Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

August 5th, 2022 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

If you enjoy Hoops Rumors on your smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out 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, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four 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 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 we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download it now!
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Should LeBron Sign Extension With Lakers?

August 4th, 2022 at 10:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Now that LeBron James is officially eligible to sign a contract extension that would keep him with the Lakers through the 2024/25 season, the question we’re positing today is: should he? Does it make sense to his basketball legacy for James to continue with the Lakers’ current personnel, or even a roster without the contract of embattled starting point guard Russell Westbrook?

Team president Rob Pelinka met with James and his agent Rich Paul today for what Paul called a “productive” discussion surrounding a possible extension for the 37-year-old vet. Due to the NBA’s Over-38 rule (outlined in our glossary), the 18-time All-Star is limited to signing, at most, a two-year extension with Los Angeles.

Though James enjoyed a strong individual statistical season during 2021/22, injuries limited the forward to just 56 games, marking the third time in his four seasons with Los Angeles that James has missed 26 or more games. Big man Anthony Davis appeared in just 40 games last year due to his own health problems.

After L.A. traded much of its depth to secure the services of max-salaried point guard Westbrook in the summer of 2021, the Lakers were counting on their new “big three” to win with sheer talent, surrounded mostly by veterans on minimum contracts. The erratic availability of the team’s two best players, plus a disappointing (but mostly healthy) season from Westbrook, doomed the club to an underwhelming 33-49 record. The Lakers did not perform well enough to even qualify for a play-in game. This marked a precipitous fall for the team, which won the title behind stellar performances from James and Davis, surrounded by quality role players, in 2020.

While he is no longer the same defender he was during his Cavaliers and Heat prime, James remains a powerhouse on offense. Beyond his excellent ability to muscle his way inside the paint and an elite passing touch, James has also developed into a decent volume long-range shooter. Last season, he averaged 30.3 PPG, his highest total since 2005/06, plus 8.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. The 2022 All-NBA Third Teamer posted shooting splits of .524/.359/.756.

The Lakers have pivoted from their 2021 team-building approach. First, L.A. fired its championship-winning head coach Frank Vogel this summer, opting to replace him with former Bucks assistant Darvin Ham. In addition to the team’s three highly-paid stars, Los Angeles is set to bring back wing Talen Horton-Tucker, guard Kendrick Nunn, athletic forwards Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel, and second-year shooting guard Austin Reaves. Nunn missed the entire 2021/22 season, which would have been his first with the Lakers, due to a knee injury. He claims to be fully recovered at this point.

New Lakers additions like mid-level signing Lonnie Walker IV, centers Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant, and swingmen Troy Brown Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson seem to suggest the Los Angeles front office is looking to youth, defense and athleticism over experience and shooting to complement its three stars. The team also drafted rookie guard Max Christie out of Michigan State with the No. 35 pick and signed intriguing undrafted rookies Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider to two-way contracts.

As for the fate of Westbrook, the Lakers have reportedly received overtures from the Knicks, Jazz, and Pacers. Los Angeles has also had conversations about a potential swap of Westbrook to the Nets for Brooklyn’s own embattled point guard, Kyrie Irving. All of those teams would want at least one and perhaps two future first-round picks to take on Westbrook.

Following a recent split with Westbrook, longtime agent Thad Foucher appeared to indicate that the root of their break-up stemmed from his belief that the point guard should remain with the Lakers, rather than seeking out a trade. Westbrook has since signed Jeff Schwartz to represent him, and one wonders if this new duo will work to relocate Westbrook away from his hometown team this year.

The Lakers would be well-served to offload future assets if they are part of a larger package that will help them also move on from Westbrook. No longer his peak athletic self, the 33-year-old nine-time All-Star proved to be an awkward on-court fit with James as both thrive on the ball and Westbrook, a poor shooter and apathetic cutter, fails to provide much value off it. James and the Lakers could significantly benefit on the floor if the team opted to bring in, say, Pacers veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield in exchange for Westbrook and future draft picks.

Even if such a transaction happened, would that – in combination with the club’s new additions and, hopefully, a healthier James and Davis – be enough to effectively move the needle and help Los Angeles return to something approaching title contention, after two straight disappointing seasons? Given the All-Star duo’s time served in the league and injury history, this writer is skeptical.

The West is looking loaded this year, with the reigning champion Warriors poised to hit the ground running, the veteran-laden Nuggets and Clippers finally set to have all their stars healthy, and clubs like the Grizzlies, Suns and Mavericks hoping to continue to build on their recent playoff runs.

James has won four Finals MVP awards and four titles with three different clubs. He has led his teams to 10 Finals appearances all told, including eight straight from 2011-18. There’s no question that, as he enters the twilight of his career, the 6’9″ forward would like to at least have a chance of adding to his championship pedigree and Hall of Fame legacy.

Would James be better served by holding off on agreeing to a Lakers tenure beyond 2023? This way, he could let the team court him in unrestricted free agency instead, where he would be able to simultaneously take stock of what the rest of the league has to offer. At present, only a handful of clubs are expected to have the necessary cap space to sign a player to a maximum contract next summer, though that could certainly change were James to become available.

We want to know what you think. Should James opt to extend sooner rather than later, so that the Lakers could be more inclined to package future draft equity in trades for current help? Should LeBron even opt in at all? Where should he go if he does walk in 2023?

Alternately, if James does return to the Lakers, should he just sign a one-year deal with a player option for the second season, in the hopes of aligning the timing of his free agency with the first season his son Bronny James becomes NBA-eligible? Head to the comments section below to weigh in!

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Traded First Round Picks For 2023 NBA Draft

August 4th, 2022 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The 2023 NBA draft is still over 10 months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first round picks for ’23, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first round pick for 2023, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2024 if it doesn’t change hands in 2023.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2023 first round pick:

Note: Teams marked with an asterisk (*) have traded away their 2024 first round pick (either unprotected or with protection) and can’t freely trade away their 2023 first rounder due to the Stepien rule.

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics: Traded to Pacers (top-12 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Celtics would send the Spurs a 2023 second round pick.
  • Brooklyn Nets (*): Traded swap rights to Rockets.
    • The Nets will have either their own first round pick, the Rockets’ pick, or the Sixers’ pick. They’ll receive the Sixers’ pick if it’s the most favorable of the three; otherwise, they’d get the second-most favorable pick of the three. The Jazz will receive the least favorable of the three.
  • New York Knicks: Traded to Trail Blazers (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Knicks would send the Trail Blazers the Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick, either the Timberwolves’ or Knicks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Knicks’ own 2027 and 2028 second-round picks.
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Nets or Jazz.
    • The Nets will receive the Sixers’ first round pick if it’s the most or second-most favorable of the Sixers’, Nets’, and Rockets’ 2023 first rounders. If it’s the least favorable of the three, the Jazz will receive it.
  • Toronto Raptors: Own pick.

Central

  • Chicago Bulls: Traded to Magic (top-4 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Bulls would owe the Magic their 2024 first round pick (top-3 protected).
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Pacers (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Cavaliers would send the Pacers their 2025 second round pick and the Lakers’ 2026 second round pick.
  • Detroit Pistons: Traded to Knicks (top-18 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would owe the Knicks their 2024 first round pick (top-18 protected).
  • Indiana Pacers: Own pick.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Rockets or Clippers (unprotected).
    • The Rockets have the ability to swap the Bucks’ pick with the Clippers’ 2023 first rounder (top-six protected).

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks: Own pick.
  • Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Spurs (top-16 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets would owe the Spurs their 2024 first round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Miami Heat: Own pick.
  • Orlando Magic: Own pick.
  • Washington Wizards: Traded to Knicks (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Wizards would owe the Knicks their 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected).

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets: Traded to Hornets (top-14 protected).

    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Nuggets would owe the Hornets their 2024 first round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Jazz (unprotected).
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
    • The Thunder have the ability to swap their pick with the Clippers’ 2023 first rounder.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Trail Blazers would owe the Bulls their 2024 first round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Utah Jazz (*): Own pick.

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors (*): Own pick.
  • Los Angeles Clippers (*): Traded swap rights to Thunder.
    • The Clippers will have either their own first round pick, the Thunder’s pick, or the Bucks’ pick, whichever is least favorable. If the Thunder’s and Clippers’ picks both land in the top six, the Clippers would instead receive the second-most favorable of those three picks.
  • Los Angeles Lakers (*): Traded swap rights to Pelicans.
    • The Lakers will have either their own first round pick or the Pelicans’ pick, whichever is least favorable.
  • Phoenix Suns: Traded to Nets (unprotected).
  • Sacramento Kings (*): Own pick.

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Knicks (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Mavericks would owe the Knicks their 2024 first round pick (top-10 protected).
  • Houston Rockets: Own pick.
    • The Rockets have the ability to swap their pick with the Nets’ 2023 first rounder.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
    • The Pelicans have the ability to swap their pick with the Lakers’ 2023 first rounder.
  • San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

Retweet 9 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Maximum Salary Projections For 2023/24

August 3rd, 2022 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

Although a number of big-money free agent contracts have been completed since the 2022/23 NBA league year began, several of the most lucrative deals signed by players in ’22 have been contract extensions. And many of those extensions have been maximum-salary deals.

[RELATED: 2022/23 NBA Contract Extension Tracker]

Because those extensions won’t go into effect until at least the 2023/24 season and the NBA won’t finalize the ’23/24 salary cap until next summer, we can only ballpark what many of year’s maximum-salary contracts will look like based on the league’s latest cap estimates.

When the NBA confirmed its salary cap data for the 2022/23 season on June 30, the league also updated its cap projection for the ’23/24 campaign, estimating a $133MM cap. That estimate has since risen to $136MM. We’re basing our figures on a projection of $136,021,000, which would be the maximum allowable increase.

Listed below are the early maximum-salary projections for 2023/24. The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous club can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player signing with a new team.

A player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players. Unless they qualify for a more lucrative extension by meeting certain performance criteria, players with no more than six years of NBA experience are limited to a starting salary worth up to 25% of the cap. For players with seven to nine years of experience, that number is 30%. For players with 10 or more years of experience, it’s 35%.

Here are the the early max-salary projections for 2023/24:

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

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2023/24 $34,005,125 $40,806,150 $47,607,175
2024/25 $36,725,535 $44,070,642 $51,415,749
2025/26 $39,445,945 $47,335,134 $55,224,323
2026/27 $42,166,355 $50,599,626 $59,032,897
2027/28 $44,886,765 $53,864,118 $62,841,471
Total $197,229,725 $236,675,670 $276,121,615

The “6 years or less” column here is what the new extensions for Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and Darius Garland will look like if none of them make an All-NBA team in 2023. All three players have Rose Rule language in their contracts, however, and could move up to the 30% max column (“7-9 years”) if certain criteria are met.

The 30% max column will also apply to players who reach the free agent market next summer with between seven and nine years of NBA experience under their belts. That would be Fred VanVleet‘s maximum contract with the Raptors, for instance, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

The third column (35%) will apply to the new super-max extension signed by Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. Sixers center Joel Embiid also previously signed a super-max extension that will begin in 2023/24, though his deal is for four years, so it’d be worth a projected $213,280,144 instead of the projected $276MM+ that Jokic will earn over five seasons.

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

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2023/24 $34,005,125 $40,806,150 $47,607,175
2024/25 $35,705,381 $42,846,458 $49,987,534
2025/26 $37,405,638 $44,886,765 $52,367,893
2026/27 $39,105,894 $46,927,073 $54,748,251
Total $146,222,038 $175,466,445 $204,710,853

If a player changes teams as a free agent, he doesn’t have access to a fifth year or 8% raises. So if someone like Cameron Johnson were to sign an offer sheet with a new team next summer, he’d be limited to a four-year deal projected to be worth just over $146MM.

If a veteran free agent with between seven and nine years of NBA experience – wants to change teams in 2023, he would be able to sign a four-year contract worth up to a projected $175.47MM.

James Harden, Draymond Green, or another veteran with 10+ years of experience would be able to earn nearly $205MM across four years if they change teams as free agents in 2023. While it’s probably unlikely that Harden, Green, or any other 10-year veteran changes teams and signs a four-year, maximum-salary deal next offseason, it will theoretically be the first time in NBA history that a player could receive a $200MM+ contract while changing teams.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Poll: Early 2023 Rookie Of The Year Predictions

August 2nd, 2022 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

When Scottie Barnes was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for the 2021/22 season, it was the 17th time in the last 19 years that a top-six pick won the award.

The only outliers during that time were Michael Carter-Williams, who was the 11th pick in 2013 and beat out an uninspiring crop of rookies that included No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett; and Malcolm Brogdon, a 2016 second-rounder who won the award in a year in which the No. 1 pick (Ben Simmons) sat out with an injury.

Going back even further, only three other players drafted outside the top six since 1975 have earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors: Amar’e Stoudemire (No. 9) in 2003, Damon Stoudamire (No. 7) in 1996, and Mark Jackson (No. 18) in 1988.

In other words, it should come as no real surprise that the major betting favorites to win the award in 2023 are all top-six picks.

[RELATED: 2022 NBA Draft Results]

According to BetOnline.ag, Magic forward Paolo Banchero, this year’s No. 1 pick, is the current frontrunner (+250), which makes sense — Orlando is expected to finish in the lottery again this season and there aren’t many veterans on the depth chart standing in the way of Banchero earning a significant role from day one.

Thunder big man Chet Holmgren (+400) and Kings forward Keegan Murray (+400) are the next-best bets, per BetOnline. Holmgren and Murray were among the top two-way players in the 2022 draft class, which could help their respective Rookie of the Year cases. As Barnes’ win earlier this year showed, voters have become more inclined to weigh a player’s defensive contributions than they once were — it’s not just about which rookie averages the most points per game.

Rockets forward Jabari Smith (+800), Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (+800), and Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (+1000) round out the top six. After that group, Rockets forward Tari Eason, the No. 17 pick in the draft, has the next-best odds at +2000.

All three of Smith, Ivey, and Mathurin are in position to play major roles on rebuilding clubs, though guards like Ivey and Mathurin sometimes require some time to get their feet under them and learn how to score efficiently at the NBA level — slow starts from Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green last season cost them a chance at Rookie of the Year honors, despite strong finishes.

We want to know what you think. Which player is your early pick for Rookie of the Year in 2022/23? Are you taking a top-six selection, or is there a dark horse you believe can defy the historical odds and take home the award?

Vote in our poll below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your two cents!

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Checking In On Remaining Restricted Free Agents

August 1st, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the players who finished last season on an NBA roster and didn’t have a contract for 2022/23, there are still dozens of unrestricted free agents on the open market. However, the number of restricted free agents is far smaller.

As our list of current free agents shows, there are just eight restricted free agents still unsigned — four who received standard qualifying offers and four who received two-way QOs.

We’re already a month into the 2022 free agent period, but it’s possible that some of these restricted free agents will remain on the market for another month or two. Let’s take a closer look at the RFAs still available…

Standard RFAs:

It’s no surprise that Bridges remains unsigned. He was arrested just before free agency began and now faces multiple felony charges related to domestic violence. The Hornets will certainly be in no rush to re-sign him as the legal process plays out, and Bridges’ $7.9MM qualifying offer won’t expire until October 1, so he’ll be in no hurry to accept it either. If and when Bridges is back under contract, the NBA would have the option of placing him on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation.

The other three cases here look more like straightforward examples of how restricted free agency often works. In all likelihood, the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Spurs have made preliminary offers to Nwora, Sexton, and Wieskamp, respectively, and have encouraged them to explore the market to see if they can get a more lucrative offer sheet elsewhere. Until that happens, those teams are unlikely to bid against themselves by increasing their offers.

We know, for instance, that the Cavs have reportedly offered Sexton a three-year deal worth roughly $40MM. He’s believed to be seeking a salary closer to $20MM per year.

All three players would have the option of accepting their qualifying offers and heading into the season on a one-year contract, but that may be a more viable path for Sexton, who is coming off a lost season and has a QO worth $7.2MM, than for Nwora ($2.1MM). Wieskamp’s qualifying offer is also relatively modest ($1.8MM), but his NBA résumé is far more limited than Sexton’s or Nwora’s, so it’s unclear if he’ll get a better offer than that.

Two-way RFAs:

A report in early July suggested that Duke was hoping to earn a standard contract from the Nets, and following a Las Vegas Summer League in which he averaged 19.0 points per game in five appearances, there’s no reason to think his stance has changed. Brooklyn only has 13 players on standard contracts, so a promotion remains in play for Duke, but the team likely wants resolution on the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving sagas before locking in those back-of-the-roster spots.

Once Goran Dragic officially signs, the Bulls will have 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and just one on a two-way deal, so they’d probably like to see Hill accept his two-way qualifying offer to fill that second slot.

It’s unclear what the Raptors‘ plans are for Johnson. The team has filled its two-way slots with new signees (Ron Harper Jr. and Jeff Dowtin) and there will be stiff competition for a spot on the 15-man regular season roster — the team already has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus three with partial guarantees and second-rounder Christian Koloko still unsigned. We’ll see if Johnson gets a chance to vie for one of those roster spots.

There may be a cleaner path for Thomas to earn a place on the Celtics‘ 15-man roster. Only 12 of Boston’s regular season roster spots are accounted for so far, so Thomas could get the chance to compete to be the 13th or 14th man. The team has already filled both its two-way slots with new additions (JD Davison and Mfiondu Kabengele).

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Players With Trade Kickers In 2022/23

August 1st, 2022 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

A trade kicker is a contractual clause that pays an NBA player a bonus when he’s traded. They’re one of the tools teams have at their disposal to differentiate their free agent offers from the ones put on the table by competing clubs — or to incentivize a player to sign an extension before he reaches free agency.

Sometimes the kicker is worth a fixed amount, but usually it’s based on a percentage of the remaining value of the contract. So, a player who has a 10% trade kicker is eligible for a bonus worth 10% of the amount of money he has yet to collect on his deal.

Regardless of whether a trade kicker is set at a fixed amount or a percentage, the bonus can’t exceed 15% of the remaining value of the contract. Most trade kickers are worth 15%, the highest percentage allowed.

A trade bonus must be paid by the team that trades the player, rather than the team acquiring him. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement also allows a player to waive his trade kicker as part of a deal, if he so chooses.

If you want a more detailed explanation of how trade kickers work, check out the Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on the subject.

Here’s a list of the NBA players who have active trade kickers for 2022/23, listed alphabetically, along with the details of those trade bonuses:

The following players have trade bonuses on their contracts, but those bonuses would be voided if they were to be traded during the 2022/23 league year, since they’re already earning this season’s maximum salary:

The following players have signed contract extensions that will include trade kickers, but those extensions won’t go into effect until at least the 2023/24 season:

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors’ 2022 NBA Free Agent Tracker

August 1st, 2022 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

We’re now a full month into the 2022 free agent period, and all but two of the NBA’s 30 teams have signed at least one free agent. With training camps set to tip off next month, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this offseason.

To this end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • Some of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect tentative agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in some cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • Players who have reportedly agreed to training camp/Exhibit 10 deals won’t be added to the tracker until those deals become official.
  • A restricted free agent who signs an offer sheet won’t be included in the tracker right away. We’ll wait to hear whether the player’s original team will match or pass on that offer sheet before we update our tracker, in order to avoid any confusion.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2022 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. On our mobile site, it can be found in our menu under “Free Agent Lists.”

The tracker will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Expansion

July 30th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has consistently asserted that the league isn’t planning on expansion in the near future.

During his annual press conference at the Finals, Silver had this to say: “At least maybe there are people talking who are not at the league office about us potentially expanding after the 2024 season. We are not discussing that at this time. As I said before, at some point, this league invariably will expand, but it’s not at this moment that we are discussing it.”

The NBA has been slow to embrace expansion. The last time a new franchise was accepted came in 2004, when the Bobcats — now Hornets — were added.

A franchise fee in excess of a $1 billion would be the main incentive for expansion among owners. It would also have natural appeal to the players, creating more NBA jobs.

When the league finally gets around to expansion, there are plenty of viable options. Seattle has been talked about virtually since it lost the SuperSonics in 2008. The city got the latest NHL expansion team, the Kraken, and there’s an arena available for an NBA franchise. There’s little doubt that Seattle, which also has NFL and MLB franchises, will support an NBA team if it gets another one.

Las Vegas, which has become the host of the Summer League, is another obvious choice. It now has NHL and NFL franchises, as well as a Triple-A baseball club.

There are plenty of other major U.S. cities that could support an NBA team. Pittsburgh has long-term franchises in all three other major pro sports. St. Louis saw the Rams come and go but it has two other highly successful pro franchises. Kansas City, like Seattle, was once an NBA city.

Louisville, a major city in basketball-mad Kentucky, would also be a logical destination. Tampa hosted the Raptors during the pandemic.

The league could also look beyond the borders to Mexico City or Montreal, or perhaps even overseas to London.

That brings us to our question of the day: When the NBA is finally ready to expand, what major city is most deserving of a franchise?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15

July 29th, 2022 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed in an earlier article, players who signed new contracts as free agents during the 2022/23 league year can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever comes later. That means that nearly every team has at least one player – and often more than one – who won’t become trade-eligible until mid-December.

There’s also a small subset of free agent signees whose trade ineligibility lasts for an extra month. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.

Listed below are the players who meet this criteria and can’t be traded until at least January 15, 2023. Players who have the ability to veto trades in 2022/23 are marked with a caret (^).

We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months, if necessary.

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Denver Nuggets

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

Toronto Raptors

Washington Wizards

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts