LeBron James has chosen his new team. The Spurs have traded Kawhi Leonard. Nearly every NBA team has used up all its cap room. In other words, there aren’t many major storylines from the 2018 offseason that still need to be resolved.
Still, as we enter the second month of the 2018/19 league year, there are a handful of subplots around the league that remain ongoing. Although August typically isn’t jam-packed with signings and trades, there are still plenty of teams looking to tweak their rosters before training camps get underway in September.
Here are five offseason storylines that are still worth watching now that much of the summer fun is over:
Will the Cavaliers re-sign Rodney Hood?
- Hood isn’t the only restricted free agent who remains unsigned, but he’s easily the most noteworthy one. Given the Cavaliers‘ proximity to the tax line, an aggressive offer sheet would put pressure on Cleveland and could probably pry Hood away. Only the Kings have the cap room necessary to make such an offer though, and Sacramento already has 16 players on guaranteed contracts. Given Hood’s dwindling leverage, it will be interesting to see if he signs a team-friendly multiyear deal with the Cavs or bets on himself by accepting his one-year qualifying offer.
- Latest on Hood: Contract talks between Cavs, Hood have stalled
- Will Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem return to the Heat?
- Wade and Haslem debuted together for the Heat back in 2003, and outside of the season and a half Wade spent as a Bull and Cavalier, the duo has been together for the last 15 years in South Beach. It would be fitting for both players to call it a career at the same time, but that may not happen quite yet — I suspect that if Wade returns to Miami, Haslem will do so too. But a return isn’t a formality for Wade, who has received major interest from teams in China and who may seek more than the minimum salary from the in-the-tax Heat. Both players figure to make decisions this month.
- Latest on Wade, Haslem: Pat Riley anticipates decisions by mid-August
- Will any other veteran stars announce their retirement?
- Wade isn’t the only longtime NBA star reportedly mulling the possibility of retiring. Manu Ginobili hasn’t made an announcement one way or the other, and neither has David West. I suspect Wade and Ginobili – who is under contract with the Spurs for one more year – will ultimately continue their respective careers, but I’m not so sure about West. When he signed with the Warriors in 2017, reports at the time suggested it would probably be his last season. He hasn’t said anything this offseason to refute that notion.
- Latest on Manu: Ginobili likely to play at least one more season
- Will the Rockets be able to acquire another wing player?
- The Rockets still haven’t made their deal with Carmelo Anthony official, but even after that happens, the team may not be done with its offseason moves. The club is reportedly looking into ways to add one more three-and-D type wing, likely by dangling Ryan Anderson‘s contract and a 2019 first-round pick in trade talks. Kent Bazemore and J.R. Smith are among the players the Rockets have reportedly kicked the tires on, but there’s no shortage of other vets who may be viable trade targets, including Nicolas Batum, DeMarre Carroll, and Courtney Lee.
- Latest on Houston: Rockets remain in market for a wing player
- Will Karl-Anthony Towns or any other players eligible for rookie scale extensions receive new deals?
- Devin Booker quickly came to terms on a new long-term deal with the Suns once the new league year began last month, but he’s the only one of 23 players eligible for rookie scale extensions to sign one so far. Towns, who was said last month to be discussing a max contract with the Timberwolves, is the best bet to get something done in the coming weeks. Other possible extension candidates include Larry Nance Jr. (Cavaliers), Justise Winslow (Heat), Myles Turner (Pacers), Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks), Bobby Portis (Bulls), Terry Rozier (Celtics), and Frank Kaminsky (Hornets). The deadline is the day before the 2018/19 regular season.
- Latest on Towns: Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor confident Towns will sign extension
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minny’s future starts & ends in KAT, they have to sign him, at the max would be a good deal, don’t see why the delay, if he goes that will be the end of Minny… wonder why they haven’t offered the deal to him, Phoenix was pretty quick to get the job done & KAT is even better than Booker.
If the rockets want to add JR, it’ll have to be via a 3 team deal as they don’t have anything in JRs price range.
I find it good for both Hood and the Cavs if he signs the QO. He can get a better long term deal next season IF he turns it around this season. Cavs, aren’t out much if he doesn’t do well.