Fantasy Hoops: Suns, Mavs, Fultz, James
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.
Special Trade Eligibility Dates For 2017/18
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:
- Jason Terry (Bucks) *
December 21:
- Aaron Brooks (Timberwolves)
December 23:
- Alex Len (Suns) *
December 24:
- Dante Cunningham (Pelicans) *
December 27:
- Dwyane Wade (Cavaliers)
January 17:
- Isaiah Taylor (Hawks)
January 19:
- Richard Jefferson (Nuggets)
January 22:
- Jameer Nelson (Pelicans)
Not eligible to be traded before the 2018 trade deadline:
- LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
- Trey Burke (Knicks)
- Dwight Buycks (Pistons)
- Isaiah Canaan (Suns)
- Tyler Cavanaugh (Hawks)
- Robert Covington (Sixers)
- Gerald Green (Rockets)
- Sean Kilpatrick (Bucks)
- DeAndre Liggins (Pelicans)
- Norman Powell (Raptors)
- Alex Poythress (Pacers)
- Josh Richardson (Heat)
Not eligible to be traded at all during the 2017/18 league year, due to signing Designated Veteran Extensions:
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- James Harden (Rockets)
- John Wall (Wizards)
- Russell Westbrook (Thunder)
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.
2017 Offseason In Review: Washington Wizards
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: 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:
- Carrick Felix: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine.
- Donald Sloan: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine. (Waived)
Trades:
- Acquired Tim Frazier from the Pelicans in exchange for the No. 52 overall pick.
Draft picks:
- None
Extensions:
- John Wall: Four years, 35% maximum salary. Designated Veteran Extension. Starts in 2019/20.
Departing players:
Other offseason news:
- Laurene Powell Jobs buying significant minority stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Wizards.
- Markieff Morris acquitted on aggravated assault charges; Morris out until November due to sports hernia surgery.
- Sheldon Mac to miss most or all of season due to torn Achilles.
- Will add G League affiliate for 2018/19 season.
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.
Weekly Mailbag: 10/16/17 – 10/22/17
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.
Community Shootaround: Boston Celtics
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.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 10/14/17 – 10/21/17
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.
2017 Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls
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: Four years, $32MM.
- Nikola Mirotic: Two years, $25MM. Second-year team option.
- Justin Holiday: Two years, $9MM.
- Antonio Blakeney: Two-way contract. Two years, $50K guaranteed for each season.
- Ryan Arcidiacono: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Diamond Stone: Two years, minimum salary. $50K guarantee. (Waived)
- Bronson Koenig: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Jaylen Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
- Jarell Eddie: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Waiver claims:
- Claimed David Nwaba off waivers from the Lakers.
- Claimed Kay Felder off waivers from the Cavaliers.
Trades:
- Acquired Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen (No. 7 pick) from the Timberwolves in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the draft rights to Justin Patton (No. 16 pick).
- Acquired cash ($3.5MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Bell (No. 38 pick).
- Acquired Quincy Pondexter, the Pelicans’ 2018 second-round pick, and cash ($2.5MM) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok.
Draft picks:
- 1-7: Lauri Markkanen — Signed to rookie contract.
Departing players:
- Jimmy Butler
- Isaiah Canaan (waived)
- Michael Carter-Williams
- Joffrey Lauvergne
- Anthony Morrow
- Rajon Rondo (waived)
- Dwyane Wade (bought out)
Other offseason news:
- Hired Doug Collins as senior advisor of basketball operations.
- As a result of a punch thrown by Bobby Portis, Nikola Mirotic expected to be out until late November with facial injuries; Portis suspended for eight games.
- Cameron Payne out until at least December with a foot injury.
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.
2017 Offseason In Review: Portland Trail Blazers
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:
- C.J. Wilcox: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Isaiah Briscoe: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Archie Goodwin: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine. (Waived)
- Anthony Morrow: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Zach Collins (No. 10 pick) from the Kings in exchange for the draft rights to Justin Jackson (No. 15 pick) and Harry Giles (No. 20 pick).
- Acquired cash ($100K) from the Rockets in exchange for Tim Quarterman.
- Acquired Andrew Nicholson from the Nets in exchange for Allen Crabbe.
- Note: Nicholson was later waived.
Draft picks:
- 1-10: Zach Collins — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-26: Caleb Swanigan — Signed to rookie contract.
Departing players:
- Allen Crabbe
- Festus Ezeli (waived)
- Tim Quarterman
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.
Key In-Season Dates For 2017/18
With the 2017/18 NBA season underway, our calendar of key 2017 preseason dates can be retired in favor of a list of important in-season dates for the ’17/18 campaign. Here’s a breakdown of the deadlines and events that will influence player movement for the next several months across the NBA:
October 21
- NBA G League draft.
October 31
- Deadline for teams to exercise rookie scale options for 2018/19.
November 3
- NBA G League season begins.
December 1
- Priority order for waiver claims is now based on 2017/18 record, rather than 2016/17 record. Teams with the worst records receive the highest waiver priority.
December 15
- Most offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.
January 5
- First day teams can sign players to 10-day contracts.
January 7
- Last day to waive non-guaranteed NBA contracts before they become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Salaries officially guarantee on January 10 if players haven’t cleared waivers before that date.
January 15
- Most other offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.
- Last day to apply for a disabled player exception.
- Last day to sign a two-way contract.
January 20
- Salaries for all two-way contracts become fully guaranteed.
February 1
- Former first-round picks who were stashed overseas may sign rookie scale NBA contracts for the 2018/19 season.
February 8
- Trade deadline (2:00pm CT).
February 18
- All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
February 28
- Last day for contract renegotiations.
March 1
- Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.
March 12
- Last day to use a disabled player exception.
April 11
- Last day of the regular season.
- Last day players can sign contracts for 2017/18.
- Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
- Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.
April 13
- Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).
April 14
- Playoffs begin.
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.
Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker
With the 2017/18 NBA regular season underway, the 2017 offseason has officially come to an end, and Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players signed new contracts over the last several months.
To that end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, years, salary, and a handful of other variables.
A few notes on the tracker:
- Contract years and dollars are sometimes based on what’s been reported to date, so in a few cases those amounts may be approximations rather than official figures. Listed salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either — deals marked with a † symbol are primarily non-guaranteed.
- Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
- Click on a player’s name for our full report on his deal.
- If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.
- Now that the offseason has come to an end, we won’t be continuing to update the tracker with in-season moves.
Our 2017 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the desktop site. You can find it on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.
Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the NBA players who have yet to reach contract agreements, or who were waived after being signed.