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Author: Luke Adams

Jared Butler, Others Enter 2021 NBA Draft

By | at May 31, 2021 11:24 am

Ahead of Sunday’s early entry deadline, Baylor junior guard Jared Butler announced (via Twitter) that he was declaring for the 2021 NBA draft. While his announcement doesn’t explicitly state that he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, it strongly suggests he intends to go pro.

While it took a while for him to make it official, Butler was always considered a good bet to enter this year’s draft following an impressive 2020/21 campaign in which he averaged 16.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG on .471/.416/.780 shooting in 30 games (30.3 MPG) for the eventual national champs.

A consensus first-team All-American, Butler was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after the Bears defeated Gonzaga in the championship game. He’s the No. 23 prospect on ESPN’s big board, making him a strong candidate to be a first-round pick in July.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • Fresno State sophomore guard Deon Stroud is testing the draft waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, according to an announcement from the school (Twitter link). Stroud, who began his college career at UTEP, averaged 12.2 PPG on .482/.357/.613 shooting in 23 games (23.1 MPG) in 2020/21.
  • Italian wing Gabriele Procida has declared for the draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that the 18-year-old is a projected second-round pick.
  • Givony also published a series of tweets listing several more international players who have entered the 2021 NBA draft pool. Those players are as follows (the countries listed represent where they last played, not where they were born):
  • Since the NBA’s early entry deadline has now passed, we should get a full, official list of early entrants from the league on Tuesday. In the meantime, our unofficial tracker is here.
7 comments 2021 NBA Draft International

Community Shootaround: Playoff Check-In

By | at May 31, 2021 9:58 am

When we checked in on the NBA playoffs last Monday, we were coming off a weekend of upsets in the Western Conference, where the underdogs had taken a 1-0 lead in all four series.

A week later, the favorites have all won a couple games, but none have taken full control of their respective series.

The closest thing to an overwhelming favorite in the West’s first round? The Jazz, who rebounded from a Game 1 loss to the Grizzlies by winning the next two games and taking a 2-1 lead. Donovan Mitchell‘s return has helped buoy the team’s offense, and with a couple more wins, it’ll be easy to forget that things between him and the Jazz were pretty tense after he was held out of Game 1.

The other three series in the West, however, are all tied at 2-2 and remain very much up for grabs. The Trail Blazers/Nuggets matchup has been particularly back and forth, with betting site BetOnline.ag having made Portland a slight favorite despite the fact that two of the next three games will be played in Denver.

Unfortunately, injuries loom as a major factor in the other two Western series. A healthy Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to an impressive 2-0 lead vs. the Clippers, but a cervical strain hampered him in Los Angeles as Kawhi Leonard‘s squad stormed back to tie the series. If Doncic isn’t his usual self going forward, Dallas might not win another game this postseason.

Meanwhile, the Suns and Lakers are both dealing with injuries. Battling a shoulder ailment, Chris Paul has averaged just 9.5 PPG on .417/.250/.700 shooting in four games following an All-NBA caliber season. While Paul’s limitations seemed to be opening the door for a No. 7 seed to advance, Anthony Davis‘ groin strain will be a major factor going forward, as there’s no guarantee he’ll be available for Game 5. BetOnline.ag has the Suns as slight favorites here.

Over in the Eastern Conference, things aren’t so up in the air. The Bucks have already advanced, and the Sixers and Nets appear on the verge of following suit. Outside of a lone Boston win in Game 3, Philadelphia and Brooklyn have outclassed the Celtics and Wizards so far and seem very unlikely to collapse.

The East’s other series is also potentially just one game away from ending, but the Hawks aren’t viewed as a lock like those top seeds. Still, even though Julius Randle and the Knicks are more evenly matched with their opponents and could still make things interesting, they’ve struggled to match their regular season success so far in the playoffs. Randle, the team’s MVP, is shooting a dismal 27.4% from the floor.

We want to know what you think. Can we pencil in the Sixers, Nets, Hawks, and Jazz for the second round, or is still too early to call one or more of those series? How about the Blazers and Nuggets, the Suns and Lakers, and the Clippers and Mavs? How big a factor will those injuries be? Who do you see advancing beyond the first round?

Take to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

7 comments Community Shootaround Hoops Rumors Originals

Eastern Notes: Irving, Celtics, Bucks, Cavaliers

By | at May 31, 2021 8:43 am

After having to address a series of fan-related incidents at games last week, the NBA is dealing with another one to start this week. As the Nets were leaving the TD Garden court on Sunday following a win over the Celtics, a fan threw a water bottle at Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving.

A TD Garden spokesperson announced late last night that the individual who threw the water bottle was arrested and is subject to a lifetime ban from the arena (link via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe). The 21-year-old male is facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and will be arraigned on Tuesday, according to Boston PD (Twitter link via Shams Charania of The Athletic).

The bottle missed hitting Irving, who had spoken prior to Game 3 about hoping that fans would keep heckling and jeering “strictly basketball” in his return to Boston.

“You can see that people just feel very entitled out here,” Irving said after Game 4, per Malika Andrews and Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “They paid for their tickets — great, I’m grateful that they’re coming in to watch a great performance. But we’re not at the theater. We’re not throwing tomatoes and other random stuff at the people that are performing.”

The water bottle toss was the latest in a series of incidents involving fans. Fans in Philadelphia and New York received indefinite arena bans last week for dumping popcorn on Russell Westbrook and spitting on Trae Young, respectively. Ja Morant‘s father also said that he and his wife had racist, vulgar comments directed toward them in Utah, as Andrews and Bontemps note.

“I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic got a lot of people on edge, got a lot of people stressed out, but when you come to these games, you have to realize these men are human,” Kevin Durant said on Sunday. “We are not animals; we are not in the circus. You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So, have some respect for the game. Have some respect for the human beings, and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn’t be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players or spitting on players or tossing popcorn.”

Here’s more from around the East:

  • The Celtics played without Kemba Walker (left knee bone bruise) and Robert Williams (turf toe, sprained left ankle) during Sunday’s loss, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, and it’s not clear whether one or both players will be available for the team’s win-or-game-home Game 5 on Tuesday.
  • The transformation the Bucks‘ roster underwent during the 2020 offseason paid off in the first round of the 2021 postseason, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The team – which added Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, and Bryn Forbes last fall – figures to face a tougher test in round two, with a potential matchup vs. Brooklyn on tap.
  • Jason Lloyd of The Athletic pushes back against GM Koby Altman‘s assertion that the Cavaliers had no young talent or draft assets in place when the team’s rebuild began in 2018 following LeBron James‘ departure. As Lloyd observes, rather than going all-in during LeBron’s final years in Cleveland, as they did during his first stint with the franchise, the Cavs had already traded Kyrie Irving for a lottery pick and had swapped out some veterans for younger players like Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance.
37 comments Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Cleveland Cavaliers Milwaukee Bucks

Poll: 2021 All-NBA Second Team

By | at May 28, 2021 8:51 am

The competition for the league’s 15 All-NBA spots was fiercer than ever in 2020/21, with tens of millions of dollars up for grabs for certain players based on the voting results. Since the NBA has already started to announce its end-of-season award winners, we want to give you an opportunity to vote on the All-NBA rosters for 2020/21 before they’re officially revealed.

We started on Wednesday with the First Team before moving onto the Second Team today. We’ll vote on the Third Team early next week.

Here are the voting results so far:

2021 All-NBA First Team

I certainly have no qualms with these picks, and wouldn’t be surprised if these players end up in the top five of MVP voting for 2020/21.

Is it a little ridiculous to view Embiid as a forward? Absolutely! But, as we outlined in our First Team poll, the NBA was pretty lax with several positional designations on this year’s official ballot, perhaps to ensure that an outcome like this is possible — Jokic and Embiid were two of the five most impactful players in the NBA this season, but one would end up on the Second Team if both are only eligible at center.

Should the NBA just do away with positional designations altogether and let voters pick the 15 best players? Probably! But for now, we’re sticking to the league’s positional designations, with some help from Howard Beck of SI.com (Twitter links). As a reminder, here are the most notable multi-position eligible players who didn’t make the First Team:

Players eligible at both center and forward:

Players eligible at both forward and guard:

A couple more notes before we move onto the Second Team polls:

  1. If there’s a player you believe deserves All-NBA consideration who isn’t named below, be sure to mention him in the comment section — if I agree, I’ll make sure he’s included in our Third Team poll.
  2. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to select two players apiece in both the guard and forward polls.

Vote for your All-NBA Second Team below, then take to the comment section to explain your picks!

Guards

(choose two)

Who are your All-NBA Second Team guards?

  • Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 19% (423)
  • Bradley Beal (Wizards) 15% (340)
  • Chris Paul (Suns) 10% (223)
  • James Harden (Nets) 8% (177)
  • Devin Booker (Suns) 8% (172)
  • Russell Westbrook (Wizards) 5% (114)
  • Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 4% (93)
  • LeBron James (Lakers) 4% (90)
  • Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 3% (71)
  • Trae Young (Hawks) 3% (62)
  • Kyrie Irving (Nets) 3% (58)
  • Jrue Holiday (Bucks) 2% (52)
  • Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 2% (52)
  • Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 2% (50)
  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 2% (46)
  • Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 2% (42)
  • Jimmy Butler (Heat) 2% (35)
  • Zach LaVine (Bulls) 1% (31)
  • Khris Middleton (Bucks) 1% (25)
  • De'Aaron Fox (Kings) 1% (20)
  • Mike Conley (Jazz) 1% (18)
  • Paul George (Clippers) 0% (7)

Total votes: 2,201

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team guards.

Forwards

(choose two)

Who are your All-NBA Second Team forwards?

  • Julius Randle (Knicks) 17% (342)
  • LeBron James (Lakers) 14% (266)
  • Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 13% (249)
  • Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 12% (233)
  • Kevin Durant (Nets) 8% (158)
  • Zion Williamson (Pelicans) 6% (122)
  • Devin Booker (Suns) 5% (89)
  • Anthony Davis (Lakers) 5% (89)
  • Jimmy Butler (Heat) 3% (65)
  • Khris Middleton (Bucks) 2% (45)
  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 2% (42)
  • Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) 2% (39)
  • Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 2% (38)
  • Tobias Harris (Sixers) 1% (27)
  • Zach LaVine (Bulls) 1% (26)
  • Bam Adebayo (Heat) 1% (25)
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 1% (23)
  • Draymond Green (Warriors) 1% (23)
  • Paul George (Clippers) 1% (21)
  • Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets) 1% (14)
  • DeMar DeRozan (Spurs) 1% (11)
  • Brandon Ingram (Pelicans) 1% (10)
  • Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks) 0% (8)

Total votes: 1,965

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team forwards.

Center

Who is your All-NBA Second Team center?

  • Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 47% (445)
  • Anthony Davis (Lakers) 12% (118)
  • Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) 8% (81)
  • Nikola Vucevic (Magic/Bulls) 6% (60)
  • Bam Adebayo (Heat) 6% (59)
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 6% (56)
  • Clint Capela (Hawks) 4% (39)
  • Deandre Ayton (Suns) 3% (33)
  • Draymond Green (Warriors) 3% (25)
  • Jonas Valanciunas (Grizzlies) 2% (23)
  • Myles Turner (Pacers) 1% (10)
  • Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks) 1% (7)

Total votes: 956

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team center.

17 comments Hoops Rumors Originals Hoops Rumors Polls

Mavs Confident In Ability To Re-Sign Tim Hardaway Jr.

By | at May 27, 2021 4:00 pm

Tim Hardaway Jr. is expected to be one of the top wings available on the free agent market this offseason, but he may end up not going anywhere. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), there’s confidence within the Mavericks‘ organization about the team’s ability to sign Hardaway to a new contract.

Hardaway, 29, is in the final season of the four-year, $71MM deal he signed with the Knicks in 2017. New York faced some criticism at the time of the signing for what was perceived as an overpay, but Hardaway has lived up to his end of the bargain, averaging 16.9 points on .423/.364/.825 shooting and playing solid defense in 263 games (30.5 MPG) for the Knicks and Mavericks over the life of the contract.

Having made 39.4% of his three-point attempts during the last two years in Dallas, Hardaway has gotten even hotter to start the postseason, averaging 24.5 PPG and making 11-of-17 threes in the Mavs’ two wins over the Clippers in Los Angeles. If he keeps it up and helps push the team to the second round, that should only help his stock in free agency.

