Offseason In Review

2018 Offseason In Review: Milwaukee Bucks

October 14th, 2018 at 9:16pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Milwaukee Bucks.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Ersan Ilyasova: Three years, $21MM. Third year non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Brook Lopez: One year, $3.38MM. Signed using bi-annual exception.
- Pat Connaughton: Two years, $3.36MM. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Trevon Duval
- Jaylen Morris
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Christian Wood: Two years, minimum salary. $100K partial guarantee.
- Tim Frazier: One year, minimum salary.
- Jordan Barnett: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Robert Johnson: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Brandon McCoy: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Shabazz Muhammad: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Ike Nwamu: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Travis Trice: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- James Young: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

None

Draft picks:

1-17: Donte DiVincenzo — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Brandon Jennings (waived)
Shabazz Muhammad (re-signed, then waived)
Xavier Munford (two-way)
Jabari Parker
Marshall Plumlee (two-way)
Jason Terry
Tyler Zeller (waived)

Other offseason news:

Hired Mike Budenholzer as head coach to replace interim coach Joe Prunty; finalized new coaching staff.
Mirza Teletovic announced his retirement.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $113.9MM in guaranteed salaries.
Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
No cap exceptions left besides minimum salary exception.

Check out the Milwaukee Bucks’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

When analyzing the most important offseason additions, one can’t overlook the change at head coach for the Bucks, who brought in Mike Budenholzer to replace Joe Prunty following Jason Kidd‘s in-season dismissal. Budenholzer established himself as one of the elite coaches in the league during his tenure with the Hawks, using a combination of ball movement, modern floor-spacing, and tough defense to win games.

Beyond the move to bring in Budenholzer as head coach, the Bucks went out and added two veterans who can space the floor and soak up frontcourt minutes around Giannis Antetokounmpo in Ersan Ilyasova and Brook Lopez. Ilyasova is coming off a season in which he averaged 10.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while knocking down 36% of his 3-pointers. Meanwhile Lopez is coming off a down year with the Lakers, but he still averaged 13 points and 4 rebounds per game while hitting 34.5% of his shots from beyond the arc.

Both players are tested veterans that can hit 3-pointers at a league average rate. Now Budenholzer has several options as he looks to space the floor for Antetokounmpo to attack the basket and find open teammates.

Lopez projects to round out the starting lineup alongside Eric Bledsoe, Tony Snell, Khris Middleton and Antetokounmpo. Such a lineup boasts several solid defenders, ball-handlers and shooters. While the Bucks have struggled defensively in recent seasons, they should be able to improve now that Budenholzer is running more traditional defensive schemes.

As the Bucks look to take a jump on that end of the floor, it will be their refined and improved offense that captivates on a nightly basis. After Milwaukee finished 25th in the league in 3-pointers attempted per game last season (24.7), that number jumped up to 40.3 attempts per game throughout the preseason, highlighting the club’s new emphasis on shooting and floor-spacing.

While other teams made big splashes in free agency, don’t let the Bucks fool you with their modest additions of Lopez and Ilyasova. Coupling those signings with the addition of Budenholzer as coach creates a recipe for a much-improved team on both ends of the floor.

Key offseason losses:

The most recognizable offseason loss was that of Jabari Parker, the former second overall pick who was entering restricted free agency. While it’s easy to point to Parker’s counting statistics (career 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds per game) to claim that the Bucks will miss his scoring prowess, his poor defense shouldn’t be overlooked.

Parker routinely posted a negative net rating when on the floor during his time in Milwaukee, highlighting his inability to make consistent contributions to winning basketball. Throw in the fact that he played in a combined 82 games over the past two seasons and it’s not overly shocking that the Bucks were willing to allow him to depart for the Bulls.

The Bucks also parted ways with Terry and Zeller, two veterans who played semi-regular roles for the team last season. Terry provided shooting and another capable ball-handler in his 51 games, while Zeller provided depth at center after the Bucks traded for him at the deadline. Both players remain free agents ahead of the upcoming season.

Key offseason additions:

The Bucks have been looking to fill the void at center in recent seasons, and it’s hard to imagine a better low-cost fit than Lopez. The 30-year-old big man projects to be the club’s starting center and can add post scoring and competent 3-point shooting in the starting lineup. While acquiring Ilyasova was a very good addition to the team’s depth, Lopez figures to have a significant role on day one as the team’s best option at center.

The Bucks also added some additional playmaking and shooting in the form of Pat Connaughton and Donte DiVincenzo. Connaughton is coming off the best season of his career as he averaged 5.4 points per game while knocking down 35.2% of his 3-pointers. Both project to provide solid depth in the backcourt alongside Sterling Brown and add more shooting to a roster that could really use it outside of the starting lineup.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The Bucks have disappointed in recent seasons relative to the increasing expectations they face each year. After winning 44 games last season and being eliminated in seven games in the first round, the franchise made several key signings in the offseason, headlined by a new coach in Budenholzer.

Now Milwaukee has the roster to play a more modern style of basketball, with a supporting cast that should truly unlock Antetokounmpo’s full arsenal on a nightly basis. Couple that with the fact that the Bucks are in the Eastern Conference and you are looking at a team that should win around 48 games and make the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

2018 Offseason In Review: Utah Jazz

October 13th, 2018 at 8:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Derrick Favors: Two years, $33.8MM. Includes likely and unlikely incentives. Second year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Dante Exum: Three years, $28.8MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Raul Neto: Two years, $4.3MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Second-year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Georges Niang: Three years, minimum salary. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
Two-way contracts:
- Tyler Cavanaugh
- Naz Mitrou-Long
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Stephaun Branch: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Isaiah Cousins: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Isaac Haas: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Jairus Lyles: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Trey Lewis: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

Acquired cash ($1.5MM) from the Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to Vince Edwards (No. 52 pick).

Draft picks:

1-21: Grayson Allen — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Hired Fotis Katsikaris as assistant coach to replace Igor Kokoskov. Katsikaris is the NBA’s first-ever native Greek coach.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $115.7MM in guaranteed salaries.
Full mid-level exception ($8.64MM) still available.
Full bi-annual exception ($3.38MM) still available.

Check out the Utah Jazz’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

In a league where change is common, the Jazz were remarkably quiet during the offseason. First-round pick Grayson Allen is the only significant addition to the roster, while veteran forward Jonas Jerebko, who was waived in July and later signed with the Warriors, was the only significant loss.

That means last season’s surprise contender in the Western Conference will be back with virtually the same cast of characters that won 48 games and ousted the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The emergence of Donovan Mitchell, who finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, helped to speed up the rebuilding process in Utah after Gordon Hayward left to sign with the Celtics.

The Jazz kept their rotation together by re-signing power forward Derrick Favors and reserve guard Dante Exum over the summer. Coach Quin Snyder should benefit from the continuity among a solid group that appears headed for a long string of postseason trips.

