Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/19/15
Ty Lawson hasn’t impressed in 26 games with the Rockets and if the point guard’s camp has its way, the North Carolina product will be playing for another team before the end of the season. Although Lawson’s trade value has arguably never been lower, he is still a starting-caliber point guard and the Rockets should be able to garner a respectable return if they trade him. So tonight’s shootaround is about finding a new home for the troubled 28-year-old and here’s what I would do if I was sitting in GM Daryl Morey’s chair:
Rumors surfaced earlier in the week that Dwight Howard is unhappy with the current state of the franchise and although the center has since refuted those reports, the team expects him to turn down his player option, which would have paid him slightly more than $23.282MM next season. Signing a 30-year-old center with injury history to a long-term, possibly maximum salaried deal may not be the best option for the franchise, yet neither is losing him to another team in free agency.
The Rockets should attempt to trade both Howard and Lawson and build a new team around James Harden. The Nets were on Howard’s list of suitors when he was pushing for a trade from the Magic back in 2011 and while it’s unclear if Brooklyn remains a preferable destination, GM Billy King has the pieces to make a logical trade.
If Houston sends Howard, Lawson and Corey Brewer, who won’t be eligible to be traded until January 15th, to Brooklyn for Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, who also isn’t eligible to be traded until January 15th, both teams would be better off, even if the Rockets have to include another reserve in the deal to make the salaries align. The Nets would get a new face of the franchise in Howard and a talented point guard in Lawson, who could play beside Jarrett Jack to give the Nets a somewhat exciting backcourt, something they lacked for quite some time. The Rockets would add two proven scoring options to help ease Harden’s burden on the offensive end and they would get younger at the center position. Adding Lopez, whose Player Efficiency Rating is 20.49 this season, would give the team an All-Star whose career is on the same trajectory as Harden’s and they would form a more lethal duo than the Harden-Howard pairing.
The parameters around this trade are purely speculative, as there have been no reports linking the Nets and Rockets in trade discussions.
Be the Rockets’ GM tonight. Let us know what you would do with Lawson and Howard if you were running Houston and tell us what you think about this hypothetical trade. 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 12/18/15
The Bucks were predicted by many to be a force in the Eastern Conference this season after finishing 41-41 a season ago and signing Greg Monroe over the summer. But the franchise has regressed thus far this season, stumbling out of the gate to a record of 10-17 and not looking at all like the budding young powerhouse of a season ago.
When things are going bad for a team everything becomes magnified, and this week Monroe, Khris Middleton, O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee showed up in TMZ Sports videos depicting them in a Los Angeles strip club late at night before the team’s loss to the Lakers this week. Coach Jason Kidd said he didn’t think their partying was a contributing factor to the loss, but, coincidentally or otherwise, the Bucks are reportedly the likely trade destination for veteran leader Caron Butler. The team also reportedly met with free agent Carlos Boozer to discuss a potential contract, as the team looks to add veteran leadership to aid its young core.
This brings me to today’s topic: Should the Bucks add veterans to the roster this season, or stick with the younger players and allow them to develop and mature on their own?
Adding veteran leadership could certainly improve the locker room culture and provide the younger players on the team with role-models, provided they are willing to listen. But the addition of veterans like Boozer and Butler could also cut into the minutes of some members of the team, and that could serve to hinder their on-court development. With this season likely a bust for the Bucks, the argument could be made that the team would be better served to play its younger players as much as possible in an effort to not only develop them, but also to allow the franchise to assess who can be a building block for the future.
But what say you? Should Milwaukee augment its roster with veterans no matter the cost of valuable minutes for the younger players who will be counted on in the seasons ahead? Or do you believe adding veteran leadership can only serve to improve the team in the long-run? 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 12/17/15
A report made by Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops this week relayed that Dwight Howard is “extremely unhappy” being a secondary option to James Harden on the Rockets. Though Howard refuted the report, this is not the first time rumblings of discontent have surfaced regarding the pair, with Fran Blinebury of NBA.com relaying that members of each player’s camp went into the 2014 offseason “whispering” about their desire to get rid of the other.
