Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/21/16
The Nets thought they had solidified their bench this past summer with the free agent signings of Shane Larkin, Thomas Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani. Unfortunately for the team, and its fanbase, none of those additions has paid much in the way of dividends as of this writing. All four signings were considered low-risk at the time, but NetsDaily opined recently that one or all of these arrangements could potentially hurt the team’s cap flexibility this summer.
All four players were given player options in their deals, and with the struggles of the team and the players, an increasing chance exists that those options will be exercised, according to the NetsDaily scribe. The amounts of the options are listed below:
- Ellington — $1,567,500
- Bargnani — $1,551,659
- Larkin — $1,500,000
- Robinson — $1,050,961
None of these figures would be crippling individually, and even in the worst-case scenario (as posited by NetsDaily) where all four opt in, their salaries would only total $5,670,120. But Brooklyn is bereft of draft picks for the near future and sorely lacking in tradeable talent, so any forward progress will likely need to occur via free agency. The Nets, like most franchises, are likely to aim big when filling out their free agent wish list for this coming offseason. The team is currently projected to possess in the neighborhood of $32MM-$38MM in cap space, a number that includes all four of the aforementioned players.
That amount wouldn’t be sufficient to sign two max salary players, which would likely be required to make the Nets a contender next season. Even if the franchise were lucky enough to entice one top-tier free agent, it wouldn’t leave much cap space to supplement the roster. But if you subtract the four player options, the team would have a bit more in the coffers to restock its talent.
This brings me to the topic for today: Out of the four offseason signees who possess player options (Shane Larkin, Thomas Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani), which, if any, should the Nets look to retain? Why?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/20/16
Rockets center Dwight Howard is widely expected to turn down his player option for next season, which is worth $23,282,457, in pursuit of a long-term deal. Many league executives and agents believe that the NBA’s salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, which is a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season. As a result of this increase there will be significantly more teams with enough available cap space to offer maximum salary deals, something that is not likely lost on Howard and his representatives.
Members of Houston’s front office told Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle prior to the disappointment of the season setting in that they had no intention of letting the big man depart this summer, but GM Daryl Morey said to Smith more recently that he’s not thinking too far in the future at this point. “We’re just focused on this season. So is Dwight,” Morey said. “If … he as a player play[s] like we know he’s capable [of] … all that stuff takes care of itself.”
The Rockets are clinging to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, and even if they do indeed make the playoffs a deep run isn’t likely given the talent present in the West. Howard is having a bit of a down year statistically, but that is due more to him receiving fewer touches in the team’s offense than him performing poorly. At this point in his career, Howard has almost assuredly peaked as a player, and he will likely never again become the dominant force that he was during his time in Orlando.
This brings me to the topic/question for today: Should the Rockets re-sign Dwight Howard to a long-term deal this offseason if the center opts out of his contract?
Houston has the look of a franchise that needs to hit the reset button, and if that is indeed the case, it has to decide if the 30-year-old Howard should be a part of its future. The team currently is projected to have approximately $7MM-$10MM in cap space this summer, a number that includes Howard’s 2016/17 salary. If the team decides to re-sign Howard, provided he opts out, that will prohibit the Rockets from adding a significant piece via free agency unless some salary is cleared via trade. The big man has had injury issues and he’s not likely to grow more durable with age, which makes any long-term deal a risk. But he’s also one of the more talented centers in the league and would be an extremely difficult player to replace.
So what say you? Should the team look to keep Howard no matter the cost, or should the Rockets look to use their cap space in a different manner and let him depart? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/19/16
Mike Conley is one of the top two-way point guards in the league and there’s no doubt he’ll become an extremely rich man this summer.
Conley holds the No. 3 spot in our current 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, behind only superstars Kevin Durant and LeBron James. It would be a shock if James leaves Cleveland for the second time in his career, so Conley could be the most sought-after free agent aside from Durant. Certainly, he tops the list of available floor leaders.
Last week, the New York Post reported that both the Knicks and Nets will be “all over” Conley when he hits the open market. The New York City teams could certainly use an upgrade at that spot.
The Knicks have used the combination of Jose Calderon and rookie Jerian Grant this season. Adding a top-notch point guard to feed the ball to Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis would make them a much more dangerous team in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets are starved for talent, particularly in the backcourt. Conley was their top free agent target as far back as November and it’s unlikely that has changed, even though Conley’s former Grizzlies coach, Lionel Hollins, was fired. They lost journeyman Jarrett Jack to a season-ending injury and are now using the unimposing combination of Donald Sloan and Shane Larkin at that spot.
There will be other suitors out there, with the Kings, Jazz, Bucks, Nuggets and Pacers — just to name a few — potentially seeking an upgrade at that spot.
Conley will be eligible for a projected maximum starting salary of $24.9MM for 2016/17 — based upon the league’s official cap projection of $89MM — and it could be more if the actual cap number rises. However, most teams will have ample cap room to sign a big name free agent and there’s the sign-and-trade option for clubs that don’t have that much to spend.
The favorite to sign Conley is his current team. He recruited Marc Gasol last summer to stay put, so it would be surprising if Conley turned his back on the franchise this summer. The Grizzlies have every intention of re-signing him, though he turned away their offers for an extension last spring because of salary limitations. But Conley does want to see what’s out there, as he told SI’s Chris Mannix this season.
“This is where I’ve had my whole career,” he said. “At the same time I understand this is a business. I have to weigh my options just like [Gasol] did. Hopefully it will be an easy decision, whatever it is.”
This leads us to our question of the day: What team do you think Mike Conley will sign with this summer?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/18/16
The Bulls have gotten plenty of advice since Joakim Noah dislocated his shoulder over the weekend. The injury will sideline the popular veteran for four to six months and may signal the end of his career in Chicago.
Noah was headed for free agency this summer anyway, and nearing age 31, he has seen his role on the team diminish. The ninth-year center out of Florida started just two games this year and is averaging 21.9 minutes of playing time, the lowest since his rookie season. As a result, his numbers across the board — 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game — are down dramatically from his best years.
As soon as the news broke about Noah’s condition, columnists started submitting their prescriptions to fix the Bulls. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com advocated a full-scale roster shakeup that included moving Pau Gasol — who can opt out of his contract in July — before next month’s trade deadline. Steve Rosenbloom of The Chicago Tribune agrees, saying the team should also deal away Derrick Rose if possible. Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com (Insider only) advocated keeping Gasol to give Chicago a shot in this year’s playoffs and predicted more playing time for 6’11” rookie Bobby Portis. Sam Smith of Bulls.com saw the incident as an opportunity for the Bulls to negotiate a short-term deal with Noah while other suitors might be scared away by the injury.
This leads me to today’s question: What would you do if you were running the Bulls instead of Gar Forman and John Paxson?
Would you try to unload as many veterans as possible and rebuild around Jimmy Butler and the younger players? Or would you keep the veteran core in place and make a move to attempt to win this season? And how hard would you try to re-sign Noah when he enters free agency?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/16/16
Job security is a rare thing for NBA coaches, as Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron examined earlier this week. Eight of the 30 teams have changed coaches since the end of last season, and every underachieving team lives with the understanding that its coach could be on the way out.
The Nets‘ Lionel Hollins was the most recent victim, getting fired on Sunday after a 10-27 start. He became the second coach to lose his job this season, following the Rockets‘ Kevin McHale, who was replaced in November following a 4-7 start, even though he led his team to the Western Conference Finals last season.
The Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau and the Pelicans’ Monty Williams were both dismissed during the offseason despite guiding their teams to the playoffs. Other coaches fired over the summer were the Thunder’s Scott Brooks and interim coaches James Borrego in Orlando and Melvin Hunt in Denver. The Wolves turned to Sam Mitchell as their new coach after the death of Flip Saunders in September.
This brings me to the question for today: Which NBA team should be next to make a coaching change?
Philadelphia, the team with the league’s worst record, gave Brett Brown a two-year contract extension in December, so he seems safe. Twelve of the teams in the Eastern Conference are within 2 1/2 games of a playoff spot, so any changes there seem unlikely. That leaves the Nets and the Bucks, who are a disappointing 17-25 and whose coach, Jason Kidd, is on a medical leave of absence after undergoing hip surgery.
Out West, Byron Scott has been on the hot seat as the Lakers have sunk to the bottom of the conference. Jeff Hornacek’s Suns have lost 12 of their last 13 and are now 13-28. The Pelicans got off to a terrible start under new coach Alvin Gentry and are 13-26. George Karl has been through a controversy-filled first season in Sacramento, and the Kings are currently outside the playoffs at 16-23.
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/15/16
Today marks an important date on the NBA calendar, as 26 more players became eligible to be included in trades. January 15th is the date that free agents can be dealt if they re-signed with their teams through Bird rights or Early Bird rights and received a starting salary greater than the league minimum and at least 20% more than what they made last season. Also, this applies only if their teams were over the cap when the signings took place.
There are several names on that list who obviously aren’t going to be moved, such as Jimmy Butler, Marc Gasol, Draymond Green, Reggie Jackson, DeAndre Jordan, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Love and Dwyane Wade. A few others seem likely to stay put but could be moved under the right circumstances, such as Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic, Tobias Harris, Enes Kanter, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton.
At least one newly eligible player has already been the subject of trade rumors. The Rockets have reportedly had serious discussions about moving swingman Corey Brewer to the Suns, along with Terrence Jones, in exchange for Markieff Morris. In Chicago, a slow recovery from offseason back surgery has limited the trade possibilities of the Bulls‘ Mike Dunleavy.
The other names on the list, all of whom are eligible to be traded as of today, are Alexis Ajinca, Lavoy Allen, Patrick Beverley, Norris Cole, Drew Gooden, Danny Green, Brandon Knight, Austin Rivers, Iman Shumpert and Kyle Singler.
That brings me to today’s topics: Which of these offseason signees would benefit most from a change of scenery? Or if you prefer, who on the list would have been better off signing with a different team in the first place?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/14/16
Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal acknowledged that he’ll “probably” have to deal with a minutes limit for the rest of his career as he continues to have trouble with injuries, according to TNT’s David Aldridge and J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Concern about his health reportedly played a role in Washington’s part of a mutual decision not to extend Beal’s rookie scale contract this past fall, though Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported at the time that the Wizards were planning to offer Beal a new maximum-salary contract when he hits restricted free agency in July.
Beal is only 22 years old, so any possibility of an injury that will hinder him for the remainder of his career is alarming, especially for the team that will sign his paychecks. The fourth-year pro missed 26 games his rookie season, nine the next year and 19 last year with various ailments, though it was a high right ankle sprain Beal played through as a rookie that led to the stress reaction he’s dealing with now, according to Michael’s report.
Washington appeared to have every intention of re-signing Beal for the maximum this summer when he is eligible to become a restricted free agent. The Mark Bartelstein client will be able to negotiate with other teams, but the Wizards can match any offer sheet he were to agree to. Beal could also simply sign his qualifying offer, which would be worth about $7.471MM, and hit unrestricted free agency the following offseason, but that would entail a significant discount from his projected maximum salary of $20.4MM for next season. But these choices are dependent upon Washington still being willing to pony up a max offer, or to match another team’s offer sheet worth that amount, which isn’t necessarily a given at this point.
This brings me to the topic/question for today: In light of Bradley Beal’s potential minutes cap and increased risk of injury, should the Wizards follow through with their intent to ink him to a max salary deal?
It was debatable prior to Beal’s minutes cap statement whether or not he was worthy of a max contract, but this latest news certainly makes the Wizards’ decision regarding him much more difficult. Do you feel that the franchise should still take the gamble and lock down Beal for the long term, regardless of the injury concerns? If so, what sort of contract do you believe would be fair for both parties? Or are you a pessimist who believes that the young swingman is no longer worth the risk and that the Wizards should allow him to explore the free agent market, even if it means potentially losing Beal to another team? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/13/16
Warriors interim coach Luke Walton, the NBA’s Western Conference Coach of the Month for November, has guided the Warriors to a 36-2 while Steve Kerr continues to recover from two back surgeries, which is quite impressive given Walton’s relative inexperience as a coach [Edit: the Warriors lost Wednesday to fall to 36-3]. To be fair, he did inherit a roster that won the NBA title a season ago, but nevertheless, Walton has done remarkable work this season, especially considering that he’s just three years removed from his playing days and was thrust into his role with little warning or prep time.
The 35-year-old has expressed an interest in formally becoming a head coach some day, though it’s “nothing I’m trying to rush into,” as he told Ben Golliver of SI.com in November. Walton is likely to be a hot commodity this offseason for teams seeking a new head coach, and the Nets are reportedly eyeing him as they seek a long-term replacement for the fired Lionel Hollins, sources informed Sam Amico of Amico Hoops and Fox Sports Ohio. While the Brooklyn post may not be ideal given the team’s current state and lack of future draft picks, the Nets do happen to have just $45MM in guaranteed salaries against a projected $89MM cap committed for next season. While the franchise may not have much in the way of talent to sell top tier free agents on, the presence of Walton could be an asset when recruiting.
This brings me to the topic/question for today: Would hiring Luke Walton as coach be the right move for the Nets, or should the team look to add a more experienced leader?
There’s no doubt that Walton has done an excellent job holding the team together in Kerr’s absence, but the question still remains as to whether or not Walton is merely a caretaker in Kerr’s absence, or if he is actively making the roster better with his coaching talents. Would the Nets be a good fit for Walton, as well as Walton for the Nets? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/12/16
The window to cast votes for the the 2015/16 NBA All-Star game closes on January 18th, and the starters for both conferences will be announced on Thursday, January 21st. The league revealed the latest standings this past Thursday, and Kobe Bryant, who is set to retire at season’s end, leads all players in fan votes by a solid margin. While it may be virtually impossible to argue that Bryant deserves to be an All-Star, much less a starter, based on his play this season, the All-Star game is an exhibition for the fans, and by that standard the Mamba should certainly deserve an invite.
The inclusion of Bryant will likely mean that a more deserving player, based on performance this season, will be watching at home rather than participating. But this is hardly a unique situation, and deserving players are omitted every season. Such are the difficulties in playing in a talent-laden league like the NBA. The All-Star game is also a fan-driven event, and as a result there are occasionally some players voted in due to their popularity who haven’t quite performed like All-Stars. This makes for an opportune time to segue into the question/topic for today:
Which Eastern Conference frontcourt player listed below is the LEAST deserving of All-Star consideration?
Listed below, courtesy of the NBA’s official press release, are the top frontcourt vote recipients along with their vote totals:
- LeBron James (Cavaliers) — 636,388
- Paul George (Pacers) — 457,554
- Andre Drummond (Pistons) — 261,158
- Carmelo Anthony (Knicks) 255,536
- Pau Gasol (Bulls) 209,006
- Chris Bosh (Heat) 194,429
- Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 172,517
- Hassan Whiteside (Heat) 168,549
- Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) 160,170
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 48,768
- Jonas Valanciunas (Raptors) 30,023
- Marcin Gortat (Wizards) 27,185
- Joakim Noah (Bulls) 23,121
- DeMarre Carroll (Raptors) 22,797
- Paul Millsap (Hawks) 21,625
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/11/16
No team has endured a more disappointing season than the Pelicans.
A glance at the bottom of the conference standings yields few surprises. Teams such as the Sixers, Nets, Lakers, Timberwolves and Suns weren’t expected to make any noise, either because they’re in rebuilding mode or they simply don’t have enough talent. That wasn’t the case with New Orleans, which appeared to be on the rise after making a playoff appearance last season.
Superstar Anthony Davis signed an extension and the Pelicans kept their core group intact, with the expectation they would continue to build chemistry after winning 45 regular-season games. Veteran coach Alvin Gentry was hired away from the NBA champion Warriors to get the franchise to the next level.
Instead of another jump in the standings, the Pelicans have floundered throughout the first 35 games of the season, recording just 11 victories and possessing the Western Conference’s second-worst record.
Injuries are partially to blame. Tyreke Evans has missed about half of the team’s games, Jrue Holiday was eased back into action after a couple of injury-plagued seasons and Davis has sat out all or most of six games with assorted issues. Then came word on Monday that Quincy Pondexter, who hasn’t played this season but was expected back this month, will need season-ending surgery.
That still doesn’t explain away the team’s woeful showing during the first half of the season. The Pelicans rank in the bottom third of the league in defensive field-goal percentage and rebounding, and in the middle of the pack offensively in adjusted field-goal percentage.
New Orleans has four other players besides Davis averaging at least 12.9 points per game — Ryan Anderson, Evans, Eric Gordon and Holiday — yet none has emerged as the clearcut No. 2 option. Anderson and Gordon become unrestricted free agents after the season, with Anderson generally considered to be the team’s most movable piece if they decide to make a significant trade before the February deadline.
Adding to the intrigue is that the Pelicans are reportedly interested in hiring NBA Hall of Famer and longtime Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars for a major front office role.
This leads us to our question of the day: What is the Pelicans’ biggest need in order to reverse their downward spiral and become a perennial playoff contender?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.