Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

2019 NBA Buyout Market Watch

February 11th, 2019 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

The 2019 NBA trade deadline is behind us, but that doesn’t mean teams are finished making roster moves. With two months left in the 2018/19 regular season, there are still plenty of roster spots to be filled around the NBA, as well as veterans who might not finish the year with their current teams.

For the rest of February, the NBA’s buyout market figures to be active. A veteran in an undesirable situation due to his playing time or his team’s place in the standings (or both) could ask to be released and may even be willing to give back a little money to accommodate the move. Some teams might make that decision unilaterally, opting to release a veteran to open up a roster spot for a younger player.

Over the rest of the month, we’ll use the space below to monitor the buyout market, keeping tabs on which veteran players have been bought out or released, and which have found new teams. We’ll also keep an eye on players who are potential buyout candidates.

A player on an NBA contract must be waived by the end of March 1 in order to retain his playoff eligibility, so that will be a key date to watch. You can find out more about buyouts in our glossary entry on the subject.

Here’s our breakdown of the 2019 NBA buyout market:

Veterans who have been bought out or released and are free agents:

Note: Players marked with an asterisk were injured at the time of their release.

Veterans who have been bought out or released and joined new teams:

Other candidates to be bought out or released:

Not every player on this list will hit free agency before season’s end. In fact, most probably won’t.

The Hawks players, for instance, might intrigue contenders, but aren’t expected to reach the open market — Dedmon has attainable incentives that would be voided if he’s bought out, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes. As for Carter, he simply hasn’t displayed much desire to join a contender in recent years, preferring to see minutes and play a mentor role for young teams.

Lopez would perhaps be the most interesting target on this list for playoff clubs, but the Bulls have suggested they plan to keep him. Ditto for the Knicks and Jordan.

Even if Anderson doesn’t remain in the Heat‘s plans, they’ll probably wait until the offseason to make a move with him, since they’ll have more options at that point. Smith is also unlikely to be waived by the Cavaliers during the season, since the terms of his contract – signed under the old CBA – could make him a trade chip this summer, as we explained in October.

Some other players on this list could become free agents, and a few other unexpected names might join this group within the next couple weeks. However, it seems that most of this year’s top buyout candidates were waived right around the trade deadline, or even earlier.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/2/19 – 2/9/19

February 9th, 2019 at 5:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:

  • Luke Adams examined every team’s roster in the aftermath of the trade deadline.
  • We held a live chat on deadline day to answer readers’ questions about all that was happening.
  • Fantasy basketball expert Chris Crouse identified which players will get better and worse as a result of this week’s trades.
  • We conducted a poll on who will win the Eastern Conference.
  • In this week’s Community Shootaround post, we asked if the Pelicans should have accepted the Lakers‘ latest trade offer for Anthony Davis.
  • This week’s Mailbag took questions on Davis, Julius Randle and George Hill.
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Fantasy Hoops: Post-Trade Deadline Stock Watch

February 9th, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

We had a wild trade deadline this year with 14 day-of deals and several notable transactions leading up to Thursday. Let’s take a look at some winners and losers from a fantasy basketball perspective:

Rising Fantasy Basketball Stocks

Bobby Portis (Wizards): 30 points is not a bad way to introduce yourself to a new fan base. Yes, it was against the Cavaliers, but Portis looked comfortable in his new environment, tossing up 18 shots and finishing with a 31.8% usage rate in 27 minutes of action. The man who bet on himself appears determined to make the most of his audition for a new contract.

Jabari Parker (Wizards): Parker had 15 DNPs in the 25 games leading up to his trade, making owning him a frustrating task. He saw 23 minutes in his first game with Washington and didn’t commit a single turnover while adding seven points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. He’s a major defensive liability, but it’s easy to envision the Wizards looking past that as they evaluate whether or not he can be a part of the team’s long-term outlook.

Stanley Johnson (Pelicans): Johnson saw 20 minutes in his first contest for New Orleans, including all but a few possessions of the fourth quarter when Anthony Davis sat out. Davis won’t play in back-to-backs the rest of the way and he may be held out toward the end of games like he was on Friday night. That leaves opportunity for the rest of the roster and Johnson is among those in position to take full advantage.

Otto Porter (Bulls): In his Chicago debut, Porter started and saw 34 minutes. As long as coach Jim Boylen doesn’t get crazy with the rotations (not a given), Porter will see more opportunity with the Bulls compared to his days with the Wizards.

Lauri Markkanen (Bulls): With Portis no longer in his way, Markkanen will get all the opportunity he can handle. He has scored at least 30 points in three straight games and is averaging over 12 boards per game over that stretch. The big man is a top-30 player in both points and category leagues the rest of the way.

Jonas Valanciunas (Grizzlies): The center is still hurt, but if the Grizzlies eventually place him in the starting lineup, he’ll be a key fantasy contributor down the stretch. He only saw 18.8 minutes per game this season in Toronto but his per-36 minutes will catch your eye (24.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks).

Ivan Rabb (Grizzlies): Rabb is a must-own right now with Valanciunas sidelined and he should remain a viable contributor even when the center debuts with Memphis. He’s averaging 17 points, 10, rebounds, and three “stocks” over the last two games as a starter.

Tyler Johnson (Suns): Phoenix presents Johnson with a ton of opportunity and even though he had an awful debut (1-for-9 for two points, two assists, two steals, and two turnovers), he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Harrison Barnes (Kings): Barnes sees his stock rise ever so slightly, as he enters a situation with a faster pace. The Kings are top-10 in pace over the last 15 games while the Mavs rank 29th. The small forward saw 37 minutes in his first game with the club and while he wasn’t efficient nor a centerpiece of the offense, he’ll get enough action to justify a fantasy roster spot.

Declining Fantasy Basketball Stocks

Tobias Harris (Sixers): Harris scored just 14 points on 12 attempts in his Philly debut. He was a top-25 fantasy player on the Clippers due to his efficiency and volume. Expect his percentages to look good but his raw numbers to severely decline. Still, he’s in the 50-60 range in category leagues.

Nikola Mirotic (Bucks): Mirotic is still nursing a calf injury but when he finally makes his debut in Milwaukee, he should expect a lesser role than the one had with the Pelicans.

Thomas Bryant (Wizards): Bryant was declining prior to the trade deadline and the arrival of Portis steals touches from him. Dwight Howard returning at some point remains a possibility. In all, Bryant owners should probably be looking for other options on the waivers.

Marc Gasol & Serge Ibaka (Raptors): Gasol and Ibaka will both see a decline in fantasy value. Prior to the deadline, Ibaka’s value was expected to take a hit with Valanciunas eventually returning from an injury and Gasol will likely see more minutes per game than JV did with the Raptors. I expect Pascal Siakam‘s stock to remain relatively steady but all three bigs are less valuable than they were Thursday morning.

Jahlil Okafor (Pelicans): Okafor’s fantasy relevance was a great story while it lasted but with Davis still on the squad, the opportunities won’t be there as often. Okafor is an excellent candidate for daily fantasy consideration on nights Davis doesn’t play but don’t expect Okafor to be consistent enough to be more than a streaming option in season-long leagues unless the Pelicans fully shut down AD.

Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.

Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Every NBA Team’s Post-Deadline Roster Situation

February 8th, 2019 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA confirmed today that 2019’s trade deadline set and matched some records. The 14 trades completed on Thursday were the most made on a deadline day in the last 30 years, and the 19 teams involved in those swaps was tied for the most over that same period.

In total, 34 players were involved in those 14 trades — and that doesn’t even count the eight deals completed during the week leading up to the deadline, as we detailed last night.

Needless to say, there has been plenty of roster upheaval around the NBA, so we’re going to use this space to take a look at all 30 teams’ roster situations to see exactly where they stand. Does your favorite team have a full roster? Or is their roster somehow only two-thirds full? Looking at you, Raptors.

Here’s a breakdown of all 30 clubs’ roster situations at the time of this post’s publication (more moves will be made in the coming days or even hours that won’t be noted here, so keep that in mind):

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks entered the week with 15 players, but had to waive Daniel Hamilton to clear a spot to acquire Jabari Bird. They subsequently traded Tyler Dorsey for Shelvin Mack, then waived both Bird and Mack.

They currently have 13 players on their roster, leaving two open spots. They’ll have two weeks to get back to the league-mandated minimum of 14 players.

Boston Celtics

After carrying 15 players all season, the Celtics traded Jabari Bird to create an open roster spot. They’ll explore the buyout market for candidates to fill that opening.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets entered the week with 14 players on standard contracts and one (Mitch Creek) on a 10-day deal. Creek’s contract was terminated a few days early to make room for Greg Monroe, who was waived after being acquired from Toronto.

Brooklyn now has 14 players under contract and could opt to re-add Creek (albeit on a full-season contract), sign another player, or leave that spot empty for now.

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets had a quiet week and continue to carry 14 players, leaving one open roster spot.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls created an open spot on their roster by trading Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker for Otto Porter, and are now carrying 14 players.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers acquired two players – Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin – for Rodney Hood, which required them to terminate Kobi Simmons‘ 10-day contract early to stay at 15 players.

Subsequently, Cleveland flipped Stauskas and Baldwin to Houston in exchange for Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight, with Alec Burks heading to Sacramento in that three-team deal. The 3-for-2 move left the Cavs with 14 players and an open roster spot.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks, already at 15 players, acquired two veterans – Zach Randolph and Justin Jackson – in exchange for Harrison Barnes, and had to waive Salah Mejri to make the deal work.

They’re currently at 15 players, but will be releasing Randolph very soon to create an open roster spot.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets didn’t make any moves this week and continue to carry a full 15-man roster.

Detroit Pistons

Both of the Pistons‘ trades this week were 1-for-1 swaps in terms of players, with Thon Maker and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk replacing Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson.

However, with the team closing in on a deal for Wayne Ellington, someone will need to be waived to stay at the 15-man limit. That player will reportedly be Henry Ellenson.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors didn’t make any moves this week and still have 14 players under contract, leaving an opening for potential buyout targets.

Read more

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Poll: Which Team Will Win The East?

February 8th, 2019 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

It was a wild trade-deadline week across the NBA, but most of the major win-now additions were made by Eastern Conference clubs. The Sixers, Bucks, and Raptors all completed significant trades at the deadline, while Western Conference contenders like the Warriors, Thunder, Nuggets, Jazz, and Spurs didn’t make a single move.

The result? A four-team group of East contenders looks even more dangerous than it did a week ago, creating the potential for a tantalizing pair of matchups in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this spring.

The Bucks were already the conference’s No. 1 team heading into this week and they added Nikola Mirotic without sacrificing a rotation player or a first-round pick. A sharpshooting power forward who can spread the floor and hold his own on the glass, Mirotic should fit right into Mike Budenholzer‘s system, which has allowed Brook Lopez to thrive this season.

The No. 2 team in the East, the Raptors, responded to Milwaukee’s move by making a deal for former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol. While Gasol is 34 and may not be as dynamic a player as he once was, Toronto won’t ask him to do as much as Memphis did, and he figures to be an upgrade on Jonas Valanciunas, given his shooting and passing ability. The Raptors gave up some depth pieces in Delon Wright and C.J. Miles, but neither of those players was likely to be a difference maker in a playoff series.

The Sixers, meanwhile, made the splashiest move of any of the East’s top contenders, acquiring Tobias Harris from the Clippers in a trade that involved six players and multiple first-round picks. Harris had been enjoying the best year of his career in Los Angeles, and his shooting ability (.496/.434/.877) should be a great fit for a Sixers lineup that has struggled to spread the floor, despite J.J. Redick‘s best efforts. Philadelphia also acquired James Ennis and Jonathon Simmons in minor deals, adding depth on the wing.

As for the Celtics, their deadline was quiet, but they were the Eastern Conference favorites coming into the season and remain confident that they have the pieces necessary to make a run to the Finals. Boston has gone 25-10 since getting off to a slow 10-10 start, and has won 10 of its last 12 games as the team starts to get comfortable with its rotation.

What do you think? Which of these four teams do you believe will come out of the East this spring? Or do you think there’s a dark horse out there capable of making an unlikely run to the Finals?

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

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2019 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

February 7th, 2019 at 11:12pm CST by Luke Adams

After weeks of speculation suggesting that it might be a quiet 2019 trade deadline, we ended up getting just the opposite. Fourteen trades were completed today, with eight more having been finalized since January 31.

The deadline was still quiet for some contenders — the Warriors, Nuggets, Thunder, Spurs, and Jazz were among the clubs that didn’t make a pre-deadline deal. And, of course, the Pelicans elected to hang onto Anthony Davis until at least the offseason.

Still, this year’s deadline gave us a ton to keep track of. We’ll attempt to do just that, as our recap of all of 2019’s deadline deals can be found below, starting with the moves completed today…

Trades completed on deadline day:

February 7

February 7

  • Sixers acquire James Ennis.
  • Rockets acquire the right to swap their own 2021 second-round pick with the Sixers’ 2021 second-round pick.

February 7

February 7

  • Hawks acquire Jabari Bird and cash.
  • Celtics acquire the Hawks’ 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

February 7

February 7

February 7

  • Bucks acquire Nikola Mirotic.
  • Pistons acquire Thon Maker.
  • Pelicans acquire Stanley Johnson, Jason Smith, the Nuggets’ 2019 second-round pick (top-55 protected), the Bucks’ 2020 second-round pick, the Wizards’ 2020 second-round pick, and the Wizards’ 2021 second-round pick (all picks from the Bucks).

February 7

  • Nets acquire Greg Monroe and the Raptors’ 2021 second-round pick.
  • Raptors acquire cash ($110K).

February 7

  • Magic acquire Markelle Fultz.
  • Sixers acquire Jonathon Simmons, the Thunder’s 2020 first-round pick (top-20 protected), and either the Cavs’, Magic’s, Trail Blazers’, or Rockets’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).

February 7

February 7

February 7

  • Rockets acquire Iman Shumpert, Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin, and the Bucks’ 2021 second-round pick (from Cleveland).
  • Cavaliers acquire Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, the Rockets’ 2019 first-round pick (top-14 protected), and the Rockets’ 2022 second-round pick.
  • Kings acquire Alec Burks and either the Rockets’ or Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable).

February 7

February 7

Players waived on deadline day:

Note: A number of other players – including Zach Randolph (Mavericks), Jabari Bird (Hawks), Nik Stauskas (Pacers), Wade Baldwin (Pacers), and Shelvin Mack (Hawks) – are expected to be waived, but it doesn’t appear those moves have been made official yet.

Trades completed in the week leading up to the deadline:

February 6

February 6

February 6

February 6

February 6

February 4

  • Trail Blazers acquire Rodney Hood.
  • Cavaliers acquire Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin, the Trail Blazers’ 2021 second-round pick, and the Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick.

February 1

  • Bulls acquire Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and cash ($2.6MM).
  • Thunder acquire the Bulls’ 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

January 31

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors’ 2019 NBA Trade Deadline Live Chat

February 7th, 2019 at 11:58am CST by ChrisCrouse

It’s happening! The trade deadline is approaching and in addition to our standard coverage of the NBA, we’ll be hosting a live chat for fans to discuss all the player movement from around the league.

Upset that your team didn’t get Anthony Davis? Feel a certain way about the top teams in the Eastern Conference bulking up? Do you simply want to vent about anything going on within NBA circles?

We’ve got you covered on everything going on around the NBA! We’re live starting at 12:00 pm CT through the trade deadline!

Join Hoops Rumors’ live 2018 NBA Draft chat

 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors’ 2019 NBA Trade Deadline Primer

February 7th, 2019 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

The usual last-minute flurry of action, which typically takes place on the day of the NBA trade deadline, began early this year. Seven trades were officially completed on Wednesday – or very early on Thursday morning – and two more deals were agreed upon, with noteworthy players like Tobias Harris, Otto Porter, and Harrison Barnes changing teams.

As eventful as Wednesday was, we still have more than six hours until the trade deadline arrives at 2:00pm central time today. And trade candidates like Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and – of course – Anthony Davis remain on the market.

We’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest news and rumors all day long on Hoops Rumors, leading up to 2:00pm. That includes a live deadline day chat which should get underway around noon CT.

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

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Lakers’ Offer For Davis

February 4th, 2019 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers want Anthony Davis and they want him now.

That’s apparent by their latest reported offer for the Pelicans superstar.

According to reports that surfaced today, the Lakers are willing to give up most of their young talent, draft picks and some cap space in order to pair up Davis with LeBron James. They’re willing to package Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and two first-round picks for Davis and Solomon Hill.

Kuzma is the Lakers’ second-leading scorer and Ingram, the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, is a close third. Ball, currently injured, was the second overall pick in the 2017 draft. Rondo and Beasley have expiring contracts, while Hill is owed over $12MM next season, so the Lakers would be sacrificing some cap space. And draft picks have become increasingly valued assets, so that’s quite a package the Lakers are willing to surrender.

Still, New Orleans doesn’t have to pull the trigger. The Pelicans could simply hold onto Davis and wait for the Celtics to enter the bidding. Boston can’t acquire Davis at this time because it already has a player, Kyrie Irving, who signed a designated player extension. Davis did the same with the Pelicans and no team can have two such players on the roster.

That prohibition ends when Irving becomes a free agent this offseason and the Celtics have long coveted AD. They could put together a package featuring Jayson Tatum and other quality players, plus a boatload of draft picks for Davis’ services.

The Pelicans could also hold out for offers from other teams with a collection of young talent and draft picks. They reportedly want an All-NBA caliber player as part of a deal for Davis and there’s no certainty that any of the players the Lakers offered fit that description.

That leads us to our question of the day: Should the Pelicans accept the latest Lakers offer for Anthony Davis or should they wait until the offseason to deal him?

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

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Weekly Mailbag: 1/28/19 – 2/3/19

February 3rd, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.

Other than maybe Anthony Davis, do you see any big trades going down in the next couple of days? — Jimmy Robinson, via Twitter

There may not be any All-Stars on the move this week, but the trade deadline is shaping up to be more active than it originally appeared. Because so many teams remain in playoff contention, there will be far more buyers than sellers, but the sellers should have their pick of attractive offers. The Cavaliers, Bulls, Hawks, Suns and Grizzlies all have players they would like to move, and most of those teams are willing to take on long-term salary to make it happen. The big names most likely to be traded before the deadline are Memphis’ Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, but as the Kristaps Porzingis trade reminded us this week, huge deals sometimes happen without warning.

How available is Julius Randle, how much does he fit with Philly and what would he cost? Would a combo of Nikola Mirotic and Randle work out if Markelle Fultz is involved (I don’t want Fultz to go)? — Sean Hamilton

There was a report last week that the Pelicans were looking for takers for Randle, Mirotic and E’Twaun Moore, so availability shouldn’t be an issue. Mirotic has a $12.5MM expiring contract, while Randle makes $8.64MM, so the Sixers can’t realistically match salaries to get both of them without giving up players they prefer to keep. Either one would be a welcome addition in Philadelphia, particularly Mirotic, who would provide a badly needed outside shooter. However, it’s hard to see how a deal gets done unless Fultz is included, and at least from public statements, the Sixers don’t appear ready to give him up.

The Bucks were 16-8 (9-8 after starting season 7-0) when they traded Matthew Dellavedova and John Henson for George Hill and some other guy (Jason Smith). They are 22-5 since. Underrated, rated or overrated trade of the year? — Roger Skifstad

It was certainly an under-the-radar deal that has benefited the Bucks. Hill’s numbers aren’t flashy since arriving in Milwaukee (6.0/2.6/2.2 in about 21 minutes per game), but he has provided a stabilizing veteran presence off the bench. It didn’t get a lot of headlines when it happened, but small trades like this can sometimes have a huge impact at playoff time.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts