Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Community Shootaround: Best Fit For Eric Bledsoe

October 25th, 2017 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA offseason featured a parade of trade candidates eventually finding new homes, with Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, and Carmelo Anthony among the All-Star players who were dealt. In the wake of Oklahoma City’s acquisition of Anthony, it seemed like the trade market may be quiet for a couple months, but a five-word tweet from Eric Bledsoe (“I don’t wanna be here”) changed all that earlier this week.

In the three days since Bledsoe’s now-infamous tweet, the Suns have sent him home and begun exploring potential trades, though public comments made by general manager Ryan McDonough on the situation aren’t exactly buoying the point guard’s trade value.

While there still seems to be a significant gap between what the Suns are looking for in exchange for Bledsoe and what potential suitors are willing to offer, a number of possible landing spots have emerged. According to various reports, the Nuggets, Bucks, and Knicks are among the clubs with interest in Bledsoe.

Several other teams have also been linked to the point guard, including the Magic, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Sixers, Pacers, and Spurs. However, most of those potential trade partners for Phoenix appear to be based more on speculation than on anything concrete.

The Suns have some excess cap room and they aren’t in any rush to win now, so they have some flexibility when it comes to finding a deal for Bledsoe and his $14.5MM salary. But it may be tricky to find a package they feel gives them fair value. While Bledsoe put up big numbers last season, averaging 21.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.8 RPG, he has battled injuries throughout his career, and this season’s saga has raised questions about his ability to handle difficult situations.

What do you think? Which team do you think would be the best fit for Bledsoe, and which club could offer the Suns the best package? What sort of return do you think the Suns should be happy with for Bledsoe?

Jump into our comment section below to share your thoughts!

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Notable Players On NBA G League Rosters

October 25th, 2017 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re a week into the 2017/18 NBA regular season, and a little more than a week away from this year’s G League season getting underway as well. The developmental league, renamed earlier this year to reflect its new partnership with Gatorade, will feature a record-high 26 teams in 2017/18, with only four NBA teams – the Wizards, Nuggets, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers – lacking an affiliate of their own.

With 26 rosters to fill, the G League currently features some interesting names. A handful of NBA veterans are looking to make their way back into the league by proving their worth with G League clubs, and several recent first- or second-round picks in the NBA draft have found themselves in the G League too.

With the help of Mark Porcaro’s player movement database, here are some of the noteworthy players on G League rosters:

Players with extensive NBA experience:

A pair of veteran NBA centers are playing in the G League for the first time in their respective careers this season after failing to earn spots on NBA rosters this fall. Kendrick Perkins will suit up for the Canton Charge (Cavs), while Emeka Okafor has joined the Delaware 87ers (Sixers).

Veteran swingman Shawne Williams, a first-round pick back in 2006, is also among the longtime NBA players looking to get back into the league by impressing teams with his G League play. Williams, who played for the Los Angeles D-Fenders back in 2013/14, has seven years of NBA experience, but hasn’t appeared in the league since 2014/15. He’ll play for the Timberwolves‘ new affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.

Recent NBA draft picks:

A number of players currently on G League rosters were selected in the first round of the NBA draft within the last several years. The most notable player in this group is probably Anthony Bennett, 2013’s first overall pick, who is looking to turn his career around for the Northern Arizona Suns (Suns).

Some of the others on that list include Trey Burke, the ninth overall pick in 2013, who is playing for the Westchester Knicks (Knicks); 2012 first-rounder Tony Wroten, who is suiting up for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets); James Young, 2014’s 17th overall pick, who is a member of the Wisconsin Herd (Bucks); and R.J. Hunter, a 2015 first-round pick who will join Wroten on the Vipers.

There’s also no shortage of recent second-round picks on G League rosters. The 2016 draft class is particularly well-represented, with second-rounders like Diamond Stone, Stephen Zimmerman, Michael Gbinije, and Georges Niang all playing in the G League. Gbinije and Niang are both on the Santa Cruz Warriors’ (Warriors) roster, while Stone is playing for the Windy City Bulls (Bulls) and Zimmerman is on the South Bay Lakers (Lakers).

Two-way players:

These players signed two-way contracts rather than straight G League contracts, which separates them from the rest of the player pool a little, affording them more opportunities. For instance, it already appears as if two-way player Mike James will be a mainstay on the Suns‘ roster this season, likely having his two-way deal converted into an NBA contract at some point.

Still, it’s worth mentioning that there are a number of interesting names among the inaugural group of two-way players. The Rockets‘ two-way players, Briante Weber and Demetrius Jackson, both have NBA experience, as do the Bucks‘ two-way players – Gary Payton II and Joel Bolomboy – and the Trail Blazers‘ duo of Wade Baldwin and C.J. Wilcox.

Adreian Payne, who is a two-way player for the Lakeland Magic (Magic), was the 15th overall pick in 2014. Anthony Brown, who has a two-way contract with the Timberwolves, was also a recent NBA draftee, going 34th overall in 2015.

Unlike standard G League players, two-way players aren’t free to sign a new contract with any NBA team, since their NBA rights are held by their current club.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Fantasy Hoops: Suns, Mavs, Fultz, James

October 24th, 2017 at 4:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The 2017/18 season is underway and oh, how so much has already happened.

The Celtics‘ season will go on without the help of free agent addition Gordon Hayward. LeBron’s team has already made a lineup change and the Bucks look like legitimate Eastern Conference contenders behind the MVP-level play of the Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Rockets are experiencing life without their prize offseason acquisition, as Chris Paul‘s injured knee is expected to keep him sidelined for another 2-3 weeks. The Warriors are alternating blowout wins with puzzling losses and Eric Bledsoe is on the lookout for a barber outside the Phoenix region.

That’s just the tip of the league’s iceberg and Hoops Rumors wants to help you make sense of it all from a fantasy basketball perspective. Check out some notes and analysis from around the league:

  • Mike James should be on the fantasy radar in all leagues, as he replaced Bledsoe in the Suns‘ starting lineup on Monday. The point guard played 27 minutes in Monday’s win over the Kings, scoring 18 points and dishing out seven assists while going 50% from behind the arc. The threat of Phoenix bringing back another point guard in a Bledsoe trade is real, but enjoy James’ production as we wait to see what kind of deal unfolds.
  • While the Suns were more competitive in their first game since firing coach Earl Watson, the defense remains an issue. The team is giving up a league-high 125.3 points per game. If you have a player going against Phoenix, make sure he’s in your lineup.
  • The Mavericks have the worst defensive rating in the league but don’t be fooled. That figure is influenced by match-ups against the fast-paced Hawks, the high-powered Rockets, and the explosive Warriors offenses. Expect this team to gravitate toward the middle of the pack on defense, especially with tilts against the Grizzlies, Sixers, and Jazz looming.
  • What to do with Markelle Fultz in fantasy? Drop him. While the Sixers are putting the No. 1 overall pick on the floor, he’s clearly not healthy and his agent recently told ESPN that his client “literally cannot raise up his arms to shoot the basketball.” Yikes. The injury, coupled with the Sixers’ history of being cautious with ailing players, makes Fultz unworthy of a roster spot right now.
  • The Cavs are also dealing with injuries woes at the point guard position, as Derrick Rose is sidelined with an ankle issue and Isaiah Thomas is still working his way back from a hip ailment. Rose will at least miss the next two games (tonight vs the Bulls and Wednesday vs the Nets) and LeBron James will step in as the starting point guard, a role we all know he’s capable of dominating. LBJ is worth the price in daily against Chicago tonight and, assuming he plays the second-half of the back-to-back, against the Nets on Wednesday.

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

Statistics are current through Tuesday afternoon.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Special Trade Eligibility Dates For 2017/18

October 24th, 2017 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

In previous articles, we’ve taken a closer look at the trade restrictions surrounding two groups of players who signed free agent contracts this summer. The smaller of the two groups featured players who can’t be traded by their current teams until January 15, having re-signed with their teams this summer on contracts that met a set of specific criteria. The other offseason signees we examined aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15.

However, there is a third group of players who signed new contracts in recent months and don’t fall into either of those categories. These players also can’t be traded yet, but they won’t necessarily become trade-eligible on December 15 or January 15 either — their trade restrictions lift on different dates.

Trade rules for recently-signed players dictate that a player becomes trade-eligible three months after he signs or on December 15, whichever comes later. So players who signed after September 15 aren’t eligible to be traded starting on December 15. For instance, someone who signed his contract on October 2 won’t have his trade restrictions lift until January 2.

Similarly, players who sign veteran contract extensions with their current clubs can’t be dealt for six months after they ink their new deals, meaning many of the players who were extended by their teams during the offseason can’t be traded at all this season.

Listed below are the recently-signed players who weren’t on our previous two lists, but still have restrictions limiting their ability to be traded. This list, which will continue to be updated as teams sign new players, is sorted by the dates that players will become trade-eligible. Players who have the ability to veto trades are marked with an asterisk (*).

December 18:

December 21:

December 23:

December 24:

December 27:

January 17:

January 19:

January 22:

Not eligible to be traded before the 2018 trade deadline:

Not eligible to be traded at all during the 2017/18 league year, due to signing Designated Veteran Extensions:

Note: Players signed after November 8 this season won’t become trade-eligible before the 2018 trade deadline, since the deadline falls on February 8.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

2017 Offseason In Review: Washington Wizards

October 24th, 2017 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Washington Wizards.

Signings:Otto Porter vertical

  • Otto Porter: Four years, $106.525MM (25% maximum salary). Fourth-year player option. Matched Nets’ offer sheet.
  • Jodie Meeks: Two years, $6.745MM. Second-year player option.
  • Mike Scott: One year, minimum salary.
  • Devin Robinson: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed for each season.
  • Michael Young: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed for each season.

Camp invitees:

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • None

Extensions:

  • John Wall: Four years, 35% maximum salary. Designated Veteran Extension. Starts in 2019/20.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Salary cap situation:

  • Operating over the cap and over the tax line by approximately $4MM. Carrying approximately $123.5MM in guaranteed team salary. Portion of taxpayer mid-level exception ($1.902MM) still available.

Check out the Washington Wizards’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Restricted free agency was an all-or-nothing proposition for many players this summer, with multiple RFAs – including Nerlens Noel and Alex Len – remaining on the market for months before signing their respective qualifying offers. Others – like Shabazz Muhammad and Joffrey Lauvergne – had those QOs rescinded, forcing them to settle for minimum salary contracts.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, was Otto Porter. The top restricted free agent on the market, Porter reportedly received a maximum-salary proposal from the Kings before instead inking a max offer sheet with the Nets. That four-year offer, worth north of $106MM, also featured a 15% trade kicker and a fourth-year player option, making it as player-friendly as possible — and, in turn, not so team-friendly for the Wizards.

If the Wizards had decided that a price tag exceeding $26MM annually simply wasn’t worth it for Porter, it would have been hard to fault them for that. After all, even though Porter enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2016/17, posting a blistering .516/.434/.832 shooting line, he wouldn’t be more than the third option in Washington, with the team leaning heavily on John Wall and Bradley Beal to carry the ball-handling and scoring loads.

Letting Porter go to the Nets would have left the Wizards with a significant hole at small forward though, and the team wouldn’t have had the financial flexibility to acquire a viable replacement. So, stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Wizards moved swiftly to match Porter’s offer sheet and brought him back into the fold.

The move loomed large over the rest of the Wizards’ offseason, ensuring that the club would surpass the luxury tax threshold and would be unable to make any other major splashes. Even minor upgrades to the bench would be tricky for the cap-strapped Wiz. But after the franchise posted its highest win total (49) in nearly four decades, the front office wasn’t about to let its 24-year-old starting small forward get away for nothing.

Read more

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Weekly Mailbag: 10/16/17 – 10/22/17

October 22nd, 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.

Will the Pistons blow up their roster? — Sundeep Kothari, via Twitter

It all depends on the results. Detroit has just one playoff appearance during the current decade and needs to give fans a reason to keep coming to the team’s new home at Little Caesars Arena. The postseason is certainly within reach in a weakened Eastern Conference, and the Pistons will probably still be in the race when the trade deadline arrives in early February. If something goes terribly wrong, the first player on the trading block will be Andre Drummond, who is owed more than $52.5MM over the next two seasons and has a player option of more than $28.75MM for 2020/21. Next would be Reggie Jackson, who had a disappointing season while battling injuries last year and is owed more than $35.1MM over the next two seasons. Detroit isn’t projected to have any significant cap room until 2019/20, so there’s no way to blow up the team without moving those two.

Are the Suns the worst team in the NBA? — Dalai Llama, via Twitter

Anyone who watched their season opener against the Trail Blazers or Saturday’s rout by the Clippers could certainly reach that conclusion. Phoenix has chosen to rebuild with youth and the results aren’t going to be pretty, especially with so many good Western Conference teams on the schedule. The Suns might have as much talent as the Bulls, Hawks or Nets, but playing in the West will put them in the running for the league’s worst record. With Phoenix so far from contention, it makes sense to find the best possible deals for Eric Bledsoe, who has one year left on his contract at $15MM, Tyson Chandler, who is signed for one more season at $13.585MM, and Jared Dudley, who has another year left at $9.53MM. It’s time to fully embrace the rebuilding process and use those assets to create a brighter future.

What do the Wizards have to do to get a good seed and advance to Eastern Conference finals? — Swaggtastic Jackson, via Twitter

The season-ending injury to Celtics forward Gordon Hayward improved Washington’s chances. Boston and Cleveland both had massive roster overhauls this summer, while the Wizards kept their key pieces together. Markieff Morris is expected to return next month from abdominal surgery, which will put all of last year’s starting unit back in place. The bench remains unremarkable, however, and won’t be easy to improve with Washington already projected to be in tax territory for this season and the next two. The front office will have to be aggressive with trades between now and February for the Wizards to reach the top of the Eastern Conference.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Boston Celtics

October 21st, 2017 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After a summer upheaval that included adding a pair of All-Stars, the Celtics appeared headed for at least another trip to the Eastern Conference finals. Their fortunes may have changed Tuesday when Gordon Hayward took a hard fall less than six minutes into the season opener that left him with a dislocated and fractured left tibia.

It was a shocking way to start the year for Celtics fans and for Hayward, who left Utah for Boston and a four-year, maximum-salary contract. He was expected to be one of the top forwards in the East and part of the foundation for the team’s future, along with newly acquired point guard Kyrie Irving.

The Celtics still have plenty of talent, including the No. 3 picks in the last two drafts, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. They have both moved into the starting lineup and added youthful energy to the team. Still, it’s hard to replace someone who can score [21.9 points per game last season] and shoot [nearly 40% from 3-point range] like Hayward.

The injury plunges the Celtics into a pack of teams that will fight to be the chief challenger to Cleveland in the East. The Wizards took Boston to seven games last season in the conference semifinals, the Raptors are back with a wealth of talent and the young Bucks could be ready for a major step forward.

That brings us to tonight’s question: With the loss of Hayward, are the Celtics still among the two best teams in the East? Please share your thoughts in the space below. We look forward to your responses.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Originals: 10/14/17 – 10/21/17

October 21st, 2017 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

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:

  • Our Offseason in Review series, which sees us looking back at the biggest stories and roster moves of each team’s summer, continued this week with breakdowns of the following clubs:
  • It was a quiet year for rookie scale extensions. In our recap, we examined the four players who signed rookie scale extensions and detailed how 2017 compared to past years.
  • Which teams have the oldest and youngest rosters for 2017/18? We took a closer look.
  • We also explored which clubs have the most and least roster continuity from last season.
  • Several NBA teams entered the 2017/18 season with open spots on their respective rosters. We identified those clubs this week, though a few have since filled their open two-way contract slots.
  • There are a number of important dates and deadlines to be aware of during the 2017/18 season, including an earlier-than-usual trade deadline. We’ve listed those dates in one place to help you stay on top of them.
  • After our readers placed over/under votes for the win totals of each of the NBA’s 30 teams, we rounded up the results.
  • In a Community Shootaround discussion, we invited you to make your predictions for the 2017/18 NBA season.
  • Our 2017 Free Agent Tracker rounds up all of the free agent signings that took place in the 2017 offseason, meaning it won’t be updated going forward. You can still use it to revisit all of the signings from the last four months though.
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

2017 Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls

October 20th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Austin Kent

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Chicago Bulls.

Signings:Cristiano Felicio vertical

Camp invitees:

Waiver claims:

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • 1-7: Lauri Markkanen — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Salary cap situation:

  • Operating over the cap, but can create more than $17MM in cap room if necessary. Carrying approximately $81.4MM in guaranteed team salary. Portion of mid-level exception ($3.79MM) and full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.

Check out the Chicago Bulls’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

With mounting pressure to commit to an inevitable rebuild, the Bulls finally opted to ship lone star Jimmy Butler westward for a handful of intriguing young building blocks.

To say that Chicago fans have grown skeptical that Gar Forman and John Paxson are the men to lead them into the next great era of Bulls basketball is an understatement. Nevertheless, the executive team has accepted the ambitious task and attempted to make the most of a less-than-stellar chapter in franchise history.

While the Bulls may be a way off from their next postseason appearance, we can give the organization credit for hopping off the treadmill of mediocrity. Baby steps, people.

Read more

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

2017 Offseason In Review: Portland Trail Blazers

October 20th, 2017 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Portland Trail Blazers.

Signings:CJWilcox vertical

  • C.J. Wilcox: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • 1-10: Zach Collins — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 1-26: Caleb Swanigan — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Extended president of basketball operations Neil Olshey through 2021.

Salary cap situation:

  • Operating over the cap and over the tax line by approximately $3MM. Carrying approximately $122MM in guaranteed team salary. Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.192MM) still available.

Check out the Portland Trail Blazers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Most NBA teams head into the offseason looking to improve their respective rosters by spending money, but that wasn’t necessarily the case for the Trail Blazers, whose primary goal over the summer was to trim their projected team salary.

The summer of 2016 loomed large over the 2017 offseason for the Blazers, who handed out lucrative long-term contracts to several free agents in ’16. Not all of those deals look awful a year later, but the team probably wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to take many of them back, including huge multiyear investments in Meyers Leonard, Evan Turner, and Allen Crabbe.

Portland entered the offseason with $133MM+ in guaranteed team salary on the books for 2017/18, not including cap holds for the club’s three first-round picks. By the time the dust settled and the regular season roster was set, the Blazers had sliced that number by more than $10MM, exponentially reducing the franchise’s projected luxury tax bill. So, in at least one sense, the club’s offseason was a success.

Read more

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts