Hoops Rumors’ Lists, Trackers, Features
In addition to passing along news, rumors, and analysis on a daily basis, Hoops Rumors provides a number of additional features and resources that can be found anytime on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Since those links are easy to overlook and aren’t readily accessible to our app users, we want to periodically highlight a number of our lists, trackers, and other features.
For instance, our lists of 2022 free agents by position/type and by team are constantly updated, as is our list of 2023 free agents and our breakdown of current free agents.
We have a number of features related to NBA trades, including a roundup of this season’s deals, a list of the trade exceptions currently available to teams, and details on which teams can still send and receive cash in trades during the 2021/22 league year.
We have info on how teams are using mid-level and bi-annual exceptions in 2021/22, as well as which clubs are hard-capped and which have open roster spots. Our 10-day contract tracker, two-way contract tracker, and contract extension tracker provide information on many of the deals signed this season.
We’ve got details on how much this season’s maximum salaries, minimum salaries, and mid-level/bi-annual exceptions are worth, as well as projections for how much the maximums, minimums, and mid-level/bi-annual will be worth in 2022/23.
The Hoops Rumors Glossary provides in-depth explanations on many concepts related to the salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement, presented in the simplest possible terms.
Many of our features and trackers are cyclical and will be reintroduced as the year goes on. For example, it’ll just be a matter of time before we start keeping tabs on all the early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft.
Be sure to check out the sidebar on our desktop site or our Features page for all of our current resources.
Knicks Notes: Payne, Barrett, Kemba, Rose, Fournier
Knicks assistant Kenny Payne has officially been hired as the new head coach of the University of Louisville’s men’s basketball team, the program announced today in a press release. Payne received a six-year deal and will make $3.35MM annually, with his new contract going into effect on Monday, per Brett Dawson of The Louisville Courier-Journal.
During Payne’s introductory press conference on Friday, Louisville athletic director Josh Heird thanked Knicks management, noting that the team didn’t want to lose Payne but understood the hiring was “bigger than basketball” (Twitter link via Dawson).
Payne, meanwhile, said that he and Knicks executives Leon Rose and William Wesley have been crying “six, seven times a day” within the last little while about his decision to leave the team (Twitter link via Dawson).
“We are beyond thrilled for Kenny Payne that he will have the opportunity to coach his alma mater, Louisville,” Rose said in a statement issued today by the Knicks. “We wish him nothing but the best and thank him for his contributions over the past two seasons.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- With RJ Barrett set to become extension-eligible for the first time this offseason, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News wonders if the former No. 3 overall pick has earned maximum-salary consideration, or at least something close to it. For his part, Barrett said that getting a long-term commitment from the Knicks has long been a goal for him. “I’ve been trying to play my butt off and do everything out there to achieve that,” he said.
- In addition to not seeing any more game action this season, Kemba Walker isn’t around the Knicks at all and isn’t working with team trainers, head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed this week. A source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that Walker is doing some of his training in New York and some in his former home of Charlotte, where his mother still lives.
- Derrick Rose (ankle) still hasn’t received clearance to practice, creating uncertainty about whether he’ll be back before the end of the regular season, Berman writes in the same New York Post story.
- While Evan Fournier‘s first season in New York hasn’t been a huge success, the Frenchman is on track to set a franchise record, Berman observes in a separate New York Post article. With 201 made three-pointers this season and 13 games left to play, Fournier is just 17 threes away from passing John Starks and establishing a new single-season Knicks record.
Checking In On Traded 2022 First-Round Picks
There are just over three weeks left in the 2021/22 NBA regular season, so it’s worth completing one last in-season check-in on the traded first-round picks for the 2022 NBA draft.
Many of the traded first-rounders for the ’22 draft come with protections, so there’s a chance they might not change hands this year at all.
Using our list of traded first-round picks for 2022 and our reverse standings tool, here’s our breakdown of which of those traded picks are most and least likely to change hands, and which ones remain up in the air:
Current lottery standings
- Houston Rockets
- Orlando Magic
- Detroit Pistons
- Traded to Thunder (top-16 protected).
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Traded to Hawks (top-14 protected).
- Indiana Pacers
- Sacramento Kings
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
- San Antonio Spurs
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Traded to Trail Blazers (between 5-14) or Hornets (15-30).
- New York Knicks (tie)
Los Angeles Lakers (tie)- Lakers’ pick traded to Pelicans (between 1-10) or Grizzlies (11-30).
- Washington Wizards
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Traded to Hawks (top-18 protected).
Before we get into specific picks, there are a couple caveats worth mentioning here. For one, the eventual draft order could look much different from the lottery standings if two or three teams get lucky and move up into the top four on lottery night.
For instance, even if the Pelicans finish with the NBA’s ninth-worst record, that doesn’t mean they’ll send their pick to the Trail Blazers — they could luck out and jump into the top four, hanging onto their first-rounder.
Additionally, four of these teams will make the play-in tournament. Currently, those four teams project to be the Hornets, Hawks, Lakers, and Pelicans. If one of those teams subsequently wins a pair of play-in games and earns the No. 8 playoff seed in its conference, that team would move out of the lottery and out of the top 14 of the draft (likely getting the No. 15 pick).
In other words, even if the Pelicans finish with the league’s ninth-worst record, Charlotte could still get New Orleans’ first-rounder if the Pels win two play-in games.
With all that in mind, we can safely say the Pistons, Thunder, and Trail Blazers will keep their picks. Detroit and Oklahoma City aren’t making the play-in, and based on how Portland has performed since shutting down Jusuf Nurkic after the All-Star break, the Blazers aren’t making it either. As a result, the following will occur:
- The Pistons will owe their top-18 protected pick to Oklahoma City in 2023.
- The Thunder will send their 2024 second-round pick and 2025 second-round pick to Atlanta, extinguishing any future obligations.
- The Trail Blazers will owe their top-14 protected pick to Chicago in 2023.
It’s also a pretty safe bet that the Hornets will keep their first-round pick. They’d have to go on a serious hot streak in the coming weeks in order to finish with a top-12 record in the NBA. As a result…
- The Hornets will owe their top-16 protected to Atlanta in 2023.
The Pelicans‘ and Lakers‘ first-round picks remain very much up for grabs and will be worth watching closely down the stretch. For what it’s worth, if the season ended today and the Pelicans didn’t earn a playoff spot via the play-in tournament, they’d have about a 20% chance to move up into the top four and keep their pick.
A coin flip determines the draft lottery order when two teams finish the season with identical records, so if the Lakers and Knicks were to tie for the NBA’s 10th-worst record and the Lakers didn’t make the playoffs via play-in, the Grizzlies and Pelicans would be watching that coin flip very closely. It could end up determining whether New Orleans gets the No. 10 overall pick or Memphis gets No. 11 overall.
Current standings for rest of first round
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Traded to Thunder (unprotected).
- Brooklyn Nets
- Traded to Rockets or Heat (the Rockets will get the most favorable of Brooklyn’s and Miami’s first-rounders, while the Heat get the least favorable of the two.)
- Toronto Raptors (tie)
Cleveland Cavaliers (tie)- Raptors’ pick traded to Spurs (top-14 protected); Cavaliers’ pick traded to Pacers (top-14 protected).
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Chicago Bulls
- Denver Nuggets (tie)
Boston Celtics (tie)- Celtics’ pick traded to Spurs (top-four protected).
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Traded to Nets (Brooklyn has the option of deferring the pick to 2023).
- Dallas Mavericks (tie)
Utah Jazz (tie)- Jazz’s pick traded to Grizzlies (top-six protected).
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns
- Traded to Thunder (top-12 protected).
Let’s start with a few of the simplest traded picks in this section — there’s no chance the Suns‘ selection will end up in the top 12, and there’s virtually no chance the Celtics‘ pick will land in the top four or the Jazz‘s pick will fall in the top six.
For Boston’s or Utah’s pick to fall within its protected range, one of those teams would need to slump badly enough to fall to seventh in its conference, then lose two play-in games, then get lucky enough in the lottery to claim a top-four pick despite being No. 14 in the lottery standings. It’s the longest of long shots, so we can safely assume those picks will convey.
If the season ended today, the Spurs would get either the No. 21 or No. 22 pick (depending on a coin flip) from Boston, the Grizzlies would receive either No. 24 or No. 25 from Utah, and the Thunder would get No. 30 from Phoenix. Additionally, the Thunder would receive the Clippers‘ unprotected pick, tentatively at No. 15 (though the play-in tournament could shift it slightly in one direction or the other).
It’s also a safe bet the Rockets, who control Brooklyn’s first-rounder and have the option of swapping it with Miami’s pick, will simply hang onto the Nets‘ selection. Right now, it projects to be No. 16, far more favorable than the Heat’s No. 27, and it could even move into the lottery if Brooklyn is eliminated in the play-in tournament.
That leaves three more traded picks still somewhat up in the air.
The Raptors and Cavaliers will both give up their first-rounders if they land outside of the top 14. It seems likely that will happen, but until those clubs clinch playoff spots – either via the play-in or simply by finishing in the East’s top six – it’s not a certainty. For the time being, it looks like the Spurs and Pacers can probably bet on receiving picks in the late teens (No. 17 and No. 18 if the season ended today and the Raptors won a play-in game).
Finally, the pick the Sixers have traded to the Nets is unprotected, but Brooklyn has the option of passing on it and receiving Philadelphia’s 2023 first-rounder instead. I wouldn’t expect the Nets to take advantage of that deferral option as long as the pick remains at No. 23 — unless they want to roll the dice on James Harden leaving or another Joel Embiid injury, the Nets probably can’t reasonably expect the 76ers’ 2023 first-rounder to be better than No. 23.
However, if the Sixers finish the season strong and that pick ends up at, say, No. 26 or 27, it would create a more difficult decision for Brooklyn.
Pacific Notes: DiVincenzo, Sarver, Wiseman, Powell
Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo is coming off his best game since being traded from Milwaukee to Sacramento at last month’s deadline. On Wednesday, facing his old Bucks team, he put up 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting (4-of-8 on threes), chipping in four rebounds and three steals.
According to James Ham of ESPN 1320 in Sacramento (Twitter link), head coach Alvin Gentry said after Wednesday’s game that there’s a good chance DiVincenzo will move permanently into the Kings’ starting lineup before the regular season is over. Gentry added that he almost made that move for Wednesday’s contest.
DiVincenzo started all 66 games he played in 2020/21 for Milwaukee, but has started just one of 31 games for the Bucks and Kings this season following his return from ankle surgery.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- A coalition of social justice activists is calling on the NBA to remove Robert Sarver as the owner of the Suns, writes Howard Beck of SI.com. The American Sports Accountability Project published a letter on its new website stating that the group is “profoundly disturbed by the reports of racism, misogyny and abusive behavior allegedly committed” by Sarver. An independent investigation into the allegations against Sarver is ongoing.
- After playing three games in the G League, center James Wiseman was recalled to the NBA by the Warriors on Wednesday. He’s practicing with the team this week and could make his season debut with Golden State as early as Sunday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
- Clippers wing Norman Powell, who is recovering from a fractured left foot, had the boot removed from his foot this week, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. There’s still no guarantee that Powell, who last played on February 10, will be back before the regular season ends in 23 days.
Pacers Notes: Anderson, Turner, McConnell, Jackson, Draft
Swingman Justin Anderson is eager to display his skills after receiving a 10-day contract from the Pacers on Thursday, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star writes.
“I just want to be out on the court and show my impact, show what I can bring. I’ve been biting at this for a long time,” Anderson said. “Unfortunately, injuries have kind of had me in and out of the NBA, but that’s over and done with. I only have two tibias, two legs, and both of those have been operated on, and I’m back stronger than ever.”
Anderson was averaging 27.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 4.4 APG in 22 games with the G League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
We have more on the Pacers:
- T.J. Warren was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Thursday due to his ongoing foot issues. Myles Turner (foot) and T.J. McConnell (wrist) probably won’t see the court for the remaining 12 games as well, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. Turner has been out since mid-January, while McConnell hasn’t played since December 1.
- Isaiah Jackson has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will not play Friday at Houston, Boyd writes in a separate story. Coach Rick Carlisle said the rookie big man suffered the injury during the team’s home loss to the Grizzlies on Tuesday when he was hit in the face with the ball.
- With the Pacers headed for the lottery, Carlisle has kept an eye on potential draft prospects, Boyd tweets. “I’ve been watching stuff for the draft since January. … There’s a lot of really good players,” he said.
Mavs Notes: Dinwiddie, Chriss, Porzingis
Spencer Dinwiddie got a fresh start after being traded to the Mavericks and he’s appreciative of the opportunity, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes. Dinwiddie was part of the blockbuster deal with Washington that sent Kristaps Porzingis back to the Eastern Conference.
“People said I was a bad guy, people said I was washed, all that stuff after 30 games coming off an ACL, which sucks,” Dinwiddie said. “But (GM) Nico (Harrison) didn’t have to have that faith. He didn’t have to pull that trigger, especially with a player the caliber of Porzingis, an All-Star-caliber player.”
Dinwiddie made the game-winning 3-pointer against Brooklyn on Wednesday off a feed from Luka Doncic. Dinwiddie credited the team’s franchise player for making that decision.
“You can make people feel wanted, you can make them feel not wanted. You can trust them, not trust them. … He’s the superstar,” Dinwiddie said. “He could have done whatever he wanted.”
We have more on the Mavericks:
- Dinwiddie is in the first year of a three-year, $54MM contract but he hasn’t completely settled in following his midseason trade, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News notes. Dinwiddie has been staying in a variety of hotels and hasn’t looked for a home or signed a lease in Dallas. He wants to wait until the offseason to rent or buy a home to ensure he’s in the team’s plans beyond this season.
- Backup big man Marquese Chriss has returned to practice and coach Jason Kidd is hopeful he will be available for one of the team’s games this weekend, MacMahon tweets. Chriss hasn’t played since February 10 due to knee soreness.
- By dealing Porzingis, the Mavericks have plenty of flexibility to make a “home-run trade” for another star player over the next two years, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. The team will also have the ability to deal multiple first-round picks now that the obligations from the Porziņgis deal have either been fulfilled or will be in the near future, Hollinger adds.
- In case you missed it, former exec Donnie Nelson has filed a lawsuit against the franchise.
Pelicans Notes: Ingram, Hayes, Alvarado, Graham, McCollum
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram didn’t practice on Thursday, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. Ingram is recovering from a hamstring strain that has kept him out of action since March 6. New Orleans has lost four of five games since Ingram was sidelined and will begin a three-game road trip at San Antonio on Friday. The team has listed Ingram as out for the opener of the trip.
We have more on the Pelicans:
- The team’s struggles without Ingram reinforces the need to keep him on the court by any means necessary, Scott Kushner of NOLA.com opines. They may have to reduce his playing time, or Ingram may need to get stronger this offseason. New Orleans is 3-16 in the games he has missed.
- Jaxson Hayes has expanded his offensive game this season, which complicates the team’s long-term picture, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. Hayes has thrived at power forward and would have to move back to center on a regular basis once Zion Williamson returns from injury, whether this season or next. Both players are eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer and the Pelicans will have to decide whether to lock up Hayes long-term or see how the situation plays out.
- Jose Alvarado (finger) and Devonte’ Graham (hip) are listed as questionable to play on Friday, Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets.
- One bright spot for the club in the Pelicans’ loss to Phoenix on Wednesday was the return of CJ McCollum. After exiting the league’s health and safety protocols, McCollum played 32 minutes, scored 21 points and dished out nine assists.
Atlantic Notes: Grimes, Noel, Anunoby, White
Knicks rookie guard Quentin Grimes practiced on Thursday and could play against Washington on Friday, Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Grimes is “champing at the bit” to suit up after not playing since mid-February due to a subluxation of his right patella.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- It’s unlikely Knicks center Nerlens Noel will play again this season, according to Berman. He’s currently sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot, part of a lost season for Noel. The big man, who re-signed with the team on a three-year, $27.7MM contract last summer, has only appeared in 25 games this season due to a variety of ailments and a bout with COVID-19.
- Raptors forward OG Anunoby‘s fractured finger is “getting better every day”, according to coach Nick Nurse, but it’s still not fully healed. Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Anunoby, who has been out since February 16, was limited in practice on Wednesday and won’t play on Friday.
- Derrick White admitted to Sports Illustrated’s Michael Pina that he’s still adjusting to his new team after being traded from San Antonio to the Celtics. White still hasn’t been able to shake a season-long 3-point shooting slump. “I got off to a horrible start this season,” White said. “I’m not super worried about it, just knowing that I’m going to get good looks because there’s going to be a lot of attention on other guys. I’ve just got to step up and knock it down.”
Sixers Notes: Harden, Embiid, Simmons
Sixers coach Doc Rivers wants James Harden to shoot more often, even though Harden has connected at a low percentage in recent games, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “You’ve got to be careful to keep him in scoring mode, and not put him in passing mode, because he’ll go there,” Rivers said. Harden has officially taken 11 and 12 field-goal attempts in his last two outings and has averaged 17.6 points over the last five games.
We have more on the Sixers:
- The 76ers are 7-2 in games that Harden has played, a promising start with his latest team, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Harden has asserted himself on the court as a leader and has made a good impression on his new teammates. “He’s a good teammate,” Rivers said. “Guys like him. And most of the time, guys like anyone who passes, to be honest. I think guys are already finding ways — ‘I can score off this cut. I can do things like this.’ It’s still a learning process. But you ingratiate yourself to your teammates really quickly when you start passing to them.”
- Joel Embiid could use more rest but the team can’t really afford it at this point in the season, Pompey notes in a separate story. “I started feeling (fatigue), but I have to keep pushing because we have 15 more games,” he said. Embiid, one of the NBA’s leading Most Valuable Player candidates, has averaged 35.8 MPG this month and has played 56 games, five more than he has in each of the past two regular seasons.
- Embiid remains baffled by the Ben Simmons saga, as he told Draymond Green on the Warriors forward’s podcast (hat tip to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire). “I just didn’t understand what was going on, honestly. I didn’t understand what happened and what led up to that whole situation. To this day, I don’t understand. Even when you look at it and I don’t have any problems with him and like I say, obviously we didn’t win the championship together, but in the regular season, we went dominant every single season.”
John Collins Getting Second Opinion On Foot, Finger Injuries
Hawks coach Nate McMillan said power forward John Collins is seeking a second opinion on his foot and finger injuries, according to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). McMillan added that it’s still up in the air as to whether Collins will miss extended time with the injuries.
“We really don’t know. He’s going to get checked out and get more information for himself as well as for the organization and we’ll see what happens when we get that information,” McMillan said, per Spencer (via Twitter).
Through 54 appearances this season, Collins is averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on .526/.364/.793 shooting. However, he struggled mightily after returning following a seven-game absence due to the right foot strain, averaging just 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on .359/.125/.778 shooting in four games (24.7 minutes).
Collins has missed three straight games and 10 of the last 14 for Atlanta. The right finger injury is a more recent development, incurred during the brief four-game return.
Collins played an important role in helping Atlanta reach last year’s Eastern Conference finals, but the team has been very inconsistent this season. The Hawks are currently 34-35, 10th in the East. They trail the Hornets by a half-game for the ninth seed.