Poll: Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2017/18 Win Total
After falling to the Warriors in five games in the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers entered the offseason intent on making major upgrades to their roster. Early rumors focused on players like Paul George and Jimmy Butler, with Kevin Love mentioned frequently as potential trade bait. But Cleveland’s offseason appeared to go off the rails when the team decided that GM David Griffin wouldn’t be retained.
With Griffin and right-hand man Trent Redden no longer in the Cavs’ front office, the team saw George and Butler head elsewhere, and struggled to make impact additions of its own. Jose Calderon, Jeff Green, Cedi Osman, and eventually Derrick Rose came aboard, but none of those players was viewed as a potential difference-maker in a series against Golden State.
The Cavs finally made their big summer splash in late August, sending All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round pick.
On the surface, it sounds like a massive haul for Irving, but Zizic and the draft pick won’t help much in 2017/18, barring their inclusion in another trade. And it’s possible that Thomas’ impact this season could be minimal as well, if his recovery from a hip injury doesn’t progress as smoothly as hoped. It’s a risky move for the Cavs, and one that probably sets them up more for the seasons beyond 2017/18 than it does for the short term.
Offshore betting site Bovada.lv projects Cleveland’s win total for the coming season at an over/under of 53.5. That may not seem like a significant total for a team led by LeBron James, but the Cavs have only topped that mark once in the three years since LeBron’s return — typically, the club doesn’t push hard for that No. 1 seed in the East, preferring to save its energy for the postseason. If Thomas misses time, or if the new-look Cavs take some time to gel, finishing with 53 wins or less wouldn’t be surprising.
What do you think? Do the Cavs simply have too much talent to finish under 53.5 wins, or will the team once again sacrifice a sparkling regular season record in order to focus on the playoffs? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
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Previous over/under voting results:
- Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
- Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
- Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
- San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
Pacers Owner Issues Statement On Tampering Case
Shortly after the NBA announced that it had fined the Lakers’ $500K for violating the league’s anti-tampering policy, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said that his club accepted the NBA’s findings. However, a report over the weekend suggested that Pacers owner Herb Simon may consider separate legal action against the league and the Lakers.
Issuing a formal statement today via the Pacers’ website, Simon insisted that’s not the case, indicating that he and the franchise are content with the league’s decision.
“Contrary to a published report, I would like to emphatically state that neither I nor the Indiana Pacers have ever considered any legal action toward the NBA or the Los Angeles Lakers regarding the recent decision and penalty concerning tampering charges,” Simon said. “We agree with the NBA’s findings and we want to put this issue behind us.
“Even though the Pacers were put in a tough position, we feel extremely fortunate to end up with two exceptional players in Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Their youth and talent, when coupled with our returning players and other players acquired over the summer, offer tremendous promise for our franchise and our fans.”
As we detailed on Tuesday, Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson has offered to pay the team’s $500K fine out of his own salary, despite the fact that the franchise was technically penalized for GM Rob Pelinka‘s prohibited expression of interest in Paul George to agent Aaron Mintz. Johnson also spoke publicly about George during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, but the NBA only issued the Lakers a warning for Johnson’s comments.
Hawks Sign Josh Magette To Two-Way Contract
SEPTEMBER 6, 2:34pm: More than two months after it was first reported, the Hawks have issued a press release formally announcing their two-way deal with Magette.
JUNE 29, 6:51pm: Magette’s deal with the Hawks will be a two-way contract, Chris Reichert of Two Ways, 10 Days clarifies. Read more about two-way contracts in our glossary.
JUNE 29, 4:58pm: The Hawks have come to terms on a contract with undrafted free agent Josh Magette, Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype tweets, the deal is for the 2017/18 campaign although further details are currently unclear.
The 27-year-old point guard has been a Summer League mainstay over the course of the past five years but hasn’t seen any action with a big league club during the regular season.
Magette was an All-Star in the NBA D-League in 2016/17 and was named to the All-NBA D-League Second Team for his efforts with the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
Morrow, Burke, Other FAs Work Out For Wolves
2:26pm: Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders has added several names to the list of players working out for Minnesota, tweeting that the Wolves also auditioned Thomas Robinson, Alan Anderson, Trey Burke, Isaiah Canaan, and Perry Jones III. John Jenkins is expected to come in to work out for the club next week, tweets Wolfson.
10:12am: Veteran sharpshooter Anthony Morrow is one of a handful of free agents working out this week for the Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Minnesota remains on the lookout for veteran wings, in addition to a backup point guard.
Morrow, who will turn 32 later this month, is a career 41.7% shooter from beyond the arc, which should make him a tantalizing target for teams in need of shooting like the Timberwolves. However, Morrow’s accuracy on three-pointers dipped last season — his 30.8% success rate in 2016/17 was easily the worst mark of his career.
Although Morrow struggled in 49 games for the Thunder and Bulls last season, he’s only a year removed from a .387 3PT%, and has been a reliable option on the wing for most of his career. Minnesota, of course, has a pair of talented scorers on the wing in Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, but neither player is a particularly strong outside shooter, so the Wolves continue to seek three-point threats, with Morrow having been linked to the club for much of the offseason.
When we examined five noteworthy wings still on the market in late July, Morrow was one of the players we singled out, along with Shabazz Muhammad, Brandon Rush, Gerald Green, and Tony Allen. All of those players remain unsigned, and a few could be fits in Minnesota.
With 11 players on guaranteed contracts, the Wolves have been looking to add a couple wings and a point guard to their roster — Wolfson tweets that those positions are the focus of this week’s workouts. Minnesota is reportedly getting antsy waiting on decisions from notable free agents like Muhammad and Dante Cunningham, which may prompt the team to look closer at free agents a tier or two below the top available players.
Hawks Sign Quinn Cook
SEPTEMBER 6: The Hawks have officially signed Cook, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 20: The Hawks have come to terms with Quinn Cook on a two-year deal, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The contract will only be partially guaranteed.
Back in 2010, Cook was one of the top high schoolers in the nation and he decided to go to Duke to play under Mike Krzyzewski. He spent four years at the program before entering the 2015 draft, though he was not selected.
Cook played in the G-League during the 2015/16 season where he earned Rookie of the Year honors. He showcased great range, knocking down 86 three-pointers during the campaign.
The following year, he made his NBA debut on a 10-day contract with the Maverick. During that deal, owner Mark Cuban told Hoops Rumors that the team was impressed with the guard’s play. However, Dallas decided not to bring him back and he joined the Pelicans a couple weeks later, remaining with the franchise for the rest of the year.
Grizzlies Consider Gasol, Conley Untouchable
Although Marc Gasol has been the subject of some trade speculation this summer, the Grizzlies currently consider him – and point guard Mike Conley – “untouchable,” two sources close to the situation tell Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.
As Moore outlines, there have been reports this offseason suggesting that Gasol could become a trade target for a team like the Celtics, who still have plenty of assets at their disposal after moving Kyrie Irving. Gasol’s comments last month that the Grizzlies may have to “revisit things” if they don’t continue to move toward title contention further contributed to trade speculation.
However, the Grizzlies currently view Gasol and Conley as a duo worth building around, and both players remain locked into their contracts for multiple years. As Moore notes, other stars who were traded in recent months were in different situations than Gasol — Irving asked to be traded, Paul George‘s agent indicated his client likely wouldn’t re-sign with the Pacers, and the Bulls moved Jimmy Butler as part of a full-fledged rebuild. Memphis isn’t at that stage.
Of course, if the Grizzlies’ fortunes go south, it’s possible that the team’s stance on Gasol could change. According to Chris Herrington of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter), a possible Gasol deal is only a “file away for later consideration if the season tanks and/or he asks” notion.
Moore details some scenarios in which a trade could become more feasible, including the Grizzlies posting a record well below .500, Gasol clashing with head coach David Fizdale, or Gasol himself asking to be dealt. Still, as Moore writes, it would be somewhat out of character for Gasol to make a trade demand, and a polite suggestion that a change might be best for both sides likely wouldn’t be enough to change Memphis’ stance.
Latest On Isaiah Thomas
One of the newest members of the Cavaliers, Isaiah Thomas is in the process of parting ways with his current agent at Excel Sports Management, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). With unrestricted free agency looming in 2018, Thomas will be seeking new representation to negotiate his next contract.
It’s an interesting move for Thomas, who has previously expressed a belief that he’s worth a maximum salary investment. Given the questions surrounding the health of Thomas’ hip, along with the diminishing market for point guards – Kyle Lowry, George Hill, and Jeff Teague all received less than expected this offseason – landing a max deal will be a challenge no matter who his new agent is.
Thomas will have to show this season that he can replicate last season’s performance – or at least come close to it – and will also have to put any concerns about that troublesome hip to rest. Even then, as this year’s class of free agent point guards showed, a max contract is no guarantee.
Here’s more on Thomas as he adjust to his new team:
- As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details, Thomas begun to open up about the trade to Cleveland this week, posting an Instagram video that showed his reaction to the deal, along with several clips of him working out.
- Thomas went into far more detail in a piece for The Players’ Tribune, expressing a love for Boston, but calling himself and the Cavaliers a “match made in heaven.” The piece – which includes reactions from Thomas’ sons to the trade, along with a post-trade text message exchange with Tom Brady – is worth checking out in full.
- One notable excerpt from Thomas’ piece saw him contrast the reaction to his being traded to Kevin Durant choosing to sign with the Warriors: “I want [people] to see how my getting traded — just like that, without any warning — by the franchise that I scratched and clawed for, and bled for, and put my everything on the line for? That’s why people need to fix their perspective. It’s like, man — with a few exceptions, unless we’re free agents, 99 times out of 100, it’s the owners with the power. So when players are getting moved left and right, and having their lives changed without any say-so, and it’s no big deal … but then the handful of times it flips, and the player has control … then it’s some scandal?”
- In an excellent article for ESPN.com, Tom Haberstroh takes a deep dive on Thomas’ hip injury, suggesting that the point guard may have actually suffered his labral tear in December, not March.
Trade Restrictions On Future Draft Picks By Team
When trade scenarios are proposed and discussed throughout the season by NBA fans and observers, it’s easy enough to suggest that a team ought to throw in an extra first-round pick or two to sweeten the pot. However, sometimes it’s not quite that simple.
The NBA’s Ted Stepien Rule, named after a former Cavaliers owner who was fond of trading draft picks, prevents teams from trading away future first-round selections in back-to-back years. In other words, a club can’t be without at least one first-round pick (its own or another team’s) in consecutive future seasons. A team can still trade its first-round pick every year if it wants to, but if that club has already dealt away its 2018 first-rounder, it will have to wait until after the ’18 draft to trade its 2019 pick.
In some instances, this rule can be applied fairly easily. For example, the Lakers have traded away their unprotected 2018 pick. That prevents the club from trading its 2019 first-round pick unless it acquires a separate 2018 first-rounder. After the 2018 draft though, those restrictions disappear.
In other cases though, the Stepien Rule creates trickier challenges. For example, like the Lakers, the Rockets have traded away their 2018 pick, but Houston put top-three protection on its selection. That top-three protection extends through 2023 before the pick becomes unprotected in 2024.
It’s almost a certainty that Houston’s first-rounder will simply change hands in 2018, since the club is expected to be one of the NBA’s best and the pick figures to fall in the 20s. But because it’s not a sure thing, the Rockets are only allowed to conditionally trade their 2020 pick — there’s a chance that the 2018 pick could be protected and the 2019 pick would then be the one to change hands, so if Houston sent out its unprotected ’20 first-rounder, the team would be without future first-rounders in back-to-back years. So if the Rockets trade their 2020 pick this season, it must include language that calls for it to be pushed back one year for every year that the 2018 pick is (hypothetically) retained.
Confused? We’re here to help. Below, we’ve detailed whether each of the NBA’s 30 teams have any restrictions facing them during the 2017/18 season if they want to trade a first-round pick. Some teams’ restrictions are more complicated than others, so if you have any questions, jump into the comment section to ask.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Atlantic
- Boston Celtics: No trade restrictions
- Owed extra picks in 2018 and 2019.
- Brooklyn Nets: Can’t trade 2019 pick (2018 pick traded).
- Owed Raptors’ 2018 pick, but not guaranteed to receive it, since it’s top-14 protected.
- New York Knicks: No trade restrictions.
- Philadelphia 76ers: No trade restrictions
- Owed an extra pick in 2018 or 2019, making them eligible to trade their own picks in both years.
- Toronto Raptors: Can’t trade 2019 pick (2018 pick traded). Can only trade future picks conditionally (traded 2018 pick is protected through 2023).
Central
- Chicago Bulls: No trade restrictions.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Can’t trade 2018 or 2020 pick (2019 pick traded). Can only trade 2021 pick conditionally (traded 2019 pick is protected through 2020).
- Have traded away their own 2018 pick, but still hold Nets’ pick.
- Have traded away their own 2018 pick, but still hold Nets’ pick.
- Detroit Pistons: Can’t trade 2019 pick (2018 pick traded). Can only trade 2020, 2021, and 2022 picks conditionally (traded 2018 pick protected until 2021).
- Indiana Pacers: No trade restrictions.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Can’t trade 2019 pick (2018 pick traded). Can only trade 2020, 2021, and 2022 picks conditionally (traded 2018 pick protected until 2021).
Southeast
- Atlanta Hawks: No trade restrictions
- Owed extra picks in 2018 and 2019.
- Charlotte Hornets: No trade restrictions.
- Miami Heat: Can’t trade 2019, 2020, or 2022 picks (2018 and 2021 picks traded).
- Orlando Magic: No trade restrictions.
- Washington Wizards: No trade restrictions.
Northwest
- Denver Nuggets: No trade restrictions.
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Can’t trade 2019 pick (2018 pick traded). Can only trade 2020 and 2021 picks conditionally (traded 2018 pick is protected through 2020).
- Owed Thunder’s 2018 pick, but not guaranteed to receive it, since it’s top-14 protected.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Can’t trade 2019 or 2021 picks (2018 and 2020 picks traded). Can only trade 2022 and 2023 picks conditionally (traded 2020 pick is protected through 2022).
- Portland Trail Blazers: No trade restrictions.
- Utah Jazz: No trade restrictions.
Pacific
- Golden State Warriors: No trade restrictions.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Can’t trade 2020 pick (2019 pick traded). Can only trade 2021 pick conditionally (traded 2019 pick is protected through 2020).
- Owed an extra 2018 pick, making them eligible to trade one of the two.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Can’t trade 2019 pick (2018 pick traded).
- Phoenix Suns: No trade restrictions
- Owed extra picks in 2018 and 2021.
- Sacramento Kings: Can’t trade 2018 or 2020 pick (2019 pick traded).
Southwest
- Dallas Mavericks: No trade restrictions.
- Houston Rockets: Can’t trade 2019 pick (2018 pick traded). Can only trade future picks conditionally (traded 2018 pick is protected until 2024).
- Memphis Grizzlies: Can’t trade 2018 or 2020 pick (2019 pick traded). Can only trade 2021 and 2022 picks conditionally (traded 2019 pick is protected until 2021).
- New Orleans Pelicans: No trade restrictions.
- San Antonio Spurs: No trade restrictions.
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Resolution On JaMychal Green Expected Before Camp?
9:56am: Appearing today on Sports 56 WHBQ in Memphis, Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal suggested that the Grizzlies and Green are making progress toward a short-term deal (Twitter link via Peter Edmiston).
8:53am: Grizzlies power forward JaMychal Green is one of four restricted free agents who remains unsigned, but there’s an expectation that Green’s situation will be resolved by training camp, a source tells Matt Moore of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). According to Moore, the most probable scenario is that Green will remain with Memphis.
Green, 27, had his best season as a pro in 2016/17, emerging as the Grizzlies’ starting power forward with Zach Randolph moving to the bench. In 77 games (75 starts), Green averaged 8.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG with an efficient .500/.379/.802 shooting line.
Green received a qualifying offer worth approximately $2.82MM from the Grizzlies in June, which made him a restricted free agent. Early in July, Green’s agent suggested that Memphis appeared to be going in a different direction, adding that there were offer sheets and possible sign-and-trade opportunities out there for his client. However, the market for the RFA forward appears to have dried up as potential suitors used their cap space on other players.
We’ve already seen one restricted free agent – Nerlens Noel – sign his one-year qualifying offer, hoping to receive stronger offers on the unrestricted market next summer after playing on a below-market deal in 2017/18. It remains to be seen whether Green is willing to go that route, but the QO remains “very much in play,” according to Moore (Twitter link). One recent report indicated that Memphis is willing to offer more than the QO, but that Grizzlies’ proposal would likely lock up Green for multiple seasons rather than letting him hit the open market with no restrictions in 2018.
As I noted last month, an October 1 deadline looms for Green and the other remaining restricted free agents (Alex Len, Nikola Mirotic, and Mason Plumlee) — at that point, their respective teams are free to pull their qualifying offers on the table, even though they’d still be RFAs. As such, there’s incentive for Green to work something out the Grizzlies this month.
Heat Sign Larry Drew II
The Heat announced the signing of guard Larry Drew II on Tuesday. This marks the third time in five seasons that Miami will bring the UCLA product to training camp.
Drew, 27, won a gold medal earlier this month as a member of the United States squad at 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. The 6’2″ guard averaged 4.6 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.0 RPG in almost 19.5 minutes per contest. In recent years, Drew has played internationally for teams in both Lithuania and Puerto Rico.
Two seasons ago, Drew made 12 appearances for the 2014/15 Sixers team, averaging 3.8 PPG and 3.8 APG in 18.3 minutes per game.
Entering 2017/18, Drew has significant experience in the G League, where he has played in 96 games (all with the Sioux Falls Skyforce) while averaging 10.8 PPG, 7.8 APG, and 3.4 RPG while shooting nearly 48% from the field.