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Month: February 2022

Poll: Who Will Win The 2022 Three-Point Contest?

By | at February 18, 2022 10:18 pm

The 2022 NBA Three-Point Contest takes place Saturday night and features eight participants (betting odds via Chad Smith of Basketball Insiders):

There are two rounds in the competition; the three highest scores from the first round advance to the championship round, and the highest scoring competitor in the championship round will become the victor. A first-time winner will be crowned this year, as only Young and LaVine have made prior appearances in the event, this being Young’s second attempt and LaVine’s third.

Each participant gets 70 seconds to attempt a total of 27 shots — five from each of the traditional racks located at the corners, wings, and top-of-the-key, and two “Dew Zone” locations six feet behind the arc. The deep racks feature just one ball each, but they’re worth three points apiece.

Young, VanVleet, Lavine and Towns are all pulling double-duty, as the four players were all selected to the All-Star game. Bane is as well, as he’s a member of Team Isiah for the Rising Stars event.

Going purely by three-point percentage this season, Kennard leads the group at 44.8%, followed by Mills and Bane (41.9%), Towns (40.9%), VanVleet (40.1%), LaVine (39.9%), McCollum (38.9%), and finally Young (38.3%).

However, VanVleet leads all competitors in makes (4.0) and attempts (10.0) per game by a considerable margin — McCollum is second with 3.1 makes and 8.0 attempts.

What do you think? Who will win this year’s Three-Point Contest? Will Towns defy the betting odds and take home the crown? Will LaVine triumph in his third attempt?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Who Will Win The Three-Point Contest?

  • Fred VanVleet 19% (276)
  • Trae Young 17% (251)
  • Luke Kennard 15% (211)
  • Patty Mills 12% (171)
  • Desmond Bane 11% (164)
  • CJ McCollum 10% (137)
  • Zach LaVine 9% (126)
  • Karl-Anthony Towns 7% (106)

Total votes: 1,442

20 comments Hoops Rumors Originals Hoops Rumors Polls

Bucks “Aggressive” In Pursuit Of Goran Dragic

By | at February 18, 2022 8:07 pm

Appearing on NBA Today (video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Bucks have been “aggressive” in their pursuit of Goran Dragic, who reached a buyout agreement with the Spurs on Tuesday.

Dragic has been spending the week speaking to interested teams, and Wojnarowski calls the Bucks the “foremost” team on Dragic’s list. The defending champions find themselves with a hole in the backcourt after trading Donte DiVincenzo to the Kings and losing Pat Connaughton for approximately four weeks after surgery to repair his broken right ring finger.

Milwaukee’s brass, including GM Jon Horst and head coach Mike Budenholzer, has been pitching Dragic on the opportunity to play meaningful minutes and a “pretty significant role,” says Wojnarowski.

However, he notes that the Bulls, Clippers, Nets, and Lakers remain interested in the former All-Star guard. Woj thinks Dragic is getting closer to making a decision on his next team.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein tweets that the Warriors are also in the mix for Dragic, but notably did not include the Lakers on his list of teams vying for Dragic’s services.

41 comments Brooklyn Nets Chicago Bulls Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks Newsstand

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Lakers, Magic, A. Holiday

By | at February 18, 2022 7:09 pm

Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga may be just 19 years old, but his sights are set on lofty career goals, as Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated relays.

Kuminga hopes to become “at least a three-time MVP [and] four-time Defensive Player of the Year,” wants to make the Hall of Fame, and win multiple championships.

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Kuminga has had an increased role recently due to injuries to Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. Through eight games in February (26.3 MPG), Kuminga has scored in double figures in each contest, averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 1.9 APG on .603/.320/.690 shooting.

