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Community Shootaround: Best Point Guard Ever

August 26th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry isn’t reluctant to stake his claim as one of the best point guards in NBA history. The Warriors star put himself in elite company during a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast.

“It’s me and Magic (Johnson), is that the conversation? Obviously, I have to answer that way,” Curry said in response to a question from Arenas. “Magic’s resume is ridiculous. So the fact that we’re having that conversation, that’s the place I never thought I’d be in.”

Both players are obviously on the short list of legendary point guards. They amassed a wealth of titles and individual honors throughout their careers, and both significantly changed the way the game is played.

Curry is a four-time champion, a two-time scoring leader, a nine-time All-Star and a two-time MVP who was the first player in league history to win the award in a unanimous vote. He has 21,712 career points, 5,740 assists and a record 3,390 three-pointers, and at age 35 he still has time to add to those numbers.

Johnson was among the most dynamic players of the 1980s and the catalyst for the “Showtime” Lakers. He was an All-Star in 10 of his first 11 seasons, missing only because of injury, before HIV forced him into his first retirement in 1991. He won five titles, three MVP awards and three Finals MVP honors. With 17,707 career points and 10,141 assists, Johnson was voted onto the league’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

While Curry and Johnson are strong candidates, there are plenty of others to consider:

  • In the 1960s and early ’70s, Oscar Robertson was routinely putting up triple-doubles before it was celebrated as a stat. The 1964 MVP spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Royals before winning his only NBA title with the Bucks in 1971. He was an All-Star in his first 12 NBA seasons, being named MVP of the game three times, and was a nine-time first-team All-NBA selection.
  • Lakers star Jerry West was a contemporary of Robertson’s and his rival as the best guard in the game at the time. West was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons and was an All-NBA selection 12 times. He was named Finals MVP in 1969 even though the Lakers lost the series, then won his only championship in 1972.
  • John Stockton is the NBA’s career leader in assists with 15,806 and led the league in that category for nine straight seasons. The 10-time All-Star is also the league’s all-time steals champ with 3,265 and was named to the All-Defensive Team five times. He spent his entire 19-year career with the Jazz and remained productive through age 40.
  • Isiah Thomas led the “Bad Boy” Pistons to titles in 1989 and 1990 at a time when the Lakers and Celtics were dominating the league. The 12-time All-Star was named Finals MVP in 1990 and twice captured All-Star MVP honors.
  • Chris Paul is the only active point guard with a resume similar to Curry’s, although without a similar level of playoff success. A 12-time All-Star, Paul led the NBA in assists five times and in steals six times. He’s an 11-time All-NBA and nine-time All-Defensive Team selection.
  • Steve Nash is a two-time MVP who also revolutionized the game with his accomplishments in Phoenix. An eight-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection, he reached the 50-40-90 club as a shooter four times in his career.

There are many more to consider, such as Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Nate Archibald, Pete Maravich and others, and we could go on much longer about their place in the history of the league. But we want to get your opinion. Who’s really the best point guard that has ever played? Please leave your response in the space below.

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Three Candidates To Be Promoted From Two-Way Contracts

August 26th, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Tristan Tucker

While there is still a bit of time before NBA training camps open, we have a good idea of what most team rosters will look like to begin the season. As we recently detailed, 70 of the league’s 90 available two-way contracts are currently filled. Since those players only have $75K in guaranteed money, however, teams have plenty of flexibility to make changes, whether those come in the form of cuts or promotions to standard deals.

Since the inception of the two-way contract in 2017, dozens of players have been called up from two-way deals to standard contracts. Players like Paul Reed, Chris Boucher and Alex Caruso are among the players to cash in their two-way deals into big standard contracts with their impressive play and development over time. The Heat made waves in the 2023 NBA Finals when several rotation players on their team made big contributions, many of whom spent time on two-way deals, including Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin.

While the Heat are an extreme case of two-way players becoming highly paid standard contract players, more and more teams seem to be recognizing the value of these developmental spots. Almost every team currently has a G League affiliate and those who don’t have committed to adding one. And this year, the NBA increased two-way contract spots from two per team to three, creating 30 new roster spots.

As noted above, teams are still figuring out what to do with those spots, but there are currently players signed to two-way deals who seem poised to continue the trend of promotions making an impact. With that said, here are three prime candidates to be elevated from their two-way deals to standard contracts sometime during the ’23/24 season, whether or not it happens during the preseason process.

Lester Quinones

Quinones wasn’t on many public top 100 big boards ahead of the 2022 NBA draft, so it was a mild surprise to see him signed to a two-way contract right after the draft. Though he was signed, Quinones was an example of a two-way player getting shuffled around in the preseason, and he ended up getting cut before the season began.

More roster shuffling occurred in March and Quinones penned a 10-day deal before being signed to a two-way deal to close out the year. During the time in between, the Memphis product put up terrific numbers for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League, averaging 20.2 points in the regular season and showcase and he shot 37.5% from deep on 7.7 attempts. Quinones continued dominating in the summer during Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged 21.2 points and 5.2 assists. The Warriors re-signed Quinones to another two-way deal in late July.

The Warriors have a ton of roster flexibility moving forward. They have just 13 players signed to standard deals and only Quinones occupies a two-way deal. Preseason and training camp seems like an ample opportunity for the 6’5″ guard to reverse his fortunes from a year ago and get promoted to the main roster.

Lindell Wigginton

Like Quinones, Wigginton is a guy who has been lost in Milwaukee’s back-end roster shuffling. Wigginton has been in Milwaukee’s system for two seasons, playing for the Bucks on a two-way deal in 2021/22, not being re-signed, then later being added to another two-way deal at the end of the ’22/23 season.

Wigginton averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 assists last season in the G League across 38 regular season and Showcase Cup games. The 6’2″ lead guard also has 26 games of NBA experience (one start), holding averages of 5.0 points and 1.4 assists.

The Bucks don’t have a logical way to add Wigginton to their main roster before the ’23/24 season begins. Their 15-man roster is set and a trade or cut prior to the season doesn’t seem likely. If the Bucks make a move at the trade deadline, Wigginton could be a logical option to call up if Milwaukee sends out more than they take in. If not, it’s entirely possible the Bucks sign the Iowa State alum to a standard deal in the offseason, much like they did with A.J. Green this year.

Jamal Cain

As we mentioned, Heat players have historically been elevated from two-way contracts. In fact, they’ve promoted a two-way player to a standard deal in every year (or following offseason) since their inception in 2017 (Derrick Jones in ’17/18; Robinson in ’18/19; Chris Silva in ’19/20; Vincent and Strus in ’20/21; Martin in ’21/22; and Orlando Robinson in ’22/23). Cain is the next logical candidate for a promotion.

Cain was reportedly waiting for a standard contract offer before ultimately re-signing with the Heat on a two-way deal earlier this month. The Oakland product impressed last season, averaging 5.4 points in 18 NBA games and 20.5 points in 25 G League games last year.

The Heat are still waiting on the Damian Lillard situation to shake out, but they still only have 13 players signed to standard deals. Miami needs to sign a 14th player prior to the season and Cain would be a logical option if a Lillard trade doesn’t materialize before then. If not, it seems likely they’ll bring him up at some point during the season.

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Community Shootaround: 2023/24 NBA Finals Picks

August 25th, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Maher

An ESPN panel (Insider link) has made predictions for which NBA teams will win the Eastern and Western Conferences in 2023/24, as well as which team will win the championship. A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote was worth three, and a third-place vote received one.

The Bucks were the favored pick to advance out of the East, receiving 86 total points (40% of first-place votes) to narrowly edge the Celtics (80 points; 40%). Those were the top two seeds entering last season’s playoffs, but both clubs were eliminated by Miami — Milwaukee in the first round, and Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Speaking of the Heat, they received the third-most points with 38, but only received 4% of the first-place votes. The Knicks (12 points) were the only other team to receive first-place votes (16%).

In the West, ESPN’s panel has the defending-champion Nuggets as the overwhelming favorites, receiving 106 points, including 76% of the first-place votes. The Suns (60 points; 12%), Warriors (27 points; 8%) and Lakers (24 points; 4%) all received first-place votes as well.

Perhaps unsurprisingly based on the aforementioned results, Denver received the most points (80) and first-place votes (48%) to repeat as NBA champions, followed by the Bucks (49 points; 28%). Interestingly, the Heat received the third-most first-place votes (12%), despite being fifth in total points.

That brings us to our question of the day: Who do you think will advance from the Eastern and Western Conferences, and who will win the title in 2023/24? Head to the comments to weigh in with your picks.

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Early Look At 2024 Rookie Scale Extension Candidates

August 25th, 2023 at 8:57pm CST by Rory Maher

When the NBA’s 2024/25 league year begins next summer, players who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie scale contracts will be eligible for rookie scale extensions.

Players eligible for rookie scale extensions can sign new deals that run for up to five years, with those contracts taking effect beginning in 2025/26. If they don’t sign extensions, those players will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2025.

As of right now, the following players from the 2021 NBA draft class will be eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2024, but this list is tentative — several players could either be waived or have their fourth-year options declined prior to 2023/24.

The following players were selected in the first round of the 2021 draft along with the players listed above. However, they aren’t eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2024 for the reasons noted:

  • Usman Garuba: Went unclaimed after being waived by the Thunder.
  • Joshua Primo: Went unclaimed after being waived by the Spurs.

Our list of players who are currently eligible for rookie scale extensions — as well as the players who have already inked new contracts —  can be found right here.

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Checking In On NBA’s Two-Way Contract Slots

August 25th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As our two-way contract tracker shows, 70 of the 90 two-way slots available around the NBA are currently occupied, with 20 still open.

The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement permits teams to carry three players on two-way deals instead of just two, increasing the league-wide total to a maximum of 90 instead of 60. In other words, that total of 70 active two-way players is a new record, and it only figures to continue rising as the regular season nears.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contract]

Here are a few details on this year’s two-way contracts and slots:

  • A total of 64 two-way contracts have been signed during the 2023/24 league year. Two of those players who signed two-way deals – Knicks guards Trevor Keels and Duane Washington – were subsequently waived, but the other 62 are still under contract.
  • A total of 13 two-way contracts carried over from last season, since they were for two years instead of one. Eight of those deals are still active. The other five? Nets forward RaiQuan Gray, Hornets forward Xavier Sneed, Lakers forward Cole Swider, and Wizards guard Quenton Jackson were waived, while Pelicans forward E.J. Liddell was converted to a standard deal, agreeing to a three-year contract with New Orleans.
  • Three two-way qualifying offers remain on the table. Hawks guard Trent Forrest, Hornets guard Theo Maledon, and Timberwolves wing Matt Ryan still have the option of accepting those qualifying offers and returning to their respective teams on new two-way contracts. All three clubs have one two-way slot available, so no corresponding moves would be necessary to clear roster space.
  • Of the 64 two-way contracts signed this year, seven have been for two years; the other 57 have been for just one year, putting those players on track for restricted free agency in 2024. The seven players who signed two-year deals are Hornets forward Leaky Black, Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr., Clippers forward Jordan Miller, Lakers forward Alex Fudge, Bucks guard Omari Moore, Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark, and Knicks wing Jaylen Martin.
  • The Warriors and the Pelicans are the only clubs with a pair of two-way openings. Every team is carrying at least one player on a two-way contract, and the other 28 besides Golden State and New Orleans are carrying at least two.
  • In 2022, 14 players had their Exhibit 10 contracts converted to two-way contracts before opening night. If roughly the same number of Exhibit 10 conversions occur this fall, many of the 20 two-way slots that remain open may not be filled for a while. However, it’s worth noting that – since two-way deals feature such modest guarantees ($75K) and don’t count against the salary cap – teams typically don’t hesitate to shuffle players in and out of those slots. So there could still be plenty of turnover in the coming weeks beyond those 20 openings.
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Key 2023 NBA Preseason Dates, Deadlines

August 25th, 2023 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The most notable dates of the 2023 NBA offseason are behind us now that we’re well clear of the draft and the free agent period. However, there are still a number of dates and deadlines to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months before teams take the court for the 2023/24 regular season.

Here’s the breakdown:

August 31

  • Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2023/24 salaries.

September 5

  • Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.

September 10

  • 2023 FIBA World Cup ends.

October 2

  • NBA media day. With teams and players reporting to training camp, many coaches and general managers will speak to reporters on this date for the first time in months.

October 3

  • Training camps begin.
  • Note: Teams playing exhibition games outside of North America are expected to hold their media days and open their training camps a few days earlier.

October 5

  • Preseason begins.

October 20

  • Preseason ends.

October 21

  • Last day for players on fully non-guaranteed contracts to be waived and not count at all against a team’s 2023/24 cap. They must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season.

October 23

  • Last day of the 2023 offseason.
  • Roster limits decrease from 21 players to 18 (4:00 pm CT). Teams will be limited to carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals as of this deadline.
  • Last day for teams to sign a player to a rookie scale extension (5:00 pm CT).
    [RELATED: Players eligible for rookie scale extensions]
  • Last day for teams to sign an extension-eligible veteran player with multiple seasons left on his contract (such as Donovan Mitchell) to an extension. An extension-eligible veteran player on an expiring deal (like Klay Thompson) can still be extended after October 23.
  • Last day for teams to complete sign-and-trade deals.
  • Last day for teams to convert an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract.

October 24

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.

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Longest-Tenured NBA Players By Team

August 25th, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Since we last checked in on the NBA’s longest-tenured players by team in August 2022, more than a third of the players on that list have either changed teams or – in the case of long-tenured Heat big man Udonis Haslem – retired.

Haslem, who made his Heat debut in 2003, was with the franchise for two decades. No players on the list below are close to reaching that benchmark yet, but Haslem’s retirement means that we have a new player atop our list of the longest-tenured players by team: Stephen Curry is about to enter his 15th season with the Warriors, having been drafted by the club in 2009. No active NBA player has been with his current team longer than that.

While Haslem is off the list because he has retired, most of the other long-tenured players who have been removed from our list changed teams via trade. Most notably, Bradley Beal – who had been with the Wizards since 2012 – and Marcus Smart – a Celtic since 2014 – were included in offseason deals.

In addition to the Wizards, Heat and Celtics, eight other teams have a new longest-tenured player since our last update. Those teams, with their former longest-tenured player listed in parentheses, are the Cavaliers (Kevin Love), Rockets (Eric Gordon), Nets (Joe Harris), Magic (Terrence Ross), Jazz (Donovan Mitchell), Hawks (John Collins), Grizzlies (Dillon Brooks), and Spurs (Jakob Poeltl).

Here are the NBA’s current longest-tenured players by team:

(Note: This is a snapshot as of August 2023 and won’t be updated throughout the season. This list features each team’s longest-tenured player, so only one player per team is listed.)

  1. Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (draft), June 2009
  2. Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard (draft), June 2012
  3. Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (draft), June 2013
  4. Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (draft), June 2014
  5. Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic (draft), June 2014
  6. Dallas Mavericks: Dwight Powell (trade), December 2014
  7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns (draft), June 2015
  8. Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner (draft), June 2015
  9. Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker (draft), June 2015
  10. Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown (draft), June 2016
  11. Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam (draft), June 2016
  12. Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox (draft), June 2017
  13. Orlando Magic: Jonathan Isaac (draft), June 2017
  14. Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo (draft), June 2017
  15. Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine (draft trade), June 2017
  16. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr. (draft), June 2018
  17. Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young (draft trade), June 2018
  18. Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges (draft trade), June 2018 (*)
  19. New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson (draft), June 2018
  20. Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James (free agent), July 2018
  21. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson (draft), June 2019
  22. Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland (draft), June 2019
  23. Brooklyn Nets: Nic Claxton (draft), June 2019
  24. Los Angeles Clippers: Ivica Zubac (trade), February 2019
  25. San Antonio Spurs: Keldon Johnson (draft), June 2019
  26. Oklahoma City Thunder: Luguentz Dort (free agent), July 2019
  27. Utah Jazz: Jordan Clarkson (trade), December 2019
  28. Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes (draft), November 2020
  29. Washington Wizards: Deni Avdija (draft), November 2020
  30. Houston Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate (free agent), November 2020

* Note: Bridges was a free agent for the entire 2022/23 season, but the Hornets retained his RFA rights during that time and brought him back this offseason, extending his tenure with the team. If we don’t count Bridges, Charlotte’s’ longest-tenured players are Cody Martin and – if he re-signs – P.J. Washington, both of whom were selected in the 2019 draft.

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2025 NBA Free Agents

August 25th, 2023 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2025 free agents is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2024/25 season. The player’s 2025 age is in parentheses.

Players who are currently free agents are not seen here. Players with team or player options for the 2025/26 season are listed below, unless they’re still on their rookie scale contracts.

This list will be continually updated. You’ll be able to access it anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Updated 11-16-24 (11:04am CT)

Unrestricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Shooting Guards

Small Forwards

Power Forwards

Centers

Restricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Shooting Guards

Small Forwards

Power Forwards

Centers

Player Options

Point Guards

Shooting Guards

Small Forwards

Power Forwards

Centers

Team Options

Point Guards

Shooting Guards

Small Forwards

Power Forwards

Centers

Two-Way Free Agents

Point Guards

Shooting Guards

Small Forwards

Power Forwards

Centers

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55 Active NBA Players On World Cup Rosters

August 24th, 2023 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

The 2023 World Cup will tip off in less than 24 hours, with several dozen NBA players poised to take part in the summer competition.

Of the 32 countries taking part in the FIBA World Cup this year, 21 will have at least one active NBA player on their rosters, and a few others will feature former NBA players. By our count, 55 active NBA players will compete in the tournament, with 12 of those players representing Team USA.

That list doesn’t include stars who are notably absent from this year’s event, such as Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (Canada), and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), along with plenty of the top U.S. players.

However, there’s still some star power on the list below, including a pair of Antetokounmpo’s fellow All-NBA First Teamers who are playing for Canada and Slovenia.

With the help of a full roster breakdown compiled by Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype, here are the active NBA players on World Cup squads:

Angola

Australia

Canada

China

Dominican Republic

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Lithuania

Montenegro

Philippines

Serbia

Slovenia

South Sudan

Note: Wenyen Gabriel is also on South Sudan’s roster, but he’s technically not an active NBA player, since he’s still a free agent after finishing last season with the Lakers.

Spain

Note: Usman Garuba is also on Spain’s roster, but he’s technically not an active NBA player after being waived by the Thunder earlier this week.

United States

The following teams don’t have an active NBA player on their roster:

  • Brazil
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Iran
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand
  • Puerto Rico
  • Venezuela

While these clubs don’t have any players who are currently in the NBA, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re lacking NBA experience altogether.

For instance, Brazil has former NBAers like Raul Neto and Bruno Caboclo on its roster. Jordan’s squad includes longtime NBA forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Lebanon’s features former first-round pick Omari Spellman, and Puerto Rico’s features veteran guards Tremont Waters and John Holland.

Egypt’s roster also featured undrafted rookie Patrick Gardner, who has reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets. That deal is not yet official, so we’re not considering him an active NBA player.

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Community Shootaround: Ben Simmons

August 23rd, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Throughout the offseason, there have been indications that Nets guard Ben Simmons has overcome the physical issues that cut short his 2022/23 season and that he’ll be healthy and ready to go when training camp opens.

Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks started the speculation at his end-of-season press conference after the team was eliminated from the playoffs in April. Marks told reporters that Simmons didn’t appear to need another back surgery and would likely be fully healthy by the start of September.

Simmons got some social media buzz in June when he posted workout photos on Instagram, and a month later, Marc J. Spears of Andscape shared a quote from a source who said Simmons is “as healthy as he has ever been since his last year in Philly.” A day later, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported that Simmons had fully completed rehab following a back nerve impingement that sidelined him for the last six weeks of the season.

In early August, teammate Cameron Johnson said in an interview that he expects Simmons to be “if not full form, pretty close to it.” He added that he had recently talked to Simmons and believes he’s in “a good place.”

A healthy Simmons would obviously make a huge difference for the Nets, who are trying to establish a new identity after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in February. Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton are the foundation of the team, and Simmons could turn them into a legitimate contender if he becomes anything close to the All-Star that he was in Philadelphia.

Of course, there are caveats. Simmons decided not to join the Australian team for the World Cup after raising the possibility in May. He came to an agreement with the national team that he would skip the tournament while continuing to prepare for the upcoming NBA season while leaving open the possibility of playing in the 2024 Olympics.

Anyone who has followed the Nets since Simmons was acquired in February of 2022 knows there have been other encouraging health reports, which are eventually followed by setbacks.

Simmons is owed $37.9MM for the upcoming season and $40.3MM for 2024/25. The contract is considered among the worst in the league, but only because Simmons hasn’t been able to play. It becomes much more reasonable — and possibly even tradable — if he gets to be healthy and productive again.

We want to know what you think. Will Simmons be able to get back to normal after two straight seasons marred by injuries and off-court issues, or is the All-Star version of Simmons gone forever? Please leave your comments in the space below.

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