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NBA December Dates To Watch

November 28th, 2016 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Near the start of the 2016/17 campaign, we looked ahead and highlighted several dates and deadlines to watch on the NBA calendar throughout the rest of the season. While that list covered the general highlights, it’s worth taking a closer look, with December around the corner, at some of those key dates to keep an eye out for over the next month. Let’s dive in…

Players becoming trade-eligible:

While many NBA players can be traded now, a huge chunk can’t be dealt until December 15, which is the default date for offseason signees to become trade-eligible. Our list of players who become eligible to be moved on December 15 features well over 100 names, so clubs eager to make a move could engage in more serious trade talks around mid-December.

Of course, for players who signed contracts later in the offseason or who meet certain specific criteria, there are other dates to watch. Thomas Robinson of the Lakers becomes trade-eligible on December 21; Bobby Brown (Rockets), Kyle Wiltjer (Rockets), and Metta World Peace (Lakers) become eligible to be moved on December 23; and Nicolas Laprovittola (Spurs) can be dealt as of December 26.

Waiver order changes:

Waiver claims are pretty rare in the NBA, since teams must have cap room to claim anyone making more than the minimum salary. Still, it’s worth noting that on December 1, the waiver order changes, with the league using this year’s reverse standings instead of last year’s. Assuming the standings don’t change between now and Thursday, that means it would be the Mavericks, Sixers, and Nets at the top of the waiver order, rather than the Sixers, Lakers, and Nets.

Salary guarantee dates:

Most non-guaranteed salaries won’t become guaranteed until January, but there are a few specific dates to watch in December. JaVale McGee (Warriors) and Rodney McGruder (Heat) will get significant chunks of their 2016/17 salaries guaranteed if they remain under contract through December 1, while Dorian Finney-Smith (Mavericks) will get a bump to his partial guarantee on December 5. You can check out the full details right here.

Christmas Day lineup:

After the NFL gets Thanksgiving to itself in November, the NBA gets its showcase on Christmas Day, December 25. The highlight of this year’s schedule will be a rematch of last year’s Finals, as the Warriors play the Cavaliers in Cleveland. However, there’s something to like in each of the other four matchups as well.

The new-look Knicks host Al Horford and the Celtics; Dwyane Wade‘s Bulls are in San Antonio to face the Spurs; Russell Westbrook and the Thunder are at home against Karl-Anthony Towns and the young Timberwolves; and the surging Clippers face the surprising Lakers in a battle of Los Angeles teams.

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Weekly Mailbag: 11/21/16 – 11/27/16

November 27th, 2016 at 8:30pm 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:

What do the Bucks need to do to make the playoffs? And will Greg Monroe be traded before the trade deadline? — Dan Vachalek

At 6-8, the Bucks are only a half game out of eighth in the East, so it’s possible they could be a playoff team with the roster they have now. It’s no secret that they would like to trade Monroe and would probably consider any reasonable offer. Like many teams, Milwaukee is relying more on small-ball lineups, which creates less of a need to have Monroe on the team. ESPN’s Zach Lowe confirmed this week that the Pelicans have had “semi-serious talks” about Monroe over the past year, but those appear to be on hold. The biggest problem with trading Monroe is that he has an $17.9MM player option for next season. Most teams don’t like to deal for players in that situation because of the uncertainty involved.

I have two questions:
1. Do you think that the Nuggets could trade one of their shooting guards in Gary Harris or Will Barton?
2. Will the Thunder make some cap space by trading Enes Kanter to go after big names in free agency? — Casey Becker

The Nuggets have made it clear that they like Harris a lot. He grabbed a starting position last year and he’s still on a rookie contract, making a little more than $1.65MM this year and $2.55MM next season. Unless Jamal Murray somehow makes Harris expendable, plan on him to stay in Denver. Barton is an extremely productive bench player who also has a very team-friendly contract. The Nuggets just re-signed him in 2015, and he is making about $3.5MM this season and next. There’s not much reason to think either one will be leaving Denver.

The Thunder, on the other hand, may be regretting their decision to match Kanter’s four-year, $70MM offer sheet last summer. He’s losing minutes to Joffrey Lauvergne and could wind up as a third-string center making more than $17MM per season. If a team came to the Thunder with an offer, I think they would gladly listen.

With the T-Wolves’ slow start, there are rumors that Tom Thibodeau will likely move one of his young assets for a proven veteran. However, which player gets traded and for whom? One would think the trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine are untouchable. Kris Dunn is viewed as the point guard of the future. Gorgui Dieng was just signed to a big contract extension. Also, they could’ve signed a veteran, such as Luol Deng, this off season or even kept Kevin Garnett on the team for leadership. Could Thibs’ frustration over losing cause him to part ways one of his young guns? –Matt Trapp

Thibodeau may not be a “trust the process” type of coach, but it would be incredibly short-sighted to break up this team full of young stars just to win a few games now. Ricky Rubio remains the player most likely to be traded, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on Minnesota between now and the deadline to see how much losing Thibodeau can tolerate without pulling the trigger on a major deal.

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Community Shootaround: Joakim Noah

November 26th, 2016 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

When the Knicks sent Robin Lopez to Chicago as part of the Derrick Rose trade, they were confident they could replace him by signing free agent center Joakim Noah. They got their man when Noah agreed to a four-year, $72MM deal, but they haven’t gotten the production they were expecting.

The 31-year-old is averaging 4.5 points and 8.8 rebounds through 13 games, and the Knicks are concerned about both his offense and defense. He is shooting just 32% from the foul line, which is part of the reason his fourth-quarter minutes have been sharply reduced.

The Knicks played two of their best games this week with Noah sidelined by the flu, and there are whispers that he might be better suited to a bench role. He started just two of the 29 games he played in Chicago last year before his season was cut short by a separated shoulder.

Noah posted three consecutive scoreless games before the illness hit, and the offense appears more fluid with Kyle O’Quinn as the starter or Kristaps Porzingis moving to center in a small-ball lineup. Noah acknowledged this week to Marc Berman of The New York Post that he feels “a step slow” and he has been “up and down” since the season started.

With the amnesty clause not expected to be part of the new CBA, there are fears that Noah could already be a sunk cost for team president Phil Jackson. Noah’s age, injury history and poor performance to start the season are all red flags, and there is a growing belief that the Knicks are a better team without him on the floor.

That leads us to tonight’s question: Was signing Noah a mistake or is it too early to judge? And if you believe it was a mistake, which available center would have been a better option?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Hoops Rumors Originals 11/20/16-11/26/16

November 26th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by ChrisCrouse

Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.

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Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

November 25th, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

We at Hoops Rumors love interacting with our readers. This is why we provide an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted each Sunday.

Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.

If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.

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Blazers, Mavs Flirting With Luxury Tax Line

November 25th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

One side effect of the NBA’s huge salary cap spike this summer was that fewer teams are in danger of paying the luxury tax. The Cavaliers remain well above the tax line, but they’re the only club guaranteed of being a taxpayer in 2017.

The Clippers have the league’s second-highest team payroll so far this season, exceeding $114.74MM. That puts Los Angeles above the tax threshold, which is $113.287MM, but not by much — if the Clips really wanted to avoid paying the tax, they could likely find a trade at the deadline that would allow them to sneak under that line, though it may cost a draft pick or two, depending on whose salary they move.

Of course, the Clippers’ tax bill wouldn’t be exorbitant if their team salary stays where it is now. As our Salary Cap Snapshot for the team shows, we’ve calculated L.A.’s projected tax bill to be worth about $3.633MM, which would hardly break the bank for owner Steve Ballmer. Still, shedding that bill isn’t the only incentive for the team to avoid the tax.

Luxury tax payments are always more punitive for repeat taxpayers, and this would be the Clippers’ fourth straight season in the tax. Teams are considered repeat taxpayers if they’ve been in the tax for at least three of the last four seasons, so perhaps the Clippers – recognizing that new contracts for Chris Paul and Blake Griffin next summer may put them back into the tax anyway – won’t feel compelled to get out for just one season, but it’s still worth considering.

Additionally, the money paid by teams in the tax ends up being partially split up by the clubs below the tax line. In 2016, the 23 non-taxpaying teams each received about $2.5MM in total tax payments from the seven taxpaying clubs. With only the Cavs in the tax this year, that amount would be smaller, but again, it’s a factor worth taking into account.

While it will be interesting to keep an eye on the Clippers’ cap situation over the course of the season, they’re not the only team close to the tax line. Currently, the Trail Blazers and Mavericks are getting dangerously close to that threshold. Here’s a breakdown of how things look for those two teams:

Portland Trail Blazers
Team salary for cap purposes: $112,823,450
Team salary for tax purposes: $113,260,410
Amount below tax: $26,590
Salary Cap Snapshot

Since Tim Quarterman was signed as a free agent, the two-year minimum salary ($980,431) is used in place of his rookie salary ($543,471), bumping the Trail Blazers dangerously close to the tax line. That detail on Quarterman’s contract, along with the fact that his is the only non-guaranteed salary on the team’s books, makes his hold on a roster spot perilous. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him waived on or before the January guarantee deadline.

