Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Community Shootaround: Brandon Jennings

February 27th, 2017 at 8:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks released Brandon Jennings earlier today after the point guard asked for an opportunity to join a playoff team. Jennings, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal with New York in the offseason, will have the opportunity to sign with any team should he clear waivers.

He was initially linked to the Hornets, but it was later reported that Charlotte was unlikely to pursue the former No. 10 overall pick. The Wizards have been mentioned as a landing spot, with Marc Stein of ESPN.com reporting that Washington is at the “front of the line.”

Washington would be a great fit for the point guard. The franchise’s starting five can compete with any team in the league, but its bench unit is an area of concern. The Wizards addressed the issue by adding Bojan Bogdanovic in a trade with the Nets, but they could use another player who can create offense off in their second unit.

So that leads us to tonight’s shootaround topic: Which team would be the best fit for Brandon Jennings? Should he sign with the Wizards or should another team make a run at signing the 27-year-old?

The Jazz could use a point guard off the bench. The team wants to make a postseason run and adding Jennings could provide insurance of sorts in case George Hill can’t stay on the court. Utah has roughly 13.6MM in cap space, so the team could claim Jennings and not have to worry about convincing him to sign.

The Pelicans are thin in the backcourt after the DeMarcus Cousins trade. Jennings could provide the team with depth as it looks to win the Western Conference eighth seed race.

It appears Kyle Lowry is going to miss the rest of the regular season for the Raptors and while Jennings isn’t going to match Lowry’s impact on the nightly basis, he’s not a bad replacement for a team that’s looking to maintain a top-4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Do you think any of these teams should make a run at Jennings or is there another team that would be a better fit. Take to the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings

February 27th, 2017 at 9:28am CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the 2016/17 NBA season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on how the 2017 draft order will look. Our 2016/17 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, will be updated daily to reflect the previous night’s outcomes.

Our Reverse Standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what 2017’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. In addition to not considering the results of the lottery, our tracker lists teams in random order when they have identical records. At the end of the year, those ties would be broken via random drawings.

Traded picks – and conditionally traded picks – are mentioned via footnotes. That includes the first-round picks that were traded before last Thursday’s trade deadline. For instance, the note next to the Kings‘ pick says that Sacramento will send its pick to the Bulls if it’s not in the top 10. If the Kings’ pick is in the top 10, the 76ers would have the right to swap selections, so that footnote is included next to the Sixers’ pick as well.

As of today, the 25-34 Kings are tied for the league’s 11th-worst record, which means they’d send their pick to Chicago. That could change quickly, however — the gap between Sacramento and Philadelphia (22-36, fifth-worst record) isn’t significant.

Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on our right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2017. So be sure to check back often!

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Weekly Mailbag: 2/20/17 – 2/26/17

February 26th, 2017 at 11:04am 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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

If Detroit traded Andre Drummond, who would be most likely to trade for him and what would they trade? — Mark Holmes

The Celtics and Trail Blazers were among the teams that contacted the Pistons about Drummond last week. Detroit coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said there wasn’t a “serious discussion” about trading Drummond, but interested teams were definitely calling. Boston has other priorities, with trade talks for Jimmy Butler and Paul George expected to heat up again this summer. Portland could use a dominant center, but the Blazers reportedly ended talks when the Pistons asked for C.J. McCollum, who the Blazers view as untouchable. The Nets may be a team to watch this summer if Detroit wants to get out of the huge financial commitment it made to Drummond with last year’s extension. Brook Lopez has just one year left on his deal at a little more than $22.6MM, and Drummond could be a nice centerpiece for Brooklyn to build around.

What is the likelihood that Phil Jackson joins L.A. now that Magic Johnson is in charge? — Alek Miletic

It wasn’t long ago that Knicks fans were welcoming Jackson as the man to fix the organization. Now they want to push him out the door. Owner James Dolan said earlier this month that he won’t opt out of Jackson’s deal, meaning the Zen Master will remain team president for at least two more years if he wants the job. The Knicks are barely on the edge of the playoff race, Jackson is locked in a power struggle with the team’s star player and the organization recently had an embarrassing incident with one of its legends. Leaving would be the easy way out, but Jackson doesn’t want to be perceived as running away from a sinking ship. Also, Magic Johnson is fully in charge of the Lakers now, so Jackson would have considerably less power in L.A. than he does in New York. We also don’t know how frosty Jackson’s relationship is with Jeanie Buss, who may not want to hire her former fiance’. That might be enough to keep Jackson where he is for two more seasons.

