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Poll: Boston Celtics Vs. Philadelphia 76ers

May 1st, 2018 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

On Monday, we asked you to make your pick for the Eastern Conference Semifinal that pits the top-seeded Raptors against the LeBron James-led Cavaliers. As I noted in that story, the Warriors and Rockets are significant favorites to advance in the West, and Boston’s injury-plagued roster makes the Sixers a big favorite in the other Eastern series.

However, in Game 1 of that Celtics/Sixers series on Monday night, Boston certainly didn’t look like an underdog. The C’s controlled the game, racking up 17 three-pointers and giving the Sixers’ offense problems on the other end of the court. Led by Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, and Al Horford, the Celtics won Game 1 in convincing fashion despite missing Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, and Daniel Theis.

Even after the Celtics’ Game 1 win, the Sixers are still favored by oddsmakers to win the series. In fact, the Celtics – up 1-0 in the series – are viewed as a longer shot to advance to the next round than the underdog Cavs are in the other Eastern Semifinal, which hasn’t yet started.

Those odds make sense — the Sixers may have been rusty after their long layoff between games, and we should expect point guard Ben Simmons to play better than he did in Game 1 (seven turnovers). Philadelphia probably won’t shoot 5-of-26 on three-pointers again either.

Still, the Celtics, led by Brad Stevens‘ inventive schemes, showed they won’t be pushovers. With Brown hoping to return soon and the C’s holding home court advantage for now, a long series looks like a distinct possibility.

What do you think? Will the Sixers bounce back and advance to the Eastern Finals, or will the Celtics build on Game 1’s win and maintain control of the series going forward?

Vote in our poll, then head below to the comment section to share your thoughts on the series!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Brooklyn Nets

May 1st, 2018 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

After another bid for a restricted free agent (Otto Porter) fell short, the Nets continued to use their cap room to take on other teams’ unwanted contracts during the 2017 offseason, adding Allen Crabbe, Timofey Mozgov, and DeMarre Carroll. Having lost control of so many lottery picks thanks to their infamous trade with the Celtics, the Nets were able to acquire a recent second overall pick in D’Angelo Russell by taking on Mozgov, and landed an extra first-round pick by absorbing Carroll. It will be trickier for Brooklyn to take a similar approach during the 2018 offseason though, with the club’s cap room dwindling.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Nets 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

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $13,562,427

  • Our Nets cap projection includes the eight players on guaranteed contracts, the two non-guaranteed contracts, and the cap holds for Harris and the team’ first-round pick. That results in a total team salary of $87,437,573. Waiving Whitehead or renouncing Harris would create a little more cap room, though the difference would be pretty marginal. Any path to more significant space would have to be involved trades or cuts.

Footnotes:

  1. Dinwiddie’s salary becomes guaranteed for $250K after October 31.
  2. Whitehead’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
  3. Foye’s cap hold remains on the Nets’ books because he didn’t sign a new contract after reaching free agency in 2017. The team could renounce this hold at any time.

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.

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Community Shootaround: Pacers’ Future

April 30th, 2018 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The future looks bright for the Pacers. They surpassed expectations this season, making the playoffs and pushing the Cavaliers to the brink of elimination before LeBron James willed Cleveland to a Game 7 victory.

Indiana’s blockbuster trade with the Thunder turned out better than anyone could have anticipated. Victor Oladipo blossomed into a star, while Oklahoma City crashed in the first round and could lose Paul George in free agency.

The next step is how the Pacers approach the offseason. There’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding other rotation players. The salaries of Bojan Bogdanovic and Darren Collison are not guaranteed for next season. Thaddeus Young and Cory Joseph hold player options on their deals while the team has a contract option on Lance Stephenson.

It’s safe to say some, if not all of those players will return. The bigger question is how to improve the surrounding cast around Oladipo. The team will have the cap room to sign at least one, if not two, impact free agents depending upon those contract decisions.

Trades could also be pursued, and Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggests a bold approach. He feels the club should pursue the Rockets’ Clint Capela and then put Myles Turner on the trade block. O’Connor also brings up Magic forward Aaron Gordon, a versatile defender, and the Bucks’ offensively-gifted though injury-prone forward Jabari Parker as potential upgrades to the current unit.

That leads to our question of the day: If you were the Pacers’ GM, what changes would you make to turn them into a serious contender?

Please take to the comments section and let your opinion be heard. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Poll: Toronto Raptors Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

April 30th, 2018 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there’s plenty of intrigue among the NBA’s four Conference Semifinal matchups this spring, most of those series look like they have clear favorites.

A panel of nearly two-dozen ESPN experts unanimously selected the Rockets and Warriors to earn spots in the Western Conference Finals by defeating the Jazz and Pelicans, respectively. Utah and New Orleans looked great in the first round and could still give the favorites a run for their money, but their Game 1 performances didn’t inspire a ton of confidence.

In the East, ESPN’s panel heavily favors the Sixers over the Celtics in the first of two Eastern Conference series. If Kyrie Irving and/or Gordon Hayward were healthy, this would be a more fascinating matchup, but as well-coached as the Celtics are, they may not have the talent to keep up with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid for seven games. Despite holding home court advantage, Boston enters the series as a major underdog, with 18 of 21 ESPN experts picking the 76ers to win.

That leaves one series, the Raptors vs. the Cavaliers, as a potential toss-up. The analytics data – along with each team’s performance in the regular season and first round – favors the Raptors, but history favors the Cavs. After all, Cleveland has eliminated Toronto in each of the past two postseasons, winning eight of 10 games over the Raptors in those two series.

There’s reason to believe that this year’s Raptors squad can end that streak. The club is deeper than ever, featuring the NBA’s best five-man bench unit. Additionally, star guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have bought into an offensive system that features more ball movement and less isolation play. That system has been a huge success all season long, including against the Cavs — the Raps averaged nearly 123 points per game vs. Cleveland in three regular season contests.

Still, the Cavs won two of those three games during the regular season. While LeBron James‘ play keyed those victories – particularly in a 35-point, 17-assist, 0-turnover performance in March – Cleveland’s supporting cast came up big too. Kevin Love, Jose Calderon, and Jeff Green played particularly well in the Cavs’ two wins over Toronto, and George Hill racked up 22 points in March’s game. If Cleveland’s role players can keep up that sort of production against the Raps in the postseason, it would take a huge load off James, who carried the team to a first-round win.

This will be a fascinating series to watch. Does LeBron still have Toronto’s number? Will he get more help vs. Toronto than he did against Indiana? Will the Raptors’ home-court advantage be a deciding factor? (Both of their regular-season losses to the Cavs came in Cleveland).

ESPN’s experts favor the Cavs by a 12-7 margin, but the oddsmakers at Bovada.lv view the Raptors as a 2-to-1 favorite. Which side do you fall on? Is this the year the Raps dethrone the King and end James’ streak of seven straight NBA Finals appearances, or will LeBron and the Cavs eliminate Toronto for a third straight season?

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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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Sacramento Kings

April 30th, 2018 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings entered the 2017/18 season looking set to straddle the line between developing young players like De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Buddy Hield, and potentially pushing for the eighth seed in the West led by veterans like George Hill. However, Hill struggled mightily in Sacramento and the team quickly fell out of contention, shifting the focus exclusively to player development by the second half. Barring an unexpected splash in free agency this summer, the focus will likely remain on those young prospects heading into 2018/19.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Kings 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

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $21,562,883

  • Our cap projection for the Kings includes their nine guaranteed contracts, the cap hold for their lottery pick, and all three player options. While it’s possible that one or more of Shumpert, Koufos, or Temple opts out to explore free agency, they seem unlikely to top their player-option salaries for 2018/19, making them decent bets to opt in. Taking into account all those salaries and cap holds, and assuming all free agents are renounced, the Kings’ total team salary adds up to $79,437,117.
  • If any of those player options are declined, or the Kings make a trade or two, they could create more cap room. However, the club doesn’t look ready to contend, and may exercise restraint in free agency after last year’s big veteran investment (Hill) backfired.

Footnotes:

  1. Hayes’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  2. The Kings are seventh in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) or as low as No. 10 ($3,522,533).

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.

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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Chicago Bulls

April 29th, 2018 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

No NBA team had a lower projected win total than the Bulls entering the 2017/18 season, but Chicago didn’t look too bad in the first half, picking up victories behind the solid play of guys like Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis, Lauri Markkanen, and Nikola Mirotic. Trading Mirotic and benching some veterans helped keep the Bulls’ win total in check as they continued their rebuild, but that early-season hot streak means they’ll need some draft-lottery luck to nab a top-five pick.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Bulls 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

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

  • No. 6 overall pick ($4,823,489)3
  • No. 22 overall pick ($1,974,488)
  • Total: $6,797,977

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $26,660,833

  • Our cap projection for the Bulls includes the amount of their 10 guaranteed contracts, cap holds for their two first-round picks, and LaVine’s cap hold, since the Bulls are viewed as a near-lock to bring him back. That result in a total team salary of $74,339,167.
  • Even if they bring back a couple other players, the Bulls should have plenty of cap room to work with. However, retaining Kilpatrick, Nwaba, and LaVine and keeping both their first-round picks would add up to 15 players, assuming the team doesn’t trade or release any of its 10 players with guaranteed contracts. Given their roster constraints and the fact that they’re still in the midst of a rebuild, the Bulls seem unlikely to be very aggressive in free agency.

Footnotes:

  1. Kilpatrick’s exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  2. Zipser’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 18.
  3. The Bulls are sixth in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) and as low as No. 9 ($3,708,089).

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.

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Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: Miami Heat

April 29th, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by Austin Kent

The Heat doubled down on a committee of above-average role players last summer and have leveraged their depth into unexpected success after a dismal 2016. With an elite head coach and an established culture of winning, Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra have no reason to believe that they can’t continue to field a winner so long as they’re willing to invest in solid players.

The downside of a team built in this fashion, however, is that it lacks the ceiling to be truly dangerous in the postseason and the financial flexibility to change that. Not helping matters, of course, is the fact that the Heat’s highest paid player, Hassan Whiteside, could barely get off the bench in the club’s most recent first-round playoff exit.

The Heat are on pace to cross the luxury tax threshold in 2017/18 thanks to dramatic escalations in the contracts of players like Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson, making it inevitable that a dramatic roster move is forthcoming.

Is the on-court product good enough to justify the luxury tax expenses? Not likely, so all that’s left is for the franchise decide what direction to go when the dominoes start falling.

Luke Babbitt, SF, 29 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
The Heat brought Babbit aboard in a minor deal at the deadline and it wasn’t hard to understand why. The career 40.2% three-point shooter is an attractive niche add and he shot 44.1% on threes through the first half of the season with the Hawks. Unfortunately, he didn’t make enough of a splash in an inconsequential stint with Miami to warrant major interest from the franchise this summer. Babbit will have suitors as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and could end up plucked by a team able to invest slightly more.

Wayne Ellington, SG, 30 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $12MM deal in 2016"<strong
Ellington represents this Heat roster as well as anybody — he’s a reliable veteran that can consistently get the job done. In the hands of the right coach and surrounded by the right players, that’s invaluable. If the Heat decide to continue pushing to contend in the East, it would make sense to retain Ellington for a few more years as a solid rotation piece. That being said, simply bringing back Ellington is no small feat considering the luxury tax implications of such an investment. If the Heat suspect their window is closing, all parties might be better off if the nine-year vet latches on with another contender elsewhere.

Udonis Haslem, C, 38 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
The Heat don’t have to worry about long-time big man Haslem testing the waters anywhere other than South Beach, the question is whether or not the 15-year veteran will opt instead for retirement. Haslem seems to have enough in the tank to continue playing in his drastically reduced role and, despite the luxury tax implications making even a minimum deal painful for ownership, there’s no reason to believe the franchise wouldn’t be happy to have him.

Jordan Mickey, PF, 23 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $5MM deal in 2015
Despite cracking the team’s rotation for a few weeks last December, Mickey didn’t make much of an impact with the Heat during his first season in Miami. One thing that the young big man does have going for him, however, is that his team option is for a modest $1.6MM. At a time when the franchise will be hard-pressed to fill out its 15-man roster without going into tax territory, cheap deals will be of particular interest.

Dwyane Wade, SG, 36 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
After an awkward season and a half with the Bulls and Cavaliers, Wade returned to Miami. Immediately, the franchise icon fell back into a rhythm and outplayed his minimum contract. If the Heat opt to continue competing in the East, bringing Wade back is practically essential – from a marketing point of view as much any. While he’s more than a simply symbolic figure, he’s not quite a leading man either, so a deal in the same vein as Dirk Nowitzki‘s $5MM annual with team options could be a solid starting point. If Wade is willing to sign another minimum contract, that’d be all the better for the cap-strapped Heat.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Weekly Mailbag: 4/23/18 – 4/29/18

April 29th, 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.

