Poll: Who Will Win 2020 Slam Dunk Contest?
Bulls guard Zach LaVine, a two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner, flirted with the idea of taking part in this year’s event in his home arena. However, after suggesting that he’d only participate if he was named to the All-Star team, LaVine has stuck to that stance. That means fans in Chicago this weekend won’t get the opportunity to see a rematch of the 2016 final, which pitted LaVine against Aaron Gordon in perhaps the most memorable Dunk Contest of the decade.
Gordon will participate though, and he’ll be one of the most experienced dunkers on the court this Saturday night. Besides finishing as the runner-up to LaVine in 2016, Gordon also took part in 2017’s contest. Having fallen short twice before, the Magic forward is confident the third time will be the charm, telling Josh Robbins of The Athletic, “I’m gonna win.”
However, it’s Dwight Howard – not Gordon – who has the most Dunk Contest experience of any of this year’s participants. This will be Howard’s fourth time taking part in the event, and he even has a win under his belt.
That win came in 2008 though, and the Lakers center hasn’t participated in a Dunk Contest since 2009, more than a decade ago. A win this year for the 34-year-old Howard would be unprecedented in an event that’s typically a young man’s game. Dominique Wilkins, who had just turned 30 when he won 1990’s contest, is the oldest all-time winner. The second-oldest? Nate Robinson, who was 26 when he beat Howard in 2009.
If you believe that youth will win out in 2020, you’ll have to consider Bucks wing Pat Connaughton an underdog as well. The 27-year-old will be participating in his first NBA Dunk Contest, and is flying under the radar as Saturday’s festivities near — something he says is just fine with him.
“No one’s worried about me and hopefully Saturday night they’ll be like, ‘Damn, I should have been worried about him,'” Connaughton said this week, per Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The fourth contestant this year will be Heat swingman Derrick Jones Jr., who will also be celebrating his birthday on Saturday, as he turns 23. Jones finished as the runner-up to Glenn Robinson III in 2017’s event and will likely have some new tricks up his sleeve this time around.
What do you think? Will Howard defy the odds and win his second Dunk Contest? Will Gordon or Jones get over the hump after placing second in past competitions? Will the first-time Connaughton make a name for himself with a win on Saturday?
Vote below our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!
Who will win the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest?
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Aaron Gordon (Magic) 33% (520)
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Derrick Jones Jr. (Heat) 28% (441)
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Dwight Howard (Lakers) 20% (305)
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Pat Connaughton (Bucks) 19% (294)
Total votes: 1,560
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Towns May Not Be Ready To Return After All-Star Break
Karl-Anthony Towns missed the Timberwolves‘ final game before the All-Star break due to a left wrist injury. At the time, the Wolves didn’t provide many details on Towns’ exact diagnosis or his return timeline, simply announcing that he’d be evaluated over the break.
The club still hasn’t issued a formal update on Towns’ status, but league sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that the big man will likely need more than just the nine-day All-Star break before he’s ready to return to action. According to Krawczynski, Minnesota’s franchise player has been dealing with pain in his wrist for multiple weeks, prompting further testing.
With a 16-37 record this season, the Timberwolves won’t be incentivized to rush Towns back before he’s ready. The team currently has the fourth-worst record in the NBA, but is only separated from the league’s eighth-worst team by two games, as our reverse standings show. The Wolves still own their 2020 first-round pick and would benefit from improving their lottery odds this spring, so they’ll likely be extra cautious with their leading score and won’t be concerned if his absence costs them a couple wins.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves just overhauled their roster at the trade deadline, acquiring potential building blocks like D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley. The club presumably wants a chance to observe how those players mesh with Towns down the stretch — that’s especially true for guys like Beasley and Juan Hernangomez, who will be free agents at season’s end.
We’ll have to wait for official word from the Wolves on Towns’ recovery timetable, but based on Krawczynski’s report, it sounds like he may not be ready to go when the team resumes play next Friday against the Celtics.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Buyout Market, Hayward, KG
Prior to Thursday night’s game against the Celtics, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers raved about Jayson Tatum, suggesting that the young forward is already “one of the better players in the league,” adding that it will be “amazing” to see where he ends up after a few more years of development, per Darren Hartewell of NBC Sports Boston.
Although Rivers joked before the game that he didn’t need to see “any more growth” out of Tatum on Thursday, the 21-year-old gave the Clippers fits, turning in arguably the best performance of his career in a double-overtime win. He went off for a game-high 39 points on 14-of-23 shooting and made a handful of plays on both ends of the floor that helped clinch the win.
“He was incredible,” Kemba Walker said of his All-Star teammate, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “He made every right play. He made every big shot. He was the best player on the court tonight.”
Tatum won’t be among the starters in Sunday’s All-Star game like Walker will, but the former No. 3 overall pick has emerged as the Celtics’ best all-around player this season, Forsberg argues. Tatum’s ascent is well-timed, as he’ll be extension-eligible for the first time during the 2020 offseason. Barring a major slump or injury in the second half, it’s hard to see how his next contract won’t be worth the maximum salary.
Here’s more out of Boston:
- Appearing this week on radio show Toucher & Rich, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said there’s nothing on the buyout market that interests the team for the time being, per Forsberg (Twitter link). That includes free agent point guard Isaiah Thomas — Ainge praised the former Celtic, but suggested the fit may not be right with Boston’s current roster, as Forsberg relays.
- Whether or not Gordon Hayward picks up his 2020/21 player option this spring, the Celtics are “very interested” in retaining the veteran forward long-term, a league source confirmed to Brian Robb of Boston Sports Journal. Hayward isn’t necessarily a lock to exercise his $34MM option, since he could command a larger overall payday on a longer-term contract.
- The Celtics announced on Thursday that they intend to retire Kevin Garnett‘s No. 5 jersey at some point next season, as Taylor Snow details at Celtics.com.
Key Rest-Of-Season NBA Dates, Deadlines
The 2020 NBA trade deadline is now behind us, but it’s not the last notable date on the 2019/20 regular season calendar.
Here are a few more dates and deadlines to keep an eye out for over the next couple months:
February 29
- Last day for contract renegotiations
Players eligible for veteran contract extensions can continue to negotiate those deals through the rest of the league year. However, if a player wants to renegotiate his contract to receive a raise on his current-year salary as part of an extension, it must happen by the end of this month.
In order to renegotiate a contract though, a team must have cap room. For most of the 2019/20 season, the Hawks were the only NBA team with cap room, but even they went over the cap at the trade deadline. So we shouldn’t expect any contract renegotiations to happen during the next couple weeks.
For what it’s worth, the last player to complete a renegotiation as part of an extension was Robert Covington, when he was a Sixer in 2017/18.
March 1
- Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.
This rule is often the source of confusion. A player who is released by a team doesn’t have to sign with a new team by March 1 in order to be playoff-eligible this spring. He simply has to be waived by his current team before the end of the day on March 1.
As long as he’s no longer under contract by 11:59 pm ET on March 1, a player could theoretically wait until the last day of the regular season to sign with a new club and still retain his postseason eligibility. But if he’s cut on March 2 instead, he loses that postseason eligibility.
We’re keeping an eye on the 2020 buyout market in this space.
March 10
- Last day to use a disabled player exception.
Seven teams were granted disabled player exceptions this season and only the Wizards used theirs at the trade deadline, accommodating Shabazz Napier‘s salary with the DPE they received for C.J. Miles‘ season-ending injury.
Of the six remaining, the Pistons ($9,258,000) and Magic ($4,629,000) have the biggest disabled player exceptions, but it’s hard to imagine either of those teams aggressively pursuing anyone expensive on the buyout market. Orlando is more likely to do so, but it will depend on who becomes available.
The Lakers‘ $1,750,000 DPE may be the one most likely to be used, since L.A. has no other cap exceptions worth more than the minimum. If there’s a player the Lakers like and they’re bidding against teams that can only offer the minimum, that $1.75MM exception should be a useful tool.
The Pelicans ($3,625,000), Trail Blazers ($2,859,000), and Nets ($839,427) also have disabled player exceptions available. For more info on how DPEs work, be sure to check out our glossary entry.
April 15
- Last day of the regular season.
- Last day players can sign contracts for 2019/20
- Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
- Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.
Although we don’t always see a flurry of last-minute activity on the very last day of the regular season, teams around the NBA figure to be active leading up to this date.
Playoff clubs will typically make sure their rosters are fully stocked for the postseason. Even a team with tax concerns that has avoided carrying a full 15-man roster all season will consider filling that 15th spot on the last day of the season, since the prorated minimum-salary cap hit would be less than $10K and the accompanying tax penalty would be very modest.
Meanwhile, lottery-bound teams will often fill their rosters by taking a flier on a prospect or two, signing them to multiyear contracts that include little to no guaranteed money for 2020/21. That way, they can hang onto them for next season if they want, or cut bait during the offseason without any real impact to their cap for next season.
These end-of-season roster moves often fly under the radar, but they’re worth keeping an eye on. Just ask the Heat, who signed Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn to team-friendly three-year contracts at the very end of the 2018/19 regular season.
April 17
- Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).
The NBA postseason gets underway on April 18 this season, so the 16 teams in the playoffs will have to make sure their rosters are set a day before that.
Paul George Suffers Strained Hamstring
Paul George‘s troublesome left hamstring continues to be an issue. The Clippers‘ star forward exited the team’s Thursday game vs. Boston in the second quarter after suffering a hamstring strain, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
As Youngmisuk details, it’s the third time this season that George has dealt with a similar injury. He sat out on January 4 due to left hamstring tightness, then missed nine more games in January after straining the hamstring a few days later.
“I’m a little concerned about that one because that’s the second time now, maybe third,” head coach Doc Rivers said of the injury. “Listen, I don’t know what to do, but I know rest you have to do and we’ll see.”
The injury at least came at the right time for George and the Clippers, who won’t resume play until February 22. That gives the 29-year-old over a week to rest and rehab. The Clippers have yet to provide an update on the severity of the injury or a possible recovery timeline, so it’s not clear if it’s as serious as the strain that forced George out of action for nine games last month.
Although the 37-18 Clippers hold the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, the team has dealt with injuries all season long. George has missed 21 games in total, while Kawhi Leonard has missed 13. Key rotation players Patrick Beverley and Landry Shamet have also been sidelined for 15 and 17 games, respectively.
“We got to get healthy,” Rivers said, per Youngmisuk. “That’s going to be the key for us. And then we got to play multiple games in a row as a group so we can kind of get some continuity. But other than that, I love our spirit, I love how we are. We’re good.”
Poll: Who Will Win Three-Point Contest?
When the NBA announced today that Devin Booker would take Damian Lillard‘s place in the 2020 All-Star Game this Sunday, the league noted that the Suns guard would replace Lillard in Saturday’s three-point contest as well.
The change makes logistical sense, and it’s not as if Booker’s not qualified — he has participated in the event three times before and won it in 2018. Still, he’ll be in tough against a talented field of competitors, all of whom have put up better outside shooting numbers than him this season.
Among the eight participants in this year’s three-point contest, Booker ranks last in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage. Here’s the full breakdown:
| Player | Team | 3PM | Rank | 3PT% | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddy Hield | Kings | 207 | 3 | .385 | 52 |
| Duncan Robinson | Heat | 191 | 4 | .438 | 5 |
| Devonte’ Graham | Hornets | 190 | 5 | .374 | 75 |
| Trae Young | Hawks | 173 | 6 | .369 | 81 |
| Zach LaVine | Bulls | 168 | 8 | .385 | 53 |
| Davis Bertans | Wizards | 156 | 9 | .424 | 10 |
| Joe Harris | Nets | 126 | 24 | .408 | 21 |
| Devin Booker | Suns | 101 | 54 | .358 | 96 |
Robinson’s combination of volume and efficiency has made him arguably the most well-rounded three-point shooter in the NBA so far this season, but this will be his first time participating in the three-point contest. The same is true for Graham, Young, LaVine, and Bertans.
The experience advantage goes to Hield, who was in last year’s event, and especially to Harris and Booker, who won in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Of course, these events often come down to which player gets hot at the right time, so those season-long stats may not end up meaning much on Saturday.
What do you think? Who is your pick to win 2020’s three-point contest? Do you like one of the returning champions, Harris or Booker, to do it again? Will Hield take home the trophy after coming up short a year ago? Or will one of the newcomers win out?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Who will win the three-point contest?
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Duncan Robinson (Heat) 21% (334)
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Trae Young (Hawks) 17% (270)
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Davis Bertans (Wizards) 15% (231)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 14% (215)
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Joe Harris (Nets) 12% (186)
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Buddy Hield (Kings) 11% (169)
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Zach LaVine (Bulls) 6% (97)
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Devonte' Graham (Hornets) 4% (56)
Total votes: 1,558
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
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Roster Moves Required Soon For Hornets, Rockets, Clippers
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement requires teams to carry at least 14 players on their rosters during the regular season, not counting two-way players. However, clubs are allowed to dip below that line for up to two weeks at a time.
At the February 6 trade deadline, with so many players on the move, a handful of teams around the league fell below that 14-player threshold, meaning they’ll have to get back up to 14 later this month.
Here’s a breakdown of which teams must make at least one roster move shortly after this weekend’s All-Star Game:
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets had a quiet trade deadline, but completed a pair of buyouts a couple days later, officially releasing Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on February 8. They’ll have until February 22 to add at least one player to their roster.
Since the 18-36 squad is well out of playoff contention, Charlotte is far more likely to sign a G League prospect than an NBA veteran. By the end of the season, I’d expect the Hornets to fill both their 14th and 15th roster spots with young players on multiyear deals, in the hopes that one or both of them prove to be keepers.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets had been carrying 14 players since waiving Gary Clark last month. On February 5, they dipped to 13 when they acquired Robert Covington and Jordan Bell (later flipped for Bruno Caboclo) in a deal that saw them send out Clint Capela, Gerald Green, and Nene. They’ll have to add a new player before they resume play next Thursday.
Houston is closely monitoring the buyout market, but if there’s no one that interests the team now, I’m not sure that’ll change within the next week. I could see the Rockets signing a player to a 10-day contract to give them some flexibility to continue keeping an eye on the buyout market for the rest of the month.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers were carrying 15 players leading up to the trade deadline, but moved Maurice Harkless, Jerome Robinson, and Derrick Walton last week while only getting Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas back. Thomas was waived on February 8, reducing the team’s roster count to 13. Like Charlotte, the Clips will have until February 22 to add a 14th man.
Since they’re also a contending team, the Clippers figure to join the Rockets in scouring the buyout market for veteran help in the coming weeks. With the possible exception of Tyler Johnson, I’m not sure any recently-waived vets will attract much interest from L.A., so a stop-gap option on a 10-day deal is a possibility after the All-Star break.
Knicks Notes: Miller, JVG, DSJ, Front Office
Although Mike Miller‘s hold on the Knicks‘ head coaching job beyond this season looks tenuous, multiple people within the organization support the idea of keeping Miller around in some capacity even if the team hires a new head coach, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Begley and Marc Berman of The New York Post both point out that Miller is on good terms with Jeff Van Gundy, who is expected to receive consideration for the head coaching job from new president of basketball operations Leon Rose. Berman, who suggests Miller could stay on as an assistant coach if Van Gundy were to be hired, notes that JVG expressed support for the current interim coach during an appearance on NBA SiriusXM Radio.
“Mike Miller, to me, deserves every opportunity to finish this season out and win the job,” Van Gundy said. “And I think anybody plotting as a coach to try to undermine that opportunity is doing it wrong.”
Talk of Miller’s job security was reignited this week when brand consultant Steve Stoute suggested during an ESPN appearance that the Knicks will be looking to replace Miller this spring. The team and Stoute himself released statements hours later disavowing those comments. Interim head of basketball operations Scott Perry was among those “particularly bent out of shape” by Stoute’s comments on ESPN, a source tells Berman.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News that Marcus Morris lobbied earlier this season for Dennis Smith Jr. – with whom he shares an agent – to receive more playing time. Smith, who lost an advocate when the Knicks traded Morris last week, has appeared in the team’s last eight contests, but logged fewer than eight minutes in each of the last two games.
- Steve Popper of Newsday suggests (via Twitter) that Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas may be a name to watch as the Knicks seek an experienced basketball executive to work with Leon Rose in their new-look front office. However, Popper cautions (via Twitter) that Karnisovas signed an extension with Denver last year.
- Before the Knicks decided on Rose for their president of basketball operations opening, there was speculation that Kevin Durant‘s manager Rich Kleiman could be a candidate for the job. That wasn’t the case, according to Kleiman, who tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv that he never heard from the club.
- Tom Thibodeau has been cited as a potential head coaching candidate for the Knicks, and while Taj Gibson isn’t openly campaigning for his former coach, he believes Thibodeau can have success in today’s NBA. “He’s been misunderstood,” Gibson said, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “A lot of players have different mindsets. His mindset is winning. To win games you got to go through a lot of hard work. Sometimes young players don’t understand it.”
Heat Notes: Hill, Injuries, Iguodala, Jones, Adebayo
When the Heat made their seven-player deadline trade with Memphis and Minnesota last week, it was clear the team acquired Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder with an eye toward working them into the rotation. However, Solomon Hill‘s outlook was murkier. The veteran forward, who is in the final season of a four-year contract, looked like a potential buyout candidate, but he says he hasn’t approached the club about that possibility and doesn’t intend to, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
“That hasn’t come across in discussions; I definitely want to be here,” Hill said. “This is an amazing place and winning culture. When you talk about winning, this is the definition of winning. To be in an organization like this and guys like this, this is a chance not only to try to force my way into some minutes but learn as much as I can.”
Hill has been active for the Heat’s last three games but hasn’t yet played a single minute for the team. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s not in head coach Erik Spoelstra‘s plans going forward, as Jackson relays.
“We really like him,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t want these last (three) games to be an indication of what his role will be. I’m not going to figure out that role for the foreseeable future. That’s not fair right now for the team. He’s a detailed defender, has size and quickness to guard multiple positions. He really has improved his shooting. Someone who fits with our style of play. He’s on my mind. He’s the next guy in line. He needs to stay ready.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Within that same Herald article, Jackson suggested that Tyler Herro (ankle) seems closer to a return than Meyers Leonard (ankle), and noted that Andre Iguodala agreed to his new contract extension without even talking to Spoelstra or Heat president Pat Riley. “I pretty much knew, had a good feel for the team,” Iguodala said. “Playing against them in the playoffs, playing against them in the Eastern Conference and kind of seeing the scope of their organization, you pretty much know what it is.”
- Besides opening up cap room for the coming summer and improving their 2021 flexibility, the Heat’s trade last week also created a clearer path to locking up Derrick Jones Jr. beyond this season, as Jackson explains in a separate Miami Herald story.
- ESPN’s Zach Lowe takes a fascinating, in-depth look at Bam Adebayo‘s road to the NBA and to his first All-Star nod. Lowe shares some entertaining stories about Adebayo’s first workouts for NBA teams, the impression he made on Miami leading up to the 2017 draft, and how his hunch that he’d be selected by the Hornets fell by the wayside when Charlotte traded for Dwight Howard two days before the draft.