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Hoops Rumors Features

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:

  • Our Free Agent Tracker gives you the opportunity to look back on this summer's free agent signings, with data sortable by team, position, contract years, and contract amount. For a quick look at which players remain unsigned, you can check out our list of 2012/13 free agents.
  • We also have free agent lists for both next summer, and the summer of 2014, which will continue to be modified as needed.
  • Throughout the season, we'll be keeping tabs on roster counts for each NBA team, the year's D-League assignments and recalls, and all the trades consummated in-season.
  • Using our 10-day contract tracker, you can find any 10-day contract signed since 2007, sorting by player, team, year, and other variables.
  • Our Offseason in Review series takes a look back at how each of the NBA's 30 teams attempted to improve their rosters between the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons.
  • Our Trade Candidate series has returned for the 2012/13 season, with Pau Gasol the latest trade candidate to be put under the microscope.
  • On Thursdays at 4:00pm CT, I answer readers' questions in a live chat. Due to the holidays, these chats won't resume until the new year, but 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 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 next 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 Saturday in his weekly Hoops Links feature.
  • Our tentative 2013 draft order tracks this season's "reverse standings," allowing for an early look at what next June's draft order might look like.
  • 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 examined a few important in-season dates, noted which players have the ability to veto trades, and listed the players that can't be dealt until January 15th.

Following Specific Players On Hoops Rumors

As we've outlined before, there are a number of different ways to follow Hoops Rumors via Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. If you don't want to follow all the site's updates, you can follow team-specific or transaction-only Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. Although we don't have Facebook pages or Twitter feeds for specific players, you can also easily follow all our updates on your favorite player.

If, for instance, you want to keep track of all the latest news and rumors on Chris Paul as he approaches unrestricted free agency, you can visit this page. If you're interested in whether the Raptors may consider trading Jose Calderon to your favorite team, all Calderon-related updates are located here.

Every player we've written about has his own rumors page. You can find your player of choice by using our search box (located in the right sidebar); by clicking his tag at the bottom of a post where he's discussed; or, by simply typing his name in your address bar after hoopsrumors.com, substituting dashes for spaces. For example, Calderon's page is located at hoopsrumors.com/jose-calderon.

In addition to players and teams, there are a number of other subjects you can track by clicking on the tags we use at the bottom of posts. Early updates on the 2013 NBA draft, for instance, can be found on its rumors page. If you want to check out updates on Chris Hansen's quest to bring the NBA back to Seattle, those are all available here.

Poll: Who’s Most Likely To Get Traded?

With the trade deadline not so far away, here are a few big names that could finish the season in different jerseys. Who do you think is most likely to get traded?

Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15th

Today is the day that most general managers in the NBA have been waiting for. December 15th is when most free agents signed over the summer become eligible to be traded, enabling teams dissatisfied with their offseasons to start making adjustments. This applies to players who re-signed with their teams, as well as restricted free agents who inked offer sheets with another team but had the offer sheets matched by their original team. 

A few of the players signed this offseason have to wait a little bit longer. Anyone who signed after September 15th still isn't allowed to be traded, since it hasn't yet been three months after they signed. That includes training camp invitees who made their teams, like Rasheed Wallace and DeQuan Jones, and early season pickups, such as Josh Howard and Shaun Livingston. Players signed after November 21st this season can't be traded at all, since their three-month waiting period expires after the February 21st trade deadline.

There's another group that will become available to be traded January 15th. If a team that's over the cap re-signs a player using Bird rights or Early Bird rights and gives him a raise of better than 20%, and the player had been making more than the minimum salary, the team can't trade that player until January 15th or three months after the signing, whichever is later.

With an assist from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links) and the ESPN.com Trade Machine, here's a list of players who will become eligible to be traded January 15th:

Here's a list of training camp invitees and early season signees who'll be eligible to be traded later on this season, along with the earliest date they can be included in trades.

A few notes:

  • Spears lists Lavoy Allen and Steve Novak as being ineligible to be traded until January 15th, but I think those guys are eligible to be traded as of today, because they made the minimum salary last season.
  • Chauncey Billups isn't on Spears' list, but he's included on the ESPN Trade Machine list, and I think ESPN is right, unless there's a rule I don't know about regarding players who were amnestied, as Billups was before the 2011/12 season. 
  • Earlier, I thought Ryan Anderson wouldn't be eligible to be traded until January 15th, since the Magic, who technically signed him as part of the sign-and-trade that sent him to the Hornets, were over the cap. However, Grantland's Zach Lowe confirmed that he's eligible as of today, because the Hornets were under the cap when the deal went down. 

Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Important NBA In-Season Dates

Back in May, we looked ahead to the noteworthy dates on the NBA calendar that were coming up over the summer. Now that the 2012/13 regular season is in full swing, there's a new set of in-season dates worth keeping an eye on. Here's a breakdown:

December

  • 15: Most players that signed new contracts this offseason (on or before September 15th) can be traded.

January

  • 7: Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts.
  • 10: Players on non-guaranteed contracts have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season. Players must clear waivers by this date to avoid having their deals guaranteed.
  • 15: Players with Bird or Early Bird rights that re-signed with their own over-the-cap team (on or before October 15th) and received at least at 20% raise can be traded. For instance, Brook Lopez would be eligible to be dealt as of January 15th, rather than December 15th.
  • 15: Last day teams can apply for disabled player exceptions.

February

  • 21: Trade deadline.

March

  • 1: Players released after this date are ineligible for the postseason if they sign with a new team.
  • 10: Disabled player exceptions expire.

April

  • 17: Last day of regular season. Last day players can sign contracts for 2012/13. Luxury tax figures are determined using team salary on this day.

Larry Coon's CBA FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Hoops Rumors On Facebook/Twitter/RSS

With the regular season underway, there are a number of different ways you can follow Hoops Rumors to keep tabs on the latest NBA news and rumors throughout the year.

You can Like us on Facebook, and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. And our RSS feed is located here, if you'd like to follow us using your RSS reader of choice.

If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

If you want to keep tabs on all of Hoops Rumors' stories and updates, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our feed through your RSS reader of choice. However, if you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NBA team, we have you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 30 teams.

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Pacific

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

NBA Training Camp Cuts On D-League Rosters

Dozens of players were let go at the end of NBA training camps last month, and while some of them have signed overseas, many resurfaced Friday on D-League opening-night rosters. In fact, for a few, that seemed to be the plan all along. The Spurs, Timberwolves and Celtics quietly signed players toward the end of the preseason with the purpose of gaining their "affiliate rights," or the right to protect them from the D-League draft. Teams can protect as many as three training camp cuts for their affiliates, though the Cavs and Warriors managed to wind up with four former training camp invitees on their respective D-League teams.

Note that the players below are no longer on NBA rosters, unlike guys who've simply been assigned to the D-League. Some of the players listed were with multiple NBA teams in camp this fall, but we'll go with their latest NBA team here. If you notice any omissions, please let us know.

Spurs

  • *JaMychal Green, Austin Toros
  • Tyler Wilkerson, Austin Toros
  • Wesley Witherspoon, Austin Toros

Grizzlies

Jazz

Nets

  • Stephen Dennis, Bakersfield Jam
  • James Mays, Springfield Armor
  • Carleton Scott, Springfield Armor

Hawks

Raptors

  • Jerel McNeal, Bakersfield Jam

Cavaliers

  • Kevin Anderson, Canton Charge
  • D'Aundray Brown, Canton Charge
  • Micheal Eric, Canton Charge
  • Kevin Jones, Canton Charge

Knicks

  • Oscar Bellfield, Erie BayHawks
  • Henry Sims, Erie BayHawks
  • Mychel Thompson, Erie BayHawks 

Trail Blazers

  • Demonte Harper, Eric BayHawks

Rockets

  • JaJuan Johnson, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
  • Kyle Fogg, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
  • Demetri McCamey, Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Thunder

Magic

  • Justin Harper, Idaho Stampede
  • Chris Johnson, Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Blazers

  • Justin Holiday, Idaho Stampede
  • Coby Karl, Idaho Stampede
  • Dallas Lauderdale, Idaho Stampede

Timberwolves

  • Seth Tarver, Idaho Stampede
  • Phil Jones, Los Angeles D-Fenders
  • *Troy Hudson, Sioux Falls Skyforce
  • *Demetris Nichols, Sioux Falls Skyforce 

Bucks

  • Mustapha Farrakhan, Iowa Energy
  • Orien Greene, Los Angeles D-Fenders

Hornets

  • Dominique Morrison, Iowa Energy
  • Chris Wright, Iowa Energy

Clippers

Wizards

Sixers

Celtics

  • Micah Downs, Maine Red Claws
  • *Brian Cusworth, Maine Red Claws

Raptors

Heat

  • Garrett Temple, Reno Bighorns
  • Jarvis Varnado, Sioux Falls Skyforce 

Bobcats

Warriors

  • Carlon Brown, Santa Cruz Warriors
  • Lance Goulbourne, Santa Cruz Warriors
  • Stefhon Hannah, Santa Cruz Warriors
  • Rick Jackson, Santa Cruz Warriors

Lakers

Kings

  • Willie Reed, Springfield Armor

Nuggets

Magic

Mavericks

*-signed so the NBA team could retain his affiliate rights

Most Productive Offseason Acquisitions By PER

2012/13's first iteration of John Hollinger's stat-based power rankings has been unveiled at ESPN.com, with the Grizzlies, Knicks, Thunder, Heat, and Clippers making up the top five. Now that the NBA regular season is nearly a month old, there's enough data related to scoring margin, strength of schedule, and home-road difference for Hollinger's formula to produce a reasonably accurate list.

By the same token, after four weeks of games, it's worth taking a look at another one of Hollinger's creations, Player Efficiency Rating. While the sample size is still small, the fact that LeBron James and Kevin Durant are first and second in the league in PER suggests the numbers are starting to reflect what we can expect to see for the rest of the season.

PER doesn't necessarily capture a player's all-around contribution to a team, but it comes about as close as a single statistic can. As such, let's use this season's PER leaders to check out which offseason acquisitions have been the most effective so far. These players changed teams via trades or free agency since the end of last season and have appeared in at least half of their new clubs' games so far. Here's the top 15:

Kyle Lowry (Raptors): 24.6
Carl Landry (Warriors): 22.7
Goran Dragic (Suns): 22.3
James Harden (Rockets): 21.5
Jason Kidd (Knicks): 21.3
Dwight Howard (Lakers): 21.0
Ryan Anderson (Hornets): 21.0
Andray Blatche (Nets): 20.7
Jermaine O'Neal (Suns): 20.7
Louis Williams (Hawks): 20.2
O.J. Mayo (Mavericks): 20.0
Jamal Crawford (Clippers): 19.6
Ray Allen (Heat): 19.5
Rasheed Wallace (Knicks): 19.3
Andrei Kirilenko (Timberwolves): 19.1

A few notes on the list:

  • Some players who re-signed as free agents with their previous teams, such as Brook Lopez (Nets) and JaVale McGee (Nuggets) are also among the league leaders on PER. They weren't listed here since they didn't change teams.
  • A trio of big men who were virtually written off, Blatche, O'Neal, and Wallace made the top 15, but have played limited minutes. They're averaging 16.2, 18.8, and 15.8 minutes per contest, respectively.
  • Blatche, O'Neal, and Wallace are also among the best values on the list, as all of them signed for the veteran's minimum. Other bargains so far: Landry ($4MM), Mayo ($4MM), Kidd ($3.1MM), and Allen ($3.1MM).
  • Lowry and O'Neal have each appeared in only eight games so far.

Atlantic Notes: Bynum, Lin, Bargnani, Celtics

The latest update on Andrew Bynum sounds particularly ominous, but does that mean the 76ers made a mistake in acquiring him? Not according to several GMs that spoke Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link). Bucher says the consensus is that Bynum still has the ability to be the best big man in the East and that if this season is lost, it may open the door for the Sixers to lock him up at a potential discount.

Here are a few more pre-Thanksgiving items from around the Atlantic Division: