Hoops Rumors Originals

Trade Deadline Outlook: Southeast Division

February 16th, 2017 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

In the days leading up to the February 23 trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. We’ll be identifying each team as a buyer, seller, or something in between, and discussing which teams and players are most likely to be involved in deals this month. We’ve already covered the Atlantic and Northwest. Today, we’re examining the Southeast.

Buyers:

The Wizards (33-21) have been one of the NBA’s best teams since the first 10 games of the 2016/17 season, but their roster probably isn’t quite deep or talented enough to match up to a healthy Cavaliers squad in the playoffs. Washington doesn’t exactly have a huge collection of promising young players to dangle in trade talks, but the team does have all of its future first-round picks, and could use at least one of them to strengthen its rotation. A deal similar to last year’s Markieff Morris acquisition wouldn’t move the needle enough to make the Wizards conference favorites, but it would make the club a little more dangerous in the postseason without mortgaging much of its future.

The Southeast’s second-place team, the Hawks (32-24), looked like sellers a month ago, but the team is prepared to buy now, and has several future draft picks and expiring contracts to dangle in trade discussions. As some observers have pointed out, Atlanta actually looks like a good fit for Carmelo Anthony, matching up better as a trade partner for the Knicks than most of Carmelo’s preferred destinations. Anthony’s no-trade clause makes a move to the Hawks extremely unlikely though, so the team will have to look elsewhere for scoring help on the wing or in the backcourt.

Sellers:

The Magic (21-37) have already begun the process of selling their top trade assets, sending Serge Ibaka to Toronto for Terrence Ross and a 2017 first-round pick. The deal is an admission that the club is more focused on future seasons than this one, but it remains to be seen how many pieces Orlando is willing to sell. Will Nikola Vucevic be on the move within the next week? Are the Magic ready to move on from recent lottery picks like Elfrid Payton and Mario Hezonja, or will the focus on the future allow the team to be more patient with those young players who have been slow to develop? GM Rob Hennigan has vowed to be aggressive, so it will be interesting to see if he has any follow-up moves up his sleeve after parting with Ibaka.

Somewhere in between:

The Heat (25-32) looked like one of the NBA’s most obvious sellers at the start of 2017, trailing only the Nets in our 2016/17 Reverse Standings. Since then, an improbable hot streak in January and December has elevated the club into contention for a playoff spot in the East, making it much trickier to forecast what Pat Riley and company have in mind at the trade deadline. With little flexibility to trade future first-rounders, and young players like Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, and Tyler Johnson either dealing with injuries or possessing the ability to veto trades, the Heat aren’t in position to offer up a tantalizing package for an impact player. But the club also doesn’t seem likely to trade guys on expiring contracts who are playing key roles, such as Dion Waiters and James Johnson. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Miami stand pat, or simply make minor tweaks to the roster.

Meanwhile, the Hornets (24-32) have headed in the opposite direction of the Heat, finally slipping behind Miami in the standings last night when after blowing a big fourth-quarter lead to Toronto. At one point, Charlotte was 19-14 and comfortably in playoff position, but the team will have to bounce back in a major way if it still hopes to earn a spot in the postseason. This month’s Miles Plumlee trade didn’t really tip the Hornets’ hand — Plumlee could have been acquired to help the team right away, but he’s also much more of a long-term piece than either Spencer Hawes or Roy Hibbert were. I think Charlotte’s probably still looking to add to its roster and grab a playoff spot, but that’s no sure thing.

Team most likely to make a move:

A handful of Southeast teams have already made at least one deal in 2017, and many of those teams could strike again. I think the Magic, in particular, will continue to be active. However, my vote for the team most likely to make a move by February 23 is the Hawks — they have more than enough pieces to make a deal work, and I think they want to show Paul Millsap that they’re committed to getting him help as his free agency nears.

Player(s) most likely to be moved:

If the Heat were still headed for a bottom-five record, there would be no shortage of trade candidates on their roster, but their move up the standings – and Orlando’s trade of Ibaka – leaves the Southeast without any one player who will clearly be on the move.

Nikola Vucevic is a strong trade candidate for the Magic, but with Ibaka gone, there’s a little more breathing room in the team’s frontcourt. So my pick for the player most likely to be moved is one of Orlando’s point guards — I’d be surprised if Elfrid Payton, D.J. Augustin, and C.J. Watson were all members of the Magic on February 24. The club likely still hopes Payton can become its point guard of the future and may decide to hang onto him, but there’s no reason not to explore the market for deals involving Augustin and/or Watson. Both vets could appeal to playoff teams in need of point guard depth.

Under-the-radar trade candidate(s):

The Hornets were a playoff team last season and looked like they’d be back in the postseason this year, but their recent slide raises questions about whether the team should sell a couple veteran pieces at next Thursday’s deadline. If Charlotte does to decide to move a vet, the wing position is probably the spot to watch. Nicolas Batum isn’t going anywhere, but guys like Marco Belinelli, Jeremy Lamb, and Marvin Williams shouldn’t be at all untouchable. Belinelli would be especially attractive to teams in need of outside shooting, given his favorable contract ($6.3MM this season, $6.6MM next season) and his ability to make threes (37.6%).

What do you think is in store for the Southeast teams over the next week? Which teams are most likely to make a deal? Which players will be on the move?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Fantasy Hoops: Ibaka, Nurkic, Collison

February 14th, 2017 at 10:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more analysis.

Breaking Down The Trades: Part 1

Magic send Serge Ibaka to the Raptors for Terrence Ross and a 2017 first-round pick

Ibaka was a top-50 player before the trade and his overall ranking doesn’t change that much. He was averaging 15.1 points per game, which ties the highest mark of his career, and while that figure will probably decrease, it won’t hurt his overall value too much. He’ll likely offset a dip in scoring with an increase in field goal percentage, as Toronto’s offense should get him better looks than what he saw in Orlando’s clogged sets.

Ross should see additional opportunities with the Magic and he should be on the fantasy radar by the time he settles into a role with his new team. He was scoring 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while adding a steal per contest in Toronto. He was only seeing 22.4 minutes per contest before the trade. The Magic rank 29th in the league in offensive efficiency, so Ross will likely see an increase in minutes as coach Frank Vogel looks to improve the team on that end of the floor.

Aaron Gordon is the player whom could see his fantasy value rise the most as a result of this trade. By shipping Ibaka north, the Magic can give Gordon more run at the power forward spot, which is his natural position. The offense should be better overall and Gordon should be able to take advantage of the extra space in the post.

Blazers trade Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-rounder to the Nuggets for Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick

The deal isn’t great for Plumlee’s stat line. He’s going to come off the bench for the Nuggets and it remains to be seen whether or not he can play meaningful minutes next to Nikola Jokic. If he can’t, his value takes a major dive, as he will likely go from a player seeing 28.1 minutes per contest to someone who sees about two-thirds of that figure.

The trade is good news for Nurkic. He didn’t see action in five of his final 17 games with the Nuggets and in the 12 he played, he only saw 12.5 minutes per contest. While there’s not much elbow room in Portland’s frontcourt, the team doesn’t have one future star soaking up all the center minutes. Nurkic will get his opportunity to prove he deserves court time and I suspect he’ll eventually settle into a role that’ll provide him with 20-25 minutes per night. That’s enough run to make him worth adding in most leagues, though I’d let the situation develop before dropping a productive player for him.

There was another trade this week: Cleveland shipped Chris Andersen to Charlotte, but that deal doesn’t have any direct fantasy impact. Here’s more fantasy notes and analysis from around the league:

Pau Gasol should be back on the court for the Spurs after the All-Star break and he’s a top-75 fantasy player going forward. If someone in your league dropped him when he injured his hand, pick him up now.
Trevor Booker, who I wrote about in the inaugural edition of Fantasy Hoops, has been taken out of the starting lineup in Brooklyn, but that doesn’t mean you should do the same with him in your fantasy lineups. Since becoming a reserve, he has a higher field goal percentage and he’s averaging more points and steals per game than he did as a starter.
Since the start of February, Darren Collison is sixth in the league in minutes per game. He’s taken on a bigger role on the Kings since Rudy Gay went down with a torn Achilles and he’s available in roughly 34% of ESPN leagues.

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

Statistics are current through Tuesday afternoon.

Trade Deadline Outlook: Northwest Division

February 14th, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Buyers:

Two Northwest teams are currently over .500, and both the Thunder (31-25) and Jazz (34-22) are in decent position to add reinforcements, though that’s certainly no lock for either team. Oklahoma City has already cashed in many of its trade assets, including a protected 2020 first-round pick sent to the Sixers for Jerami Grant earlier this season. With no trade-eligible first-round picks before 2022 and Enes Kanter on the shelf, the Thunder have limited trade options. Young players like Cameron Payne and Josh Huestis are probably their strongest realistic trade chips at the moment.

As for Utah, the Northwest leaders likely won’t want to shake up their roster too significantly — potential 2017 free agents like Gordon Hayward and George Hill would be trade candidates if they were on lottery teams, but they’re not going anywhere for the Jazz. Still, the team’s sizable chunk of cap room, depth at the point guard spot, and extra first-round picks would make it easy for the Jazz to get something done if they receive an offer they like.

Sellers:

Outside of Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves (21-34) don’t really have many productive veteran players who would make good trade candidates this month — guys like Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill, and Brandon Rush don’t have a ton of value. With Tom Thibodeau at the helm, and the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference still within reach, it’s fair to wonder if the Wolves might look to be buyers in the right deal. But even Thibodeau, who has a fondness for veteran players, certainly recognizes that this isn’t the year to go all-in, particularly with Zach LaVine out with a torn ACL.

Somewhere in between:

The Trail Blazers (23-32) and Nuggets (25-30) already got together for one trade this week, and it’s fitting that the immediate impact of the move was a little unclear — it fell somewhere between buying and selling for both teams, since swapping Jusuf Nurkic for Mason Plumlee is unlikely to significantly change the trajectory of either team’s 2016/17 season.

Both teams are within striking distance of the postseason, with Denver currently holding the No. 8 seed in the West, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll be buyers in the next nine days. The Blazers would probably like to clear a little more salary to improve their long-term cap outlook, and the Nuggets have several veteran players believed to be on the block. It wouldn’t be a surprise if either team traded for immediate help, or if either team made a deal with a focus on the future.

Team most likely to make a move:

The Trail Blazers and Nuggets would likely have split this honor before Monday’s deal, and I think it still belongs to one of them. Portland general manager Neil Olshey acknowledged this week that his roster is a “work in progress,” adding that the team will have to make some moves at some point. Moving Plumlee was a good first step, but the Blazers’ work isn’t done yet.

Still, the Blazers have the option of waiting until the offseason to make additional deals, since their cap is more crowded next year than this year. For now, I view the Nuggets as the more likely team to make a second move, if only due to the sheer number of trade candidates on the roster. While Nurkic was perhaps the most obvious one, players like Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, Will Barton, Jameer Nelson, and even Emmanuel Mudiay have all been mentioned in at least one trade rumor this season. Denver figures to hang onto most of those players, but I expect to see at least one or two on the move.

Player(s) most likely to be moved:

Injured Trail Blazers center Festus Ezeli is a good candidate to be dealt in a financially motivated swap. Clearing Ezeli’s salary from their books for this year and next would give Portland a little extra breathing room (the team is currently right up against the tax line for 2016/17), and a team below the salary floor might be willing to take him on. The only roadblock for the Blazers will be deciding how much they’re willing to give up to move Ezeli. I doubt Portland will attach a first-round pick to him, but the team has already traded many of its future second-round picks, which limits its options.

Of the players who could actually contribute down the stretch, Wilson Chandler seems like as good a bet as any to find a new home. Any number of Denver’s rotation players could be on the move, but Chandler is the only one whose desire to be traded has been reported, so I imagine the team will make an effort to accommodate him.

Under-the-radar trade candidate(s):

Teams in need of a point guard could target a team in the Northwest, since every team except the Trail Blazers has some interesting backup options at the position. For instance, if the Timberwolves don’t move Rubio, it could make sense for the team to explore a deal involving Tyus Jones, since there aren’t enough minutes in Minnesota to go around for him, Rubio, and Kris Dunn.

The Jazz also have an interesting collection of point guards on their roster behind Hill. Shelvin Mack, Raul Neto, and Dante Exum are all on favorable contracts and none of them are older than 26. Neto is probably the most expendable of the bunch, but Mack is believed to be available as well. As for Exum, the Jazz probably aren’t eager to give up on the former fifth overall pick, but he has been slow to develop so far and won’t be starting in Utah anytime soon if the team is able to re-sign Hill this summer.

What do you think is in store for the Northwest teams over the next nine days? Which teams are most likely to make a deal? Which players will be on the move?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Deadline Outlook: Atlantic Division

February 13th, 2017 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Buyers:

Two Atlantic teams currently hold top-four spots in the Eastern Conference, and both the Celtics (35-19) and Raptors (32-23) are in great position to strengthen their rosters at this year’s deadline.

Boston, in particular, is loaded with trade assets, including a handful of extra first-round picks. While there are several teams around the league holding additional draft picks, none have the upside that the Celtics’ selections do. The C’s have the right to swap picks with Brooklyn this season, and hold the Nets’ 2018 pick outright, and no NBA team has a worse 2016/17 record that the Nets. If any club wants to make a superstar available, a logical first step would be to give Danny Ainge a call and ask about those two Brooklyn picks, either of which would be a great starting point for any trade package.

The Raptors, meanwhile, don’t have quite the stash of draft picks that Boston does, but Toronto holds a couple extra future first-rounders, and is also carrying several intriguing young players on its roster. Guys like Delon Wright and Bruno Caboclo should be available, and in the right deal, perhaps the Raps would be willing to include a rotation player like Terrence Ross, Norman Powell, Lucas Nogueira, or even Jonas Valanciunas. Although they’ve struggled lately, the Raptors took Cleveland to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and adding an impact power forward would make their roster even more dangerous.Read more

Sellers:

As noted above, the Nets have the NBA’s worst record this season (9-45), and it’s not particularly close. It’s an easy decision for the team to become a seller, rather than a buyer, though Brooklyn’s trade assets are somewhat limited. Most of the club’s roster consists of young developmental players, or recently-signed veterans that the Nets might not be ready to move, such as Trevor Booker and Jeremy Lin. The most obvious trade candidate on the roster is Brook Lopez, and the Nets are certainly listening to offers, but since the veteran center has another year left on his contract, there’s no urgency to make a move quite yet.

Across town, the Knicks (23-33) are a little closer to playoff contention than Brooklyn is, but New York seems rightly reluctant to push all its chips in on this season’s team. The Knicks’ front office is believed to be leaning toward trading veterans and building around Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez. In order to start that process in earnest though, Carmelo Anthony would have to go, and there’s no indication yet that he’ll waive his no-trade clause within the next 10 days, which complicates New York’s approach to the deadline. Veterans like Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah could also be trade candidates, but Rose’s expiring contract and Noah’s exorbitant long-term salary make the former Bulls duo a tricky sell.

Somewhere in between:

At 20-34, 13th in the East, the Sixers are closer to being sellers than buyers, but after a multiyear tanking process, the franchise appears open to adding immediate help in the right deal. That doesn’t mean that Bryan Colangelo expects a playoff berth this season, but if he can add a veteran on a multiyear contract who can contribute for the next couple years, he seems willing to pull the trigger.

At the same time, it’s not hard to imagine the Sixers going the tanking route for one more season. With Joel Embiid sidelined due to a knee injury, moving one or two other key rotation players from a group that includes Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and T.J. McConnell would go a long way toward securing another bottom-five finish – and another top-five draft pick – for the franchise before it shifts to win-now mode in the summer.

Team most likely to make a move:

On paper, the Celtics and Raptors seem very likely to make at least a modest deal, but both teams have been extremely patient over the years, hoarding assets and waiting for the right moment to strike. If that moment doesn’t come in the next 10 days, it’s not unfathomable that both teams could wait until the offseason to cash in some of their trade assets.

The Sixers, on the other hand, seem like a virtual lock to make a move of some sort. It would be a surprise if both Okafor and Noel remain on the team’s roster through the deadline.

Player(s) most likely to be moved:

If it weren’t for his no-trade clause, and perhaps that pesky 15% trade kicker as well, Anthony would probably be the top trade candidate in the division. Phil Jackson and the Knicks have made it pretty clear – publicly as well as privately – that they’re ready to move on from their longtime star, but that appears to have made Carmelo dig in his heels even more, and he has all the leverage.

With Anthony a question mark, and few obvious trade candidate in Brooklyn outside of Lopez and Randy Foye, we’ll turn to the Sixers for the players most likely to be moved. Trade rumors have surrounded Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel all season long, and Philadelphia finally appears ready to make a move with at least one of them. Okafor was held out of action this weekend and reportedly told teammates he thinks he’ll be dealt, while Noel has been viewed all season as one of the players most likely to change teams.

Under-the-radar trade candidate:

The sheer amount of media coverage in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Toronto makes it difficult for trade candidates from any of these five teams to fly under the radar. But it’s worth keeping an eye on Nets sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic. The 27-year-old is enjoying a career year, with 14.3 PPG and a .362 3PT% in 53 games so far. He’s also a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Last summer, the Nets had two unsuccessful forays into restricted free agency, but they may be more willing to jump back in when they’re the ones with the matching rights. Bogdanovic is young enough to be a long-term piece in Brooklyn, and the team has the cap flexibility to keep him around, even if he fields other offers this summer.

Still, Bogdanovic’s outside shooting could help a contender down the stretch this season, and his RFA status reduces some offseason uncertainty, making him more appealing than an unrestricted free agent. If a team makes the Nets a strong offer for Bogdanovic this month, it would make sense for Sean Marks to consider a move.

What do you think is in store for the Atlantic teams over the next 10 days? Which teams are most likely to make a deal? Which players will be on the move?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Weekly Mailbag: 2/6/16 – 2/12/16

February 12th, 2017 at 12:00pm 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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

How can James Dolan be so naive? He plans on keeping Phil Jackson after all he has done. He keeps adding fuel to the fire he started about Charles Oakley. Do the Knicks ever have any chance of being any good with Dolan as an owner or is he the biggest issue? — Yaakov Schreier

An old sports adage says, “You can’t fire the owner,” and that’s the Knicks’ biggest problem right now. Fans across the country cheered on Oakley in his confrontation with Dolan, and the former Knicks tough guy has become more popular than ever now that he is banned from Madison Square Garden. MSG crowds have targeted Joakim Noah, Carmelo Anthony and Jackson as losses have piled up, but the real source of frustration is Dolan, who seems badly out of touch and incapable of building a winner no matter how much money he throws around. There have been suggestions that the Oakley incident will discourage free agents from coming to New York, but it may also make a young talent like Kristaps Porzingis think twice about a long-term future with the Knicks.

What trades are the Pistons most likely to make and what kind of package could they get for Andre Drummond? — Mark Holmes

Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said this week that “everyone is available,” but Drummond is probably less available than anybody else. Detroit should ask for a star and a first-round pick in any deal, but it seems unlikely that Drummond is going anywhere. He’s only 23 and did the organization a favor last year by waiting until the offseason to sign his extension, giving the Pistons more cap room to work with. Reggie Jackson is the first name that comes to mind when discussing potential Detroit trades. A rumor made the rounds this week that the Pelicans were interested in Jackson, possibly as part of a three-team deal involving Jahlil Okafor. Jackson seems like the player to watch as the deadline grows nearer.

There are reports that the Cavs are interested in Jose Calderon and Andrew Bogut. Both are aging veterans. What is the possibility that they go a little younger and call Utah about Shelvin Mack and are they interested in Denver’s seven-footer Jusuf Nurkic, seeing how they really want to move him. — Dayre Dancy

Mack is a real possibility, although one of what seems like dozens for Cleveland as a backup point guard. He helped the Jazz after being acquired in a draft-day deal last season, but he’s on an expiring contract and probably isn’t in the team’s long-term plans. Nurkic would be attractive for the Cavs because he’s still on a rookie contract, but the Nuggets probably want more than Cleveland is willing to part with. The Cavaliers have an obvious need for Calderon, Bogut or almost any big man or point guard, but they may prefer to wait until after the trade deadline and try their luck on the buyout market.

Community Shootaround: Durant Returns To OKC

February 11th, 2017 at 12:27pm CST by Austin Kent

It’s been seven months since Kevin Durant decided to leave the only franchise he ever knew to sign with the Warriors and today the eight-time All-Star will make his much-anticipated return to Oklahoma City. Sure, for nine seasons Durant helped put the Thunder on the map, but don’t expect his reception at the Chesapeake Energy Arena to be anything less than hostile.

On one hand, Durant treated the franchise that drafted him with relatively unprecedented respect, on the other, well… sports fan logic. As Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets, Durant didn’t force a trade out of Oklahoma City and he didn’t put up a stir mid-season and distract the Thunder from their 2015/16 campaign. He waited dutifully until the offseason before making a decision well within his rights as a player.

Still, though his decision is certainly defensible, it didn’t win over very many fans outside of the Bay Area. Shortly after Durant’s personal essay detailing his thought process regarding the move to Oakland was published, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN tweeted a sentiment to which skeptical fans could relate. Smith called Durant’s decision a “weak move”, lambasting the superstar for opting to sign with the team that just rallied to eliminate the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals.

Needless to say, when Durant takes the floor for the Warriors this evening, emotions will be at an all-time high. Earlier this morning Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweeted that the ugliest sports scene he ever witnessed first-hand was LeBron James‘ first game back in Cleveland after signing with the Heat in the summer of 2010.

How do you think Durant’s return to Oklahoma City will go? Do fans have the right to boo an ex-star that did so much for the franchise? If so, how far is too far when fans react negatively?

Weigh in below!

Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/4/17 – 2/11/17

February 11th, 2017 at 11:20am CST by Austin Kent

The Hoops Rumors staff published a series of original features this week. Here’s a look at some of our favorites:

We’re right in the thick of 10-day contract season and remembering who signed where and whether or not they’ve been retained is no small task. We’ve published an official tracking tool that monitors the contract of each 10-day signee.
The Sixers haven’t made a significant move to address their frontcourt logjam yet but when it does it will likely involve second-year center Jahlil Okafor. This week Chris Crouse explored the big man’s value as a trade candidate.
Only two trade exceptions are set to expire this month and the Cavaliers own both of them. Luke Adams discussed where the trade exceptions came from and how they could prompt Cleveland to make a deal prior to February 18, five days ahead of the trade deadline.
An ever-shifting backcourt in Dallas has made the Mavs one of the toughest teams to gauge in fantasy. Chris Crouse wrote about Yogi Ferrell and the value of the rest of the guards on the injury-depleted roster.
The Raptors have most recently been linked to Serge Ibaka, but regardless, there’s a growing consensus that Toronto would benefit from making a move. Milo Taibi looked at the options that the franchise has ahead of the trade deadline.
Every week we like to see what our readers think about certain trending topics, here are our Community Shootarounds.
- The Bucks suffered a blow when it was announced that Jabari Parker will miss the rest of the season. Should the club make a move? Or stand pat and wait for next year?
- The Nuggets have no shortage of valuable assets but who, exactly, should the team part with?
And finally, here are the Hoops Rumors Originals from the previous week in case you missed them.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Who Should The Raptors Target At The Trade Deadline?

February 10th, 2017 at 7:16pm CST by Milo Taibi

The current owners of the fourth-seed in the Eastern Conference, there’s every reason to believe the Raptors will be active buyers at the trade deadline. But who will team president Masai Ujiri and GM Jeff Weltman target? As things currently stand, the Raptors will enter the second half with their 2015/16 rotation in place, sans Bismack Biyombo.

DeMar DeRozan has been vocal in his push for Toronto’s front office to acquire help; telling Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star “help is a great word with any team. Anybody could take help any day if it makes you better, a team better, anything.” DeMarre Carroll echoed DeRozan’s sentiments, noting that the team’s starting unit has been stretched thin amid a playoff run.

One form of help (albeit a flashy one) could come in the form of Serge Ibaka. This past week, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders indicated the Raptors as a potential “long-term fit” for Ibaka’s services. Ibaka’s in the final year of a four-year, $49MM contract, but the Magic’s asking price is believed to be high. Provided Dwane Casey and the Raptors don’t need to sell off rotation players to acquire him, Ibaka would be a considerable upgrade over Patrick Patterson and Pascal Siakam in Toronto’s frontcourt.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN doubled-down on the team’s need to pursue a trade, citing the team’s recent struggles (Toronto has gone 4-6 over their last 10 games). While the team had offseason acquisition Jared Sullinger tabbed for a starting role, the former Celtic is still working to get in shape after suffering a fractured right foot in October. The Raptors have long admired Paul Millsap‘s game, Lewenberg writes, but the Hawks appear unlikely to deal him amidst their pursuit of a four-seed.

Ryan Wolstat of the National Post cited Ibaka and Millsap as ideal fits, while throwing Taj Gibson, Trevor Booker, and Wilson Chandler in the mix as potential trade targets. While Booker isn’t a “sexy name,” compared to Ibaka or Millsap, he has quietly enjoyed a productive for the 9-44 Nets. Averaging 10 points with 8.7 rebounds, the 29-year-old Booker is in the first year of a two-year, $18.375MM pact. Booker’s “doggedness,” on each end of the court is a trait the Raptors could use, Wolstat notes.

What do you think? Which target makes the most sense for Ujiri and Weltman to pursue? What’s Toronto’s ceiling for a 2016/17 playoff run?

Only Two Trade Exceptions Set To Expire This Month

February 10th, 2017 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Traded player exceptions, which we’ve described in the past in the Hoops Rumors Glossary, are often created in trades involving at least one over-the-cap team. Deals of that sort are made frequently in the weeks, days, hours, or even minutes leading up to February’s trade deadline, and trade exceptions expire one year after they’re created, so it would make sense that several TPEs would be on track to expire later this month, as a result of last year’s deadline moves. That’s not the case, however.

As I noted when I took a closer look at trade exceptions back in July, the NBA’s huge salary cap jump in 2016 resulted in just three teams – the Clippers, Raptors, and Cavaliers – staying over the cap through the offseason. The league’s other 27 teams opted to use cap room, which meant renouncing any trade exceptions that may have been on their books.

As a result, eight trade exceptions that would have expired this February were renounced over the summer instead, with the Hawks, Bulls, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Heat, and Suns all forfeiting at least one TPE.

Since only the Clippers, Raptors, and Cavs stayed over the cap, those are the only teams that could still own TPEs which would expire this February. Los Angeles and Toronto didn’t create any trade exceptions at last season’s deadline, leaving Cleveland as the only team with any exceptions expiring this month — the Cavs hold two TPEs, both created in the same three-way deal. They’ll expire on February 18, so if the club intends to make use of either of them, it will have to happen a few days before this year’s deadline.

The first Cavs exception, created when they sent Jared Cunningham to Orlando, is worth just $947,276. Given its modest value, that TPE is unlikely to be used at this year’s deadline. However, the club’s other remaining trade exception is worth monitoring.

Initially worth more than $9.6MM, Cleveland’s second TPE was created when the club sent Anderson Varejao to Portland, and it has already come in handy — the Cavs used more than $5.2MM of that exception to acquire Kyle Korver from Atlanta last month, paring its overall value down to just under $4.4MM.

That isn’t a huge amount to work with, but as I observed when I examined the Cavs’ options last month, there are a few intriguing veteran point guards around the league whose salaries would fit into that TPE, including guys like Leandro Barbosa, J.J. Barea, and Devin Harris. Cleveland probably won’t end up acquiring any of those players, but the trade exception gives the club some flexibility to fortify its roster without sending out any salary in return.

The full list of the NBA’s outstanding trade exceptions can be found right here.

Community Shootaround: Milwaukee Bucks

February 9th, 2017 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks seemed to be on the upswing and a good bet to make the playoffs coming into this season. As the trade deadline approaches, the outlook doesn’t look so rosy.

They have one of the league’s most dynamic players in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has blossomed into an All-Star starter. They also made a wise choice in the second round of last June’s draft in Malcolm Brogdon, who has exceeded all expectations as a scorer and playmaker.

Little else has gone right for the franchise this season. Despite the efforts of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have floundered below the .500 mark, due in part to Khris Middleton‘s injury. Middleton made his season debut on Wednesday after recovering from a torn hamstring. Just when the Bucks had all their main pieces in place, they suffered another devastating setback.

Second-league scorer Jabari Parker tore his ACL on Wednesday. He will miss the rest of the season and probably a good portion of next season. The snake-bit Parker also suffered a torn ACL during his rookie campaign, and one can only wonder how a second major knee injury will affect the remainder of his career and the fortunes of the Bucks franchise.

That leaves the Bucks front office in a difficult spot. They recently traded center Miles Plumlee to the Hornets in what was, by all appearances, a salary dump of a questionable contract they handed out last summer. But Milwaukee still has limited financial flexibility after shelling out big money to acquire free agents Greg Monroe, Mirza Teletovic and Matthew Dellavedova and retain John Henson.

Teletovic and journeyman Michael Beasley figure to get more playing time in the wake of Parker’s injury. Milwaukee finds itself with the 11th-best record in the East but it’s only one game in the loss column behind the Pistons, who currently hold the eighth and final spot.

That leads us to today’s topic: In the wake of Jabari Parker’s knee injury, should the Bucks make a move before the trade deadline to improve their playoff chances? Or should they stand pat and try to regroup in the summer?

Please take to the comments section to give us your input on this subject. We look forward to hearing your opinion.

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