Poll: 2020 All-Rookie First Team
The NBA’s usual award season is in flux in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the regular season would be over by this point and voting would have taken place on the league’s major awards. This year, however, it’s unclear if or when the season will resume after being suspended in March, creating uncertainty about whether players will get any more regular season games to make their cases for award consideration, and about when voting will take place.
Resolving end-of-season awards is hardly the most pressing concern facing the NBA, but while we wait for further updates on the fate of the ’19/20 season, we might as well pass the time with some award-related speculation.
Last month, we asked you to vote on the 15 players who deserved spots on the 2020 All-NBA teams. Now, we’re shifting our focus to the league’s two All-Rookie squads.
While an All-Rookie berth is a less prestigious honor than a spot on an All-NBA team, All-Rookie debates among fans can get heated. After all, clubs like the Knicks, Hornets, or Cavaliers have no chance of getting a player on this year’s All-NBA teams, so fans can focus on making their cases for the likes of RJ Barrett, P.J. Washington, Darius Garland, or Kevin Porter as All-Rookie players.
Additionally, unlike All-NBA voting, All-Rookie teams don’t adhere to positional limits, which means voters – and fans – are free to pick the top 10 players, regardless of whether they’re guards, forwards, or centers. Not having to worry about those restrictions means we’re able to drill down on the question of which 10 rookies were the most valuable.
Do players like Barrett or Garland, who had major roles on lottery teams, deserve spots over guys like Terence Davis or Matisse Thybulle, who played smaller rotation roles and posted more modest numbers on playoff clubs? How about Zion Williamson? Is he a lock for the All-Rookie First Team despite only appearing in 19 games for the Pelicans this season?
You can make your picks below for the five players you believe are worthy of spots on the All-Rookie First Team. We’ve started with a field of 20 players, but if you feel like I’ve omitted anyone who deserves consideration, please mention them in the comments and I’ll add them to our list when we conduct our Second Team vote later this week.
Vote for your All-Rookie First Team below (choose five players), then take to the comment section to explain your choices!
Who is on your All-Rookie First Team for 2019/20?
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Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 18% (936)
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Zion Williamson (Pelicans) 15% (786)
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Kendrick Nunn (Heat) 9% (503)
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Tyler Herro (Heat) 8% (451)
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Brandon Clarke (Grizzlies) 7% (391)
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RJ Barrett (Knicks) 7% (364)
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Cameron Johnson (Suns) 5% (263)
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Eric Paschall (Warriors) 5% (247)
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Coby White (Bulls) 4% (235)
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Rui Hachimura (Wizards) 4% (223)
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Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets) 3% (180)
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P.J. Washington (Hornets) 3% (159)
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Terence Davis (Raptors) 2% (127)
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Matisse Thybulle (Sixers) 2% (116)
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De'Andre Hunter (Hawks) 1% (77)
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Darius Garland (Cavaliers) 1% (67)
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Cam Reddish (Hawks) 1% (63)
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Jarrett Culver (Timberwolves) 1% (52)
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Kevin Porter Jr. (Cavaliers) 1% (50)
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Ky Bowman (Warriors) 1% (48)
Total votes: 5,338
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Wall: Wizards Should Prioritize Small Forward, Bench Upgrades
By the time the NBA went on hiatus in March, the Wizards had moved up to the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference and were 5.5 games back of Orlando for the No. 8 seed. While having a healthy John Wall may have put Washington into the playoff mix in the East, the star point guard admitted during a recent appearance on Matt Barnes’ and Stephen Jackson’s ‘All The Smoke’ podcast that the team will need some more upgrades to become a legit contender.
Asked about the Wizards’ priorities in free agency and the draft this offseason, Wall pointed to the small forward position and the bench as two areas he believes the club should be looking at.
“With me and Brad(ley Beal), who is a great cornerstone, and you have Rui (Hachimura) who is a rookie that’s in there, but I feel like we definitely need a three that’s a dog, that can knock down shots and compete and create for us,” Wall said, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “And then, we’ve also got to build a bench, just being realistic.”
In recent years, Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter have handled small forward duties in Washington, but Oubre was dealt to Phoenix in December of 2018, and Porter was sent to Chicago less than two months later. Since then, the Wizards haven’t identified a permanent solution at the position. In 2019/20, second-year forwards Isaac Bonga and Troy Brown started the majority of the team’s games at the three.
While Bonga and especially Brown have the potential to become important contributors, they’re both just 20 years old and may not be ready to play major roles on a contending team. Speaking to Barnes and Jackson on their podcast, Wall made a similar point about some of the Wizards’ youngsters, though he didn’t specifically single out any teammates.
“I love the team we have now. We have some great pieces,” Wall said. “There are a lot of young guys getting an opportunity to play that (they) would probably not have gotten on other teams. But I feel like if you want to be one of those (contending) teams, you’ve got to have veteran guys around that are willing to understand their role.”
The Wizards aren’t expected to have cap room available this offseason to pursue the top veterans on the free agent market, but the team should have some mid-level exception money available. As Hughes notes, it sounds like Wall wouldn’t be opposed to the club using its spending power on win-now pieces.
“I feel like for a couple of years in the past, we just kept trying to rebuild through the draft like you do in a lot of other sports,” Wall said. “But in the (NBA), your window is kind of short. You don’t have time for that.”
Knicks, Rockets, Nets Interested In Thibodeau?
The Knicks would get first crack at Tom Thibodeau for their head coaching job if new president Leon Rose decides to replace Mike Miller, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Rockets and Nets are also expected to pursue Thibodeau but the Knicks could get the jump on those franchises because they won’t make the playoffs, Berman continues.
Thibodeau would have an apparent interest in all three jobs, Berman continues, but there’s a connection between him and Rose. As a Creative Artists Agency client, Thibodeau has worked with the former agent.
There has been widespread speculation about potential coaching candidates for the Knicks, and a report surfaced last week that Thibodeau would be Rose’s top choice if a change is made. That report also stated Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy would get consideration.
The Rockets and Nets have been previously noted as other possible destinations for the former Bulls and Timberwolves coach. Nets superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving like and respect Thibodeau, who coached them as a Team USA assistant, Berman adds. Still, it’s worth noting that one April report suggested that Thibodeau was thought to be “solely a Knicks candidate.”
And-Ones: Parker, Ware, Nouhi, Brazil
Longtime Spurs guard Tony Parker has long-term plans to own an NBA team, he told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Parker, the president and majority owner of French team ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, is part of the French group Olympique Lyonnais and hopes to eventually purchase an NBA franchise. “Right now, we have different objectives and goals,” he told Spears. “But in five to 10 years … I am the type of person who always dreams big.”
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA point guard Casper Ware has opted out of his NBL contract with the Sydney Kings, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reports. Ware was the highest paid foreign player in the NBL this past season and would have had his 2020/21 salary cut by 50% under a new agreement between the league and its players. The Kings will continue to hold Ware’s NBL rights if he chooses to return to Australia for the upcoming season. Ware, who averaged 17.9 PPG this past season, played for the Sixers during the 2013/14 season.
- Belgian guard Ayoub Nouhi has decided to forgo his final two years of college ball with UT-Arlington and begin his pro career, according to Sportando’s Ennio Terrasi Borghesan. Nouhi did not enter his name in the 2020 draft, but would become auto-eligible in 2021 if he plays professionally this year. He appeared in 26 games as a sophomore, averaging 1.9 PPG in 12.5 MPG.
- Brazil’s NBB league has cancelled the remainder of its season, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Former NBA guard Leandro Barbosa tested positive for COVID-19 after the league halted play in March.
Draft Notes: Lee, Daly, Butler, White, Lottery
Vanderbilt junior Saben Lee has signed with Wasserman Media Group and will remain in the draft, according to Robbie Weinstein of 247Sports. He is currently ranked No. 78 overall and No. 25 among point guard prospects by ESPN. Lee was named Second Team All-SEC last season and averaged 18.6 PPG. 3.5 RPG and 4.2 APG.
We have more draft-related news:
- Baylor’s Jared Butler, St. Joe’s Ryan Daly and Stanford’s Tyrell Terry have signed with Mike Naiditch of Beyond Athlete Management, Jeff Goodman of Goodman Hoops tweets. Naiditch is an NCAA-certified agent, which means those players are eligible to return to college. Butler is the highest-rated player among the trio as ESPN’s No. 43 overall and No. 17 among point guards.
- Arizona State forward Romello White has entered the transfer portal while still remaining an early entrant into the draft, Doug Haller of The Athletic tweets. White averaged 10.2 PPG and 8.8 RPG in his junior year.
- Lottery-bound teams aren’t eager to restart the season and are now in limbo, Ben Golliver of the Washington Post opines. Those teams are focused on future seasons and now have to wait on those plans since the lottery and the draft combine were postponed last week.
2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Miami Heat
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.
The 2019/20 season represented a return to form for the Heat, who endured some up-and-down seasons following LeBron James‘ departure in 2014. Prior to the NBA’s hiatus, they were a top-four team in the East with a 41-24 record.
In addition to their success on the court, the Heat also managed to create some major cap flexibility at the trade deadline by moving Dion Waiters and James Johnson in a three-team deal. The trade ensures that Miami could be one of just a handful of teams with cap room this offseason. However, with several of their own free agents to address, the Heat may end up rolling that cap space over to 2021.
Here’s where things stand for the Heat financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:
Guaranteed Salary
- Jimmy Butler ($34,379,100)
- Andre Iguodala ($15,000,000)
- Ryan Anderson ($5,214,583) — Waived via stretch provision
- Bam Adebayo ($5,115,492)
- Tyler Herro ($3,822,240)
- KZ Okpala ($1,517,981)
- Chris Silva ($1,517,981)
- A.J. Hammons ($350,087) — Waived via stretch provision
- Total: $66,917,464
Player Options
- Kelly Olynyk ($13,198,243)
- Total: $13,198,243
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Kendrick Nunn ($1,663,861)
- Duncan Robinson ($1,663,861) 1
- Total: $3,327,722
Restricted Free Agents
- Kyle Alexander (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Gabe Vincent (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $2,891,394
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Goran Dragic ($28,826,850): Bird rights
- Solomon Hill ($19,138,172): Bird rights
- Meyers Leonard ($16,929,773): Bird rights
- Jae Crowder ($14,849,513): Bird rights
- No. 20 overall pick ($2,582,160)
- Udonis Haslem ($1,620,564): Bird rights
- Derrick Jones ($1,620,564): Bird rights
- Luke Babbitt ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights 2
- Jordan Mickey ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights 2
- Dwyane Wade ($1,620,564): Early Bird Rights 2
- Total: $90,429,288
Offseason Cap Outlook
The Heat could go in any number of directions this offseason. Assuming they account for their guaranteed contracts, Nunn and Robinson, Olynyk’s player option (likely to be exercised), and the cap hold for their first-round pick, they could get up to nearly $22MM in room, even if the cap doesn’t increase.
However, with some combination of Dragic, Jones, Crowder, Leonard, Hill, and Haslem likely to be retained, I’d expect Miami to operate as an over-the-cap team this offseason. Assuming those free agents ink one-year deals or modest multiyear pacts, the Heat could maintain enough flexibility to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo or another star in 2021.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 3
- Bi-annual exception: $3,623,000 3
- Trade exception: $7,533,867 (expires 2/8/21) 4
Footnotes
- Robinson’s new salary guarantee date is unknown.
- The cap holds for Babbitt, Mickey, and Wade remain on the Heat’s books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2019/20. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- These are projected values. If the Heat go under the cap to use room, they’d lose these exceptions, but would gain access to the room exception ($4,767,000). If their team salary approaches the tax apron, it’s possible they’d be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,718,000).
- The Heat would lose this exception if they go under the cap to use room.
Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ballmer Finalizes Purchase Of Inglewood’s Forum
The Clippers issued a press release today announcing that CAPSS LLC – a recently-formed company backed by team owner Steve Ballmer – has completed its purchase of The Forum in Inglewood, California. The venue was previously owned by the Madison Square Garden Company.
The sale agreement was initially reported in March, when the two sides reached a deal for Ballmer’s group to buy The Forum for $400MM in cash. MSG Co. – controlled by Knicks owner James Dolan – had previously been engaged in a legal battle with Ballmer and the Clippers, who are trying to build a new arena in Inglewood.
The sale of The Forum will help end that litigation, paving the way for the Clippers to move forward on their new building. The Forum, meanwhile, will continue to operate as a live entertainment venue. The Forum’s existing leadership team of Geni Lincoln and Mike Fallon will now report to Gillian Zucker, the Clippers’ president of business operations, according to today’s announcement.
“The talented team at The Forum has created a world-class live entertainment venue, and we are committed to building upon that reputation,” Zucker said in a statement. “Having The Forum just a short distance from the L.A. Clippers’ new arena will give us the opportunity to provide the City of Inglewood with a number of benefits, including a collaborative approach to managing traffic and community activities.”
The Clippers are locked into their Staples Center lease through 2024, but Ballmer has long prioritized the idea of the team moving into a building of its own. The franchise will now be able to move forward on plans to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat arena in Inglewood.
Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN reported in March that the Clippers’ proposal was undergoing an environmental review by Inglewood, with public hearings to approve the project expected to be held in the summer. It’s not clear whether the coronavirus pandemic has changed that timeline at all.
Coronavirus Notes: Team Owners, Christmas Day, More
There’s no consensus among the NBA’s 30 team owners on when or how to resume play, Nets owner Joe Tsai said last week as part of a virtual seminar (hat tip to NetsDaily). As Tsai explained, a club’s place in the NBA standings may go a long way toward determining whether team ownership is prioritizing finishing the 2019/20 season.
“The reality is everybody is still trying to figure things out with the hope that maybe we can reopen the season —the current season— because … think about this: the Los Angeles Lakers or the Milwaukee Bucks, they’re in first place when the season got suspended,” Tsai said. “There’s a chance of them going for the championship. Of course, they want to play. The players want to play. The ownership wants to play. Then, there are other teams, if you’re in 28th place, maybe this season isn’t that important. So there’s a difference of opinion among the owners as well.”
The Nets have been a middle-of-the-pack team in 2019/20. If the season ended today, they’d be the No. 7 seed in the East, meaning their playoff run might be brief. However, they could make some noise in the postseason if Kyrie Irving and/or Kevin Durant are able to return from injuries. For his part, Tsai declined to offer his opinion on the NBA’s potential plans.
“We’re one individual team but we’re also part of the league, so I’m kind of under a gag order as to what I really think about what the NBA should do,” Tsai said, per NetsDaily.
Here’s more on the NBA’s hiatus and potential plans to resume the season:
- In a roundtable discussion with The Athletic’s MLB and NHL experts (Ken Rosenthal and Pierre LeBrun) about the possibility of sports restarting, Shams Charania offers some details on the NBA’s thinking. Charania confirms that the NBA is tentatively targeting Christmas Day for the start of its 2020/21 season, adding that the federal government has indicated it will help the NBA and any league looking to resume play.
- In an opinion column, Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News argues that no matter how long it takes to resume play, the NBA should prioritize completing its 2019/20 season in order to allow teams and players to finish what they started.
- According to a survey conducted by ESPN, the majority of fans are in favor of watching televised sports played behind closed doors rather than waiting for sports to resume only when fans are permitted to attend.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Michineau, Kobe, Klay
Suns team officials have said that they’re preparing to host voluntary individual workouts at their facilities no earlier than May 16, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The NBA announced last week that teams may be permitted to reopen practice facilities beginning on May 8, but Arizona’s stay-at-home order will run through at least May 15.
Resuming workouts and potentially playing again this season is a little more complicated for the Suns than for most teams, since the team’s Talking Stick Resort Arena is undergoing renovations and its new practice facility is under construction. As Rankin details, the team is prepared to use its old arena, the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, for workouts — and for games, if the season can be resumed this summer.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Clippers draft-and-stash prospect David Michineau, the 39th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has signed an extension through 2023 with French team Metropolitans 92, the club announced in a press release (hat tip to Sportando).
- In the wake of Kobe Bryant‘s appearance in Sunday’s episodes of The Last Dance, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne of ESPN takes a closer look at the friendship between Michael Jordan and the late Lakers star.
- Speaking of sports documentaries, Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson will be the subject of a short film that goes behind-the-scenes on his recovery from last spring’s ACL tear, as Alex Didion of NBC Sports Bay Area notes.
- In case you missed it last week, we previewed the Lakers‘ and Clippers‘ salary cap outlook for 2020/21 and passed along word that the NBA’s four California teams are lobbying the state in the hopes of reopening their practice facilities later this month.
Top 10 NBA Restricted Free Agents Of 2020
The 2019 offseason was unusually active in terms of rookie scale extensions, with many of the players who were expected to headline the restricted free agent class in 2020 opting for early long-term security with their own teams. In total, nine players signed rookie scale extensions last summer or fall, including Ben Simmons, Pascal Siakam, Jamal Murray, Jaylen Brown, and Domantas Sabonis.