Houston entered the 2015/16 season with its eyes firmly set on contending for a title, but the team hasn’t meshed, and that cost Kevin McHale his job as coach. There’s no denying that both Harden and Howard are extremely talented players, but neither has the reputation of making their teammates around them better, which is likely part of the Rockets’ woes this campaign. Howard can opt out of his deal at the end of this season and become an unrestricted free agent, while Harden still has two more seasons remaining on his pact beyond this one.
This brings me to the topic for today: Can James Harden and Dwight Howard form an effective tandem for the long term, or should the Rockets consider dealing one or both players?
Do you think Houston should continue to build around the duo, or is it time to tear down the roster and begin anew? If you believe that keeping the two players together is not the answer, which one should the franchise look to retain? Who do you believe is more to blame for the discord? 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 12/16/15
The Heat have made a significant investment in combo guard Goran Dragic. First by giving up two future first-round picks to acquire him from the Suns, then by re-signing him to a five-year, $85MM contract as a free agent this past summer. Things haven’t quite worked out as Miami envisioned when it decided to pair Dragic alongside Dwyane Wade in the backcourt, and the team hasn’t found much consistency this season despite the strong play it is receiving from Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. Dragic has looked remarkably tentative on the court, and the Heat’s offense has run more smoothly when Wade and Dragic haven’t shared the floor.
This brings me to the topic for today: Can the backcourt of Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic flourish, or will Miami need to make a change?
Do you think the duo are merely experiencing a temporary downturn and will pick up their play as the season progresses, or are the two players’ games not a good match? If you believe a change needs to be made, then let’s hear your best solutions to the problem. 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 12/15/15
Lakers coach Byron Scott plans on continuing his strategy of limiting the minutes of the team’s younger players despite the team’s poor record, according to Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Scott’s philosophy has not been met with unanimous enthusiasm by fans of the team, nor the front office, which acknowledged the conflict between Kobe Bryant’s high usage and the need for young players like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to see minutes and touches. Morales also noted that part of the team’s plan is to use Bryant as an example of the sort of work ethic they want their young players to adopt.
This brings me to today’s topic: What is your opinion of Byron Scott’s player usage thus far this season?
The argument could be made that Scott is paid to win basketball games, and since part of his job security is tied to his won-loss record, he should play who he believes gives him the best chance to win. Plus, with Bryant in his last season, should the team not try and milk the farewell tour for all that it’s worth? After all, he is making $25MM for the season, so Los Angeles may as well let him work for it. Of course, the other side of the debate is that the franchise needs to do all it can to develop its young assets. This will not only help in identifying areas that need to be addressed via the draft and free agency. Plus, I’m sure many Lakers fans would rather see Russell and Randle on the court as much as possible, warts and all.
Which side of the fence do you sit on? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts, opinions or rants against whomever in the Lakers organization you wish. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/14/15
Judging from statistics alone, Kings point guard Rajon Rondo has put himself in line for a major pay day this summer when he becomes a free agent again. Yet throughout his career, there has always been more to Rondo’s story than his unquestionable talent.
Rondo has often been labeled a polarizing figure for his locker room demeanor and questionable decisions off the court. The latest example of this actually happened on the court. Rondo fired a homophobic slur he directed at referee Bill Kennedy during a game on December 3rd. Rondo is paying for his mistake now from the media and fans. He was also suspended by the league for one game.
The poor choice of words could end up costing Rondo more than that. As Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic pointed out earlier today (Twitter link), it wasn’t exactly the best thing to do for a player set for free agency.
That leads us to today’s question: What effect will Rondo’s latest transgression have on his free agency?
Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what you think. We look forward to learning about what you have to share.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/13/15
Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal has said in the past he has no desire to play for any other team as he approaches restricted free agency next summer, even after Washington didn’t sign him to an extension. Yet now Beal is sidelined once again with another leg injury.
The prevailing thought is that Beal will still re-sign with the Wizards in the offseason. After all, the first-round pick in 2012 is still only 22 and is averaging 19.8 points per game this season. But what will be the cost? The Wizards might be able to bring back Beal at a lower rate because of his history of battling injuries. Beal will likely see a minutes restriction when he initially returns to the court, but what happens if Beal’s injury lingers the rest of the season, though? It appeared Beal was in line to receive a max offer at the start of this season, but that might be in jeopardy now.
That leads us to the question for today: What effect will Bradley Beal’s injury history have on his restricted free agency in the summer?
Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what you think. We look forward to learning about what you have to share.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/12/15
The Sixers are reportedly talking to former NBA coach Mike D’Antoni about becoming an associate head coach. D’Antoni has a long relationship with Jerry Colangelo, who joined Philadelphia’s front office this week. With Colangelo and D’Antoni working together both in Phoenix and with USA Basketball, this is an early sign that Colangelo is exerting his newly acquired influence.
D’Antoni has been a head coach with the Nuggets, Suns, Knicks and Lakers, but he doesn’t seem to be a threat to current head coach Brett Brown, who agreed to a two-year contract extension on Friday. Brown is now signed through the end of 2018/19 season, and the front office has expressed support for him despite a 38-149 record since taking over the job before the start of the 2013/14 season.
The Sixers talk often about “trusting the process,” but there are indications that fans, players and even the league is becoming frustrated with the team’s non-competitiveness. The presence of Colangelo in the front office and D’Antoni on the bench would be signs that patience with the process is wearing thin in some circles.
So here’s the topic for today’s Shootaround: Are the Sixers in danger of having too many competing voices, both in the front office and on the bench?
Will Colangelo take too much of the decision making away from GM Sam Hinkie? And would D’Antoni be an experienced complement to Brown or would he give Sixers players the sensation of having two head coaches?
Please share your thoughts and opinions on the subject in the comments section. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/11/15
A report made yesterday by Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops relayed that the Clippers are gauging the interest that other teams have in trading for Jamal Crawford once again. Crawford had been the frequent subject of trade rumors in the offseason, when reports indicated the team explored trading him around draft time and that the Knicks, Heat and Cavs had interest. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports suggested this week that the Clippers remained open to dealing the 35-year-old shooting guard amid a report that the team recently gauged interest in Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith.
Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers denied on multiple occasions in the past few days that he’s spoken to anyone about Stephenson and Smith, and he said in September that he’d be “very surprised” if Crawford doesn’t remain with the team through the rest of the season. Any trade talk the Clippers are engaging in at this point is exploratory, a source told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Crawford is in the final year of his contract, which pays him $5.675MM. It’s unclear if Miami, Cleveland or New York maintains interest in the veteran.
So here’s the topic for today: Should the Clippers look to trade Jamal Crawford, or is he too valuable a commodity to part with?
Do you believe L.A. would be better served to deal Crawford and try to extract some value from his expiring deal? If so, what sort of return can the team realistically expect? If not, why do you believe Crawford should remain a Clipper? 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 12/10/15
The NBA announced on Wednesday that Hornets center Al Jefferson was suspended for five games without pay for a violation of its anti-drug program. He’ll serve the suspension once he returns from the strained left calf that’s kept him out since the end of last month, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Jefferson, a Jeff Schwartz client, is poised to hit free agency in the summer, so the timing of the suspension certainly isn’t ideal for the big man. The 30-year-old is earning $13.5MM this season in the final year of the three-year, $40.5MM contract he signed with Charlotte back in 2013.
This brings me to the topic for today: What impact, if any, do you think Al Jefferson’s drug-related suspension will have on his upcoming free agency?
Do you believe that Jefferson’s wallet will take a hit when he inks his next deal, or are you of the opinion that teams will overlook the suspension because of Jefferson’s talent level? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.