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Poll: Early Eastern Conference Favorites

November 1st, 2018 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

Entering the 2018/19 season, the Celtics were widely viewed as the Eastern Conference’s best team. Oddsmakers placed their over/under for the year at 59.5 wins, and our readers predicted that they’d eclipse that number.

Seven games into their season, the Celtics have had a couple minor missteps, including a home loss to Orlando, but there’s no reason to believe that they aren’t still among the favorites in the East.

Still, a pair of Boston’s rivals have stepped up as potentially legit challengers to come out of the conference. The Raptors are 7-1, having defeated the Celtics and Sixers so far, with their only loss coming in Milwaukee in a game Kawhi Leonard missed. The Bucks, meanwhile, are the NBA’s last undefeated team at 7-0. They haven’t scored fewer than 113 points in a game this season, and comfortably dispatched Toronto on Monday without Giannis Antetokounmpo in their lineup.

It’s very early in the season, but the Raptors and Bucks have looked like the best possible versions of themselves so far. Leonard is healthy and is playing like one of the NBA’s best two-way stars, with Kyle Lowry also off to a great start and the Raptors’ deep rotation of complementary players thriving. In Milwaukee, Mike Budenholzer‘s arrival has helped unlock the club’s offensive potential, with Antetokounmpo making an early case for MVP consideration and Khris Middleton serving as a strong second option.

There are other potential contenders in the East. The Sixers remain dangerous, especially if they can add another shooter or two. The Heat will be very intriguing if they can acquire Jimmy Butler from Minnesota. The Pacers are playing well again, and Dwane Casey is turning the Pistons into a potential threat. In the early going though, the Celtics, Raptors, and Bucks appear to be the three strongest threats to come out of the East.

With the Bucks having beaten Toronto and the Raptors having defeated the Celtics so far this season, the C’s will get a chance to complete the circle by handing the Bucks their first loss tonight in Boston. It’ll be a good early-season test for a Milwaukee team that will have Antetokounmpo back in its lineup.

Again, it’s too early in the season to draw any definitive conclusions, but have your views on the East changed at all over the last two or three weeks? Which team is your current pick to represent the Eastern conference in the NBA Finals?

Place your vote below and then head to the comment section to share your two cents.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Recap Of 2019/20 Rookie Scale Option Decisions

November 1st, 2018 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Decisions on rookie scale options for the 2019/20 season were due on Wednesday — any team that wanted to exercise a third- or fourth-year option on a player for next season was required to do so by last night.

As is typically the case, most of those options were picked up. Even for top picks, who are paid higher salaries due to the NBA’s rookie scale, those third- and fourth-year options are relatively team-friendly. So unless a player has fallen well short of his team’s expectations, it generally makes sense to lock in his salary for the following season at this point.

However, not every player with a 2019/20 team option had it exercised by Wednesday’s deadline. Several players selected in the first rounds of the 2016 and 2017 drafts had those options declined, meaning they will now be on track to reach unrestricted free agency during the summer of 2019, assuming they’re not waived before then.

Listed below are the players who had their options turned down, followed by the players whose options were exercised. If a player had his option picked up, his 2019/20 salary is now guaranteed and he won’t be eligible for free agency until at least 2020.

Declined options:

Note: These players will become unrestricted free agents in 2019.

Exercised options:

Fourth year:

Note: These players will become eligible for rookie scale extensions on July 1, 2019. If they’re not extended, they’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2020.

Third year:

Note: Teams will have to make fourth-year option decisions for 2020/21 on these players by October 31, 2019.

For a team-by-team breakdown of this year’s rookie scale option decisions for the 2019/20 season, along with full stories on each decision, you can check out our tracker.

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

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NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Atlantic Division

October 31st, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of the 2018/19 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.

Heading into the 2018/19 season, the Atlantic was viewed as a two-tiered division, with the contenders (the Celtics, Raptors, and Sixers) in a different class than the probable lottery teams (the Nets and Knicks). Still, while the Nets and Knicks still look like the eventual sellers in the division, the contenders may also have some players who emerge as trade candidates for potential deadline deals.

Here’s our early-season look at a few possible trade candidates from the Atlantic…

Courtney Lee, G/F
New York Knicks
$12.25MM cap hit; guaranteed $12.76MM salary in 2019/20

Given the Knicks’ status as a rebuilding team and their desire to clear more cap room for 2019, Lee represents one of the most obvious trade candidates in the league. His contract isn’t unwieldy, he’s coming off a strong year (12.0 PPG on .454/.406/.919 shooting), and he’s a solid locker-room presence.

The only problem? He’s not healthy. Lee has yet to appear in a game this season due to neck issues, and the Knicks have been unable to pinpoint what exactly is causing the spasms in the swingman’s neck.

With no mandate to win this season and the trade deadline still more than three months away, the Knicks can afford to be patient with Lee and wait for him to get fully healthy. His trade market is unlikely to heat up until he gets back on the court and shows that he’s 100%.

Furkan Korkmaz, G
Philadelphia 76ers
$1.74MM cap hit; $2.03MM team option for 2019/20

Even before Korkmaz made comments this week about just wanting a chance to play, he looked like a potential trade candidate for the 76ers. Three or four years ago, Korkmaz probably would have been getting 25 minutes per night on the Process Sixers, but there’s no room for him in the team’s current rotation and it’s not clear if that will change anytime soon.

It will be interesting to see whether Philadelphia decides to pick up Korkmaz’s 2019/20 option today. The cost is so modest that it seems like a no-brainer, but the Sixers will be looking to maximize their cap room next summer. If Korkmaz isn’t in their plans and the 76ers aren’t confident in their ability to trade him, that option may well be declined. If it’s exercised, Korkmaz could be an appealing low-cost trade target for a team willing to develop him.

For instance, the Sixers and Cavaliers reportedly discussed a Kyle Korver/Jerryd Bayless swap in the offseason, but were unable to agree on draft compensation in such a deal. Now that the Cavs are focusing more on finding minutes for their young players, perhaps attaching Korkmaz and a second-round pick to Bayless’ expiring contract would be enough for Philadelphia to land Korver.

If the Sixers explore trading Korkmaz, they seem more likely to try to attach him to a larger deal like that than to simply try moving him for a second-round pick, considering how many future second-rounders they’ve already stockpiled.

C.J. Miles, F
Toronto Raptors
$8.33MM cap hit; $8.73MM player option for 2019/20

Given the way the Raptors are playing so far this season, there’s certainly no need for the 7-1 squad to shake things up just for the sake of it. But there are a couple why it might make sense to eventually gauge the market for Miles: Toronto is over the tax line and may have too many solid role players once everyone is healthy.

A high-volume three-point shooter who has made 36.0% of his career attempts from beyond the arc, Miles provides value as a player who can stretch defenses and attract attention whenever he’s on the court. He’s off to a slow start this season though (.231 3PT%) and the Raptors don’t need his shooting as much after acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green over the summer — Miles’ 14.0 minutes per game would be his lowest mark in over a decade.

If the Raptors do try to reduce their tax bill, Miles and Norman Powell ($9.37MM) would be the team’s most obvious trade candidates based on the disparity between their salaries and their roles. A proven veteran like Miles, who has two years left on his contract compared to Powell’s four, may be the easier player to move.

Previously:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Fantasy Hoops: Keeping Up With The Cavaliers

October 30th, 2018 at 11:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

It was all good just a week ago… or maybe it wasn’t. Cleveland’s documented power struggle between the coach and the front office has ended and the results will bring a new leader on the court and the potential for new fantasy options to emerge.

(This is not to be confused with Cleveland’s other power struggle: Hue Jackson Vs. Winning Games. That also ended earlier this week with the Browns firing both Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Be sure to check out our sister site Pro Football Rumors for everything that happened at this year’s NFL trade deadline). 

Cavs players were reportedly angry with the decision to fire Tyronn Lue. Kevin Love posted a photo of him and Lue on social media and perhaps coincidentally, on the day after the firing, it was reported that Love could miss up to month with an ailing toe. Cleveland had made a promise to Love that the team would remain competitive this season though it has failed to turn words into actions.

Don’t expect a trade soon, as Love isn’t eligible to be dealt until January. He is a decent bet to be on the block leading up to this season’s trade deadline. Love shouldn’t be dropped in fantasy but if your team begins to struggle, swapping a high-risk, high-reward player in an ever-developing situation for immediate help is likely the right move.

Interim coach “Voice of the team” Larry Drew is coaching this squad in a setting which has been likened to a “substitute teacher” entering the classroom. The kids in Cleveland earned an A grade on Tuesday night, beating the Hawks by 22 points in the team’s first win of the season.

Rodney Hood had arguably his best game as a Cavalier, looking like the player the Cavs thought they were trading for when they acquired him from the Jazz last February. He made nine of his 13 looks on Tuesday and registered three steals. Hood is going to be a major part of the Cavaliers’ rotation and deserves to be in fantasy lineups.

Cedi Osman should be owned in all leagues. He started and scored 20 points and will remain in a prominent role until Love returns. Jordan Clarkson, who had an off night, making just 1-of-5 from downtown, deserves attention as well.

J.R. Smith can be dropped. He didn’t play on Tuesday and has been told he’s out of the rotation, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Kyle Korver shouldn’t be on rosters right now, as the team is currently shopping the sharpshooter. Depending on the landing spot, he may be worth an add but he won’t exactly be a highly coveted fantasy free agent once that happens beyond owners looking to stream a 3-point specialist.

The situation is Cleveland appears fluid. The team may become more active in looking to trade other vets in the next few weeks. Stay tuned to Keeping Up With The Cavaliers within our Fantasy Hoops series to stay ahead of the competition in fantasy basketball and benefit from the unique state of Cleveland’s affairs.

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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Community Shootaround: Wizards’ Issues

October 29th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards came into the season with the expectation of being a serious contender with LeBron James out of the Eastern Conference picture.

Following a 1-5 start, the Wizards might have to start thinking soon about breaking up their nucleus. They’re not only losing, they’re bickering once agin.

John Wall and Bradley Beal have criticized teammates for having their own agendas. Austin Rivers says the rest of the league is laughing at them.

Certainly, Washington’s defense has been a joke. They’ve given up the most points per game in the NBA. During their current three-game losing streak, they’ve allowed 144 to Golden State, 116 to Sacramento and 136 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Their rebounding has also been atrocious, though in fairness Dwight Howard hasn’t played a game due to injury.

The overriding concern is whether the Wizards can be taken seriously with the pieces they have. They’re currently over the cap and the luxury-tax line. Their top three players  — Wall, Beal and Otto Porter Jr. — will eat up over $92MM in cap space next season and more than $98MM the following season if Porter exercises his player option.

Wall and Beal have always had an uneasy partnership and it doesn’t appear to be getting any better. The supporting cast has been underwhelming, with Porter in particular not producing at the level expected of a team’s No. 3 option. Perhaps the return of Howard will help settle things down in the interior, though Howard has a way of quickly wearing out his welcome.

This brings us to our question of the day: Should the Wizards stay the course and keep the John Wall-Bradley Beal backcourt intact or should they try to shake things up with a major trade?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Recent History Of In-Season NBA Coaching Changes

October 29th, 2018 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

When he was fired by the Cavaliers on Sunday, Tyronn Lue became the 24th NBA head coach to be replaced during a season since 2010/11, by our count.

NBA head coaching changes have historically happened far more frequently in the offseason than during the season, but teams haven’t hesitated to make changes on the fly over the course of this decade. Outside of 2016/17, which represented the rare season in which no head coaches were fired, there have been in-season changes made every year since 2010/11, with most seasons featuring multiple firings.

With the Cavaliers and “acting” coach Larry Drew still trying to figure out whether he’ll officially take on the interim role or whether he’ll get a longer-term deal with the team, we’re going to take a look back at the other in-season changes from the last several years to get a sense of how those situations compared to Cleveland’s and how long the replacements panned out in those scenarios.

Let’s dive in…

2017/18:

  • January 22, 2018: Bucks replaced Jason Kidd (23-22) with Joe Prunty (interim).
  • November 27, 2017: Grizzlies replaced David Fizdale (7-12) with J.B. Bickerstaff (promoted to permanent role).
  • October 22, 2017: Suns replaced Earl Watson (0-3) with Jay Triano (interim).

No team this decade has made an in-season coaching change faster than Phoenix did last season. The Suns, like the Bucks, installed an interim coach who was eventually replaced in the spring, but the Grizzlies have stuck with Fizdale’s interim replacement, signing Bickerstaff to a new multiyear contract at season’s end.

2015/16:

  • February 8, 2016: Knicks replaced Derek Fisher (23-31) with Kurt Rambis (interim).
  • February 1, 2016: Suns replaced Jeff Hornacek (14-35) with Earl Watson (9-24) (promoted to permanent).
  • January 22, 2016: Cavaliers replaced David Blatt (30-11) with Tyronn Lue (promoted to permanent role).
  • January 10, 2016: Nets replaced Lionel Hollins (10-27) with Tony Brown (interim).
  • November 18, 2015: Rockets replaced Kevin McHale (4-7) with J.B. Bickerstaff (interim).

Blatt’s dismissal still stands out as one of the most shocking on this list, given his club’s win-loss record — the Cavaliers were on pace for a 60-win season at the time of his ouster. Of course, that move ultimately ended up paying major dividends, as Lue’s Cavs won the title five months later. Lue and Watson were the only in-season replacements in this group who kept their jobs past the end of the season. Less than three years later, both of them have been let go.

Read more

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Poll: Wizards’ Playoff Chances

October 28th, 2018 at 9:26pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

To say that the Wizards have gotten off to a rough start would be an understatement. At 1-4 heading into their Sunday night clash with the Clippers, the Wizards continue to struggle with consistency and playing to their competition. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they have yet to have the services of Dwight Howard, putting the team at a major disadvantage on the glass on a nightly basis.

Ian Mahinmi and Jason Smith have struggled to fill that void, while inconsistent effort has plagued the team on the defensive end. While John Wall and Bradley Beal are putting up solid numbers, the team continues to struggle closing out games and getting a full team effort on a nightly basis.

With Otto Porter struggling with his shot (and confidence) and the team going on an early West coast road trip, it’s easy to see why the Wizards have stumbled out of the gates.

Despite their early bumps, it’s very possible that Howard returns, Porter shakes off the slump and the team picks things up to regain its footing in the Eastern Conference. After all, it can’t get much worse than it has so far for the Wizards. The hope will be that Howard provides much-needed rim protection and rebounding while Wall, Beal and Porter work together more to attack defenses from all areas of the court.

Luckily for the Wizards, they aren’t the only team to get off to a slow start. The 76ers are just 3-3, the Celtics have had a modest 4-2 start, and both the Rockets and Thunder sit at 1-4.

With that being said, how good you think the Wizards can be this season? Are they a contender in the East, a team that barely makes the playoffs, or a team that misses the playoffs altogether? Vote below in the poll and share your thoughts in the comments section!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Community Shootaround: Trail Blazers’ Playoff Chances

October 28th, 2018 at 7:21pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Heading into the 2018/19 season, many fans and analysts predicted that the Trail Blazers would miss the playoffs as a result of regression, offseason moves and an improved Western Conference. With Portland losing Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton (only to replace them with Nik Stauskas and Seth Curry), many were down on the team’s chances to make it to the playoffs.

While it is still very early, the Trail Blazers have come out of the gates strong, showing how star players can will a team to wins on a nightly basis. Of course, when it comes to the Blazers, that star is Damian Lillard. Lillard is off to another tremendous start this season, averaging a league-best 33.8 points, 6.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game in the team’s first five games. The three-time All-Star is also scoring at a very efficient rate, posting a true shooting percentage of 65%, which would be the best of his career.

While Lillard has been the driving force in the team’s three wins so far, the supporting players around him are showcasing their abilities to fill-in for the departed players. Second-year big man Zach Collins has stepped into a larger role and is thriving, averaging 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Curry is providing more ball-handling and shooting in bench lineups, while Stauskas has had a resurgence to start the season by averaging over 10 points per game and knocking down over 47% of his 3-pointers.

Perhaps many simply overlooked the possibility for the Trail Blazers to fill the voids left by Davis, Napier and Connaughton departing in the offseason. After all, there was reason to question the team’s offseason signings — Curry missed the entire 2017/18 season due to injury and Stauskas barely stuck around in the league after being traded to the Nets mid-season.

However, what many did overlook (or simply didn’t realize) is that in recent history, the Trail Blazers have been of the most consistent regular season teams in the league. Portland has made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons and amassed a 239-171 record in that span. With Lillard and C.J. McCollum leading the way in recent years, the Trail Blazers have surrounded them with just enough talent to get to the playoffs, and this season could be more of the same.

However, as mentioned earlier, it is still early, and despite Lillard’s hot start the Blazers are just 3-2 in their first five games. An injury to a key starter could put more pressure on the supporting cast than it can handle, and a slump to one of their leading guards could prove costly. Despite those concerns, Portland has the right ingredients to continue using the same recipe of success that has led the way in recent seasons.

Surrounded by an improved Collins, Jusuf Nurkic, Al-Farouq Aminu, Moe Harkless, Evan Turner and the aforementioned Curry and Stauskas, Lillard and McCollum should be able to shoulder enough of the load for the Blazers to continue their playoff appearance streak.

Jump in the comments section below to share your thoughts on this season’s Trail Blazers team and their playoff chances!

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 10/20/18 – 10/27/18

October 27th, 2018 at 12:53pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week, our writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days, including an exclusive interview with an NBA veteran:

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Poll: Are Rockets Still West’s Second-Best Team?

October 26th, 2018 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets won an NBA-high 65 games in 2017/18, but despite placing ahead of the Warriors in the regular season, they were never able to supplant the defending champions for the title of the Western Conference’s best team, eventually losing to Golden State in the Western Finals.

Still, as the only club to seriously push the Warriors to the brink of elimination last season, Houston was the league’s clear-cut second-best team. And even though they lost key contributors like Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute over the summer, the Rockets entered 2018/19 widely viewed as the second-best team in the West again. When our writers made our predictions for the coming season, we all had Houston in the top two in the conference standings.

We’re only 10 days into the season and it’s too early to start panicking about the Rockets’ slow start, but nearly all the red flags raised during the club’s offseason have been on display so far. Carmelo Anthony and Michael Carter-Williams were considered unusual signings, and neither player has looked like an ideal fit in Houston through four games. The three-and-D abilities of Ariza and Mbah a Moute have been missed, with newcomers like James Ennis unable to replicate their production in the early going. As a result, the Rockets own a 1-3 record.

Now, again, there are plenty of reasons not to overreact to Houston’s start. The losses all came against tough Western teams – the Pelicans, Clippers, and Jazz – and Chris Paul missed two of those games due to a suspension. Plus, we expected it to take a little time for the Rockets’ newcomers to adjust. Nonetheless, as we debate the value of Houston’s reported trade offer for Jimmy Butler, it’s worth noting one reason why the team may be willing to surrender four first-round picks for Butler in the first place — they could really use him.

The Rockets’ perimeter defense has looked a little shaky with Ariza and Mbah a Moute no longer in the mix. And with Harden injured and Eric Gordon off to a slow start, another play-maker and 3-point shooter like Butler would really help open up the offense.

The Warriors are still the West’s No. 1 team until someone can beat them in the playoffs, but it looks like the No. 2 spot might be more wide open than we anticipated. The Timberwolves (2-3) and Thunder (0-4) have each also been a bit of a mess so far, and the Lakers (2-3) are still figuring things out, but the Pelicans (3-0) and Nuggets (4-1) have looked great, and the Trail Blazers (3-1) and Jazz (2-2) remain dangerous.

What do you think? Should we still consider the Rockets the second-best team in the West and be patient while they hit their stride, or is another club poised to knock them off that perch? Vote below and then head to the comment section to share your two cents!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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