Kuminga will participate in the Rising Stars event Friday night. He was named as a replacement for Indiana rookie Chris Duarte, who’s dealing with a toe injury.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Jovan Buha of The Athletic explores how the Lakers will attempt to survive without star Anthony Davis, who’s sidelined for at least a month with a mid-foot sprain. The Lakers will likely lean more heavily on LeBron James and Russell Westbrook in Davis’ absence, Buha writes, with James figuring to see more time at center. Lineups featuring James at center have a positive net rating (+2.5) and are outstanding offensively, but struggle on defense.
  • Lakers legend Magic Johnson recently shared his thoughts on the current team with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (the interview was conducted prior to Davis’ injury). Johnson says the group lacks an identity and has been inconsistent throughout the season, but he thinks that if the “Big Three” can figure out how to mesh together, the Lakers will still be dangerous in the playoffs.
  • Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com believes that Aaron Holiday ‘fits right in’ with the Suns, and could eventually supplant Landry Shamet as the fourth guard in the rotation given Shamet’s shooting struggles. “He just continues to play the kind of basketball we like to play,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said after Phoenix beat Houston 124-121 Wednesday. “Defensively, he just gets into stuff and he comes up with balls. I thought the inbounds play under the basket where he stole it and laid it up, that’s Aaron [Holiday], and I like his willingness to take shots.” Holiday was acquired from the Wizards last week for cash considerations.
18 comments Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns

Basketball Hall Of Fame Announces 11 Finalists For ’22

By | at February 18, 2022 5:55 pm

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 11 finalists for the class of 2022 Friday evening (video link). They are as follows:

  • Leta Andrews, the all-time winningest high school coach, male or female
  • Swin Cash, a three-time WNBA Champion, four-time All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (Cash is currently the vice president of basketball operations and team development for the Pelicans)
  • Michael Cooper, a five-time NBA Champion and eight-time All-Defensive team member, who was Defensive Player of the Year in 1987
  • Hugh Evans, a former NBA referee who officiated over 2,200 games, including 35 in the NBA Finals
  • Manu Ginobili, a four-time NBA Champion, two-time All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist
  • Tim Hardaway, a five-time NBA All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist
  • Bob Huggins, a longtime NCAA coach with more than 900 career wins, whose teams have made 25 NCAA tournament appearances
  • Marques Johnson, a five-time NBA All-Star and NCAA Champion
  • George Karl, the 2013 Coach of the Year who’s sixth all time in wins for NBA head coaches
  • Marianne Stanley, the 2002 WNBA Coach of the year who led Old Dominion to the NCAA National Championship in 1985
  • Lindsay Whalen, a four-time WNBA Champion, five-time All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist

The selections will be announced on April 2, at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in New Orleans, per a league press release.

The Hall of Fame also announced that the ’22 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award went to Reggie Minton, who coached Air Force Academy from 1984-2020.

Finally, the three recipients for the ’22 Curt Gowdy Media Award were Dick Ebersol (Transformative), the former president of NBC Sports who created the NBA on NBC; Mechelle Voepel of ESPN (Print), a longtime women’s basketball writer; and Walt Frazier (Electronic), the longtime color commentator for the Knicks, who’s already in the Hall of Fame as a player.

33 comments Hall Of Fame

Nine Candidates To Be Promoted From Two-Way Contracts

By | at February 18, 2022 4:00 pm

Since last week’s trade deadline, four teams have promoted a player from a two-way contract to a 15-man roster spot — the Celtics (Sam Hauser), Thunder (Aaron Wiggins), Rockets (Daishen Nix), and Heat (Caleb Martin) all took advantage of roster openings to make such a move.

For a playoff-bound team like Miami, promoting a two-way player to the 15-man roster ensures he’ll be eligible to play in the postseason.

That’s not exactly a pressing concern for a team like Oklahoma City or Houston, but it still made sense for them to promote Wiggins and Nix, respectively, because they were able to lock those rookies up to four-year contracts that will be worth the minimum salary going forward. Both Wiggins and Nix have non-guaranteed third and fourth years on those deals, so the Thunder and Rockets will have the ability to bail early if their investments don’t work out.

Even after that flurry of promotions, there are still several players around the NBA on two-way contracts who are candidates to get new deals before the end of the regular season.

Here’s a closer look at which players could be next in line for a bump up to the 15-man roster:

Amir Coffey (Clippers)

Coffey has emerged as a regular rotation player for the Clippers this season, averaging 22.2 minutes per contest in 48 games (20 starts). He hasn’t missed a game or played fewer than 13 minutes since December 20 and is averaging 8.4 PPG and 3.0 RPG with a solid shooting line (.459/.380/.886).

The Clippers don’t currently have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so there’s no clear path for Coffey to sign a standard contract unless someone is waived. Newly-acquired swingman Rodney Hood or forward Semi Ojeleye are probably be the best candidates to be released — L.A.’s deadline deal to acquire that duo from the Bucks appeared to be more about tax considerations than about targeting those specific players.

Kessler Edwards (Nets)

Like Coffey, Edwards has been a regular contributor lately, starting 19 of 20 Brooklyn’s games. And like the Clippers, the Nets have a full 15-man roster, creating a temporary roadblock for an Edwards promotion.

It’s trickier finding expendable pieces on the Nets’ roster. Bruce Brown, James Johnson, and Blake Griffin are among those on expiring contracts and they haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire, but they’ve been rotation players when healthy. Jevon Carter has been in and out of the rotation, but is owed a guaranteed $3.9MM salary next season.

Edwards slumped badly entering the All-Star break, averaging 2.3 PPG on 18.9% shooting in his last eight games. If that trend continues, the Nets probably won’t need to find room for him on their 15-man squad. But if he bounces back, the team may want to ensure he’s playoff-eligible.

Jose Alvarado (Pelicans)

Alvarado appeared in just eight of New Orleans’ first 35 games, then played in the next 23 before getting a DNP-CD on Thursday. The addition of CJ McCollum may limit Alvarado’s playing time going forward, but the rookie has proven he’s capable of stepping in and providing the Pelicans with solid minutes. The team’s open roster spot could be earmarked for him or fellow two-way player Gary Clark.

Trent Forrest (Jazz)

Forrest has had a nice February for Utah, putting up 8.0 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 1.6 SPG on 52.4% shooting in seven games (22.6 MPG). The Jazz have an opening on their roster and could create a second one if they decide Juan Hernangomez isn’t in their plans. I’d expect Forrest to claim one of those spots by the end of the season, though the in-the-tax club may prefer to hold off for a few more weeks in order to keep its tax bill in check.

Justin Champagnie (Raptors)

Champagnie’s role as a rookie has been inconsistent, but the Raptors like his potential and will probably try to sign him to a multiyear deal before the end of the season if they can negotiate favorable terms. Toronto currently has an open roster spot and still has some of its mid-level exception available to offer Champagnie a contract of up to four years.

Trendon Watford (Trail Blazers)

The Trail Blazers have a full 15-man roster for now, but that group includes at least one expendable veteran in Joe Ingles, who is on an expiring contract and will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. It’s also unclear if recently-acquired players like Eric Bledsoe, Elijah Hughes, and Didi Louzada will finish the season in Portland.

In other words, if the Blazers want to promote Watford, who has played in every one of the team’s games in 2022, there should be a path to do so.

Davon Reed (Nuggets)

At one point, Reed looked like a prime candidate for a promotion to the Nuggets’ 15-man roster, but his playing time has decreased in the last month, and if Denver wants to keep DeMarcus Cousins for the rest of the season, the veteran center would become the club’s 15th man.

A standard contract isn’t out of the question for Reed – injured forward Vlatko Cancar could be waived if the Nuggets need to make room for both Cousins and Reed – but the Nuggets may decide to see how the next few weeks play out before deciding whether or not to make the young wing playoff-eligible.

Duane Washington / Terry Taylor (Pacers)

With Indiana shifting into rebuilding mode, Washington and Taylor should both continue to play regularly, like they have in recent weeks. Taylor, in particular, has been very productive in limited minutes, averaging 9.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG on .598/.444/.769 shooting in 13 games (19.0 MPG).

The Pacers already have one open roster spot and could create a second one by waiving injured guard Ricky Rubio, though if they value his Bird rights, they’ll want to keep Rubio on the roster. Still, I’d be surprised if at least one of Washington and Taylor doesn’t sign a standard contract in the next month-and-a-half.

9 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

By | at February 18, 2022 3:32 pm

If you enjoy Hoops Rumors on your smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications. For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting. You can read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
  • Customer service. If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download it now!
2 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

Sixers Notes: Championship Potential, Simmons, Maxey

By | at February 18, 2022 1:53 pm

With just 24 games between now and the playoffs, it will be a challenge for the Sixers‘ new superstar duo of James Harden and Joel Embiid to mesh quickly enough to make the team a legitimate championship threat this spring.

However, head coach Doc Rivers‘ plan isn’t to work out the kinks this year and focus on winning a title in 2023. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Rivers fully believes the team is capable of a championship run this spring and wants to make the most of the opportunity.

“I always think right now,” Rivers said on Thursday. “I’ve been in this league too long. And I always go back to [the Celtics’ 2007/08 NBA championship team.] Kevin [Garnett] and I talk about it all the time. I remember the first year during training camp we had a meeting and they were saying, ‘Man, we have to get it together. This might not be the year. But by next year, we might…’ I said, ‘Next year? Are you guys kidding me? Next year one of you can get hurt.’

“I know it’s short. I know it’s going to be hard to get it together. But having said that, the time is always now.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

  • Appearing on the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said he believes Ben Simmons was dealing with mental health struggles in Philadelphia, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays. “I believe him. He was going through something,” Morey said. “And it was just whether or not we could’ve gotten to the point where we would have him play basketball for us,”
  • During the same interview, Morey said he should have communicated better with Simmons when the Sixers were originally trying to acquire Harden from Houston in 2021, and that he “should have had a better relationship” with the former No. 1 overall pick. “I think knowing how sensitive he was to public comments that that behooved us to be, just organizationally, more careful on that,” Morey said, per Feldman. “I think it’s important you know your top players and their different spots where you have to pay attention.”
  • Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey will replace injured Kings guard Davion Mitchell in Friday’s “Clutch Challenge,” a shooting competition that will take place prior to the Rising Stars final, the league announced in a press release. Maxey will team up with Toronto forward Scottie Barnes in the event.
  • In case you missed it, we asked on Thursday whether the Sixers or Nets are better positioned for a deep playoff run.
12 comments Philadelphia 76ers

2022 NBA Buyout Market Watch

By | at February 18, 2022 12:35 pm

The 2022 NBA trade deadline is behind us, but that doesn’t mean teams are finished making roster moves. With over a month-and-a-half left in the 2021/22 regular season, there are still many roster spots to be filled around the NBA, as well as veterans who might not finish the year with their current teams.

The NBA’s buyout market has been active since the trade deadline and could feature several more moves in the next week or two.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Buyouts]

A veteran in an undesirable situation due to his playing time or his team’s place in the standings (or both) could ask to be released and may even be willing to give back a little money to accommodate the move. Some teams might make that decision unilaterally, opting to release a veteran to open up a roster spot for a younger player.

Over the rest of the month, we’ll use the space below to monitor the buyout market, keeping tabs on which veteran players have been bought out or released, and which have found new teams. We’ll also keep an eye on players who are potential buyout candidates. The list will be updated daily.

A player on an NBA contract must be waived by the end of the day on March 1 in order to retain his playoff eligibility, so that will be a key date to watch.

Here’s our breakdown of the 2022 NBA buyout market:

Last updated 3-3-22 (8:08pm CT)

Veterans who have been recently bought out or released and are free agents:

Not every player who has been cut since the trade deadline will be mentioned here. Essentially, this list is just made up of players with at least a few years of NBA experience who could be of immediate interest to teams in the playoff mix.

To that end, we’re not listing young players such as Jahmi’us Ramsey, KZ Okpala, Armoni Brooks, or Moses Brown, since they’d be unlikely to draw interest from playoff teams who are in win-now mode and looking for veteran depth.

We’re also not listing injured veterans like PJ Dozier, Cody Zeller, Michael Carter-Williams, or E’Twaun Moore, unless it becomes clear that the player will be able to return in the coming days or weeks.

Veterans who have been bought out or released and joined new teams:

Other veterans who could be candidates to be bought out or released:

We had viewed these players as possible buyout candidates, with some more realistic than others. However, they all made it through the March 1 playoff eligibility waiver deadline without being cut, so they appear likely to finish the season with their respective clubs.

19 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Buyouts

By | at February 18, 2022 11:40 am

Once the NBA trade deadline passes, the league’s buyout season unofficially begins. What exactly are buyouts, and how do they work? Today’s Hoops Rumors glossary entry will examine those questions. Let’s dive in…

What is a buyout?

While the term “buyout” is often applied colloquially when any veteran is released after the trade deadline, it applies specifically to a player who gives up a portion of his salary to accommodate his release. Rather than waiving a player outright, a team will negotiate the terms of the player’s release. Then, once the player clears waivers, his guaranteed salary with his previous team will be reduced or eliminated altogether.

So far this season, we’ve seen Spurs guard Goran Dragic and Pacers big man Tristan Thompson agree to buyouts. Those two veterans each surrendered in the neighborhood of $800K to their respective teams in order to reach free agency.

What’s the motivation for a buyout?

The most common form of buyout involves a veteran player on a non-contending team being granted his release during the final year of his contract to join a playoff club down the stretch.

It typically happens after the trade deadline because by that point there’s no other way for a player to change teams. It’s even more frequent if the player was traded at the deadline for salary-matching purposes to a team that doesn’t view him as part of its plans.

Dragic and Thompson each fit this bill. The Spurs and Pacers probably aren’t going to make the playoffs this season and are more focused on developing their young players. Buyouts for those two veterans will give them a chance to join teams with loftier short-term aspirations.

For the player, the motivating factor is generally the desire to play for a winning team rather than a chance to earn more money. In their buyouts, Dragic and Thompson gave up roughly the amount of money they’ll make on new prorated minimum-salary contracts, so they likely won’t come out ahead financially — they’ll just get a chance to play in the postseason before returning to free agency in the summer.

As for the team, there’s little downside to letting a veteran go, since the player is usually in the final year of his contract and the club completing the buyout is rarely in contention for a playoff spot. Buying out that veteran can save the team some money, earn some goodwill with a player and an agent, and open up minutes for a younger player to take over.

Read more

6 comments Hoops Rumors Glossary Hoops Rumors Originals

Jayson Tatum Questions Super-Max Qualification Process

By | at February 18, 2022 10:05 am

When Jayson Tatum signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension with the Celtics in 2020, the deal included a “Rose Rule” clause that allowed him to increase the potential overall value of the contract. Tatum’s starting salary on his extension in 2021/22 would be 30% of the cap if he made an All-NBA team in 2021, or 25% of the cap if he didn’t.

If Tatum had earned an All-NBA spot last season, his five-year contract would’ve been worth $195.6MM. However, he narrowly missed out, receiving the most votes of an player who didn’t make the cut (and more votes than one player who did, at another position). As a result, his five-year deal is worth $163MM.

Appearing on J.J. Redick’s The Old Man and The Three podcast (video clip), Tatum questioned the process that cost him more than $32MM, explaining that he became frustrated reading articles and listening to podcasts where media members made and explained their All-NBA selections.

“I specifically remember one (voter) saying, ‘I’m not a fan of his shot selection, so I just couldn’t put him on my All-NBA ballot,'” Tatum said. “And I was baffled. The fact that somebody could have thought and basically cost someone $30 million dollars… Forget about me, say the next rookie extension guys that come in. I think that has to change.

“Because there’s no criteria set for the voters on who should they vote for. It’s all opinion-based. There’s no, like, ‘He should have to play this many games’ or ‘They should be in the playoffs’ or ‘Average this many points.’ It’s all, ‘Well, I like this guy a little bit more’ or certain things like that, and I think there’s just a little too much on the line for that.”

The NBA’s Rose Rule allows players coming off their rookie scale contracts to qualify for a maximum salary worth 30% of the cap instead of 25%, while the Designated Veteran rule allows players with more years of NBA experience to qualify for a max worth 35% of the cap instead of 30%. These rules are what we refer to when we talk about a player qualifying for a “super-max” contract.

In each case, the player must make an All-NBA team (or win a Defensive Player of the Year award) in either the most recent season or in two of the three most recent seasons in order to be eligible for the higher maximum salary.

Tatum made the All-NBA team in his third NBA season in 2019/20, then signed his rookie scale extension prior to his fourth season. However, because his extension didn’t go into effect until his fifth year in the NBA, he needed to make an All-NBA team again in year four in order to qualify for the “super-max.” That didn’t happen.

In his conversation with Redick, Tatum acknowledged that having to “settle” for $163MM instead of $195.6MM shouldn’t earn him any sympathy and insisted he’s not upset specifically about that.

“I think the narrative was, ‘Jayson didn’t make All-NBA, he loses $30 million,'” Tatum said. “And from that headline, nobody’s going to feel bad for me. I still got $175 million, nobody’s going to feel bad, and I don’t want anybody to feel bad about the money part. My lifestyle hasn’t changed, it’s not about that.

“I think just as the results came out and I looked at how people voted, what went into the media members’ process of voting, that was the frustrating part.”

45 comments Boston Celtics
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