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Why Many Teams Are Finalizing Roster Cuts On Saturday

December 19th, 2020 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have until Monday night to officially set their rosters for the 2020/21 regular season. However, a majority of NBA teams will likely have their rosters ready to go on Saturday, with more roster cuts expected today than on Sunday or Monday.

Why is that? Well, releasing a player today will allow him to clear waivers on Monday, before the regular season gets underway.

Players who are cut during the season are also paid for each day they spend on waivers, so a player who hits waivers on Sunday and doesn’t clear until the first day of the season on Tuesday would technically earn one day’s worth of pay, even if his salary isn’t guaranteed. A player waived on Monday would spend two regular season days on waivers.

For players with partial or full guarantees, spending the first day or two of the regular season on waivers doesn’t really matter — they’re getting their full 2020/21 salary no matter when they’re released. But if a team waits until Monday to cut a player with a non-guaranteed salary, that team will be on the hook for two days’ worth of dead money for the player.

Two days’ worth of dead money won’t exactly break the bank — it shouldn’t be more than about $22K for a minimum-salary player. But most teams already know which players are in and which are out, so there’s no need to take the decision down to the wire on Monday. They’ll make those cuts today and will avoid adding extra cap charges to their books for ’20/21. Even that small amount of savings could make a difference for teams who are right around the tax line or up against a hard cap.

While many teams will make their cuts today, clubs like the Pistons and Thunder can afford to wait an extra day or two, since they’ll each be waiving a player who has a full or partial guarantee. Waiting until Sunday or Monday to make that move won’t affect their cap outlook at all.

[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Roster Counts]

Meanwhile, it’s worth keeping an eye on a team like the Knicks, who have 15 players on guaranteed contracts but might want to retain veteran forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, whose deal is non-guaranteed. If New York hangs onto Kidd-Gilchrist and doesn’t trim its roster to 15 players on standard deals today, that’ll signal that the team likely plans to waive a player with a guaranteed salary by Monday.

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Dotson Wasn't Surprised By Knicks' Lack Of Interest

December 18th, 2020 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Charles Oakley wants to add Knicks owner James Dolan as a defendant to his assault and battery lawsuit against Madison Square Garden, Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reports. The former Knicks player was forcibly removed, arrested and banned from MSG in 2017. Previously, Oakley contended Dolan had ordered his removal. He is now alleging Dolan ordered the so-called assault. The federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the assault and battery claims in November after a lower court had thrown out the lawsuit’s 10 original claims, Kaplan adds.
  • Damyean Dotson wasn’t surprised the Knicks failed to make him an offer in free agency, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Dotson wound up signing a two-year deal with the Cavaliers, though only the first year is guaranteed. “It’s a whole new staff, management, coaches,” Dotson said. “The guys that drafted me, Phil Jackson, has been gone three years now. It’s a new wave. It wasn’t surprising.’’
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Knicks Sign Bryce Brown

December 17th, 2020 at 7:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks have signed shooting guard Bryce Brown, the team announced in a tweet. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 agreement.

Brown won’t make the Knicks’ regular season roster, but looks like a candidate to play for the Westchester Knicks in the G League. Brown figures to be waived by New York very soon, as small forward Louis King was earlier today.

The 6’3″ right-hander went undrafted out of Auburn in 2019. He was added as an affiliate player on the Celtics’ G League team, the Maine Red Claws. In 34 games with Maine (all starts) across the 2019/20 season, Brown averaged 16.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 0.9 SPG. He also shot an excellent 42.7% on 8.6 three-point attempts per night.

Brown’s G League returning rights are held by the Red Claws. That said, it’s unclear how that will work if Westchester participates in the G League bubble but Maine opts out, which is the current expectation — we don’t know yet whether Westchester would still have to trade for his rights.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

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Knicks Sign, Waive Louis King

December 17th, 2020 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

10:59am: The Knicks, as expected, have waived King, the team announced (via Twitter).

8:14am: One day after clearing waivers, free agent forward Louis King has caught on with a new team, having signed a contract with the Knicks, according to a press release.

While terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, it figures to be an Exhibit 10 contract. King is unlikely to make New York’s regular season roster, but could end up playing for the Westchester Knicks in the G League as an affiliate player.

King, 21, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Pistons after going undrafted out of Oregon in 2019. He played just 62 minutes in 10 games at the NBA level, but was a regular for the Grand Rapids Drive, averaging 15.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 31 NBAGL games (28.5 MPG).

King signed a new two-way contract with Detroit for the 2020/21 season, but was waived on Monday by the club.

The Knicks now have a full 20-man training camp roster for the time being. King and at least two other players will have to be cut by Monday’s regular season roster deadline.

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Knicks Waive James Young

December 16th, 2020 at 6:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have waived guard James Young two days after signing him, the team announced (via Twitter). Young’s next stop could be the organization’s G League affiliate in Westchester.

The 25-year-old shooting guard spent three years with the Celtics and had a brief stay with the Sixers after being taken with the 17th pick in the 2014 draft. Young played in Israel last season.

The move brings the Knicks’ roster to 19, including two players on two-way deals. They have until Monday to trim it down to 17.

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Thibodeau Deems Adding A Star "Critical"

December 15th, 2020 at 10:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • New Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has weighed in on the importance of New York acquiring a star. “I think it’s critical,’’ Thibodeau said Tuesday on Zoom of having a star, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “There’s a lot of different paths to getting stars. Sometimes it’s the development phase,” he continued. “Sometimes there’s situations that arise whether it be through free agency or trade. But I think every day that has to be a priority for the organization to seek out those opportunities.”
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Pistons Notes: Doumbouya, LaVar, Sirvydis, Vet Leadership

December 15th, 2020 at 8:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya had a stellar preseason turn in a 99-91 victory against the Knicks Sunday, reminding the Pistons faithful that the 19-year-old could be a key part of Detroit’s future, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details. Now just the third-youngest Pistons player, Doumbouya scored 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, in addition to pulling down five rebounds and logging two dimes, in only 18 minutes.

“I came in and tried to help the team – that’s my job, to come off the bench, lock in and be ready to help the team,” Doumbouya said. He averaged 6.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 38 games for the Pistons during the 2019/20 season.

There’s more out of the Motor City:

  • In a Bleacher Report Ask Me Anything conversation yesterday, the outspoken LaVar Ball was true to form, ripping the Pistons for recently waiving middle son LiAngelo Ball. The Pistons had signed LiAngelo to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract. “I love the fans, but the franchise over there is raggedy as hell,” the elder Ball said. “They don’t know a good player. I was giving them a [l]ottery pick for free!” LiAngelo went undrafted out of UCLA in 2018.
  • Pistons rookie swingman Deividas Sirvydis has arrived in Detroit, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter link). The 20-year-old will need to clear COVID-19 testing protocol, according to Pistons head coach Dwane Casey, and may be ready to join his teammates in a practice this Thursday or Friday.
  • Two former All-Stars can supply valuable leadership for a young Pistons team in transition, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Savvy veterans Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin, who have logged significant playoff minutes, can help inform the Pistons’ future leaders and build the current culture. “They’re great pros, big-time pros,” Casey said. “We’re being sensible about our program and what we’re building. It’s not going to happen overnight – I know that and they know that. It’s not like they’re fighting for star status. They’ve been there.
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Knicks Sign James Young, Waive Tyler Hall

December 14th, 2020 at 7:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have signed James Young and waived Tyler Hall, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).

New York’s intention to sign Young was reported last week. Young, 25, was the 17th pick of the 2014 draft by Boston. He hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2017/18 season, when he made six appearances for Philadelphia. He played in Israel last season.

Young’s contract terms were not revealed but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 deal.

Hall was signed over the weekend to an Exhibit 10 contract. Hall’s G League rights are already held by the Knicks, so he could earn a $50K bonus if he plays for the Westchester Knicks for at least 60 days.

Hall, who played college ball at Montana State, was on the Westchester roster last season. He appeared in 39 games, averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.7 APG in 39 games.

The Knicks are stocking their G League team with these types of roster maneuvers and Young could be headed through the same process.

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Smith Jr. Hasn't Looked Good In Preseason Games

December 14th, 2020 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Smith Jr. has done nothing to boost his trade value during the Knicks’ first two preseason games, Marc Berman of the New York Post notes. Though new coach Tom Thibodeau praised Smith last week, the guard hasn’t produced on the court. Smith, who could be a restricted or unrestricted free agent next offseason, logged 37 minutes and shot just 33% from the field. He also looked out of sorts when the Pistons trapped him on Sunday while posting a minus-15 in 16 minutes, Berman adds.

  • The Knicks are planning to hire Pops Mensah-Bonsu as president and director of their G League operations, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov and Shams Charania tweet. Mensah-Bonsu was the GM of the Wizards’ Capital City Go-Go G League team last season after a stint as a Spurs scout.
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2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

December 14th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll kick things off today with the Atlantic division…

Boston Celtics

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Celtics poll.

Brooklyn Nets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nets poll.

Philadelphia 76ers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Sixers poll.

Toronto Raptors

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Raptors poll.

New York Knicks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Knicks poll.

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