Hoops Rumors Originals

2018/19 NBA Over/Unders: Recap

October 17th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the last two weeks, we’ve been going through each of the NBA’s 30 teams, publishing polls asking how many games each club will win this season. Using projections from professional oddsmakers, we’ve had you vote on whether each team will go over or under a given win total, from the Warriors (62.5) all the way through the Hawks (23.5).

Here are the full results of those votes:

Atlantic:

Boston Celtics (59.5 wins): Over (53.63%)
Toronto Raptors (55.5 wins): Over (56.95%)
Philadelphia 76ers (54.5 wins): Under (51.19%)
Brooklyn Nets (31.5 wins): Under (56.04%)
New York Knicks (28.5 wins): Under (54.13%)

Central:

Indiana Pacers (47.5 wins): Over (62.04%)
Milwaukee Bucks (47.5 wins): Over (73.7%)
Detroit Pistons (38.5 wins): Over (56.36%)
Cleveland Cavaliers (30.5 wins): Over (55.42%)
Chicago Bulls (29.5 wins): Over (61.8%)

Southeast:

Washington Wizards (45.5 wins): Over (56.28%)
Miami Heat (43.5 wins): Under (57.42%)
Charlotte Hornets (35.5 wins): Over (56.73%)
Orlando Magic (30.5 wins): Under (68.41%)
Atlanta Hawks (23.5 wins): Under (58.38%)

Northwest:

Utah Jazz (50.5 wins): Over (53.58%)
Oklahoma City Thunder (48.5 wins): Over (59.3%)
Denver Nuggets (48.5 wins): Under (56.2%)
Portland Trail Blazers (42.5 wins): Over (59.6%)
Minnesota Timberwolves (41.5 wins): Under (62.53%)

Pacific:

Golden State Warriors (62.5 wins): Over (53.45%)
Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Over (55.2%)
Los Angeles Clippers (36.5 wins): Under (55.7%)
Phoenix Suns (29.5 wins): Under (53.4%)
Sacramento Kings (25.5 wins): Under (63.87%)

Southwest:

Houston Rockets (56.5 wins): Over (69.33%)
New Orleans Pelicans (45.5 wins): Under (53.4%)
San Antonio Spurs (44.5 wins): Under (60%)
Dallas Mavericks (34.5 wins): Over (55.16%)
Memphis Grizzlies (34.5 wins): Under (60.87%)

As those results show, we were fairly split on overs (16) and unders (14). As a group, we’re particularly bullish on the Central division, where we voted for the over on all five teams. There were no extremely close votes in the bunch — the slimmest margin was for the Sixers, where 51.19% of poll respondents expect them to go under 54.5 wins.

Here are the five “over” bets that received the largest vote shares:

Milwaukee Bucks, 47.5 wins: 73.7%
Houston Rockets, 56.5 wins: 69.33%
Indiana Pacers, 47.5 wins: 62.04%
Chicago Bulls, 29.5 wins: 61.8%
Portland Trail Blazers, 42.5 wins: 59.6%

Here are the five “under” bets that received the largest vote shares:

Orlando Magic, 30.5 wins: 68.41%
Sacramento Kings, 25.5 wins: 63.87%
Minnesota Timberwolves, 41.5 wins: 62.53%
Memphis Grizzlies, 34.5 wins: 60.87%
San Antonio Spurs, 44.5 wins: 60%

What do you think? Are there any results above that you strongly disagree with? Did you make any over or under votes within the last week or two that you’re second-guessing now? Jump into our comment section below and weigh in with your thoughts!

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hoops Rumors’ 2018 NBA Free Agent Tracker

October 17th, 2018 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2018 offseason is now in the books, with the regular season getting underway on Tuesday night. In case you didn’t keep up with this summer’s signings, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are on which teams this fall.

To this end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.

Now that the regular season is underway, our tracker will no longer be updated with the latest signings, since it’s meant to provide a snapshot of the offseason. Jamal Crawford‘s deal with the Suns will be the last entry for 2018.

Our 2018 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. On our mobile site, it can be found in our menu under “Free Agent Lists.” If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

The tracker includes every team’s non-guaranteed contract agreements for the offseason, so a number of the players listed have since been waived. When viewing the tracker, you can eliminate non-guaranteed deals by using the filter option to turn off “summer contracts.”

