Hoops Rumors Originals Rumors | Hoops Rumors

2018 Offseason In Review: Indiana Pacers

October 10th, 2018 at 3:10pm 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 Indiana Pacers.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Doug McDermott: Three years, $22MM. Signed using cap room.
- Tyreke Evans: One year, $12.4MM. Signed using cap room.
- Kyle O’Quinn: One year, $4.45MM. Signed using room exception.
Two-way contracts:
- C.J. Wilcox
  - Note: Wilcox has been ruled out for the season with a torn Achilles and is expected to be waived.
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Ben Moore: One year, minimum salary. $45K partial guarantee.
- Omari Johnson: One year, minimum salary.
- Elijah Stewart: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

None

Draft picks:

1-23: Aaron Holiday — Signed to rookie contract.
2-50: Alize Johnson — Signed to two-year, minimum salary contract. First year guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Signed head coach Nate McMillan to a contract extension through 2020/21.
Exercised 2019/20 rookie scale team options for Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Leaf.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; now over the cap.
Carrying approximately $106.2MM in guaranteed salaries.
No cap exceptions left besides minimum salary exception.

Check out the Indiana Pacers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Armed with upwards of $20MM in cap room, the Pacers entered the offseason in a rare position — not only were they coming off an impressive 48-win season and retaining all their most important pieces, but they were also in position to add another impact player.

However, despite some rumors about a few top-tier free agents – including Aaron Gordon – the Pacers ultimately took a similar approach to free agency to the one they took in previous years. Rather than using all that cap space in a single player, Indiana spread the wealth, adding a few veteran free agents to their roster on deals in the neighborhood of the mid-level.

Tyreke Evans, Doug McDermott, and Kyle O’Quinn should fit in well on a roster that overachieved in 2017/18. Evans and O’Quinn have spent most of their respective careers on lottery teams and will be willing to play whatever roles are needed in order to get to the postseason. McDermott, meanwhile, has to be thrilled about getting a three-year commitment from a team that will be his fifth since the start of the 2016/17 season.

Those veteran additions flew under the NBA radar during an offseason that saw stars like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard change teams, but they make perfect sense for a Pacers team looking to build on last season’s success without breaking the bank or compromising future flexibility.

Key offseason losses:

While all of the Pacers’ core pieces will be back for the 2018/19 season, the team did lose a handful of role players, including Lance Stephenson. Stephenson’s second stint in Indiana wasn’t quite as successful as his first, but he was a solid contributor for last year’s squad, chipping in 9.2 PG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.9 APG off the bench.

Indiana’s decision to turn down Stephenson’s relatively modest ($4.36MM) team option for 2018/19 allowed the club to maximize its cap room while retaining the ability to bring back the 28-year-old. Ultimately, a reunion wasn’t in the cards, as Stephenson reached a deal to join the Lakers instead.

Big men Trevor Booker and Al Jefferson were among the Pacers’ other offseason departures. Booker was somewhat redundant at a power forward spot that features Thaddeus Young, especially if the Pacers envision a bigger role for T.J. Leaf. As for Jefferson, his $10MM salary was only partially guaranteed for $4MM, making him an obvious cap casualty.

The Pacers also lost Glenn Robinson III, a solid wing who missed most of the 2017/18 season after undergoing ankle surgery, and Joe Young, a third-string point guard who played limited minutes.

Key offseason additions:

It was a buyers’ market for NBA teams in free agency this summer, a contrast from the last two offseasons. So it was surprising to see the Pacers commit three years and $22MM to McDermott during the first hour of free agency once the calendar flipped to July 1.

For a team in need of a shooter, there may have been better values out there than giving McDermott three guaranteed years — Marco Belinelli got $12MM over two years from the Spurs, while Wayne Ellington returned to the Heat for one year and $6.27MM. Still, we’ll give the Pacers the benefit of the doubt with McDermott for now. They clearly have a plan in mind for him, and even if he doesn’t do much else, he’ll knock down threes. He made 49.4% of his shots from beyond the arc in 26 games for Dallas last season, bumping his career rate to 40.3%.

Evans, who got a one-year, $12.4MM contract, is perhaps the more intriguing addition for the Pacers. He’s coming off an impressive bounce-back year in Memphis in which he put up 19.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 5.1 RPG in 52 games before the tanking Grizzlies shut him down for the season.

With Victor Oladipo, Darren Collison, and Cory Joseph in the mix, Evans might not get a chance to handle the ball as much as he did with the Grizzlies, but there are plenty of reasons to like this fit. Evans should get a chance to become the go-to scorer for the second unit, and when he plays alongside Oladipo, he’ll avoid the toughest assignment on defense.

The Pacers further fortified their bench by signing veteran center O’Quinn and drafting promising young guard Aaron Holiday. It’s not clear how much of a role either player will have, given the team’s depth in the backcourt and at the five. However, O’Quinn is the sort of guy who can step up and provide reliable production in the event of an injury, while Holiday will get the chance to learn from and develop alongside a handful of veteran guards.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The Pacers won 48 games last year and appear to have improved their roster, but that doesn’t mean we should pencil them in for 50+ victories and a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this season. The Pacers won’t catch any teams off guard in their second year without Paul George, and some regression is possible.

Still, this is a deep and talented roster, one that should claim a top-five seed in a depleted Eastern Conference, particularly if Myles Turner enjoys a bounce-back season. The Pacers are also well positioned to stay flexible going forward, with only about $40MM in guaranteed salaries on the cap for 2019/20.

With seven probable rotation players on expiring deals, the Pacers’ 2018/19 campaign will be about evaluating which of those players are keepers. More importantly though, it will be about looking to build upon last year’s surprise success and establishing a place as a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference.

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

Community Shootaround: Kevin Durant’s Future

October 10th, 2018 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

Since joining the Warriors during the summer of 2016, Kevin Durant has signed short-term contracts, opting out and signing new deals twice since then. Those short-term commitments weren’t necessarily a sign of his unwillingness to commit to Golden State long-term, but rather a byproduct of the constraints of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Those short-term contracts allowed Durant to maximize his year-to-year earnings if he wanted to (instead, he opted for a team-friendly discount in year two) and will put him in position to ink a five-year contract with the Warriors in 2019, when the team will finally have secured his Bird rights.

However, while Durant’s return to Golden State was a given during the last two summers, that no longer appears to be the case for 2019. Despite winning back-to-back titles with the Warriors, earning Finals MVP honors both times, Durant isn’t viewed as a lock to remain in the Bay Area for many years to come.

Those rumblings about Durant’s possible departure grew a little louder last week, when multiple national NBA writers, including Chris Haynes, Chris Mannix, and Tim Bontemps, suggested that people around the NBA viewed the Knicks as a legit suitor for nine-time All-Star. Now, a local reporter has joined the conversation and added further credence to the idea that Durant could head elsewhere.

Following up on a radio appearance on KNBR, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic wrote last night that he’s not reporting that Durant will leave Golden State at season’s end, but if he had to guess, he’d predict the 30-year-old will head elsewhere.

As Thompson explains, Durant’s comments about keeping his options open and taking things “season by season” strike a different tone than what he’s said about his situation in past years. Additionally, Thompson says he’s spoken to several people within the Warriors’ franchise about the subject, and gets the same sentiment from most of them: they hope he stays, but wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves.

It’s hard to imagine any team besides the Warriors entering the 2019 offseason as the favorites to sign Durant, especially if they win another title. After all, they’ll be able to offer him more years and more money than any other club. Still, many teams around the NBA will have the cap space necessary to sign a maximum-salary free agent, and several of those teams will be eager to pitch Durant on becoming the new face of their franchise.

What do you think? Is it crazy to think that Durant might leave Golden State next year after his run of success with the team? Do you expect him to stick around the Bay Area beyond 2019, or will rival teams have a real chance to lure him away?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in!

Fantasy Hoops: Preseason Top-150 Rankings

October 9th, 2018 at 6:20pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The 2018/19 season is almost here and so much has changed since the last time we presented an edition of Fantasy Hoops!

LeBron James took his talents to Hollywood and brought along an entertaining cast. DeMarcus Cousins is the latest player to draw the ire of fans for electing to sign with the NBA’s elite. Kawhi Leonard was shipped to The North while Paul George backtracked to an earlier time and stayed in an Oklahoma state of mind.

Let’s take a look at where these and the league’s other top players rank in our fantasy basketball top 150 (rankings based on Roto Scoring with nine categories—points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, 3-pointers, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and turnovers):Read more

2018 Offseason In Review: New Orleans Pelicans

October 9th, 2018 at 4:21pm 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 New Orleans Pelicans.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Julius Randle: Two years, $17.71MM. Second-year player option. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Elfrid Payton: One year, $3MM. Signed using bi-annual exception.
- Ian Clark: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Trevon Bluiett
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Jahlil Okafor: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. $50K partial guarantee.
- Garlon Green: Two years, minimum salary. $50K partial guarantee.
- Kenrich Williams: Two years, minimum salary. $50K partial guarantee.
- Darius Morris: Two years, minimum salary.
- Troy Williams: Two years, minimum salary.
- Jarrett Jack: One year, minimum salary.
- Brandon McCoy: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

None

Draft picks:

2-51: Tony Carr — Will play overseas.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Anthony Davis changed agents, hired Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
Signed Tyrone Wallace to offer sheet; matched by Clippers.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $108.7MM in guaranteed salaries.
Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
$382K of bi-annual exception still available ($3MM used on Elfrid Payton).

Check out the New Orleans Pelicans’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Entering the offseason without their first-round pick, without any real salary cap flexibility, and lacking viable trade chips, the Pelicans had a pair of clear, achievable goals: Re-sign DeMarcus Cousins and re-sign Rajon Rondo. Depending on the price tags for Cousins and Rondo in free agency, it appeared there was a path to bringing both of them back without going into luxury tax territory.

Within the first two days of free agency, however, the Pels had lost both Cousins and Rondo. While that outcome was a little unexpected, it ended up not being a total disaster. New Orleans was able to find a younger, more affordable duo in Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton.

With little margin for error in a hyper-competitive Western Conference, the ability of Randle and Payton to slot into those lineup spots vacated by Cousins and Rondo will go a long way toward determining the Pelicans’ upside in 2018/19.

Key offseason losses:

The in-season acquisition of Cousins at the 2017 trade deadline didn’t pay major dividends for the Pelicans, but the team got a glimpse of the big man’s upside during the first half of the 2017/18 campaign. In 48 games, Cousins put up a monster stat line that included 25.2 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.6 SPG.

A torn Achilles ended his season early though, and that injury played a significant part in the Pelicans and Cousins parting ways over the summer. The Pelicans almost certainly would’ve bid more aggressively on a healthy Cousins who isn’t expected to miss half the 2018/19 season — in that scenario, there’s no way he would’ve settled for a $5.4MM offer from the Warriors as he looks to rebuild his value. That Achilles injury also gave the Pelicans a glimpse of what their lineup looked like without him, and the success they had down the stretch and in the postseason softened the blow of his departure.

Despite Cousins’ eye-popping numbers, it may be Rondo whose departure impacts New Orleans most significantly. By all accounts, the veteran point guard was a model teammate, leader, and locker-room influence during his lone season with the Pelicans. Rondo was steady during the regular season (8.3 PPG, 8.2 APG) and excellent in the playoffs (10.3 PPG, 12.2 APG, .421 3PT%), and his ability to handle the point allowed Jrue Holiday to play off the ball more than ever.

While Cousins and Rondo were the Pelicans’ most noteworthy losses, the team will also have to account for the departures of DeAndre Liggins and Emeka Okafor, who were decent role players for the team last season.

I was a little surprised at New Orleans’ willingness to waive Liggins, given his solid defense and the Pelicans’ lack of reliable wings, but the 30-year-old journeyman has had trouble finding a permanent NBA home, appearing in regular season games for four teams over the past two seasons. As for Okafor, his comeback story was a good one and his work fortifying the Pelicans’ frontcourt after Cousins went down was laudable, but his release didn’t come as a shock.

Key offseason additions:

In 49 starts for the Lakers last season, Randle looked like a poor man’s Cousins, averaging 18.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG. Randle isn’t as dynamic a playmaker or as reliable a rim protector as Cousins, but his age (24 in November) and his health are points in his favor. He should be a nice fit alongside Anthony Davis.

I’m less bullish on the signing of Payton, who has been inconsistent on defense and hasn’t developed a reliable jump shot. At just $3MM for one year, the signing is low-risk, but if the Pelicans want to keep Holiday off the ball again this season, Payton will be relied upon for significant minutes, since the team’s other point guard options (Frank Jackson, Darius Morris, Jarrett Jack) are unproven or uninspiring.

One key factor involved in the additions of Randle and Payton is the Pelicans’ desire to play with pace. New Orleans was already running with Cousins in the lineup, ranking sixth in the NBA in pace when he tore his Achilles, but the club took it to another level down the stretch, finishing the season as the league’s No. 1 team in terms of pace. Randle and Payton are known for their athleticism and certainly won’t slow the Pelicans down at all this season, which should make them a fun team to watch.

The Pelicans didn’t make any trades this offseason and didn’t invest heavily in any other free agents, but it will be interesting to see which of the club’s camp invitees on non-guaranteed contracts make the regular season roster. Jahlil Okafor, Troy Williams, Morris, and Jack all have NBA experience, and at least two of those players – if not more – figure to stick around.

Outlook for 2018/19:

After improving their record by 14 wins in 2017/18 and winning their first playoff series in a decade, the Pelicans entered the offseason thinking about retaining their core and adding a complementary piece or two. Instead, they lost two of their most important pieces, replacing them with a pair of young veterans who have yet to play a single postseason game.

Davis is one of the NBA’s very best players, and he and Holiday should keep the Pelicans in the playoff conversation this year. But the club will be asking for a lot from Randle and Payton, and it remains to be seen what sort of impact the newcomers will have in New Orleans.

If the Pelicans fall out of the top eight in the West in 2018/19, it will only increase the Davis trade speculation going forward, so the franchise has a lot riding on this season’s performance. It will be fascinating to see if New Orleans can continue to take steps forward or if some regression is in store for the club.

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

2018/19 Over/Unders: Southwest Division

October 9th, 2018 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2018/19 NBA regular season will get underway in just seven days, which means it’s time to start getting 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 kicked things off with the Atlantic on Monday, we’re moving onto the Southwest today…

Houston Rockets

2017/18 record: 65-17
Over/under for 2018/19: 56.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Carmelo Anthony, James Ennis, Michael Carter-Williams, Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, Isaiah Hartenstein
- Lost: Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Tarik Black, Joe Johnson, Chinanu Onuaku

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

New Orleans Pelicans

2017/18 record: 48-34
Over/under for 2018/19: 45.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Jahlil Okafor, Jarrett Jack
- Lost: DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, DeAndre Liggins, Emeka Okafor

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

San Antonio Spurs

2017/18 record: 47-35
Over/under for 2018/19: 44.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: DeMar DeRozan, Marco Belinelli, Jakob Poeltl, Dante Cunningham, Lonnie Walker, Chimezie Metu
- Lost: Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Kyle Anderson, Danny Green, Brandon Paul, Joffrey Lauvergne

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

Dallas Mavericks

2017/18 record: 24-58
Over/under for 2018/19: 34.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: DeAndre Jordan, Luka Doncic, Devin Harris, Jalen Brunson, Ryan Broekhoff
- Lost: Yogi Ferrell, Doug McDermott, Nerlens Noel, Seth Curry, Kyle Collinsworth

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

Memphis Grizzlies

2017/18 record: 22-60
Over/under for 2018/19: 34.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Garrett Temple, Omri Casspi, Shelvin Mack, Jevon Carter
- Lost: Tyreke Evans, Mario Chalmers, Deyonta Davis, Jarell Martin, Ben McLemore, Kobi Simmons

(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Grizzlies 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%)

2018 Offseason In Review: Portland Trail Blazers

October 8th, 2018 at 10:55pm 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 Portland Trail Blazers.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Jusuf Nurkic: Four years, $48MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Fourth-year partially guaranteed ($4MM). Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Seth Curry: One year, $2.8MM. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Nik Stauskas: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- None
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Cameron Oliver: One year, minimum salary.
- Chinanu Onuaku: One year, minimum salary.
- Gary Payton II: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Gary Trent Jr. (No. 37 pick) from the Kings in exchange for either the Timberwolves’ or Lakers’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the Heat’s 2021 second-round pick, and cash ($1.5MM).

