clippers) is looking at, the selection could be higher on this list.

Still, the certainty of production now on a cost-controlled deal (ie. Shamet, Robinson, or Knox) would trump this selection for most franchises. Additionally, many within the league remain confident in Pat Riley‘s approach with the Heat. At a minimum, there’s a belief that the club won’t bottom out and rebuild; at best, Miami will cash in at some point on its glamour location and land someone capable of lifting the team up the Eastern Conference ranks.

The No. 14 overall pick comes with the same cost-controlled benefit as a player like Shamet, but there’s no guarantee it’ll produce a prospect like him in a draft class that isn’t particularly deep.

14. Danilo Gallinari (Clippers)

Prioritizing assets this far down the list comes down to objectives. If the Pelicans want to put out a competitive product right away, Danilo Gallinari can certainly help with that. If New Orleans wants to stay on a typical trajectory when building around a No. 1 overall pick, adding a productive veteran may not make sense.

Gallinari has one season at $22.6MM left on his deal. That figure won’t scare most franchises away, especially if a team that was hoping to land a star strikes out. Pairing Gallinari with young players (such as Shamet) and picks (like that Miami 2021 selection) makes for a desirable package that checks many boxes.

15. Lakers’ 2023 First-Rounder (Lakers)
16a. 2020 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Celtics)
16b. 2021 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Celtics)
16c. 2022 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers Celtics)

These selections each come with an asterisk attached. In a vacuum, each of these picks probably belongs higher on the list. In reality, whichever team ends up trading for Davis will see the value of its future first-rounders drop, which would be reflected from the Pelicans’ side in negotiations and in other trade discussions if and when a team acquires the two-time Gold Medal Olympian.

The Lakers’ 2023 draft pick is among the highest valued picks in distant future years due to the uncertainty surrounding LeBron — his contract ends after the 2021/22 season (though that season is a player option). James will be 37 years old at the end of the four-year deal and there’s no guarantee he’ll remain with Los Angeles. Even if he does, it’s not certain what he’ll be capable of by then.

For the Pelicans, the 2021 and 2022 selections may have slightly more value than a 2020 pick, since there’s a chance that New Orleans trades Davis to a destination and he bolts next July. It can’t be assumed that Davis will re-sign with whichever team acquires him (he’s hinted that New York and Los Angeles are his preferences), but New Orleans will likely operate negotiations under the assumption that Davis will remain wherever the organization trades him to for the foreseeable future.

17. Dennis Smith Jr. (Knicks)

Would Dennis Smith Jr. fetch a first-round pick if the Knicks traded him? The answer is probably yes, though opinions ranged on the former No. 9 overall pick. Some believe he has room to grow, while others believe what you see is what you get: a score-first point guard.

18a. No. 20 Overall Pick (Celtics)
18b. No. 22 Overall Pick (Celtics)

It would be shocking if the Celtics keep all three of their first-round picks this year. It would be equally shocking if the Pelicans or any team with a star for sale find value in taking all three back. One source tells Hoops Rumors that he expects Boston to look to shop one of its first-rounders outside of a presumed offer for Davis.

19. Sixers’ 2020 Lottery-Protected First-Round Pick (Clippers)

With the Sixers coming one buzzer-beater away from an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, it may seem as if this pick is destined to fall late in the 2020 draft and league executives would be unenthusiastic about the asset. That’s not the case.

There are layers of risk in banking heavily on Philadelphia to be among the top contenders in the East next season. Jimmy Butler, Harris, and J.J. Redick will hit the open market. If they all come back, the Sixers have limited resources in filling out their bench. The long-term health of Joel Embiid remains a variable, according to several sources around the league. Plus, if teams like the Celtics and/or Knicks land stars, the conference could become more competitive, knocking the Sixers down a rung.

The Sixers are likely to be good again next season. They could even be the favorite in the conference depending on what happens with Kawhi Leonard, Irving, and Davis. However, in the equation of this pick’s valuation, a bevy of variables exist and it can’t be assumed that this selection will land in the mid- to late-20s.

20. Brandon Ingram (Lakers)

Acquiring Brandon Ingram comes with massive risk. From a talent perspective, he remains highly coveted, with one former scout telling Hoops Rumors that Ingram would be above the Knicks’ current group of players. However, he’s extension-eligible this summer and given his health concerns (he underwent surgery to treat blood clots in March), the Pelicans or any team will have to be wary of trading for the former No. 2 overall pick. There’s just one year left on his rookie deal.

21a. Marcus Smart (Celtics)
21b. Montrezl Harrell (Clippers)
21c. Lou Williams (Clippers)

Marcus Smart signed a four-year, $52MM extension with the Celtics last summer and that deal is viewed favorably around the league. Several sources tell Hoops Rumors that Boston could fetch an asset if they look to move Smart by himself. If he happens to be part of a Davis deal, his value is likely to be part of the calculus of the trade.

Montrezl Harrell is a steal at $6MM for next season, but he’ll be a free agent next summer and figures to become pricier. Lou Williams had an incredible season at age 32, likely cementing a yet another Sixth Man of The Year award. He has two seasons left on his contract at $8MM annually — the 2020/21 figure is even non-guaranteed in case things go unexpectedly south next season.

It’s unlikely that the Pelicans look to acquire him in a Davis deal, but make no mistake, Williams would garner an asset if the Clippers moved him this offseason to clear cap space or if he’s sent to another team in a three-way AD trade.

22. Mavericks’ 2023 Top-10 Protected First-Rounder (Knicks)

The Mavericks’ 2023 first-rounder is intriguing, but it doesn’t come with the upside potential of the 2021 selection. Best-case scenario, it’s a late lottery pick in 2023. Worst-case scenario, it remains protected for three years and eventually becomes a single second-round pick in 2025.

23. Josh Hart (Lakers)
24a. Jerome Robinson (Clippers)
24b. Moritz Wagner (Lakers)

Josh Hart may have the brightest future of this group of young prospects, but his payday is coming the soonest — he’ll be extension-eligible in 2020 or RFA-eligible in 2021. Jerome Robinson and Moritz Wagner could still further develop and each has three years left on his rookie contract.

25. Frank Ntilikina (Knicks)

Frank Ntilikina was a player there was a major schism on. Some around the league believe he still has trade value and shouldn’t be considered simply a “throw-in.” He still hasn’t turned 21 years old, and there have been many instances of young prospects floundering as top-10 selections in one spot, only to resurrect their careers with a new team.

Ntilikina’s rookie-scale contract encapsulates the risk and reward associated with acquiring the former No. 8 overall pick.

He’ll make slightly over $4.85MM during the 2019/20 campaign and whichever team acquires him will have until the end of October 2019 to make a decision on his team option worth $6.18MM for the following season—the final year of his rookie deal.

Teams will only have played a handful of games by that point next season, so a front office won’t have much of an opportunity to evaluate the point guard before making a lucrative commitment for the following season. Conjointly, there’s no long-term upside in the contract, as he’s only under team control through the 2020/21 season.

Other Players, Picks By Team

Celtics

Gordon Hayward
Robert Williams
Guerschon Yabusele
Semi Ojeleye
No. 51 Overall Pick
2023 First-Round Pick
2024 First-Round Pick
2025 First-Round Pick
2020 Second-Round Pick
2020 Second-Round Pick (via Atlanta; top-55 protected)
2021 Second-Round Pick
2022 Second-Round Pick
2023 Second-Round Pick
2024 Second-Round Pick
2025 Second-Round Pick

Clippers

Tyrone Wallace
Sindarius Thornwell
No. 48 Overall Pick
No. 56 Overall Pick
2023 First-Round Pick
2024 First-Round Pick
2025 First-Round Pick
2020 Second-Round Pick
2021 Second-Round Pick (via Detroit)
2022 Second-Round Pick
2023 Second-Round Pick
2023 Second-Round Pick (via Detroit)
2024 Second-Round Pick
2025 Second-Round Pick

Knicks

Damyean Dotson
Henry Ellenson
Allonzo Trier
John Jenkins
Lance Thomas
No. 55 Overall Pick
2023 First-Round Pick
2024 First-Round Pick
2025 First-Round Pick
2020 Second-Round Pick (via Charlotte)
2021 Second-Round Pick (via Charlotte)
2022 Second-Round Pick
2023 Second-Round Pick
2024 Second-Round Pick
2025 Second-Round Pick

Lakers

Isaac Bonga
Jemerrio Jones
2024 First-Round Pick
2025 First-Round Pick
2020 Second-Round Pick
2022 Second-Round Pick
2023 Second-Round Pick
2024 Second-Round Pick
2025 Second-Round Pick

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Offseason Questions: New York Knicks

May 28th, 2019 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the NBA’s most iconic franchises, the Knicks have also been one of the league’s most dysfunctional in recent years. They’re set to enter a crucial offseason after having won between 17 and 32 games in each of the last five seasons.

Having been unable to put together a core of promising young building blocks during their on-again, off-again rebuild over those five years, the Knicks will rely on other assets to improve the roster during the summer of 2019. With a handful of extra future first-round picks in hand and more cap room available than any other NBA team, New York theoretically has the resources necessary to sign two maximum-salary free agents and acquire a third one in a trade.

After months of speculation about which players the Knicks might be able to actually land, we’ll get our answer in the coming weeks.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. Will Kevin Durant sign with the Knicks?

Durant himself has given no indication that he’s dead set on leaving the Warriors or that he has a specific destination in mind when he reaches the free agent market this offseason. But based on how the NBA rumor mill works, there’s a widespread belief that the Knicks are already preparing to print thousands of No. 35 jerseys for the 2019/20 season. Reports all season from outlets across the county have indicated that NBA insiders expect Durant to end up in the Big Apple.

Whispers of Durant leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State persisted throughout the second half of the 2015/16 season, and the idea that LeBron James would leave Cleveland for the Lakers was a constant source of speculation leading up to his 2018 free agency. Those are just two high-profile examples of why we should take all the rumors linking Durant to the Knicks seriously.

Even in instances where the NBA’s rumor mill doesn’t necessarily get it right, there can be plenty of warning signs along the way pointing to the eventual outcome. Last summer, for instance, there was a widespread belief that Paul George wanted to join the Lakers, but sourced reports in the weeks and months leading up to his free agency repeatedly stated that the Thunder remained very confident in their ability to re-sign him. If you didn’t discount those reports as misguided optimism, you weren’t surprised by George’s eventual decision to stay in Oklahoma City.

All of this is to say that where there’s smoke, there’s probably fire — those Knicks rumors are coming from somewhere, and there’s reason for New York basketball fans to be excited about the possibility of their team signing Durant.

Still, until Durant puts pen to paper, this is far from a done deal. Since the regular season ended, there have been reports suggesting that uncertainty about Durant’s future has increased, along with reports indicating that the Warriors are still getting a sense that KD might stay. If he doesn’t choose the Knicks, we could be looking back at those stories as the warning signs we missed.

2. How about Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker?

Durant’s decision is at the top of the Knicks’ offseason flowchart — depending on whether or not he signs with the team, the offseason may head in drastically different directions, as that decision will have a ripple effect on the rest of New York’s offseason moves.

The point guard question is the second item on that hypothetical flowchart. If Durant decides to play in New York, it seems likely that he’ll bring another top free agent along with him, and Irving and Walker look like two of the most logical fits. Kyrie is good friends with KD, while Walker is a New York native who would likely relish the idea of playing his home games in Madison Square Garden.

The Nets, Lakers, Clippers, and other teams – including the Celtics for Irving and the Hornets for Walker – will also be in the mix for these two point guards, and if one of the two commits to another club, the Knicks figure to zero in on the other. But as long as both players are available, it will be interesting to see which one the team pursues more aggressively.

Given his injury history and his drama-filled season in Boston, Irving no longer appears to be as safe as investment as Walker, but his on-court upside is much higher. Plus, if Durant commits to the Knicks and says he wants to team up with Irving specifically, the team probably won’t argue with him.

If Durant doesn’t come to New York, the Knicks’ outlook at this spot gets even murkier. Is it still worth pursing Irving and/or Walker, perhaps to pair with another second-tier target like Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, or Khris Middleton? That brings us to our third question…

3. What’s Plan B if the Knicks don’t land their top free agent targets?

With the Knicks apparently targeting some combination of Durant and either Irving or Walker, their Plan A looks obvious: Sign two of those free agents and trade the necessary pieces to New Orleans for Anthony Davis to secure a new Big Three.

But what if the Knicks only get a commitment from one of their top free agent targets? What if another team outbids them for Davis? The Knicks could find themselves with one established star set to join a group of unproven young prospects, with upwards of $35MM in cap room still available. In other words, they’d be a poor man’s version of the 2018/19 Lakers.

At that point, the Knicks would have to decide how best to use that remaining cap room to maximize their chances of contending in the long term.

Could they, as the Lakers did, sign a series of veteran free agents to one-year contracts to fill out the roster and try to contend right away? Would it make more sense to invest the rest of their cap room into a single free agent, even if that player is only a borderline All-Star and wasn’t their top target? Or should they go the other direction and take things slow by using their cap room to acquire unwanted contracts and extra assets to try to accumulate even more capital for a future trade for a star?

Free agency will move quickly and these decisions won’t be easy, but the Knicks would be wise to avoid massive investments on second-tier free agents. Using cap room to accommodate salary dumps or one-year contracts would be disappointing, but it would at least allow the club to retain its flexibility and take another swing at big targets in a year or two.

4. How strong is the Knicks’ Anthony Davis trade package?

Whether they sign two star free agents or strike out entirely on the open market – or anything in between – the Knicks could make a play for Davis, aiming to secure a long-term commitment from him when he becomes eligible for free agency in 2020.

In theory, the Knicks should have a handful of players who would make good trade chips in an offer for Davis. Of their four players on guaranteed contracts for 2019/20, three (Dennis Smith, Frank Ntilikina, and Kevin Knox) are top-10 picks from the last two drafts, and the fourth (Mitchell Robinson) is arguably a more promising prospect than all of them.

Still, the most intriguing player in a potential Knicks offer might be one that’s not actually on their roster yet. With the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft, the club is in position to select Duke forward R.J. Barrett. Once considered the odds-on favorite to be selected first in this year’s draft, Barrett had more ups and downs than expected in his freshman year as part of a Blue Devils roster that lacked outside shooting, and was surpassed on big boards by Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.

Still, Barrett is a potential star who would be on a rookie contract for four years and then would likely be under team control for another four or five. When a club trades away an established All-Star, the winning offer is generally headlined by one player that the club likes more than any other asset available in other offers. There’s no guarantee that the Pelicans feel that way about Barrett instead of, say, Jayson Tatum. But if they do, the Knicks would have a real shot at winning the Davis sweepstakes.

5. Which of the Knicks’ young players are worth investing in?

If the Knicks’ dream scenario – two star free agents and a Davis trade – plays out, this question may be moot. After all, the team would have to trade just about all its young prospects in order to match Davis’ salary.

In any other scenario though, the club will have to take a long, hard look at players like Smith, Ntilikina, Knox, Damyean Dotson, Allonzo Trier, and others to determine whether it’s realistic to expect them to be part of the Knicks’ long-term future.

Those decisions won’t have to be made right away in every case, but many of them are due soon. Trier has a club option for 2019/20, while Dotson has a non-guaranteed salary for next season before reaching restricted free agency in 2020. Smith and Ntilikina will be extension-eligible in 2020 if their ’20/21 options are exercised.

The 2018/19 season should have been the time to evaluate many of these players, but inconsistent lineups made the outlook murkier than ever for many of them. The point guard rotation, for instance, featured plenty of Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke at the expense of Ntilikina.

While Ntilikina is still just 20 years old and may have untapped potential, he’ll reportedly be on the trade block this offseason. If the Knicks are willing to move on from the former No. 8 pick after just two seasons, the clock is ticking on prospects like Knox and Smith as well.

Check out the New York Knicks’ offseason salary cap outlook right here.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Shootaround: Khris Middleton

May 27th, 2019 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks intend to re-sign all of their top free agents after reaching the Eastern Conference finals. But is that the best course of action?

The biggest question mark surrounds Khris Middleton, generally considered the second-best player on the team behind MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Middleton will opt out of the last year of his contract, which would pay him $13MM, and head to unrestricted free agency.

Once marquee agents such as Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler come off the board, Middleton would be viewed as a nice consolation prize for teams with salary-cap space that don’t land one of the big stars. Middleton averaged 18.3 PPG and career highs of 6.0 RPG and 4.3 APG this season after posting an average of 20.1 PPG last season. Middleton is a career 38.8% 3-point shooter and, at 27, in his prime years.

The nagging question is can Middleton be the second-best player on a championship team? Middleton had a 30-point outburst in Game 4 against the Raptors but averaged 10.2 PPG in the five other games of the conference finals.

A max offer for Middleton would be an approximate $189.6MM commitment over five years; he could receive a max of $140.6MM over four years from another team. Whether he gets the max or something close to it, it’s going to be awfully expensive to retain him.

An alternative for the Bucks would be to shoot higher themselves and try to convince a big-name free agent to come their way. The other approach would be to absorb the salary of an All-Star caliber player in a trade with the savings they’ll get by allowing Middleton to sign elsewhere. That doesn’t seem to be the way the Bucks are leaning but it would be a bolder approach.

That leads us to our question of the day: Should the Bucks go all out to re-sign Khris Middleton or should they seek another star to pair up with Giannis Antetokounmpo?

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

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Trail Blazers

Dallas Mavericks

Brooklyn Nets

1. Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clippers) 3. No. 3 Overall Pick (Knicks)

4. No. 4 Overall Pick (Lakers) 5. Memphis’ 2020 Top-6 Protected First-Rounder (Celtics)

6. Lonzo Ball (Lakers)

7. Mavericks’ 2021 Unprotected First-Rounder (Knicks)

8. Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) 9. Jaylen Brown (Celtics)

10. Kevin Knox (Knicks) 11. Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)

12. Landry Shamet (Clippers) 13a. Miami’s 2021 Unprotected First-Rounder (Clippers) 13b. No. 14 Overall Pick (Celtics)

14. Danilo Gallinari (Clippers)

*15. Lakers’ 2023 First-Rounder (Lakers) *16a. 2020 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Celtics) *16b. 2021 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Celtics) *16c. 2022 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers Celtics)

17. Dennis Smith Jr. (Knicks)

18a. No. 20 Overall Pick (Celtics) 18b. No. 22 Overall Pick (Celtics)

19. Sixers’ 2020 Lottery-Protected First-Round Pick (Clippers)

20. Brandon Ingram (Lakers)

21a. Marcus Smart (Celtics) 21b. Montrezl Harrell (Clippers) 21c. Lou Williams (Clippers)

22. Mavericks’ 2023 Top-10 Protected First-Rounder (Knicks)

23. Josh Hart (Lakers) 24a. Jerome Robinson (Clippers) 24b. Moritz Wagner (Lakers)

25. Frank Ntilikina (Knicks)

Other Players, Picks By Team

Celtics

Clippers

Knicks

Lakers

1. Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clippers)
3. No. 3 Overall Pick (Knicks)

4. No. 4 Overall Pick (Lakers)
5. Memphis’ 2020 Top-6 Protected First-Rounder (Celtics)

8. Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
9. Jaylen Brown (Celtics)

10. Kevin Knox (Knicks)
11. Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)

12. Landry Shamet (Clippers)
13a. Miami’s 2021 Unprotected First-Rounder (Clippers)
13b. No. 14 Overall Pick (Celtics)

15. Lakers’ 2023 First-Rounder (Lakers)
16a. 2020 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Celtics)
16b. 2021 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Celtics)
16c. 2022 First-Round Picks (Knicks, Clippers, Lakers Celtics)

18a. No. 20 Overall Pick (Celtics)
18b. No. 22 Overall Pick (Celtics)

21a. Marcus Smart (Celtics)
21b. Montrezl Harrell (Clippers)
21c. Lou Williams (Clippers)

23. Josh Hart (Lakers)
24a. Jerome Robinson (Clippers)
24b. Moritz Wagner (Lakers)