Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/19/16

March 19th, 2016 at 7:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s top two teams are meeting tonight for the second time this season as the 58-10 Spurs host the 62-6 Warriors in San Antonio. The Spurs have done their best to present themselves as the most formidable challenger to the Warriors’ throne, lagging just behind Golden State’s record-setting pace all season. However, when the teams met on January 25th, it was a complete mismatch. Stephen Curry put up a 37-point performance as Golden State grabbed a 120-90 victory.

San Antonio made the biggest free agent splash of last summer, adding LaMarcus Aldridge to a franchise that has remained among the NBA’s best throughout Tim Duncan‘s 19-year career. Add in All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard and a veteran crew loaded with playoff experience, and the Spurs have grabbed their annual spot among the league’s elite teams.

The Warriors made few changes from their title-winning 2014/15 team, keeping their core together when they re-signed Draymond Green to a five-year, $82MM deal and inked Leandro Barbosa to a one-year contract at $2.5MM.

Golden State blitzed through the league for a scintillating 24-0 start, and only the Spurs have gotten close to challenging for the NBA’s best record at any time this season. Both teams have been nearly unbeatable anywhere this season, but especially at home, where the Spurs are 34-0 and Golden State is 32-0.

Each of Golden State’s six losses this season have come in road games against the Bucks, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, Blazers and Lakers. Portland enters tonight in sixth place in the Western Conference playoff race at 36-34, with Dallas in eighth at 34-35, so either would at least know how it feels to beat the Warriors if they wind up as Golden State’s first-round opponent.

That brings us to tonight’s topic: Which team has the best chance of taking down the Warriors in a seven-game series? Is it the Spurs with their experienced roster and one of the league’s best coaches in Gregg Popovich? Or are the Thunder more of a threat with two unstoppable scorers in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook? The Clippers have an intense rivalry with Golden State and appeared headed to a Western Conference Finals showdown last season before letting their series with Houston slip away. Do any of the other Western Conference contenders have matchup advantages against the Warriors that could lead to a major upset?

How about in the East? The Cavaliers put up a good fight in the NBA Finals, despite missing Kevin Love and not having Kyrie Irving after Game 1. Does Toronto have the right mix to challenge Golden State, or maybe Miami, Boston, Atlanta or someone else?

Please use the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Retweet 6 Share 1 Send via email0

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: New York Knicks

March 19th, 2016 at 5:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the New York Knicks, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

  • 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
  • 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $73,867,214*
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$3,867,214
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $10,872,786

*Note: This amount includes the $75K each owed to Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Wesley Saunders, and Darion Atkins, as well as the $50K owed to Travis Trice, all of whom were waived.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • None

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,300,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000

Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Retweet 6 Share 2 Send via email0

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

March 19th, 2016 at 4:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If you want to keep tabs on all the stories and updates at Hoops Rumors, you can download our free app for iOS or Android, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our feed through your RSS reader of choice. If you prefer to receive only news about your favorite NBA team, we still have you covered. You can easily filter by team name in the app, and you can even get updates only when teams make a move with our Transactions-only Twitter, RSS feed, and app filter. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 30 teams.

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Pacific

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

To download our app, click here for iOS and here for Android.

Retweet 1 Share 1 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Originals 3/13/16-3/19/16

March 19th, 2016 at 12:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…

  • Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
  • Chuck Myron ran down the likelihood of player options being exercised this summer for players in the Eastern Conference.
  • I ran down the updated 2015/16 salary cap numbers for the Heat, Lakers, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks and Timberwolves.
  • We ran down how many players have appeared in regular season contests for each team in 2015/16.
  • If you missed any of our daily reader-driven discussions, be sure to check out the Community Shootaround archives.
  • Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
  • We ran down where teams without their own D-League affiliates have assigned players this season.
  • Chuck looked at the financial impact of the trade deadline and buyout market moves for teams of the Southeast Division.
  • You can keep track of where your favorite team stands in relation to the 2016 NBA draft lottery with our reverse standings tracker.
  • Chuck ran down the list of players the Suns have inked to 10-day contracts this season and showed what became of them after they departed Phoenix.
  • We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
  • Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
Retweet 2 Share 1 Send via email0

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: New Orleans Pelicans

March 19th, 2016 at 11:37am CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the New Orleans Pelicans, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

  • 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
  • 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $81,067,841*
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$11,067,841
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $3,672,159

*Note: This amount includes the $44,094 in salary paid to Nate Robinson, the $845,059 owed to Jarnell Stokes and the $71,677 due Jimmer Fredette, all of whom were waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • Mid-Level Exception= $488,482
  • Bi-Annual Exception= $1,358,894
  • Trade Exception= $102,217 (Ish Smith. Expires December 24th, 2016)

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $2,678,700

Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Retweet 3 Share 1 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/18/16

March 18th, 2016 at 11:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Losing a player like Marc Gasol midway through the season would be enough bad luck for any franchise. But for this season’s Grizzlies, it was just the beginning.

Since Gasol had his season ended prematurely by a broken right foot last month, the Grizzlies have been hit by a near-unprecedented rash of injuries. Star point guard Mike Conley developed soreness in his left foot last week and was diagnosed with Achilles tendinitis. Doctors expect to re-evaluate him near the end of the month. Rugged power forward Zach Randolph has missed seven straight games with an aching right knee.

And the injury problems continue all the way down the roster. Here’s a sampling:

  • Veteran swingman Vince Carter has been out since straining his left calf last Friday.
  • Center Chris Andersen is rehabbing a left shoulder subluxation, and the Grizzlies are hoping for his return soon.
  • Second-year shooting guard Jordan Adams is working to recover from surgery on his right knee, and Memphis isn’t sure when he might be available again.
  • Forward/center Brandan Wright is trying to recover from a sprained right MCL, and the Grizzlies don’t know if he’ll be back before the regular season ends.
  • Swingman P.J. Hairston was hit with a left groin strain Monday and will be re-evaluated next week. As with many of his teammates, there is no set timetable for his return.

Injuries have struck the Grizzlies so hard that the NBA approved a request to permit the team to carry 18 players, three above the standard minimum. In total, eight players are currently trying to overcome some type of injury, and many nights it’s difficult for coach Dave Joerger to fill out a full rotation.

The only good news in Memphis is that the team built a huge cushion for the playoffs before all the injuries began. Despite losing their last four games, the Grizzlies are 39-30 and still in fifth place in the Western Conference. They hold a five and a half game lead over ninth-place Utah with 13 games left in the season. However, the Grizzlies’ schedule is challenging the rest of the way. Memphis still has two games left with the Clippers and Spurs, as well as meetings with the Raptors, Bulls, Mavericks and Warriors. Seven of their final 13 games are at home.

That leads me to tonight’s Shootaround topic: Can the Grizzlies overcome their injuries and hold on to a playoff spot? What is a realistic record over the final 13 games for a team that used Matt Barnes, JaMychal Green, Ryan Hollins, Tony Allen and Lance Stephenson as its starting lineup Thursday night, backed up by a collection of former D-Leaguers and 10-day signings? Memphis has seen 26 players pass through its roster this season, which would be the most ever for a playoff team.

Please use the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Retweet 5 Share 1 Send via email0

Download The Trade Rumors App Today

March 18th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If you enjoy this website on your smartphone or tablet, you’ve got to download our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device.  Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, and Pro Football Rumors, in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format.  Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our three sites.  Not into all three sports?  No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see.  You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications!  For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly.  Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting!  You can now read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
  • Customer service!  If you find a bug, we’ll fix it.  If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it.  The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did I mention Trade Rumors is a FREE app?  What do you have to lose?  Download now!
Retweet 3 Share 1 Send via email0

Spurs Lead In Flex D-League Assignments

March 18th, 2016 at 11:38am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Spurs are making the most out of a rule that allows them to work with developing prospects from other NBA franchises. The 11 NBA teams without their own D-League squads this season are permitted to assign players to D-League clubs associated with other NBA franchises, using what is known as the flexible assignment rule. D-League teams can volunteer to take on the assigned players, and if no volunteers emerge, the players are assigned at random. The Spurs have taken in more D-League assignees from other teams than any other franchise.

Teams certainly have their preferences when it comes to where they assign their players. Playing time is of course a major factor, since there is little benefit to sending a player to the D-League if he is going to ride the pine, which could be accomplished at the NBA-level. The system a D-League team runs is also a factor, which is likely a major reason why the Hawks, who run a similar system to the Spurs, have sent 13 of their 17 players assigned to the D-League to San Antonio’s affiliate. In fact, more assignments have been made to the Spurs’ D-League squad by other teams this season than by the Spurs themselves, who have totaled just 10 on the campaign thus far.

Listed below are the number of players assigned to each affiliate via the flexible assignment this season:

  1. Austin Spurs [Spurs affiliate] — 14 assignments
  2. Canton Charge [Cavaliers affiliate] — 8 assignments
  3. Bakersfield Jam [Suns affiliate] — 4 assignments
  4. Santa Cruz Warriors [Warriors affiliate] — 3 assignments
  5. Grand Rapids Drive [Pistons affiliate] — 3 assignments
  6. Oklahoma City Blue [Thunder affiliate] — 2 assignments
  7. Erie BayHawks [Magic Affiliate] — 2 assignments
  8. Westchester Knicks [Knicks affiliate] — 1 assignment
  9. Idaho Stampede [Jazz affiliate] — 1 assignment
Retweet 2 Share 1 Send via email0

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Timberwolves

March 18th, 2016 at 8:55am CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

  • 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
  • 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $70,969,334*
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$969,334
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $13,770,666

*Note: This amount includes the $3,650,000 owed to Anthony Bennett, who agreed to a buyout with the team, as well as the $6,732,250 due Kevin Martin, who was waived via the stretch provision. Also included in this amount is the $690,943 owed to Andre Miller and the $75,000 paid to Lorenzo Brown, both of whom were waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • Mid-Level Exception= $961,835
  • Bi-Annual Exception= $1,358,894
  • Trade Exception= $5,000,000 (Chase Budinger. Expires July 12th, 2016)

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000

Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Retweet 3 Share 3 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/17/16

March 17th, 2016 at 11:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA regular season has approximately four weeks to go and two teams have created separation from the pack in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs and Raptors are virtual locks to nab the top two seeds in the East, with the only question being whether Toronto can catch Cleveland and steal away the No. 1 seed. The Raptors are two games back in the loss column.

The real intrigue surrounds which teams will nail down the bottom playoff seeds in the conference. Entering Thursday’s action, the Pistons and Bulls were tied for the seventh and eighth spots but the suddenly revived Wizards are just one and a half games back.

Detroit has lost three of its last four but plays its next eight games at home. The Bulls, who have gone 3-7 over their last 10 games to put their playoff lives in jeopardy, have two fewer home games remaining than the Pistons. However, they do have top scorer Jimmy Butler back in the lineup after he missed 15 of 17 games with a knee injury.

The Wizards have just six home games remaining but have seemingly regained their stride, knocking off the Pistons and Bulls in blowout victories this week.

The sixth-place Pacers have built a four-game cushion on the Wizards, but they cannot feel totally comfortable with their position.

This leads us to our question of the day: Among the Pacers, Bulls, Pistons and Wizards, which Eastern Conference team currently fighting for a playoff berth will fail to reach the postseason?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Retweet 2 Share 1 Send via email0