2019/20 NBA Reverse Standings Update
Throughout the 2019/20 NBA season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on what the 2020 draft order will look like. Our 2019/20 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, is updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the previous night’s games.
Our Reverse Standings are essentially a reflection of what 2020’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. We’ve noted each club’s odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, based on the league’s current lottery format.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Draft Lottery]
In instances where two non-playoff teams or two playoff teams have identical records, the order in our standings isn’t necessarily definitive — for draft purposes, the NBA breaks ties via random drawings, so those drawings would happen at the end of the year. Of course, the 14 non-playoff teams all draft before the 16 playoff teams, even if some non-playoff teams have better records than playoff teams. Our reverse standings account for that.
Traded first-round picks are included via footnotes. For example, the note next to Brooklyn’s pick says that the Nets will send their pick to the Timberwolves if it’s not in the top 14. As of today, Brooklyn has the worst record of any playoff teams, meaning that pick would be No. 15 and would change hands.
The Warriors are currently in the driver’s seat at the “top” of our reverse standings — their 13-48 record giving them a four-game cushion on the second-worst team, the 17-44 Cavaliers. It will be interesting to see whether that gap tightens when Stephen Curry returns.
Although the league’s bottom three teams will all have an equal chance at the No. 1 overall pick (14.0%) and a top-four selection (52.1%), finishing atop the reverse standings would still benefit the Warriors — the NBA’s worst team can’t fall further than the No. 5 pick, while the third-worst team could end up selecting as low as No. 7.
The Thunder‘s spot in the reverse standings is another detail worth noting. Their first-round pick will be sent to the Sixers if it’s not a top-20 selection. Based on Oklahoma City’s over the last few months (the team is 32-13 since starting the season 5-10), that pick currently projects to be No. 21.
Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2020. So be sure to check back often as the season progresses!
Note: Mobile users are advised to turn their phones sideways when viewing the Reverse Standings in order to see team records and lottery odds.
Al Horford Dismisses Trade Speculation
After a weekend report suggested that the Sixers may explore trading Al Horford this summer, just one year into his four-year contract with the club, the veteran big man was asked on Monday about the possibility of an offseason deal. Predictably, Horford dismissed the report, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
“All I can say is I am focused on right now,” Horford told Pompey. “I can’t control speculation. That is a decision they would have to make when the time is right. Right now, I am focused on getting some wins for our team.”
Horford received one of the most lucrative long-term deals of the 2019 offseason, with the Sixers envisioning the 33-year-old as someone who could play alongside Joel Embiid and provide solid minutes at the five when Embiid sits.
However, it has been a shaky fit so far. Horford is averaging just 11.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG with a career-worst .435 FG% in 56 games (30.6 MPG). He was recently moved to the bench for three games, though he has returned to the starting lineup during the last week with Ben Simmons and Embiid sidelined.
If the 76ers do try to move Horford in the offseason, his contract figures to be a turn-off for potential trade partners. He’s owed a guaranteed $54.5MM over the next two seasons, with a partially guaranteed salary ($14MM of $26.5MM) in 2022/23. He’ll be 36 years old by the time the contract ends.
Buyout Details: Crabbe, McRae, Tolliver
Allen Crabbe surrendered $681,544 in his buyout agreement with the Timberwolves, according to reports from Dane Moore of ZoneCoverage.com and Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights (Twitter links). That’s more than the veteran wing would earn if he signs a rest-of-season deal with a new team after clearing waivers, but it wasn’t quite enough to get Minnesota below the luxury-tax threshold, as Moore and Siegel note.
If the Timberwolves are dead-set on getting out of tax territory, buying out Evan Turner remains a possible path, but it appears less likely now that he would no longer retain his playoff eligibility if he’s released.
The Timberwolves’ other option for sneaking below the tax line would be to cut a little-used player who is likely to be claimed on waivers, like Miami did at the end of last season with Rodney McGruder. That’s a risky alternative though, since any player valuable enough to be claimed on waivers probably isn’t someone Minnesota wants to lose.
Here are more details on the latest round of buyouts from around the NBA:
- Jordan McRae agreed to give up $390,424 in his buyout from the Nuggets, per Siegel (via Twitter). That’s the equivalent of McRae’s $1,645,357 salary prorated over 42 days. However, if the Suns claim McRae off waivers, as they’re expected to, the buyout agreement will be unnecessary and won’t apply to his cap hit — he’ll simply continue earning the rest of his remaining salary for 2019/20 in Phoenix instead of Denver.
- Anthony Tolliver gave back $144,901 as part of his buyout from the Kings, according to Siegel. That’s the equivalent of the 10-day salary for a veteran with 10+ years of NBA experience. Tolliver’s cap hit on Sacramento’s books ($1,620,564) will remain unchanged, since the NBA is reimbursing a portion of his minimum salary. However, the Kings will save a little cash as a result of the agreement.
- Our recap of the 2020 buyout market can be found right here.
Damian Lillard Targeting Wednesday Return
Damian Lillard, who injured his right groin on February 12 and has missed the Trail Blazers‘ last five games, will also be out for Monday’s contest in Orlando. However, the star point guard is targeting a return on Wednesday at home vs. Washington, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (video link).
In addition to losing the game in which Lillard went down, Portland has dropped four of the five post-All-Star contests he has missed. The Blazers squandered the opportunity to make up some ground in the playoff race during that stretch — they’re currently 26-35, 12th in the West and 3.5 games back of the eighth-seeded Grizzlies.
If Lillard is able to return this week and stays healthy, he figures to play a key role in the Blazers’ push for a spot in the postseason. After Wednesday’s game against the Wizards, Portland’s next four games are against the Suns (twice), Kings, and Grizzlies, so that will be a crucial stretch for the club.
Lillard, 29, had been enjoying the best season of his career before being sidelined by his groin injury. In 54 games (37.0 MPG), he has averaged 29.5 PPG, 7.9 APG, and 4.4 RPG with a .460/.393/.889 shooting line — several of those marks are career highs.
Pacific Notes: Bender, Kings, Lakers, Ayton
After failing to become long-term building blocks in Phoenix, former Suns lottery picks Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender have reunited in Golden State. Bender is only on a 10-day contract for now, but Chriss thinks his former and current frontcourt mate is fitting in nicely with the Warriors, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details.
“I think it’s a good fit for him, especially being around people who believe in you and help you grow,” Chriss said. “I think that’s all he needs.”
Bender’s 10-day contract with the Warriors will expire on Tuesday night, at which time Golden State will have the option of signing him to a second 10-day deal before having to make a decision on a rest-of-season commitment. Bender, who is simply looking to prove he still belongs in the NBA, hopes he’s making a good impression.
“I take it day-by-day,” Bender recently said, per Rankin. “I think there’s always options, but with this team, take it day-by-day and see what happens. Obviously, a great place to be, like I said. Great organization. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, but like I said, take it day-by-day and see what happens.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Although the Kings have missed Richaun Holmes over the last two months, they could actually have a logjam at center soon, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California. Holmes is reportedly nearing a return, but Harry Giles and Alex Len have played well up front for Sacramento as of late, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team divvies up playing time down the stretch.
- Despite the fact that Anthony Tolliver was waived by the Kings over the weekend, he and Kent Bazemore helped get the team out of its lowest point of the season in January, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The two recently-acquired veterans told their new teammates in a team meeting that they were better than their record showed. “We were very vocal about the potential here,” Tolliver said. “Coming from Portland and seeing how we played there, and seeing how these guys played here, even though they were losing a lot of games at that point, we were like, ‘You guys are not that far away from winning.'” Sacramento is 11-5 since that motivational pep talk.
- With a comfortable hold on the top seed in the West, the Lakers are using the final stretch of the season to experiment a little with lineups, says Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. That included starting Alex Caruso when Danny Green missed Saturday’s game with a minor hip injury.
- Even though he’s not the All-Star and borderline MVP candidate that Luka Doncic is, Deandre Ayton is on an impressive run for the Suns, averaging 20.9 PPG and 12.4 RPG in his last 19 games. Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic makes the case that it wasn’t a mistake for Phoenix to select Ayton first overall in 2018, two spots ahead of Doncic.
Otto Porter Set To Return For Bulls
Otto Porter, who has been sidelined for nearly four months, said today that he’ll return to the Bulls‘ active roster for Monday night’s game against Dallas, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link).
Porter suffered a foot injury early in the 2019/20 campaign, dealing with a bone bruise, bone edema, and a small fracture in that troublesome left foot. He last suited up for Chicago on November 6, having appeared in the Bulls’ first nine games of the season.
Acquired at last year’s trade deadline for the expiring contracts of Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis, Porter has played just 24 total games since arriving in Chicago, averaging 15.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG with a .463/.458/.846 shooting line. When he’s in the lineup, he has been a reliable three-and-D frontcourt option for the club, but health issues have limited his playing time both this season and last season.
Even if Porter finishes stays healthy and plays well over the next month and a half, he’s unlikely to opt for free agency by turning down his $28.5MM player option for 2020/21 this summer. As such, he’ll likely return to the Bulls next season, barring a trade.
The Bulls are gradually getting healthier after being hit hard by the injury bug this season. Wendell Carter played on Saturday for the first time since early January, while Lauri Markkanen, who last played on January 22, appears to be nearing a return as well.
Ballmer In Advanced Talks To Buy Forum In Inglewood
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is in advanced negotiations to purchase The Forum in Inglewood, California from its current owner, the Madison Square Garden Company, sources tell ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz.
The Forum, the former home of the Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, is no longer the home arena for any professional sports teams, but continues to host major sporting events and concerts. With the Clippers looking to open a brand-new arena of their own in Inglewood once their current agreement with the Staples Center expires, the presence of The Forum has represented a major roadblock.
Ballmer wants to build the Clippers’ new arena on a parcel of land that sits approximately a mile from the Forum, as Arnovitz notes. The Clippers owner and the city of Inglewood have been engaged in a lengthy legal battle with James Dolan‘s MSG Co. for the last year or two. MSG has taken exception to the city working with the Clippers to develop a new, nearby arena that would be a major competitor for The Forum.
Sources tell ESPN that the two sides began to engage in negotiations about a sale of The Forum following the most recent round of lawsuits by MSG and community groups bankrolled in part by MSG. Arnovitz suggests that a sale looks like the “path of least resistance” when it comes to finding a resolution to the stalemate.
If it’s sold, The Forum would continue to operate until the Clippers’ new arena is ready to open, and perhaps even beyond that, per ESPN. Although sources tell Arnovitz that an agreement is “imminent,” the Clippers wouldn’t confirm or deny the report.
“The Clippers continue to pursue plans to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat basketball arena and entertainment complex in Inglewood and are currently working with the city to successfully complete the comprehensive Environmental Impact Report,” the team said in a statement. “We are examining every possible way to resolve our differences with Madison Square Garden Co. regarding our new arena.”
Players Waived Between Today, End Of Season Won’t Be Playoff-Eligible
It’s March 2, which means that a player waived by an NBA team today, tomorrow, or on any day before the end of the 2019/20 regular season won’t retain his postseason eligibility. The league’s rules state that a player must be released by the end of the day on March 1 in order to be playoff-eligible for a new team.
For the most part, this means that a player who is on one NBA roster today can’t suit up in the postseason for a different team, though there are a few exceptions to that general rule. Those exceptions apply to players currently on 10-day contracts: Donta Hall (Pistons), Dragan Bender (Warriors), Mychal Mulder (Warriors), and Jarrod Uthoff (Grizzlies).
If, for instance, Bender’s 10-day deal with Golden State expires on Tuesday night and he subsequently signs with a playoff team, he’ll be eligible to participate in the postseason, since he wasn’t released from a standard NBA contract after March 1.
It’s also worth clarifying that a player didn’t have to sign with a new team by March 1 to be playoff-eligible — he simply had to be placed on waivers or reach free agency by Sunday night. As long as a player who fits that bill signs with a new team by April 15, the final day of the regular season, he can play in the postseason.
As our recap of the 2020 buyout market shows, several players have been bought out or released since the trade deadline and joined new teams, including Marvin Williams (Hornets to Bucks), Reggie Jackson (Pistons to Clippers), Markieff Morris (Pistons to Lakers), and a handful of others. They’ll all be postseason-eligible.
Several players were also waived in recent weeks but haven’t yet lined up new teams, including Tyler Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, and Dion Waiters, among others. If they do sign with a new club anytime between now and April 15, they’ll be eligible to participate in the playoffs too. The same goes for players who haven’t played at all in the NBA this season, such as J.R. Smith and Joakim Noah.
The Nuggets have yet to announce the release of Jordan McRae, and that move isn’t yet showing up in NBA.com’s official transactions log, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t technically happen on Sunday night. That would allow McRae to retain his playoff eligibility as he prepares to join the Suns, who still have an outside shot at the postseason.
McRae and Lakers guard Troy Daniels were the last two vets released on Sunday, after Allen Crabbe (Timberwolves) and Anthony Tolliver (Kings) were waived on Saturday.
Knicks Officially Name Leon Rose President Of Basketball Operations
Nearly a month after reaching an agreement to make him as their new president of basketball operations, the Knicks issued a press release today officially announcing the hiring of Leon Rose.
“We are pleased to welcome Leon to the New York Knicks as team president, and believe he is the right leader to build a winning organization for our fans,” Knicks owner James Dolan said in a statement. “Leon is one of the most respective executives in professional basketball, with decades of experience working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game. We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of the franchise.”
Rose is the replacement for former president of basketball operations Steve Mills, who was removed from his role by New York just two days before last month’s trade deadline. General manager Scott Perry has run the front office since Mills’ dismissal, but his future with the franchise is uncertain. Rose, who will “oversee all basketball operations and personnel” for the Knicks, figures to have the final say on whether Perry will remain in the front office.
Rose has been one of the NBA’s top agents for years and had a star-studded list of clients that includes Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Karl-Anthony Towns. It has taken him a few weeks to tie up loose ends with those clients as he transitioned from his role as a player rep to a team executive.
The Knicks were linked repeatedly to Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri following Mills’ departure, but reports at the time suggested they were reluctant to aggressively pursue Ujiri with more than a year left on his contract. With the hiring of Rose, the organization will attempt to emulate a model that has been successful for the Lakers and Warriors, who are run by former agents Rob Pelinka and Bob Myers, respectively.
Although the Knicks have now made Rose’s hiring official, they haven’t scheduled a news conference to introduce him to the media, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Woj, Rose’s plan is to remain behind the scenes for now, observing and listening and avoiding making any “big public proclamations.”
J.R. Smith To Work Out For Lakers This Week
In addition to auditioning Dion Waiters this week, the Lakers will also bring in another veteran free agent guard, J.R. Smith, for a workout, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
There were reports back in late January and early February indicating that the Lakers were expected to work out Smith. That plan got delayed following Kobe Bryant‘s death and the trade deadline, but it sounds like it will finally happen in the coming days.
Smith, 34, hasn’t been on an NBA roster since last July and hasn’t actually played in a game since November of 2018. In 2017/18, his last full season, he was a solid role player for the Cavaliers, averaging 8.3 PPG and 2.9 RPG with a .375 3PT% in 80 games (28.1 MPG).
The Lakers have an open spot on their 15-man roster after waiving Troy Daniels on Sunday and are expected to be patient as they consider several options to fill that opening.
Both Smith and Waiters have the advantage of having been teammates with Lakers star LeBron James in Cleveland, but the Lakers figure to extensively vet both players, who have occasionally made waves off the court or in the locker room throughout their NBA careers.