It’s clear that LeBron James is no longer able to claim this title of No. 1 player in the world. He may not even be the best player on his own team [see Kyrie Irving]. So who is? Kevin Durant? Kawhi Leonard? Russell Westbrook? — Michael Brajczewski

It really isn’t that clear. James is scoring slightly more [25.7 points per game] this season than he has since his return to Cleveland and he’s averaging a career-best 8.9 assists per night. He doesn’t have to put up triple doubles every game to prove that he’s still an elite player, and we all know he will ultimately be judged by what the Cavaliers do in the playoffs. Durant, Leonard and Westbrook are all great. You could add Stephen Curry, James Harden and possibly a few others as contenders for LeBron’s crown. But look at it this way. If the Cavaliers had been offered any of those players this week in exchange for LeBron, do you think they would have made the deal?

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Teams Below Salary Cap For 2016/17

February 25th, 2017 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

At this point in the season, most teams aren’t going to do much with any leftover cap room. Teams are no longer able to make trades, and most free agents still on the market won’t demand more than the minimum.

Still, there’s reason to consider which teams remain below the cap after this week’s trade activity. With useful veteran players potentially hitting the free agent market as a result of contract buyouts, a team with some extra cap room might have a leg up on teams without any spending flexibility.

For instance, if the Rockets and Warriors were to pursue the same free agent – perhaps Andrew Bogut, if he’s bought out by the Sixers – Houston could offer a deal worth up to about $3.5MM with cap room, while Golden State would be limited to offering a prorated minimum salary worth closer to $400K. That’s a significant difference.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on teams that remain below the minimum salary floor, since those clubs could enter the bidding for a bought-out player or could claim a player off waivers. The Jazz, for instance, probably don’t need a big man like Bogut, but if they wanted him and he became available, Utah has enough cap room to claim his entire $11MM+ contract. That would keep him off the open market and allow the Jazz to surpass the salary floor.

Using our Salary Cap Snapshots, let’s take a closer look at the teams below the cap, starting with teams still below the salary floor:

Teams below the salary floor:

  1. Utah Jazz: $13.64MM below cap ($4.23MM below floor)
  2. Minnesota Timberwolves: $12.66MM below cap ($3.24MM below floor)
  3. Denver Nuggets: $11.56MM below cap ($2.15MM below floor)
  4. Brooklyn Nets: $10.21MM below cap ($793K below floor)

Less than a month ago, there were six teams below the salary floor. Since then, the Nets and Nuggets have taken major steps toward the floor, while the Suns and Sixers have gotten above it entirely. That leaves the Jazz and Timberwolves as the clubs furthest below the salary floor.

As we’ve noted in the past, there’s no real penalty if a team remains below the floor — the team simply has to make up the difference by paying their current players a little more money. However, the Jazz and Wolves figure to be mulling other opportunities to reach the floor. That could mean placing a waiver claim or – in Utah’s case – renegotiating a contract.

We haven’t heard any rumors lately about the Jazz discussing a new deal with an extension-eligible veteran like George Hill or Derrick Favors, so that seems like a long shot. But the team does have until the end of February to renegotiate and extend either player’s contract, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Teams below the cap, but above the floor:

  1. Phoenix Suns: $9.226MM below cap
  2. Philadelphia 76ers: $8.62MM below cap
  3. Indiana Pacers: $4.14MM below cap
  4. Boston Celtics: $1.11MM below cap

Although the Suns and Sixers have inched above the salary floor, they’re not necessarily out of the woods quite yet. Phoenix needs the contracts of Jared Sullinger and Mike Scott to pass through waivers unclaimed, while the Sixers will require the same for Bogut if they eventually cut him. If any of those deals are claimed, they’ll move to another team’s cap, pushing Phoenix or Philadelphia back below the floor.

Teams that could clear cap room by renouncing exceptions:

  1. Houston Rockets: $3.54MM below cap if TPEs are renounced (largest TPE: $3.33MM)
  2. Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.05MM below cap if lone TPE ($4.94MM) is renounced
  3. Milwaukee Bucks: $1.75MM below cap if TPEs are renounced (largest TPE: $5MM)
  4. Chicago Bulls: $1.59MM below cap if lone TPE ($5.46MM) is renounced

These teams are technically over the cap, but could go under if they chose to renounce their trade exceptions. In some cases, that might not make much sense. For instance, the Bucks and Bulls would have less than $2MM in cap room if they renounced their exceptions. Both teams have trade exceptions worth at least $5MM, so it probably makes sense to stay over the cap for now and see if those exceptions come in handy around the draft.

