Community Shootaround: Best Jersey Patches
For the first time in league history NBA teams have been approved to sell real estate on their in-game jerseys to the highest-bidding brands.
Although the move yielded its fair share of criticism, the extra revenue stream does have one big benefit: fans now have one more thing to rank during the dog days of the offseason.
View Our List Of NBA Jersey Sponsors For 2017/18
In the past few months, especially lately with the revelation of countless redesigned Nike kits, we’ve gotten a good look at what some of our favorite jerseys will look like during the 2017/18 season.
Over at Ball Don’t Lie, Henry Bushnell has collected all of the new jerseys that have been unveiled so far this summer, many of which are sporting their sponsor’s branding, so be sure to hop over and flip through their collection of images.
Our question, for this latest Community Shootaround, is what jersey patch you think looks the best. Some, like Utah’s 5 For The Fight, may earn favor by having a good story attached to them while others, like Charlotte’s affiliation with Jordan Brand are just downright cool.
Of all the jersey patches revealed so far, however, which do you think looks the nicest? Use whatever metric you prefer, just be sure to explain why in the comments below.
Does the classic look and feel of Milwaukee’s Harley Davidson patch suit your fancy? Maybe you’re more apt to rock a new Pistons or Nets jersey considering how seamlessly their respective sponsor patches mesh with the existing team colors.
Atlantic Notes: Ntilikina, Okafor, London
While the plan has always been to bring rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina along slowly, the fact that the Knicks failed to land a notable veteran at the position this offseason gives the first-year player an opportunity to sneak into the starting lineup.
“Of course [I want to start],” Ntilikina told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, before stressing that he’s a team player more concerned with simply improving over the course of his first campaign with the Knicks.
The Knicks added Ramon Sessions over the summer but while Sessions brings a source of veteran leadership, he hasn’t been a consistent starter previously in his 10-year career.
Regardless of where he ends up in the rotation, the Knicks’ eighth-overall pick acknowledges a need to work on his body and brace for the physical challenges of stepping into the NBA.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Although his name has frequently come up in trade rumors, Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor “couldn’t be happier” in Philadelphia. The center spoke with Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times about the idea of suiting up for another squad.
- The Celtics aren’t about to plan their offseason around what the Cavaliers are doing. “We have our own problems and our own challenges and trying to put players together that can win and compete in the league today is very difficult,” Danny Ainge said recently on the Dan Patrick Show (via CSN New England).
- The Celtics and Sixers will take their talents to the United Kingdom this season, an NBA.com press release reveals. The two division rivals will square off in NBA London Games 2018 on January 11.
Pistons Notes: Marjanovic, Backcourt, Kennard
Long one of the NBA’s most intriguing reserve big men, Boban Marjanovic will be utilized differently this season than he was during his first under Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy. Keith Langlois of the team’s official website spoke with the Van Gundy about his 7’4″ backup.
“The questions are going to be how [Marjanovic’s stellar play at the end of 2016/17] holds up over time and how many minutes he can take on a nightly basis,” Van Gundy said. “Those we don’t know, but we do know that he’s got unbelievable size and skill and that’s a pretty good combination.”
With Aron Baynes now a member of the Celtics, Marjanovic figures be the primary backup to Andre Drummond, splitting duties perhaps with Jon Leuer when more mobility is required.
There’s more out of Detroit:
- Point guard Reggie Jackson made a point of travelling to meet Avery Bradley as soon as possible, Ansar Khan of MLive writes. Jackson said he wants the new-look backcourt to hold each other accountable this season.
- Rookie Luke Kennard will need to outplay Langston Galloway and Reggie Bullock for a prominent place in the Pistons’ rotation but in his defense he has already assuaged some concerns about his mobility that Stan Van Gundy had prior to the summer league, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes in a mailbag.
- Big man Andre Drummond has shouldered the blame for Detroit’s lousy 2016/17 campaign, Michael Lee of The Vertical writes. “It starts with me,” Drummond said. “I didn’t come out playing the way I was supposed to. I needed to take it upon myself to be a leader this summer, to really take care of myself, take care of my body to make sure my team got better.“
Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15
As we detailed on Thursday, players who signed new contracts as free agents during the 2017/18 league year can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever comes later. That means that nearly every team has at least one player – and generally a handful – who won’t become trade-eligible until mid-December.
As we alluded to in that article, there’s also a small subset of free agent signees whose trade ineligibility lasts for another month. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.
Listed below are the players who meet this criteria and can’t be traded until at least January 15, 2018. Players who have the ability to veto trades in 2017/18 are marked with an asterisk. We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months, if necessary.
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Milwaukee Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Offseason Winners, Losers
There were no shortage of teams that made big moves in an effort to improve this offseason but the squad that improved its standing the most is Tom Thibodeau‘s Timberwolves, an ESPN report says.
The worldwide leader in sports put the Wolves well ahead of the second-place Sixers who edged out the Nuggets. Also on ESPN’s list were the Bucks, Thunder and Lakers.
It’s hard to disagree with the fact that the Timberwolves took the top honors, the impact that Jimmy Butler will have is almost indisputable.
The Sixers and Nuggets, too, will welcome big names to their lineup, Philly’s of course coming via the past two drafts and Denver’s in the form of free agent Paul Millsap.
There’s more from around the NBA:
- Turmoil in the locker room could cost the Cavaliers big time, an ESPN report states. The Cavs are considered the team most likely to be adversely affected by off-court moves and issues in 2017/18, ahead of the Knicks, Pelicans, Clippers, Bulls and Rockets.
- A number of stars will suit up for new squads this season but the biggest addition of the offseason has been Houston’s landmark acquisition of Chris Paul. An ESPN report breaks down why the Rockets fared so well this offseason.
- An ESPN report suggests that the Hornets‘ decision to acquire Dwight Howard may not bear fruit. Due to concerns about his fit in the modern era, he’s the most likely candidate to be the least effective individual to have changed addresses this summer.
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Lakers Sign V.J. Beachem
AUGUST 11: The Lakers have officially signed Beachem, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 9: The Lakers continue to fill out their roster for training camp, reaching an agreement with undrafted free agent V.J. Beachem, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reports that Beachem will sign a partially guaranteed contract with L.A.
Beachem, a 6’8″ forward who played his college ball at Notre Dame, averaged 14.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in his senior year last season. He also made 2.4 three-pointers per game, though his .361 3PT% in 2016/17 was down from his career rate of .413 in his first three college seasons.
Shortly after the 2017 draft concluded, a report indicated that Beachem would be signing with the Timberwolves. However, that agreement only applied to Summer League play. Beachem appeared in four games for the Wolves last month in Las Vegas, averaging just 9.5 minutes per contest.
Beachem is the fourth young player to join the Lakers on a partially guaranteed contract within the last week. The Lakers signed Vander Blue on Friday and have since agreed to terms with Briante Weber and Stephen Zimmerman.
Taking into account their three unofficial NBA deals, the Lakers will have 18 players on NBA contracts, along with one player on a two-way contract. After finalizing the signings of Weber, Zimmerman, and Beachem, the Lakers will have one roster spot still available for a camp invitee or two-way player.
Poll: Which NBA Team Has Had Best Offseason?
Over the last eight days, we’ve presented a series of polls asking Hoops Rumors readers which team in each division has had the best offseason. Starting with the Atlantic last Thursday and running through the Pacific yesterday, we’ve covered all six divisions.
In some cases, the results of those polls have revealed that a particular division didn’t do well as a whole this summer. For instance, voting in the Central has placed the Bucks in first, despite the fact that Milwaukee has essentially stood pat after having conducted an unusual search for a new GM that saw the team’s co-owners on different pages. While the Bucks’ offseason was underwhelming, it wasn’t viewed as a net negative, like the Pacers‘, Bulls‘, and Cavaliers‘ summers.
Other divisions fell on the other end of the spectrum, with multiple teams worthy of consideration after a successful summer. In the Northwest, for example, the Thunder have received less than 18% of the vote despite acquiring Paul George. But that’s only because the Timberwolves‘ offseason was considered even stronger, picking up more than 72% of the votes.
In today’s poll, we’re asking which team had the best offseason overall. While the options listed here are mostly based on your top picks in those divisional polls, I’ve also used my discretion to include some runners-up and to eliminate a poll winner in the Bucks, who probably don’t belong in the league-wide conversation for the best offseason.
What do you think? Which NBA team has had the best offseason so far? Vote below and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts. Is your pick not on our list? Let us know!
Which NBA team has had the best offseason?
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Minnesota Timberwolves 35% (379)
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Boston Celtics 20% (215)
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Golden State Warriors 17% (183)
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Houston Rockets 8% (82)
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Philadelphia 76ers 8% (81)
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Los Angeles Lakers 7% (71)
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Oklahoma City Thunder 5% (53)
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Washington Wizards 1% (8)
Total votes: 1,072
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Previously:
Warriors Notes: Durant, George, G League
After taking a pay cut this year to help the Warriors keep their roster intact, Kevin Durant cited Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki as other players who have been willing to accept less over the years in order to help their respective clubs build winning squads. Speaking to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Durant suggested that outside observers wanted the rising cost of the Warriors’ roster to break up the team, and he wanted to do his part to make sure that didn’t happen.
“They were all underpaid and I knew at some point they’d want to get what they deserve,” Durant said of teammates Andre Iguodala, Stephen Curry, and Shaun Livingston. “So I just took a step back and let the chips fall where they may. Then I took it in my hands. I wanted to keep the team together and I thought it was going to help the ownership bring all the guys back. And on top of that, it’s my money. It’s my decision. I can do what the hell I want with it.”
Slater’s Q&A with Durant, which is worth checking out in full, also included a discussion of some revamped Western Conference contenders, the recruitment of Nick Young, and an offseason trip to India.
Here’s more out of Golden State:
- After suggesting recently on Tim Bontemps’ podcast that he expects the Warriors to pursue Paul George in free agency next summer, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic does a little damage control, writing that he has no inside information on Golden State’s interest in George. As Kawakami explains, the Warriors are simply the type of franchise that will go after virtually any top free agent that fits their style of play, and George’s two-way skill-set and expiring contract fit that bill for 2018. The odds of the Dubs actually landing George are probably slim, Kawkami notes.
- The Santa Cruz Warriors – Golden State’s G League affiliate – have named former University of Kansas standout Aaron Miles as their new head coach, the club announced in a press release. “Aaron has stood out as a leader at every stop in his playing career and as a collegiate assistant coach,” GM Kent Lacob said in a statement. “We are confident that he will be a tremendous fit for our team and our organization as we look toward the 2017/18 season and beyond.”
- For more news, notes, and rumors on the Warriors, be sure to check out their team page.
Longest-Tenured NBA GMs/Presidents
When we examined the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches earlier this week, we noted that it has been over a year since any team has made a coaching change, an improbable and impressive run of league-wide stability. However, the same can’t be said for teams’ front offices. Since the 2016/17 season ended, seven NBA clubs have named new heads of basketball operations, and that list doesn’t include the Lakers, who re-shaped their front office earlier in the year.
Although there have been more recent changes in front offices than on NBA sidelines, the same name tops the list of longest-tenured head coaches and GMs/presidents: Gregg Popovich actually became the Spurs‘ president of basketball operations two years before he took over as the club’s head coach. Still, his place in San Antonio’s hierarchy is one of a handful of situations around the league that’s somewhat difficult to pin down.
While just one person holds a team’s head coaching job, that same team could carry a variety of front office executives with titles like general manager, president of basketball operations, or executive VP of basketball operations. In some cases, it’s not always which clear which executive should be considered the club’s head of basketball operations, or which one has the ultimate final say on roster decisions. That distinction becomes even more nebulous when taking into account team ownership.
For our list of the longest-tenured GMs/presidents in the NBA, we’ve done our best to identify the top exec in each front office. In the case of the Spurs, we’ve listed Popovich as the club’s top man, since he has the final say on basketball decisions, even though GM R.C. Buford plays a huge part in that process too. If there’s any ambiguity in a front office, we’ve added a note below to explain our thinking.
Without further ado, here’s the list of the NBA’s longest-tenured heads of basketball operations, along with their respective titles and the dates they were hired or promoted:
- Gregg Popovich, Spurs (president): May 31, 1994
- GM R.C. Buford has had a significant voice in personnel moves since becoming GM in 2002, but Popovich still has final say on those decisions.
- Pat Riley, Heat (president): September 2, 1995
- John Paxson, Bulls (executive VP): April 14, 2003
- GM Gar Forman has played a major part in personnel decisions since his hiring in 2009, but Paxson is believed to still be the head of basketball operations, reporting only to ownership.
- Danny Ainge, Celtics (president): May 9, 2003
- Ernie Grunfeld, Wizards (president): June 30, 2003
- Donn Nelson, Mavericks (GM/president): March 19, 2005
- Owner Mark Cuban is also heavily involved in basketball decisions and ultimately has final say.
- Daryl Morey, Rockets (GM): May 6, 2007
- Sam Presti, Thunder (GM/executive VP): June 7, 2007
- Dell Demps, Pelicans (GM/senior VP): July 21, 2010
- Executive VP of basketball operations Mickey Loomis is also in the picture here, but Loomis – who is also the top man in the New Orleans Saints’ front office – seems to let Demps handle basketball decisions for the most part.
- Rich Cho, Hornets (GM): June 14, 2011
- Bob Myers, Warriors (GM/president): April 24, 2012
- Neil Olshey, Trail Blazers (president): June 4, 2012
- Dennis Lindsey, Jazz (GM): August 7, 2012
- Ryan McDonough, Suns (GM): May 7, 2013
- Masai Ujiri, Raptors (president): May 31, 2013
- Tim Connelly, Nuggets (GM/executive VP): June 17, 2013
- Stan Van Gundy, Pistons (president): May 14, 2014
- Chris Wallace, Grizzlies (GM): May 19, 2014
- Initially named the Grizzlies’ GM in June 2007, Wallace was demoted in 2012 as Jason Levien assumed control of basketball operations. Wallace regained his front office power in May 2014.
- Vlade Divac, Kings (GM): March 3, 2015
- Sean Marks, Nets (GM): February 18, 2016
- Bryan Colangelo, Sixers (president): April 10, 2016
- Tom Thibodeau, Timberwolves (president): April 20, 2016
- Magic Johnson, Lakers (president): February 21, 2017
- Kevin Pritchard, Pacers (president): May 1, 2017
- Jeff Weltman, Magic (president): May 22, 2017
- Travis Schlenk, Hawks (GM): May 25, 2017
- Jon Horst, Bucks (GM): June 16, 2017
- Koby Altman, Cavaliers (GM): June 19, 2017
- Initially the Cavaliers’ interim GM, Altman had his role made permanent on July 24, 2017.
- Steve Mills, Knicks (president): June 28, 2017
- Initially the Knicks’ interim president, Mills had his role made permanent on July 14, 2017.
- Lawrence Frank, Clippers (executive VP): August 4, 2017
- Frank was given control over the Clippers’ front office on August 4, 2017, but it’s not clear if he received a new title or if he’s still the executive VP of basketball ops.
Information from Basketball-Reference was used in the creation of this post.