Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Checking In On 10-Day Contracts

March 12th, 2018 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Only nine players signed 10-day contracts prior to the All-Star break this season, but 10-day deals have dominated the NBA’s transaction wire in recent weeks. Currently, 13 of the league’s 30 teams are carrying at least one player on a 10-day contract, giving them the opportunity to take a look at that player without being committed to him for the rest of the season.

Ten-day contracts turn over frequently and can be a challenge to keep up with, which is why we created a tracker to keep tabs on all the 10-day deals around the NBA. Updated daily, our tracker shows which 10-day contract recipients still have active deals.

With the help of our tracker, here’s a quick roundup of the players currently on 10-day contracts, along with a handful of players whose deals recently expired. The expiration date noted below for each player represents the final day of his contract.

Active 10-day contracts:

Recently expired 10-day contracts that haven’t been renewed:

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Weekly Mailbag: 3/5/18 – 3/11/18

March 11th, 2018 at 1:00pm 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.

LeBron James becomes a free agent this summer and listed four teams — Cavs, Rockets, Lakers and Sixers. Do you think he would consider the basketball Mecca, New York, with Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Emmanuel Mudiay? — Jonathan Joyner, via Twitter

As much as LeBron might enjoy the benefits of being a star in New York, the Knicks aren’t in position to be a serious bidder right now. James is focused on winning championships and New York is a long way from that level, especially with Porzingis expected to be sidelined until at least December. Cap space is also a concern for the Knicks, who will be on the edge of the cap if Enes Kanter, Ron Baker and Kyle O’Quinn all exercise their options for next season. But be patient because New York will have a much better chance to chase elite free agents in the summer of 2019.

The way Mikal Bridges is playing I feel his stock is rising. Will he still be available when the Knicks make their first pick in the 2018 NBA draft? — Loose Joint, via Twitter

The draft order remains unpredictable, with the Knicks holding the ninth spot in our current Reverse Standings. They are two wins behind the Bulls and at least three wins behind the other seven teams, which is a lot of ground to make up now that tanking season is in full effect. Bridges checks in at No. 10 in ESPN’s latest mock draft, which is nearly three weeks old, but it’s hard to see him rising much higher with all the elite talent at the top. Bridges is a versatile forward who can play defense, and he looks like an effective long-term running mate for Porzingis. If the Knicks are interested, he should still be on the board when they are on the clock.

Do you see Nerlens Noel staying long term in Dallas? I think it didn’t work good enough and he could try to sign with another team this offseason. If it happens, how much do you think he can sign for and what team do you think will pursue him? Very few teams will have cap space this summer. — Ralph Brandao

Noel will be one of this summer’s wild cards and could wind up being a huge bargain or could be vastly overpaid. He turns 24 next month and has the size and athleticism to become a productive center, especially on defense. However, he hasn’t produced much in Philadelphia or Dallas, so whoever signs him will be taking a chance. It’s hard to imagine a team giving him a full mid-level exception, which now tops $8MM, but you never know once prime free agents start coming off the board. The most likely scenario for Noel is a modest short-term contract where he gets a chance to prove himself — maybe one year with a player option for a second — and plenty of teams will have the cap flexibility to make such an offer.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: NCAA Tournament Prospects

March 10th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Our focus at Hoops Rumors is always on the NBA, but the rest of the basketball world will be concentrating on the college game for the next few weeks. Casual fans of the NCAA may be getting their first look at some of the top players who have been filling up mock drafts throughout the winter.

It appears that for the third straight season, the No. 1 pick won’t be in the tournament. Scouts say Slovenian star Luka Doncic has an NBA-ready game, and he may be the safest choice in June. However, there will be plenty of lottery picks on display when the tourney kicks off this week.

Here are a few names to consider when filling out your brackets:

  • DeAndre Ayton, Arizona — The seven-footer is second behind Doncic in the latest mock draft compiled by Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Ayton brings a major presence on both ends of the court and is averaging 19.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. The Wildcats are in the Pac 12 finals tonight and appear to be headed for a top four seed.
  • Marvin Bagley III, Duke — Bagley is another imposing inside presence who may be able to succeed at center or power forward in the NBA. He is averaging 21.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per night while shooting better than 60% from the field for a Blue Devils team that will also be among the top seeds.
  • Mo Bamba, Texas — This year’s draft is rich in big men, and Bamba may be the most imposing of them all, at least on defense. He averaged 3.7 blocks per game this year to go with 12.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. The Longhorns were a second-round loser in the Big 12 tournament, but appear to be safe for an NCAA bid.
  • Jaren Jackson, Michigan State — Another intimidating big man, Jackson blocked 3.2 shots per game while scoring 11.3 points and pulling down 5.8 rebounds. He shoots nearly 40% from 3-point range, a quality that teams are looking for in a modern center.
  • Michael Porter Jr., Missouri — Porter was one of the top recruits in the nation last summer and may have had a shot at being the top pick if not for a back injury that wiped out nearly his entire season. He returned for the SEC Tournament and could have an even greater presence once the NCAAs begin.
  • The nation’s top two point guards could both have nervous waits tomorrow as the field of 68 is unveiled. Collin Sexton‘s Alabama team may have secured a late bid by beating Auburn on Friday, while Trae Young‘s Oklahoma team is on the bubble after a second-half slump.

We want to get your input. Which players are you most looking forward to watching under the March Madness spotlight? Jump into the comments section below and give us your feedback.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/3/18 – 3/10/18

March 10th, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement the news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2018 NBA Free Agent Stock Watch: Atlanta Hawks

March 9th, 2018 at 8:47pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hawks are in the early stages of a rebuild after years as a modest contender in the Eastern Conference. Given new general manager Travis Schlenk‘s desire to preserve cap flexibility, you can imagine the franchise will be particularly prudent when free agency resumes in July.

As things stand, the club has just $70.5MM on the books for next season, a figure that drops to $60.2MM if you subtract a pair of player options that we’ll discuss below.

The Hawks will have little incentive to keep their payroll that tight given the salary floor projected in the $85MM range but they’ll be dead-set against committing to inconsequential long-term deals unless it comes in the form of a trade for a significant asset.

Dewayne Dedmon, C, 28 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $12.3MM deal in 2017
After years as a journeyman, Dedmon began to make a name for himself as a surprisingly productive reserve for a legitimate contender in San Antonio. While he never played enough minutes to make it onto the mainstream radar, he’s a value add that landed in an ideal environment in Atlanta. Though Dedmon has stepped up in the biggest opportunity of his career thus far, he doesn’t have much of a role with the Hawks long term given the fact that, at 28 years of age, he doesn’t really fit their timeline. Expect him to turn down his player option and hit the open market in search of a raise from his current $6MM salary. Dedmon could be a double-double talent for any team that really wanted him to be but it’s more likely that he settles in as a go-to frontcourt bench option with his stellar career per-36 rates.

Malcolm Delaney, PG, 29 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $5MM deal in 2016
It’s hard to imagine that Delaney will generate much interested as a restricted free agent considering his age and 5.7 career point-per-game average but that doesn’t mean the franchise won’t look to bring him back on a short-term deal if they simply need bodies that the coaching staff is familiar with. If he’s not back in Atlanta, however, he may have a hard time landing a gig.

Mike Muscala, 27, C (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $10MM deal in 2017
Having carved out a role for himself as a decent defensive big man with a plus three-point shot, Muscala could conceivably draw interest from other teams if he turned down his player option for 2018/19. In reality, however, it’s hard to imagine Muscala definitively emerging from a crowded center market to land a deal better than his current one. Muscala isn’t a spring chicken by NBA standards but prolonging a free agency decision until 2019, when he’s 28 years old, wouldn’t be an awful idea.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

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.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

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!

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

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.

Retweet 12 Share 0 Send via email0

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!

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

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.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts