Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 26)
The start of NBA training camps is less than two weeks away, and teams are in the process of finalizing their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.
We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the fifth worst overall record, or at No. 26 overall. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.
Previous Selections:
- No. 30: 76ers
- No. 29: Knicks
- No. 28: Nuggets
- No. 27: Lakers
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Thunder To Sign Julyan Stone
The Thunder have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free agent shooting guard Julyan Stone, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the pact are unknown, though it’s likely a minimum salary training camp deal, but that is merely my speculation.
Stone, 26, saw his last NBA action come during the 2013/14 campaign when he appeared in 21 contests for the Raptors and averaged 0.9 points in 5.7 minutes per game. His NBA career has also includes parts of two seasons spent with the Nuggets. Stone’s career NBA numbers overall are 1.3 PPG, 1.0 RPG, and 1.1 APG to go along with a slash line of .440/.211/.722. The 6’6″ guard spent the 2014/15 season playing for Umana Reyer Venezia of Italy.
The addition of Stone will give the Thunder a roster count of 18 players, including 15 with fully guaranteed deals, thus making it a long shot for Stone to make the regular season roster. OKC may have designs on having him play for its D-League affiliate, though that is just speculation on my part.
Atlantic Notes: Bennett, Sixers, Celtics
Despite his Canadian roots, it would be a bad move for both parties if the Raptors were to sign forward Anthony Bennett, provided that he clears waivers, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star opines. The young forward, who reached a buyout agreement with Minnesota this week, would not be a great fit with a Toronto squad that is expected to contend in the East, and would not have time to be patient with his development, Smith notes. As for the Raptors, Smith adds that Bennett would not be an upgrade over the team’s current rotation players, which would relegate Bennett to the bench and potentially make him a distraction.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has indicated in the past that the team views it as a priority to add Canadian-born players to its roster, which is a major reason why the Raptors are expected to be in the mix to sign Tristan Thompson next summer if he were to hit free agency, and the franchise is being mentioned as a potential landing spot for Bennett.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers coach Brett Brown indicated that point guards Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall will not be ready for the start of training camp, and that there is no exact timetable for their return to full basketball activities, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News tweets. With its top two projected point guards on the shelf for the time being, Philly will enter the preseason with Isaiah Canaan, Pierre Jackson, Scottie Wilbekin, and T.J. McConnell competing at the one spot.
- Philly experienced quite a roster turnover throughout the course of the 2014/15 campaign, but Brown says this season will be different, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter). “You are going to see more of our own,” said the Sixers coach. “You are going to see less turnover of our roster.”
- The Celtics, despite not making a major offseason acquisition, are still expected to be an improved squad this coming season, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes. But one issue the coaching staff will have to navigate is what the team’s most effective rotation will be, Himmelsbach notes. “I think that’s going to be a challenge for our coaching staff,” Celtics executive Danny Ainge said. “You’ll probably see a lot of different combinations through training camp scrimmages and in exhibition games and see who plays best together. It’s not always the best players, but the players that play the best together. We have a lot of different options, especially in the frontcourt. I’m anxious to see how that all plays out.”
- Himmelsbach recently participated in our interview series, “The Beat.” You can read his thoughts on a number of topics relating to the Celtics here.
Cavaliers To Sign Austin Daye
5:38pm: Daye’s contract will be non-guaranteed, international journalist David Pick tweets.
5:34pm: The Cavaliers have reached an agreement on a contract with unrestricted free agent small forward Austin Daye, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). It will be a one-year deal, though it is unclear if the arrangement includes any guaranteed salary, Charania adds. It’ll have to be for the minimum salary, since that’s all the Cavs can give. Cleveland’s roster count will increase to 17 players with the addition of Daye, including 13 with fully guaranteed pacts. This number does not include restricted free agent Tristan Thompson, who remains unsigned.
Daye, 27, had been waived by the Hawks back in July in an effort to clear cap space. His salary was non-guaranteed, but the move cleared his $1,185,784 cap hold from Atlanta’s books, which it required to re-sign of Paul Millsap and trade for Tiago Splitter. Atlanta originally signed Daye to a pair of 10-day contracts during the 2014/15 campaign before inking him to a deal that covered the rest of the season as well as added an additional non-guaranteed year. Daye recently hired agent Obrad Fimic of the AltiSport agency to negotiate deals in Europe.
The former 15th overall pick didn’t see much action while with the Hawks, appearing in only eight regular season games for an average of 9.5 minutes per contest. He didn’t make it in to any of Atlanta’s playoff games. Daye’s career numbers through 293 NBA contests are 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists to accompany a slash line of .402/.351/.778.
Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Saturday.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/22/15
Forward Harrison Barnes has reportedly turned down a four-year, $64MM contract extension proposal from the Warriors this offseason. It’s unclear just how rich a contract the 23-year-old and his new agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, are seeking, though it’s highly likely they will attempt to secure an average annual value as close to the maximum as they possibly can. The offer of $16MM per year annually had been negotiated by Barnes’ former agent, Jeff Wechsler, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. After that initial offer, Wechsler countered with a figure north of $16MM annually before he and Barnes parted ways, league sources informed Wojnarowski.
The Warriors obviously wish to retain Barnes, judging by their offer. GM Bob Myers had previously gone on record about the team’s desire to keep Barnes, as well as big man Festus Ezeli, who is also eligible to sign an extension prior to the November 2nd cutoff date. “We love them and we’re going to try to keep them as long as we can,” Myers said of Barnes and Ezeli. “Thankfully, like with Draymond Green, they would be restricted free agents [next summer]. But hopefully we can figure something out like we have with a lot of our players. They’re a key part of what we do. Without them, we don’t win a championship.”
This brings me to today’s topic: Should the Warriors ink Harrison Barnes to an extension? If so, what average salary would be commensurate with his production and potential?
Grantland’s Zach Lowe has estimated that Barnes would end up with a deal between the four years and $58MM that DeMarre Carroll secured from the Raptors this offseason and the projected $20.4MM max for players with Barnes’ level of experience. Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group has suggested salaries of $14MM-$16MM a year, while Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron reasoned that salaries of $16-18MM would make sense for both sides when he looked in-depth at the extension candidacy of the former seventh overall pick.
Which of these estimates do you think make the most sense for both sides? If you don’t agree with any of the above assessments, then please share the average annual value that you would be willing to fork over to Barnes. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Southwest Notes: Cuban, Vaughn, Pelicans
Clippers coach and executive Doc Rivers had been critical of some comments reportedly made by Mavs team owner Mark Cuban in the wake of DeAndre Jordan changing his mind about signing with Dallas in order to return to Los Angeles this offseason. In an interview on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Cuban fired back at Rivers (h/t Dallas Morning News), saying, “First of all [Rivers] obviously didn’t actually hear or see what I said. Because I didn’t say a whole lot. I think I said — I responded to DJ’s Twitter apology, and that’s pretty much it. I haven’t said a whole lot about it at all, so I don’t know where he’s getting what he’s got. But I think the most interesting thing is, it shows you what someone will do when their entire future is vanishing in front of them. And that’s exactly what Doc did and I give him credit for it. His professional life was over if he didn’t get DJ. And so his back was against the wall and he did what he needed to do. More power to him. Sometimes the deals you don’t do are the best ones, so we’ll see. But Doc obviously hadn’t heard what I had said because I really didn’t say anything.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Mavericks will begin training camp without three key contributors being fully cleared for basketball activities, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Swingman Wesley Matthews, small forward Chandler Parsons and center JaVale McGee are all expected to gradually work themselves back into full participation in practices as they continue to recover from major injuries, MacMahon notes.
- The Spurs announced today that former Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn has been hired by the team as a pro scout. The news that San Antonio was to hire Vaughn was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps says that the blueprint of assembling an up-tempo team with ample depth that he envisioned three years ago is finally coming to pass, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. ”We set out a plan three years ago to be exactly where we are right now,” Demps said. ”This is a big year for us. We’re really looking for this group jelling and taking that next step. I think we have over 20 games on national television, which is a great sign that people have expectations on us. We look forward to it and embrace the opportunity. We can’t wait, we’re really excited. I think it’s really going to be exciting for the fans to watch. I think it’s going to be great for the players.”
Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 27)
The start of NBA training camps is less than two weeks away, and teams are in the process of finalizing their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.
We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the fourth worst overall record, or at No. 27 overall. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.
Previous Selections:
- No. 30: 76ers
- No. 29: Knicks
- No. 28: Nuggets
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Eastern Notes: LeBron, Parker, Nets
Despite Tristan Thompson sharing the same agent as LeBron James, James hasn’t tried to use his leverage with the Cavaliers organization to push the team into upping their offer to the restricted free agent, Joe Vardon of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. A source close to James, who can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, says that Thompson’s contract impasse is a “non-discussion right now” for LeBron as it relates to his own future in Cleveland, Vardon notes. A source within the Cavs organization also indicated to Vardon that the team isn’t concerned about James leaving if Thompson is not re-signed to a long-term deal, saying, “LeBron’s goals don’t change relative to Tristan Thompson or anyone. [Our primary goal is to] Be as good as we can be for as long as we can be.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Jabari Parker, who is recovering from a torn ACL, is expected to participate when the Bucks begin training camp, though the team hasn’t said how much the second-year forward will be allowed to do, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays in a series of tweets. Coach Jason Kidd is pleased with Parker’s progress, Gardner adds, with Kidd saying, “He looks extremely good. His body has changed and his spirits are extremely high right now, being on the court.” The team will certainly be cautious with Parker, Gardner also notes, with GM John Hammond saying, “He’s making progress. Wherever he’s at, if we think he [Parker] can play 30 minutes, we’ll probably have him play 15.“
- The Nets are hoping that their team chemistry will be better this season after the departure of point guard Deron Williams, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. When asked what he liked about what he has seen from the team over the summer, GM Billy King told Bontemps and other reporters, “I like the guys’ attitudes towards each other. I think they have a genuine liking and care for each other. If you’re willing to do that, then you’re willing to sacrifice on both ends of the floor for each other.“
- The Raptors are still a work in progress, and despite the offseason additions of DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph, the team doesn’t appear to be a serious threat to unseat the Heat and the Bulls atop the Eastern Conference just yet, the crew at Basketball Insiders opine in their season preview of the team.
Top Bloggers: Seth Rosenthal On The Knicks
Anyone can have a blog about an NBA team, but some set themselves apart from the rest with the dedication and valuable insight they bring to their craft. We’ll be sharing some knowledge from these dialed-in writers on Hoops Rumors in a new feature called Top Bloggers. As with The Beat, our ongoing series of interviews with NBA beat writers, it’s part of an effort to bring Hoops Rumors readers ever closer to the pulse of the teams they follow.
Next up is Seth Rosenthal of SB Nation’s Posting & Toasting, where Seth is both the founder as well as the editor-in-chief. You can follow Seth on Twitter at @seth_rosenthal and click here to check out his stories. You can also follow Posting & Toasting at @ptknicksblog.
Hoops Rumors: Do you think that the Knicks will seriously entertain the notion of trading Carmelo Anthony? If so, what factor(s) would push the franchise in that direction? What teams do you think ‘Melo would be willing to waive his no trade clause for to allow a deal to get done?
Seth Rosenthal: I don’t think they will, but if they do, it will be because ‘Melo demanded a trade. That possibility shouldn’t even come up otherwise. It has to be his idea. Based on previous interest, I figure he’d like L.A. or Chicago.
Hoops Rumors: The specter of Isiah Thomas still looms large within the Knicks organization, and apparently will for as long as James Dolan owns the team. How real a scenario is it that Thomas would rejoin the Knicks front office? What sort of backlash would you expect from the fanbase if Thomas were indeed to make his return?
Seth Rosenthal: I don’t think Isiah will join the Knicks in any real, official capacity (“advisor” again? Maybe.), at least while Phil Jackson is president. If he did, I think that’d be the last straw for a lot of Knicks fans.
Hoops Rumors: Team president Phil Jackson didn’t land a top-tier free agent this offseason, but he did make some intriguing additions to the roster. Which free agent addition do you feel was the strongest, and why? On the flip side, which offseason addition is most likely to disappoint? Why?
Seth Rosenthal: I think Robin Lopez is going to make things easier for everyone. On offense, he’s fantastic at setting screens, making basic passes, and cleaning up around the rim — just opening space for the four other players. On defense, he holds his own and works well as part of a unit. I think he’ll fit wonderfully and earn that big contract the Knicks gave him as long as he stays healthy.
Since I think any reasonable person expects Derrick Williams to play pretty poorly, I reckon the signing most likely to disappoint is Arron Afflalo. He’s had a weirdly up-and-down career and doesn’t move like he used to, so it’s entirely possible his shot betrays him and he’s a possession-swallower on offense while offering nothing on the other end.
Hoops Rumors: The draft day trade of Tim Hardaway Jr. to Atlanta reportedly upset Carmelo Anthony, who was a fan of the young swingman. I happen to love this trade, and believe that Hardaway needed a change of scenery to continue to develop as a player. Plus, I really like the addition of Jerian Grant, who fits a clear need for the team. What are your thoughts on the trade, and do you think that Jackson gave up on Hardaway too quickly?
Seth Rosenthal: Yes, that’s a fantastic trade. Grant may or may not be an NBA player, but dealing one of the least efficient rotation players in the league — a guy whose production degraded with each opportunity — for a first-round pick of any kind is a coup. Maybe Hardaway just wasn’t happy or comfortable, but I had no faith in his ability to improve in New York.
Hoops Rumors: The Knicks had a top-five pick for the first time since 1986, when the team drafted Kenny Walker. The selection of Kristaps Porzingis at No. 4 overall this year was widely debated, mainly because of the time it will likely take for him to develop. What are your thoughts on the pick, and what kind of production do you expect from the young Latvian this season?
Seth Rosenthal: Kristaps wouldn’t have been my pick, but the fact that the Knicks took what some perceived to be a gamble and didn’t just invest their pick in the oldest, most established, “readiest” prospect tells me there will actually be some balance to their team-building approach. It was a good sign that Phil Jackson isn’t focusing exclusively on wins during Carmelo Anthony’s contract — he appears to be weighing short-term and long-term equally so there can be a team around ‘Melo *and* a team once he leaves someday.
As for Kristaps himself, I’ve been really pleasantly surprised by the little I’ve seen of him. He moved so well in Summer League and particularly impressed with his defensive timing and footwork. I don’t think he’s going to be a consistently positive player in his rookie year, but I believe he’s ready for minutes, and I think there’s some chance he becomes a star. Definitely seems like he has the temperament to become one — it’ll just be a product of how seriously he and the Knicks take his development.
Hoops Rumors: And finally … it’s time to get your 2015/16 season prediction for the Knicks. What do you think the team’s overall record will be, and if you think the playoffs are in the cards, what seed will they earn?
Seth Rosenthal: I see them at somewhere between liiiiike 33 and 38 wins? And I figure they’ll be on the edge of the playoff race, maybe just narrowly missing it in the 9th or 10th seed. Which is fine.