On the other hand, the amount of cap room the Rockets would have if they renounced their trade exceptions would be greater than the amount of their largest TPE, so it makes sense for Houston to dip below the cap, expunging those TPEs from their books. That would also allow the Rockets to use cap room to sign a free agent, something they couldn’t do using a trade exception.

The rest of the NBA’s 18 teams don’t currently have cap room. That includes the Lakers, whose moves this week took them over the cap by just $316K.

Retweet 9 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/18/17 – 2/25/17

February 25th, 2017 at 12:59pm CST by Austin Kent

It was a wild week in the NBA, starting with All-Star Weekend and ending with the aftermath of the trade deadline. When not covering breaking news, our writers put together some original content of their own. Take a look at some of our favorite pieces from throughout the league.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Send Us Your Mailbag Questions, Hoops Links Submissions

February 24th, 2017 at 8:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Every Sunday at Hoops Rumors, we publish a pair of features that rely on input and submissions from our readers. One is our Weekly Mailbag, in which Arthur Hill answers a few questions related to the latest news and rumors from around the NBA. The second is our Hoops Links feature, which showcases a selection of notable NBA blog entries from all over the internet. In each instance, the content for those features comes from you.

Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here for consideration for our Weekly Mailbag: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com.

Got a new NBA blog post that you’d like to see featured on Hoops Rumors? You can send the URL and a brief description of the piece to hoopslinks@gmail.com for consideration.

Be sure to send us your new mailbag questions and NBA blog posts each week, and check back every Sunday to see if you’ve been featured in that week’s installment!

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Post-Deadline Housekeeping: New TPEs, Open Roster Spots

February 24th, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

There were no superstars on the move on Thursday, but NBA teams made eight trades, and there were many more signings and cuts completed once the deadline passed. In the wake of the deadline, we’ll take a look at a few roster- and cap-related notes, rounding up the new traded player exceptions that teams created on Thursday, as well as examining which teams still have space available on their rosters.

Let’s dive in…

New trade exceptions:

Several over-the-cap teams acquired new trade exceptions on Thursday. They’ll all expire on February 23, 2018, a year after they were created, or until they’re used or renounced by the teams below. If a club wants to use cap room, it must renounce its trade exceptions, but until then, these TPEs can be used in the summer or next season to acquire players.

Here’s the breakdown, in order of TPE value:

  • Dallas Mavericks: $6,642,537
  • Chicago Bulls: $5,462,000
  • Milwaukee Bucks: $5,000,000
  • Atlanta Hawks: $3,333,334
  • Houston Rockets: $3,333,333
  • Dallas Mavericks: $1,514,160
  • Houston Rockets: $612,172
  • Toronto Raptors: $328,000
  • Houston Rockets: $233,880

Some notes related to these TPEs:

  • Multiple teams on this list, including the Rockets and Bucks, could open up cap room by renouncing their trade exceptions. In Houston’s case, this is particularly notable, since the club would create more than $3.5MM in cap space by renouncing these TPEs. That cap room could come in handy very soon if the Rockets are trying to entice a free agent to sign with them instead of another contender that can only offer the minimum.
  • As is always the case with TPEs, some of these exceptions will be more useful than others. The Mavericks could end up doing something interesting with their $6.6MM+ TPE, but the Raptors will almost certainly never use theirs for $328K.
  • The Thunder also came out of Thursday’s action with a new TPE — sort of. Oklahoma City had created a trade exception worth $7.4MM on November 1 when the team sent Ersan Ilyasova to Philadelphia. The Thunder used a portion of that exception at the deadline to absorb Doug McDermott‘s salary, leaving approximately $4.94MM left on it. OKC will have until November 1 to use the rest of that TPE.
  • For the complete list of trade exceptions across the NBA, click here.

Teams with open roster spots:

A day after the trade deadline, the list of teams with open roster spots is incredibly fluid. Some teams that acquired players in trades don’t have any use for those players, and will waive them. Other clubs will fill roster holes with D-League call-ups, while other teams will be a little more patient and wait out the buyout market.

All of this is to say that this list is up to date at the time of publication, but could change quickly as teams make more moves this weekend. Here are the teams that currently have at least one open spot on their 15-man roster, with their player count noted in parentheses:

  • Charlotte Hornets (13): The 10-day contracts for Ray McCallum and Mike Tobey expired overnight, so Charlotte has two open spots. The team reportedly plans to use one on Johnny O’Bryant.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (14): The Cavs have 13 guaranteed contracts, plus Derrick Williams‘ 10-day deal. The team expects to sign Deron Williams as well, so if any other roster additions are coming after that, Cleveland would need to clear a roster spot.
  • Dallas Mavericks (13): The Mavs have two openings after completing a two-for-one trade with the Sixers, then waiving Deron Williams.
  • Houston Rockets (14): The Rockets opened up a roster spot by trading K.J. McDaniels, and may waive Marcelo Huertas as well. Houston is expected to be active on the buyout market.
  • Milwaukee Bucks (14): The Bucks created a roster opening by sending Roy Hibbert to Denver, and they’re expected to fill it by signing Axel Toupane to a 10-day contract.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (14): Unlike most of the teams on this list, the Wolves have carried an open roster spot for a while, and that didn’t change at the deadline.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (14): The Thunder traded three players to Chicago and received just two in return, creating an opening. They have their eye on free agents and buyout candidates.
  • Orlando Magic (14): Like Minnesota, the Magic were carrying an open roster spot prior to the deadline and didn’t make a move on Thursday.

The Suns will join this list as soon as they officially waive Mike Scott and Jared Sullinger, as is expected. They’ll fill one of those two newly-open spots with Ronnie Price. There are also three teams that have full 15-man rosters with at least one player on a 10-day contract. The Hawks, Warriors, and Pelicans fall into this category, with Briante Weber‘s second 10-day deal in Golden State set to expire soon.

For a full breakdown of NBA roster counts, check out our list.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

2017 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

February 23rd, 2017 at 11:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2017 NBA trade deadline itself turned out to be a little underwhelming, with no big-name players moved in the last few minutes before 2:00pm CT, and teams like the Celtics, Cavaliers, Pacers, and Pistons standing pat. However, a couple notable players were on the move today, and a few interesting names – including one All-NBA center – were traded in the days leading up to February 23.

Here’s a recap of 2017’s deadline deals, starting with the moves completed today…

(Note: The Rockets’ acquisition of Lou Williams, which wasn’t made official until today, will be considered a February 23 trade. Additionally, not all the deals below have been officially finalized yet, so for now our recap is based on what has been reported.)

Trades completed on deadline day:

February 23

  • Raptors acquire P.J. Tucker
  • Suns acquire Jared Sullinger, Raptors’ 2017 second-round pick, Raptors’ 2018 second-round pick, and cash ($1MM).

February 23

February 23

  • Nuggets acquire Roy Hibbert.
  • Bucks acquire Nuggets’ 2019 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

February 23

February 23

  • Suns acquire Mike Scott, draft rights to Cenk Akyol, and cash ($500K).
  • Hawks acquire Suns’ 2017 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

February 23

February 23

  • Mavericks acquire Nerlens Noel.
  • Sixers acquire Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut, and Mavericks’ 2017 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
  • Sixers will get Mavs’ second-round picks in 2017 (56-60 protected) and 2018 (56-60 protected) if first-rounder doesn’t convey.

February 23

Trades completed in the 10 days leading up to the deadline:

February 22

  • Hawks acquire Ersan Ilyasova.
  • Sixers acquire Tiago Splitter, Heat’s 2017 second-round pick (top-40 protected), and the right to swap Warriors’ 2017 second-round pick for Hawks’ second-round pick.

February 22

February 20

February 14

  • Raptors acquire Serge Ibaka.
  • Magic acquire Terrence Ross and less favorable of Raptors’ and Clippers’ 2017 first-round picks.

February 13

  • Hornets acquire Chris Andersen and cash.
  • Cavaliers acquire Hornets’ 2017 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

February 13

  • Trail Blazers acquire Jusuf Nurkic and Grizzlies’ 2017 first-round pick (top-five protected).
  • Nuggets acquire Mason Plumlee, less favorable of Kings’ and Trail Blazers’ 2018 second-round picks, and cash ($2.85MM).
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Deadline Winners and Losers

February 23rd, 2017 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

The final hours before the 2017 trade deadline may not have produced any blockbusters, but they didn’t lack for excitement. Eight deals were completed today involving 11 teams, and rumors involving Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose and others kept the intensity level high right up until 3 p.m. Eastern time.

This year’s biggest deal came four days before the deadline when the Kings agreed to send DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans. Several other significant trades were completed in the past 10 days as some teams got their roster work out of the way early.

Apart from New Orleans, Toronto looks like a major winner, picking up Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker in separate deals. Both should see plenty of playing time as the Raptors hope to challenge for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Some teams decided their best strategy was to stand still. The Pacers turned down all offers for George, and the Bulls elected to hold onto Butler. Both teams may revisit those decisions in the offseason, but for today neither one moved. The Celtics let the deadline pass without a deal, holding on to Brooklyn’s first-rounders in the next two drafts along with a collection of young talent.

