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Community Shootaround: Super-Teams

August 22nd, 2018 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

“Super-teams” have been part of the NBA since the league was formed. George Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers were the league’s first dynasty in the early 1950s, followed by Bill Russell’s Celtics, who won 11 titles in 13 years. The Lakers and Celtics dominated the ’80s, the Bulls owned the ’90s, the Lakers and Spurs took over next, then LeBron James went to Miami and Kevin Durant joined the Warriors.

The only decade without a repeat champion was the 1970s, when fan interest reached a low point.

While dominant teams have long been a part of NBA culture, they haven’t been controversial until recent years. That’s probably because the earlier dynasties were built through drafting and trades, while the more recent versions have involved star players deciding they want to team up.

Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post recently spoke to players about the super-team issue and found most accept it as part of the modern NBA.

“If you don’t have a super-team, or three superstars, or three All-Stars on your team, it’s very hard to win,” Wizards point guard John Wall said. Washington has won just three playoff series and hasn’t advanced past the second round since Wall joined the team. The last four years, he watched James lead the Cavaliers to Eastern Conference titles.

Paul George passed up a chance to help build a new super-team in Los Angeles this summer when he opted to re-sign with the Thunder. He hears the criticism from former players who don’t like to see the modern stars aligning, but he says it’s necessary for any of them to have a chance at a ring.

“Who would we be fooling if we went out alone and tried to go up against the Warriors? The best guy in our league right now couldn’t do it,” George said. “[James] got swept [in the 2018 Finals]. So that just goes to show you at this point what it takes to win. Because you need guys that are alike talent-wise and skill set-wise to win championships.”

Proponents of super-teams say they promote fan interest and help create a story line for each season. There’s evidence to support that argument, but there may also be a point where interest fades. Television ratings for the NBA Finals have declined in each of the past three years. After cresting at 11.6 in 2015, they dropped to an average of 11.4, 11.3 and then 10.0 last season when the Warriors’ sweep seemed like a foregone conclusion.

We want to get your opinion. Do super-teams make the league more or less interesting? Is the idea of top free agents conspiring to play together good for the NBA or should the league office take steps to prevent it? Please leave your feedback in the space below.

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Poll: Which Team Will Be NBA’s Worst In 2018/19?

August 22nd, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns, who finished with a 21-61 mark, had the NBA’s worst record in 2017/18, finishing just behind the Grizzlies (22-60), Mavericks (24-58), and Hawks (24-58) in the final standings. Having added Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges in the draft, along with Trevor Ariza in free agency, Phoenix has higher hopes for the 2018/19 season, but the club is still projected to be one of the NBA’s worst.

Multiple oddsmakers, including the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and betting site Bodog.eu, have the Suns’ over/under for wins next season set at 28.5, making them one of the few NBA teams expected to win fewer than 30 games. While that projection may seem pessimistic for a team seemingly on the rise, the competition in the Western Conference will be fierce — in addition to playing the eight playoff teams from last year, the Suns will also have to deal with the Nuggets, Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies, and Clippers, all of whom have postseason aspirations for 2018/19.

One Western team that probably doesn’t have realistic playoff expectations for next season is the Kings, whose over/under on sports books is generally in the range of 25.5 wins. Sacramento finished ahead of Phoenix in the standings last season, but Marvin Bagley isn’t necessarily expected to make an immediate impact like Ayton is, and the Kings’ free agent additions, including Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell, don’t have Ariza’s résumé.

Over in the Eastern Conference, it may not be quite as challenging to pick up wins on a night-to-night basis, but there are still a handful of teams viewed as bottom-feeders, including the Hawks. Atlanta traded away its most productive player from 2017/18 – Dennis Schroder – and rookie Trae Young is unlikely to match Schroder’s production. Other newcomers like Jeremy Lin and Alex Len also aren’t the sort of difference-makers who will increase Atlanta’s win total substantially — oddsmakers have the Hawks’ over/under at just 23.5 wins.

No other team in the East is viewed that unfavorably, but oddsmakers aren’t expecting much from the Bulls (over/under of approximately 28 wins) or the Knicks (29.5 wins), who will be without Kristaps Porzingis for the first part of the season. The Cavaliers, Magic, and Nets are also projected to miss the playoffs, albeit with win totals in the low-30s.

What do you think? Which team will finish the 2018/19 season with the NBA’s worst record? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to explain your pick.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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How Players Who Declined Options Fared In Free Agency

August 22nd, 2018 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

In 2016 and 2017, the majority of veterans who held player options for the following season decided to turn down those options, preferring to try their luck on the open market, where teams were handing out record-setting contracts.

In 2018, that trend shifted — with little cap room available around the NBA, most vets chose to pick up their player options and take the guaranteed money. In total, 20 of 28 player options for 2018/19 were exercised.

For a handful of the eight players who opted out of their contracts, the decision was easy — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Paul George were at no risk of finding themselves empty-handed on the open market. That wasn’t the case for all eight veterans who turned down their player options though.

Here’s a breakdown of how the eight players who declined options earlier this offseason have fared on the open market:

LeBron James

  • Player option: $35,607,968 (Cavaliers)
  • New contract: Four years, $153,312,848 (Lakers)
  • James’ starting salary with the Lakers is a little higher than what he would have made on his option with the Cavaliers. He’s locked in for $112MM in fully guaranteed money, with a $41MM+ player option for 2021/22.

Paul George

  • Player option: $20,703,384 (Thunder)
  • New contract: Four years, $136,911,936 (Thunder)
  • Like James, George passed on the opportunity to go year-to-year on his new deal in favor of a massive long-term contract. And like James, George will have the opportunity to make another player-option decision in the summer of 2021 — he’ll earn $99MM+ in the first three seasons of his new contract before deciding on a player option worth nearly $38MM.

Kevin Durant

  • Player option: $26,250,000 (Warriors)
  • New contract: Two years, $61,500,000 (Warriors)
  • Durant could have negotiated a longer-term deal, but opted for a small raise on his player-option salary with an eye toward a more lucrative contract in 2019.

DeAndre Jordan

  • Player option: $24,119,025 (Clippers)
  • New contract: One year, $22,897,200 (Mavericks)
  • Jordan will technically earn a slightly lesser salary in 2018/19 than he would have had he opted in with the Clippers, but he was ready to move on from L.A. and can probably live with the slight pay cut. Plus, the lack of income taxes in Texas will help ensure that Jordan’s earnings don’t really decline.

Rudy Gay

  • Player option: $8,826,300 (Spurs)
  • New contract: One year, $10,087,200 (Spurs)
  • Gay’s raise wasn’t substantial, but his decision to opt out ultimately paid off, even if he’ll return to the same team.

Kyle O’Quinn

  • Player option: $4,256,250 (Knicks)
  • New contract: One year, $4,449,000 (Pacers)
  • While O’Quinn didn’t land the sort of payday he likely sought as a free agent, a modest raise and an opportunity to join a winning team still made opting out the right call.

Joffrey Lauvergne

  • Player option: $1,656,092 (Spurs)
  • New contract: Two years (Fenerbahce)
  • Terms of Lauvergne’s new two-year deal with Fenerbahce weren’t reported, so we don’t know how much he’ll make with the Turkish club. His option was only worth the NBA minimum though, and Fenerbahce is one of the most successful teams in the EuroLeague, so I expect he’s coming out ahead.

Jamal Crawford

  • Player option: $4,544,400 (Timberwolves)
  • New contract: Still unsigned
  • Even though Crawford has suggested that finding the right fit is more important than money at this point in his career, it’s still fair to question his option decision, given that he remains without an NBA home. I think he’ll sign somewhere eventually, but I don’t know that he’ll get more than the veteran’s minimum ($2,393,887), which would be worth just over half of his option salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2019 NBA Free Agents By Team

August 22nd, 2018 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2019 free agents by team is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2018/19 season.

This list will continue to be updated throughout the 2019 offseason, up until the start of the 2019/20 season, so be sure to use it and our list of 2019 free agents by position/type as points of reference. Both lists can be found anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu.

If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Updated 10-17-19 (2:04pm CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  1. Alex Poythress (two-way)

Boston Celtics

  1. Jonathan Gibson

Brooklyn Nets

  • None

Read more

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NBA Players Who Are Headed Overseas For 2018/19

August 22nd, 2018 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

With a new group of incoming rookies arriving in the NBA this season and several players from international leagues also coming stateside, there simply aren’t enough roster spots around the league to accommodate all the players who spent time with NBA clubs last season.

As such, a number of those players are opting to sign with teams in Europe and Asia. Those players may be off the NBA radar for the next little while, but they’ll have the opportunity to carve out more significant roles on international teams, and many of them will be just as well-compensated in the EuroLeague or the Chinese Basketball Association as they would’ve been in the NBA.

We’ve been keeping tabs throughout the summer on the free agents who have decided to sign with international teams after playing in the NBA last season. The list below, using information from our Free Agent Tracker, details this offseason’s notable signings and contract agreements involving NBA free agents heading overseas.

Some of these contract agreements haven’t been made official yet, so we’ll update this list as necessary if any deals fall through. We’ll also add more international signings to the list, as they happen, throughout the rest of the NBA offseason.

China

Croatia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Israel

Italy

Japan

Russia

Serbia

Spain

Turkey

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Denver Nuggets

August 21st, 2018 at 7:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Western Conference playoff race last season beyond the Rockets and Warriors seemed like a game of musical chairs. A group of seven contenders vied for the other six spots.

When the music stopped, the Nuggets were the team left without a seat. While 49 victories was enough to get the Trail Blazers the No. 3 seed, 46 wins put Denver in the lottery.

During the summer, the Nuggets’ main moves have been to dump salary while retaining their top players. Denver shed the contracts of Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur by attaching draft picks to them in a deal with the Nets. It also dealt Wilson Chandler to the Sixers.

That was crucial in helping the franchise avoid luxury tax penalties after they paid a hefty price to re-sign Will Barton and Nikola Jokic. Barton got four years and $53MM; Jokic received a five-year, $147.7MM haul.

Denver did make one interesting low-cost addition. It gave Isaiah Thomas just $2MM to reset his market value. If Thomas can be anywhere near the player he was in Boston before injuring his hip, he’ll be a huge bargain.

The Nuggets used their top draft pick on forward Michael Porter Jr., who says he’s pain-free after a second back surgery. But Porter’s ability to contribute significantly in his rookie campaign remains a huge question mark.

Perhaps the biggest room improvement for Denver comes down to the health of Paul Millsap. He appeared in just 38 games during his first season with the franchise due to a wrist injury. If Millsap can stay on the court, he’ll form one of the league’s most prolific scoring and rebounding duos alongside Jokic.

The brings us to our question of the day: Do you think the Nuggets have the pieces in place to make the playoffs during the upcoming season?

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

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Remaining Offseason Questions: Pacific Division

August 21st, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps more than a month away, most clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.

We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on the key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2018/19 regular season begins.

After focusing on the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast last week, we’ve moved to the Western Conference this week, starting with the Southwest. Today, we’re focusing on the Pacific…

Golden State Warriors
When – and how – will Patrick McCaw‘s contract situation be resolved?

One of two restricted free agents on the market, McCaw doesn’t appear to have drawn a whole lot of outside interest this offseason. The Warriors kept his qualifying offer on the table through July’s withdrawal deadline and seem prepared for the possibility of McCaw accepting that offer, which is worth a modest $1.71MM.

If McCaw signs his one-year qualifying offer, he’d fill the 14th spot on Golden State’s roster and would likely get another chance to prove his worth before returning to the free agent market in 2019.

The Warriors entered the offseason focused on adding wings, but DeMarcus Cousins‘ unexpected availability changed the team’s plans, resulting in first-rounder Jacob Evans being the only true swingman added to the roster. As such, there should be a spot for McCaw in the rotation if he returns and is healthy to start the season.

Los Angeles Clippers
Who will be traded or released in order to finalize the 15-man roster?

The Clippers sent Sam Dekker to the Cavaliers in an early-August trade that saved the team a little money and began the process of cutting down the roster to 15 players for the regular season. Still, even with Dekker gone, the Clips have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, with Patrick Beverley and his non-guaranteed salary still very much in the mix as well.

Beverley is unlikely to be cut, so unless the Clippers can reduce their roster count via another trade, someone on a guaranteed deal figures to be waived. While Jawun Evans and Sindarius Thornwell have the smallest salaries on the team’s books, both players – particularly Thornwell – showed some promise in their rookie years.

Veteran wing Wesley Johnson, who is entering a contract year, could also be a release candidate, though he’s a Doc Rivers favorite. For now, Evans looks like the odd man out in Los Angeles, but the club has a number of paths to choose from as it sets its roster for opening night.

Los Angeles Lakers
How will the new-look Lakers mesh?

The Lakers‘ roster doesn’t seem likely to undergo any real changes before the regular season starts. The team has 15 players on guaranteed contracts and two on two-way deals, plus three camp invitees who appear to be eventually ticketed for the South Bay Lakers. It’s not entirely impossible that we get a surprise cut or a Luol Deng trade in the next couple months, but that looks like a long shot.

So for the Lakers, the most pressing question is simply this: How will the new-look roster mesh during training camp and the preseason? LeBron James is the NBA’s best player, but it can be a challenge to play alongside him. And many of the Lakers’ other newly-acquired players – including Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and Michael Beasley – have had some bumpy periods during their respective NBA careers.

Throw in a young core led by Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma, and the Lakers will be one of the NBA’s most fascinating clubs to watch this fall, even with no further tweaks to the roster.

Phoenix Suns
Are any buyouts coming before the season begins?

It has been a fairly quiet offseason for the Suns since July 1, when they struck a deal with Trevor Ariza. However, the team made one notable trade since then, sending Jared Dudley to Brooklyn in exchange for Darrell Arthur, who is on an expiring contract.

At the time, reports suggested that Arthur would likely be bought out by Phoenix, but that hasn’t happened yet. For now, he’s one of 14 players on the Suns’ roster with a guaranteed contract. Tyson Chandler – also entering a contract year – is another one of those 14 players, and a few buyout rumors have swirled around him too.

Of the two veteran big men, Arthur is the more likely buyout candidate, but it’s not a lock that either player will start the season with Phoenix. With Deandre Ayton, Richaun Holmes, Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, Ariza, and Josh Jackson all potentially vying for minutes at the four or five, Arthur and Chandler could be expendable.

Ultimately, I expect the Suns to waive Arthur and retain Chandler for now, perhaps dangling the veteran center as a trade chip during the season.

Sacramento Kings
Who will be traded or released in order to finalize the 15-man roster?

Like the Clippers, the Kings have more than 15 candidates to make their regular season roster, and will have to trade or release a player with a guaranteed contract by mid-October.

It will be interesting to see which direction the Kings go here. The team has several veterans on expiring contracts who probably don’t have long-term futures in Sacramento, including Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, Iman Shumpert, and Ben McLemore. There may not be much trade interest for those players though, and it’s not clear if the Kings are willing to waive any of them and eat their remaining salaries, which range from $5.46MM (McLemore) to $11.69MM (Randolph).

Players like Skal Labissiere, Deyonta Davis, Frank Mason, and Justin Jackson are on cheaper salaries and have no guarantees beyond this season, but the Kings will be wary of giving up too early on any of their young prospects.

With upwards of $11MM in cap room still available, the Kings aren’t exactly strapped for cash, so I think one of their veterans will be the odd man out, though I don’t yet have a feel for which one it might be.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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NBA Teams With Open Two-Way Contract Slots

August 21st, 2018 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Only a small handful of two-way players from 2017/18 had their contracts carried over to the 2018/19 season, while a few more signed new two-way deals. For the most part though, NBA teams have filled their two-way contract slots for the coming season with new faces, including several rookies who went undrafted in 2018.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]

At the moment, 44 of 60 league-wide two-way contract slots are occupied, with a 45th set to be filled once the Wizards finalize their reported agreement with Jordan McRae. That leaves just 15 two-way deals available across the NBA as training camps approach.

Some clubs may not fill these slots before camps get underway, preferring to sign players to non-guaranteed NBA contracts and then convert those deals to two-way pacts later, depending on how players perform in camp and in the preseason. By the time the 2018/19 regular season begins though, I don’t expect many two-way slots to still be open.

With the help of our two-way contract tracker, which lists all the players currently on two-way deals, here are the teams who can still offer two-way contracts without waiving anyone:

Two open slots:

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Houston Rockets
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs

One open slot:

  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Golden State Warriors
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Toronto Raptors
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Community Shootaround: Kemba Walker

August 20th, 2018 at 8:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kemba Walker has spent his entire seven-year NBA career with the Hornets. But Walker’s future with the organization is murky at best as he heads into his walk year.

The 6’1” point guard has one year and $12MM remaining on his contract before he enters unrestricted free agency for the first time next summer. He recently said he’s intrigued about that prospect.

“I’ve never been a free agent. I don’t know how the process works,” he told the New York Post. “I will have options unless Charlotte gets something done.”

If anything gets done prior to next July, it will likely be a trade. A contract extension isn’t feasible because of Charlotte’s salary-cap restraints. The Hornets are hard-capped and will have make a move or two to avoid being a luxury taxpayer.

The Cavaliers reportedly explored the possibility of trading for Walker early in the summer prior to LeBron James‘ decision to bolt to the West Coast. New York has long been rumored as a potential landing spot for Walker, who grew up in the city. Both the Knicks and Nets might view Walker as an upgrade at that spot.

Walker has increased his offensive output with greater efficiency over the past two years. In 2016/17, he averaged career highs of 23.2 PPG on 44.4% shooting.

His numbers went down slightly last season, as he scored at a 22.1 PPG clip on 43.1% shooting. He’s become an outstanding 3-point shooter over the past three seasons, making 38.6% of his attempts.

Walker will be 29 during the next offseason and should be effective for at least another five seasons.

That brings us to our question of the day: Will Kemba Walker re-sign with the Hornets as a free agent next summer? If not, where do you think he will wind up?

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

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Remaining Offseason Questions: Southwest Division

August 20th, 2018 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps more than a month away, most clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.

We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on the key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2018/19 regular season begins.

After focusing on the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast last week, we’re heading to the Western Conference this week, starting with the Southwest…

Dallas Mavericks
When will the investigation into allegations of misconduct in the Mavericks’ workplace wrap up?

It was way back in February that an SI.com report revealed a seemingly corrosive workplace culture in the Mavericks‘ business offices, prompting the team to hire outside counsel to look into the issue. Six months later, that investigation has yet to conclude.

The probe into alleged misconduct within the Mavs’ organization may not have any real impact on the on-court product in Dallas, and it didn’t scare away free agents this summer — the club landed DeAndre Jordan, one of the top players on the market. Still, Mark Cuban‘s organization needs to repair its image, so the Mavs figure to take steps to address the investigators’ findings once the outside firm has finished its work.

While there’s no specific timeline for the completion of the investigation, I’d be surprised if it’s not done by the time the Mavs play their first regular season game of 2018/19.

Houston Rockets
Will they be able to acquire another veteran wing player?

After coming within a game of the NBA Finals this spring, the Rockets are zeroed in on beating the Warriors in 2018/19. As they showed in the Western Conference Finals against Golden State, the best way to attack the defending champs is with a series of three-and-D wings who are capable of making corner threes after Chris Paul and James Harden break down the defense, and who can slow down the Dubs’ perimeter scorers on the other end of the court.

Houston lost two of those players – Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute – this offseason, and while they brought in veterans like James Ennis and Carmelo Anthony, the Rockets really could use another reliable wing. They’re said to be in the market for a player who fits that bill, dangling Ryan Anderson and a draft pick in trade talks.

Given Anderson’s exorbitant salary, the Rockets have to target well-paid vets as they scour the trade market, so players like Kent Bazemore and J.R. Smith have been cited as potential targets. Nicolas Batum, DeMarre Carroll, Courtney Lee, Danilo Gallinari, Marvin Williams, and Wesley Matthews are among the other players who could appeal to Houston and who shouldn’t be untouchable.

Although a trade remains possible, the Rockets may have to strike within the next month or so, before training camps get underway. Teams will become more reluctant to shake up their rosters once they’ve brought players to camp.

Memphis Grizzlies
Who will be traded or released in order to finalize the 15-man roster?

The Grizzlies currently have 15 players with fully guaranteed salaries for the 2018/19 season. They also have a 16th player – Andrew Harrison – whose salary is non-guaranteed but who appears likely to make the regular season roster. In other words, Memphis may end up trading or waiving someone with a guaranteed contract.

Memphis will have until mid-October to make a roster decision, but based on the team’s offseason moves and the nature of certain players’ contracts, there aren’t many viable candidates to be cut.

Dakari Johnson, acquired in a financially motivated trade with the Magic, is the likeliest release candidate on the roster, but waiving him would leave the Grizzlies pretty thin at center behind Marc Gasol. The club would have to be confident that Jaren Jackson Jr. can contribute in his rookie season or that a forward like Ivan Rabb or JaMychal Green can slide to the five.

"<strongNew Orleans Pelicans
How many players do the Pelicans intend to carry to start the season?

As we noted on Sunday, the Pelicans have 12 players on fully guaranteed salaries. That leaves up to three spots on the club’s roster for the regular season, and there are several legit NBA players who figure to be in the mix for those spots.

A pair of Okafors will be seeking a place in the frontcourt rotation, with both Emeka Okafor and Jahlil Okafor on partially guaranteed deals. On the wing, Troy Williams and DeAndre Liggins will look to stick in New Orleans after bouncing from team to team in recent seasons.

If the Pelicans don’t make any other additions to their NBA roster this offseason, they could carry three of those players on their 15-man roster, leaving just one of the four on the outside looking in. However, if New Orleans prefers to retain a little roster flexibility, the team could enter the season with an open roster spot. That would likely mean carrying just one of the two Okafors, as well as one of Williams or Liggins. In that scenario, we could see some pretty fierce roster battles in training camp and the preseason.

San Antonio Spurs
Will Manu Ginobili be back for one more season?

Tim Duncan is gone. Tony Parker is gone. Kawhi Leonard is gone. But Manu Ginobili is still a Spur. Now, it’s just a question of whether or not the NBA’s second-oldest player wants to play out the final season of his current contract with the franchise.

If Ginobili was a free agent this offseason, the threat of retirement might loom a little larger, but at this point in the summer, I’d be a little surprised if the veteran guard decides he didn’t want to return for the second season of the two-year deal he inked last summer.

Assuming Ginobili is back – which seems like the safe bet for now – the Spurs’ roster for 2018/19 should essentially be set. The 41-year-old figures to announce his plans in the coming days or weeks.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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