Key offseason losses:

Jerebko spent just one season in Utah and only played 15.3 minutes per night, but he was a valuable shooter who helped to stretch opposing defenses on the second unit. Jerebko sank a career-high 65 3-pointers last season and shot .414 from long distance.

The Jazz elected to waive Jerebko in July rather than guarantee his $4.2MM contract for the upcoming season. Golden State expressed interest in him right away and signed him as soon as he cleared waivers.

Key offseason additions:

Utah will be counting on Allen to replace some of that 3-point firepower off the bench. He was a sharpshooter from beyond the arc during his four years at Duke, hitting .370 as a senior and .380 for his college career. The early returns have been positive as Allen averaged 12.6 points per game during the preseason and ranked in the top 10 among rookie scorers. He shot 51% overall and 52% from 3-point range in five games.

Once the college season ended, Allen made a steady rise up the draft board, taken with the 21st pick after originally being projected as a second-rounder, recounts Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Allen had a standout performance in a Salt Lake City workout that featured prospects Aaron Holiday, Jalen Brunson and Khyri Thomas. He dominated that session, then had a repeat performance at the CAA Pro Day with scouts from all 30 teams watching.

Utah aced the draft last year by picking up Mitchell, and the front office is confident that Allen will also outplay his draft position.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The Jazz were an afterthought for the playoffs heading into last season, but Mitchell’s rise turned them into one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Rudy Gobert returned from a pair of injuries to provide an anchor in the middle and was rewarded with Defensive Player of the Year honors. Ricky Rubio is a dynamic leader of the offense whose presence was missed after an injury sidelined him in the second-round playoff series against Houston. Favors and Joe Ingles developed into an effective forward combination in their first year of starting together.

Utah opted to play it safe during the offseason, focusing its efforts on re-signing Favors and Exum, along with Raul Neto and Georges Niang, rather than trying to recruit free agents. With Rubio in a contract year, the Jazz will likely follow the same approach next summer. It seems to be working as the organization shrugged off the loss of Hayward and faces the future with a talented core in place and no bad long-term contracts.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

2018 Offseason In Review: Toronto Raptors

October 13th, 2018 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Fred VanVleet: Two years, $18MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Greg Monroe: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Lorenzo Brown: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($800K). Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Jordan Loyd
- Chris Boucher (converted from Exhibit 10 contract)
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Deng Adel: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Kyle Collinsworth: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Kay Felder: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Eric Moreland: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

Acquired Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green from the Spurs in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and the Raptors’ 2019 first-round pick (top-20 protected).

Draft picks:

None

Departing players:

DeMar DeRozan
Alfonzo McKinnie (waived)
Malcolm Miller (two-way)
Lucas Nogueira
Jakob Poeltl

Other offseason news:

Promoted Nick Nurse to head coach to replace Dwane Casey; finalized new coaching staff.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $139.8MM in guaranteed salaries.
Projected tax bill of $34.5MM.
Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.34MM) still available.

Check out the Toronto Raptors’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

During the summer of 2017, after a second straight dispiriting postseason loss to the Cavaliers, the Raptors doubled down on their core, re-signing Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to lucrative new contracts and bringing back head coach Dwane Casey. With the help of a new offensive scheme – attributed in large part to assistant Nick Nurse – Toronto earned the No. 1 seed in the East last season, winning a franchise-best 59 games.

However, after the Cavaliers once again dismantled the Raptors in the playoffs, the team couldn’t simply run it back again. Casey, despite being named the NBA’s Coach of the Year, was dismissed and replaced by Nurse. And DeMar DeRozan, the team’s MVP in 2017/18, was sent to San Antonio in a blockbuster trade that landed the Raptors Kawhi Leonard, a legit two-way star.

The acquisition of Leonard was a huge roll of the dice for president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, who later told reporters that the two-time All-NBA forward represents the sort of perennial MVP candidate that the Raptors have never had on their roster before. That’s undoubtedly true, but Kawhi is also coming off a season in which he only played nine games due to a quad injury. Plus, he’s eligible for free agency in 2019, meaning his stay in Toronto could be short-lived.

It’s a thrilling gamble for a team that needed to take one. Even with longtime tormentor LeBron James no longer in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors were about to be surpassed by the Celtics and Sixers and were no lock to take a step forward in 2018/19 with their old roster. Ujiri’s offseason shakeup raises Toronto’s ceiling for 2018/19.

Key offseason losses:

DeRozan’s inclusion in the Leonard trade came as a shock to the All-NBA guard, who claimed he’d been told by Ujiri that he wouldn’t be moved anytime soon. The 29-year-old had spent his entire nine-year NBA career in Toronto, appearing in more games and scoring more points than any other player in team history, so it made sense that he’d be surprised and hurt by the unexpected move.

While DeRozan was never a strong defender, the Raptors will miss his scoring and play-making. He averaged at least 23 points per game in each of the last three seasons, and never stopped trying to expand his game — he recorded a career-high 5.2 APG and 1.1 3PG in 2017/18.

Jakob Poeltl was also included in the deal with the Spurs and shouldn’t be viewed as a mere afterthought in that package. Poeltl helped anchor the NBA’s best second unit in 2017/18, providing the Raptors with the sort of athleticism at the five that Jonas Valanciunas and newly-added big man Greg Monroe don’t possess. Poeltl, 2016’s ninth overall pick, is entering his age-23 season, so he should only improve in San Antonio.

The Raptors’ other departing player of note is Lucas Nogueira. The former first-round pick only played sporadically last season, but he served as a sort of wild card off the bench, providing a jolt of energy and occasionally providing momentum-changing plays when he got into games. Given how deep Toronto’s bench still is, losing Nogueira shouldn’t have a major impact.

Key offseason additions:

Outside of perhaps LeBron, no player who changed teams during the 2018 offseason has the potential to have a greater impact than Leonard. Replacing one All-NBA player with another may seem like a marginal upgrade on the surface, but Kawhi’s two-way ability could make him a much more valuable piece than DeRozan — while DeRozan often had to be hidden on the other team’s least dangerous offensive player, Leonard is capable of shutting down an opponent’s best scorer in a given night.

Offensively, Leonard may not quite possess the talent as a pure scorer that DeRozan has, but his ability to knock down three-pointers (38.6% in his career, compared to DeRozan’s 28.8%) makes him a better fit for the Raptors’ system. Plus, before he first went down with his leg injury during the Western Conference Semifinals in 2017, Kawhi was showing off a new level of of scoring and play-making ability. If Nurse is able to continue to unlock that ability and Leonard can stay healthy, an MVP-caliber season isn’t out of the question.

