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NBA G League Affiliate Players For 2018/19

October 23rd, 2018 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the offseason and preseason, NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players, but that total must be cut down to 15 (plus a pair of two-way players) in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams prior to the season can be designated as “affiliate players” and assigned to their G League squads.

The players have a say in this decision. If they’d prefer to sign with a team overseas, or if they get an opportunity with another NBA club, they’re under no obligation to become affiliate players.

Most NBA and international teams have fairly set rosters by late October though, so having the opportunity to continue playing in the same system appeals to many of those preseason cuts — especially since many of them will be in line for bonuses worth up to $50K after having signed Exhibit 10 contracts. Plus, they’ll continue to be NBA free agents while they play in the G League.

There are a few other rules related to G League affiliate players. A player whose returning rights are held by a G League team can’t become an affiliate player for another club, which is why undrafted rookies make up a substantial portion of the league-wide list of affiliate players.

Additionally, an affiliate player must have signed with his team during the current league year, which explains why we often see players signed and quickly waived in the days leading up to the regular season. And, of course, not every NBA team has a G League affiliate, so there are three teams – the Pelicans, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers – with no place to send affiliate players.

With all that in mind, here are the NBA G League affiliate players to start the 2018/19 season, based on training camp roster announcements from the league’s 27 squads:

Atlanta Hawks (Erie BayHawks):

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws):

Brooklyn Nets (Long Island Nets):

Charlotte Hornets (Greensboro Swarm):

Chicago Bulls (Windy City Bulls):

Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge):

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends):

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive):

Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors):

Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers):

Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants):

Los Angeles Clippers (Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario):

Los Angeles Lakers (South Bay Lakers):

Memphis Grizzlies (Memphis Hustle):

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce):

Milwaukee Bucks (Wisconsin Herd):

Minnesota Timberwolves (Iowa Wolves):

New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks):

Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue):

Orlando Magic (Lakeland Magic):

Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware Blue Coats):

Phoenix Suns (Northern Arizona Suns):

  • None

Sacramento Kings (Stockton Kings):

San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs):

Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905):

Utah Jazz (Salt Lake City Stars):

Washington Wizards (Capital City Go-Go):

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Community Shootaround: Kevin Love’s Future

October 22nd, 2018 at 7:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Well, that didn’t take long.

Kevin Love signed a four-year, $120MM extension this summer, as the Cavaliers made a commitment to winning even with the loss of LeBron James. Love was happy to get long-term security and an expanded role as the team’s primary scorer.

Cleveland’s 0-3 start already has some people thinking that Love may be wearing a different uniform before the end of the season. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post wrote a column this weekend about this subject, speculating that the franchise may have to finally embrace a rebuilding plan that would include cashing in Love for assets.

Love has held up his end of the bargain, averaging 20.7 PPG and 14.3 RPG, but Cleveland could find itself with some buyer’s remorse. Love will make $28.9MM next season, $31.3MM the following two seasons and $28.9MM in 2022/23 season. With the salary cap projected to rise, a contender may be able to swallow that type of contract if it feels Love could put its franchise over the top.

Love can’t be traded until late January but something could go down by the February 7th trade deadline. Remember, the Clippers dealt Blake Griffin in late January last season to the Pistons after he re-signed with Los Angeles for five years and $171MM in free agency.

That leads us to our question of the day: Do you think the Cavaliers will deal Kevin Love before the trade deadline? If so, which team do you think would be the best fit for him?

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

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2018 NBA Offseason In Review Series

October 22nd, 2018 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the last month and a half, Hoops Rumors has been examining the 2018 offseason moves for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and other key news and transactions. Our Offseason in Review pieces for each of the league’s 30 teams are linked below, sorted by conference and division.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

Central Division

Southeast Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest Division

Pacific Division

Southwest Division

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Wilson Chandler On Being Traded, His Role For Sixers

October 22nd, 2018 at 1:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

When Wilson Chandler signed a four-year, $46.5MM extension with the Nuggets during the summer of 2015, he planned on playing out the contract in Denver. Still, he never viewed it as a lock that he’d be in Colorado for the entire deal.

“To be honest, I never really thought about it much because I knew at any moment I could be traded,” Chandler told Hoops Rumors in an exclusive interview before the Sixers‘ third game of the season on Saturday. “So I kind of just dealt with [the chances of being traded] day-to-day.”

The Nuggets sent the combo forward to the Sixers this past offseason in a financially-driven deal. The event marked the second time Chandler has been traded during his 10-year career (he was sent from the Knicks to the Nuggets in the 2011 Carmelo Anthony blockbuster).

“When you’re younger, even though you know it’s a business, it’s still shocking when you get traded especially when you’re in a good rhythm and just getting a feel for a place, you kind of like it and you’re settled in,” Chandler told Hoops Rumors.

“As you get older, you realize more and more how the business works,” Chandler continued. “You look at both teams and see if you’re going to a good situation. That plays a big part in it. The city, the organization, the team.”

On Saturday, Chandler said he was about a week away from making his regular season debut with the Sixers, as he’s still recovering from a strained hamstring. While the injury has kept him sidelined since the club’s first preseason game, he’s excited to get back out there with his new teammates.

“Just watching from afar and then being in training camp with these guys. It’s an amazing team, a young team,” Chandler said.

The 76ers have also been open with him about the role the 31-year-old will play once he’s healthy enough to return to the court.

“A little three, a little four. Kind of a two-way [forward]. Make open shots, defend, and play off of Ben [Simmons] and Joel [Embiid],” Chandler explained. “You really don’t need to do too much playing with those guys.”

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2018 Offseason In Review: Golden State Warriors

October 21st, 2018 at 8:11pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Golden State Warriors.

Signings:

  • Standard contracts:
    • Kevin Durant: Two years, $61.5MM. Second-year player option. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
    • DeMarcus Cousins: One year, $5.34MM. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
    • Jonas Jerebko: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Kevon Looney: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Two-way contracts:
  • Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
    • Alfonzo McKinnie: Two years, minimum salary. Initially signed a one-year contract, which was converted into a two-way contract before he negotiated a new deal.
    • Will Cherry: One year, minimum salary (waived).
    • Deyonta Davis: One year, minimum salary (waived).
    • Danuel House: One year, minimum salary (waived).
    • Kendrick Nunn: One year, minimum salary (waived).
    • Tyler Ulis: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

  • None

Draft picks:

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Signed head coach Steve Kerr to contract extension.
  • Hired Mike Dunleavy Jr. as pro scout.

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $145MM in salary.
  • Projected tax bill of $50.33MM.
  • No cap exceptions left besides minimum salary exception.

Check out the Golden State Warriors’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

For the defending champions, the summer was quite eventful, as several key role players were replaced and one big name was added. Of course, that big name is DeMarcus Cousins, the six-time All-Star. Cousins joins the Warriors as he continues to rehab from the torn Achilles that he suffered in January, which will likely keep him out of action for at least the first couple of months of the season.

When he returns, Cousins adds an interesting dynamic to a team that has cruised to back-to-back championships. Throughout this current run, the Warriors have never had a dominant forecourt presence like Cousins can be when healthy. Unlike more traditional back-to-the-basket bigs, Cousins fits with the Warriors’ style of play as someone who can handle the ball and hit 3-pointers. Before going down with the injury last season, Cousins was averaging 5.4 assists and was knocking down 2.2 threes per game.

While Cousins’ skill set fits with how the Warriors are looking to play, there are underlying concerns regarding his ability to accept a small role on a team that knows it can be successful without him. How will Cousins deal with not closing games if the Warriors go small? How does he manage a smaller workload when on the floor with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and the team’s other All-Stars? The questions surrounding Cousins’ fit with the Warriors add another storyline to the season for the champions.

Underneath the flashy addition of Cousins, the Warriors replaced several role players from last season’s squad, with Jonas Jerebko absorbing frontcourt minutes and Jacob Evans potentially carving out a role in the backcourt. Gone are veterans such as David West, Nick Young and Zaza Pachulia as the Warriors re-tooled around their core.

However, there are still concerns regarding the team’s depth. Behind Curry and Klay Thompson are relatively unproven Quinn Cook, aging Shaun Livingston and the aforementioned Evans. On the wing there really is no depth behind Durant and Andre Iguodala, who will turn 35 years old in January. Up front there are several options to fill the gap until Cousins is ready, but inconsistency has continued to plague the young bigs on the roster.

Regardless, all eyes will be on Golden State when Cousins returns to action. By then, the Warriors may be on cruise control and have a firm grasp on the Western Conference. On the other hand, perhaps the lack of depth and motivation will have them closer to the pack as they approach the best ways to work Cousins into the mix. Regardless, it will surely make the regular season more interesting than it has been in previous years for the Warriors.

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Weekly Mailbag: 10/15/18 – 10/21/18

October 21st, 2018 at 12:57pm 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.

Any leads on where Joakim Noah will end up? — Nicolaus Galipeau

It’s not a good sign for the former Knicks center that he has been on the market for a week now and no serious suitors have stepped up. There was a time when it was assumed he would be the next ex-Bull to follow Tom Thibodeau to Minnesota, but Thibs has indicated that the Wolves aren’t interested, plus he has bigger concerns to deal with. The Lakers don’t really have a center to back up JaVale McGee, so that might be a situation to watch. Noah is only 33 and was a First Team All-NBA center in 2014. On the other hand, he hasn’t turned in a really effective season since then and his reputation took a major hit in New York. Even if he does get another chance, his time as a productive player may be finished.

Do you think the one-and-done rule for NBA rookies should be abolished as Commisioner Adam Silver wants? For me, it should be continued as very few high school players are ready to jump from high school to NBA. — Greg Dizon

There are too many options for young players now for the one-and-done rule to remain effective. The NBA announced this week that high school graduates will be able to join the G League, making $125K while they wait to become draft eligible. Others have chosen to play overseas for a year, and LaVar Ball has talked about starting a Junior Basketball Association for high school grads. With so many opportunities to play professionally, there’s no reason to keep denying elite 18-year-olds access to the NBA.

The Nuggets signed Michael Malone to an extension this week. Why would they make that kind of commitment to a coach who has never been to the playoffs? — Nuggets Fan, via Twitter

While it’s true that Malone has never reached the postseason as a head coach, he missed by the slimmest possible margin last year, losing to the Timberwolves in overtime on the last night of the regular season. Malone has the organization moving in the right direction, posting win totals of 33, 40 and 46 in his three seasons at the helm. He was entering the final year of his contract, and management didn’t want didn’t want that to become a distraction. The Nuggets believe they have the right mix of players in place to be successful and they like the stability of having Malone signed through the end of 2020/21.

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Community Shootaround: Paul George And The Lakers

October 20th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Paul George confirmed what most NBA fans had suspected for a long time when he said this week that was planning to sign with the Lakers before a trade to Oklahoma City changed his mind. George was expected to be among two max-level free agents headed to L.A. over the summer, but he liked the Thunder and his new city so much he elected to re-sign there.

“It was 50-50 on deciding whether I wanted to come back home or if it was smarter to be in the situation I am in now,” George said in an interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “But it wasn’t overstated. I wanted to play in L.A. That is where I wanted to go. Had that trade never went down, had I played one more year in Indy, I would have been in a Lakers uniform.”

We know now that if George had chosen the Lakers, he would have joined LeBron James to form a one-two punch that’s as good as any in the league. It also would have cost the team about $130MM over four years and would have eliminated the chance to lure another free agent from an extremely talented class next summer.

As it stands, L.A. has roughly $65.8MM committed for 2019/20, a number that moves closer to $69MM if the team opts to make a qualifying offer to Ivica Zubac and keep Svi Mykhailiuk on what is now a non-guaranteed deal. That leaves more than enough to make a max offer to Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler or any other upcoming free agent.

Durant and James would be a historically great combo if they decide to join forces, but it would be a difficult decision for him or Thompson leave the perennial champion Warriors. Leonard and James would also be formidable, but he reportedly doesn’t want to be a second banana and is leaning toward the Clippers if he comes to L.A. Butler might be a good running mate for James, but given his injury history and overall abrasiveness, he seems like the riskiest proposition. It’s laughable to think of Kyrie Irving traveling west to rejoin LeBron, but the other stars are at least plausible.

So which is better, Lakers fans? Would you rather have George in place for a run at the title this season or the financial flexibility to chase a big name next summer? Please leave your responses in the space below.

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2018 Offseason In Review: Minnesota Timberwolves

October 20th, 2018 at 8:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Signings:

  • Standard contracts:
    • Anthony Tolliver: One year, $5.75MM. Signed using mid-level exception.
    • James Nunnally: Two years, minimum salary. First year partially guaranteed ($350K). Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Luol Deng: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Derrick Rose: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Two-way contracts:
  • Non-guaranteed camp contracts:

Trades:

  • None

Draft picks:

  • 1-20: Josh Okogie — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-48: Keita Bates-Diop — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.

Extensions:

  • Karl-Anthony Towns — Signed five-year, maximum salary rookie scale extension. Starts at 25% of the cap. Projected value of $158.05MM. Starts in 2019/20.
    • Note: Starting salary will be worth 30% of the cap if Towns earns All-NBA honors in 2018/19 (projected value of $189.66MM).

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $121.2MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
  • Approximately $2.05MM of mid-level exception available ($6.59MM used on Anthony Tolliver and Keita Bates-Diop).

Check out the Minnesota Timberwolves’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Everything else that happened for the Timberwolves during the offseason was overshadowed on September 19 when Jimmy Butler issued a trade request to the front office. The move spawned a stream of chaos, some of it orchestrated and some of it legitimate, but the result was that Butler was in the lineup when Minnesota opened the season, regardless of his wishes.

Butler has expressed a desire to play for a contender and has clashed frequently with younger teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, but ultimately the dispute is motivated by money. Butler wants a five-year max deal next summer that would pay him around $190MM. The Wolves have his Bird Rights and are the only team that can extend that offer as long as he stays; everyone else is limited to four years at roughly $140MM. Butler is hoping to be traded during the season to another organization willing to make that commitment.

The Heat and Rockets have been the strongest suitors for Butler since his trade request became public, and Miami reportedly had an agreement in place before the Wolves asked for additional assets. That incident, along with sky-high requests from other teams that pursued Butler, have led many to question whether Minnesota has ever been serious about making a deal. Trade talks have been called “mostly dormant” for now, but Butler has maintained his desire to leave and there’s a strong chance something will materialize before the February deadline.

The Butler soap opera dwarfed a piece of good news that may have a greater impact on the Wolves’ future. Towns agreed to an extension last month that could pay him up to $190MM over the next five seasons. He is already among the league’s best centers at age 22 and should provide a cornerstone for the franchise to build around once Butler is gone.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 10/13/18 – 10/20/18

October 20th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by clarkcrum

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

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2018 Offseason In Review: Phoenix Suns

October 19th, 2018 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Phoenix Suns.

Signings:

  • Standard contracts:
    • Trevor Ariza: One year, $15MM. Signed using cap space.
    • Jamal Crawford: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Two-way contracts:
    • None
  • Non-guaranteed camp contracts:

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • 1-1: Deandre Ayton — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 1-10: Mikal Bridges — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-31: Elie Okobo — Signed to four-year, $6.12MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using cap space.
  • 2-46: De’Anthony Melton — Signed to two-year, $2.37MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using room exception.
  • 2-59: George King — Signed to two-way contract.

Extensions:

  • Devin Booker — Signed five-year, maximum salary rookie scale extension. Starts at 25% of the cap. Projected value of $158.05MM. Starts in 2019/20.
    • Note: Starting salary will be worth 27.5% of the cap if Booker makes All-NBA Third Team, 28.5% for Second Team, and 30% for Third Team.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Salary cap situation:

  • Used cap space; now over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $105.5MM in salary.
  • $3.5MM of room exception still available ($949K used on De’Anthony Melton).

Check out the Phoenix Suns’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Devin Booker is still around. In fact, Booker signed a rookie scale max five-year extension this summer, which will make him a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

Beyond Booker and his sweet shooting stroke, the Suns look a whole lot different than they did last season. In fact, Phoenix had the biggest roster turnover of any team this offseason.

The Suns made some history in May by hiring Igor Koskokov, the first European-born head coach in NBA history. Koskokov spent 18 years in the league, most recently with the Jazz, before finally getting his big chance.

Draft night was guaranteed to be a pivotal moment in franchise history since the Suns had the top pick. They opted for center Deandre Ayton, who got his NBA career rolling with an 18-point, 10-rebound, 6-assist performance in his regular-season debut. Ayton could quickly develop into the one of the league’s premier big men, which would give the Suns a formidable inside-outside duo.

They swung a deal for another lottery pick, No. 10 selection Mikal Bridges, whom they project as their long-term solution at small forward. In the interim, Phoenix made a splash by signing Trevor Ariza to a one-year, $15MM contract.

Ariza’s contributions as a leader and winner will have a greater long-term impact than anything he does on the court this season. A sage, respected voice was needed in the locker room and they met Ariza’s price to provide it.

Ariza gave up a chance to play for a contender but he can re-enter the market next summer after cashing some big checks. He’ll put up some big numbers along the way and provide his usual solid defense, something the coaching staff can point out in the film room to the younger players.

Perhaps the most surprising personnel moves were made by owner Robert Sarver. During the latter stages of training camp, Sarver abruptly fired GM Ryan McDonough and several other executives. Typically, these types of decisions come right after a disappointing season rather than October in order to let the new regime shape the franchise as it sees fit. McDonough wasn’t going to win any popularity contests but the decisions he made this summer before clearing out his office will be felt for many years.

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