Community Shootaround: East’s Most Underrated Team
The current odds posted by VegasInsider.com shows a wide gap among Eastern Conference teams.
The Bucks and Sixers are virtual co-favorites to reach the Finals next season, with Milwaukee posted at 5-4 odds and the Sixers at 3-2. The Celtics are a clear-cut third choice at 15-2.
Those are the only teams listed at single-digit odds. Even though Kevin Durant is expected to sit out next season, the Nets are co-fourth choices with the Pacers at 12-1. Indiana could be dangerous if Victor Oladipo can come back strong from a serious leg injury.
The Raptors are 25-1 and the Heat, with the addition of Jimmy Butler, are rated at 40-1. The Magic, who made the playoffs last season and re-signed their top free agents, and Bulls are posted at 80-1.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Pistons, who also reached the postseason and didn’t lose any key players, are listed at 120-1 along with the youthful Hawks. The remaining Eastern Conference teams — the Knicks, Cavaliers, Wizards and Hornets, are all posted at 400-1.
It would certainly be a surprise if any club other than Milwaukee, Philadelphia or Boston gets out of the Eastern Conference but all those teams are vulnerable to a certain degree.
That brings us to our question of the day: Which Eastern Conference team is the most underrated heading into next season?
Please take to the comments section below to voice your opinion. We look forward to your input.
David Griffin Clarifies Comments On LeBron
Pelicans executive VP David Griffin clarified on Friday his comments in a Sports Illustrated article that indicated he was miserable running the Cavaliers when LeBron James was there, according to an ESPN report.
During an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Griffin said he didn’t have any issues with James and that his problems in Cleveland were centered around the pressure of building a championship team.
In the SI story, Griffin was quoted as saying it was frustrating working for an organization where “LeBron is getting all the credit and none of the blame. And that’s not fun for people. They don’t like being part of that world.”
Griffin and a confidant of James spoke after the SI story was published, according to ESPN, and Griffin claimed some statements were taken out of context.
“The fact that there was so much scrutiny in everything that we did, when I was speaking about being uncomfortable and being miserable, it was my inability to deal with that media scrutiny,” Griffin said. “It wasn’t the man himself. It was everything that came with a team led by LeBron James. It had nothing to do with being miserable with LeBron. We had and have a very positive relationship.”
Another controversial part of the SI piece was that Griffin seemingly questioned the future Hall of Famer’s desire to win after the Cavaliers won the championship.
Griffin put the blame on himself during the TV interview for failing to instill a sense of urgency following the title run.
“My fear at that time was that [James] wouldn’t have that same animal-like desire to win. And what we’ve seen is he’s gone to multiple Finals since, so it was an unfounded fear,” Griffin said.
You can watch some of the Griffin interview here.
Raptors Waive Two-Way Guard Jordan Loyd
5:01pm: Loyd has reached an agreement to play overseas with Valencia Basket, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets.
4:48pm: The Raptors have waived guard Jordan Loyd, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link) and other media members.
Loyd was one of the team’s two-way players. He appeared in 12 games last season, averaging 2.4 PPG in 4.6 MPG. Loyd, 26, excelled at the G League level last season, making the NBAGL First Team.
Loyd, who went undrafted in 2016 out of Furman, averaged 22.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.8 SPG in 41 games for Raptors 905.
Toronto reduced its roster count to 19 players with the move and both of its two-way slots are now open. Murphy speculates that Loyd received a big overseas offer and the franchise didn’t want to hold him back (Twitter link). The parting was a mutual decision, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets.
Klay Thompson Talks New Contract, ACL Recovery, More
Klay Thompson‘s 2018/19 season came to a disappointing end on June 13, the night of Game 6 of the NBA Finals. With the Warriors battling to stay alive and extend the series, Thompson went down with a knee injury that was later diagnosed as a torn ACL. The Warriors ultimately failed to force a Game 7, falling to the Raptors later that night.
Thompson told ESPN’s Cari Champion on Thursday that it was devastating to suffer that injury and to fall short of the Warriors’ fourth title in five years, but that he was thrilled to sign a new five-year, maximum-salary contract with the team in the offseason.
“I jumped on that as soon as I could, just because the history with this team and the franchise it would be so hard to leave,” Thompson said. “And the feeling of, you know, unfinished business, getting that close in the Finals, or to the fourth championship — tasting it — just being out of reach. It’s the pain of sports, but it’s what keeps me motivated.”
In his first real interview since the end of the season, Thompson praised the Warriors’ offseason moves, referring to the acquisition of D’Angelo Russell as a move that gave “a breath of fresh life” to him and his teammates. He also addressed his knee injury, his potential recovery timetable (he doubts he’ll be back before the All-Star break), and the Warriors’ outlook going forward.
Here are a few of the highlights from Thompson, via ESPN:
On his first reaction to tearing his ACL:
“I knew I did something. But I’ve never had the severity of an ACL injury or an injury that bad. So me, personally, I didn’t think it was that bad, initially. My adrenaline was so high, being Game 6, whatever. I thought I sprained my knee; that’s all I thought it was. But when I went back to the locker room, it swelled up a lot, didn’t feel right. It’s just not a good feeling when you feel helpless and the team’s out there competing.”
On his recovery timetable:
“I’ve heard varying opinions about [it], especially medically, I don’t want to rush it ’cause I want to play until I’m 38, 39, 40 years old. That’s my plan, especially because the way I can shoot the ball. I would love to see the floor this season. I don’t know when that is.”
On the perception that the Warriors’ dynasty has come to an end:
“To say the dynasty is over I think is a little ignorant, ’cause I think I’m going to come back 100 percent — I think I’m going to come back even better and more athletic. And it would not be smart to count the Dubs out. That’s all I tell people, especially with the chemistry we still have and our foundation still being there, I think we have the ability to continue this run.”
Carmelo Anthony: “I Want Another Shot”
Appearing today on ESPN’s First Take, Carmelo Anthony told Stephen A. Smith that the end of his tenure with the Rockets left a bad taste in mouth and made him question whether he wanted to continue trying to play in the NBA (video link).
However, after taking some time off to consider his options, Anthony remains committed to finding a new NBA home, he tells Smith. According to Carmelo, he’s “in the gym every single day” as he works toward a comeback.
“I love the game too much to be away from it,” Anthony said (video link).
During a recent appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” Anthony’s trainer Chris Brickley suggested that the 10-time All-Star wants a “farewell season” like the one Dwyane Wade had. That assertion was met with some criticism, but Anthony made it clear in his conversation on First Take today that the idea of a “farewell season” wasn’t coming from him.
“I never said anything about a farewell tour,” Anthony said, per ESPN. The former All-NBA forward added that he feels as if “there’s too many people speaking on my name, and I don’t like that” (video link).
While Anthony disputed one of Brickley’s claims, he agreed with another — Carmelo’s trainer said during his Breakfast Club appearance that the 35-year-old is ready and willing to play a reduced role, a point Anthony reiterated to Smith.
“What’s going to make me happy is going to a place, playing basketball, enjoying it again, [and] accepting a role that I might not normally have accepted in the past,” Anthony said. “I don’t mind coming off the bench, that’s not an issue with me.”
Asked by Smith which team he might like to join, Anthony didn’t name any specific clubs, but he stressed two priorities — competing for a championship and ideally earning consistent playing time in the process.
“I went to Oklahoma City to try to win a championship. I went to Houston to try to win a championship. The ultimate goal is to win a championship. That’s the only thing left for me to do is to win a championship.” Anthony said (video link). “But I also want to play. I want to get back out there on the court. I miss the game. I was away from the game for damn near a whole season.
“I got an opportunity to step back, I got an opportunity to grow as a person, as a man. And I deserve another shot. I want another shot. I’ll never stop loving the game until I decide to say ‘This is over’ and I can pass that on to somebody else.”
As we noted in our recap of NBA roster counts earlier today, only six of 30 teams currently have 15 (or more) players on fully guaranteed contracts on their rosters, so there could still be some landing spots available to Anthony as training camps approach.
Clippers/Lakers To Headline NBA’s 2019 Christmas Day Schedule
The NBA has set its Christmas Day schedule for the 2019/20 season, according to reports from multiple ESPN writers. Adrian Wojnarowski, Tim Bontemps, and Malika Andrews have details on the five games set for December 25, 2019.
While the order and times of the games haven’t yet been confirmed, these are the five matchups we’ll see on Christmas Day this December, per ESPN’s reporting:
- Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers
- Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
- Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors
- New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets
The Clippers/Lakers and Bucks/Sixers matchups will pit the two current favorites from the Western and Eastern Conferences against one another. Those games figure to be the headliners of the day, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George squaring off against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid going head-to-head.
The Rockets/Warriors game – a rematch of the most competitive Western postseason rivalry of the last two years – should be an entertaining showdown as well, even without Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson in the picture. James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell will still provide plenty of star power.
The defending champion Raptors will make a rare Christmas Day appearance, hosting the new-look Celtics, led by Kemba Walker. It’ll also be a rare December 25 home game for the Nuggets, who will take on the young, up-and-coming Pelicans and No. 1 pick Zion Williamson.
Which Christmas Day game are you most looking forward to in 2019? Are there any teams or matchups you’re disappointed to see (or not see) on the December 25 schedule? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
World Cup Updates: Shamet, Powell, Germany, Senegal
The series of withdrawals from Team USA’s World Cup training camp rosters continued on Friday, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Clippers guard Landry Shamet has opted against participating. Shamet had been penciled in as a member of USA Basketball’s Select Team.
“He was appreciative of the opportunity and hopes to be part of USAB again in future,” agent George Langberg said of Shamet, who will focus on preparing for what he hopes will be a long Clippers season that ends with a deep playoff run.
Of course, Team USA isn’t the only club dealing with NBA players removing their names from consideration. After finding out earlier this week that R.J. Barrett wouldn’t participate in this year’s World Cup, Team Canada will now also be without Mavericks big man Dwight Powell, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). Having signed a contract extension with Dallas this offseason, Powell will use the time to focus on the upcoming season, says Stein.
Here’s more on the 2019 World Cup:
- After the 2014 World Cup, FIBA altered the qualification process and schedule for the event going forward, and Team USA – with a roster full of NBA players – has been hit hard by those changes, as USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo tells Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. “Playing in back-to-back years, with full NBA seasons before and after, in a real hurdle to overcome,” Colangelo said. “FIBA is not concerned about us. They’re concerned about what’s best for basketball internationally. FIBA got exactly what they wanted. They’re getting a lot of games, a lot of attendance. There’s more interest in a lot of countries. Personally, I didn’t like the change. I knew it would have a negative effect on us.”
- Team Germany formally announced a preliminary 16-man World Cup roster that features several NBA players, including Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber, Thunder guard Dennis Schroder, Celtics center Daniel Theis, and new Wizards Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga.
- Team Senegal’s preliminary 24-man squad will have to be cut in half in advance of the 2019 World Cup, but it also includes some intriguing names. According to the official release, Timberwolves big man Gorgui Dieng and Celtics rookie Tacko Fall are among the players representing Senegal.
Wizards Hire Johnny Rogers In Front Office Role
AUGUST 2: The Wizards have officially announced the hiring of Rogers as VP of pro personnel. He’ll oversee Washington’s NBA, G League, and international scouting efforts, according to the team.
“Johnny brings tremendous global experience, vast NBA knowledge and great basketball relationships to our franchise,” Sheppard said in a statement. “He is universally respected as a player and executive.”
JULY 30: After being named the permanent general manager in Washington, Tommy Sheppard is in the process of filling out the Wizards‘ front office, and is hiring Johnny Rogers away from the Clippers, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe (Twitter link).
According to ESPN’s report, Rogers will be named the Wizards’ VP of pro personnel, which will be a new position in the club’s front office. He had been the Clippers’ director of pro player personnel.
A handful of Clippers executives have drawn interest from rival NBA teams this summer, though the club managed to hang onto most of its front office talent. General manager Michael Winger and assistant GM Trent Redden opted to remain in Los Angeles after receiving consideration for jobs with other clubs.
However, the Clippers won’t be able to retain Rogers, who previously worked for the Thunder as well. In Washington, he’ll reunite for a second time with former OKC head coach Scott Brooks — as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets, Rogers and Brooks played together in college at UC Irvine.
2019/20 Non-Guaranteed Contracts By NBA Team
As the NBA regular season approaches and teams reduce their rosters from the 20-player offseason limit to the 15-man regular season max, the best way to determine which players will survive preseason cuts is to consider their contracts. Players with guaranteed salaries for 2019/20 are far more likely to earn spots on 15-man rosters than players whose contracts aren’t fully guaranteed.
Keeping that in mind, we’re using the space below to keep tabs on the players on each NBA team who don’t have fully guaranteed contracts, using information from Basketball Insiders, as well as our own data. The players listed here have non-guaranteed salaries, partially guaranteed salaries, or Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 contracts, which essentially function like non-guaranteed deals.
Unless otherwise noted, these players are on minimum salary contracts. Some players on this list have partial guarantees, which we’ve also mentioned below.
Not all of these players will be waived before the regular season begins, so we’ll maintain this list for the next several months, up until January 10, 2020. That’s the day that all players still under contract will have their salaries fully guaranteed for the rest of the 2019/20 season.
Only players who have formally signed contracts are listed below, so if a player has reportedly reached an agreement with a team on a non-guaranteed deal, we’ll add him to our list when that deal becomes official. You can use our roster counts page to find those players whose deals have been reported but not finalized.
Without further ado, here’s the full list of players without fully guaranteed salaries for 2019/20, broken down by team:
Updated 1-10-20 (4:05pm CT)
Atlanta Hawks
- None
Boston Celtics
- None
Brooklyn Nets
- None
Charlotte Hornets
- None
Chicago Bulls
- None
Cleveland Cavaliers
- None
Pacers Sign JaKarr Sampson To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 2: The Pacers have officially signed Sampson, the team confirmed today in a press release.
The guarantee details on Sampson’s deal have yet to be reported, but it’s probably safe to assume it’s not fully guaranteed unless we hear otherwise.
JULY 24: Forward JaKarr Sampson has agreed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Pacers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Sampson had signed to play overseas with Shandong in the Chinese Basketball Association, so either that deal fell through or he had an out clause. He played six games with Shandong last season and 24 G league games with the Windy City Bulls.
Sampson, 26, has bounced around since making his debut during the 2014/15 season with Philadelphia. He’s also played for Denver, Sacramento and Chicago. In four games with the Bulls last season, he averaged 20.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 31.8 MPG. In his career, Sampson has played 173 NBA games, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 16.0 MPG. He’s a career 25.7% shooter from beyond the arc.
The 6’9” forward will add depth at both forward spots behind starters T.J. Warren and Domantas Sabonis.