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Community Shootaround: MGM Partnership

August 4th, 2018 at 7:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA made history off the court this week when it agreed to a deal that makes MGM Resorts an official “gaming partner.” It becomes the first professional sports league to enter into a partnership with a bookmaker in the wake of May’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned a federal ban on sports gambling.

Although it’s a landmark move, the deal isn’t really loaded with benefits for either side. MGM will reportedly pay the NBA $25MM over three years, which is a small amount considering the potential windfall from legalized betting. In return, the casino gets access to league highlights, names, logos and a direct data feed. MGM can also market itself as the official gaming partner of the NBA and WNBA, and it will work with the NBA on integrity provisions, such as the prevention of fraud and game fixing.

Both sides admit they’re finding their way in this new arrangement, with Commissioner Adam Silver calling it a “leap of faith” and MGM Resorts chief executive Jim Murren referring to the deal as a “partnership of trust.” The parties already had a working relationship with Murren owning the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA.

Legalized gambling is a cause that Silver has advocated and prepared for since taking over for David Stern in 2014. He sees it as a rich new revenue source for the league and has indicated in the past that he would like the NBA to receive 1% of all dollars wagered on its games.

We want to get your opinion on the new deal. Is the NBA taking the right approach by moving aggressively into the legalized betting era and will it benefit by having a formal agreement with a sportsbook provider? Please leave your feedback in the space below.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/28/18 – 8/4/18

August 4th, 2018 at 3:44pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. With free agency dying down, we have quite a bit of content this week. Here are our segments and features from the past seven days:

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Many Top 2018 Free Agents Could Re-Enter Market In 2019

August 3rd, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Most of the top NBA free agents in a given offseason will prioritize longer-term offers over shorter ones, preferring to secure the biggest payday possible when given the chance to do so. In some ways, this offseason was no exception — besides Kevin Durant, who opted for another one-plus-one deal, the top six players on our list of 2018’s best free agents all signed long-term contracts that will run through at least the 2020/21 season.

However, beyond those top few players, there simply weren’t many long-term commitments out there this summer. Many of the free agents on our top-50 list signed shorter-term contracts that will allow them to re-enter the free agent market a year from now.

A variety of factors contributed to these shorter deals. For one, not many teams around the league had cap room available this summer. Without major money attached, there’s little incentive for players to accept those longer-term contract offers — in many cases, they’d be better off going year to year rather than locking themselves into a below-market multiyear deal.

Additionally, both players and teams are looking ahead to the summer of 2019. More NBA clubs expect to have cap room available next year, with the cap projected to rise by a greater amount than it has in either of the last two years — plus, more bad contracts from the summer of 2016 will be coming off the books. That extra cap flexibility will, in turn, present more opportunities for players to get paid.

Of course, with so many players now projected to reach free agency in 2019, there still probably won’t be enough money to go around and make everyone happy. Nonetheless, the fact that so many free agents agreed to one-year deal (or two-year deals with options) this offseason signals that agents expect a more player-friendly market a year from now.

The full list of players from our top 50 free agents of 2018 list who will have the opportunity to reach free agency again in 2019 is below, along with their status for next summer — “UFA” denotes that a player will be an unrestricted free agent, while “PO” designates a player option, and so on.

By our count, up to 31 players from this year’s top 50 could become free agents again in 2019. By comparison, 12 of the 50 players from our 2017 list reached free agency again within a year.

Here’s the list:

  1. Kevin Durant, Warriors (PO)
  2. DeMarcus Cousins, Warriors (UFA)
  3. Julius Randle, Pelicans (PO)
  4. DeAndre Jordan, Mavericks (UFA)
  5. Jabari Parker, Bulls (TO)
  6. Tyreke Evans, Pacers (UFA)
  7. Trevor Ariza, Suns (UFA)
  8. J.J. Redick, Sixers (UFA)
  9. Rajon Rondo, Lakers (UFA)
  10. Derrick Favors, Jazz (non-guaranteed)
  11. Isaiah Thomas, Nuggets (UFA)
  12. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lakers (UFA)
  13. Rodney Hood (TBD)
    • Hood remains unsigned and could still get a guaranteed multiyear deal.
  14. Avery Bradley, Clippers (partial guarantee)
  15. Brook Lopez, Bucks (UFA)
  16. Rudy Gay, Spurs (UFA)
  17. Wayne Ellington, Heat (UFA)
  18. Nerlens Noel, Thunder (PO)
  19. Kyle O’Quinn, Pacers (UFA)
  20. Dwyane Wade (TBD)
    • Wade remains unsigned and could still get a guaranteed multiyear deal.
  21. Mario Hezonja, Knicks (UFA)
  22. Elfrid Payton, Pelicans (UFA)
  23. Luc Mbah a Moute, Clippers (UFA)
  24. Aron Baynes, Celtics (PO)
  25. David Nwaba, Cavaliers (TBD)
    • Terms of Nwaba’s agreement with the Cavaliers aren’t yet known — it could be a guaranteed multiyear deal.
  26. Anthony Tolliver, Timberwolves (UFA)
  27. Tony Parker, Hornets (non-guaranteed)
  28. Ed Davis, Nets (UFA)
  29. Amir Johnson, Sixers (UFA)
  30. Michael Beasley, Lakers (UFA)
  31. Jeff Green, Wizards (UFA)

Note: Players who were waived in July, such as Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony, weren’t on our top-50 list. However, many of them have since signed one-year contracts or two-year deals with options and could be free agents in 2019 as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Five NBA Offseason Storylines Still Worth Watching

August 3rd, 2018 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James has chosen his new team. The Spurs have traded Kawhi Leonard. Nearly every NBA team has used up all its cap room. In other words, there aren’t many major storylines from the 2018 offseason that still need to be resolved.

Still, as we enter the second month of the 2018/19 league year, there are a handful of subplots around the league that remain ongoing. Although August typically isn’t jam-packed with signings and trades, there are still plenty of teams looking to tweak their rosters before training camps get underway in September.

Here are five offseason storylines that are still worth watching now that much of the summer fun is over:

  1. Will the Cavaliers re-sign Rodney Hood?
    • Hood isn’t the only restricted free agent who remains unsigned, but he’s easily the most noteworthy one. Given the Cavaliers‘ proximity to the tax line, an aggressive offer sheet would put pressure on Cleveland and could probably pry Hood away. Only the Kings have the cap room necessary to make such an offer though, and Sacramento already has 16 players on guaranteed contracts. Given Hood’s dwindling leverage, it will be interesting to see if he signs a team-friendly multiyear deal with the Cavs or bets on himself by accepting his one-year qualifying offer.
    • Latest on Hood: Contract talks between Cavs, Hood have stalled
  2. Will Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem return to the Heat?
    • Wade and Haslem debuted together for the Heat back in 2003, and outside of the season and a half Wade spent as a Bull and Cavalier, the duo has been together for the last 15 years in South Beach. It would be fitting for both players to call it a career at the same time, but that may not happen quite yet — I suspect that if Wade returns to Miami, Haslem will do so too. But a return isn’t a formality for Wade, who has received major interest from teams in China and who may seek more than the minimum salary from the in-the-tax Heat. Both players figure to make decisions this month.
    • Latest on Wade, Haslem: Pat Riley anticipates decisions by mid-August
  3. Will any other veteran stars announce their retirement?
    • Wade isn’t the only longtime NBA star reportedly mulling the possibility of retiring. Manu Ginobili hasn’t made an announcement one way or the other, and neither has David West. I suspect Wade and Ginobili – who is under contract with the Spurs for one more year – will ultimately continue their respective careers, but I’m not so sure about West. When he signed with the Warriors in 2017, reports at the time suggested it would probably be his last season. He hasn’t said anything this offseason to refute that notion.
    • Latest on Manu: Ginobili likely to play at least one more season
  4. Will the Rockets be able to acquire another wing player?
  5. Will Karl-Anthony Towns or any other players eligible for rookie scale extensions receive new deals?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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How Non-Bird Rights Impact Promotions For Two-Way Players

August 2nd, 2018 at 9:08pm CST by Luke Adams

When NBA teams sign undrafted free agents or second-round picks to contracts, those clubs need to have cap space or a mid-level exception available to lock up those players for longer than two years or to pay them more than the minimum salary.

While most teams make sure to earmark some cap room or a portion of their mid-level exception to use on those players – particularly second-rounders – that’s not always the case. The Grizzlies, for instance, used their entire mid-level exception on Kyle Anderson‘s offer sheet, meaning they could only sign 32nd overall pick Jevon Carter to a two-year, minimum-salary deal.

This offseason though, a new tool has come in handy in allowing teams to sign players to longer-term or more lucrative contracts than the minimum salary exception would allow, without having to use cap room or the mid-level exception to do it. The catch? Those players had to have finished the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the club.

When a player is on a two-way contract, a new kind of deal introduced in the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, he’s not technically on a club’s 15-man roster, but he accrues Bird rights just as a player on the roster would. That means that any player who finished last season on a two-way deal had Non-Bird rights this summer.

Non-Bird rights don’t allow teams to give players major raises — Non-Bird deals can only start at up to 120% of the player’s previous salary or 120% of his minimum salary, whichever is greater. However, they do allow for contracts of up to four years, which has paid off for some teams and players this summer.

Consider the case of Georges Niang, who was on a two-way contract with the Jazz last season. Buoyed by an impressive Summer League showing with Utah last month, Niang earned a three-year contract with the club. Typically, to go up to three years, the over-the-cap Jazz would have had to dip into their mid-level exception, but that wasn’t the case for Niang — his Non-Bird rights allowed for a three-year deal.

While Niang’s contract is only worth the minimum, Non-Bird rights do allow for slightly larger salaries, as noted above. For example, the Knicks re-signed former two-way player Luke Kornet to the maximum allowable salary using his Non-Bird rights. Instead of earning his minimum salary ($1,349,383), Kornet will make 120% of that amount ($1,619,260). Without his Non-Bird rights, New York would have had to use its mid-level or bi-annual exception to give Kornet that kind of raise.

Non-Bird rights haven’t paid off for every team with a two-way player who’s getting a promotion. For instance, the Nuggets moved Torrey Craig to their standard roster by giving him a new two-year, $4MM contract. Denver had to use part of its mid-level exception to complete that signing, since it exceeded the salary Craig could’ve earned with Non-Bird rights. The Nuggets did take advantage of the Non-Bird rules with their other two-way player though, giving Monte Morris a new three-year contract.

Two-way contracts remain in their relative infancy, so it’s interesting to see how teams are taking advantage of the rules surrounding them. Players like Niang, Kornet, and Morris are among the first group of two-way players to be promoted to standard contracts via Non-Bird rights, but they certainly won’t be the last.

Here’s the full list of two-way players whose teams have promoted them to standard contracts this offseason:

Note: Jamel Artis, Danuel House, Daniel Hamilton, and Kadeem Allen have signed or agreed to standard NBA contracts with new teams after finishing last season on two-way deals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Worst Offseason Move

August 2nd, 2018 at 7:54pm CST by Luke Adams

On Wednesday night, we opened up a discussion on the best roster move of the offseason, from a team perspective. While the Lakers‘ signing of LeBron James was probably the single-most impactful move of the summer, other deals – such as the Warriors‘ signing of DeMarcus Cousins and the Nuggets‘ addition of Isaiah Thomas – received plenty of praise as well.

Today, we’re shifting our focus to look at the deals on the other end of the spectrum. Which roster moves were the worst of the offseason?

We can get a little creative here. If there’s not a single free agent signing or trade that stood out for you as awful, then a series of moves made – or not made – by a club could qualify for this “honor.” For instance, perhaps you weren’t a fan of the Rockets replacing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute with James Ennis and Carmelo Anthony, even if none of those moves on their own are particularly egregious.

A handful of ESPN analysts weighed in on this question this week. Among their choices? The Wizards‘ offseason moves, including the signing of Dwight Howard; the Bulls‘ signing of Jabari Parker to a two-year, $40MM deal; and the Lakers‘ deal with Lance Stephenson.

Those are hardly the only candidates to qualify for the most questionable move of the summer. Perhaps you’re skeptical about Devin Booker‘s new five-year maximum-salary extension with the Suns, or particularly disliked one side or the other in the Kawhi Leonard/DeMar DeRozan mega-deal. Maybe one of the signings at the very start of free agency, such as the three-year deals the Pacers and Bucks gave Doug McDermott and Ersan Ilyasova, respectively, drew your ire.

Draft-night trades also qualify for this discussion, so if you hated the Hawks‘ move to pass up on Luka Doncic for Trae Young, or the Suns‘ decision to give up an unprotected future first-rounder to move up six sports for Mikal Bridges, let us know.

What do you think? Which offseason move do you think is the worst – or just your least-favorite – of 2018?

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Community Shootaround: Best Offseason Deal

August 1st, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by clarkcrum

The frenzy that is the NBA free agency period has largely come to a close, with 48 of our 50 top-rated 2018 free agents now having either agreed to sign or signed a new deal. Only Rodney Hood and Dwyane Wade remain free agents.

Out of those 48 free-agent signings, Chris Paul signed the largest deal, both in terms of total and per-season value, while Nerlens Noel (per-season value) and Isaiah Thomas (total value), who was ironically expected to sign a large deal not too long ago, signed the least lucrative deals.

LeBron James‘ deal with the Lakers was a close second in value to Paul’s contract with the Rockets. Widely considered to be the best player in the world, it’s hard not to consider James’ contract with the Lakers the best offseason deal.

However, one could realistically argue that Paul George re-signing with the Thunder, after last summer having so clearly iterated his intentions to go to L.A. when he became a free agent this summer, or Clint Capela‘s team-friendly deal with the Rockets, to be better overall deals that James’. Moreover, the defending champion Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins – a bonafide star when healthy – to a one-year deal for the mid-level exception, which is generally reserved for role-type players.

So that leads us to our topic of discussion: Which summer signing/reported signing do you think was the best deal of the summer? Was it clearly James’ heading to L.A. or does another situation exceed that signing?

Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Community Shootaround: Next Star To Be Traded

August 1st, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, Paul George and Kyrie Irving were the highest-profile stars to push their way out of their longtime NBA homes, asking for trades to new teams and having those requests granted. During the 2018 offseason, Kawhi Leonard followed suit.

Now that Leonard has been dealt to the Raptors in a trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio, there are no marquee names still out there on the trade market.

Kevin Love looked like a possible trade candidate in the wake of LeBron James‘ free agency departure, but the Cavaliers opted to lock up Love to a long-term extension rather than shopping him. Kemba Walker was also viewed as a potential trade chip, but both he and the Hornets have been saying all the right things as of late about keeping their relationship going beyond his 2019 free agency.

With offseason roster moves slowing down, there doesn’t appear to be a star player out there who is unhappy enough in his current situation to request a trade before the season begins. Still, based on recent NBA history, it’s likely only a matter of time before the next star player becomes available.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tackled this topic on Tuesday, speculating about a few All-Stars who might be among the next group of disgruntled veterans to seek a change of scenery. Kyler named Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, and Anthony Davis as possible candidates, though he acknowledges that it would take a disaster scenario for some of those names to show up in the rumor mill.

A player’s contract situation and his team’s success – or lack thereof – generally goes a long way toward determining how stable his situation is. A player like Butler is a candidate for this list because he can become a free agent next summer and the Timberwolves aren’t necessarily a lock to make the postseason in a hyper-competitive Western Conference. If Minnesota gets off to a poor start and whispers about supposed tension between Butler and his younger teammates persist, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear his name involved in trade rumors before the 2019 deadline.

Still, Butler is hardly the only candidate to be the next star player traded. Besides Kyler’s choices, newly-acquired stars like Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins could find themselves back on the trade block at some point in 2019 if things don’t go well with their new teams. Maybe the Wizards underperform again and decide to break up their All-Star backcourt. Perhaps a healthy Celtics roster creates playing-time problems for certain players and makes one of the team’s veteran stars unhappy.

Some of these situations are, of course, less likely than others, but it’s hard to rule anything out entirely — after all, we never thought the Leonard/Spurs situation would become as toxic as it did.

What do you think? Who will be the next NBA star who is traded, either as a result of a trade request or his team deciding to make a change?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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Latest On Unsigned 2018 NBA Draft Picks

July 31st, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re a month into the 2018/19 NBA league year, and nearly all of this year’s draft picks have deals lined up for the coming season. Of the 60 players selected on draft day in June, 52 have signed NBA contracts, while three intend to play overseas. That leaves just five unsigned 2018 NBA draft picks whose outlook for the ’18/19 season remains unclear.

Here’s a quick breakdown of those players, along with their options:

43. Orlando Magic: Justin Jackson, F (Maryland)

The highest draft pick without a contract in place, Jackson doesn’t necessarily have a clear path to a roster spot in Orlando.

The Magic only have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, but 15th man Isaiah Briscoe received a partial guarantee and a three-year contract, suggesting Orlando doesn’t simply plan to waive him once the preseason ends. Additionally, both two-way contract slots in Orlando have been accounted for now that the club has reached a deal with Amile Jefferson.

Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel recently tweeted that he expects Jackson to play in the G League with the Lakeland Magic in 2018/19 after missing most of last season with a torn labrum. Robbins didn’t specify what sort of contract Jackson will get, but perhaps he’ll follow the Isaiah Hartenstein route — last year’s 43rd overall pick spent a season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBAGL affiliate, before signing a standard contract with the Rockets this summer.

46. Houston Rockets: De’Anthony Melton, G (USC)

The Rockets will still have multiple roster spots open even after signing Carmelo Anthony later this week, so Melton should sign with the team at some point and spend the year on Houston’s 15-man roster. The club may be exploring the trade market in an effort to put the finishing touches on its roster before making things official with its second-round pick.

When Melton does sign, it’s possible he’ll get a portion of the Rockets’ taxpayer mid-level exception. That would allow the team to give him a three-year deal rather than a two-year pact.

49. San Antonio Spurs: Chimezie Metu, F/C (USC)

The Spurs‘ looming decision on Brandon Paul may have an impact on Metu’s future. If Paul is retained and has his 2018/19 salary guaranteed, it would give San Antonio 15 players on guaranteed contracts, and it’s hard to see who Metu might replace, barring a trade.

Still, it’s worth noting that – according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks – the Spurs used their bi-annual exception to sign Dante Cunningham rather than using the rest of their mid-level exception to complete the signing. That’s a signal that the team has plans for its MLE — perhaps a three- or four-year deal for someone like Metu, since the BAE only would’ve allowed for a contract up to two years. If Paul is waived, Metu looks like the favorite to be the Spurs’ 15th man.

If the Spurs determine there’s no room on their 15-man roster for Metu, a two-way deal could be a possibility. San Antonio has yet to officially sign any players to two-way contracts for 2018/19.

53. Oklahoma City Thunder: Devon Hall, SG (Virginia)
57. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Hervey, SF (Texas-Arlington)

Even after signing Hamidou Diallo last week, the Thunder have a pair of second-rounders without contracts. It will be interesting to see if Oklahoma City is willing to enter the season with a full 15-man roster, given the club’s luxury tax concerns. Carrying just 14 players would save some money, but would mean signing neither Hall nor Hervey.

Currently, counting Diallo and recently-acquired wing Abdel Nader, whose salary will become guaranteed on Wednesday, the Thunder have 15 players on guaranteed deals. They could reduce that number to 14 by waiving Kyle Singler.

If the Thunder opt not to add Hall or Hervey to their NBA roster, a two-way contract would probably be in play for one of the two — the club has already given one two-way deal to Deonte Burton. The odd man out in that scenario could play overseas or sign a G League contract, with OKC retaining his NBA rights.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Longest-Tenured NBA Head Coaches

July 31st, 2018 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

After a 2017 offseason in which no NBA teams replaced their head coaches, that brief period of league-wide stability came to an end early in the 2017/18 regular season, when the Suns fired Earl Watson after just four games. Since then, eight more teams have made head coaching changes, ending some of the longest-term marriages around the league.

Dwane Casey (Raptors) had been the league’s fourth longest-tenured head coach, while Mike Budenholzer (Hawks) had been sixth on that list and Steve Clifford (Hornets) was seventh. All three of those head coaches now have new jobs with other clubs.

Of course, some of the NBA coaching changes in recent months have involved head coaches who weren’t with their teams for long. When we examined the league’s longest-tenured coaches a year ago, David Fizdale (Grizzlies) and Jeff Hornacek (Knicks) represented two of the three most recent hires. Both men have since been replaced.

Given all the turnover in the head coaching ranks, it’s time we updated our list. Here’s the current breakdown of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches by team, sorted by the date they were hired:

  1. Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
  2. Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
  3. Rick Carlisle, Mavericks: May 2008
  4. Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers: August 2012
  5. Doc Rivers, Clippers: June 2013
  6. Brad Stevens, Celtics: July 2013
  7. Brett Brown, Sixers: August 2013
  8. Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 2014
  9. Quin Snyder, Jazz: June 2014
  10. Billy Donovan, Thunder: April 2015
  11. Alvin Gentry, Pelicans: May 2015 (remained Warriors assistant through playoffs)
  12. Fred Hoiberg, Bulls: June 2, 2015
  13. Michael Malone, Nuggets: June 15, 2015
  14. Tyronn Lue, Cavaliers: January 2016
  15. Kenny Atkinson, Nets: April 2016 (remained Hawks assistant through Atlanta’s playoff run)
  16. Tom Thibodeau, Timberwolves: April 20, 2016
  17. Scott Brooks, Wizards: April 26, 2016
  18. Luke Walton, Lakers: April 29, 2016 (remained Warriors assistant through playoffs)
  19. Dave Joerger, Kings: May 9, 2016
  20. Nate McMillan, Pacers: May 16, 2016
  21. Mike D’Antoni, Rockets: June 2016
  22. J.B. Bickerstaff, Grizzlies: November 2017
  23. Igor Kokoskov, Suns: May 2, 2018
  24. David Fizdale, Knicks: May 7, 2018
  25. James Borrego, Hornets: May 10, 2018
  26. Lloyd Pierce, Hawks: May 11, 2018
  27. Mike Budenholzer, Bucks: May 17, 2018
  28. Steve Clifford, Magic: May 30, 2018
  29. Dwane Casey, Pistons: June 11, 2018
  30. Nick Nurse, Raptors: June 14, 2018

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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