As a result, 2020’s class of restricted free agents doesn’t look quite as tantalizing as it once did. Still, there are some intriguing names on the list, which is now headlined by a Pelicans player who became a first-time All-Star this year.
As we look ahead to the 2020 NBA offseason – whenever it may come – here’s our early breakdown of the top 10 most notable players expected to reach restricted free agency:
Brandon Ingram, F (Pelicans): If not for Anthony Davis, Ingram would likely be entering the 2020 offseason as the NBA’s top restricted or unrestricted free agent. His breakout year includes career highs in PPG (24.3), RPG (6.3), APG (4.3), 3PT (2.4), among several other categories, as he emerged as New Orleans’ go-to scorer. He’ll likely be in line for a maximum-salary deal or something very close to it.- Bogdan Bogdanovic, G (Kings): A versatile contributor who can score a little, handle the ball, and guard multiple positions, Bogdanovic is the sort of player who could fit in on virtually any team. That makes him valuable, even if his stats (14.5 PPG, 3.2 APG, 3.2 RPG) don’t necessarily jump off the page.
- Malik Beasley, G (Timberwolves): After spending most of the season in and out of Denver’s rotation, Beasley took advantage of a new opportunity in Minnesota, averaging 20.7 PPG on .472/.426/.750 shooting in 14 games with the Timberwolves following the trade deadline. It’s a small sample, but Beasley’s impressive month was a timely reminder that he’s capable of being the productive role player we saw in 2018/19 — it also showed he may have some upside beyond that.
- De’Anthony Melton, G (Grizzlies): Melton’s counting stats (8.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 3.0 APG) off the bench for Memphis weren’t spectacular, but there are a lot of reasons to like him. He’ll be just 22 years old this offseason, is an impressive, switchable perimeter defender, and played a key role in fueling the Grizzlies’ surprise season — the team had a +6.4 net rating when he was on the court in 2019/20, compared to a -4.2 rating when he sat. After a top RFA tier of Ingram, Bogdanovic, and Beasley, there are several players who could make a case for this spot, but I think Melton is the most intriguing.
- Dario Saric, F (Suns): Saric is already on his third NBA team, which usually isn’t a good sign for a player in his fourth NBA season. But he continues to put up solid numbers in a regular role — he has never averaged fewer than 10 points per game and has knocked down 37.2% of his three-point attempts since his rookie season. Stretch fours are coveted assets in today’s NBA, so even though Saric isn’t a great defender, he should draw interest on the open market.
- Kris Dunn, G (Bulls): Dunn may never deliver on the upside that made him the fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft, but he impressed in a new role this season. Dunn cut back his shot attempts to just 6.7 per game (after averaging 12.0 over the previous two seasons) and focused on becoming one of the league’s very best defensive stoppers on the wing, leading the NBA with 2.9 steals per 36 minutes.
- Juan Hernangomez, F (Timberwolves): Like Beasley, Hernangomez got the opportunity to play a regular role and show his value after a deadline deal sent him to Minnesota. He played the best ball of his career during that stretch, with 12.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and a .420 3PT%. I don’t imagine the Timberwolves will let him get away this offseason, even if they face some competition for his services.
- Jakob Poeltl, C (Spurs): Poeltl has never played a huge role in the NBA, averaging just 16.6 minutes per game since joining the Spurs in the summer of 2018, but he’s an impressive rebounder and rim protector who brings effort and energy off the bench. While his limited offensive game may hurt him on the open market, a team could certainly do worse than having Poeltl as its backup center.
- Torrey Craig, F (Nuggets): Although Craig’s three-point shooting percentage has improved in each of his NBA seasons, he’s still making just 33.0% of his attempts, complicating his offensive role. A more reliable three-pointer would make him a prototypical – and valuable – three-and-D wing, since he’s already arguably the Nuggets’ most reliable perimeter defender.
- Luguentz Dort, G/F (Thunder): You could make a case for Raptors big man Chris Boucher or a handful of other players at this spot. I opted for Dort, who is still on a two-way contract, which technically puts him on track for restricted free agency at season’s end (the Thunder could avoid that outcome by negotiating an NBA contract before the end of the regular season, assuming they get a chance). The rookie swingman has become a starter for a playoff team in Oklahoma City, playing impressive defense and making 35.7% of his threes since he entered the starting five.
Disagree with my rankings? Feel like I omitted any worthy RFAs-to-be? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.