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NBA Teams With 2017/18 Cap Room Still Available

March 9th, 2018 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

At this point in the NBA league year, most of the discussion about cap room focuses on how much teams will have in July. While 2018/19 cap space will be extremely valuable for teams looking to make a splash in free agency or on the trade market, there aren’t many reasons teams need ’17/18 cap room at this point — free agency is all but over, the trade deadline is behind us, and even the deadline for renegotiating contracts has passed.

Still, 2017/18 cap room isn’t entirely useless, even this late in the season. The current league year runs through June 30, so if a team wants to complete a trade before, during, or right after this year’s draft, having cap room available to accommodate a salary could come in handy.

Additionally, teams with cap room have fewer restrictions when it comes to signing free agents — if a club wants to take a flier on a prospect during the final few weeks of the ’17/18 regular season, it could use cap space to sign that player to a lightly-guaranteed contract that stretches across three or four seasons.

Here are the teams that still have cap space available for the 2017/18 season, along with their estimated total room:

  • Dallas Mavericks: $14,240,776
  • Chicago Bulls: $11,325,670
    • Note: The Bulls are technically operating an over-the-cap team, but could use this cap room if they renounce their exceptions.
  • Phoenix Suns: $6,749,365
  • Indiana Pacers: $5,423,615
  • Orlando Magic: $3,669,889
  • Sacramento Kings: $3,465,472
  • Brooklyn Nets: $3,128,440
    • Note: The Nets are technically operating an over-the-cap team, but could use this cap room if they renounce their exceptions.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders, along with our own data, was used in the creation of this post.

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Community Shootaround: Cavs’ Open Roster Spots

March 9th, 2018 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers appear to be “playing the two-week game” with their open roster spots, salary cap expert Albert Nahmad observes (via Twitter).

NBA rules allow teams to carry 13 players on their 15-man rosters for up to two weeks at a time before getting back up to the 14-player minimum. The Cavs used that full two weeks after the trade deadline, then filled their 14th roster slot by signing Marcus Thornton to a 10-day deal. Now that Thornton’s contract has expired, Cleveland is once again taking its time to get back up to the minimum, as Nahmad notes.

[RELATED: 2017/18 NBA Roster Counts]

There’s a logic in this — the Cavs aren’t currently strapped for depth, and their projected luxury tax bill is already the league’s biggest. There’s no need to add a player before they have to if he’s not going to play, since he’ll cost exponentially more in taxes than his salary is worth.

Still, while the Cavs’ deadline deals appear to have rejuvenated LeBron James and kick-started the team, those trades cost the club some significant playoff experience. The six players Cleveland traded in February have appeared in a combined 393 postseason games. The four players they’ve acquired have combined for 94 playoff appearances, and 83 of those are George Hill‘s. Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. have never played in a postseason contest.

Previous playoff experience won’t necessarily be a deciding factor for the Cavs in a series against the Celtics and Raptors, but this franchise has shown it values that sort of experience. In each of the last two seasons, for instance, Cleveland has signed Dahntay Jones at the end of the season to get him on the postseason roster. Over those two years, Jones has played just two regular season games for the Cavs, but has appeared in 25 playoff contests.

It’s not clear if Jones is in the team’s plans again this season, but it might make sense for the Cavs to fill their open roster spots at the end of the season with veteran players who are capable of helping out in the playoffs, or at least serving as stabilizing forces on the bench and in the locker room. The longer Cleveland waits to make that sort of addition, the less money it’ll cost, so the team could hold off until the last week of the regular season to fill out its 15-man roster and prepare for the postseason.

If and when that happens, there are plenty of candidates out there to get the call. Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen could be viable options, as could Jones. Given his performance in the Finals last year, Deron Williams probably isn’t at the top of the Cavs’ wish list, but he’s available too. So are other vets like Gerald Henderson, Anthony Morrow, Mike Miller, and Andrew Bogut. None of those players are likely to play major roles for the Cavs if they’re signed, but many of them would be useful depth pieces.

What do you think? Do the Cavaliers need to add a veteran or two to fill out their roster before the playoffs begin? If so, which free agents should they target? Or is their roster fine as is? Would the team be better served just getting to the 14-player minimum by taking a shot on a G League prospect?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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2018 NBA Free Agent Power Rankings 3.0

March 8th, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been four months since we published the second installment of our 2018 free agent power rankings. Since then, we’ve seen certain players emerge and others fall off. Injuries have also had an impact on the outlook for certain free agents this offseason.

As such, it’s time for our 2018 free agent power rankings to get an update. This time around, I’ve enlisted a little help for determining our rankings. Hoops Rumors writers Arthur Hill, Dana Gauruder, Austin Kent, and Clark Crum have added their top-20 lists to my own, so our new rankings reflect a combination of all five lists.

Players who are headed for unrestricted or restricted free agency are eligible for our list, as are veterans holding player options for the 2018/19 season. For the most part, players with team options – or on non-guaranteed salaries – aren’t included here, since their teams will simply pick up those options if they want to keep those players. However, there’s one exception in our top five, which we’ll note below.

As usual, our list reflects each player’s current expected value on the 2018 free agent market, rather than how we think they’ll perform on the court for the 2018/19 season. For instance, an older player like J.J. Redick has excellent short-term value, but didn’t make our top 20 because he’s unlikely to sign a huge multiyear deal this summer. In other words, age and long-term value are crucial.

Our full list of 2018 free agents can be found right here.

Here’s the third edition of our 2018 free agent power rankings:

  1. LeBron James, F, Cavaliers (player option)
  2. Kevin Durant, F, Warriors (player option)

There’s no question that James and Durant, the MVPs of the last two NBA Finals, are the top two free agents in the 2018 class. The only question is which player comes in at No. 1 — three of us listed James in that top spot, while two of us had Durant there.

Of course, there may not be much point in debating Durant’s place in the list, since he has confirmed he intends to re-sign with Golden State and won’t explore the open market. That leaves LeBron as this summer’s most tantalizing target.

  1. Paul George, F, Thunder (player option)
  2. Nikola Jokic, C, Nuggets (team option; RFA)
  3. Chris Paul, G, Rockets
  4. DeMarcus Cousins, C, Pelicans

After a consensus top two, we have what essentially amounts to a consensus next four. Cousins’ Achilles injury makes him something of a question mark, and likely cost him a higher spot on this list — a healthy Cousins may have ranked as high as No. 3. Still, his top-six ranking reflects our confidence that he’ll be able to return from that injury and make a long-term impact for the Pelicans or a new team.

Jokic is the only player with a team option included in our list. While it may seem like a no-brainer for the Nuggets to exercise his incredibly team-friendly $1,600,520 option, doing so would put the big man on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2019. Turning down the option would give Denver the chance to lock him up as a restricted free agent this summer. No matter which route the Nuggets choose, Jokic is extremely unlikely to change teams this offseason.

  1. Clint Capela, C, Rockets (RFA)
  2. DeAndre Jordan, C, Clippers (player option)

It’s hard to know exactly how much of Capela’s value stems directly from playing with James Harden and Chris Paul in a Mike D’Antoni system. It’s entirely possible that his impressive numbers (14.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.8 BPG, .654 FG%) would take a hit in another situation. But we found it hard to overlook Capela’s age (23) and the strides he has made in each of his four NBA seasons. He should be one of the most sought-after restricted free agents of 2018.

Jordan’s skill-set is fairly similar to Capela’s, but he’ll turn 30 in July and there’s some uncertainty about whether he’s still a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate — his 1.2 blocks per 36 minutes this season are easily a career-worst. He’d do very well on the open market, but a long-term max deal is doesn’t seem realistic.

  1. Aaron Gordon, F, Magic (RFA)
  2. Julius Randle, F, Lakers (RFA)
  3. Zach LaVine, G, Bulls (RFA)
  4. Jabari Parker, F, Bucks (RFA)

Only four players signed rookie scale extensions during the 2017 offseason, which means there are plenty of 2014 first-rounders on track to reach restricted free agency this summer. Gordon, Randle, LaVine, and Parker are four of the best ones.

Gordon and Randle have enjoyed breakout seasons in 2017/18, with Gordon adding a fairly reliable three-point shot to his game en route to posting career highs in PPG (18.3), RPG (8.4), and several other categories. As for Randle, he has been particularly effective since entering the Lakers’ starting lineup for good on December 29 — since then, he has recorded 17.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, and a .566 FG% in 31 contests.

LaVine and Parker have major upside and could still turn into two of the league’s best scorers, but ACL injuries have limited their development this season. The Bulls look like a virtual lock to re-sign LaVine, but Parker’s future in Milwaukee is a little more uncertain. It will be interesting to see how heavily the Bucks are willing to invest in the former No. 2 pick this summer.

  1. Tyreke Evans, G, Grizzlies
  2. Enes Kanter, C, Knicks (player option)

A pair of players who didn’t crack the top 20 in the first two versions of our 2018 free agent power rankings have earned spots on this list with strong 2017/18 performances.

Evans has once again battled some injuries, but when he’s been on the court, he’s been terrific for the Grizzlies, averaging 19.4 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 5.1 RPG with a shooting line of .453/.396/.797. Memphis is hoping to re-sign him this offseason, but it remains to be seen whether the mid-level exception will be enough to do it.

As for Kanter, some of his numbers don’t look dissimilar to the ones he posted last season in Oklahoma City, but he has been doing it against starting units this season in New York, rather than simply as a scorer off the bench. Kanter’s 10.8 RPG (in just 25.9 MPG) represent a career best, and he has received rave reviews as a teammate and locker-room presence with the Knicks. It’s still possible he’ll exercise his $18,622,514 player option for next season and put off free agency for one more year, but that’s certainly not the lock it once was.

  1. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Trail Blazers (RFA)
  2. Isaiah Thomas, G, Lakers
  3. Elfrid Payton, G, Suns (RFA)
  4. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, Lakers
  5. Derrick Favors, F/C, Jazz
  6. Avery Bradley, G, Clippers

Our list is rounded out by several players whose stocks aren’t at their peak. Nurkic and Thomas had a chance to be top-10 free agents for 2018 with big seasons, but Nurkic has just been solid in Portland, while Thomas’ hip issue has affected his playmaking ability.

Payton and Favors, former top-10 picks, have been somewhat inconsistent, but have looked good lately as they near free agency. Payton, in particular, has been a nightly triple-double threat since arriving in Phoenix (15.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.6 APG), though he has yet to show that he can do more than post big numbers on losing teams — Favors, at least, has displayed the ability to have a regular role on a playoff team.

Caldwell-Pope and Bradley, meanwhile, were once viewed as potential $20MM-per-year players, but I’m not sure that sort of offer will be out there for them this summer. Caldwell-Pope has the age and size advantage over Bradley, and has a career-high 3PT% (.386) this season, so he may have a better shot at a big payday.

Other players receiving votes:

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Coach Of The Year

March 7th, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After our Community Shootaround discussion on Tuesday focused on coaches who could be out of work this spring, it only seems fair to highlight the coaches on the opposite end of the spectrum today. There are several NBA head coaches who are not only safe to keep their jobs next season, but also deserve Coach of the Year consideration for the work they’ve done this season.

A handful of NBA.com analysts discussed the top Coach of the Year candidates today, and each of those five writers identified Raptors head coach Dwane Casey as a top contender for the award. Toronto had won at least 48 games for four consecutive years coming into 2017/18, so it’s not as if the team’s success has come out of nowhere. But after losing key players like P.J. Tucker, Cory Joseph, and Patrick Patterson in the offseason, the Raptors were considered likely to take a step back this year. Instead, an overhauled offensive system and a young, dangerous bench have the team on pace to win a franchise-record 60 games.

Casey isn’t the only coach who was named as a top candidate for Coach of the Year by multiple NBA.com writers. Steve Aschburner, Tas Melas, and Sekou Smith all praised the job Nate McMillan has done in Indiana this season — viewed by many as a probable lottery team or a borderline playoff club at best, the 37-27 Pacers are currently in position to claim home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Another coach of a top Eastern Conference club earned mentions from several NBA.com writers, including John Schuhmann: Celtics head coach Brad Stevens doesn’t necessarily have his team exceeding preseason expectations, but those expectations were adjusted significantly after Gordon Hayward went down with a season-ending ankle injury in his first game as a Celtic. The C’s have hardly missed a beat since that injury, posting a 45-20 record and contending for the No. 1 seed in the East.

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, Clippers coach Doc Rivers, and Sixers coach Brett Brown were also named by NBA.com’s panel as Coach of the Year contenders.

Steve Kerr is worth mentioning too, since his Warriors may very well end up with the NBA’s best record again. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is a perennial candidate — San Antonio has struggled recently, but the team remains 10 games above .500 despite being without Kawhi Leonard for almost the entire season. And let’s not forget Terry Stotts, who has the 39-26 Trail Blazers holding the No. 3 seed in the West.

What do you think? Who’s your current pick for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award for the 2017/18 season? Jump into the comment section below to weigh in!

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Checking In On 2018’s Traded Draft Picks

March 7th, 2018 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

There are a number of races worth watching in the NBA down the stretch of the 2017/18 season. Of course, the Western Conference playoff battle is the most dramatic one at the moment, though the race for the top spot in the draft lottery is fascinating in its own right.

The standings are also worth keeping an eye on because they’ll dictate this year’s draft order, and many of the 2018 picks that have been traded include some sort of protection. That means that a team’s spot in the standings will determine whether or not those picks actually changes hands this spring.

At the moment, there are 25 traded draft picks projected to change hands, while only four will be protected. All 11 traded first-round picks are currently on track to convey this year.

It’s possible that the results of the draft lottery will change that — for instance, if the Pistons miss the playoffs and then get some tremendous luck in the lottery, they could hang onto their top-four protected pick, rather than sending it to the Clippers. For the most part though, it doesn’t look like protections will have a major impact on this year’s traded picks.

With the help of our lists of traded first- and second-round picks, as well as our reverse standings, here are the picks currently projected to change hands for the 2018 draft:

First round:

  1. Nets‘ pick to Cavaliers (unprotected)
    • Note: Pick currently tied for 3rd/4th/5th.
  2. Lakers‘ pick to Sixers (to Celtics if it falls between 2-5; otherwise, to Philadelphia)
  3. Pistons‘ pick to Clippers (top-4 protected)
  4. Heat‘s pick to Suns (top-7 protected)
  5. Bucks‘ pick to Suns (top-10 protected and 17-30 protected)
  6. Thunder‘s pick to Timberwolves (top-14 protected)
  7. Timberwolves‘ pick to Hawks (top-14 protected)
  8. Cavaliers‘ pick to Lakers (top-3 protected)
    • Note: Pick currently tied for 24th/25th.
  9. Pelicans‘ pick to Bulls (top-5 protected)
    • Note: Pick currently tied for 24th/25th.
  10. Raptors‘ pick to Nets (top-14 protected)
  11. Rockets‘ pick to Hawks (top-3 protected)

Second round:

  1. Nets‘ pick to Sixers (Philadelphia to receive more favorable of Nets’ and Cavs’ second-round picks)
    • Note: Pick currently tied for 33rd/34th/35th.
  2. Bulls‘ pick to Knicks (unprotected)
  3. Knicks‘ pick to Sixers (Philadelphia to receive more favorable of Knicks’ and Clippers’ second-round picks)
  4. Hornets‘ pick to Magic (Orlando to receive second-most favorable of Grizzlies’, Hornets’, and Heat’s second-round picks)
  5. Lakers‘ pick to Nets (Brooklyn to receive less favorable of Magic’s and Lakers’ second-round picks)
  6. Heat‘s pick to Rockets (Houston to receive least favorable of Grizzlies’, Hornets’, and Heat’s second-round picks)
  7. Bucks‘ pick to Nets (to Brooklyn if it falls between 31-47; otherwise, to Suns)
  8. Clippers‘ pick to Nuggets (Denver to receive less favorable of Knicks’ and Clippers’ second-round picks)
  9. Nuggets‘ pick to Lakers (unprotected)
  10. Cavaliers‘ pick to Hornets (Charlotte to receive less favorable of Nets’ and Cavs’ second-round picks)
    • Note: Pick currently tied for 54th/55th.
  11. Trail Blazers‘ pick to Mavericks (Dallas to receive less favorable of Kings’ and Trail Blazers’ second-round picks)
  12. Celtics‘ pick to Thunder (top-55 protected)
  13. Raptors‘ pick to Suns (unprotected)
  14. Warriors‘ pick to Nuggets (unprotected)
  15. Rockets‘ pick to Sixers (unprotected)

The picks listed below are not projected to change hands in this year’s draft. The first three selections on this list won’t roll over to 2019 — those obligations will simply be extinguished. But the Nets would get another shot at the Pacers‘ pick in 2019, when it will once again have 45-60 protection.

