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Community Shootaround: Knicks ‘Super Team’?

August 20th, 2016 at 10:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

The words “super team” are normally directed at the Cavaliers, Warriors or Spurs. However, Derrick Rose thinks the Knicks also deserve that designation.

Rose, who was traded from Chicago to New York in June, not only made the statement, but recently backed it up when he was given the chance to reconsider. “I feel like if you’re in any team in the NBA — it don’t have to be the NBA, it could be the college level, high school level — you should believe in yourself and have the confidence in yourself that you’re playing on a super team anywhere,” Rose said. “So I have a lot of confidence, and I’m not taking that back.”

So maybe Rose’s statement was more about confidence building than an actual assessment. But the Knicks do have a lot of talent for a team that won just 32 games last season:

  • Start with Rose, who was the league MVP in 2011 and was a three-time All-Star before tearing his ACL in the 2012 playoffs. He appeared in 66 games last season, which was the most since the injury.
  • Joakim Noah, who signed with New York as a free agent, is a two-time All-Star and has been a productive center throughout his nine-year career. He finished fourth in the MVP voting for the 2013/14 season.
  • Carmelo Anthony is an 11-time All-Star and was the league’s scoring champion in 2012/13. Even at age 32, he remains one of the league’s most dangerous offensive threats.
  • Kristaps Porzingis appears headed for stardom after a meteoric start to his NBA career. The 7’3″ Latvian was a unanimous choice for NBA All-Rookie first team honors and was runner-up in the balloting for Rookie of the Year.

That may not be a super team, but it’s certainly the core of a much improved team that may reach the playoffs. Throw in new additions Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings and a new coach in Jeff Hornacek, and the Knicks could be ready for a major jump in the standings.

That brings us to tonight’s question: How good will the Knicks be in 2016/17 and is there any validity to Rose’s “super team” comments? 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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Download The Trade Rumors App Today

August 20th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If you enjoy this website on your smartphone or tablet, you’ve got to download our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device.  Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, and Pro Football Rumors, in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format.  Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our three sites.  Not into all three sports?  No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see.  You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications!  For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly.  Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting!  You can now read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
  • Customer service!  If you find a bug, we’ll fix it.  If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it.  The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did I mention Trade Rumors is a FREE app?  What do you have to lose?  Download now!
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Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 3)

August 20th, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Scouting players and predicting how their skills will translate to the NBA is one of the more difficult tasks front offices have on their plates. Looking back over past drafts and how many lottery picks never evolved into stars, or even made a significant impact in the league, illustrates just how often stats, combine numbers and pure gut instinct often come up short.

Of course, we get the opportunity to critique these moves with the benefit of hindsight — a luxury that GMs don’t have on draft night. Having said that, it’s still fun to go back in time and take a theoretical look at how these drafts should have/could have gone.

We recently finished revisiting the lottery portion of the 2005 NBA Draft, which was one of the weakest in recent memory. In drafts light on impact talent, the GM who can find a diamond in the rough is king. But drafts that have a number of star-potential players can also be difficult and many an executive has made what turned out to be the wrong call. Greg Oden over Kevin Durant immediately springs to mind (sorry Blazers fans), likewise taking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan…ouch!

The 2008 draft, which is the one we’re tackling now, had a number of players who have gone on to post big numbers in the league. This was the year of Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall), Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10) and Nicolas Batum (No. 25). Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking readers to vote on whom teams should have selected in each spot.

We’ll continue with the Wolves, who dealt away the No. 3 overall pick in a swap with Memphis. The actual swap went like this: The Grizzlies acquired the draft rights to O.J. Mayo, along with Marko Jarić, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner, from Minnesota in exchange for the draft rights to No. 5 overall pick Kevin Love, plus, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins. To avoid muddying the waters too much, we’ll assume the trade wasn’t completed (since Love is already off the board), so whomever is selected here will end up in Minnesota.

So cast your vote for who the Wolves select and check back on Sunday to see the results and to vote on who the Sonics/Thunder will nab fourth overall. Also, don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.

  1. Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
  2. Heat — Kevin Love [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
  3. Wolves — ?? [Actual Pick — O.J. Mayo]
With the No. 3 Overall Pick, the Wolves Should Have Selected....
Derrick Rose 49.13% (622 votes)
DeAndre Jordan 31.83% (403 votes)
Brook Lopez 5.69% (72 votes)
Serge Ibaka 4.34% (55 votes)
Nicolas Batum 3.79% (48 votes)
Goran Dragic 1.03% (13 votes)
Danilo Gallinari 0.55% (7 votes)
Eric Gordon 0.55% (7 votes)
Roy Hibbert 0.47% (6 votes)
Ryan Anderson 0.39% (5 votes)
Joe Alexander 0.32% (4 votes)
George Hill 0.24% (3 votes)
JaVale McGee 0.24% (3 votes)
O.J. Mayo 0.24% (3 votes)
Jason Thompson 0.24% (3 votes)
Michael Beasley 0.16% (2 votes)
Nikola Pekovic 0.16% (2 votes)
Brandon Rush 0.16% (2 votes)
Jerryd Bayless 0.08% (1 votes)
Brian Roberts 0.08% (1 votes)
Courtney Lee 0.08% (1 votes)
Timofey Mozgov 0.08% (1 votes)
D.J. Augustin 0.08% (1 votes)
Robin Lopez 0.08% (1 votes)
Marreese Speights 0.00% (0 votes)
J.J. Hickson 0.00% (0 votes)
Kosta Koufos 0.00% (0 votes)
Anthony Randolph 0.00% (0 votes)
Anthony Morrow 0.00% (0 votes)
Omer Asik 0.00% (0 votes)
Mario Chalmers 0.00% (0 votes)
Total Votes: 1,266

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/14/16-8/20/16

August 20th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Eddie Scarito

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

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Community Shootaround: Detroit Pistons

August 19th, 2016 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons took a low-key approach to the offseason. Content with the young pieces assembled over the past two seasons, head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy opted to improve his bench.

Detroit did pursue one top-level free agent, Al Horford, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen. So, Van Gundy made some under-the-radar signings, essentially splitting up the salary-cap room available to ink three reserves — point guard Ish Smith, power forward Jon Leuer and center Boban Marjanovic.

Smith should be a major upgrade as the backup to Reggie Jackson. The Pistons had aging Steve Blake at that spot during the second half of last season. Leuer is also expected to play a major role and gives the club more versatility up front compared to the player he’s replacing, Anthony Tolliver.

Van Gundy is banking on improvements from within as his young core grows together. Jackson just finished his first season as a full-time starter. Combo forward Tobias Harris, acquired at the trade deadline, will now have a full season to blend in with the starting unit.

The Pistons are also expecting big things from second-year swingman Stanley Johnson, who jumped right into the rotation as a rookie and flashed some star potential.

The whole roster revolves around center Andre Drummond, who led the league in rebounding despite free throw shooting woes that often kept him on the bench during crunch time.

The Pistons will have very little cap space next summer unless they dump some salary, so the players on the current roster need to build on the franchise’s first playoff appearance in seven seasons.

This leads us to our question of the day: Did the Pistons do enough this offseason to become serious contenders in the Eastern Conference?

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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Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 2)

August 19th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Scouting players and predicting how their skills will translate to the NBA is one of the more difficult tasks front offices have on their plates. Looking back over past drafts and how many lottery picks never evolved into stars, or even made a significant impact in the league, illustrates just how often stats, combine numbers and pure gut instinct often come up short.

Of course, we get the opportunity to critique these moves with the benefit of hindsight — a luxury that GMs don’t have on draft night. Having said that, it’s still fun to go back in time and take a theoretical look at how these drafts should have/could have gone.

We just finished revisiting the lottery portion of the 2005 NBA Draft, which was one of the weakest in recent memory. In drafts light on impact talent, the GM who can find a diamond in the rough is king. But drafts that have a number of star-potential players can also be difficult and many an executive has made what turned out to be the wrong call. Greg Oden over Kevin Durant immediately springs to mind (sorry Blazers fans), likewise taking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan…ouch!

The 2008 draft, which is the next one we’ll be tackling, had a number of players who have gone on to post big numbers in the league. This was the year of Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall), Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10) and Nicolas Batum (No. 25). Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking readers to vote on whom teams should have selected in each spot.

In our first round of voting, our fans selected Westbrook as the player the Bulls should have taken with the first overall pick. Of course, Chicago took Rose, who posted MVP numbers prior to injuries taking hold. Westbrook received just over 79% of the votes, with Rose a distant second at 14.5%.

Let’s move on to the next pick. The Heat made a choice they soon came to regret — forward Michael Beasley. Beasley lasted just two seasons with the Heat before he was moved to the Timberwolves. Beasley had a second stint with the Heat and appeared in 20 games with the Rockets last season, but obviously never developed into a franchise-type player.

Who should the Heat have taken with the second overall pick? Please check back on Saturday for results.

Also, don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.

Selections

  1. Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
  2. Heat — ??? [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
With the No. 2 Overall Pick, the Heat Should Have Selected...
Kevin Love 34.18% (607 votes)
Derrick Rose 32.49% (577 votes)
DeAndre Jordan 20.78% (369 votes)
Brook Lopez 2.87% (51 votes)
Nicolas Batum 2.08% (37 votes)
Serge Ibaka 1.75% (31 votes)
JaVale McGee 0.68% (12 votes)
Goran Dragic 0.68% (12 votes)
George Hill 0.62% (11 votes)
Joe Alexander 0.51% (9 votes)
Michael Beasley 0.45% (8 votes)
Danilo Gallinari 0.34% (6 votes)
Marreese Speights 0.23% (4 votes)
Nikola Pekovic 0.23% (4 votes)
Eric Gordon 0.23% (4 votes)
Roy Hibbert 0.23% (4 votes)
J.J. Hickson 0.17% (3 votes)
Omer Asik 0.17% (3 votes)
Jason Thompson 0.17% (3 votes)
Ryan Anderson 0.17% (3 votes)
Kosta Koufos 0.17% (3 votes)
O.J. Mayo 0.17% (3 votes)
Brian Roberts 0.17% (3 votes)
Anthony Randolph 0.11% (2 votes)
Jerryd Bayless 0.11% (2 votes)
Anthony Morrow 0.11% (2 votes)
D.J. Augustin 0.06% (1 votes)
Brandon Rush 0.06% (1 votes)
Mario Chalmers 0.06% (1 votes)
Courtney Lee 0.00% (0 votes)
Timofey Mozgov 0.00% (0 votes)
Robin Lopez 0.00% (0 votes)
Total Votes: 1,776

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.

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Salary Cap Snapshot: Memphis Grizzlies

August 18th, 2016 at 2:54pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the free agent signing period winding down and teams looking ahead to the preseason, we at Hoops Rumors will be tracking the Salary Cap figures for each team around the league.  These posts will be maintained throughout the season once financial data is reported. They will be located on the sidebar throughout the year, once all the teams’ cap figures have been relayed. You can always check RosterResource.com for up-to-date rosters for each franchise, with the Grizzlies’ team page accessible here.

Here’s a breakdown of where the Grizzlies currently stand financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Total Guaranteed Salary= $110,966,507

Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $250K — Sent $250K to Hornets in Troy Daniels trade [Amount Remaining $3.25MM]

Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]

Payroll Exceptions Available

Total Projected Payroll: $110,966,507

Salary Cap: $94,143,000

Estimated Available Cap Space: –$16,823,507

Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000

Total Projected Payroll For Tax Purposes: $111,470,216

Amount Below Luxury Tax: $1,816,784

Last Updated: 3/20/17

The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.

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Largest Expiring Contracts For 2016/17

August 18th, 2016 at 12:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the marked jump in the salary cap this season, expiring contracts aren’t quite what they used to be as trade chips. The shorter contracts that have come about in the past few years thanks to new rules imposed in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement have meant more teams have the opportunity to open cap space each year, which decreases the value of trading for a player in the final year of his contract.

The majority of teams will start next summer under the cap, and many will possess the amount of cap space necessary to sign a maximum-salary free agent. Still, expiring contracts can be effective trade assets under the right circumstances. These players come with little financial risk to the teams acquiring them, given they will be off a team’s books by the time the next free agent signing period commences. The cost in acquiring players in this category is often below their actual value, since they are ostensibly just short-term rentals. Plus, it also allows franchises to see how a pending free agent fits within its system and locker room culture.

Here’s a rundown of each player who has an expiring contract with a salary of greater than $8MM for the 2016/17 campaign:

Which of the above players, excluding Curry for obvious reasons, is the most valuable trade chip this season? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts.

Note: The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

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Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 1)

August 18th, 2016 at 8:57am CST by Eddie Scarito

Scouting players and predicting how their skills will translate to the NBA is one of the more difficult tasks front offices have on their plates. Looking back over past drafts and how many lottery picks never evolved into stars or even made a significant impact in the league illustrates just how often stats, combine numbers and pure gut instinct often come up short. Of course, we get the opportunity to critique these moves with the benefit of hindsight — a luxury that GMs don’t have on draft night. having said that, it’s still fun to go back in time and take a theoretical look at how these drafts should have/could have gone.

We just finished revisiting the lottery portion of the 2005 NBA Draft, which was one of the weakest in recent memory. In drafts light on impact talent, the GM who can find a diamond in the rough is king. But drafts that have a number of star-potential players can also be difficult and many an executive has made what turned out to be the wrong call. Greg Oden over Kevin Durant immediately springs to mind (sorry Blazers fans), likewise taking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan…ouch!

The 2008 draft, which is the next one we’ll be tackling, had a number of players who have gone on to post big numbers in the league. This was the year of Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall), Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10) and Nicolas Batum (No. 25). Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting a series of polls asking readers to vote on whom teams should have selected in each spot.

We’ll kick this thing off with the Bulls, who held the No. 1 overall pick that year. Should Chicago take Rose, who posted MVP numbers prior to injuries taking hold, or go in a different direction? Well readers, it’s up to you to answer that on by casting your votes below. Check back on Friday to see the results and to vote on who the Heat should have nabbed second overall. Also, don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.

Selections

  1. Bulls — ?? [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
With the No. 1 Overall Pick, the Bulls Should Have Taken....
Russell Westbrook 79.23% (1,678 votes)
Derrick Rose 14.40% (305 votes)
Kevin Love 1.89% (40 votes)
DeAndre Jordan 1.09% (23 votes)
JaVale McGee 0.71% (15 votes)
Joe Alexander 0.28% (6 votes)
Nicolas Batum 0.24% (5 votes)
Brook Lopez 0.24% (5 votes)
Michael Beasley 0.19% (4 votes)
George Hill 0.14% (3 votes)
Omer Asik 0.14% (3 votes)
Goran Dragic 0.14% (3 votes)
Timofey Mozgov 0.14% (3 votes)
Brian Roberts 0.14% (3 votes)
Eric Gordon 0.14% (3 votes)
Anthony Randolph 0.14% (3 votes)
Serge Ibaka 0.09% (2 votes)
O.J. Mayo 0.09% (2 votes)
D.J. Augustin 0.09% (2 votes)
Jerryd Bayless 0.09% (2 votes)
Marreese Speights 0.05% (1 votes)
J.J. Hickson 0.05% (1 votes)
Kosta Koufos 0.05% (1 votes)
Nikola Pekovic 0.05% (1 votes)
Mario Chalmers 0.05% (1 votes)
Danilo Gallinari 0.05% (1 votes)
Jason Thompson 0.05% (1 votes)
Brandon Rush 0.05% (1 votes)
Roy Hibbert 0.00% (0 votes)
Ryan Anderson 0.00% (0 votes)
Courtney Lee 0.00% (0 votes)
Anthony Morrow 0.00% (0 votes)
Robin Lopez 0.00% (0 votes)
Total Votes: 2,118

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.

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Community Shootaround: Most Improved Player

August 17th, 2016 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

There was little reason to expect stardom from C.J. McCollum during his first two NBA seasons. After being taken 10th overall out of Lehigh in the 2013 draft, McCollum got into just 38 games with the Trail Blazers during his rookie year and averaged 12.5 minutes per night. In his second season, those numbers increased to 62 games and 15.7 minutes of playing time.

But then Wesley Matthews left in free agency last summer and opened a door for the 6’4″ shooting guard. McCollum responded by moving into the starting lineup, averaging 20.8 points per night, shooting 42% from 3-point range and joining Damian Lillard to form one of the league’s most dynamic young backcourts.

McCollum was a runaway choice as the NBA’s Most Improved Player, easily outdistancing Kemba Walker and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the postseason voting. He cashed in on his success last month, agreeing to a five-year extension with the Blazers worth $106MM.

It’s an award that often leads to financial success. McCullom joins an impressive list of recent winners — Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Paul George, Ryan Anderson and Kevin Love — who all signed max or near-max deals sometime after winning the honor.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Who will be named the Most Improved Player for 2016/17? Who has the right mixture of talent and opportunity to follow in the footsteps of McCollum and the other winners?

Will someone step forward to replace the massive void left by Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City? Or by Dwyane Wade in Miami? Will it be someone leading a team on the rise like Utah or Orlando? Or will it be a relatively obscure player on one of the league’s younger teams?

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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