The other player involved in the Spurs trade shouldn’t be overlooked either — Danny Green provides the Raptors with yet another versatile rotation option in a league that highly values three-and-D wings like him. Green’s three-point shooting has dropped off a little in recent years, as he’s posted a .357 3PT% in the last three seasons after putting up a .423 3PT% in the four previous seasons. Still, he’s only one year removed from earning a spot on the league’s All-Defensive Second Team and should provide Toronto with steady minutes.

Besides re-signing Fred VanVleet, an important bench piece, to a reasonable two-year contract, the Raptors’ other notable move on the free agent market was adding Monroe. The veteran center isn’t exactly the sort of modern-day center who you want on the floor during a fast-paced, small-ball type game, but he has value, particularly at the minimum salary. He has also played well against the Raptors over the last couple years, averaging 13.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in just 23.7 MPG during his last 10 games against the team. It’s not clear how much of a role Monroe will have in Toronto, but the signing should pay off in certain matchups.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The Raptors have won between 48 and 59 games in each of the last five seasons, but have yet to establish themselves as a serious threat in the postseason, having been swept out of the playoffs by the Cavs in consecutive years. This roster is capable of changing that — and, of course, it doesn’t hurt that LeBron is now a Laker.

The common narrative is that the Raptors will go as far as Kawhi can take them, and that’s probably true. Leonard can be one of the league’s very best players when he’s healthy, and he’ll be invaluable in the playoffs, where Toronto has lacked a defensive stopper to match up with stars like James.

Still, Leonard isn’t the only thing the Raptors have going for them. The team’s young core of VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Delon Wright is an underrated one. Even if this season takes a wrong turn and Leonard decides to skip town at season’s end, the franchise has reasons to be optimistic about its future.

Of course, the Raptors are hoping it won’t come to that. With a healthy Leonard, they’re equipped to make a legit run at the Eastern Conference crown and to make a strong case to Kawhi that he ought to consider staying in Toronto for a few more years.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018 Offseason In Review: Oklahoma City Thunder

October 12th, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Paul George: Four years, maximum salary ($136.91MM). Fourth-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Jerami Grant: Three years, $27.35MM. Third-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Nerlens Noel: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year player option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Raymond Felton: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Deonte Burton
- Tyler Davis
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Abdul Gaddy: One year, minimum salary.
- Donte Grantham: One year, minimum salary.
- Scotty Hopson: One year, minimum salary.
- Dez Wells: One year, minimum salary.
- Bryce Alford: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- K.J. McDaniels: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Richard Solomon: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo (No. 45 pick) from the Hornets in exchange for the Thunder’s 2019 second-round pick and cash ($243K).
Acquired Rodney Purvis from the Magic in exchange for Dakari Johnson and cash ($1,978,242).
Acquired Abdel Nader and cash ($450K) from the Celtics in exchange for Rodney Purvis.
Acquired Dennis Schroder and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot in a three-way trade with the Hawks and Sixers in exchange for Carmelo Anthony (to Hawks) and the Thunder’s 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected) (to Hawks).

Draft picks:

2-45: Hamidou Diallo — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
2-53: Devon Hall — Will play overseas.
2-57: Kevin Hervey — Signed to G League contract.

Departing players:

Carmelo Anthony
Corey Brewer
Nick Collison (retired)
P.J. Dozier (two-way)
Daniel Hamilton (two-way)
Josh Huestis
Dakari Johnson
Kyle Singler (waived)

Other offseason news:

Andre Roberson suffered setback, expected to be out until at least December.
Hired Bob Beyer as assistant coach to replace Adrian Griffin.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $145.6MM in guaranteed salaries.
Projected tax bill of $73.8MM.
$4.5MM of taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($838K used on Hamidou Diallo).

Check out the Oklahoma City Thunder’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The Thunder knew that trading for Paul George a year before he hit unrestricted free agency was a huge gamble. George had already expressed his desire to return to his home state of California and play in Los Angeles, which motivated Indiana to seek the best deal it could find for the All-Star forward.

What made it an even bigger risk was that George would be joining forces with Russell Westbrook. Oklahoma City had already seen a former league Most Valuable Player, Kevin Durant, ditch the franchise in part because he never completely warmed up to the headstrong All-Star point guard.

The Thunder’s brass still figured it was worth a dice roll. In order to remain competitive in the Western Conference, the Thunder needed a top-shelf forward to complement Westbrook. When the calendar approached July 1st, everyone associated with the franchise held their breath. Turns out, they had nothing to worry about.

George decided weeks before the start of free agency he wasn’t going anywhere. He didn’t even bother meeting with the Lakers before signing a four-year mega-deal with OKC that includes a player option in the final year of the pact.

As George explained shortly afterward, “Loved the situation. Loved where I was at. I decided to stick around a little longer. … I just wanted my free agency to be over with.”

Without George, the Thunder would have become over-reliant on Westbrook, as they did the season after Durant bolted, and struggled just to make the playoffs. With him, they remain one of the few teams that could threaten Golden State’s supremacy.

Key offseason losses:

OKC’s other big move last offseason was to acquire Carmelo Anthony and his creaky knees from the Knicks.

Anthony proved to be surprisingly durable, appearing in 78 regular-season games, his highest total since the 2005/06 season. The problem was that Anthony never truly fit in with two other prolific scorers in the lineup. He attempted a career-low 16.8 shots per game and made 4o.4%, the worst of his career.

He was also a liability on defense and wanted out after seeing his playing time reduced during the postseason. Oklahoma City was fortunate to find a taker, though it had to forward a future first-rounder to sweeten the pot.

Corey Brewer started all six of the Thunder’s playoff games but they didn’t have any interest in re-signing him. Josh Huestis saw action in 69 games, including 10 starts, but didn’t take enough advantage of those opportunities after spending most of his first two seasons in the G League.

Key offseason additions:

Atlanta soured on Dennis Schroder as its starting point guard but the Thunder, who acquired him in the Anthony deal, view him as a key part of their revamped rotation. Schroder brings more pop to the second unit and can start while Westbrook mends from minor knee surgery. The Thunder can also go with some two point-guard looks if the situation dictates, considering that shooting guard Andre Roberson is still dealing with complications from his major knee injury last season.

Jerami Grant played regularly on the second unit last season and the Thunder were determined to keep him in free agency, even when Anthony’s situation was still unsettled. He’ll now move into the lineup, taking over Anthony’s spot. Grant can’t approach Anthony as an offensive threat but he should be a better overall fit playing alongside George and Steven Adams on a regular basis. In the first-round playoffs, against the Jazz, the Thunder had a +8.9 net rating when Grant was on the court, and a -17.1 net rating when he was on the bench.

Management took a low-cost flier on Nerlens Noel, whose career has nosedived since a promising start in Philadelphia. Noel only appeared in 30 games with Dallas last season, in part due to injuries, but he can provide low-post scoring as Adams’ primary backup this season.