Some teams turned their focus to buyout season, which started this afternoon when the Mavericks waived Deron Williams. He seems certain to wind up with the Cavaliers, who are also interested in Andrew Bogut if he agrees to a buyout with the Sixers. However, the Cavs will face competition from the Rockets, who have $3.54MM in cap space, along with the Spurs and maybe others.

Now that the teams have made their decisions, we want to hear yours. Who were the winners and losers from this year’s deadline? Who made the best deal, who made the worst and who should have been more active?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to what you have to say.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Fantasy Hoops: Williams, Cousins, Hield

February 21st, 2017 at 10:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more analysis.

Breaking Down The Trades: Part 2

The Lakers send Lou Williams to the Rockets for Corey Brewer and a future first-round pick.

Lou Williams was on the trade block all week and now that he’s heading to Houston, his fantasy value takes a hit. He still belongs on all season-long rosters, as he’s going to get a chance to contribute in high-powered offense. The Rockets rank second in the league in offensive efficiency and they’re fourth in PACE, so a reduced role doesn’t mean you’re dropping him.

Williams is having a career year in terms of efficiency. He’s hitting a career-high 38.6% of his 3-pointers this season and his true shooting percentage sits at 60.9%, which is also the highest of his career. His new teammate James Harden is one of the only guards with a higher player efficiency rating than Williams this season (Chris Paul, Westbrook and Isaiah Thomas are the only other guards with a higher PER).

Corey Brewer remains off the fantasy radar after the trade, but there’s a player on the Lakers who’s impacted by this trade. Jordan Clarkson should see his value rise considerably. Clarkson has played nearly 75% of his minutes alongside Williams this season and in fact, the two have played together the most minutes out of any two-man combination on the Lakers, per NBA.com. Williams led the team in usage rate this season and with him out of the picture, Clarkson could become a player worth rostering in every league.

Kings send DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a first-round pick.

“It’s ridiculous. It’s obvious what’s being done out here. It’s a nightly basis. I hope the world can see now what’s really going on out here. It’s getting ridiculous. It’s really ridiculous. … Yes. This is ridiculous, man. Ridiculous,” DeMarcus Cousin said.

How did that get up there? That’s what Cousins said about the referees after a game earlier this season and not what he said about the Kings organization after he was traded. Coincidentally, it’s what many casual observers were thinking when the Kings traded him in the middle of the night on Sunday. We passed along notes and reactions on the deal from reporters and teams from around the league and you can find them here, here and here. Let’s get into what the trade means in the fantasy realm.

For starters, Cousins isn’t going to keep up his historic usage rate. His 35.8% rate ranks second in the league behind Russell Westbrook and it would rank ninth all-time if he ended the season at that mark (Westbrook’s currently at 42.4%, which would be the best mark in league history if he maintains that rate through the end of the year).

Anthony Davis currently ranks 12th in the league with a metric of 29.6 and while both he and Cousins will see a decline in usage, it shouldn’t impact their fantasy values too much. Cousins is still a top-15 player overall and Davis remains in the top-5.

For the Kings’ side of the deal, it’ll be interesting to see if they agree to a buyout with Tyreke Evans. If he remains in town, he’s worth keeping an eye on. His minutes have been limited because of an ankle injury, but he played nearly 52 minutes in his final two contests before the All-Star break. He’ll have a great opportunity in Sacramento should he be healthy enough to stay on the court.

Willie Cauley-Stein will see his fantasy stock rise the most from this transaction. He’ll get to roam the paint in the Kings’ new free-flowing offense and he’s worth adding in all season long leagues.

Darren Collison should also see a boost in value if he remains on the team. He’s rumored to be on the trade block, so he may be a sell-high candidate in fantasy right now, as it’s unlikely that his new role will provide him with as much opportunity as he’s seen this season.

Buddy Hield may not be worth rostering right now, but it’s easy to envision him taking on a major role within a few weeks. Hield got off to a slow start to the season, but he’s made 43.0% of his 3-pointers since the start of December and he’s begun to look like an NBA player. Team owner Vivek Ranadive loves Hield’s game and it wouldn’t be ridiculous for the team put him in position to showcase his offensive skills. I’d speculate that the Kings eventually start to funnel him the ball akin to what the Sixers did during Michael Carter-Williams‘ and Nerlens Noel‘s respective rookie campaigns.

Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.

Statistics are current through the All-Star break.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts