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Back in October, eight members of the Hoops Rumors writing team submitted their predictions for the coming 2012/13 season. Considering those predictions were made at a time when the Lakers were viewed as a potential juggernaut, the Timberwolves were relatively healthy, and there still seemed to be a chance that Andrew Bynum and Derrick Rose would see the court at some point, some of our picks look worse than others.

With the season coming to an end though, and all the major awards having been handed out, we’ll take ownership of all our picks, rounding up some of the highlights and lowlights of the bunch. You can view our full list of predictions right here.

The Good:

• It wasn’t a hard pick to make, but five of us had LeBron James winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award, while another two chose Kevin Durant, who finished as the runner-up.
• We did fairly well on Rookie of the Year as well, with three of us picking eventual winner Damian Lillard, while the other five went with runner-up Anthony Davis.
• We didn’t do quite so well as a group on Sixth Man of the Year, but Ryan Raroque correctly predicted that J.R. Smith would take home the hardware.
• Michael Pina called Paul George as the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
• We’ll have to wait to see whether the Heat ultimately come out of the East, but seven of us had Miami in the NBA Finals, while Zach Links and Daniel Seco both identified the Pacers as the team the Heat would beat in the Eastern Finals.
• Zach and Daniel, making their picks just days after the James Harden trade was consummated, also correctly predicted that the deal would make the Rockets a playoff team in the West.
• Michael and I both had the Spurs coming out of the West, meaning my predicted Finals matchup (Heat/Spurs) remains in play.

The Bad:

• As a group, we were relatively bullish on the Timberwolves and Jazz — each team received five votes for a playoff spot in the West, but ended up in the lottery.
• The 76ers earned the highest projection for a team that missed the postseason, having been placed fourth in the East by Chuck Myron and Alex Lee.
• Perhaps if it hadn’t been for Russell Westbrook‘s knee injury, a few of our predictions out West would look better. Six of us had the Thunder advancing to at least the Western Finals, while none of us had the Grizzlies in the series.
• We also underestimated the Knicks; only two of us had them finishing higher than sixth in the East, and no one projected them to place higher than fourth.
• I think our choices for Most Improved Player were fairly good across the board (particularly Chuck’s Andray Blatche pick and Zach’s Omer Asik selection), but the fact remains: Besides George, none of our picks were even among the top five vote-getters for the award.

The Ugly:

• “Ugly” is an appropriate descriptor for the Lakers’ season, and just about everyone misfired on them. That’s particularly noticeable when looking at our Western Conference Finals picks — seven of us thought they’d play in the Western Finals and four of us expected them in the NBA Finals.
• Sixth Man of the Year is a difficult award to project since it often relies so heavily on a coach’s lineup decisions. But given the decline in production by players like Jason Terry and Antawn Jamison, many of our choices look especially off.

Their season might have ended in extreme disappointment, but things are never boring for long in Los Angeles when it comes to the Lakers. Here are a few bits of news with how the team plans to bounce back in the future months.

• InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina evaluates several scenarios for Dwight Howard this summer, diving into the pros and cons for each team he could conceivably sign with. 
• Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak would like for Howard to make his decision as quickly as possible, but realizes the All-Star center will become a free agent on July 1st and understands his team has as likely a shot at signing him as any of the other contenders, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
• Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Bresnahan writes about the summer of 2014, when several key players will be eligible for free agency. The Lakers will be primed to strike with their cap space then, too.

Earlier this month, Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors listed the offseason dates on which certain players’ contracts will become guaranteed during the coming summer and fall. Today, with the help of ShamSports’ contract database, we’ll go one step further, creating a timeline of guarantee dates for each and every player who currently has a non-guaranteed deal for 2013/14.

Using the following list, we can track teams’ various cap commitments as they arise starting in June and continuing until next January. Unless otherwise indicated, these players are on minimum-salary contracts. Their contracts will become guaranteed for the given amounts if they’re not waived on or before the dates indicated.

For instance, in the first example on the list, Matt Bonner‘s contract with the Spurs is currently guaranteed for $1,000,000. If he’s not released on or before June 29th, it becomes fully guaranteed for $3,945,000. If he’s waived on or before June 29th, San Antonio would still pay the $1MM he’s already owed, but would save the other $2,945,000.

Players listed multiple times will have their guarantee amounts increased the longer they remain on a roster. For example, Terrence Williams will earn $200,000 if he remains on the Celtics’ roster beyond June 30th. That amount will increase to $300,000 if he’s still on the roster past September 1st. Williams’ contract would eventually become fully guaranteed if he’s still hasn’t been cut by October 31st.

Here’s the complete list:

• None remaining as of 1-7-14

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If, for instance, you want to keep track of all the latest news and rumors on Josh Smith as his free agency approaches, you can visit this page. If you're interested in keeping tabs on what the Raptors' new head of basketball operations will do with Andrea Bargnani this summer, all Bargnani-related updates are located here.

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After a 25-57 season, the Suns decided earlier today to move on from interim coach Lindsey Hunter and instead hire Jeff Hornacek.  The Suns may not be ready for the playoffs next year, but they hope to take a few strides towards success in 2013/14.  Here's more out of the Pacific Division..

• In today's column, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes that Robert Pack is someone to watch in the Clippers' coaching search.  The longtime NBA guard was a key assistant on Vinny Del Negro’s staff in L.A.
• HoopsWorld's Derek Page ranks the Kings' Tyreke Evans as one of the top two shooting guards available on the free agent market, along with Gerald Henderson.  It's important to note that Page lists Monta Ellis and J.R. Smith in a separate category for players who can exercise contract options for next season.
• The new owners of the Kings have to decide quickly on what to do with their team and staff, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

Hoops Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NBA player movement 365 days a year, but those aren't the only updates you'll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you'll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here's a rundown of a few of them:

• We'll be keeping a close eye on free agency this summer with the help of our list of 2013 free agents. If you want to look ahead to the summer of 2014, we've rounded up those free agents as well. Both lists will continue to be modified as needed.
• Our Free Agent Tracker, which features data sortable by team, position, contract years, and contract amount, currently includes last summer's signings and will be used to track the upcoming summer's deals as well.
• Speaking of those upcoming signings, we've started looking ahead to a number of specific free agent cases in our Free Agent Stock Watch series, which we'll continue through July.
• Our agency database is a handy reference point for determining the representation for virtually every NBA player.
• We've taken a closer look at a number of this year's draft-eligible players in our Prospect Profile series.
• Using our 10-day contract tracker, you can find any 10-day contract signed since 2007, sorting by player, team, year, and other variables.
• On Mondays at 4:00pm CT, I answer readers' questions in a live chat. You can check out transcripts of our past live discussions here.
• Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions is updated whenever a trade exception is created, is used, or expires.
• We're also tracking teams' amnesty provisions — using our complete list, you can check to see which clubs have used the amnesty clause and which will carry it into the summer.
• The Hoops Rumors glossary helps explain some of the more complex concepts in the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Zach Links rounds up the best of the blogosphere every Sunday in his weekly Hoops Links feature.
• If you're looking to catch up on a few days worth of content, our Week in Review posts round up the week's news and rumors, while our Hoops Rumors Originals posts recap the site's original content for the week. Both round-ups are published every Sunday.
• Be sure to check out the Featured Posts section on the right sidebar for more original pieces from the Hoops Rumors writing team. Recently, we listed offseason guarantee dates for players on non-guaranteed contracts for 2013/14, re-examined Stephen Curry's contract extension, and explained how playing time will affect certain players' qualifying offers this summer.

The league officially announced its All-NBA teams today, and there are no surprises on the First Team, with MVP LeBron James and runner-up Kevin Durant leading the way. Here's the complete list of players who earned spots on 2012/13 All-NBA squads, as voted on by the media:

First Team:

• Chris Paul (G, Clippers)
• Kobe Bryant (G, Lakers)
• LeBron James (F, Heat)
• Kevin Durant (F, Thunder)
• Tim Duncan (C, Spurs)

Second Team:

• Russell Westbrook (G, Thunder)
• Tony Parker (G, Spurs)
• Carmelo Anthony (F, Knicks)
• Blake Griffin (F, Clippers)
• Marc Gasol (C, Grizzlies)

Third Team:

• Dwyane Wade (G, Heat)
• James Harden (G, Rockets)
• Paul George (F, Pacers)
• David Lee (F, Warriors)
• Dwight Howard (C, Lakers)

Mark Deeks of ShamSports recently updated his NBA salary database, and included in his listings are the particulars on when a host of non-guaranteed contracts becomes guaranteed. By rule, all contracts becomes guaranteed for the season on January 10th, unless the team and player negotiate an earlier date. Some contracts include multiple thresholds that incrementally increase the guarantee as long as the player remains on the roster. Others, like Robin Lopez's deal, include dates that trigger guarantees for multiple seasons. 

With an assist from Deeks, here's a list of the guarantee dates from now until November 1st, sorted by team.

Hawks

• Mike Scott — $788,872 salary is non-guaranteed until August 15th, when it becomes guaranteed for $100K

Celtics

• Paul Pierce — $15,333,334 salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $5MM until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Terrence Williams — $947,907 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until June 30th, when it becomes guaranteed for $200K
• Shavlik Randolph — $1,106,942 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until August 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• D.J. White — $1,027,424 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until August 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Nets

• Kris Joseph — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until August 1st, when it becomes guaranteed for $100K. It becomes guaranteed for $200K on October 29th.

Bulls

• Richard Hamilton — $5MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $1MM until July 10th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Malcolm Thomas — $884,293 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 24th, when it becomes guaranteed for $250K

Mavericks

• Bernard James — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 15th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Nuggets

• Quincy Miller — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $150K until opening night, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Pistons

• Rodney Stuckey — $8.5MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $4MM until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Slava Kravtsov — $1.5MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $500K until June 29th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Kim English — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 12th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Warriors

• Dwayne Jones — $1,106,942 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until August 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Scott Machado — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until August 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Rockets

• Carlos Delfino — $3MM salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Aaron Brooks — $2.508MM salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Chandler Parsons — $926,500 salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $600K until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• James Anderson — $916,099 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until October 31st, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Pacers

• Lance Stephenson — $930K salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 15th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Clippers

• Grant Hill — $2,045,065 salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $500K until July 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Willie Green — $1,399,507 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Lakers

• Chris Duhon — $3.75MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $1.5MM until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Heat

• Jarvis Varnado — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until opening night, when it becomes guaranteed for $250K

Timberwolves

• Greg Stiemsma — $2,690,875 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 17th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Mickael Gelabale — $916,099 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 22nd, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Pelicans

• Robin Lopez — $5,119,761 salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $500K until July 5th, when it becomes fully guaranteed. $5,340,229 salary for 2014/15, which is non-guaranteed, also becomes fully guaranteed on that date.
• Jason Smith — $2.5MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $1MM until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Lance Thomas — $884,293 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until September 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Darius Miller — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 27th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Brian Roberts — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 8th, when it becomes guaranteed for $50K. It becomes fully guaranteed on July 20th.
• Terrel Harris — $884,293 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until October 31st, when it becomes guaranteed for $150K.

Knicks

• James White — $916,099 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Magic

• Kyle O'Quinn — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until opening night, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• E'Twaun Moore — $884,293 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until June 30th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Sixers

• Justin Holiday — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until August 15th, when it becomes guaranteed for $50K

Suns

• Shannon Brown — $3.5MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $1.75MM until 36 hours after the draft, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• Hamed Haddadi — $1,397,500 salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $200K until June 29th, when it becomes fully guaranteed
• P.J. Tucker — $884,293 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until July 1st, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Spurs

• Matt Bonner — $3.945MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $1MM until June 29th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Raptors

• Kyle Lowry — $6.21MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed for $1MM until July 15th, when it becomes fully guaranteed

Jazz

• Kevin Murphy — $788,872 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until August 1st, when it becomes guaranteed for $75K. It becomes guaranteed for $200K on November 1st.
• Jerel McNeal — $884,293 salary for 2013/14 is non-guaranteed until October 31st, when it becomes fully guaranteed.

The way the 2003 draft lottery played out, the Cavaliers and Grizzlies were the final two teams with a chance at the No. 1 pick, which would undoubtedly be used to select LeBron James. The pick, and LeBron, went to Cleveland, of course, much to the chagrin of then-Grizzlies GM Jerry West. But, heading into the lottery that night, the team that had the best chance of keeping LeBron from the Cavs was the Nuggets.

Denver and Cleveland tied for the worst record in 2002/03. Under today's rules, a coin flip would have given one team a slight edge, but at the time, the Cavs and Nuggets had equal, 22.5% chances at the top pick. No other team had better than a 15.7% shot. The Grizzlies, with just a 6.4% chance of pulling it off, nearly did so, but the No. 1 pick, and the prize of a clear shot at LeBron, wound up in the hands of the Cavs.

The next year, the Magic converted their league-leading 25% odds into the No. 1 pick and Dwight Howard, but since then, no team with the best chance of winning the lottery has done so. The Magic once more have the best chance, at 25%, of coming away with the top pick, and we'll see on Tuesday whether they break a nine-year jinx for the team in pole position on lottery night.

In the meantime, here's a list of the teams with the best chances of winning the lottery, the team that actually won the lottery, and the No. 1 pick from each of the past 10 years. Feel free to wonder what it would be like if it were the Heat, instead of the Bulls team they just eliminated, who endured a season without Derrick Rose. Or how well the Grizzlies would be doing if they had secured the No. 1 pick in 2007 and used it on Kevin Durant, the superstar they just eliminated in the playoffs, instead of Greg Oden. Or whether former Timberwolves GM David Kahn, who endured heavy criticism after taking Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn back-to-back in 2009, would have hesitated to take Kyrie Irving in 2011.

Clearly, there's a lot of luck involved in the draft, and never more so than on lottery night:

2012
Best chance: Bobcats (25.0%)
Winner: Pelicans (13.7% — 4th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Anthony Davis 

2011
Best chance: Timberwolves (25.0%)
Winner: Cavaliers (2.8% — 8th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Kyrie Irving 

2010
Best chance: Nets (25.0%)
Winner: Wizards (10.3% — 5th best chance)
No. 1 pick: John Wall 

2009
Best chance: Kings (25.0%)
Winner: Clippers (17.7% — 3rd best chance)
No. 1 pick: Blake Griffin 

2008
Best chance: Heat (25.0%)
Winner: Bulls (1.7% — 9th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Derrick Rose 

2007
Best chance: Grizzlies (25.0%)
Winner: Trail Blazers (5.3% — 6th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Greg Oden 

2006
Best chance: Trail Blazers (25.0%)
Winner: Raptors (8.8% — 5th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Andrea Bargnani 

2005
Best chance: Hawks (25.0%)
Winner: Bucks (6.3% — 6th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Andrew Bogut 

2004
Best chance: Magic (25.0%)
Winner: Magic
No. 1 pick: Dwight Howard 

2003
Best chance: Cavaliers and Nuggets (22.5%)
Winner: Cavaliers
No. 1 pick: LeBron James 

DraftExpress was used in the creation of this post.

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