Still, the Blazers are widely considered one of the NBA’s most likely teams to complete at least one trade this season. ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently suggested he’d be “blown away” if Portland doesn’t make at least one deal. The team would likely have to come close to matching salaries in any deal, but there’s some wiggle room within those trade rules, and if the Blazers can shave off even $1-2MM in a deal, it would create a significant amount of breathing room for a team right up against the tax line.

Considering the Blazers’ current 2017/18 guaranteed salaries would put them well over the projected tax threshold for next season, staying below the tax this year figures to be a priority for the club.

Dallas Mavericks
Team salary for cap purposes: $110,920,751
Team salary for tax purposes: $112,715,267
Amount below tax: $571,733
Salary Cap Snapshot

Like the Blazers, the Mavs see their team salary for tax purposes increase a little due to free agents with less than two years of experience. Dorian Finney-Smith, Nicolas Brussino, and Jonathan Gibson (who was signed to a guaranteed contract, waived, then re-signed) are among them. In total, Dallas is less than $600K from the tax line, but there are reasons to believe the team should avoid surpassing that line.

For one, Finney-Smith and Gibson are still on partially guaranteed contracts, so they could be waived prior to January’s guarantee deadline to avoid having their full salaries count against the cap.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the Mavs simply don’t look like a contender this season, having started the season with an NBA-worst 2-12 record. Assuming the team doesn’t go on a lengthy winning streak to climb back into the postseason hunt, the front office should be more inclined to sell than buy at this season’s trade deadline.

It’s not clear yet exactly what pieces the Mavs would move if they become sellers, but Andrew Bogut looks like a prime trade candidate. One team executive recently suggested to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that Bogut would draw “plenty” of trade interest if Dallas put him on the block, while Bill Simmons – O’Connor’s boss at The Ringer – tweeted today that the Celtics would be a good fit for the veteran big man. Bogut is earning more than $11MM this season, so if the Mavs were to acquire contracts worth about $8-9MM in return for Bogut, they’d comfortably distance themselves from the tax threshold.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.

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2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings

November 24th, 2016 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the 2016/17 NBA season, Hoops Rumors will be maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on how the 2017 draft order will look. Our 2016/17 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, will be updated daily to reflect the previous night’s outcomes.

Our Reverse Standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what 2014’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. In addition to not considering the results of the lottery, our tracker lists teams in random order when they have identical records. At the end of the year, those ties would be broken via random drawings.

Traded picks – and conditionally traded picks – are included via footnotes. For instance, the note next to the Kings‘ pick says that Sacramento will send its pick to the Bulls if it’s not in the top 10. If the Kings’ pick is in the top 10, the 76ers would have the right to swap selections, so that footnote is included next to the Sixers’ pick as well. As of today, the Kings are in a three-way tie for the NBA’s ninth-worst record, putting it right on the cusp of that top-10 protection.

Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on our right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2017. So be sure to check back often!

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Poll: Is Tanking A Non-Issue?

November 24th, 2016 at 12:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers set the bar on tanking over the last several seasons, compiling teams that had no shot to be competitive with an eye on landing the No. 1 overall pick. Philadelphia’s bold strategy led to conversations on the topic and even efforts toward lottery reform. However, this season it appears every team is at least trying to put its best foot forward and the topic has become a dead issue, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News argues.

“Nobody is doing it this year,” one general manager said. “You need to get your owner on board if you are going to tank an entire season, and I don’t think any owners have the stomach for it anymore. They gave up on it in Philadelphia, because the owner in the end didn’t want to keep seeing his team be a laughingstock. I think there is a lot of pressure from other owners not to let your team go in that direction. It’s something owners worked out among themselves.”

Commissioner Adam Silver believes that teams have realized the importance of trying to win games.

“You don’t want teams to intentionally be bad,” Silver said. “I think, as I said [back in 2014,] there is invariably a correction in the marketplace as well, regardless of what rules we have on the draft lottery. The fact is, teams don’t want to be bad for a long time. They need to sell tickets, they need to keep their fans engaged, our owners care about their reputations, the players don’t want to be part of losing traditions. If you noticed this season, I think there has been a swing back to the realization that culture is important, building winning traditions is equally important.”

Deveney adds that the topic of tanking hasn’t been part of the discussion during negotiations on the new CBA, which is something that both sides believe could be reached sometime next month.

Do you still consider tanking an issue? Don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say!

Is Tanking Still An Issue In The NBA?
No 51.49% (190 votes)
Yes 48.51% (179 votes)
Total Votes: 369
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Checking In On Traded 2017 First-Round Picks

November 22nd, 2016 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

We’re not even a month into the 2016/17 NBA season yet, but based on what we’ve seen over the last four weeks, it’s becoming clearer which teams will be in contention for the rest of the season, and which clubs might fall out of the hunt sooner rather than later.

The standings so far also provide some interesting possibilities for the 2017 NBA draft, since several teams have traded first-round picks for ’17 — some of those traded picks are tied to conditions related to team performance, so it’s worth checking in to see how things look in the early going.

Using our list of traded 2017 first-rounders as a point of reference, here’s what we know – or think we know – so far:

The picks acquired by the Jazz and Raptors are on track to be very late first-rounders

Utah landed a first-round pick from Golden State, and Toronto will acquire the Clippers’ first-rounder if it falls outside the top 14. So far, the Clippers and the Warriors own the NBA’s top two records, meaning the Jazz and Raptors would be in line to acquire the final two picks of the first round — Nos. 29 and 30.

The Nuggets should get a first-round pick from the Grizzlies

Even with offseason signee Chandler Parsons battling knee issues again, Memphis is off to a solid start this season, with a 9-5 record. Last year, the Grizzlies managed to earn a playoff spot even after several key players went down with injuries, and this year’s team looks like it should be in the playoff hunt again. That means the Grizzlies’ first-round pick will likely head to Denver, since the Nuggets will acquire it if it falls outside of the top five.

The Celtics will almost certainly swap first-round picks with the Nets

Boston struggled a little to start the season, and the Nets picked up a few early victories, but the C’s are currently 3.5 games ahead of Brooklyn, and figure to increase that gap as the season goes on. The Celtics have the right to swap picks with the Nets, and barring a huge surprise, the only real drama here will be how high that Brooklyn pick lands — the team is currently tied for the NBA’s fifth-worst record.

The Sixers should get the Lakers’ first-round pick

Expectations were low for the Lakers heading into the season, but the club has played very well in the early going under new head coach Luke Walton, and currently sits in a playoff spot in the West, with a 7-7 record. Even if the Lakers eventually fall out of the top eight in the West, Philadelphia should still be in a strong position to get L.A.’s pick this season, since it’s only top-three protected.

Stay tuned on the Kings’ first-round pick

The one first-round pick that remains firmly up in the air at this point is Sacramento’s, which is top-10 protected. If it falls outside of the top 10, the Bulls will get it. At 5-9, the Kings currently hold the league’s ninth-worst record, and it will be interesting to see if the team – which has no shortage of trade candidates – eventually pushes for a playoff spot, or falls out of contention and makes an effort to hang onto its pick.

Kings ownership wants to see the team make a playoff push this season, and even if the club doesn’t crack the top eight in the West, there’s perhaps a little additional incentive to avoid an all-out tank: Philadelphia has the right to swap first-rounders with the Kings if Sacramento’s pick falls within the top 10. For now, the Sixers (4-10) remain below the Kings in the standings, but not by much.

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Weekly Mailbag: 11/14/16-11/20/16

November 20th, 2016 at 8:32pm 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:

What’s wrong with the Knicks? How do you improve defense? Are these players good together? — Ron Cromartie

The answer to all these questions is that it’s too soon to tell. The Knicks went through a lot of changes over the offseason, with a new coach and three new starters added in Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah. It’s going to take more than 13 games to determine if all the pieces fit and the defense can get better. It looks like the talent is there to be a playoff contender, but the fans and the front office are going to have to show patience.

The Raptors definitely have a need at power forward in order to stand a chance against LeBron’s Cavaliers. The rumors are all about trading for Nerlens Noel. With Aaron Gordon playing bench minutes behind Serge Ibaka, would it be possible for the Raptors to package a few players and picks, like Terrence Ross and Pascal Siakam and a pair of future draft picks, to obtain Gordon and Mario Hezonja? — Todd Clarke

It’s nice to see fans thinking big, but it’s unlikely that Orlando will part with Gordon. He’s only 21, he’s still on his rookie contract and the Magic still view him as a future star. They traded for Ibaka in an effort to win right away, but Gordon hasn’t slipped out of their long-term plans. The package you propose should be more than enough to land Noel or Greg Monroe or some other power forward who becomes available as teams slip out of playoff contention.

How far do you think Bruno Caboclo is from being a contributor on the Raptors squad? I feel like he’s progressing well, but is blocked by DeMarre Carroll‘s contract. — Jared Scherling

Caboclo was sent back to the D-League again this week as the Raptors embarked on a nine-day road trip. The Brazilian small forward came to Toronto with a lot of hype, but he hasn’t produced anything to justify it. He has appeared in just 14 NBA games between last season and this one and has just 13 points, so he has concerns much bigger than Carroll’s contract. Caboclo will have to prove himself in the D-League before he get a real shot with the Raptors.

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