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Poll: Did Mark Cuban Cost Himself A Ring?

November 8th, 2012 at 5:28pm CST by Alex Lee

It has been nearly 18 months since the Mavericks beat the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals, but if you take a look at their current roster, it sure seems longer than that. Forced to change their offseason approach after missing out on Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, the Mavs overhauled their roster by adding much cheaper veteran alternatives like Elton Brand, Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo and Chris Kaman. At 4-1 through their first 5 games, their strategy looks like a stroke of genius so far.

However, accoring to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Tyson Chandler said today that he thinks that by blowing up the 2011 title team, Mark Cuban cost himself a second championship. With Jason Kidd now also in New York, Chandler addressed Cuban's post-title decision-making:

"I'm glad because I'm here. It's a great situation. I'm very happy with the situation. I definitely think we had an opportunity to win back-to-back. Unfortunately things were blown up. That's the business side of it."

So what do you think? Had Cuban opted to retain Chandler and Jose Barea, among others, would the Mavericks have won a second title?

Poll: Will Kenyon Martin Sign With An NBA Team?

November 6th, 2012 at 7:06pm CST by Zachary Links

On Sunday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported that Kenyon Martin has yet to even receive even a non-guaranteed contract offer this year. The forward is, predictably, frustrated by the lack of opportunities put him front of him this offseason, but it's fair to say that he misjudged what the market would be for his services. The 12-year veteran wanted a team to fork over the mini-mid level exception for him, which could have been a realistic request under the old CBA.

Now, Martin is anxious to get back on an NBA court and prove that he can still play at a high level while shedding the bad-boy image that has plagued him throughout much of his career. While Martin struggled to contain his emotions on the court in his early years with the Nets, the forward has since learned to control his anger and no longer racks up technical fouls in bunches. He has also learned a valuable lesson from this offseason and now plans to sign with the next club that makes him an offer. The Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Hawks, and Spurs all checked in on Martin this offseason – will one of those clubs come calling again with a contract in hand?

Poll: Will The Bucks Trade Brandon Jennings?

November 5th, 2012 at 8:13pm CST by Zachary Links

While the most of the top players from the 2009 draft class received contract extensions prior to the Halloween deadline, Bucks guard Brandon Jennings did not. The 23-year-old has had an up-and-down relationship with Milwaukee management in his time there, but from the outside Jennings has looked much happier to be with the club. In fact, Jennings reportedly backed down from his desire for a max contract and was seeking just $9-10MM annually on a new deal. That figure was still to rich for the Bucks' blood, apparently, as Jennings is now headed towards restricted free agency this summer.

Jennings recently told reporters that he feels as though he's "kind of auditioning for other teams". Any team that acquires the outspoken one-guard has to be willing to match an offer sheet for him next summer, but his high upside should still give the Bucks plenty of value if they decide to move him. The question is, will the Bucks move Jennings before the trade deadline or are they banking on a weak market for him in the offseason?

Poll: Which Extension Will Provide The Most Value?

November 5th, 2012 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams spent big on rookie-scale extensions this offseason, with over $400MM in total salary committed to extensions for eight players. But despite the hefty price tags, more than one of these new deals could turn out to be bargains for their respective clubs.

Of the eight rookie scale extensions signed in the offseason, which contract do you think will provide the most value for its team for the next several seasons? Taj Gibson's relatively inexpensive pact with the Bulls? Ty Lawson's four-year deal with the Nuggets? Maybe James Harden's max-salary extension with the Rockets looks the most appealing after his early-season performance?

Weigh in below with your pick, and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.

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Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Most Impressive Rookie

November 2nd, 2012 at 5:51pm CST by Sean Highkin

Through three days of the NBA season, most of the heavily hyped rookies have made their debuts. In particular, five have had standout first games as pros: New Orleans' No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, Washington's No. 3 overall pick Bradley Beal, Cleveland's No. 4 overall pick Dion Waiters, Portland's No. 6 overall pick Damian Lillard, and Toronto's Jonas Valanciunas, drafted in 2011. Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist makes his debut tonight.

Which of the five rookies who have made an impact so far have impressed you the most?

Poll: Who Made Out Best In Harden Trade?

October 29th, 2012 at 9:03pm CST by Michael Pina

The Saturday night deal that sent James Harden to Houston continues to send shockwaves throughout the NBA, and will have a significant impact on both the Thunder and Rockets for the foreseeable future. Who made out the best?

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Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: David Stern’s Performance As Commissioner

October 26th, 2012 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

When it was announced yesterday that David Stern would be retiring as NBA commissioner on February 1st, 2014, reactions and retrospectives immediately started pouring in. Many pundits praised Stern for the work he's done over the last three decades to grow the NBA globally, and plenty of players and executives around the league echoed those thoughts.

Not everyone was complimentary of Stern's tenure as NBA commissioner, however. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports wrote that the longtime commish used intimidation and manipulation to get his way for years, and that his last 15 months on the job will be spent "promoting the myth of David Stern." Grantland's Zach Lowe also points to four lockouts and a string of unpopular decisions, including last year's veto of the Lakers' trade for Chris Paul, as blemishes on Stern's legacy.

How do you feel about Stern's 28+ years as NBA commissioner? Weigh in on the poll below with the grade you'd assign Stern for the job he's done at the head of the Association since 1984.

Poll: Which FA Will Make An Impact In 2012/13?

October 24th, 2012 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics recently snatched Leandro Barbosa off the free agent market, ensuring that perhaps the most prominent name among the remaining unsigned players has a job this season. However, there are still a number of players who not only are free agents, but haven't even participated in training camp with a team.

Along with the players who have yet to sign a contract this offseason, plenty of recent camp cuts have become unrestricted free agents again, further saturating the market. While many of the names on our list of free agents likely won't play for NBA teams this year, odds are that at least a couple will sign with contenders and potentially have an impact later in the season.

So today's poll question is this: Which of the remaining free agents do you expect will make the most significant impact this season? Make your pick below and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.

Poll: Will Love Or Dirk Injury Have Bigger Impact?

October 19th, 2012 at 6:42pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier today, the Dallas Mavericks announced that Dirk Nowitzki had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery and was expected to miss up to six weeks of the season. This comes just days after the Minnesota Timberwolves were also hit with the loss of their All-Star power forward. Kevin Love suffered a broken hand earlier this week and is likewise expected to be sidelined for around six weeks.

The Mavs and Wolves were both expected to be in the race for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference. However, losing their respective best players for the start of the season would seem to put a damper on those plans. Whose injury do you believe will have a larger impact on their team?

Poll: How Many Points Will Dirk Average?

October 12th, 2012 at 8:57pm CST by Alex Lee

We heard earlier today that Dirk Nowitzki had his knee drained for the second time this month, which is the latest update in a string of recent injury news regarding the 7-foot German. Nowitzki, now 34, played in 62 of 66 games last season and has stayed remarkably healthy throughout his 14-year career. But last season was arguably his worst statistically since his second year in the league. That, coupled with his age and the troubling news on his knee may have some people concerned about his ability to carry the load in Dallas. What do you think?

Nowitzki averaged 21.6 points per game last year, while good for 8th in the league, was also his third straight season where his scoring average declined. So what will he average this year, in his 15th season in what will surely be a Hall of Fame career?