When will Carmelo Anthony learn he’s not a superstar? — Sam, via Twitter

Often the player is the last to know, and from the tone of Anthony’s exit interview yesterday, it’s clear the message hasn’t gotten through. His first clue should have been the Knicks’ strong desire to ship him out of town, followed by a summer with little trade interest until the Thunder swooped in at the last minute. Anthony’s scoring average dipped below 20 points per game for the first time in his career, and he was held out for long stretches in the playoff loss to Utah. The Thunder would love for the 33-year-old to use his early termination option on next season’s $28MM salary, but there’s little chance he would get an offer anywhere close to that in free agency. He and Oklahoma City management seem to have very different ideas of his role for next year, so don’t be surprised if buyout talks take place at some point.

What are the realistic landing spots for Kahwi Leonard should the Spurs actually lose their minds and decide to trade him? — Clinfton Lewis, via Twitter

The Spurs’ first choice is to hold onto Leonard, but if they do move him, it’s unlikely it will be to a Western Conference rival, as Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register noted recently. Looking eastward, the Celtics are always among the favorites for a big deal because of their collection of young talent and draft picks. The Sixers could offer a package centered around Dario Saric and Markelle Fultz. The Heat may be willing to part with Goran Dragic and have enough other assets to get a deal done. If Leonard goes on the market, San Antonio will have plenty of offers to choose from, even if they’re limited to just one conference.

With the passing of his wife, it really hit not only Gregg Popovich and his family, but the rest of the NBA family as well. Do you think Popovich will be coaching next season? That’s a tough situation to overcome. — Deven Parikh, via Twitter

This will be one of the underrated subplots of the summer. Popovich, who will serve as the Olympics coach in 2020, could decide to take a break from the NBA and focus his energies on USA Basketball. He appeared exasperated by the long-running drama with Leonard, and the tragic death of his wife surely took a supreme emotional toll. The Spurs could look much different next season with much of the veteran core gone, and it would be understandable if Popovich decides to step away as well.

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Five Key Stories: 4/21/18 – 4/28/18

April 28th, 2018 at 4:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

In case you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the league, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

The Grizzlies filled their head coaching job by signing interim J.B. Bickerstaff to a three-year contract. Bickerstaff took over after David Fizdale was fired early in the season and posted a 15-48 record in 63 games. This is the second head coaching opportunity for the long-time assistant, who spent most of the 2015/16 season as the interim in Houston.

The Hawks and head coach Mike Budenholzer reached a mutual decision to end their relationship. Budenholzer had interviewed for coaching jobs with the Suns and Knicks, and wasn’t interested in staying in a rebuilding situation in Atlanta. He received the full $13MM+ salary for the two seasons left on his contract.

The Pelicans elected to pick up the option on coach Alvin Gentry for next season. Gentry’s job was considered in jeopardy coming into this season, but he solidified his standing with management by leading the team to the sixth seed and a first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers.

Wizards forward Otto Porter missed the final game of the series with Toronto after having a procedure done on his left leg. Porter was listed as out indefinitely after the “lower leg fasciotomy for compartment syndrome,” which was performed to ease the build-up of blood flow around a contusion.

Veteran center Andrew Bogut signed a two-year deal to play for the Sydney Kings in his home country of Australia. The 33-year-old had a brief NBA comeback after fracturing his tibia late last season, but played just 23 games for the Lakers before being waived in January.

Here are eight more headlines from last week:

  • Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews plans to exercise his option for next season. He played 63 games this year before suffering a fractured fibula in March.
  • Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had a “minimally invasive” procedure done on his left knee to repair a slight tear of his medial meniscus. He is expected to make a full recovery well before training camp.
  • Nuggets center Mason Plumlee had surgery to fix a core muscle injury that bothered him for much of this season. The team expects him to be cleared for full basketball-related activities this summer.
  • Jay Wright’s agent informed NBA teams that he has no plans to leave Villanova. Two clubs reportedly reached out to Wright, and there is speculation that the Knicks were one of them.
  • The Nets added two former players to their staff. Pablo Prigioni was hired as an assistant coach and Tiago Splitter was named as a pro scout with additional duties related to on-court player development.
  • Mike James, who held two-way contracts with the Suns and Pelicans, signed a three-year contract to play in Italy. He played a combined 36 games in his rookie NBA season.
  • The Commission on College Basketball recommended an end to the NBA’s one-and-done rule regarding draft eligibility. The commission, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was created after a federal investigation into corruption in the college game.
  • Kentucky coach John Calipari, also an advocate of eliminating the one-and-done system, met with the NBA Players Union to discuss his ideas.
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Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/21/18 – 4/28/18

April 28th, 2018 at 1:00pm 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:

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