Draft picks:

1-24: Anfernee Simons — Signed to rookie contract.
2-37: Gary Trent Jr. — Signed to three-year, $3.92MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Team owner Paul Allen being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Reached jersey ad sponsorship deal with Performance Health (Biofreeze).

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $131.6MM in guaranteed salaries.
Projected tax bill of $12.58MM.
$1.7MM of taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($3.63MM used on Seth Curry and Gary Trent Jr.).

Check out the Portland Trail Blazers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

When a team gets swept by a lower seed in the first round of the playoffs, it’s logical to assume that management will do more than simply tweak the roster. The Trail Blazers entered the postseason in April as the No. 3 seed with a 49-33 record. The Pelicans, playing without DeMarcus Cousins, made their postseason stay as short as possible.

To be fair, New Orleans only lost one fewer regular-season game than Portland despite being the No. 6 seed. It also had the best player on the floor in Anthony Davis, who averaged 33 PPG in the series.

GM Neil Olshey could have done something bold in the aftermath of that flameout, specifically breaking up the high-scoring backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Whether Olshey didn’t receive attractive offers for the guards or he simply didn’t want to push the panic button, the Blazers look pretty much the way they did when they cleared out their lockers after last season.

Beyond that duo, the Blazers didn’t have a commodity to trade to bring in another impact player. Their bloated cap situation made it even more difficult to add another piece through a trade or free agency. Their biggest offseason move was retaining starting center and restricted free agent Jusuf Nurkic.

Re-signing Nurkic actually came at a lower cost than originally projected. He reportedly turned down a more lucrative four-year offer during last season with the expectation he’d get a lucrative offer sheet. When the market tightened up during the first week of free agency, Nurkic settled for four years and $48MM with some incentives thrown in.

Locking up their young starting center who posted averages of 14.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 1.4 BPG last season for approximately $12MM annually was a best-case scenario for the Blazers. With Nurkic returning, Portland has all of its starters back from its playoff team.

Key offseason losses:

The Blazers’ reserve unit will have a new look after they let go of three key contributors from last season.

Shooting guard Pat Connaughton appeared in all 82 regular-season games but he only averaged 5.4 PPG in 18.1 MPG while shooting a ho-hum 35.2% from long range. Connaughton wound up signing with the Bucks after Portland didn’t extend a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Big man Ed Davis was Nurkic’s primary backup last season but the Blazers, with their luxury-tax concerns, allowed him to walk. He appeared in 78 games, averaging 5.3 PPG on 58.2% shooting. As usual, Davis pounded the glass and pulled down 7.4 RPG in just 18.9 minutes per contest. He signed a one-year, $4.4MM deal with the Nets.

Guard Shabazz Napier, who backed up both Lillard and McCollum, followed Davis to Brooklyn. Napier averaged 8.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG but, like Connaughton, didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Blazers. The unrestricted free agent then signed a two-year deal with the Nets that included a team option.

Key offseason additions:

The Blazers essentially replaced Napier and Connaughton with the combination of Seth Curry, Nik Stauskas and Anfernee Simons.

Curry didn’t play at all last season due to a stress fracture in his lower left leg. He enjoyed a breakout season the year before with the Mavericks, averaging 12.8 PPG, 2.7 APG and 1.1 SPG in 29.0 MPG while appearing in 72 games, including 40 starts.

Stauskas played a combined 41 games for the Sixers and Nets last season. He’s a career 34.9% shooting from long range and shot over 40% from downtown for Brooklyn. If he can do that for the Blazers, he’ll earn a rotation spot.

Simons, the team’s first-round selection, didn’t play college ball. The 19-year-old shooting guard attended IMG Academy last year.

Outlook for 2018/19:

Lillard and McCollum are signed through the 2020/21 season and they’ll put up plenty of points along the way. Nurkic provides some stability in the post. That trio was potent enough to get Portland into the postseason a year ago.

What’s holding the Blazers back is several bad contracts, which prevented them from improving the cast around their core players. Evan Turner will make nearly $18MM this season, while Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard will each bank nearly $11MM. Portland isn’t getting enough bang for its buck with any of those players.

The only way for Portland to improve upon last season is to see substantial growth from 2017 first-rounders Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan. That’s a far cry from getting a proven wing or power forward to balance out their guard-oriented offense.

Thus, it’s more likely that the Blazers take a step back and sit out this season’s playoffs rather than making a better postseason showing.

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

2018/19 Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

October 8th, 2018 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

The 2018/19 NBA regular season will get underway in just eight days, which means it’s time to start getting 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.

We’ll kick things off today with the Atlantic division…

Boston Celtics

2017/18 record: 55-27
Over/under for 2018/19: 59.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Robert Williams, Brad Wanamaker
- Lost: Greg Monroe, Shane Larkin, Abdel Nader

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

Toronto Raptors

2017/18 record: 59-23
Over/under for 2018/19: 55.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Greg Monroe
- Lost: DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Lucas Nogueira

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

Philadelphia 76ers

2017/18 record: 52-30
Over/under for 2018/19: 54.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Jonah Bolden, Zhaire Smith, Landry Shamet
- Lost: Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova, Richaun Holmes, Justin Anderson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot

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

Brooklyn Nets

2017/18 record: 28-54
Over/under for 2018/19: 31.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier, Treveon Graham, Kenneth Faried, Jared Dudley, Dzanan Musa, Rodions Kurucs
- Lost: Jeremy Lin, Timofey Mozgov, Dante Cunningham, Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas, Quincy Acy, Isaiah Whitehead

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

New York Knicks

2017/18 record: 29-53
Over/under for 2018/19: 28.5 wins
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Mario Hezonja, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson
- Lost: Michael Beasley, Jarrett Jack, Kyle O’Quinn

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

2018 Offseason In Review: Cleveland Cavaliers

October 7th, 2018 at 7:04pm 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 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Rodney Hood: One year, $3.47MM. Accepted qualifying offer as restricted free agent.
- Channing Frye: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- David Nwaba: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Billy Preston
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Bonzie Colson: One year, minimum salary.
- Levi Randolph: One year, minimum salary.
- Kobi Simmons: One year, minimum salary.
- Isaiah Taylor: One year, minimum salary.
- Note: Isaac Hamilton, Scoochie Smith, and JaCorey Williams also signed non-guaranteed camp contracts, but were later waived.

Trades:

Acquired Sam Dekker, the draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis, and cash ($1,247,494) from the Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko.

Draft picks:

1-8: Collin Sexton — Signed to rookie contract.

Contract extensions:

Kevin Love: Signed four-year, $120.4MM extension. Starts in 2019/20.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Discussing contract extension with Larry Nance Jr.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $115.7MM in guaranteed salaries.
Full mid-level exception ($8.64MM) still available.
Full bi-annual exception ($3.38MM) still available.

Check out the Cleveland Cavaliers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

In a move that was neither as shocking or as heartbreaking as the first time he left Cleveland, LeBron James walked away from the Cavaliers this summer for the bright lights of Los Angeles. James’ departure put the Cavs in a precarious position, one in which they could have shifted their long-term plan to a rebuild centered around first-round draft pick Collin Sexton.

Instead, the team extended Kevin Love and focused on retaining or adding young role players around him in the form of Rodney Hood, David Nwaba and Sam Dekker. However, the Cavaliers also brought back veteran forward Channing Frye, signaling their desire to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.

LeBron’s departure is even more damaging for the Cavaliers as a result of their roster being constructed around his playmaking abilities. In recent seasons, the Cavaliers have focused on adding shooters and players who thrived as off-ball contributors around James. Those players will now face more pressure to create their own shots and initiate the offense.

George Hill, Sexton, Hood, and Cedi Osman figure to increase their usage on offense and shoulder the burden of offensive creation when the ball isn’t in Love’s hands. Speaking of Love, this will be his first opportunity to be the featured offensive player since he was routinely averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game with the Timberwolves.

How the rotation shapes up around Love and the role players will be interesting, as the Cavaliers don’t have a plethora of intriguing young talent. Instead, the roster is heavy on veterans who are either in their prime or exiting their prime in the near future. Will the emphasis be placed on player development? Or will the Cavaliers look to make the playoffs at all costs and avoid a rebuild for at least another season? The Cavs’ intentions aren’t clear, making them an intriguing team to watch in the upcoming season as they navigate the post-LeBron waters for the second time.

Key offseason losses:

In addition to witnessing LeBron take his talents to the Lakers, the Cavaliers also saw Jeff Green and Jose Calderon depart for other Eastern Conference foes. Those losses aren’t significant (though Green did have somewhat of a bounce back season in Cleveland), but it’s hard to overstate the impact of LeBron’s departure, which will force complementary players into more featured offensive roles with the ball in their hands.

James’ absence also paves the way for Love to be the featured player on offense and initiate the offense from all over the court. How the lineups are built around his shooting and underrated playmaking will be something to watch on the offensive end for the Cavaliers.

Key offseason additions:

The Cavaliers made very few additions in the offseason, thereby making Sexton their key acquisition by default. Sexton joins the Cavaliers with a staunch defensive reputation and impressive physical tools, but will have to improve his playmaking and shooting to be a productive offensive player. If the Cavs are focused on developing their young players, Sexton should see a featured role fairly early in his NBA career, but he may also have to wait behind Hill before assuming the reins at point guard.

Dekker and Nwaba are two other additions that will look to carve out a spot in the team’s rotation. Dekker struggled mightily with his shot and confidence with the Clippers last season, while Nwaba is coming off the best season of his career with the Bulls and can bring some much-needed defense to Cleveland.

Outlook for 2018/19:

There’s no doubt that losing James would set any NBA team back significantly. However, that loss will be felt even more strongly by a Cavaliers club that had built its roster specifically around LeBron’s play style and skill set.

While the Cavs have plenty of shooters and solid role players to support Love as the featured star of the team, they will struggle to sustain an above-average offense, especially if Love goes down with an injury.

While the Cavaliers may still be focused on making the playoffs, they simply don’t have enough to contend, even in the weaker Eastern Conference. As a result, I expect them to miss out on playoff basketball, perhaps even struggling to win more than 30 games.

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

Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/30/18 – 10/6/18

October 6th, 2018 at 2:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill tackled the question of whether Anthony Davis hired LeBron James‘ agent with the aim of eventually joining forces with him. Hill also answered queries regarding Andrew Bynum and Luka Doncic.
We continued our 2018 Offseason in Review, and analyzed the following teams:
- Denver Nuggets
- Washington Wizards
- San Antonio Spurs
- Brooklyn Nets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- New York Knicks
In three Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- What is Terry Rozier‘s future with the Celtics if Kyrie Irving remains with them beyond this season?
- Which teams will be the most enjoyable to watch this season?
- Which players will sign and/or deserve a rookie scale extension?
We polled our readers on the following topic: Which team is the biggest threat to the Warriors this season?
Luke Adams provided a recap of all the contracts signed by this year’s draft picks.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

2018 Offseason In Review: Denver Nuggets

October 5th, 2018 at 9:04pm 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 Denver Nuggets.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Nikola Jokic: Five years, $142.71MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Will Barton: Four years, $53MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Monte Morris: Three years, $4.6MM. Third year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
- Torrey Craig: Two years, $4MM. Re-signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Isaiah Thomas: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Emanuel Terry: Two years, minimum salary. $35K partial guarantee.
- Xavier Silas: One year, minimum salary.
- Donald Sloan: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Jarred Vanderbilt (No. 41 pick) from the Magic in exchange for the draft rights to Justin Jackson (No. 43 pick) and either the Nuggets’ or Wizards’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable).
- Note: The Nuggets’ 2019 second-round pick would be sent to Milwaukee if it falls between 56-60, in which case the Magic would receive the Wizards’ second-rounder.
Acquired cash ($110K) from the Sixers in exchange for Wilson Chandler, the Nuggets’ 2021 second-round pick, and the right to swap 2022 second-round picks.
Acquired Isaiah Whitehead from the Nets in exchange for Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur, the Nuggets’ 2019 first-round pick (top-12 protected), and the Nuggets’ 2020 second-round pick.
- Note: Whitehead was later waived.

Draft picks:

1-14: Michael Porter Jr. — Signed to rookie contract.
2-41: Jarred Vanderbilt — Signed to three-year, $3.92MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
2-58: Thomas Welsh — Signed to two-way contract.

Departing players:

Darrell Arthur
Wilson Chandler
Kenneth Faried
Devin Harris
Richard Jefferson

Other offseason news:

Hired Mark Price to coaching staff.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $116.4MM in guaranteed salaries.
$2.5MM of taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($2.84MM used on Torrey Craig and Jarred Vanderbilt).

Check out the Denver Nuggets’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Coming off a season in which they barely missed the playoffs, the Nuggets had one major goal: Lock up center Nikola Jokic at all costs.

Technically, Denver’s front office didn’t have to negotiate with their stats-stuffing center until next summer. They could have exercised their 2018/19 option on him and paid him a bargain-basement $1.6MM this season.

That approach would have prudent in the short term but could have wrecked their future plans. Jokic would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer and surely wouldn’t have appreciated being underpaid heading into the open market.

Instead, they declined the option and made him a restricted free agent, while assuring his reps he’d get a near max five-year deal once free agency began in July.

President of basketball operations Tim Connelly thus delivered on his June promise that “Nikola’s going to be here for a long, long time.”

Jokic set new career highs in PPG (18.5), RPG (10.7), APG (6.1), and 3PT% (.396) last season. Still just 23 years old, Jokic still has room to improve in his overall game even if his numbers decline somewhat with an upgraded roster. The Nuggets’ frontcourt could be even more imposing this season if Paul Millsap can stay healthy after he appeared in just 38 games in his first year with the club due to injury.

Key offseason losses:

The Nuggets were eager to dump some salary in order to re-sign Jokic and Will Barton while staying out of luxury tax territory. They successfully found new homes for veterans Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur, a trio of frontcourt players with bloated contracts.

Brooklyn was willing to add Faried and Arthur to the payroll, though the Nuggets had to surrender a protected first-rounder and a second-round pick to sweeten the pot. The ‘Manimal’ has a chance to revive his career with the Nets after injuries and Jokic’s emergence steadily diminished his role the past three seasons. Arthur appeared in just 19 games last season.

The Nuggets only had to toss in a second-rounder while essentially gifting Chandler to the Sixers. He started 71 games last season but became the last option on offense, attempting just 8.5 shots per game. They’ll elevate Barton to the starting unit to replace Chandler, with Torrey Craig and Juan Hernangomez in reserve.

Key offseason additions:

With a limited budget, the Nuggets couldn’t make any sizable offers in free agency. But they still managed to land a proverbial big fish, even if he’s one of the smaller players in the NBA.

Isaiah Thomas is only a couple of years removed from his MVP-caliber season with the Celtics. The high-volume scorer endured a disastrous 2017-18 season that included hip surgery, a trade to Cavaliers, a forgettable 15-game stint with Cleveland and a trade to the Lakers.

Thomas was willing to accept a one-year, “prove it” deal with the hope of getting a much more lucrative pact in free agency next summer. If he pulls that off, it will be a win-win situation for both him and the Nuggets. He’ll be the main scoring option off the bench.

Drafting Michael Porter Jr. was fraught with risk but perhaps a very big reward if he can return to full health after two back surgeries. The club views the versatile forward as a long-term asset and anything he contributes this season will be a bonus.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The Nuggets retained most of their core pieces and made an intriguing low-risk, high-reward addition in Thomas. Given reasonably good health, Denver has no excuse to come up short again in the postseason race.

Jokic is a difficult, if not impossible, matchup for most of the bigs in the league. Millsap provides rebounding, leadership and toughness and they’ll need that with an undersized lineup that also features Barton, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray.

The Nuggets are still a very young team and Murray could be ready to take the next step to stardom. The bench is generally unproven but if 22-year-old power forward Trey Lyles can continue on an upward trajectory, the second unit should be at least adequate.

It adds up to a 50-win campaign and a trip to the playoffs.

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