Second round:

  1. Suns‘ pick to Grizzlies (top-55 protected)
  2. Mavericks‘ pick to Bucks (top-55 protected)
  3. Hawks‘ pick to Clippers (top-55 protected)
  4. Pacers‘ pick to Nets (45-60 protected)
    • Note: Pick currently tied for 52nd/53rd.

Here are a few other traded pick details worth noting, though they’re unlikely to impact this year’s draft order:

  • The Grizzlies will receive the most favorable of the Grizzlies’, Hornets’, and Heat’s second-round picks. That will likely be their own pick, which is currently 31st.
  • The Magic can swap second-round picks with the Lakers if L.A.’s pick is more favorable. Currently, the Magic’s pick is tied for 36th/37th, while the Lakers’ pick is 41st.
  • The Kings can swap second-round picks with the Trail Blazers if Portland’s pick is more favorable. Currently, the Kings’ pick is tied for 36th/37th, while the Blazers’ pick is 56th.
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Community Shootaround: Potential Coaching Changes

March 6th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s head coaching carousel was unusually quiet last spring, when all 30 teams stuck with their incumbent coaches at the end of the 2016/17 season. That won’t be the case this year, however.

Already, three teams have made in-season coaching changes, and the Suns, Grizzlies, and Bucks are each expected to conduct a more expansive search for a permanent head coach at season’s end. Those three clubs are unlikely to be the only ones in the market for someone new.

Although there have been no reports confirming that the Knicks will replace Jeff Hornacek this offseason, it has been a subject of frequent speculation for New York writers, with multiple reporters suggesting that Hornacek’s time with the Knicks may be nearing an end.

Like Hornacek’s Knicks, the Nuggets and Pistons are in danger of missing the postseason this year, which wouldn’t bode well for the job security of either Michael Malone or Stan Van Gundy — based on the current standings and their respective track records, Malone is probably safer than Van Gundy for now. Doc Rivers‘ Clippers are also battling for a postseason spot and could miss out. If that happens, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Rivers follow Chris Paul and Blake Griffin out of town.

Among probable lottery-bound teams, Frank Vogel (Magic), Dave Joerger (Kings), Fred Hoiberg (Bulls), Steve Clifford (Hornets), Mike Budenholzer (Hawks), and Luke Walton (Lakers) aren’t 100% locks to return, though most of them should — particularly since a few of those clubs weren’t expecting to make the playoffs this season anyway.

While most coaches for playoff teams should be safe, the actual results of the postseason could change the equation. For instance, if the Cavaliers are upset in the first round, that would almost certainly kick off a debate about Tyronn Lue‘s job status.

What do you think? Which head coaches will be replaced this season? Which coaches should be replaced? And which candidates for head coaching jobs do you think should be most coveted this spring when teams are making new hires?

Jump into the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Early Maximum Salary Projections For 2018/19

March 6th, 2018 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the maximum salary a player can earn is limited by a series of criteria that includes his years of NBA experience.

A player with no more than six years of NBA experience who is a free agent this offseason will be able to sign a deal starting at 25% of the salary cap; a player with between seven and nine years of NBA experience can have a starting salary of up to 30% of the cap; and a player with 10 or more years of experience can sign a contract starting at up to 35% of the cap.

There are a few exceptions to these rules. A player can sometimes jump into a higher maximum-salary group based on his career achievements. For instance, due to his track record of All-NBA nods, Kawhi Leonard will be eligible this offseason for a Designated Veteran Extension worth 35% of the cap, despite only having seven NBA seasons under his belt.

Additionally, the maximum salary a specific player is eligible for can sometimes exceed the league-wide limit. This is rare, but it may be the case for LeBron James this summer, since his $35,607,968 player option is higher than the projected league-wide max of $35,350,000. This can happen when a player’s annual raises (up to 8%) exceed the annual growth of the salary cap.

We go into much more detail on the rules surrounding maximum salaries in our glossary entry, so be sure to check out that article for more info. Today though, we want to focus on the current projections for maximum salaries in the 2018/19 season.

The NBA’s most recent salary cap projection for 2018/19 called for a cap of $101MM. That figure could fluctuate in the coming months, and won’t be set in stone until after the NBA Finals, but for now we’ll assume it ends up being accurate.

Listed below are the maximum contracts that this summer’s free agents could sign based on a $101MM cap. The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous team can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with a new team.

As noted above, a player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players. In the charts below, the “6 years or less” column details the maximum projected contracts for players like Aaron Gordon and Clint Capela; the “7-9 years” column applies to free agents like Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins; and the “10+ years” column applies to vets like Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.

Here are the current maximum salary projections for 2018/19:

A player re-signing with his own team (8% annual raises, up to five years):

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2018/19 $25,250,000 $30,300,000 $35,350,000
2019/20 $27,270,000 $32,724,000 $38,178,000
2020/21 $29,290,000 $35,148,000 $41,006,000
2021/22 $31,310,000 $37,572,000 $43,834,000
2022/23 $33,330,000 $39,996,000 $46,662,000
Total $146,450,000 $175,740,000 $205,030,000

A player signing with a new team (5% annual raises, up to four years):

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2018/19 $25,250,000 $30,300,000 $35,350,000
2019/20 $26,512,500 $31,815,000 $37,117,500
2020/21 $27,775,000 $33,330,000 $38,885,000
2021/22 $29,037,500 $34,845,000 $40,652,500
Total $108,575,000 $130,290,000 $152,005,000
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Deadline Looming For Disabled Player Exceptions

March 6th, 2018 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Teams that still have disabled player exceptions at their disposal for the 2017/18 season have less than a week to make use of those exceptions. Typically, disabled player exceptions must be used by March 10 of a given league year, but since that date falls on a Saturday this year, the deadline is extended until Monday, March 12. If a team doesn’t use its DPE by that date, it will expire.

As we detailed earlier this season in a glossary entry, a disabled player exception can be granted by the NBA when a team has a player go down with an injury deemed to be season-ending. The exception gives the club some extra cap flexibility to add an injury replacement by signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.

The deadline for teams to apply for a disabled player exception was January 15. Seven clubs received DPEs this season, with three of those clubs having used them already. Here’s that list:

That leaves just four teams that still have their disabled player exceptions. These four clubs will see their DPEs disappear if they’re not used by March 12:

While it’s still possible that one or two of these teams will use their disabled player exceptions, those exceptions are less useful at this point in the season. The trade deadline has passed, ruling out the possibility of using the DPE in a trade. And any player placed on waivers at this point wouldn’t be eligible for the postseason, limiting the appeal of using the DPE for a waiver claim.

That leaves free agents, and there simply aren’t there many unsigned players out there who would be worth more than the minimum salary. Veterans like Derrick Rose and Tony Allen remain available, but they started the season on minimum salary deals before being waived, so it’s not as if they’d warrant more lucrative contracts now.

Ultimately, it seems likely that the remaining four disabled player exceptions will expire without being used, but we’ll keep an eye on them through next Monday, just in case.

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Fantasy Hoops: Triple-Doubles, Portis, Hezonja

March 5th, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Anthony Davis was named February’s Western Conference Player of the Month, and he deserves it after averaging an NBA-high 35.0 points per game to go along with 13.0 rebounds (third in the league), 2.5 steals (second), and 2.2 blocks (second among players with at least 10 games).

Many thought the Pelicans would fall in the standings after DeMarcus Cousins went down, but Davis willed them to eight wins in the month and they’re in position to claim homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Davis is almost certainly going to end up on nearly every MVP ballot and he’s the top fantasy basketball player going forward.

LeBron James won the Player of the Month award for the Eastern Conference after he averaged a triple-double during the short month. He’s not the only player to average a triple-double this month, as Russell Westbrook also accomplished the feat. Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic came within one assist per game short of averaging a triple-double himself.

Westbrook is the only player to average a triple-double during a month this season prior to LBJ making the list. The UCLA product averaged one during the month of December and had it not been for his 9.9 rebounds per contest during the month of October, he would have accomplished it earlier in the year as well.

Here are a few more notes, along with additional analysis, to help you take care of the competition in fantasy hoops:

  • The Bulls have faith in Bobby Portis – who may be in line for an offseason extension, and you should too. Portis ranked among the top 20 in the league in usage percentage during the month of February and the Bulls inserted him into the starting lineup on Monday against the Celtics after he showcased his talent off the bench for most of the season. In the 12 games entering Monday’s contest, Portis scored 16.3 points per game on 14.3 shots from the field. During that stretch, he added 7.6 rebounds and 1.5 three-pointers per game. Double-check your waiver wire to make sure the former No. 22 overall pick isn’t still available.
  • J.J. Barea quietly had the sixth-most assists during the month of February. The Mavericks guard has cooled off a bit since the calendar turned, but he remains a nice fantasy asset.
  • Magic forward Mario Hezonja seems to be coming back down to earth, though he remains a useful streaming option. Consistency will be an issue, but Hezonja should be able to chip in several categories for those who continue to toss him into the lineup.
  • All teams play three or four games this week except for Minnesota. The Timberwolves only have two contests.
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Weekly Mailbag: 2/26/18 – 3/4/18

March 4th, 2018 at 7:32pm 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.

Do you think the Pelicans will make Anthony Davis available this offseason if they aren’t able to re-sign DeMarcus Cousins? Could the Celtics be a fit for both Davis and Kawhi Leonard? Would it work with the current salary cap? — Patrick Nyen

The cap isn’t the issue, as both players would have to be traded and salaries would have to be matched. The Celtics have no way to meet that requirement without giving up two of their three most expensive players: Gordon Hayward, Al Horford and Kyrie Irving. Even if Boston was willing to part with them, the Pelicans won’t let go of Davis, no matter what happens with Cousins or anyone else on the roster. He has become a legitimate MVP candidate while keeping New Orleans alive in the playoff race. The more intriguing case is Leonard, who is eligible for a super max extension this summer and can opt out after next season. We don’t know how much of the rumored behind-the-scenes feud is true, but the Spurs are facing a difficult decision on a star player who has only been on the court for nine games this season. If they can’t work out an extension, San Antonio will start to look at trades and the Celtics will surely make an offer.

I propose that the draft lottery order should be set based on team records two days prior to the trading deadline. What are the arguments against this? It seems like a win-win. It would not put an end to full-season tanking a la “the Process,” but it would end late-season tanking, which is a far more widespread problem. — Mike Loroz
Commissioner Adam Silver has been very vocal about his opposition to tanking, so a proposal similar to yours is possible. The idea of a tournament involving lottery teams has also been suggested with the final playoff spot as a prize. Either move would represent a radical change from the way things have been done for decades, which is enough to spark opposition from at least a few of the owners. Some in smaller markets also like the comfort that tanking offers as a way to rebuild a team around low-cost rookie contracts. No matter what form it takes, it’s clear that change is coming, which will be good for the league. It’s hard to imagine a worse system than what’s in place now, where teams are rewarded for failing but they can’t be obvious about trying to lose or make any public comment on their efforts.
What are the chances Doc Rivers will coach the Knicks next season? — George K., via Twitter
It looks like Jeff Hornacek’s time is about done in New York, where he spent two tumultuous seasons trying to stay above water amid roster turnover, injuries and feuds between the front office and star players. Rivers was popular when he played for the Knicks and would probably be interested in the job if he doesn’t have a future with the Clippers. He has one year left on his contract in L.A. and may be ready to move on if he can’t reach an extension this summer. Rivers has done an exceptional coaching job to keep the injury-riddled Clippers in the playoff race, but he lost power last summer when his front-office responsibilities were taken away, and the organization may be headed toward rebuilding after trading away Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Unless he gets fired, the Knicks would have to send compensation to the Clippers to get their hands on Rivers, but that’s a small price to pay if he’s the coach they want.
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