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

Note: If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

2018 Offseason In Review: Miami Heat

October 17th, 2018 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

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 Miami Heat.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Wayne Ellington: One year, $6.27MM. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Derrick Jones: Two years, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Udonis Haslem: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Dwyane Wade: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Yante Maten
- Duncan Robinson
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Charles Cooke: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Marcus Lee: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- DeAndre Liggins: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Malik Newman: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Rodney Purvis: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Raphiael Putney: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Jarnell Stokes: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Briante Weber: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

None

Draft picks:

None

Contract extensions:

Justise Winslow: Signed three-year, $39MM extension. Third-year team option. Starts in 2019/20.

Departing players:

Luke Babbitt
Jordan Mickey
Derrick Walton (two-way)

Other offseason news:

Exercised 2019/20 team option on Bam Adebayo.
Hired former NBA guard Anthony Carter as player development coach.
Restructured front office.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $130MM in guaranteed salaries.
Projected tax bill of $9.72MM.
Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.34MM) still available.

Check out the Miami Heat’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Although trade rumors surrounded players like Hassan Whiteside, Dion Waiters, and Tyler Johnson for much of the offseason, the Heat’s summer was ultimately a quiet one.

Pat Riley and his front office didn’t have any draft picks and didn’t make any trades. The only four NBA free agents the Heat signed (Wayne Ellington, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Derrick Jones) were under contract with the team last season, and of those four players, only one (Jones) will earn noticeably more than he did last season, getting a bump from a two-way contract to the NBA veteran’s minimum.

Given the Heat’s relative inactivity, it was a move that didn’t get made that turned out to be the story of the team’s summer — or, more accurately, the fall. When Jimmy Butler‘s trade request went public in September, Miami quickly emerged as his top suitor, reportedly dangling a package that included Josh Richardson, a protected first-round pick, and Waiters for the All-NBA swingman.

The Heat and Timberwolves appeared multiple times to be on the verge of a deal, even exchanging medical information on the players involved in the proposed swap. However, Tom Thibodeau and the Wolves reportedly got cold feet, and Butler remains in Minnesota with each team’s regular season schedule now set to get underway.

The Wolves know that Butler doesn’t plan to re-sign with them next season, meaning it’s virtually inevitable that a deal will happen before the 2019 deadline. If and when it does, the Heat are in prime position to be the team on the other end of that trade. If Miami can land Butler, it won’t technically be an offseason move, but it would represent a significant roster shakeup for a club that essentially stood pat over the summer.

Key offseason losses:

Jordan Mickey, Luke Babbitt, and Derrick Walton are no longer members of the Heat, but their departures won’t have a real impact on the team. None of those players appeared in more than 23 games or averaged more than 12.3 minutes per contest for Miami last season.

While the Heat appear to have moved on from Mickey and Walton, the possibility of Babbitt returning to the club down the road shouldn’t necessarily be ruled out. The trade Miami completed at the 2017/18 trade deadline for Babbitt represented the second time in a 20-month span that the team had traded for him. Still, the outside shooting he provided during his previous stint with the Heat (.414 3PT%) wasn’t evident in last season’s admittedly small sample (.244 3PT% in 13 games).

Key offseason additions:

All 14 players on the Heat’s opening-night NBA roster were with the team last season, meaning the only newcomers are on two-way deals. Miami found NBA playing time for its two-way players in 2017/18, so we may see Yante Maten and Duncan Robinson earn some minutes for the Heat this season.

Maten, the 2018 SEC Player of the Year, is a 6’8″ forward who is capable of making outside shots (.403 career 3PT% at Georgia) and crashing the boards (8.6 RPG in 2017/18). As for Robinson, the former Michigan swingman also showed off an impressive three-point stroke in college, making 41.9% of 565 long-distance attempts with the Wolverines.

If the Heat have any issues with floor spacing in the coming months, one or both of those players could earn a look.

Outlook for 2018/19:

Even without a Butler trade, there are plenty of storylines to watch in Miami this season. Will Justise Winslow take a big step forward after inking a three-year, $39MM contract extension? Will Whiteside bounce back following a disappointing postseason and establish himself as a force in the middle again? Will the 2018/19 season be a farewell tour for both Wade and Haslem?

As constructed though, this Heat roster appears to have a clear ceiling. The club is capped-out and finds itself a level or two below the top-tier contenders in the Eastern Conference. Packaging two or three players to land an All-Star like Butler could help push that ceiling higher.

With no major changes, the Heat should still comfortably earn a playoff spot this season, and could even win a postseason series. But given the make up of the roster, trade rumors figure to fly early and often during the 2018/19 campaign as Riley looks to get back into title contention.

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

Fantasy Hoops: Five Early Storylines To Watch

October 16th, 2018 at 6:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The NBA’s opening day isn’t an official holiday (National Basketball Day is “officially” November 6, James Naismith’s birthday), though the start of professional basketball has a special feel to it. It’s a day filled with anticipation, one where you can catch up on any team previews you might have missed, make your last-second predictions, and get your last-minute season-long bets in (provided, you are of course, in a state or country where such gambling is allowed).

After an offseason of change with several top players switching teams and others begrudgingly staying put, the NBA’S 73rd campaign is here and that means fantasy basketball season is upon us. Here are some early storylines to watch from a fantasy perspective:

Kemba Walker and Optimism In Charlotte

Kemba Walker, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, has been on the trade block for quite some time and – as we mentioned in our top-150 rankings – the threat of Charlotte shipping him away puts a light blanket on his fantasy value. However, this is a franchise that is itching to make the postseason and they may be able to shimmy into the top spot in the division with no elite team lurking.

The Wizards added Dwight Howard and Austin Rivers to a core that appears to have a definite ceiling. The Heat are still listening to the Timberwolves‘ stock music as they wait on hold in Jimmy Butler negotiations. The Hawks are in a full rebuild and the Magic haven’t been competitive since Hedo Turkoglu was in his prime. The division is up for the taking.

The Hornets won’t deal Walker if they are in the playoff race and they may even add talent for a run, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe speculated in his latest piece. If Walker stays put all year and the team can give him another running mate, he’ll be a top-five point guard in the fantasy realm.

Changing Of The Guards (Temporarily) In OKC

Russell Westbrook continues to rehab from September knee surgery, something that caused him to drop in our preseason Fantasy Hoops rankings. There’s no set date for his return. In his absence, Dennis Schroder, who came to the Thunder in the Carmelo Anthony deal, is a must-start in daily fantasy and a few other players should be on the fantasy radar as a result of Oklahoma City’s injury woes.

Raymond Felton, who was third on the team during the preseason with a usage rate of 26.1, becomes usable in both daily and season-long formats. With Andre Roberson still months away from a return, Felton, Terrance Ferguson, and Hamidou Diallo should fill in the guard rotation.

Paul George sees a spike in value while Westbrook is sidelined. Expect his usage rate to be among the league leaders early on.

The Knicks’ Three-Guard Starting Lineup

The Knicks will trot out a starting five of Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., Frank Ntilikina, Lance Thomas, and Enes Kanter in a lineup that figures to bleed points. Ntilikina has the potential to be a lockdown defender and he has the ability to defend three positions. Still, this is a lineup that shouldn’t give opposing offenses much resistance.

No. 9 overall pick Kevin Knox‘s fantasy stock takes a slight hit as he moves to the bench. Coach David Fizdale hopes the decision to bring Knox off the pine will motivate the rookie and fantasy owners are hoping for the same. Knox is talented and he’ll get more run as the season goes along. New York is going to be bad—among the league’s worst—and the franchise will need to use its on-court minutes to evaluate everything in-house before it heads into an offseason that could be filled with fireworks.

The Trae Young Show

Trae Young will be Atlanta’s opening night starter with Jeremy Lin not yet ready to play. Expect a good showing against the aforementioned Knicks in The Garden and expect him to keep the gig for the remainder of the season.

Young will fill up the stat sheet with points and assists, and the Hawks will likely be running Rookie-Of-The-Year promos for him later in the season. He has a good chance to be the best rookie this season from a fantasy perspective.

Michael Carter-Williams, The Fantasy Asset?

When MCW signed with Rockets, NBA Twitter responded with shrugs, laughs, and some questionable emojis. Yet, the track record of Daryl Morey, along with the new environment gives hope to the combo guard’s season.

The former Rookie Of The Year award winner will be in the best situation of his meandering career. Last year, he played for a young, thin Hornets team, where Walker was the only top talent. Prior to that, he had a cup of coffee with Chicago sitting behind Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo on one of the wonkiest rosters ever assembled. Before those stops, he spent time with the Baby Bucks and was a lead character during the opening scene of The Process.

Now, MCW is playing on an established team has turned around more than a few NBA careers. This season, he’ll play behind Chris Paul, James Harden, and Eric Gordon and while there won’t be many minutes for him right away, he’ll have the opportunity to continue to learn and compete for a role.

Admittedly, this is not an early storyline to watch and it’s unlikely he becomes a fantasy asset. However, with an aging Paul and a team that could take its foot off the gas in an effort to remain healthy for the postseason, I wouldn’t be totally shocked if Carter-Williams becomes fantasy relevant at some points during the season.

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.

Hoops Rumors Writers’ 2018/19 NBA Predictions

October 16th, 2018 at 2:25pm CST by Hoops Rumors

The NBA’s 2018/19 regular season will tip off on Tuesday night, as the Celtics host the Sixers in the early game and the Thunder visit the Warriors in the late game. With opening night finally here, the Hoops Rumors writing team is weighing in with our predictions for the coming year.

Listed below are our picks for the Eastern and Western Conference standings, the major awards, and – of course – the eventual champions. Disagree with our takes? Head down to the comment section to weigh in with your own predictions!

Luke Adams:

	East	Eastern Finals
1	Celtics	Raptors over Celtics
2	Raptors	Western Finals
3	Bucks	Warriors over Rockets
4	Sixers	NBA Finals
5	Heat	Warriors over Raptors
6	Pacers	MVP
7	Wizards	Giannis Antetokounmpo
8	Hornets	Rookie of the Year
	West	Luka Doncic
1	Warriors	Defensive Player of the Year
2	Rockets	Rudy Gobert
3	Jazz	Sixth Man of the Year
4	Nuggets	J.J. Redick
5	Pelicans	Most Improved Player
6	Thunder	Jamal Murray
7	Lakers	Coach of the Year
8	Spurs	Mike Budenholzer

Chris Crouse:

	East	Eastern Finals
1	Raptors	Raptors over Celtics
2	Celtics	Western Finals
3	Sixers	Warriors over Rockets
4	Heat	NBA Finals
5	Bucks	Warriors over Raptors
6	Wizards	MVP
7	Pacers	LeBron James
8	Pistons	Rookie of the Year
	West	Deandre Ayton
1	Warriors	Defensive Player of the Year
2	Rockets	Draymond Green
3	Jazz	Sixth Man of the Year
4	Thunder	Eric Gordon
5	Lakers	Most Improved Player
6	Spurs	Jamal Murray
7	Pelicans	Coach of the Year
8	Nuggets	Gregg Popovich

Clark Crum:

	East	Eastern Finals
1	Celtics	Celtics over Sixers
2	Sixers	Western Finals
3	Raptors	Warriors over Rockets
4	Pacers	NBA Finals
5	Wizards	Warriors over Celtics
6	Bucks	MVP
7	Heat	LeBron James
8	Pistons	Rookie of the Year
	West	Trae Young
1	Warriors	Defensive Player of the Year
2	Rockets	Kawhi Leonard
3	Thunder	Sixth Man of the Year
4	Nuggets	Eric Gordon
5	Jazz	Most Improved Player
6	Lakers	Josh Richardson
7	Trail Blazers	Coach of the Year
8	Spurs	Brad Stevens

	East	Eastern Finals
1	Celtics	Celtics over Sixers
2	Sixers	Western Finals
3	Bucks	Rockets over Warriors
4	Pacers	NBA Finals
5	Heat	Celtics over Rockets
6	Wizards	MVP
7	Raptors	LeBron James
8	Pistons	Rookie of the Year
	West	Deandre Ayton
1	Rockets	Defensive Player of the Year
2	Warriors	Rudy Gobert
3	Pelicans	Sixth Man of the Year
4	Thunder	Dennis Schroder
5	Nuggets	Most Improved Player
6	Lakers	Jonathan Isaac
7	Jazz	Coach of the Year
8	Timberwolves	Mike Budenholzer

Arthur Hill:

	East	Eastern Finals
1	Celtics	Celtics over Sixers
2	Raptors	Western Finals
3	Sixers	Warriors over Rockets
4	Heat	NBA Finals
5	Pacers	Warriors over Celtics
6	Bucks	MVP
7	Wizards	LeBron James
8	Pistons	Rookie of the Year
	West	Luka Doncic
1	Warriors	Defensive Player of the Year
2	Rockets	Anthony Davis
3	Thunder	Sixth Man of the Year
4	Jazz	Carmelo Anthony
5	Nuggets	Most Improved Player
6	Pelicans	Markelle Fultz
7	Lakers	Coach of the Year
8	Trail Blazers	Nick Nurse

JD Shaw:

	East	Eastern Finals
1	Celtics	Celtics over Raptors
2	Raptors	Western Finals
3	Sixers	Warriors over Lakers
4	Bucks	NBA Finals
5	Pacers	Warriors over Celtics
6	Wizards	MVP
7	Heat	Giannis Antetokounmpo
8	Pistons	Rookie of the Year
	West	Deandre Ayton
1	Warriors	Defensive Player of the Year
2	Rockets	Rudy Gobert
3	Lakers	Sixth Man of the Year
4	Thunder	Tyreke Evans
5	Jazz	Most Improved Player
6	Nuggets	Markelle Fultz
7	Trail Blazers	Coach of the Year
8	Spurs	Brad Stevens

Eric Spyropoulos:

	East	Eastern Finals
1	Raptors	Celtics over Raptors
2	Celtics	Western Finals
3	Sixers	Warriors over Rockets
4	Bucks	NBA Finals
5	Pacers	Warriors over Celtics
6	Wizards	MVP
7	Heat	LeBron James
8	Hornets	Rookie of the Year
	West	Trae Young
1	Warriors	Defensive Player of the Year
2	Rockets	Joel Embiid
3	Thunder	Sixth Man of the Year
4	Jazz	Tyreke Evans
5	Nuggets	Most Improved Player
6	Pelicans	Jamal Murray
7	Lakers	Coach of the Year
8	Spurs	Mike Budenholzer

2018/19 Over/Unders: Northwest Division

October 16th, 2018 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The 2018/19 NBA regular season gets underway tonight, which means it’s time to get serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign. With the help of the lines from Bovada and the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division, to have you weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Having already looked at the other five divisions, we’re moving onto the Northwest today…

Utah Jazz

2017/18 record: 48-34
Over/under for 2018/19: 50.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Grayson Allen
- Lost: Jonas Jerebko

(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Jazz poll)

Oklahoma City Thunder

2017/18 record: 48-34
Over/under for 2018/19: 48.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Dennis Schroder, Nerlens Noel, Abdel Nader, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Hamidou Diallo
- Lost: Carmelo Anthony, Corey Brewer, Nick Collison, Josh Huestis, Dakari Johnson, Kyle Singler

(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Thunder poll)

Denver Nuggets

2017/18 record: 46-36
Over/under for 2018/19: 48.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Isaiah Thomas, Michael Porter Jr., Jarred Vanderbilt
- Lost: Wilson Chandler, Devin Harris, Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur, Richard Jefferson

(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nuggets poll)

Portland Trail Blazers

2017/18 record: 49-33
Over/under for 2018/19: 42.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Seth Curry, Nik Stauskas, Anfernee Simons, Gary Trent Jr.
- Lost: Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier, Pat Connaughton, Georgios Papagiannis

(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Trail Blazers poll)

Minnesota Timberwolves

2017/18 record: 47-35
Over/under for 2018/19: 41.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Anthony Tolliver, Luol Deng, James Nunnally, Josh Okogie, Keita Bates-Diop
- Lost: Jamal Crawford, Nemanja Bjelica, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Aaron Brooks, Cole Aldrich

(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Timberwolves poll)

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

Boston Celtics (59.5 wins): Over (53.63%)
Toronto Raptors (55.5 wins): Over (56.95%)
Philadelphia 76ers (54.5 wins): Under (51.19%)
Brooklyn Nets (31.5 wins): Under (56.04%)
New York Knicks (28.5 wins): Under (54.13%)

Southwest:

Houston Rockets (56.5 wins): Over (69.33%)
New Orleans Pelicans (45.5 wins): Under (53.4%)
San Antonio Spurs (44.5 wins): Under (60%)
Dallas Mavericks (34.5 wins): Over (55.16%)
Memphis Grizzlies (34.5 wins): Under (60.87%)

Central:

Indiana Pacers (47.5 wins): Over (62.04%)
Milwaukee Bucks (47.5 wins): Over (73.7%)
Detroit Pistons (38.5 wins): Over (56.36%)
Cleveland Cavaliers (30.5 wins): Over (55.42%)
Chicago Bulls (29.5 wins): Over (61.8%)

Pacific:

Golden State Warriors (62.5 wins): Over (53.45%)
Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Over (55.2%)
Los Angeles Clippers (36.5 wins): Under (55.7%)
Phoenix Suns (29.5 wins): Under (53.4%)
Sacramento Kings (25.5 wins): Under (63.87%)

Southeast:

Washington Wizards (45.5 wins): Over (56.28%)
Miami Heat (43.5 wins): Under (57.42%)
Charlotte Hornets (35.5 wins): Over (56.73%)
Orlando Magic (30.5 wins): Under (68.41%)
Atlanta Hawks (23.5 wins): Under (58.38%

NBA Teams With Most, Least Roster Continuity

October 16th, 2018 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, the 2018 NBA offseason featured plenty of player movement, with new rookies entering the league, free agents changing teams, and a total of 31 trades being completed between the end of the 2017/18 season and 2018/19’s opening night.

Some teams were more involved in that summer carousel than others. The Hawks, for instance, will enter the season carrying only seven players who finished last season with the team. The Suns will also bring back just seven players from last year’s squad, and that number figures to drop to six once the team completes its reported signing of Jamal Crawford, assuming Davon Reed is the odd man out.

Because teams are permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and two more on two-way deals, the maximum number of players a club could have brought back was 17. No team got that high, but the Heat and Jazz are each bringing back 14 players from last year’s rosters. Impressively, all 14 players on Miami’s standard roster are returning players — only the club’s two-way players are new.

[RELATED: 2018/19 NBA Roster Counts]

While many teams turned over their two-way contract slots entirely, several clubs are bringing back those players, either keeping them on two-way deals or promoting them to their active rosters. The Nuggets, Bulls, Pacers, and Lakers are among the teams who retained both of their two-way players from last season.

Listed below are the number of returning players for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, from most to fewest. Bringing back a significant number of players doesn’t necessarily lead to regular season success, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few of the teams near the top of this list enjoy fast starts due to their players’ familiarity with each other, while teams near the bottom of the list may take some time to get used to their changes.

Here’s the returning-player count for each team:

Miami Heat: 14
Utah Jazz: 14
Boston Celtics: 13
Chicago Bulls: 12
Denver Nuggets: 12
New York Knicks: 12
Cleveland Cavaliers: 11
Indiana Pacers: 11
Philadelphia 76ers: 11
Portland Trail Blazers: 11
Sacramento Kings: 11
Toronto Raptors: 11
Charlotte Hornets: 10
Detroit Pistons: 10
Golden State Warriors: 10
- Note: Patrick McCaw remains a restricted free agent. The Warriors’ returning player count could increase to 11 if he re-signs.
Los Angeles Clippers: 10
Milwaukee Bucks: 10
Dallas Mavericks: 9
Memphis Grizzlies: 9
Minnesota Timberwolves: 9
New Orleans Pelicans: 9
Oklahoma City Thunder: 9
Orlando Magic: 9
Washington Wizards: 9
Brooklyn Nets: 8
Houston Rockets: 8
Los Angeles Lakers: 8
San Antonio Spurs: 8
Atlanta Hawks: 7
Phoenix Suns: 7
- Note: The Suns’ returning player count will drop to 6 if Jamal Crawford replaces Davon Reed on the roster, as is expected.