According to Basketball Insiders’ data, the Mavs currently have approximately $73MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2021/22. Theoretically, Dallas could create a sizeable chunk of cap room, but that would depend on what they do with free agents like Hardaway, J.J. Redick, and Boban Marjanovic. Josh Richardson‘s $11.6MM player option and Willie Cauley-Stein‘s $4.1MM team option are also wild cards that could impact the club’s flexibility.

Even if the Mavs were to carve out significant cap space, it’s unclear whether they’d realistically be able to land anyone who fits the current roster better than Hardaway, considering this year’s free agent class isn’t particularly star-studded. Focusing on re-signing the veteran wing makes sense, though it may take an offer that matches or exceeds his previous $18MM annual salary to lock him up.

17 comments Dallas Mavericks Newsstand

Scotto’s Latest: Oubre, Bazemore, Wiseman, Ball, Spurs

By | at May 27, 2021 3:06 pm

The Warriors have interest in bringing back free agent wings Kelly Oubre and Kent Bazemore, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, it sounds like neither player will be as affordable on his next contract as he was on his previous deal.

Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast alongside Yossi Gozlan, Scotto said he has gotten the sense from a league source that Oubre and his camp believe they can get a long-term contract worth at least $20MM annually, which may be higher than the Warriors are willing to go. As for Bazemore, Scotto didn’t specify an asking price, but said the goal for the veteran forward is to get a multiyear deal — ideally one that covers three years rather than two.

The Warriors have Oubre’s full Bird rights, but only hold Non-Bird rights on Bazemore, so their ability to offer him a raise on his minimum-salary contract will be limited.

Here’s more from Scotto, including another note on the Warriors:

  • Although the Warriors won’t be actively looking to move James Wiseman, they’d be open to listening to inquiries on the big man if an All-Star caliber player is available, a league source tells Scotto.
  • There’s a belief that Lonzo Ball will be able to get around $20MM per year in restricted free agency, though it’s unclear if the Pelicans are prepared to go that high, says Scotto, adding that rumors of the Bulls’ interest in the former No. 2 overall pick seem to “have some legs.”
  • Re-signing RFAs-to-be Ball and Josh Hart would almost certainly take the Pelicans into luxury tax territory, so Scotto expects Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams to be names that come up in trade rumors this offseason. Bledsoe will earn $18.1MM in 2021/22, while Adams will make $17.1MM.
  • Scotto says he has heard from an executive or two around the NBA that Spurs assistant Will Hardy is viewed as a legit candidate to be Gregg Popovich‘s eventual replacement as San Antonio’s head coach. Hardy received consideration from multiple teams that sought a head coach in 2020.
55 comments Chicago Bulls Golden State Warriors New Orleans Pelicans San Antonio Spurs

Kevin Pritchard’s Job With Pacers Not In Danger

By | at May 27, 2021 2:17 pm

During his end-of-season press conference earlier this week, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard suggested that the team would have to make a decision not just on head coach Nate Bjorkgren, but on Pritchard as well. The veteran executive told reporters that he was being “evaluated” and that team owner Herb Simon would have to decide “if I’m fit for this job.”

The Pacers have made a decision, according to J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star, who hears that Pritchard met with Simon this week and will remain in his current position as Indiana’s president of basketball operations. His job isn’t in any danger at this point, Michael reports.

Pritchard, who joined the Pacers’ front office in 2011, was promoted to his current position in May of 2017. He immediately faced criticism for the July 2017 trade that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City for Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo, but that move ultimately paid off, and he has continued to make savvy roster additions since then. The 2019 trade for T.J. Warren and the 2021 acquisition of Caris LeVert are among Pritchard’s most notable deals.

With a decision made on Pritchard, the Pacers figure to turn their attention to Bjorkgren, whose job is in jeopardy after a tumultuous and disappointing year in Indiana.

Injuries decimated the roster, and Bjorkgren did about as well as could be expected with the talent available. However, he also rubbed players and coaches the wrong way at times and reportedly had some communication problems, as well as a tendency to micro-manage.

Bjorkgren has one guaranteed year left on his contract with the Pacers, so if the club does make a change, ownership will have to pay two head coaches in 2021/22.

2 comments Indiana Pacers Newsstand

Possible Lottery Pick Usman Garuba Enters 2021 Draft

By | at May 27, 2021 1:55 pm

Usman Garuba, a 19-year-old big man from Spain, has entered the 2021 NBA draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Garuba, who is currently a member of Real Madrid, has averaged 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 36 games (18.7 MPG) this season in Spanish League play.

While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Givony notes that Garuba played some of his best basketball during the EuroLeague playoffs, including a 24-point, 12-rebound showing vs. Anadolu Efes. The youngster also earned the EuroLeague’s Rising Star award for the 2020/21 season.

Givony, who ranks Garuba 15th overall on ESPN’s big board of 2021 prospects, suggests the 6’8″ forward/center – who has a 7’3″ wingspan – may be the most versatile defender in the 2021 draft class, having shown an ability to defend guards, forwards, or bigs. NBA scouts have compared Garuba to players like OG Anunoby and P.J. Washington based on that versatility, Givony says.

Josh Giddey and/or Alperen Sengun will be ahead of him on many draft boards, but Garuba is a legit candidate to become the first international prospect selected in July’s draft.

3 comments 2021 NBA Draft

14 NBA Players On Canada’s Preliminary Olympic Qualifying Roster

By | at May 27, 2021 12:54 pm

Team Canada has yet to secure a place in the men’s basketball event at the Tokyo Olympics, but the club should have a loaded roster as it looks to lock up a spot in a qualifying tournament next month.

Canada Basketball issued a press release today announcing its 21-player preliminary roster for the Olympic qualifier, and the group includes 14 players who finished the season on NBA contracts. Here’s the full list:

Of the seven players who didn’t play in the NBA this season, one (Bennett) is a former first overall pick, another (Nicholson) was also a first-round selection, and a third (Alexander) has NBA experience. Bell-Haynes has played in the G League, while Doornekamp, Ejim, and Nembhard all have extensive experience representing Canada in past international competitions.

Still, a few noteworthy names are missing from the list. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is recovering from a torn ACL and won’t be able to participate. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also dealing with an injury, announcing on Instagram that rehabbing the plantar fasciitis in his right foot will prevent him from representing Team Canada.

Raptors big man Chris Boucher is a third notable omission. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Boucher is focused on rehabbing a knee sprain and wants to make sure he’s 100% healthy heading into 2021/22. He also has a somewhat uncertain contract situation — his $7MM salary for next season is non-guaranteed, though I’d be shocked if he’s not retained.

Even without Murray, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Boucher, Canada Basketball is in position to run out a roster stacked with NBA talent and led by former NBA Coach of the Year Nick Nurse.

While the final roster will depend in part on which players are available, none of the 21 players on the preliminary are on teams expected to still be alive for the conference finals. However, a club like Powell’s Mavericks or Barrett’s Knicks could surprise.

Team Canada will compete against Greece, China, Uruguay, Turkey, and the Czech Republic in a qualifying tournament in Victoria, British Columbia between June 29 and July 4. If the club wins that six-team qualifier, it will be part of the 12-team field in Tokyo and would be a legit contender for a medal.

5 comments 2020 Olympics Boston Celtics Dallas Mavericks Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Indiana Pacers Memphis Grizzlies New Orleans Pelicans New York Knicks Newsstand Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Toronto Raptors

Jeff Green Out At Least 10 Days Due To Foot Injury

By | at May 27, 2021 12:12 pm

The Nets will be without a regular rotation player for at least the next week and a half, according to head coach Steve Nash, who announced today that Jeff Green has suffered a strained plantar fascia and will be reevaluated in 10 days (Twitter link via Malika Andrews of ESPN).

Green suffered the injury, initially diagnosed as a bruised left foot, during the second quarter of the Nets’ Game 2 win over the Celtics on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old has been a reliable contributor in Brooklyn this season, averaging 11.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .492/.412/.776 shooting in 68 regular season games (27.0 MPG). Still, while Green is an important part of the Nets’ rotation, the team can probably get by without him for the time being, having taken the first two games of its series against Boston in fairly convincing fashion.

Depending on how Nash juggles his rotation, Green’s absence could result in more minutes for players like Blake Griffin, Nicolas Claxton, Bruce Brown, and/or Landry Shamet. If Green’s absence doesn’t extend beyond 10 days and Brooklyn advances, he should be available for most of the club’s second-round series.

7 comments Brooklyn Nets
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