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Poll: Biggest Threat To Warriors In 2018/19?

October 1st, 2018 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Last spring, only one team legitimately pushed the Warriors in the postseason, as the Rockets took a 3-2 lead on Golden State before losing the last two games of the series without star point guard Chris Paul. However, as Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area relays, Klay Thompson suggested on Media Day last week that it might be the Celtics, rather than the Rockets, who are the biggest threat to knock off the defending champions in 2018/19.

“I like the team out East in Boston,” Thompson told ESPN. “They’ve got a very nice young team. One through five — they’ve got a team that kind of mirrors ours, as far as their length, guys who can shoot and play defense, and an unselfish way about things. So I think that they are going to be a team to reckon with.”

Outside of the Warriors, who are viewed as the strong favorites to win their third consecutive title, the Celtics and Rockets have the best championship odds for the coming season, according to various bookmakers. Sports betting site Bovada.lv, for instance, has Boston at 5-to-1 to win the title, with Houston coming it at 8.5-to-1.

After those clubs, the Lakers (10-to-1), Raptors (14-to-1), and Sixers (16-to-1) are given the strongest title odds. The Lakers are an interesting wild card, given the presence of LeBron James, who hasn’t missed an NBA Finals since 2010. The two Atlantic clubs, meanwhile, are considered the biggest threats to Boston in the East. Toronto’s chances figure to hinge on Kawhi Leonard‘s performance and health, while Philadelphia will be counting on Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to continue improving — a Markelle Fultz breakout season would be an X-factor for the Sixers.

Based on Bovada’s lines, only one other team should even be in the conversation for the 2019 NBA championship — the site lists the Thunder at 30-to-1 to win the title, while no other clubs have better than 75-to-1 odds.

What do you think? Do you, like Thompson (and Bovada), view the Celtics as the biggest threat to stop the Warriors’ streak of championships? Do the Rockets once again have the best chance to pull off the upset? Or is there another team worth watching?

Vote below in our poll, then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Hoops Rumors’ 2018 NBA Free Agent Tracker

October 1st, 2018 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2018/19 season is right around the corner, and with news of contract agreements and signings still trickling in, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this fall. To this end, we continue to update 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.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • Some of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect tentative agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will sometimes be based on what’s been reported to date, so those amounts could be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • A restricted free agent who signs an offer sheet won’t be included in the tracker right away. We’ll wait to hear whether the player’s original team will match or pass on that offer sheet before we update our tracker, in order to avoid confusion.
  • Our tracker will continue to be updated with the latest moves right up until opening night. Signings completed after the season begins won’t be included.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

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.”

The tracker will be updated throughout the preseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

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

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Weekly Mailbag: 9/24/18 – 9/30/18

September 30th, 2018 at 1:53pm 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.

With Anthony Davis linking up with same agent as LeBron James, do you think there’s a good chance he’ll join LeBron with Lakers in the near future? — Greg Dizon

It’s a good theory because we know that LeBron likes to play alongside Klutch Sports clients, but Lakers fans shouldn’t be counting on a James-Davis tandem in their future. Davis will be eligible for a supermax extension next summer that could become the richest deal in NBA history. Only the Pelicans can give him that, so he won’t be pushing for a trade before then. Davis could be expected to spend at least two years in New Orleans once that deal is in hand before exploring trade options. LeBron will be 36 by then, and who knows how successful he and the Lakers will be? Davis has said repeatedly that he’s happy with the Pelicans, and as long as they remain a playoff team that’s where he’s likely to stay.

Andrew Bynum is trying to make a comeback. This reminds me of Larry Sanders. They both kind of had the same potential at one point, though Bynum did accomplish more. They both had poor attitudes that led to their NBA exit. Are both these comebacks money grabs? — Nicolas Galipeau

Sanders continued to have off-the-court problems during his brief comeback with the Cavaliers at the end of the 2016/17 season. He spent most of his time with Cleveland’s G League affiliate, but reportedly showed up late and missed a team bus when he was with the Cavs. For all his talent, it never seemed like basketball was his top priority. Bynum’s NBA downfall was related to injuries, especially his knees. He’s not in position to demand more than a veteran’s minimum contract, so he’s probably not motivated by the money. More likely, Bynum misses the NBA lifestyle and would like to prove he can still be productive at age 30.

Luka Doncic looks like a runaway candidate for Rookie of the Year. Is it too early to put his name on the trophy? — Big D, via Twitter

Doncic was impressive in the Mavericks’ preseason opener Saturday night, making five of seven shots and scoring 16 points in 30 minutes, but don’t get carried away. Dallas was playing the Beijing Ducks, so Doncic still hasn’t displayed his skills against NBA competition. He is among the Rookie of the Year favorites, and his role as the primary distributor in the Mavericks’ backcourt will get him a lot of votes. However, there’s a very talented field this year, a lot of whom appear in line for plenty of playing time. Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, Trae Young, Wendell Carter, Collin Sexton and Kevin Knox will all be formidable contenders.

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2018 Offseason In Review: New York Knicks

September 30th, 2018 at 11:45am 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 New York Knicks.

Signings:

Trades:

  • None

Draft picks:

  • 1-9: Kevin Knox — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-36: Mitchell Robinson — Signed to four-year, $6.57MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $107.4MM in guaranteed salaries.
  • Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
  • $656K of mid-level exception still available ($7.99MM used on Mario Hezonja and Mitchell Robinson).
  • Full bi-annual exception ($3.38MM) still available.

Check out the New York Knicks’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Head coaching changes are nothing new in New York, where David Fizdale is the 12th man to hold the position in the past 18 years, but there’s a sense of optimism that the Knicks may have finally found the right man. Fizdale had been among the hottest names on the coaching market since being fired by the Grizzlies last year and had interviewed with the Magic, Hawks, Suns and Hornets before accepting the job with the Knicks.

Fizdale was a highly regarded assistant with a reputation for relating to players before getting the opportunity in Memphis. He guided the Grizzlies to the playoffs in 2016/17 before getting fired early last season after an injury to Mike Conley caused the team to stumble to a 7-12 start. Fizdale also clashed with Marc Gasol, which he used as a learning experience in dealing with Kristaps Porzingis. Shortly after the Knicks hired him, Fizdale traveled to Latvia to meet with Porzingis and discuss his role with the organization.

Fizdale has moved quickly to put his stamp on a franchise that has endured five straight losing seasons and endless turmoil in its front office and coaching staff. He declared an open competition for all five starting spots and said even established players such as Enes Kanter and Tim Hardaway Jr. will have to earn their playing time during the preseason.

Despite the optimism that Fizdale brings to the franchise, he still faces an uphill battle in his first season on the Knicks’ bench. Porzingis’ status remains uncertain as he recovers from a torn ACL, and there have been suggestions that he may not play at all this season. Fizdale’s primary job will be to set a foundation for next year, when the Knicks hope to have Porzingis healthy and add a maximum-salaried free agent.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 9/22/18 – 9/29/18

September 29th, 2018 at 2:40pm CST by clarkcrum

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 answered readers’ questions regarding the Nets’ future plans, the ability of the Spurs to compete for a title this season, and the reason behind Jamal Crawford remaining unsigned.
  • Luke Adams also took a look at five notable veteran free agents still available, including the aforementioned Crawford.
  • With October 31 looming closer and closer, Luke Adams analyzed five rookie scale team options that may not be exercised.
  • We continued our 2018 Offseason in Review, and analyzed the following teams:
  • In two Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
    • Should the Timberwolves move on from Tom Thibodeau?
    • Which team is going to win the Northwest Division in 2018/19?
  • Luke Adams checked in on the breakdown of each team’s roster count going into training camp.
  • Finally, Luke Adams relayed both the oldest and youngest players on NBA rosters.
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Community Shootaround: Northwest Division

September 28th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every team would like to think during this time of the year it could at least compete for a division championship and automatic playoff berth. In reality, virtually every division has at least one team that has no realistic shot at doing that.

That’s confirmed by VegasInsider.com’s odds for each of the six NBA divisions. In all but one of them, there’s at least one team posted with odds of 25-1 or higher to beat out its four division foes.

The lone exception is the Northwest Division. That division appears to be wide open and even the team with the longest odds — the Trail Blazers — is given a 6-1 chance to win it. The Thunder and Jazz are co-favorites at 9-4, with the Nuggets at 9-2 and the Timberwolves (prior to a potential Jimmy Butler trade) listed at 5-1.

This should come as no surprise, since the division was hotly contested last season. Portland won it with a 49-33 record. All the other Northwest Division teams had at least 46 wins. Denver finished last with a 46-36 mark and just missed the playoffs.

Paul George‘s decision to re-sign with Oklahoma City is the primary reason why it’s a co-favorite. The Jazz have essentially the same mix that made them one of the pleasant surprises in the league last season. Star guard Donovan Mitchell should be even better is his second season.

The Nuggets are loaded with offensive talent and most of their core players are just entering their prime. Even if Butler is dealt, the Timberwolves still have one of the league’s top big men in Karl-Anthony Towns. And defending division champ Portland still has the league’s highest-scoring backcourt duo in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

This leads us to our question of the day: Which team do you think will finish first in the Northwest Division this season and why?

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

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2018 Offseason In Review: Memphis Grizzlies

September 28th, 2018 at 6:28pm 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 Memphis Grizzlies.

Signings:

  • Standard contracts:
    • Kyle Anderson: Four years, $37.16MM. Signed using mid-level exception. Spurs’ declined to match offer sheet.
    • Omri Casspi: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Shelvin Mack: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Two-way contracts:
  • Non-guaranteed camp contracts:

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • 1-4: Jaren Jackson Jr. — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-32: Jevon Carter — Signed to two-year, $2.26MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Retained interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, naming him permanent head coach.
  • Hired Jerry Stackhouse as assistant coach; finalized coaching staff.
  • Hired Brad Jones as head coach of G League affiliate Memphis Hustle.
  • Named Glen Grunwald a consultant.

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $120.8MM in guaranteed salaries.
  • Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
  • No cap exceptions left besides minimum salary exception.

Check out the Memphis Grizzlies’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Following a colossally disappointing 22-win season, the Grizzlies found themselves in a very difficult spot. With three fat contracts (Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons) eating up a good chunk of their cap space, they couldn’t simply go into full rebuild mode. So rather than waving the white flag, the Grizzlies’ front office thought the best approach would be to embrace their old roots. Instead of seeking out more shooters and embracing a high-powered attack, Memphis opted to surround Gasol and Conley with defensive-minded players possessing length and athleticism.

Selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. with their high lottery pick tipped the Grizzlies’ hand on what type of personnel moves they’d make this summer. Jackson is an all-around talent but his greatest strength is his shot-blocking. Jackson Jr. swatted over 100 shots in his lone college season at Michigan State despite averaging just 21.8 MPG. Second-round pick Jevon Carter carved out a reputation for toughness and gritty play at West Virginia.

Their successful pursuit of restricted free agent swingman Kyle Anderson showed creativity on a limited budget. The Grizzlies knew it would be tough for San Antonio to match the offer sheet on a four-year player who’s never averaged more than 7.9 PPG. But Memphis isn’t looking for Anderson to put up big offensive numbers. Defensive analytics show Anderson to be one of the league’s underrated defenders. His defensive box rating last season posted by Basketball Reference was an excellent 4.3.

The front office also chose continuity by retaining coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Endorsements from Conley and Gasol certainly helped his cause.

Read more

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Five Rookie Scale Options That May Not Be Exercised

September 28th, 2018 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Team and player options on veteran contracts must be exercised by the end of June before the new league year begins on July 1, but the same rules don’t apply to team options in rookie scale contracts. First-round picks who signed standard rookie contracts have third- and fourth-year options included in their deals, and those options must be exercised – or declined – seven months early.

The deadline for rookie scale option decisions is October 31, which means that teams have about another month to decide whether to pick up those options for the 2019/20 season.

It’s an unusual structure, one that forces teams to make decisions before seeing how their players will perform on the court that season. Last fall, for instance, the Magic turned down their fourth-year option on Mario Hezonja for 2018/19. Hezonja subsequently enjoyed his best season as a pro, and instead of entering the final year of his rookie contract with Orlando, he was able to hit the open market and secure a larger salary with the Knicks.

Cases like Hezonja’s are rare, however. For the most part, teams will exercise their rookie scale options, particularly third-year options. Third-year options are generally pretty affordable, and decisions are due after a player has been in the NBA for just one season, so clubs are reluctant to give up on their first-round picks that early.

Still, while many of this year’s rookie scale option decisions will be no-brainers, there are at least a small handful of players who aren’t locks to have their options picked up. Here’s a look at five players who fall into that category:

  1. D.J. Wilson, Bucks (third year, $2,961,120): Wilson had some good games in the G League last season, but his overall NBAGL numbers were just okay for a first-round pick, and he only played 72 minutes in 22 NBA games. As noted above, teams often don’t give up this early on first-round picks, and Wilson’s cap charge is affordable enough that it’s probably worth securing him for at least one more year. This isn’t a slam-dunk though.
  2. Malachi Richardson, Raptors (fourth year, $2,581,597): When the Raptors sent Bruno Caboclo to Sacramento in exchange for Richardson at last season’s trade deadline, it reduced their 2017/18 payroll and increased their flexibility to make a move on the buyout market. But it also meant taking on Richardson’s guarantee for 2018/19, while Caboclo’s contract expired. Richardson seems unlikely to have any sort of role this season on a deep, talented Toronto team, and with the club at risk of being in the tax again in 2019/20, I don’t expect the Raps to lock in Richardson for another year.
  3. Guerschon Yabusele (third year, $3,117,240): While the “Dancing Bear” has no shortage of fans in Boston, it’s hard to see how he’ll earn playing time in a frontcourt that features Al Horford, Aron Baynes, Semi Ojeleye, Daniel Theis, and first-rounder Robert Williams — especially if Jayson Tatum and/or Gordon Hayward see significant minutes at the four. Yabusele has promise, but with the Celtics now in the tax, it might make sense to use his roster spot on a minimum-salary player starting in 2019/20.
  4. Malik Beasley, Nuggets (fourth year, $2,731,714): Denver’s lack of reliable backcourt depth bodes well for Beasley, who could parlay a solid Summer League showing into a regular backup role at shooting guard. The Nuggets don’t have serious tax concerns for 2019/20, so exercising Beasley’s modestly-priced option wouldn’t be a major risk. Still, it would be an easier decision if he’d shown more improvement in his sophomore season. Instead, he posted just 3.2 PPG on 41.0% shooting in 62 games in 2017/18.
  5. Justin Patton, Timberwolves (third year, $3,117,240): After missing nearly all of his rookie season due to foot problems, Patton has undergone another foot procedure this month, raising some doubts about his availability for the 2018/19 season. Nonetheless, I expect the Timberwolves will want to give Patton another chance to get healthy before cutting their losses on him, particularly since he may soon be the lone piece remaining from last summer’s trade with the Bulls.

For a full breakdown of this year’s decisions on 2019/20 rookie scale options, click here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Oldest, Youngest Players On NBA Rosters

September 28th, 2018 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s second-oldest player called it a career earlier this offseason, as longtime Spurs guard Manu Ginobili announced his retirement. Meanwhile, the third-oldest player in the league – veteran guard Jason Terry – remains unsigned, and while he has expressed repeated interest in returning for a 20th NBA season, it’s not clear if or when he’ll get that opportunity.

Although Ginobili has retired and Terry is without an NBA home, the league’s oldest player – 41-year-old Vince Carter – keeps on trucking, having officially signed with the Hawks last month. Here’s the full list of the 10 oldest players currently on NBA rosters, led by Carter:

  1. Vince Carter, Hawks (born 1/26/1977)
  2. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks (born 6/19/1978)
  3. Udonis Haslem, Heat (born 6/9/1980)
  4. Pau Gasol, Spurs (born 7/6/1980)
  5. Kyle Korver, Cavaliers (born 3/17/1981)
  6. Zach Randolph, Kings (born 7/16/1981)
  7. Jose Calderon, Pistons (born 9/28/1981)
  8. Dwyane Wade, Heat (born 1/17/1982)
  9. Tony Parker, Hornets (born 5/17/1982)
  10. Nene, Rockets (born 9/13/1982)

On the other end of the spectrum, all 10 of the youngest players on NBA rosters were selected in the 2018 draft, which doesn’t come as a real surprise. Many undrafted free agents have gone right from college to an NBA roster within the last few months, but the youngest of this year’s rookies are the ones who left school after their freshman years — and most of those early entrants were strong enough prospects to be drafted.

Here are the 10 youngest players currently on NBA rosters:

  1. Isaac Bonga, Lakers (born 11/8/1999)
  2. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (born 9/15/1999)
  3. Kevin Knox, Knicks (born 8/11/1999)
  4. Troy Brown, Wizards (born 7/28/1999)
  5. Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers (born 6/8/1999)
  6. Zhaire Smith, Sixers (born 6/4/1999)
  7. Dzanan Musa, Nets (born 5/8/1999)
  8. Wendell Carter, Bulls (born 4/16/1999)
  9. Marvin Bagley III, Kings (born 3/14/1999)
  10. Luka Doncic, Mavericks (born 2/28/1999)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Five Notable Veterans Not On NBA Camp Rosters

September 26th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Training camp has begun for all 30 NBA teams, and while there will still be some roster shakeups to come, particularly if injuries start to pile up, most clubs have a pretty good sense of what their 15-man rosters will look like for the start of the regular season.

For veteran free agents, that means there are fewer viable landing spots than ever. Still, whether it happens before or after opening night, there are a number of unsigned players who seem like good bets to eventually sign with an NBA team.

Here are five of the most notable veterans who are without an NBA home for training camps this week:

  1. Jamal Crawford of the Minnesota TimberwolvesJamal Crawford, G: Crawford said last week that he’s “staying ready and staying patient” as he considers where he’ll end up. The Warriors, Celtics, Sixers, and Lakers are reportedly among the teams that have shown interest, but haven’t made contract offers. Since turning down his $4.5MM option with the Timberwolves for 2018/19, the 38-year-old has talked about finding the perfect fit — we’ll see if that happens within the next few weeks.
  2. Nick Young, G/F: Having won his first NBA championship with the Warriors last season, Young is free to prioritize other considerations, whether that means seeking out the most lucrative offer, the most expansive role, or something else. It’s not clear exactly what he’s looking for, but it’d be a surprise if a 33-year-old who has made more than 39% of his three-pointers over the last two seasons doesn’t land somewhere.
  3. Corey Brewer, G/F: After spending most of last season with the Lakers, Brewer enjoyed a productive run with the Thunder down the stretch, averaging 10.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 2.1 SPG in 18 contests (16 starts) to finish the regular season. So far, that run doesn’t appear to have earned the 32-year-old an NBA roster spot to start 2018/19, but perhaps – like Crawford – he’s holding out for the right fit.
  4. Joe Johnson, F: Johnson turned 37 years old in June and may not have a whole lot left in the tank — his .406 FG% and .276 3PT% for Utah and Houston last season were the worst marks of his career. Still, it’d be a surprise to see the seven-time All-Star fade away without bouncing back for one last run for a contender.
  5. Mario Chalmers, G: Even on a Grizzlies team that was in rebuilding mode for much of the 2017/18 campaign, Chalmers earned regular minutes, averaging 7.7 PPG and 3.0 APG in 66 games (21.5 MPG). The 32-year-old is now another year removed from his Achilles tear, but has yet to line up a new NBA job.

Ten more noteworthy veterans who remain unsigned:

  1. Quincy Acy, F/C
  2. Arron Afflalo, G/F
  3. Luke Babbitt, F
  4. Jordan Crawford, G
  5. Richard Jefferson, F
  6. Ty Lawson, G
  7. Jameer Nelson, G
  8. Willie Reed, F/C
  9. Ramon Sessions, G
  10. Jason Terry, G

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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