Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Community Shootaround: Pistons’ Future

May 7th, 2018 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons owner Tom Gores announced Monday that Stan Van Gundy would not return as head coach and president of basketball operations for the final year of his contract.

Van Gundy resisted making changes that Gores requested, most notably replacing GM Jeff Bower. Gores finally decided after weeks of deliberation to go in another direction.

Van Gundy upgraded the roster during his four seasons with the organization but he and Bower made too many missteps along the way. The biggest problem for the next GM or president of basketball operations is that the Pistons have major cap issues that will hamstring efforts to make necessary improvements.

The trio of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson could carry the team to the playoffs next season, provided they stay relatively injury-free and the supporting cast is upgraded. That would require a leap of faith. Griffin and Jackson have been nagged by injuries in recent years.

Upgrading the roster could be an even taller task. The Pistons are locked into a couple of bad contracts (Jon Leuer, Langston Galloway) for two more seasons. The stretch provision used to eat up Josh Smith‘s contract gobbles up another $5.33MM in each of the next two years.

The Pistons also don’t have a first-round pick, courtesy of the Griffin deal, unless they get extremely lucky and move into the lottery. They have the mid-level exception and a $7MM trade exception to work with but that won’t help much. It’s tough to imagine another team willing to take on either Griffin’s contract or Jackson’s deal, though the next exec might give it a whirl.

A more viable option would be to deal Drummond, packaged with a bad contract, and essentially hit the reset button. That won’t sit well with fans who have seen their team reach the playoffs once since 2009.

They could also gauge the market value of some younger players like Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard.

That brings us to our question of the day: If you were the Pistons GM, what moves would you make to revive the franchise?

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

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Los Angeles Clippers

May 7th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago at this time, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan were all still members of the Clippers. Now, Paul and Griffin are long gone, and it’s possible that Jordan – who holds a player option – will follow them out the door. The Clippers are in the midst of a transition period, and while they still don’t project to have a ton of cap room this summer, parting ways with Paul and Griffin created some long-term flexibility.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Clippers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

  • Avery Bradley ($13,213,484): Bird rights
  • No. 12 overall pick ($3,179,248)2
  • No. 13 overall pick ($3,020,246)3
  • Total: $19,412,978

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $13,182,757

  • With four veterans holding player options, there are a number of potential scenarios in play for the Clippers’ cap outlook this summer. For our cap projection, we’ve counted the team’s seven guaranteed salaries, Beverley’s non-guaranteed salary, cap holds for the two lottery picks, and Rivers’ and Johnson’s player-option salaries. The Clips’ total team salary in that scenario is $87,817,243.
  • This projection assumes that Jordan and Teodosic both opt out, which is far from a lock. If either player opts in, L.A. will most likely operate as an over-the-cap team, barring other trades and/or cuts.
  • If they want to clear as much cap room as possible for a run at a star, the Clippers could technically get up to about $33.7MM without trading or stretching guaranteed salaries. However, that would mean trading their first-round picks, waiving Beverley, and counting on all three of Jordan, Rivers, and Teodosic to opt out. That’s probably not realistic.

Footnotes:

  1. Williams’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  2. This pick, acquired from the Pistons, is top-three protected, so the Clippers would lose it if it jumps into the top three in the draft lottery. It could also end up as low as No. 14 ($2,869,353).
  3. The Clippers are 13th in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) and as low as No. 14 ($2,869,353).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

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

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors’ 2018 NBA Award Picks: Sixth Man Of The Year

May 7th, 2018 at 2:14pm CST by Hoops Rumors

While the NBA won’t announce this year’s award winners until late in June, we’re making our picks for the year’s major awards now.

The Hoops Rumors writing team has weighed in with our choices below, but we also want to know which players, coaches, and executives you think are most deserving of the hardware this season, so jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts.

We’re keeping things going today with the award for Sixth Man of the Year. Here are our selections:

Clark Crum: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams won Sixth Man of the Year three seasons ago while averaging 15.5 PPG and sporting a .404/.340/.861 shooting line. If that’s any indication, then this award is Williams’ to lose this year. Williams posted a career-high 22.6 points and 5.3 assists per game while also improving his shooting numbers across the board (.435/.359/.880) from his award-winning 2014/15 season.

All in all, Williams led all bench players in scoring, was second in assists, and maintained a top-40 PER, the best of any reserve averaging over 25 MPG, while almost leading a depleted Clippers squad to the playoffs.

Dana Gauruder: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams came off the bench in 60 of 79 games and averaged career highs in scoring and assists. Volume had something to do with it, as he also averaged 16.9 shots, four more than he had in any previous season. But no one fills the role of “instant offense” like Williams.

Arthur Hill: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams did a little bit of everything this season. He even made a compelling case for why he deserves this award.

“First player to lead the team in scoring and assists off the bench,” he said in a late-season interview. “I had an opportunity to be in the All-Star talks and just for us to be competitive with the way that everything went. Honestly speaking, I had a lot to do with it.”

After the season Williams turned in, it’s hard to argue. He put up starter’s numbers coming off the bench and is an easy choice for Sixth Man of the Year.

Chris Crouse: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Eric Gordon, who has continued to play a vital role for the Rockets, and Fred VanVleet, who led arguably the league’s best second-unit, cannot go unmentioned. In reality though, they’re playing for second place. The Clippers appeared destined to fall deep into the lottery after seeing injuries pile up and shipping Blake Griffin to Detroit, but Williams wouldn’t let that happen. He carried the offensive burden night after night, averaging 22.6 points per contest, and helped Doc Rivers & Co. remain in playoff contention through the final stretch of the season. Williams believes he deserves the award — after his year of work, he’s right.

Austin Kent: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams gets better with age, the product of a shifting NBA landscape and teams finally playing to his strength as a volume scoring combo guard. While the 31-year-old is a head above the league’s next most productive reserve, it’s hard to be all that satisfied with his selection considering that he’s his team’s best player (sorry DeAndre) and plays starter’s minutes anyway. Can we just all agree to start limiting this award to players who play fewer than 30 minutes a night from now on?

Luke Adams: Lou Williams (Clippers)
In another season, Eric Gordon would’ve had a strong case for this award. He averaged 18.0 PPG for the 65-win Rockets, pouring in 3.2 three-pointers per game and providing stability in the backcourt while James Harden and Chris Paul dealt with injuries. He also played solid defense all season long, which can’t necessarily be said for Williams. But Williams’ offensive output – and his overall importance to the Clippers – makes him the clear-cut favorite for the this award. Williams’ case for Sixth Man is similar to Victor Oladipo‘s for Most Improved — there are other candidates whose seasons should be recognized, but one candidate is far above the field.

Who is your pick for Sixth Man of the Year? Share your choices and your thoughts in the comment section below!

Previously:

Still to come:

  • Rookie of the Year
  • Defensive Player of the Year
  • Most Valuable Player

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Checking In On NBA Head Coaching Searches

May 7th, 2018 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

It has been nearly four weeks since the NBA regular season ended, and while a few head coaching situations have been resolved since then, several more remain unsettled. With so many candidates being linked to so many separate jobs, it’s time to check in on this spring’s coaching searches to see where they stand.

Let’s dive in…

Completed searches:

Memphis Grizzlies

  • Named interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff the permanent head coach.
  • The Grizzlies’ search wasn’t much of a search at all. Rather than bringing in outside candidates, the team doubled down on Bickerstaff, having been impressed with his developmental work, if not his record (15-48).

New York Knicks

  • Hiring David Fizdale to replace Jeff Hornacek.
  • An extensive search resulted in the hiring of Fizdale, who was perhaps the most coveted candidate on the market this spring — the Suns reportedly made Fizdale an offer for their job, and he spoke to multiple other teams. The former Grizzlies coach will be officially introduced as Hornacek’s replacement this week.

Phoenix Suns

  • Hiring Igor Kokoskov to replace interim head coach Jay Triano.
  • While the Suns reportedly offered the job to Fizdale before deciding on Kokoskov, they sound pleased with how their search turned out. An assistant in Utah, Kokoskov is finishing up his playoff run with the Jazz. His deal with the Suns figures to be made official once Utah is eliminated.

Ongoing searches:

Atlanta Hawks

  • While Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce appeared to be emerging as the frontrunner for the Hawks’ job over the weekend, a Sunday evening report suggested three more assistants – Nate Tibbetts (Blazers), Stephen Silas (Hornets), and Jay Larranaga (Celtics) – are also in the mix. Those appear to be Atlanta’s finalists, though Jarron Collins and Darvin Ham have also interviewed.

Charlotte Hornets

  • Ettore Messina, David Vanterpool, Ime Udoka, Jim Boylen, Nick Nurse, and Jerry Stackhouse have reportedly talked to the Hornets about their head coaching job. However, Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga and Spurs assistant James Borrego are viewed as the current frontrunners. Charlotte is conducting second interviews with both Larranaga and Borrego, with owner Michael Jordan present at those meetings.

Detroit Pistons

  • The Pistons’ search just got underway today, as the team parted ways with Stan Van Gundy. They’re on the lookout for a new head of basketball operations too, so they may address that position before hiring a new coach.

Milwaukee Bucks

  • A playoff team, the Bucks got a late start on their head coaching search, but they’re making up for lost time, reportedly lining up interviews with Ettore Messina, Steve Clifford, David Blatt, Becky Hammon, James Borrego, and more. Two former NBA head coaches, Mike Budenholzer and Monty Williams, are said to be among the favorites for the Milwaukee job.

Orlando Magic

  • The Magic indicated at season’s end that they’d be in no rush to hire a new head coach, and they’ve made good on that promise, with very few reports surfacing on their candidates. They reportedly received permission to interview Blazers assistant David Vanterpool and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, and have also been linked to Nick Nurse and Jerry Stackhouse of the Raptors. No clear frontrunner has emerged yet though.

To follow updates on the head coaching searches beyond this snapshot, be sure to check out our tracker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

May 7th, 2018 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

If you enjoy Hoops Rumors on your smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications. For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting. You can read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
  • Customer service. If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download it now!
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

2018 Free Agents Who Have Boosted Their Value In Postseason

May 7th, 2018 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

While a player’s regular season résumé generally plays a larger role in dictating what sort of contract he receives as a free agent, a strong postseason can increase both the floor and the ceiling of that contract.

Two years ago, for instance, Bismack Biyombo entered free agency well positioned for a raise after a solid season in which he posted 5.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG as the Raptors’ backup center. In a summer that saw Timofey Mozgov and Ian Mahinmi land $64MM contracts, Biyombo would’ve done well regardless of how he played in the postseason, but it was his play in those three series that cemented his place as a coveted free agent.

He appeared in 20 games for the Raptors during those playoffs, starting 10 games due to a Jonas Valanciunas injury. Biyombo’s 6.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG in those 20 contests would’ve both been career highs, and he was at the center of several key plays and moments during Toronto’s postseason run. His playoff showing ultimately helped him secure a $68MM deal from the Magic.

Free agent spending in 2018 isn’t expected to be as extravagant as it was in 2016, but there are several players across the NBA who are building cases for bigger paydays as a result of their postseason play. Here are seven of them:

  1. Clint Capela, C (Rockets): Capela has been the breakout star of this year’s playoffs so far, as more and more observers realize he’s a legit third member of the Rockets’ Big Three alongside James Harden and Chris Paul. After leading the NBA in field-goal percentage and posting a double-double in the regular season, Capela has been even better in the postseason, increasing his averages in PPG (15.4), RPG (13.0), and BPG (2.6). So far against the Jazz, he has outplayed Rudy Gobert, arguably the league’s best defensive big man.
  2. Rajon Rondo, PG (Pelicans): He may not love the “Playoff Rondo” nickname, but Rondo has looked like a different player in the postseason. Besides posting an NBA-best 12.9 APG (including 14.8 APG in Pelicans wins), Rondo is also scoring more (10.8 PPG), grabbing more rebounds (8.3 RPG), and shooting better (.412 3PT%) than he did in the regular season. A year ago, Rondo’s impressive postseason was cut short by an injury and didn’t do much for his free agent stock, but it should earn him a raise this time around.
  3. Derrick Rose, PG (Timberwolves): When Rose was traded by the Cavs and then cut by the Jazz in February, it was unclear whether he’d even land another NBA job this season. The Timberwolves’ decision to sign him was second-guessed, and Rose didn’t do much during his nine regular season games to justify that decision. However, his postseason performance was impressive, and should quiet any speculation that he needs to call it a career. His .700 3PT% in those five playoff games was an aberration, but Rose looked revitalized against the Rockets.
  4. Jerami Grant, F (Thunder): While Grant’s modest playoff numbers don’t jump off the page, there’s one stat that does: his on/off-court ratings. In their six playoff games, the Thunder had a +8.9 net rating when Grant was playing, and a staggering -17.1 rating when he was on the bench. Grant will be an unrestricted free agent, but that first-round series was exhibit A for why OKC would almost certainly rather have him back than Carmelo Anthony and his $28M player option.
  5. Kevon Looney, F/C (Warriors): Coming into the 2017/18 season, Looney had logged fewer than 500 total NBA minutes, so it was no surprise that the Warriors declined the fourth-year option on his rookie contract for 2018/19. The team likely regrets that decision now. After developing into a rotation piece during the season, Looney has taken on a larger role in the playoffs, and has delivered with 5.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 21.0 minutes per contest. There probably won’t be a bidding war for his services this summer, but he’ll be on a few more teams’ radars due to his newfound role for the defending champs.
  6. Aron Baynes, C (Celtics): Coming into the 2018 playoffs, Baynes had made four three-point shots in his six-year NBA career. In 10 postseason games this year, he has gone 6-for-11 from long range, making at least one three-pointer in every game vs. the Sixers. Baynes isn’t about to start hoisting up five or six threes per game next season, but if his outside shot is falling enough to be a threat, it can have a huge impact on his team’s spacing, pulling the opposing center out from the paint. That makes him a much more intriguing piece in the middle.
  7. Ian Clark, G (Pelicans): Clark was solid but unspectacular off the bench for the Pelicans during the regular season. After shooting 36.4% on three-pointers coming into the 2017/18 campaign, Clark made just 31.8% for New Orleans, which was a worrying trend. His stroke has returned in the playoffs — his 36.0% conversion rate is back near his previous career mark, and his 3.1 attempts per game would be a career high.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Detroit Pistons

May 6th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A midseason blockbuster for Blake Griffin didn’t lead to immediate results for the Pistons, but the team will look to the Pelicans as a reason for hope going forward — New Orleans’ trade-deadline acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins didn’t really pay dividends until year two. With a nucleus of Griffin, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson, there’s some reason for optimism in Detroit heading into 2018/19 — as long as those stars can stay healthy.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Pistons financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

  • With or without Griffin’s mammoth salary on their cap, the Pistons wouldn’t have had any space this summer, since the contracts for Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic run through 2018/19. With Griffin on the books though, Detroit projects to be way over the cap, with a total team salary starting at $114,468,178 — that accounts for the Pistons’ nine guaranteed contracts, plus cap charges for three empty roster spots.

Footnotes:

  1. Bullock’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 15.
  2. Moreland’s salary becomes guaranteed for $750K after July 8. There are additional partial guarantees of $250K apiece after September 1 and after the first game of the regular season.
  3. Buycks’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after September 1.

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

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Weekly Mailbag: 4/30/18 – 5/6/18

May 6th, 2018 at 12:55pm 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.

Will my Wizards target DeAndre Jordan to bolster our frontcourt to give us the athletic big we need to compete in the East? — Jermaine, via Twitter

If Jordan opts out of his $24.1MM salary for next season and becomes a free agent, the Wizards won’t have a chance. They are already over the cap for next year and have no realistic way of opening up enough space to make a near-max offer. However, if Jordan opts in and the Clippers want to shake up their roster, the Wizards might be in the running. Kelly Oubre and Tomas Satoransky both have bright futures, but they will be due for extensions soon and Washington has to be careful about adding any expensive long-term contracts to John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter. The Wizards could match salaries by offering both players and Ian Mahinmi, who is owed nearly $31.5MM over the next two seasons. When Marcin Gortat‘s deal expires next summer, they would be in position to re-sign Jordan.

Would there be any chance the Pacers make a big grab in the offseason? — Adam Harris, via Twitter

Not only has Indiana assembled one of the NBA’s best young rosters, there aren’t any bad contracts to restrict the team from being aggressive in free agency. The Pacers won’t know how much cap room they have until Thaddeus Young [$13,764,045] and Cory Joseph [$7,945,000] decide on their player options for next season, and choices have to be made on non-guaranteed contracts for Bojan Bogdanovic [$10.5MM], Darren Collison and Al Jefferson [$10MM each]. Indiana could be in position to upgrade its front court with a nice offer to a restricted free agent like Aaron Gordon or Julius Randle.

With the hiring of David Fizdale, do you agree this is the Knicks’ best coaching hire in quite some time? Because I do! — Deven Parikh

It’s not an especially high bar to clear, considering that the franchise has been through 11 coaches in 14 seasons, but Fizdale feels like the next step in a new era in New York. There’s a reason he was on the interview list for nearly every head coaching slot that opened. Fizdale was a highly respected assistant for years, he has a rapport with many star players and there was a feeling that he got a raw deal in Memphis. He was due to get another chance soon and he seems like the right man to lead the Knicks back to the playoffs, if team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry can stick to their pledge to remain patient.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Toronto Raptors

May 5th, 2018 at 10:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

A few days ago, the Raptors were being praised for keeping the core of their team together and not firing coach Dwane Casey after a string of playoff disappointments. Those decisions led to a 59-win season and the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Then came an overtime loss to the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the conference semifinals, followed by an embarrassing performance in Game 2 and tonight’s heartbreaker that left them in an 0-3 hole. With another potential early postseason exit looming, sounds of discord are emerging from across the border.

A second-round ouster may be enough to cause a shakeup in Toronto, but as with most contending teams, major change won’t come easily. The Raptors gave new three-year contracts to Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka last summer, adding to the expensive one already owned by DeMar DeRozan. As a result, Toronto is already above the projected tax line for next season with a potential payroll of $133MM, a figure that could go even higher in 2019/20.

No help will be coming from the draft because the Raptors sent both of this year’s picks to the Nets last summer as the price for taking on DeMarre Carroll‘s contract. That also limits flexibility in pre-draft trades as the team can’t deal another first-rounder until 2020.

Over the next two years, Toronto owes more than $64MM to Lowry and nearly $45MM to Ibaka. DeRozan will make more than $27.7MM in each of the next two seasons, with a player option for the same amount in 2020/21. An extension for Norman Powell kicks in for next season, paying him about $42MM over four years.

Rather than upending the roster, the Raptors may opt for a coaching change. Casey, with one year left on his contract, has won 320 games in seven seasons in Toronto, but has been under fire for his lack of success in the playoffs. Assistant Nick Nurse and G League coach Jerry Stackhouse have both been candidates for head coaching jobs this summer, and the Raptors may decide to promote one of them before they leave.

We want to get your input. How would you fix the Raptors if they flame out in the playoffs again? Give us your feedback in the comments section below.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/28/18 – 5/5/18

May 5th, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week, we here at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the past seven days:

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts