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18 Trade Exceptions To Expire Within Next Month

January 18th, 2019 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As NBA teams consider their trade options before the February 7 deadline, it’s worth keeping in mind that two-thirds of the league’s clubs hold traded player exceptions. These traded player exceptions allow over-the-cap clubs to acquire a player – or multiple players – whose salary fits within the TPE without having to send out any salary in return.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception]

Traded player exceptions can’t be combined with another salary or exception and often aren’t worth much, so most of them ultimately go unused. Still, they can come in handy every now and then, particularly for under-the-tax clubs that don’t mind adding a little more money to their books.

Last season, a total of 16 trades were completed between January 29 and February 8, resulting in 18 outstanding trade exceptions that will expire between January 29 and February 8 of this year.

Here are those traded player exceptions, listed in order of value, with the expiration date noted in parentheses for each TPE:

  • Detroit Pistons: $7,000,000 (1/29)
  • Utah Jazz: $3,708,883 (2/8)
  • Portland Trail Blazers: $3,505,233 (2/8)
  • Toronto Raptors: $2,451,225 (2/8)
  • Utah Jazz: $2,386,864 (2/8)
  • New Orleans Pelicans: $2,300,000 (2/8)
  • Milwaukee Bucks: $1,889,040 (2/5)
  • Memphis Grizzlies: $1,697,250 (2/8)
  • Los Angeles Clippers: $1,471,382 (1/29)
  • New Orleans Pelicans: $1,471,382 (2/1)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: $1,471,382 (2/8)
  • Detroit Pistons: $1,471,382 (2/8)
  • New York Knicks: $1,435,750 (2/7)
  • New Orleans Pelicans: $1,429,818 (2/1)
  • Detroit Pistons: $1,331,160 (2/8)
  • Los Angeles Clippers: $1,331,160 (1/29)
  • Miami Heat: $1,312,611 (2/8)
  • Washington Wizards: $1,312,611 (2/8)

For the full list of traded player exceptions currently available, including three Nuggets TPEs ranging in value from $5.9MM to $13.7MM, click here.

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Community Shootaround: DeMarcus Cousins’ Return

January 17th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

DeMarcus Cousins is on track to play his first game as a member of the Warriors on Friday against the Clippers, assuming all goes well during his final evaluation on Thursday, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Within his story on Cousins’ impending return, Haynes notes that the former All-Star will actually make his debut several weeks later than he had hoped.

According to Haynes, Cousins wanted to speed up his timeline, and attempted to get cleared to play a few weeks ago, but the Warriors would have imposed a restriction of 10 minutes per game in that scenario. Rather than settling for such limited playing time, Cousins opted to continue his rehab process, improving his conditioning and preparing for a more significant role.

While Cousins will still likely be on some sort of minutes restriction as the club looks to ease him back into action, head coach Steve Kerr has yet to offer any specifics.

“We’ve got some ideas of how we are going to use him,” Kerr said, “but there is not a substitute for actual game experience. So, we’ll put him out there and see how it goes.”

With Cousins’ Warriors debut imminent, it will be fascinating to see how he fits in with Golden State’s other All-Stars and whether he looks at all like his old self after a long, challenging rehabilitation from a major Achilles injury. NBA players who have suffered Achilles tears often don’t make it all the way back, and for those that do, the process often takes two or three years. Still, speaking to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Cousins sounds very confident in his abilities.

“I won’t be the same player. I’ve gotten better,” he said with a laugh. “So you know, a lot of things have changed in my game. You start to tune up other areas of your game: jump shooting, skill work. I think everything has just increased and gotten better.”

The idea of slotting Cousins into a lineup that also features Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green is tantalizing — on paper, it’s the sort of five-man unit that makes Golden State a lock for a third straight championship. But there’s no guarantee it’ll actually be a success on the court. The Warriors’ stars have typically done a great job of buying into the system and playing their roles, but as we’ve seen in Boston this season, things don’t always run smoothly when a team has “too much” talent.

In advance of Cousins’ first game, we want to hear your thoughts on the situation in Golden State. Will Cousins make a great team even better, ensuring that the Warriors are holding up the Larry O’Brien trophy again this June? Will there be some growing pains before Cousins and the Warriors hit their stride down the stretch? Or do you think Cousins might ultimately be a non-factor for Golden State as he continues to recover from a significant injury?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Examining Stalemate Between Rockets, Danuel House

January 16th, 2019 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets made an effort to lock up two-way player Danuel House to a standard NBA contract on Tuesday, but the two sides ultimately couldn’t reach a deal, prompting the team to instead use its open roster spot to sign James Nunnally. Nunnally’s 10-day contract is expected to be finalized later today.

It’s a somewhat surprising outcome. House had been an important part of Houston’s rotation over the last couple months, averaging 9.0 PPG and 3.6 RPG with a .458/.390/.818 shooting line and playing solid defense in 25 games (24.8 MPG). Now, because he has reached the limit for the number of days a two-way player can spend in the NBA, he’ll be relegated to the G League most of the rest of the way, unless he and the Rockets can find common ground on a new deal.

So why exactly wasn’t House promoted to the Rockets’ 15-man roster? Before we can answer that question, it’s worth revisiting the team’s options for the third-year swingman:

  1. Unilaterally convert his two-way contract into a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
  2. Offer him a two-year, minimum-salary contract using the minimum salary exception.
  3. Offer him a three-year contract using some of the taxpayer mid-level exception.
  4. Keep him in the G League, where he’ll be ineligible to appear in NBA games until at least March 24 and won’t be playoff-eligible.

There were initially some conflicting reports on what the Rockets offered House, but agent Raymond Brothers told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the team’s proposal was a three-year, minimum-salary deal. Houston would have to use part of its mid-level exception to complete the signing, since the minimum salary exception can only be used for one- or two-year contracts. When House and Brothers passed on that offer, the Rockets offered the same three-year, minimum-salary deal, fully guaranteed.

“We rejected both offers and asked the Rockets to convert him for the remainder of the season,” Brothers said. As MacMahon observes, House and Brothers want the opportunity for the 25-year-old to reach restricted free agency this summer, rather than having him play on a minimum-salary contract for multiple years.

The Rockets, meanwhile, don’t want to set a precedent of converting two-way contracts into standard one-year deals for players they spend time developing, MacMahon tweets. Houston would prefer a multiyear commitment from those players, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle confirms, and feel that a guaranteed three-year, $4.16MM offer is fair, since that’s more guaranteed money than most second-round picks – or even late first-rounders – receive.

It’s an interesting standoff. It may look like a poor decision by House to play out the season in the G League, where he’ll continue earning his very modest two-way salary rather than an NBA salary. He’s passing on more guaranteed money than he has earned so far in his NBA career, and will spend at least the next couple months playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers rather than a potential Finals contender.

Still, as cap expert Albert Namhad tweets, accepting Houston’s offer would also mean House takes the minimum salary through his age-27 season. If he believes he can get a better offer in the offseason, it may be worth it to wait. Remaining on his two-way contract will put him in line for restricted free agency in July.

As for the Rockets, they could end the stalemate at any time by unilaterally converting House’s two-way contract into a standard minimum-salary deal, which is the option House and Brothers prefer. Perhaps it would set an unfavorable precedent in Houston going forward, but every case is different and few two-way players are likely to have the same sort of impact in the future that House has had this season. If the Rockets want to maximize their playoff chances and they don’t find a wing capable of matching House’s impact, they may have to bite the bullet and convert his contract at some point.

January 15 was the deadline to sign players to two-way contracts, but House and the Rockets will have until April 10, the final day of the regular season, to work out a deal. Houston simply won’t be able to sign a new two-way player if House is promoted to the 15-man roster.

If House and Brothers don’t relent and accept a multiyear contract, the most likely path may be one suggested by Nahmad (via Twitter). As he points out, the Rockets could recall House from the G League after the Vipers’ season ends (March 24 at the earliest), and then could convert his two-way deal into a standard contract at the very end of the season (April 10).

That would significantly limit the money Houston would owe House this season, it would allow him to play in the postseason, and it would put him on track for restricted free agency this summer. It may not be a perfect outcome, but it’d be a reasonable compromise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Fantasy Hoops: Mitchell’s Jazzy Role, Rockets’ Center Dilemma

January 15th, 2019 at 11:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Injuries are piling up around the league and they are shifting values in the fantasy basketball. Let’s take a look at a pair of developing situations.

The Jazz are out of point guards with Ricky Rubio (hamstring), Dante Exum (ankle), and Raul Neto (groin) all sidelined. The team adapted to the injuries by playing Donovan Mitchell at the one and the early returns are promising.

Over the last four games (contests which Rubio has missed), Mitchell is averaging 32.0 points per game, which is good for fourth in the league over that stretch ( behind James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Bradley Beal). He’s making 51.1% of his attempts and averaging 6.0 assists per game, up from the 3.4 he averaged leading up to the unexpected role change. 

Utah has won all four games since Rubio went down and while it’s worth noting that the wins came against the Magic, the LeBron-less Lakers, the Bulls, and the Pistons, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. Mitchell appears more than comfortable in the point guard role, playing like a young Harden. It will be interesting to see if the arrangement makes the Jazz think about making future plans with him at the one, as I recently mentioned on Twitter.

Season-long fantasy owners probably missed the boat on trading for Mitchell. December was his worst month as a professional. He shot just 38.1% from the field while clocking more turnovers than assists. After this recent stretch, he’s flirting with top-50 fantasy value and that’s factoring in the chances of him staying hot once the team gets a bit healthier, so it’s hard to envision him rising too much further in the overall rankings.

Daily fantasy is a different story. Building a lineup around Mitchell while he’s running the show for the Jazz is a sound strategy. The team plays the Clippers on Wednesday and the Cavs on Friday in a pair of games that should be favorable to the second-year guard. Los Angeles has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to the point guard position this year, according to Basketball Monster. Atlanta and Washington are the only teams to surrender more than Cleveland.

Clint Capela will miss four-to-six weeks with an injured thumb and if the first game without the big man was any indication, the Rockets don’t have a clear replacement plan in place.

Five different players manned the center spot on Monday against the Grizzlies. Nene started and remained on the floor for slightly more than three minutes before coach Mike D’Antoni spelled him with Marquese Chriss. Chriss did not play well and Isaiah Hartenstein then took over. That was before P.J. Tucker closed out the first quarter as the center. Gary Clark then opened the second quarter as the five.

“I was hoping to go big by committee, hoping that works out, or I wouldn’t have done it in the first place,” D’Antoni said (via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle). “It didn’t work out, so guess what: We’re going small. If next game we go small and it doesn’t work out, we go back to going big by committee. Just trying to get a feel for the game and see what works out.”

The Rockets won’t specifically target a center in trades prior to the February 7 trade deadline, Feigen hears. Still, they also won’t restrict potential acquisitions to wing players as they had previously intended to do.

If I had to pick one player to gain fantasy basketball value as a result of Capela missing time, it would be Tucker, as I suspect the team works on its small-ball lineup with the 33-year-old at the five. Regardless, this is a situation to avoid unless the team brings in another player who would demand a full-time role. As for Capela, don’t drop him. He should be back in time for the fantasy playoffs.

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.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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The Importance Of January 15 For NBA Teams

January 15th, 2019 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

Unlike February 7, the date of this season’s trade deadline, January 15 probably isn’t a day that many NBA fans have circled on their calendars. Still, it represents an important date for NBA teams for a variety of transaction-related reasons.

[RELATED: Key In-Season NBA Dates For 2018/19]

Here’s a breakdown of what to watch for today:

Players becoming trade-eligible:

Most players who signed as free agents during the 2018 offseason had their trade restrictions lifted on December 15, but a select group of players remained ineligible to be traded until today, January 15. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.

Here’s the full list of players who fit that bill and became trade-eligible today:

Of those 20 players, two – Hood and LaVine – have the ability to veto trades for the 2018/19 season, so they can only be moved with their approval. LaVine, meanwhile, can’t be traded to the Kings at all this season.

Deadline to sign players to two-way contracts:

Tuesday represents the last day that a team can sign a player to a two-way contract for the 2018/19 season. Two-way players can, of course, be waived after today. But, starting tomorrow, they can’t be replaced. So we may see a small handful of moves completed today as clubs get those two-way slots in order for the second half.

The Bucks and Cavaliers have reportedly reached two-way agreements with Bonzie Colson and Deng Adel, respectively. Once those deals are finalized, only the Pelicans and the Trail Blazers will have empty two-way slots — New Orleans has one, while Portland has two.

The full list of current two-way contracts can be found right here.

Deadline to apply for a disabled player exception:

January 15 is also the last day for teams to apply for a disabled player exception for the 2018/19 season. This exception provides a little extra cap flexibility for clubs that have lost a player to a season-ending injury.

The Wizards recently applied for a disabled player exception after John Wall went down, and the Mavericks did the same following J.J. Barea‘s season-ending Achilles surgery. It’s not clear if any other teams will follow suit before today’s deadline.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks observed on Monday (via Twitter), there’s little downside to applying for a disabled player exception, since the only real cost is filling out some paperwork. However, even if an exception is granted, it’s more likely than not to go unused. According to Marks, only 29% (13/45) of DPEs have been used.

The deadline to use a DPE is typically March 10. This year, that’s a Sunday, so the deadline will be pushed to March 11.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: 3-Point Shooting

January 14th, 2019 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Many current NBA fans have never seen a game without 3-pointers. There was a time when every shot counted the same, until the NBA adopted a 3-point line prior to the 1979/80 season.

For a long time, the 3-point shot ranked almost as a gimmick. There were a few long-range specialists sprinkled around the league but it was mainly used as a means to play catchup.

Just 20 seasons ago, the Kings led the league with 18.9 3-point attempts per game. The 76ers attempted the fewest that season at 7.4 per game.

Reliance on the long ball gradually increased over the years. The Knicks attempted the most 10 seasons ago at 27.9 per game, while the Thunder chucked up a league-low 11.6 per contest.

Once analytics became a major component in the way the game was played, teams couldn’t seem to fire up enough 3-pointers. Mid-range shooting has been replaced by a flurry of long balls.

This season, the NBA skies are filled with more 3-pointers than ever. The Rockets are launching them at a rate of 43.2 per game, while the Spurs rank last at 24.4.  Yes, the team ranked at the bottom of the league in attempts would have been close to the league lead just 10 years ago.

It may be the right way to play according to the numbers, but it’s fair to question whether this is a good or bad thing. Has it come to a point where this is basketball at its best or has the game strayed too far from its roots?

That brings us to tonight’s topic: Should the league take steps to eliminate or reduce 3-point shooting or do you like the game the way it is?

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

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Poll: Nets’ Playoff Chances

January 13th, 2019 at 9:26pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Heading into the 2018/19 season, many expected the Nets to make another jump in the standings as a result of their players developing and the quality depth they added in the offseason. However, there were no expectations that at the halfway point of the season, the Nets would be sitting in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference despite not having their best player available for the past two months.

The Nets are 21-23, which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that they were 8-18 in early December. Instead of focusing on getting the best draft pick possible, Kenny Atkinson continued to believe that his team could turn it around, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Since December 6, the Nets own the league’s 12th-ranked offense and 15th-best defense.

D’Angelo Russell has made strides as a playmaker and scorer, Spencer Dinwiddie is a top candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, and Joe Harris has provided elite shooting and floor-spacing.

Keep in mind that a lot of this recent run by the Nets has come without Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, not to mention Caris LeVert. The Nets use their depth and bench to their advantage on a nightly basis, which allows them to stay afloat when injuries strike.

With that being said, many still expect teams like the Pistons and Hornets to improve moving forward, while the Wizards have found new life since John Wall went down for the season. Do the Nets have enough top-end talent to lead them to the playoffs? Or will their strong bench and depth be enough for them to sneak in? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote. 

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/5/19 – 1/12/19

January 12th, 2019 at 1:20pm CST by clarkcrum

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:

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Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Southwest Division

January 11th, 2019 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Southwest Division:

DeAndre Jordan, Mavericks, 30, C (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $24.1MM deal in 2018
Jordan has pretty much done his usual thing in his first season with Dallas, ranking second in the league in rebounding and anchoring the defense. One troubling development is his penchant for turnovers — he’s averaging a career-worst 2.4 per game. The one other surprising development is a plus — the career 45.9% free throw shooter has drained 70.3% of his attempts. The always durable Jordan has also answered the bell every game. Early concerns about about “selfish” play have somewhat dissipated. Dallas may not re-sign him but someone will give him another big contract this summer.

Austin Rivers, Rockets, 26, SG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $1.15MM deal in 2018
The above salary number doesn’t reflect what Rivers is actually making this season, as the Suns bought out his contract after he was traded from the Wizards. He had a $12.6MM salary in the final year of a four-season contract and only gave back $650K. The decision to hook on with the Rockets after he cleared waivers has been good for both parties. With Chris Paul sidelined, Rivers has averaged 12.3 PPG and 3.1 APG in 38.5 MPG in his first eight outings with a championship contender. Still in his prime, Rivers should be able to land a multi-year deal this summer.

Ivan Rabb, Grizzlies, 21, PF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $2.3MM deal in 2017
An early second-rounder in 2017, Rabb has been a force in a handful of G League games, averaging 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG. That hasn’t translated into NBA playing time. He hasn’t played meaningful minutes in 14 games with the Grizzlies. Interior defensive issues and the lack of 3-point shot are the main reason why the athletic big man hasn’t carved out a role. Unless they’re convinced he can improve those areas, the Grizzlies will likely cut ties with him after the season.

Darius Miller, Pelicans, 28, SF (Down) — Signed to a two-year, $4.3MM deal in 2017
Miller receives lots of playing time but his offensive contributions boil down to an occasional 3-point attempt. To be fair, Miller is the No. 5 option when he’s on the floor and he’s an above-average long-range shooter (38.7 percent). His defensive metrics are subpar, which partially explains his paltry 8.42 PER, so the 3-and-D tag doesn’t necessarily fit. Miller’s 3-point shooting could be enough to land him a veteran’s minimum deal or something slightly higher next summer but there’s no big payday ahead.

Quincy Pondexter, Spurs, 30, SF (Down)– Signed to a one-year, $2.16MM deal in 2018
Pondexter remained on the roster past January 10th, fully guaranteeing his salary for this season. Pondexter, whose career has been sidetracked by knee injuries, has been praised as a positive locker room influence but he hasn’t contributed much on the court. He’s appeared in 31 games but averaged just 5.9 MPG with a majority of his playing time coming in blowouts. Pondexter will likely struggle to find another veteran’s minimum deal in the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Pistons Moves

January 11th, 2019 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Following a quick start, the Pistons have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments. They were 13-7 after 20 games but have nosedived since early December, dropping 16 of their last 20 games.

Their defense has been atrociously recently, as they got blown out by the LeBron-less Lakers on Wednesday and the Kings on Thursday.

A playoff spot seemed like a safe bet as long as Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson stayed healthy. None of them has missed a game due to injury and Griffin has played at an All-Star level on a regular basis. Yet the bottom line screams that something needs to change.
Drummond’s production has dropped lately and Jackson has underperformed throughout the season under new coach Dwane Casey’s system, which has de-emphasized the pick-and-roll.
The Pistons’ brass reportedly met on Friday to discuss moves to improve the team, with a point guard and creative wing player heading the wish list.
The imminent return of sixth man Ish Smith from an adductor tear should alleviate the point guard situation, which had 37-year-old Jose Calderon playing regular minutes in his absence. However, the wing players, with the possible exception of Reggie Bullock, have not provided consistent production.
The Pistons have a tricky cap situation, thanks to some bad contracts. Jackson can be included on that list which also includes Jon Leuer, Langston Galloway and Glenn Robinson III. Recent first-round picks Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard have not lived up to their draft status, though some rival executives might believe they have untapped potential. A package of Johnson and/or Kennard with a first-round pick or two may deliver a starter-quality wing.
A more radical move would be sending Drummond, the league’s leading rebounder, packing for a top-level wing player and a big man that could at least take his minutes. The Pistons only have Leuer and aging Zaza Pachulia as backup big men.
That leads us to today’s topic: Should the struggling Pistons trade Andre Drummond to shake up their roster? Or should they move other players and draft picks and keep the Griffin-Drummond frontcourt duo intact?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this discussion. We look forward to your input.
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