Outlook for 2018/19:

Assuming Westbrook doesn’t have any setbacks, the Thunder should be back in the postseason. The Westbrook-George duo will put constant pressure on opposing defenses and they won’t have to defer to another ball-dominant veteran (Anthony) this season. Adams, one of the league’s most underrated big men, delivers a physical presence and a measure of nastiness inside.

If Roberson can return during the second half of the season, their postseason outlook would brighten. He’s the closest thing the team has to a lock-down defender and the other options it has at shooting guard seem more like stopgaps than solutions.

Schroder adds another dimension to the offense and he should be a prime candidate for the league’s Sixth Man award.

The Thunder still don’t have the appearance of a championship team, at least not when compared to Warriors and Rockets. The return of George should get Oklahoma City through the opening round this season but an appearance in the conference semifinals looks like their ceiling.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

2018 Offseason In Review: Philadelphia 76ers

October 12th, 2018 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- J.J. Redick: One year, $12.25MM. Re-signed using cap room.
- Amir Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Demetrius Jackson
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Matt Farrell: One year, minimum salary.
- D.J. Hogg: One year, minimum salary.
- Emeka Okafor: One year, minimum salary.
- Anthony Brown: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Norvel Pelle: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Zhaire Smith (No. 16 pick) and the Heat’s 2021 first-round pick (unprotected) from the Suns in exchange for the draft rights to Mikal Bridges (No. 10 pick).
Acquired the Pistons’ 2021 second-round pick and the Pistons’ 2023 second-round pick from the Pistons in exchange for the draft rights to Khyri Thomas (No. 38 pick).
Acquired the draft rights to Shake Milton (No. 54 pick) from the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Ray Spalding (No. 56 pick) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (No. 60 pick).
Acquired the Bulls’ 2019 second-round pick and cash ($1.5MM) from the Lakers in exchange for the draft rights to Isaac Bonga (No. 39 pick).
Acquired Wilson Chandler, the Nuggets’ 2021 second-round pick, and the right to swap 2022 second-round picks from the Nuggets in exchange for cash ($110K).
Acquired cash ($1MM) from the Suns in exchange for Richaun Holmes.
Acquired Mike Muscala in a three-way trade with the Hawks and Thunder in exchange for Justin Anderson (to Hawks) and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (to Thunder).

Draft picks:

1-16: Zhaire Smith — Signed to rookie contract.
1-26: Landry Shamet — Signed to rookie contract.
2-54: Shake Milton — Signed to two-way contract.

Draft-and-stash signings:

Jonah Bolden (2017 draft; No. 36): Signed to four-year, $7MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using cap room.

Departing players:

Justin Anderson
Marco Belinelli
Richaun Holmes
Ersan Ilyasova
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot

Other offseason news:

Agreed to part ways with president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo after Twitter burner account scandal.
Promoted VP of basketball operations Elton Brand to general manager position.
Special advisor Jerry Colangelo will leave team at season’s end.
Contract agreement with Nemanja Bjelica fell through.
Zhaire Smith underwent foot surgery; expected to be sidelined until Christmas.
Hired former WNBA star Lindsey Harding as full-time scout.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; now over the cap.
Carrying approximately $101.1MM in guaranteed salaries.
Full room exception ($4.45MM) still available.

Check out the Philadelphia 76ers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The story of the Sixers’ summer might have been the NBA’s story of the decade. A late-May report from Ben Detrick of The Ringer, which detailed the use of Twitter “burner” accounts connected to president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo, set NBA Twitter afire, providing one jaw-dropping revelation after another.

The allegations within that report – that Colangelo appeared to be using anonymous Twitter accounts to criticize current and former Sixers players, share inside information about the franchise, and tip team strategy – ultimately cost the veteran executive his job, though an investigation revealed that his wife was likely the one behind the accounts.

The bizarre saga put the Sixers in a tenuous position entering the offseason. The organization was armed with the most 2018 draft picks of any NBA team – including multiple first-rounders – and had enough cap flexibility to pursue any free agent on the market. But Philadelphia headed into the draft and free agency without a permanent GM in place, employing head coach Brett Brown as the interim head of basketball operations.

While the last-minute change to the front office was unexpected, it didn’t necessarily hamstring the 76ers. Philadelphia wasn’t able to land a top free agent, but the team showed no aversion to making roster moves, completing a league-high seven trades during the offseason. Still, it remains to be seen whether all that roster activity will ultimately move the needle in 2018/19 for a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference.

Key offseason losses:

With a handful of new rookies joining the roster for the 2018/19 season, it made sense for the Sixers to move on from bench players like Richaun Holmes, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Justin Anderson in trades.

Although Holmes has provided the Sixers with some solid minutes over the last three seasons, he was entering the last year of his contract and didn’t project to have a major role with Amir Johnson returning. Luwawu-Cabarrot and Anderson played part-time roles in Philadelphia last season, but didn’t show major signs of forward progress and have been replaced on the roster by younger players who have a little more upside.

A pair of veteran sharpshooters represent the most significant losses for the Sixers. Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, acquired on the buyout market after last season’s trade deadline, added a new element to Philadelphia’s offense, helping the team stretch the floor and giving stars like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid more room to go to work.

The 76ers won 20 of their 23 regular season games in which both Belinelli and Ilyasova were active, but were unable to retain either player in free agency, as both vets came to terms quickly with new teams — Belinelli got a two-year, $12MM deal from the Spurs, while Ilyasova received a three-year, $21MM contract from Milwaukee.

The Sixers will miss the veteran duo, particularly since a reported agreement to sign an Ilyasova-like stretch four (Nemanja Bjelica) fell through.

Key offseason additions:

The Sixers entered the summer with dreams of acquiring LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard — or maybe even both. However, James wasted no time in reaching a deal with the Lakers, and Philadelphia wasn’t willing to surrender the right pieces to acquire Leonard from the Spurs, who wanted to replace their All-NBA forward with another win-now veteran (ie. DeMar DeRozan).

Having struck out on their top targets, the Sixers opted not to tie up their cap for years by throwing big money at a second-tier free agent. Instead, they kept accumulating future draft assets and rolled their cap room over to the summer of 2019, using this year’s space to re-sign J.J. Redick to a one-year deal and to trade for Wilson Chandler, who is entering the final year of his contract.

Chandler, who had been with the Nuggets since 2010, is an interesting addition for the Sixers. He’s capable of playing both forward positions, so he could fill a stretch four role (.351 3PT% since 2012/13) in certain lineups, while serving as a three-and-D wing alongside Embiid and Dario Saric in others.

Mike Muscala, a 37.8% career three-point shooter, will also help the Sixers’ frontcourt stretch the floor, and can hold his own on defense against bigger bodies. Neither Chandler nor Muscala will be a difference-maker in Philadelphia, but they’re solid veterans who should play nice complementary roles to the team’s stars.

The Sixers’ other new additions are youngsters, with Zhaire Smith, Landry Shamet, and Jonah Bolden joining the mix. Smith, who will be out until at least December with a foot injury, might not give the club much this season, and it’s not clear whether Shamet will be ready to contribute right away either. Bolden, however, could be an under-the-radar contributor to watch — the Sixers like the 2017 second-rounder, who signed a long-term deal with the team this season after spending a year overseas as a draft-and-stash prospect.

Outlook for 2018/19:

None of the players the Sixers added to their roster during the summer of 2018 represent a sizable upgrade over last year’s group, and losing Belinelli and Ilyasova might hurt. Still, Philadelphia isn’t necessarily counting on any of its newly-acquired players to be a star. The club already has two of those in Embiid and Simmons, and as long as they continue to get better, this should be one of the perennial contenders in the East.

Of course, the Sixers are desperately hoping that 2017’s first overall pick, Markelle Fultz, will ultimately join that group of young stars, giving Philadelphia its own Big Three. If Fultz can take steps toward becoming that sort of impact player in 2018/19, it won’t matter that the Sixers didn’t make a splash in free agency or on the trade market — Fultz would represent a massive in-house upgrade after his forgettable rookie season.

Without substantial development from Fultz, this Sixers squad may not be ready to compete for a title quite yet, but that’s okay. Embiid and Simmons still only have one full season apiece under their belts, and the 76ers’ 2019 cap flexibility will give the club another shot at landing a star next summer. This figures to be a team to be reckoned with for years to come.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018 Offseason In Review: Indiana Pacers

October 10th, 2018 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Doug McDermott: Three years, $22MM. Signed using cap room.
- Tyreke Evans: One year, $12.4MM. Signed using cap room.
- Kyle O’Quinn: One year, $4.45MM. Signed using room exception.
Two-way contracts:
- C.J. Wilcox
  - Note: Wilcox has been ruled out for the season with a torn Achilles and is expected to be waived.
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Ben Moore: One year, minimum salary. $45K partial guarantee.
- Omari Johnson: One year, minimum salary.
- Elijah Stewart: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

None

Draft picks:

1-23: Aaron Holiday — Signed to rookie contract.
2-50: Alize Johnson — Signed to two-year, minimum salary contract. First year guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Signed head coach Nate McMillan to a contract extension through 2020/21.
Exercised 2019/20 rookie scale team options for Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Leaf.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; now over the cap.
Carrying approximately $106.2MM in guaranteed salaries.
No cap exceptions left besides minimum salary exception.

Check out the Indiana Pacers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Armed with upwards of $20MM in cap room, the Pacers entered the offseason in a rare position — not only were they coming off an impressive 48-win season and retaining all their most important pieces, but they were also in position to add another impact player.

However, despite some rumors about a few top-tier free agents – including Aaron Gordon – the Pacers ultimately took a similar approach to free agency to the one they took in previous years. Rather than using all that cap space in a single player, Indiana spread the wealth, adding a few veteran free agents to their roster on deals in the neighborhood of the mid-level.

Tyreke Evans, Doug McDermott, and Kyle O’Quinn should fit in well on a roster that overachieved in 2017/18. Evans and O’Quinn have spent most of their respective careers on lottery teams and will be willing to play whatever roles are needed in order to get to the postseason. McDermott, meanwhile, has to be thrilled about getting a three-year commitment from a team that will be his fifth since the start of the 2016/17 season.

Those veteran additions flew under the NBA radar during an offseason that saw stars like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard change teams, but they make perfect sense for a Pacers team looking to build on last season’s success without breaking the bank or compromising future flexibility.

Key offseason losses:

While all of the Pacers’ core pieces will be back for the 2018/19 season, the team did lose a handful of role players, including Lance Stephenson. Stephenson’s second stint in Indiana wasn’t quite as successful as his first, but he was a solid contributor for last year’s squad, chipping in 9.2 PG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.9 APG off the bench.

Indiana’s decision to turn down Stephenson’s relatively modest ($4.36MM) team option for 2018/19 allowed the club to maximize its cap room while retaining the ability to bring back the 28-year-old. Ultimately, a reunion wasn’t in the cards, as Stephenson reached a deal to join the Lakers instead.

Big men Trevor Booker and Al Jefferson were among the Pacers’ other offseason departures. Booker was somewhat redundant at a power forward spot that features Thaddeus Young, especially if the Pacers envision a bigger role for T.J. Leaf. As for Jefferson, his $10MM salary was only partially guaranteed for $4MM, making him an obvious cap casualty.

The Pacers also lost Glenn Robinson III, a solid wing who missed most of the 2017/18 season after undergoing ankle surgery, and Joe Young, a third-string point guard who played limited minutes.

Key offseason additions:

It was a buyers’ market for NBA teams in free agency this summer, a contrast from the last two offseasons. So it was surprising to see the Pacers commit three years and $22MM to McDermott during the first hour of free agency once the calendar flipped to July 1.

For a team in need of a shooter, there may have been better values out there than giving McDermott three guaranteed years — Marco Belinelli got $12MM over two years from the Spurs, while Wayne Ellington returned to the Heat for one year and $6.27MM. Still, we’ll give the Pacers the benefit of the doubt with McDermott for now. They clearly have a plan in mind for him, and even if he doesn’t do much else, he’ll knock down threes. He made 49.4% of his shots from beyond the arc in 26 games for Dallas last season, bumping his career rate to 40.3%.

Evans, who got a one-year, $12.4MM contract, is perhaps the more intriguing addition for the Pacers. He’s coming off an impressive bounce-back year in Memphis in which he put up 19.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 5.1 RPG in 52 games before the tanking Grizzlies shut him down for the season.

With Victor Oladipo, Darren Collison, and Cory Joseph in the mix, Evans might not get a chance to handle the ball as much as he did with the Grizzlies, but there are plenty of reasons to like this fit. Evans should get a chance to become the go-to scorer for the second unit, and when he plays alongside Oladipo, he’ll avoid the toughest assignment on defense.

The Pacers further fortified their bench by signing veteran center O’Quinn and drafting promising young guard Aaron Holiday. It’s not clear how much of a role either player will have, given the team’s depth in the backcourt and at the five. However, O’Quinn is the sort of guy who can step up and provide reliable production in the event of an injury, while Holiday will get the chance to learn from and develop alongside a handful of veteran guards.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The Pacers won 48 games last year and appear to have improved their roster, but that doesn’t mean we should pencil them in for 50+ victories and a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this season. The Pacers won’t catch any teams off guard in their second year without Paul George, and some regression is possible.

Still, this is a deep and talented roster, one that should claim a top-five seed in a depleted Eastern Conference, particularly if Myles Turner enjoys a bounce-back season. The Pacers are also well positioned to stay flexible going forward, with only about $40MM in guaranteed salaries on the cap for 2019/20.

With seven probable rotation players on expiring deals, the Pacers’ 2018/19 campaign will be about evaluating which of those players are keepers. More importantly though, it will be about looking to build upon last year’s surprise success and establishing a place as a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018 Offseason In Review: New Orleans Pelicans

October 9th, 2018 at 4:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Julius Randle: Two years, $17.71MM. Second-year player option. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Elfrid Payton: One year, $3MM. Signed using bi-annual exception.
- Ian Clark: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Trevon Bluiett
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Jahlil Okafor: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. $50K partial guarantee.
- Garlon Green: Two years, minimum salary. $50K partial guarantee.
- Kenrich Williams: Two years, minimum salary. $50K partial guarantee.
- Darius Morris: Two years, minimum salary.
- Troy Williams: Two years, minimum salary.
- Jarrett Jack: One year, minimum salary.
- Brandon McCoy: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

None

Draft picks:

2-51: Tony Carr — Will play overseas.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Anthony Davis changed agents, hired Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
Signed Tyrone Wallace to offer sheet; matched by Clippers.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $108.7MM in guaranteed salaries.
Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
$382K of bi-annual exception still available ($3MM used on Elfrid Payton).

Check out the New Orleans Pelicans’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Entering the offseason without their first-round pick, without any real salary cap flexibility, and lacking viable trade chips, the Pelicans had a pair of clear, achievable goals: Re-sign DeMarcus Cousins and re-sign Rajon Rondo. Depending on the price tags for Cousins and Rondo in free agency, it appeared there was a path to bringing both of them back without going into luxury tax territory.

Within the first two days of free agency, however, the Pels had lost both Cousins and Rondo. While that outcome was a little unexpected, it ended up not being a total disaster. New Orleans was able to find a younger, more affordable duo in Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton.

With little margin for error in a hyper-competitive Western Conference, the ability of Randle and Payton to slot into those lineup spots vacated by Cousins and Rondo will go a long way toward determining the Pelicans’ upside in 2018/19.

Key offseason losses:

The in-season acquisition of Cousins at the 2017 trade deadline didn’t pay major dividends for the Pelicans, but the team got a glimpse of the big man’s upside during the first half of the 2017/18 campaign. In 48 games, Cousins put up a monster stat line that included 25.2 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.6 SPG.

A torn Achilles ended his season early though, and that injury played a significant part in the Pelicans and Cousins parting ways over the summer. The Pelicans almost certainly would’ve bid more aggressively on a healthy Cousins who isn’t expected to miss half the 2018/19 season — in that scenario, there’s no way he would’ve settled for a $5.4MM offer from the Warriors as he looks to rebuild his value. That Achilles injury also gave the Pelicans a glimpse of what their lineup looked like without him, and the success they had down the stretch and in the postseason softened the blow of his departure.

Despite Cousins’ eye-popping numbers, it may be Rondo whose departure impacts New Orleans most significantly. By all accounts, the veteran point guard was a model teammate, leader, and locker-room influence during his lone season with the Pelicans. Rondo was steady during the regular season (8.3 PPG, 8.2 APG) and excellent in the playoffs (10.3 PPG, 12.2 APG, .421 3PT%), and his ability to handle the point allowed Jrue Holiday to play off the ball more than ever.

While Cousins and Rondo were the Pelicans’ most noteworthy losses, the team will also have to account for the departures of DeAndre Liggins and Emeka Okafor, who were decent role players for the team last season.

I was a little surprised at New Orleans’ willingness to waive Liggins, given his solid defense and the Pelicans’ lack of reliable wings, but the 30-year-old journeyman has had trouble finding a permanent NBA home, appearing in regular season games for four teams over the past two seasons. As for Okafor, his comeback story was a good one and his work fortifying the Pelicans’ frontcourt after Cousins went down was laudable, but his release didn’t come as a shock.

Key offseason additions:

In 49 starts for the Lakers last season, Randle looked like a poor man’s Cousins, averaging 18.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG. Randle isn’t as dynamic a playmaker or as reliable a rim protector as Cousins, but his age (24 in November) and his health are points in his favor. He should be a nice fit alongside Anthony Davis.

I’m less bullish on the signing of Payton, who has been inconsistent on defense and hasn’t developed a reliable jump shot. At just $3MM for one year, the signing is low-risk, but if the Pelicans want to keep Holiday off the ball again this season, Payton will be relied upon for significant minutes, since the team’s other point guard options (Frank Jackson, Darius Morris, Jarrett Jack) are unproven or uninspiring.

One key factor involved in the additions of Randle and Payton is the Pelicans’ desire to play with pace. New Orleans was already running with Cousins in the lineup, ranking sixth in the NBA in pace when he tore his Achilles, but the club took it to another level down the stretch, finishing the season as the league’s No. 1 team in terms of pace. Randle and Payton are known for their athleticism and certainly won’t slow the Pelicans down at all this season, which should make them a fun team to watch.

The Pelicans didn’t make any trades this offseason and didn’t invest heavily in any other free agents, but it will be interesting to see which of the club’s camp invitees on non-guaranteed contracts make the regular season roster. Jahlil Okafor, Troy Williams, Morris, and Jack all have NBA experience, and at least two of those players – if not more – figure to stick around.

Outlook for 2018/19:

After improving their record by 14 wins in 2017/18 and winning their first playoff series in a decade, the Pelicans entered the offseason thinking about retaining their core and adding a complementary piece or two. Instead, they lost two of their most important pieces, replacing them with a pair of young veterans who have yet to play a single postseason game.

Davis is one of the NBA’s very best players, and he and Holiday should keep the Pelicans in the playoff conversation this year. But the club will be asking for a lot from Randle and Payton, and it remains to be seen what sort of impact the newcomers will have in New Orleans.

If the Pelicans fall out of the top eight in the West in 2018/19, it will only increase the Davis trade speculation going forward, so the franchise has a lot riding on this season’s performance. It will be fascinating to see if New Orleans can continue to take steps forward or if some regression is in store for the club.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018 Offseason In Review: Portland Trail Blazers

October 8th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Jusuf Nurkic: Four years, $48MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Fourth-year partially guaranteed ($4MM). Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Seth Curry: One year, $2.8MM. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Nik Stauskas: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- None
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Cameron Oliver: One year, minimum salary.
- Chinanu Onuaku: One year, minimum salary.
- Gary Payton II: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Gary Trent Jr. (No. 37 pick) from the Kings in exchange for either the Timberwolves’ or Lakers’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the Heat’s 2021 second-round pick, and cash ($1.5MM).

Draft picks:

1-24: Anfernee Simons — Signed to rookie contract.
2-37: Gary Trent Jr. — Signed to three-year, $3.92MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Team owner Paul Allen being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Reached jersey ad sponsorship deal with Performance Health (Biofreeze).

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $131.6MM in guaranteed salaries.
Projected tax bill of $12.58MM.
$1.7MM of taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($3.63MM used on Seth Curry and Gary Trent Jr.).

