And-Ones: WNBA, Wade, Two-Way Candidates
The WNBA and its players union have reached a landmark labor deal, announcing the tentative eight-year agreement today, as Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press outlines.
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will increase the average and maximum salaries for players while enhancing standards and benefits related to travel and maternity leave. The deal, which has been approved by players and still must be ratified by owners, includes a 50-50 revenue sharing split beginning in 2021.
“I call it historic,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “The CBA guarantees substantial (financial) increases. The way we are paying these players is different than the past. … The top couple players are tripling (in pay) where they were. Other players are making $200-300K. The average will be over $130K. Everyone gets an increase here.”
The WNBA is also introducing a mid-season competition called the Commissioner’s Cup, per Mechelle Voepel of ESPNW. The event could be a mini-preview of what’s to come in the NBA, where commissioner Adam Silver has pushed the idea of an in-season tournament.
“We will designate Cup games the first half of the season leading into the Olympic break this year,” Engelbert said. “And then [for] the two teams with the best records, we will have a final in August as our first game back to re-launch the season. In 2020, the cash prizes will be more moderate, but in 2021, we’re going to step them up as we seek sponsors.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Dwyane Wade is taking on a “significant” role with CAA Sports, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Wade and CAA announced today that they’ve partnered to create CAA AMP, a cultural strategy agency within CAA’s brand consulting division, per Liz Mullen of SportsBusines Journal (Twitter link). It’ll be a busy year for Wade, who will also appear on TNT and CBS Sports as an NBA and NCAA commentator.
- With Wednesday’s deadline for two-way signings looming, Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link) identifies Dakota Mathias and Kaiser Gates as potential candidates for two-way contracts. Fischer also mentioned Marquese Chriss just before word broke that Chriss would be signing a two-way deal with Golden State.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic explores which under-the-radar trade candidates teams should be pursuing as the deadline approaches, listing Derrick Rose, Nemanja Bjelica, and Dennis Schroder as targets that would make sense.
Community Shootaround: Grizzlies’ Outlook
Entering the 2019/20 season, no Western Conference team was projected to win fewer games than the Grizzlies. Oddsmakers set Memphis’ over/under at 27.5 wins and Hoops Rumors voters confidently took the under in our preseason poll.
Through the first quarter of the season, that projection looked about right. The Grizzlies’ 6-16 record put them on a 31-win pace, and while Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant made Memphis an entertaining League Pass team, it seemed as if it would just be a matter of time before the club fell out of playoff contention and entered the race for the No. 1 pick.
Instead, the Grizzlies have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams in recent weeks, winning 12 of their last 18 games to improve their overall record to 18-22. Memphis is currently riding a five-game winning streak that includes victories over the Clippers and Spurs, and has moved into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.
Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. have been the catalysts for the Grizzlies’ hot streak. Morant is averaging 16.9 PPG and 7.4 APG with a .517/.368/.846 shooting line during that 18-game stretch, while Jackson has recorded 20.2 PPG and 1.8 BPG on .522/.449/.696 shooting during the same period. Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke are also among the club’s most productive contributors, though the team isn’t just relying on young players.
Eighth-year big man Jonas Valanciunas is averaging a double-double (16.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG) with a .630 FG% during Memphis’ 12-6 run, while veteran forward Jae Crowder is playing more minutes this season than anyone else on the roster, providing a reliable three-and-D presence on the wing.
It seems improbable that the Grizzlies will be able to actually hold onto the No. 8 seed in the West, but it’s not as if the competition for that spot has been intense. The Spurs (17-21) and Trail Blazers (17-24) were expected to be playoff teams, but have underachieved. The Suns (16-23), Timberwolves (15-24), Kings (15-25), and Pelicans (15-26) have been up and down too.
Additionally, despite being in rebuilding mode, the Grizzlies have no reason not to push for a playoff spot, since they owe their top-six protected first-round pick to the Celtics in 2020. That pick would become unprotected in 2021 if Memphis keeps it this year, so the team may just prefer to send it to Boston this season and get that commitment out of the way. It would certainly be easier to swallow if it lands at No. 15 instead of No. 7.
The Grizzlies won’t give up any future draft picks or young prospects in exchange for a win-now piece, but there are potentially ways the team could fortify its current roster for a postseason push. We’ve been assuming that Memphis will eventually move Andre Iguodala for a package made up of an unwanted contract or two and perhaps a second-round pick — but maybe there’s a way to turn Iguodala into a player that could actually contribute to this year’s squad.
Obviously, if the Grizzlies can acquire a valuable draft asset for Iguodala, they should favor that return over a veteran on a short-term contract. But a veteran rotation player might make more sense than a late second-rounder. After all, young players like Morant and Jackson would probably benefit from getting some playoff experience – however brief – this early in their NBA careers.
What do you think? Are you a believer in the Grizzlies? Can they remain in the playoff hunt and maybe even grab the No. 8 seed? Will they fall off down the stretch like the Kings did a year ago? Or will their playoff dreams die even earlier than that? As they approach the trade deadline, should they be thinking at all about acquiring immediate help, or should they be focused exclusively on the long term?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the upstart Grizzlies!
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Magic Sign Gary Clark To 10-Day Deal, Cut Josh Magette
The Magic have made a change at the back of their roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed forward Gary Clark to a 10-day contract, waiving guard Josh Magette to create room on their 15-man squad.
The timing of the move is interesting, as Magette signed a 10-day deal of his own on Saturday and had seven days left on it. He’ll still get his full 10-day salary ($81,678) despite his stint in Orlando being cut short.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors’ 10-Day Contract Tracker]
While it’s unclear why the Magic moved on early from Magette, who had spent most of the season on a two-way deal, the team may have felt it had to move quickly to lock up Clark. Perhaps he had a two-way contract offer on the table from another team and had to make a decision on it by Wednesday’s two-way signing deadline.
Clark became a free agent last week when he was waived by the Rockets before his 2019/20 salary became guaranteed. After emerging as a rotation player as a rookie in Houston last season, the 25-year-old saw his minutes reduced down the stretch in 2018/19 and didn’t have a major role in ’19/20 either. In total, he appeared in 69 games for the Rockets over two seasons, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.3 RPG with a .348/.312/.929 shooting line in 12.4 minutes per contest.
Clark’s new 10-day contract will run through January 23, giving him a chance to be active for up to five games with the Magic. He’ll help provide frontcourt depth with Jonathan Isaac and Al-Farouq Aminu on the shelf.
Central Notes: Drummond, Lue, Cavs, Bulls, Rose
It appears likely that the Pistons will ultimately make a deal involving Andre Drummond before the trade deadline, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. However, teams aren’t offering first-round picks right now for the big man, per Edwards, who notes that initial talks between the Pistons and Hawks only involved expiring contracts.
While those offers seem likely to improve by February 6, it still remains unclear how much teams will be willing to give the Pistons for a player who could be had in free agency this summer. Edwards examines a few rumored suitors, arguing that the Hawks and Hornets make more sense than clubs like the Knicks, Celtics, and Cavaliers.
As Edwards explains, both Atlanta and Charlotte will have plenty of cap flexibility to sign Drummond this offseason, but haven’t historically been popular destinations for free agents. Giving up an asset for the Pistons’ center now and getting him familiar with the organization for a few months before free agency could give those clubs a leg up on a long-term deal in the summer, Edwards writes.
As we wait to see what happens with Drummond, here’s more from around the Central:
- Now a top assistant for the Clippers, Tyronn Lue admits that he wishes he were still the Cavaliers‘ head coach, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Yeah, I do,” Lue said after a long pause. “What I tried to build there, I think the culture I tried to set … I thought we could do it together. Koby (Altman) being a young GM, me being a young coach, having young players. I won a championship there, so you have a chance and an opportunity to do something different, and you should have that leeway to be able to go through a couple challenging years. To win a championship and go to the Finals should buy you a little time, you would think.”
- The Bulls‘ first half didn’t play out like the team had hoped, but head coach Jim Boylen insists there have been positive signs of progress over the last three months, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago details. “I’m not discouraged. I’m kind of excited that we have established some things,” Boylen said. “Our shot profile is top-five in the league. Our defense on any given day is between five and nine, top-10 in the league. That’s what we’re building. And we’ll continue to work.”
- Derrick Rose has been one of the Pistons‘ most valuable players this season and is helping the team stay competitive, but head coach Dwane Casey doesn’t want the veteran guard playing 30+ minutes per night, as he has recently. Chris McCosky of The Detroit News takes a look at Casey’s dilemma.
Checking In On 2020’s Protected First-Round Picks
We’re nearly at the halfway mark of the 2019/20 NBA regular season, with several teams having already played their 41st game. As such, it’s a good time to check in on the traded 2020 first-round picks that have protections on them to get a sense of whether or not those protections will be applied this year.
Of this year’s 30 first-round selections, 10 have been traded, and all 10 have some form of protection on them. In other words, the ’19/20 standings will dictate whether or not those first-rounders actually change hands in 2020.
Here’s our latest look at which of those picks are safe bets to move, which ones will likely be retained, and which ones are still up in the air:
Likely to change hands:
- Bucks acquiring Pacers‘ pick (top-14 protected)
- Celtics acquiring Bucks‘ pick (top-7 protected)
- Nets acquiring Sixers‘ pick (top-14 protected)
- Thunder acquiring Nuggets‘ pick (top-10 protected)
It’s safe to say at this point that the Pacers (25-15), Bucks (35-6), Sixers (25-16), and Nuggets (27-12) aren’t missing the playoffs this season, which means their traded first-round picks, which range from lottery-protected to top-7 protected, will be on the move.
Currently, the Milwaukee and Denver picks project to fall near the end of the first round, while the Philadelphia and Indiana selections could end up in the late-teens or early-20s, as our Reverse Standings show.
Unlikely to change hands:
- Grizzlies acquiring Jazz‘ pick (1-7, 15-30 protected)
- Nets acquiring Warriors‘ pick (top-20 protected)
The Warriors (9-32) keeping their first-round pick is the safest bet on the board. Not only will that first-rounder land within the top 20, but it appears likely to be a top-five selection. Brooklyn will see the value of that asset decline significantly when it’s officially protected this year, receiving a 2025 second-round pick in place of that first-rounder.
Meanwhile, the Jazz (27-12) would have to finish out of the playoffs for the Grizzlies to get their first-rounder this year. That was always unlikely to happen, even before Utah’s recent hot streak. The protections on that pick will roll over to 2021 and will be identical next year (1-7 and 15-30).
Still up in the air:
- Celtics acquiring Grizzlies‘ pick (top-6 protected)
- Hawks acquiring Nets‘ pick (top-14 protected)
- Pelicans acquiring Cavaliers‘ pick (top-10 protected)
- Sixers acquiring Thunder‘s pick (top-20 protected)
Usually by this point in the season, we have a reasonably clear idea of which draft picks will be protected, but these four first-rounders are still very much up in the air.
The Thunder (23-17) weren’t considered a probable playoff team entering the season, but they’re comfortably holding the seventh seed in the West for now and project to have the No. 18 pick. Another winning streak or two could move that pick outside the top 20, which would be good news for the Sixers. If the pick is protected this year and Oklahoma City keeps it, Philadelphia would instead receive second-rounders in 2022 and 2023.
Like OKC, the Grizzlies (18-22) are defying modest expectations and hold one of the final playoff spots in the West. If they keep playing like this, there’s no chance their pick will end up in the top six, so it would be sent to the Celtics. But if Memphis doesn’t make the playoffs, there’s always a chance the lottery could push that selection into the top four, where the Grizzlies would keep it. In that scenario, Memphis would owe Boston its unprotected 2021 first-round pick.
The Nets (18-20) are the eighth seed in the East for the time being, and would send their lottery-protected to Atlanta as long as they hang onto a playoff spot. The Hawks would be happy for the Nets to stay where they are, resulting in the No. 16 overall pick. If Brooklyn slips out of the playoff picture and hangs onto its protected first-rounder, Atlanta would almost certainly receive a less valuable pick in 2021 when Kevin Durant returns and makes the Nets a more dangerous team.
Finally, it may seem safe to assume that the Cavaliers (12-28) will keep their top-10 protected pick, but we’re not writing that in pen yet. Even though the Cavs currently have the NBA’s fourth-worst record, only 3.5 games separate them from the 15-24 Timberwolves, who are the league’s 11th-worst team. I expect Cleveland to continue losing as the team shops its veterans, but there are enough bad teams in the NBA that hanging onto their pick can’t quite be considered a lock.
Nuggets Notes: Beasley, Hernangomez, Grant
After a breakout year in 2018/19, it has been an up-and-down season for Malik Beasley in 2019/20. The Nuggets‘ swingman has been in and out of the team’s rotation — for instance, he got a DNP-CD in last Monday’s win before playing 26 minutes in a win on Wednesday. While Beasley would like to have a more regular role, he’s trying to make the most of the opportunities he gets, as Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post details.
“I wish it (playing time) was consistent, that’s just me as a player,” Beasley said after last Wednesday’s game. “But I’m happy to contribute to the team and get a win, that’s the most important thing that comes out of every day.”
After acquiring Jerami Grant and getting a healthy Michael Porter Jr. back for this season, the Nuggets have made an already-deep rotation even deeper, resulting in a decline in minutes for some players. Head coach Michael Malone said he understands Beasley’s frustration and admitted that the fourth-year swingman isn’t wrong to believe he should have a bigger role.
“Malik Beasley is sitting there saying, ‘I should be playing more,'” Malone said. “You know what? He’s right. I can’t argue that.”
Beasley, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, has been the subject of some trade speculation this season, since he still has long-term value and could be included in a package if Denver makes a play for another impact player. For now, he’ll make the most of the minutes he gets with the Nuggets.
Here’s more out of Denver:
- Beasley isn’t the only RFA-to-be who could be on the trade block in Denver. Mike Singer and Mark Kizsla of The Denver Post make a case for why the Nuggets should seriously consider trading Juan Hernangomez in advance of this year’s deadline. Like Beasley, Hernangomez has had his role dialed back this season, averaging just 11.9 minutes per game after playing 19.4 MPG in 2018/19.
- In a separate article for The Denver Post, Mike Singer looks at how the Nuggets built what they believe is one of the strongest locker rooms in the NBA.
- Jerami Grant showed on Sunday with his defense on Kawhi Leonard why the Nuggets made him their big offseason acquisition last summer, writes Eric Spyropoulos of Nuggets.com.
- In case you missed it on Friday, we noted that the Nuggets are one of several teams around the NBA with an open 15-man roster spot.
Poll: Who Will Be Biggest Name Traded This Season?
No superstars are expected to change teams at this season’s trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean that former All-Stars or even All-NBA players won’t be on the move in the coming weeks.
Five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward Kevin Love is among the players whose name has frequently come up in trade rumors in recent months. And while Love’s overall value to a franchise is up for debate as a result of his $30MM-per-year long-term price tag, the Cavaliers‘ veteran remains a positive contributor on the court, averaging a double-double (16.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG) with a three-point percentage north of 37% for the fifth time in his career.
Love isn’t the only All-Star big man in the Eastern Conference who looks like a realistic trade candidate. The Pistons have reportedly shopped Andre Drummond, a two-time All-Star who is leading the NBA in rebounding for a third consecutive season, with 15.9 RPG. Like Love, Drummond’s value is complicated by his contract situation – he can opt out this summer – but he’s still one of the league’s best traditional big men.
2019 All-Star D’Angelo Russell is a trade candidate, though the Warriors may be more likely to consider a move during the summer. LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Chris Paul, and Jrue Holiday have earned a combined 21 All-Star berths and 15 All-NBA nods, and have been at least mentioned in passing in trade rumors, but the Spurs and Pelicans remain in the playoff hunt in the West, and probably aren’t looking to trade their stars. The Thunder, meanwhile, firmly hold a playoff spot and might have trouble getting fair value for CP3’s contract even if they wanted to move him.
If none of those players end up changing teams, players like Marcus Morris, Kyle Kuzma, or Evan Fournier could be headliners at this year’s trade deadline.
On the other hand, if 2020 is anything like 2018 and 2019, it’s possible we’ll get an out-of-nowhere blockbuster that involves a bigger name later this month. Blake Griffin was acquired by the Pistons on January 29, 2018, while Kristaps Porzingis was sent to the Mavericks on January 31, 2019. Neither player was widely known to be on the trade block when those deals were made.
With the February 6 trade deadline inching closer, we want to get your two cents on who will be the biggest-name player dealt this season. Will it be Love? Drummond? Holiday? Russell? A lesser player? Or an even bigger-name star who hasn’t been at the center of many rumors so far?
Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!
Who will be the biggest-name player traded this season?
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Andre Drummond (Pistons) 37% (854)
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Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 25% (584)
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Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) 7% (156)
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Someone else 7% (154)
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D'Angelo Russell (Warriors) 6% (132)
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DeMar DeRozan (Spurs) 5% (107)
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Jrue Holiday (Pelicans) 4% (85)
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Marcus Morris (Knicks) 4% (85)
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LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) 3% (66)
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Chris Paul (Thunder) 3% (61)
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Evan Fournier (Magic) 1% (31)
Total votes: 2,315
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Heat Notes: Winslow, Haslem, Silva
After missing a month due to a bone bruise in his back, Heat forward Justise Winslow returned to action last Wednesday, logging 16 minutes against Indiana. However, he complained of discomfort after the game and has been back on the shelf since then, having returned to Miami before the club’s road trip was finished.
According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, the decision to send him Winslow early was made by the team, rather than the player. However, it was not disciplinary in any way — the Heat simply wanted to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment process for Winslow, who is consulting with a specialist regarding his back injury.
Now that the Heat are back in Miami following Sunday’s loss in New York, head coach Erik Spoelstra expects to have more information soon on Winslow’s latest setback, Jackson writes.
“He’s going to shut it down a little bit, but he’s taking it well. He’s in the right state of mind,” Derrick Jones said of his Heat teammate. “He was good with (leaving the road trip early). He’s going home to get better and healthy.”
Here’s more out of Miami:
- Udonis Haslem hasn’t officially announced that this will be his final NBA season, but Dwyane Wade‘s upcoming three-day jersey retirement proceedings got the big man thinking about what his own farewell would look like, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “I mean, mine’s going to go forever, because I’m from there,” the Miami native said, joking that he’ll need at least a week. “I haven’t even thought about it. I just saw that he got two or three days. Mine’s going to be parties in a lot of different areas of Miami when I retire.”
- In a separate mailbag article, Winderman explores whether the current Heat roster is built to win in the playoffs, given its reliance on young players like Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson.
- As we relayed earlier today, the Heat and Chris Silva have reached an agreement on a three-year deal that they’ll finalize on Tuesday. Andre Fernandez of The Athletic tweets that the contract will be fully guaranteed for the rest of this year and next season, but not for 2021/22.
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Injury Updates: Holiday, Zion, George, Towns
Reinforcements are on the way soon for the Pelicans, who have been without their most talented backcourt player (Jrue Holiday) for the last four games and their most talented frontcourt player (Zion Williamson) for the entire season.
According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link), Holiday isn’t expected to play on Monday night in Detroit, but Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry sounded optimistic that the veteran guard will be ready to go on Thursday against Utah.
Meanwhile, Williamson – who was playing 3-on-3 after shootaround this morning with Holiday and Pelicans staffers – is inching closer to making his NBA debut. According to veteran NBA writer Mitch Lawrence (Twitter link), there’s a chance that could happen as early as Thursday, depending on how practice goes this week for Zion.
As we wait for an update from New Orleans on the season’s most-anticipated debut, let’s round up a few more injury-related items…
- Paul George, who has missed the Clippers‘ last two games due to a hamstring injury, is expected to be re-evaluated early this week, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. George aggravated the left hamstring issue in a practice last Wednesday.
- Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns won’t be back to action on Monday night, but it sounds like that’s more a result of an illness than his knee injury, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. A return appears imminent for Towns, who hasn’t played since December 13.
- After being sidelined for nearly a month with a broken finger, Celtics center Vincent Poirier is available to play on Monday night, tweets Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com.