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Community Shootaround: Pistons’ Fast Start

November 6th, 2017 at 8:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran power forward Anthony Tolliver knows that the Pistons’ 7-3 start doesn’t mean much in the long run.

“It’s part of 82 games. We’ve got to keep doing it,” he said. “Just one game at a time and don’t get ahead of ourselves. Don’t get too confident, but also using this confidence knowing that whoever we play against we have a chance and we can win and we can beat anybody.”

Suffice to say, though, that no one predicted Detroit would lead the Cavaliers by three games in the standings at any point this season. The Pistons, who are off to their best 10-game beginning since 2008, have only qualified for the playoffs once in the last eight seasons. Cleveland will eventually get its act together but there are signs that the Pistons’ start is not a fluke.

They have posted some quality wins and shown the ability to erase double-digit deficits. That included a road triumph against the Warriors, even though the Pistons were playing the second end of a back-to-back.

Center Andre Drummond, their franchise player, has returned with a renewed focus and looks like an All-Star again after a subpar season. He’s even making his free throws (75%).

Point guard Reggie Jackson, slowed by a knee injury a year ago, looks healthy and is running the offense efficiently (3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio). Tobias Harris is shooting with confidence from the perimeter, averaging nearly 20 PPG, while Stanley Johnson has provided a defensive presence at small forward.

Detroit’s major offseason acquisition, Avery Bradley, has impacted the team at both ends. The shooting guard’s tenacious defense has rubbed off on his new teammates and his steady offensive output has been a major upgrade over the inconsistent player he replaced, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Coach Stan Van Gundy has so many solid bench options that he’s struggling to decide who should be in the rotation.

Of course, things could change in a hurry, as the Pistons don’t have the talent to beat many teams unless they’re at their best. They proved that with a road loss to the Lakers and a home loss to the Sixers.

They also have no viable options if Drummond suffers a significant injury. They lost Aron Baynes in free agency and are using power forward Jon Leuer and a summer-league addition, Eric Moreland, as his backups.

This brings us to our question of the day: Will the Pistons make the playoffs this season or is their quick start a mirage?

Please weigh in on this topic in the comments section. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Veterans Eligible For Extensions Until June 30

November 6th, 2017 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Rookie scale extensions have historically been the most common form of contract extension in the NBA. Veteran extensions are signed occasionally, but few players are eligible to receive them due to restrictive regulations — and for many of those extension-eligible vets, it simply makes more sense to wait until free agency to maximize their earnings.

The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement has loosened the rules on eligibility for veteran contract extensions, and has also made them a little more financially advantageous for players who don’t expect mega-deals.

For stars like DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George, who are currently eligible for veteran extensions, it still makes sense to wait until free agency, since the maximum raise they can receive on an extension is far below the maximum salary they’re eligible to get on the open market. However, the new rules have made veteran extensions more viable for a number of players. As our extension tracker shows, six of the 10 contract extensions signed during the 2017/18 league year were veteran deals, including three Designated Veteran Extensions.

Once the regular season starts, the number of veterans eligible for contract extensions shrinks, since players with more than one year left on their contracts are no longer permitted to extend their deals. But there are a number of veterans in the final year of their respective contracts who remain eligible for extensions right up until June 30, the last day of the current league year.

Listed below are the players who meet the criteria for a veteran extension. Players who were recently traded can be extended, but they have to wait for six months after the trade to sign a contract longer than three total years (including the current season). So if a player below is noted as having “limited” eligibility until a certain date, that’s probably why. Once those six months pass, he’s eligible to sign a contract of up to five years (including the current season).

Additionally, extension-eligible players with a player or team option for 2018/19 would have to eliminate that option year as part of an extension agreement in order to meet the necessary criteria.

Here’s the full list of veterans eligible for contract extensions until June 30:

Atlanta Hawks

  • None

Boston Celtics

  • None

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

  • None

Chicago Bulls

  • None

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • None

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

  • None

Golden State Warriors

  • None

Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

  • None

Milwaukee Bucks

  • None

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

  • Enes Kanter (if 2018/19 player option is declined)
    • Note: Extension eligibility limited until March 25.
  • Kyle O’Quinn (if 2018/19 player option is declined)

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

  • None

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

  • None

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

  • None

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

  • None

Information from ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

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59 Of 60 Two-Way Contract Slots Filled

November 6th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Twenty-nine of the NBA’s 30 teams have filled both of their two-way contract slots early in the 2017/18 season, as our two-way tracker shows. The Hawks were the latest team to sign their second two-way player, inking Tyler Cavanaugh to a new deal over the weekend. Currently, the Timberwolves are the only club without two players on two-way contracts — former Lakers guard Anthony Brown is their only two-way signee.