Check out the Portland Trail Blazers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

When a team gets swept by a lower seed in the first round of the playoffs, it’s logical to assume that management will do more than simply tweak the roster. The Trail Blazers entered the postseason in April as the No. 3 seed with a 49-33 record. The Pelicans, playing without DeMarcus Cousins, made their postseason stay as short as possible.

To be fair, New Orleans only lost one fewer regular-season game than Portland despite being the No. 6 seed. It also had the best player on the floor in Anthony Davis, who averaged 33 PPG in the series.

GM Neil Olshey could have done something bold in the aftermath of that flameout, specifically breaking up the high-scoring backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Whether Olshey didn’t receive attractive offers for the guards or he simply didn’t want to push the panic button, the Blazers look pretty much the way they did when they cleared out their lockers after last season.

Beyond that duo, the Blazers didn’t have a commodity to trade to bring in another impact player. Their bloated cap situation made it even more difficult to add another piece through a trade or free agency. Their biggest offseason move was retaining starting center and restricted free agent Jusuf Nurkic.

Re-signing Nurkic actually came at a lower cost than originally projected. He reportedly turned down a more lucrative four-year offer during last season with the expectation he’d get a lucrative offer sheet. When the market tightened up during the first week of free agency, Nurkic settled for four years and $48MM with some incentives thrown in.

Locking up their young starting center who posted averages of 14.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 1.4 BPG last season for approximately $12MM annually was a best-case scenario for the Blazers. With Nurkic returning, Portland has all of its starters back from its playoff team.

Key offseason losses:

The Blazers’ reserve unit will have a new look after they let go of three key contributors from last season.

Shooting guard Pat Connaughton appeared in all 82 regular-season games but he only averaged 5.4 PPG in 18.1 MPG while shooting a ho-hum 35.2% from long range. Connaughton wound up signing with the Bucks after Portland didn’t extend a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Big man Ed Davis was Nurkic’s primary backup last season but the Blazers, with their luxury-tax concerns, allowed him to walk. He appeared in 78 games, averaging 5.3 PPG on 58.2% shooting. As usual, Davis pounded the glass and pulled down 7.4 RPG in just 18.9 minutes per contest. He signed a one-year, $4.4MM deal with the Nets.

Guard Shabazz Napier, who backed up both Lillard and McCollum, followed Davis to Brooklyn. Napier averaged 8.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG but, like Connaughton, didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Blazers. The unrestricted free agent then signed a two-year deal with the Nets that included a team option.

Key offseason additions:

The Blazers essentially replaced Napier and Connaughton with the combination of Seth Curry, Nik Stauskas and Anfernee Simons.

Curry didn’t play at all last season due to a stress fracture in his lower left leg. He enjoyed a breakout season the year before with the Mavericks, averaging 12.8 PPG, 2.7 APG and 1.1 SPG in 29.0 MPG while appearing in 72 games, including 40 starts.

Stauskas played a combined 41 games for the Sixers and Nets last season. He’s a career 34.9% shooting from long range and shot over 40% from downtown for Brooklyn. If he can do that for the Blazers, he’ll earn a rotation spot.

Simons, the team’s first-round selection, didn’t play college ball. The 19-year-old shooting guard attended IMG Academy last year.

Outlook for 2018/19:

Lillard and McCollum are signed through the 2020/21 season and they’ll put up plenty of points along the way. Nurkic provides some stability in the post. That trio was potent enough to get Portland into the postseason a year ago.

What’s holding the Blazers back is several bad contracts, which prevented them from improving the cast around their core players. Evan Turner will make nearly $18MM this season, while Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard will each bank nearly $11MM. Portland isn’t getting enough bang for its buck with any of those players.

The only way for Portland to improve upon last season is to see substantial growth from 2017 first-rounders Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan. That’s a far cry from getting a proven wing or power forward to balance out their guard-oriented offense.

Thus, it’s more likely that the Blazers take a step back and sit out this season’s playoffs rather than making a better postseason showing.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

2018 Offseason In Review: Cleveland Cavaliers

October 7th, 2018 at 7:04pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Rodney Hood: One year, $3.47MM. Accepted qualifying offer as restricted free agent.
- Channing Frye: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- David Nwaba: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Billy Preston
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Bonzie Colson: One year, minimum salary.
- Levi Randolph: One year, minimum salary.
- Kobi Simmons: One year, minimum salary.
- Isaiah Taylor: One year, minimum salary.
- Note: Isaac Hamilton, Scoochie Smith, and JaCorey Williams also signed non-guaranteed camp contracts, but were later waived.

Trades:

Acquired Sam Dekker, the draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis, and cash ($1,247,494) from the Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko.

Draft picks:

1-8: Collin Sexton — Signed to rookie contract.

Contract extensions:

Kevin Love: Signed four-year, $120.4MM extension. Starts in 2019/20.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Discussing contract extension with Larry Nance Jr.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $115.7MM in guaranteed salaries.
Full mid-level exception ($8.64MM) still available.
Full bi-annual exception ($3.38MM) still available.

Check out the Cleveland Cavaliers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

In a move that was neither as shocking or as heartbreaking as the first time he left Cleveland, LeBron James walked away from the Cavaliers this summer for the bright lights of Los Angeles. James’ departure put the Cavs in a precarious position, one in which they could have shifted their long-term plan to a rebuild centered around first-round draft pick Collin Sexton.

Instead, the team extended Kevin Love and focused on retaining or adding young role players around him in the form of Rodney Hood, David Nwaba and Sam Dekker. However, the Cavaliers also brought back veteran forward Channing Frye, signaling their desire to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.

LeBron’s departure is even more damaging for the Cavaliers as a result of their roster being constructed around his playmaking abilities. In recent seasons, the Cavaliers have focused on adding shooters and players who thrived as off-ball contributors around James. Those players will now face more pressure to create their own shots and initiate the offense.

George Hill, Sexton, Hood, and Cedi Osman figure to increase their usage on offense and shoulder the burden of offensive creation when the ball isn’t in Love’s hands. Speaking of Love, this will be his first opportunity to be the featured offensive player since he was routinely averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game with the Timberwolves.

How the rotation shapes up around Love and the role players will be interesting, as the Cavaliers don’t have a plethora of intriguing young talent. Instead, the roster is heavy on veterans who are either in their prime or exiting their prime in the near future. Will the emphasis be placed on player development? Or will the Cavaliers look to make the playoffs at all costs and avoid a rebuild for at least another season? The Cavs’ intentions aren’t clear, making them an intriguing team to watch in the upcoming season as they navigate the post-LeBron waters for the second time.

Key offseason losses:

In addition to witnessing LeBron take his talents to the Lakers, the Cavaliers also saw Jeff Green and Jose Calderon depart for other Eastern Conference foes. Those losses aren’t significant (though Green did have somewhat of a bounce back season in Cleveland), but it’s hard to overstate the impact of LeBron’s departure, which will force complementary players into more featured offensive roles with the ball in their hands.

James’ absence also paves the way for Love to be the featured player on offense and initiate the offense from all over the court. How the lineups are built around his shooting and underrated playmaking will be something to watch on the offensive end for the Cavaliers.

Key offseason additions:

The Cavaliers made very few additions in the offseason, thereby making Sexton their key acquisition by default. Sexton joins the Cavaliers with a staunch defensive reputation and impressive physical tools, but will have to improve his playmaking and shooting to be a productive offensive player. If the Cavs are focused on developing their young players, Sexton should see a featured role fairly early in his NBA career, but he may also have to wait behind Hill before assuming the reins at point guard.

Dekker and Nwaba are two other additions that will look to carve out a spot in the team’s rotation. Dekker struggled mightily with his shot and confidence with the Clippers last season, while Nwaba is coming off the best season of his career with the Bulls and can bring some much-needed defense to Cleveland.

Outlook for 2018/19:

There’s no doubt that losing James would set any NBA team back significantly. However, that loss will be felt even more strongly by a Cavaliers club that had built its roster specifically around LeBron’s play style and skill set.

While the Cavs have plenty of shooters and solid role players to support Love as the featured star of the team, they will struggle to sustain an above-average offense, especially if Love goes down with an injury.

While the Cavaliers may still be focused on making the playoffs, they simply don’t have enough to contend, even in the weaker Eastern Conference. As a result, I expect them to miss out on playoff basketball, perhaps even struggling to win more than 30 games.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

2018 Offseason In Review: Denver Nuggets

October 5th, 2018 at 9:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Nikola Jokic: Five years, $142.71MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Will Barton: Four years, $53MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Monte Morris: Three years, $4.6MM. Third year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
- Torrey Craig: Two years, $4MM. Re-signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Isaiah Thomas: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Emanuel Terry: Two years, minimum salary. $35K partial guarantee.
- Xavier Silas: One year, minimum salary.
- Donald Sloan: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Jarred Vanderbilt (No. 41 pick) from the Magic in exchange for the draft rights to Justin Jackson (No. 43 pick) and either the Nuggets’ or Wizards’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable).
- Note: The Nuggets’ 2019 second-round pick would be sent to Milwaukee if it falls between 56-60, in which case the Magic would receive the Wizards’ second-rounder.
Acquired cash ($110K) from the Sixers in exchange for Wilson Chandler, the Nuggets’ 2021 second-round pick, and the right to swap 2022 second-round picks.
Acquired Isaiah Whitehead from the Nets in exchange for Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur, the Nuggets’ 2019 first-round pick (top-12 protected), and the Nuggets’ 2020 second-round pick.
- Note: Whitehead was later waived.

Draft picks:

1-14: Michael Porter Jr. — Signed to rookie contract.
2-41: Jarred Vanderbilt — Signed to three-year, $3.92MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
2-58: Thomas Welsh — Signed to two-way contract.

Departing players:

Darrell Arthur
Wilson Chandler
Kenneth Faried
Devin Harris
Richard Jefferson

Other offseason news:

Hired Mark Price to coaching staff.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $116.4MM in guaranteed salaries.
$2.5MM of taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($2.84MM used on Torrey Craig and Jarred Vanderbilt).

Check out the Denver Nuggets’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Coming off a season in which they barely missed the playoffs, the Nuggets had one major goal: Lock up center Nikola Jokic at all costs.

Technically, Denver’s front office didn’t have to negotiate with their stats-stuffing center until next summer. They could have exercised their 2018/19 option on him and paid him a bargain-basement $1.6MM this season.

That approach would have prudent in the short term but could have wrecked their future plans. Jokic would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer and surely wouldn’t have appreciated being underpaid heading into the open market.

Instead, they declined the option and made him a restricted free agent, while assuring his reps he’d get a near max five-year deal once free agency began in July.

President of basketball operations Tim Connelly thus delivered on his June promise that “Nikola’s going to be here for a long, long time.”

Jokic set new career highs in PPG (18.5), RPG (10.7), APG (6.1), and 3PT% (.396) last season. Still just 23 years old, Jokic still has room to improve in his overall game even if his numbers decline somewhat with an upgraded roster. The Nuggets’ frontcourt could be even more imposing this season if Paul Millsap can stay healthy after he appeared in just 38 games in his first year with the club due to injury.

Key offseason losses:

The Nuggets were eager to dump some salary in order to re-sign Jokic and Will Barton while staying out of luxury tax territory. They successfully found new homes for veterans Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur, a trio of frontcourt players with bloated contracts.

Brooklyn was willing to add Faried and Arthur to the payroll, though the Nuggets had to surrender a protected first-rounder and a second-round pick to sweeten the pot. The ‘Manimal’ has a chance to revive his career with the Nets after injuries and Jokic’s emergence steadily diminished his role the past three seasons. Arthur appeared in just 19 games last season.

The Nuggets only had to toss in a second-rounder while essentially gifting Chandler to the Sixers. He started 71 games last season but became the last option on offense, attempting just 8.5 shots per game. They’ll elevate Barton to the starting unit to replace Chandler, with Torrey Craig and Juan Hernangomez in reserve.

Key offseason additions:

With a limited budget, the Nuggets couldn’t make any sizable offers in free agency. But they still managed to land a proverbial big fish, even if he’s one of the smaller players in the NBA.

Isaiah Thomas is only a couple of years removed from his MVP-caliber season with the Celtics. The high-volume scorer endured a disastrous 2017-18 season that included hip surgery, a trade to Cavaliers, a forgettable 15-game stint with Cleveland and a trade to the Lakers.

Thomas was willing to accept a one-year, “prove it” deal with the hope of getting a much more lucrative pact in free agency next summer. If he pulls that off, it will be a win-win situation for both him and the Nuggets. He’ll be the main scoring option off the bench.

Drafting Michael Porter Jr. was fraught with risk but perhaps a very big reward if he can return to full health after two back surgeries. The club views the versatile forward as a long-term asset and anything he contributes this season will be a bonus.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The Nuggets retained most of their core pieces and made an intriguing low-risk, high-reward addition in Thomas. Given reasonably good health, Denver has no excuse to come up short again in the postseason race.

Jokic is a difficult, if not impossible, matchup for most of the bigs in the league. Millsap provides rebounding, leadership and toughness and they’ll need that with an undersized lineup that also features Barton, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray.

The Nuggets are still a very young team and Murray could be ready to take the next step to stardom. The bench is generally unproven but if 22-year-old power forward Trey Lyles can continue on an upward trajectory, the second unit should be at least adequate.

It adds up to a 50-win campaign and a trip to the playoffs.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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