It’s not clear why the Timberwolves have held off on filling their second two-way slot, but it may be about maintaining flexibility. Because two-way players are eligible to be on the active NBA roster for up to 45 days, a player who signs a two-way contract can immediately contribute to the NBA team if needed.

The Hawks’ addition of Cavanaugh on Sunday was a good example of this — shortly after signing with Atlanta, Cavanaugh made his NBA debut, helping to provide some frontcourt depth for a team that was missing Ersan Ilyasova, Miles Plumlee, and Mike Muscala. The Wolves have a healthier roster, but if they get hit hard by the injury bug at a certain position, having that open two-way slot will allow the club to add immediate help without making changes to its NBA roster.

Two-way contracts are still in the infancy stages, so it has been interesting to monitor how teams are using them so far. While some clubs opted to immediately send their two-way players to the G League for further development and seasoning, other teams have had to lean heavily on their two-way players. Mike James, for instance, doesn’t even have a standard NBA contract yet, despite the fact that he has been the Suns‘ starting point guard since Eric Bledsoe was sent home.

James is rapidly using up the 45 days he’s allowed to be with the NBA team. Assuming he’s not transferred to the G League, the Suns will be forced to make a decision on him right around the end of November. Two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA deals, but Phoenix would have to trade or cut someone to create room. While Bledsoe would, of course, be the obvious candidate, things could get more complicated if the Suns end up trading Bledsoe for a package that returns two or three players.

Rockets point guard Demetrius Jackson (eight games), Mavericks guard Gian Clavell (six games), Pacers forward Alex Poythress (five games), and Hawks guard Josh Magette (five games) are among the other players on two-way contracts who have already appeared in several NBA games and are progressing toward their 45-day limit.

It will be worth watching over the course of the season to see the approach teams take with their two-way players. Will players whose 45-day clocks start running out be converted to standard NBA contracts, or will they simply be sent back to the G League to retain them on the current deals? And now that the G League season is underway, will teams begin turning over their two-way slots more frequently if they don’t like what they see from their two-way players in starring G League roles? Stay tuned.

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Community Shootaround: Regrading Offseason Deals

November 5th, 2017 at 10:50pm CST by Austin Kent

The solid play of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis has had many a sportswriter publishing stories about how the Pacers may have actually handled the Paul George saga pretty well, after all.

So far this season, the former has averaged 25.6 points per game while the latter has added an impressive 13.2 and 10.6 boards of his own.

Add in the fact that Oladipo is still just 25 years old and that Sabonis is merely 21 and it looks as though Indian’s president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard drew a more than reasonable yield for his disgruntled star.

Of course George isn’t the only star who was traded this offseason, we also saw Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler change teams.

Are there any other situations where the first three weeks of the NBA season have fans and writers reconsidering their hot takes from the summer? Do we, for example, give John Paxson and Gar Forman more credit for landing Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine for Butler than we did when the deal first went down?

Does the current state of the Cavs (or the Nets, for that matter) impact how we grade the Irving swap?

It’s important not to get carried away with the small sample size but the early returns are intriguing to say the least. What offseason transactions have you changed your tune about since the season began? Weigh in below!

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Weekly Mailbag: 10/30/17 – 11/5/17

November 5th, 2017 at 12:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.

Do you think the superb performance of Victor Oladipo makes the trade for Paul George seem not so bad and lopsided after all? — Greg Dizon

Not only has Oladipo been a surprise, so has Domantas Sabonis, which has quickly changed the public perception of the deal. It seemed like the Pacers were trying to get anything of value for a departing star when they shipped George to Oklahoma City, but they appear to have landed two promising additions to a young foundation. Oladipo is an early candidate for Most Improved Player, ranking 10th in the scoring race at 24.6 points per game. Sabonis filled in nicely at center while Myles Turner was recovering from a concussion, averaging a double-double with 13.2 points and 10.6 points per night. Give the Pacers’ new management team credit for this one. They were able to make the best of a difficult situation.

The Miami Heat have pieces, all sorts of them. They seem to have the sort of depth that is better suited for a trade than for merely holding onto. What, if any, type of move do you see Pat Riley making? — Rion Golden

Riley has a philosophy of chasing “the big fish,” so there probably won’t be a significant move until one of those becomes available. Eric Bledsoe doesn’t seem like a big enough name, and Jahlil Okafor certainly isn’t, so expect Riley to hold onto his assets until he can pursue someone he really wants, like possibly DeMarcus Cousins if things don’t go well in New Orleans. Miami is far over the cap for next season and doesn’t have any draft picks next summer, so trades are the only way for the Heat to improve quickly. Riley will go after someone, but he will be patient.

I agree he shouldn’t be on the top 20 list [of available free agents for 2018], but will Dante Exum garner much free agency interest? He has lost two years, but is a tall, athletic point guard. — Jimmy Robinson, via Twitter

Because of injuries, we never really found out how good Exum can be. He played a full season for Utah as a rookie in 2014/15, but has only appeared in 66 games since then. He has good size for a point guard at 6’6″, but only averages 2.1 assists per game and is a poor shooter [.385 from the field and .308 from 3-point range]. Plus he’s coming off his second major injury, a separated left shoulder that required season-surgery. Exum should get an opportunity somewhere next season, but he may have to accept a minimum-salary deal and start proving that he can play in the NBA.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 10/28/17 – 11/4/17

November 4th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our segments and features from the past seven days:

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NBA G League Affiliate Players For 2017/18

November 3rd, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the offseason and preseason, NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players, but that total must be cut down to 15 (plus two two-way players) in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams prior to the season can be designated as “affiliate players” and assigned to their G League squads.

The players have a say in this decision — if they’d prefer to sign with a team overseas, or if they get an opportunity with another NBA club, they’re under no obligation to become affiliate players. Most NBA and international teams have fairly set rosters by late October though, so having the opportunity to continue playing in the same system appeals to many of those preseason cuts. Especially since they’ll continue to be NBA free agents while they play in the G League.

There are a few other rules related to G League affiliate players. A player whose returning rights are held by a G League team can’t be an affiliate player for another club, which is why undrafted free agents from the current year are commonly signed and assigned.

Additionally, an affiliate player must have signed with his team during the current league year, which explains why we often see players signed and quickly waived in the days leading up to the regular season. And, of course, not every NBA team has a G League affiliate, so there are four teams with no place to send affiliate players.

With all that in mind, here are the NBA G League affiliate players to start the 2017/18 season, per the league’s official site:

Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers)

Austin Spurs (Spurs)

Canton Charge (Cavaliers)

Delaware 87ers (Sixers)

Read more

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Fantasy Hoops: Simmons, Dunn, Irving

November 3rd, 2017 at 11:57am CST by ChrisCrouse

Jonathon Simmons took an unconventional path to the NBA, grinding through the G League before landing a deal with the Spurs. Simmons enjoyed success in San Antonio, thriving as both a complementary piece and as a top dog when stepping up for the team during Kawhi Leonard‘s absence in last season’s playoffs.Jonathon Simmons vertical

The fit and versatility led many to believe the at-the-time restricted free agent would be part of the organization’s long-term future. However, the Spurs surprisingly allowed Simmons to become an unrestricted free agent and the Texas native inked a three year, $20MM deal with Orlando.

The Magic are one of the league’s top early-season surprises, powered by a change in offensive strategy and a Simmons-led second-unit. The team ranks third in the league in pace, adding nearly six possessions per game over their 2016/17 totals, and Simmons’ slice of the offense has made him a fantasy darling.

He’s a contributor in many categories, scoring 15.8 points per game while shooting 52.4% from the field. He’s chipping in 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and nearly a steal per contest. He owns the highest usage rate among those in the team’s rotation and coach Frank Vogel’s confidence in him suggests his role is not in question.

“He has earned the trust. You know, when we put the ball in his hands, typically, he makes good things happen,” Vogel said of the team’s top offseason signee.

Simmons is owned in 34% of ESPN leagues, a figure that should be much higher. Check your waiver wire and scoop him up if your league-mates have been neglecting this fantasy asset.

Here’s more fantasy notes and analysis from around the league:

  • While the Jimmy Butler trade initially appeared to be a lopsided transaction, Kris Dunn‘s progress will go a long way toward overturning that notion. Dunn sat out the Bulls‘ first four games with an injured finger, but he showed promised over Chicago’s last two outings, accumulating a total of 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists over 52 minutes of action. The starting point guard spot in the Windy City is up for grabs and Dunn’s potential to take the reins makes him worthy of a speculative add.
  • Dennis Smith Jr. has the talent to compete for the Rookie of the Year award, as I detailed in a piece for NBAMath, but he’s not cutting it from a fantasy standpoint. The Mavericks point guard scoring just 12.3 points per game on 39.8% shooting and savvy owners should take advantage of his hype by dealing him for a more useful fantasy player.
  • Considering Kyrie Irving in daily fantasy against the Thunder tonight? Look for another option. OKC has suffocated opposing point guards this season, allowing the second-fewest points and the fifth-lowest field goal percentage to opposing floor generals. The team also ranks fourth in turnovers forced and sits in the bottom third in rebounds and assists allowed to the position. Irving’s stats at the end of the night will look fine, but they likely won’t be worth his high price point in daily.

Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.

Statistics are current through Friday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2018 NBA Free Agent Power Rankings 2.0

November 3rd, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

We’re still nearly eight months away from the start of the NBA’s 2018 free agent period, but next year’s free agent class has taken a significant hit within the last month or so.

Since we published our initial 2018 free agent power rankings in mid-September, several top free-agents-to-be have signed contract extensions, with Russell Westbrook, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, and Gary Harris among the players coming off the board. All four of those guys were in our top 10 last time around.

As such, the newest installment of our free agent power rankings for 2018 will look a little different, and not just because the players who inked extensions are no longer on our list. Early-season performances and injuries will play a role in our rankings, and we’re making a couple extra players eligible for the list this time around.

One is Nikola Jokic, who has a $1.6MM team option for 2018/19. We typically don’t include players with team options or non-guaranteed salaries in our free agent rankings, since their teams are expected to just pick up those options, keeping them off the free agent market. But in the Nuggets’ case, it actually might make sense to turn down Jokic’s option — if they do that, he’ll be a restricted free agent. If they exercise the option, Jokic would be eligible for unrestricted free agency the following year.

The other newly-eligible player on our list is Robert Covington, who technically doesn’t show up yet on our 2018 free agents list. We avoid moving players with non-guaranteed 2017/18 salaries to subsequent free agent lists until their salaries become guaranteed. In Covington’s case though, that’s a mere formality. He’ll become a free agent in ’18 unless the Sixers extend him before then.

As usual, our list reflects each player’s current expected value on the 2018 free agent market, rather than how we think they’ll perform on the court for the 2017/18 season. For instance, an older player like J.J. Redick has solid short-term value, but didn’t make our top 20 because he’s unlikely to sign a huge multiyear deal next summer. In other words, age and long-term value is important.

Without further ado, here’s the second edition of our 2018 free agent power rankings:DeMarcus Cousins vertical

  1. LeBron James, F, Cavaliers, (player option)
  2. Kevin Durant, F, Warriors (player option)
  3. Paul George, F, Thunder (player option)
  4. Nikola Jokic, C, Nuggets (team option; RFA)
  5. DeMarcus Cousins, C, Pelicans

Although his team is struggling to start the season, James remains a dominant force. Yet he has looked mortal in recent weeks, slowed in the preseason by an ankle injury and unable to will the Cavaliers to wins against opponents they should beat. The door is open for Durant to take over the No. 1 spot at some point during the season, though the distinction between the top two shouldn’t matter much.

Meanwhile, Cousins is off to a monster start in New Orleans, and while I still think George’s two-way ability and Jokic’s age make them slightly more valuable assets, Cousins may force my hand and make me bump him into the top three if he keeps playing like this (30.1 PPG, 13.0 RPG).

  1. Chris Paul, G, Rockets
  2. Aaron Gordon, F, Magic (RFA)
  3. DeAndre Jordan, C, Clippers (player option)
  4. Jabari Parker, F, Bucks (RFA)
  5. Avery Bradley, G, Pistons

Paul slips out of the top five this time around, and is in danger of falling further as the season progresses. If CP3 continues to battle injuries and doesn’t adjust to the Rockets’ pace and style of play as well as the team hopes, it’s hard to imagine him getting a long-term, maximum salary contract next summer at age 33.

I may be overreacting to Gordon’s hot start, but he’s finally locked in at the power forward spot and has looked tremendous so far for Orlando, averaging 20.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG with a .561/.577/.739 shooting line. The former fourth overall pick is only 22 years old, and if he becomes a reliable three-point threat this season, he’s going to be in line for a massive payday in 2018.

Parker’s placement in this list is tricky — the fact that Andrew Wiggins signed a max extension buoyed my confidence in Parker getting a huge contract of his own in July, but that will hinge on him coming back strong from his ACL injury. For now, I’m betting on that happening.

  1. Robert Covington, F, SixersRobert Covington vertical
  2. Clint Capela, C, Rockets (RFA)
  3. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Trail Blazers (RFA)
  4. Zach LaVine, G, Bulls (RFA)
  5. Isaiah Thomas, G, Cavaliers

Covington and Capela are somewhat overlooked on their respective clubs, perhaps dismissed as merely “role players.” But they’re terrific role players. Already a reliable defender, Covington has improved his three-point efficiency in the early going this season, making an impressive 3.4 threes per game at a 48.2% rate. He likely won’t keep up that pace, but three-and-D specialists do very well in free agency and he’s set to get a big raise.

As for Capela, his game isn’t as well-rounded as you might like, and it remains to be seen if he’ll ever be the sort of player who can average 30+ minutes per game. So far in 2017/18 though, the 23-year-old is averaging a double-double (13.3 PPG and 11.4 RPG), providing rim protection (1.6 BPG), and practically never missing a shot (.707 FG%).

Nurkic, LaVine, and Thomas all have the potential to jump into the top 10 by season’s end, but LaVine and Thomas will have to get back on the court and show that they’re fully healthy first. As for Nurkic, he has been plagued by injury issues throughout his career, but his main problem at the moment is that the Blazers have been a much more effective scoring and rebounding team with him off the court this season. Nurkic’s stock will improve as those numbers do.

  1. Danny Green, G/F, Spurs (player option)
  2. Elfrid Payton, G, Magic (RFA)
  3. Rodney Hood, G, Jazz (RFA)
  4. Carmelo Anthony, F, Thunder (player option)
  5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, Lakers

Like Covington, Green is playing the three-and-D role to perfection this year. After being named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team last season, Green is knocking down a career-best 43.8% of his three-point attempts in 2017/18. He’ll be 31 next July though, limiting his long-term earning potential.

Payton and Hood beat out the 33-year-old Anthony here due to their youth and their upside, but Carmelo may provide the better return on investment for the next year or two.

As for Caldwell-Pope, he remains a confounding player to evaluate. After an impressive sophomore season in 2014/15, he showed few signs of improving his production during his ages 22 and 23 seasons in Detroit, and his age-24 season in L.A. has been no different to date. KCP is young enough that a breakout could still be coming, but for the time being, it may be hard to justify a substantial long-term investment in him.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Early-Season Surprises

November 2nd, 2017 at 10:30pm CST by Jeff Kasler

The NBA season is just over two weeks old, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t already been a few surprises. From the Magic’s success to the “Greek Freak’s” utter dominance to Ben Simmons‘ channeling of Magic Johnson, there has been no shortage of eyebrow-raising moments in the early going.

  • Frank Vogel has the Magic playing well above what anyone expected. ESPN’s preseason power rankings slotted Orlando at 24. To his credit, Vogel has strayed from the physical, grinding style that defined his best Pacers teams in favor of a fast-paced attack predicated on ball movement and good floor spacing. Perhaps that explains Aaron Gordon‘s newfound accuracy from long-range – in his first three NBA seasons, Gordon never cracked 30% from three-point range. This season, he’s hitting over 57% from deep. It is a guarantee that Gordon will regress, but will the same be true of the Magic?
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo was a star last season, averaging about 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists per contest. But his performance through eight games this season has made those numbers look pedestrian. The “Greek Freak” is leading the league in scoring at 31.3 PPG, pulling down 10.6 RPG and handing out 5.1 APG. His superior athleticism is evident, but his efficiency – he is shooting 60% from the floor – is deadly. If these early season numbers hold, he’s a near lock to earn MVP honors.
  • Ben Simmons missed his entire rookie campaign due to injury. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, Simmons obviously had the talent to project greatness, but a year off from basketball can build up rust on even the greatest athlete (see: Jordan, Michael). This makes Simmons’ dominance through eight games a surprise. He is stuffing the stat sheet at 18.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 7.9 APG. Lonzo Ball garners a lot of attention for basketball and non-basketball reasons, but Simmons is the one with the dominant game reminiscent of Magic Johnson in style and stature.

We want to know what you think. Which early-season player or team performances have surprised and impressed you? Which are likely to last and which are a flash-in-the-pan? Please share your thoughts in the space below.

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