Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 5)
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 Grizzlies, who held the No. 5 overall pick that year. In the “real world” draft, Memphis had acquired the No. 3 overall pick in a swap with Minnesota. 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 was nabbed by the Heat with pick No. 2), so whomever is selected here will end up in Memphis.
So cast your vote for who the Grizzlies select and check back on Wednesday to see the results and to vote on who the Knicks will nab sixth 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.
- Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
- Heat — Kevin Love [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
- Wolves — Derrick Rose [Actual Pick — O.J. Mayo]
- Sonics/Thunder — DeAndre Jordan [Actual Pick — Russell Westbrook]
- Grizzlies — ?? [Actual Pick — Kevin Love]
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.
NBA D-League Affiliations For 2016/17
The NBA D-League announced its 2016/17 schedule this week, and once again, the league has officially expanded its list of teams. The NBA’s ultimate goal is to have each of its 30 franchises affiliated with a D-League squad, and the league inched closer to that goal this year.
Three additional NBA teams – the Nets, Hornets, and Bulls – now have expansion affiliates in the D-League, while two more teams – the Suns and Jazz – relocated their affiliates, ensuring that the distance between the NBA and D-League clubs has been reduced. Phoenix’s old D-League team, the Bakersfield Jam, is now located in Northern Arizona, while the Idaho Stampede, Utah’s old D-League affiliate, has moved to Salt Lake City.
Listed below, sorted alphabetically by NBA team, are the 22 NBA D-League affiliates for the 2016/17 season.
2016/17 D-League Affiliations:
Boston Celtics: Maine Red Claws
Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets (new)
Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm (new)
Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls (new)
Cleveland Cavaliers: Canton Charge
Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
Detroit Pistons: Grand Rapids Drive
Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Indiana Pacers: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Los Angeles Lakers: Los Angeles D-Fenders
Memphis Grizzlies: Iowa Energy
Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
Orlando Magic: Erie BayHawks
Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware 87ers
Phoenix Suns: Northern Arizona Suns (relocated)
Sacramento Kings: Reno Bighorns
San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars (relocated)
Listed below are the eight NBA teams still without a D-League affiliate. These eight clubs will get to assign players to D-League teams associated with other NBA franchises.
Teams without D-League affiliates:
Atlanta Hawks
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Clippers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers
Washington Wizards
Latest Update On Unsigned 2016 Draftees
The NBA draft took place two months ago tonight, and when Brandon Ingram signed his rookie contract with the Lakers earlier today, he became the final first-rounder to lock in a plan for the 2016/17 season.
Of course, for Ingram, there was never any doubt that he’d sign an NBA contract and enter the league immediately, but that’s not the case for all of this year’s first-rounders. As our list of draft pick signings shows, three of the 30 players selected in the first round – including two Celtics – will play overseas this season.
The percentage of draftees heading (or staying) overseas is higher among second-round picks, but for those second-rounders, there are options besides entering the NBA or playing international ball — Celtics second-rounder Abdel Nader, for instance, has agreed to sign with Boston’s D-League affiliate in Maine. He’ll earn less money there than he would’ve overseas, but the Celtics will be able to keep a close eye on him and will have a hand in his development as they retain his NBA rights.
When we provided an update on 2016 draft pick signings in late July, five first-round picks and eight second-rounders were still waiting to resolve their situations. Since then, 10 of those draftees have gotten that resolution, leaving just three players whose statuses remain uncertain. They are as follows:
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Daniel Hamilton, SG (UConn)
- Sacramento Kings: Isaiah Cousins, SG (Oklahoma)
- Utah Jazz: Tyrone Wallace, PG (California)
Hamilton, Cousins, and Wallace were all bottom-five picks in the draft, having been selected 56th, 59th, and 60th, respectively. All three were also drafted by teams with their own D-League affiliates. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising if those clubs wanted agreements similar to the one Nader worked out with the Celtics — getting these draftees to sign D-League contracts would mean retaining their rights without having to worry about clearing an NBA roster spot for them.
If Hamilton, Cousins, or Wallace signs an NBA contract, then doesn’t earn a spot on his team’s 15-man, regular-season roster, that team would still hold his D-League rights, but would lose his NBA rights. In other words, Hamilton could be assigned to the OKC Blue, but another NBA team could sign him to its regular-season roster, and the Thunder wouldn’t be able to stop it.
For a team to retain its NBA rights to a second-round pick, it must tender a one-year, minimum-salary contract offer before September 6. With that deadline fast approaching, we should soon find out what the short-term future holds for this year’s final three unsigned draftees.
Salary Cap Snapshot: Miami Heat
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 Heat’s team page accessible here.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Heat currently stand financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- Chris Bosh —$23,741,060
- Hassan Whiteside —$22,116,750
- Goran Dragic —$15,891,725
- Wayne Ellington —$6,000,000
- Josh McRoberts —$5,782,450
- Tyler Johnson —$5,628,000 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Derrick Williams —$4,598,000 [Waived by team]
- James Johnson —$4,000,000
- Udonis Haslem —$4,000,000
- Dion Waiters —$2,898,000 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Justise Winslow —$2,593,440
- Luke Babbitt —$1,227,286
- Willie Reed —$1,015,696
- Josh Richardson —$874,636
- Rodney McGruder —$543,471
- Briante Weber —$327,989 [Waived by team]
- Okaro White —$210,995
- Stefan Jankovic —$100,000 [Waived by team]
- Okaro White —$100,000 [Waived by team (Oct 22)]
- Keith Benson — $75,000 [Waived by team]
- Okaro White —$31,969 [10-day contract (Jan 17)]
- Okaro White —$31,969 [10-day contract (Jan 27)]
- Marcus Georges-Hunt —$31,969 [10-day contract (Feb 8)]
Total Guaranteed Salary= $101,820,405
Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $400K sent to Pelicans in Luke Babbitt trade [Amount Remaining $3.1MM]
Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Payroll Exceptions Available
- Disabled player exception — $1,296,720 [Granted for Justise Winslow injury]
- Room exception — $0 [Used to sign Dion Waiters]
Total Projected Payroll: $101,820,405
Salary Cap: $94,143,000
Estimated Available Cap Space: –$7,677,405
Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000
Amount Below Luxury Tax: $11,466,595
Last Updated: 2/9/17
The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.
Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 4)
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 Sonics/Thunder, who held the No. 4 overall pick that year. With Westbrook already off the board, having gone No. 1 overall to the Bulls, OKC will have to find a different running mate for Kevin Durant, who the franchise nabbed the previous year. So cast your vote for who the Sonics/Thunder select and check back on Tuesday to see the results and to vote on who the Grizzlies will nab fifth 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.
- Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
- Heat — Kevin Love [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
- Wolves — Derrick Rose [Actual Pick — O.J. Mayo]
- Sonics/Thunder — ?? [Actual Pick — Russell Westbrook]
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.
2016 Extension Candidate Series
Since the NBA’s 2016/17 league year got underway, three players have signed contract extensions with their current teams prior to reaching free agency. C.J. McCollum inked a rookie-scale extension with the Trail Blazers, while James Harden and Russell Westbrook agreed to veteran extensions with the Rockets and Thunder, respectively.
We didn’t get a chance to take a closer, in-depth look at Harden’s or McCollum’s case for an extension before those deals were finalized, but we did examine Westbrook’s situation in Oklahoma City, just days before he and the Thunder reached an agreement. That was the first of several pieces we’ll publish this offseason profiling and analyzing extension candidates. These posts will outline the merits of an extension for the player and his team, dissect the player’s value, and project whether or not a deal is likely.
With many players eligible for either a rookie-scale extension or a veteran extension this year, there should be no shortage of candidates to consider. Listed below are the extension candidates we’ve examined so far. This list, which we’ll continue to update throughout the offseason, can be found at any time on our right-hand sidebar under the Hoops Rumors Features menu.
- Steven Adams, Thunder (link)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (link)
- Signed extension on September 20
- Signed extension on September 20
- Derrick Favors, Jazz (link)
- Paul George, Pacers (link)
- Rudy Gobert, Jazz (link)
- Victor Oladipo, Thunder (link)
- Russell Westbrook, Thunder (link)
- Signed extension on August 4
Current Free Agents Who Played Most In 2015/16
With NBA training camps nearing, and the start of a new regular season only a couple months away, the list of 2016 free agents doesn’t include a ton of intriguing names. After the Cavaliers re-signed LeBron James, who remained on the market until mid-August, it left LeBron’s teammate J.R. Smith as the most noteworthy player available.
Smith averaged more than 30 minutes per regular season game for the Cavs last season, totaling 2,362 minutes overall, which doesn’t even include the 730 minutes he played in the postseason. Smith’s regular-season minutes total easily makes him the free agent who played the most last season, among those who have yet to sign a contract.
Still, Smith isn’t the only current free agent who saw plenty of action for an NBA team last season and hasn’t been able to find a deal so far this summer. By our count, there are 15 other players who were on the court for at least 800 minutes during the NBA’s 2015/16 regular season and remain unsigned.
That total doesn’t include players who missed a portion of the season with an injury and didn’t reach that 800-minute threshold as a result — Rockets RFA forward Donatas Motiejunas, for instance, would have played more than 1,200 minutes if he had played in all 82 games and his MPG had remained the same. Instead, injuries limited him to just 37 contests and 547 minutes.
Listed below are the 16 players – including Smith – who played more than 800 NBA minutes last season and remain out of work. The list is heavy on guards, while big men are harder to come by. As such, teams looking to add some experienced veteran depth to their roster could explore the free agent market if they’re seeking backcourt help, but may prefer the trade market if they’re after a big man.
Here’s the list, with 2015/16’s minutes totals noted in parentheses:
- J.R. Smith, SG (2,362)
- Tayshaun Prince, SF (1,462)
- Ty Lawson, PG (1,411)
- Mario Chalmers, PG (1,373)
- Lance Stephenson, SG (1,372)
- P.J. Hairston, SG (1,313)
- Toney Douglas, PG (1,262)
- Norris Cole, PG (1,198)
- Kevin Martin, SG (1,095)
- Steve Blake, PG (986)
- Markel Brown, SG (982)
- Chase Budinger, SF (929)
- Thomas Robinson, PF (917)
- Josh Smith, PF (880)
- Johnny O’Bryant, PF (857)
- Gary Neal, SG (807)
Which of these veteran free agents do you expect to find a home sooner rather than later? Are there any that you don’t expect to see back in the NBA at all in 2016/17?
Weekly Mailbag: 8/15/16-8/21/16
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:
Jimmer Fredette seems to be a very good shooter and ballplayer. Why hasn’t he had NBA success so far? I think all he needs is to be given much playing time and not sit on the bench to maximize his talent. What do you think? — Greg Dizon
He certainly had the look of a good player when he came out of BYU in 2011. He was drafted 10th overall by the Kings, who traded up for a chance to get him. But the NBA hasn’t been kind to Jimmer. He never topped the 7.6 points per game scoring average he posted as a rookie, and he bounced around the league and the D-League after being waived by the Kings in 2014. Fredette has signed to play in China next season, and although he may catch on with an NBA team after the Chinese season is over, it’s hard to envision him ever becoming a star.
What is the number of assistants and other bench personnel allowed in the NBA? The Spurs seemed to have the most bench personnel compared to Clippers. — G.H. Torrance
NBA rules allow the head coach, three assistants and the trainer to sit in the front row of seats with the players. It’s the “second row” where things get a little murkier. Depending on the team, you’ll find another assistant coach, a video coordinator, an advance scout, someone from the athletic performance staff, an assistant trainer and security personnel. The Spurs currently have five assistant coaches — James Borrego, Chip Engelland, Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka and Becky Hammon. The Clippers have Sam Cassell, Armond Hill, Brendan O’Connor and Mike Woodson. A fifth, Bob Thate, was hired this week by the Grizzlies.
Which big man do you think the Sixers will trade, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor or Joel Embiid? — Zach Ford
The best answer is whoever brings back the best return. Philadelphia has probably listened to dozens of offers already, and more will come before any deal is made. Embiid seems the least likely to be traded away. After missing two seasons, teams will be wary of giving up much talent for a player with such a questionable health history. Despite off-court troubles during his rookie season, Okafor seems ready to blossom into an elite talent on offense and could be a great addition to a team that can compensate for his shortcomings on defense. Noel is eligible for a rookie contract extension through October 31st, so that may factor into the Sixers’ thinking. If they can’t sign him long-term, he may be the one to go.
Community Shootaround: Team USA 2020
After months of worries about the elite talent that was skipping the Summer Olympics, followed by concerns over a few close games, Team USA will leave Rio de Janeiro as the undisputed king of the basketball world.
The Americans re-established their dominance this afternoon with a 96-66 battering of Serbia in the gold medal game. It was a statement victory for the U.S. squad, which had eked out a three-point win over the Serbians earlier in the tournament when a last-second shot bounced off the rim.
Team USA won without LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis, who skipped the Games because of a combination of injuries, desire for rest and other unstated reasons. But this was no “B team” that represented the United States in Rio. All-Stars abounded on an American squad that was challenged at times, but never seemed destined to walk away with anything less than gold.
After the lopsided victory in the final game, USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo issued a challenge to the rest of the world, relays Sam Amick of USA Today.
“I’m all for raising the bar for global basketball,” he said. “The more interest in basketball on all levels, I’m for. I’m a lifer in the game. I love the game. Basketball is the No. 2 sport in the world, [but] we just need to see these other countries get their acts together and become more competitive.
“I’d love to see that. Everyone would love to see that. I’m not going to be making excuses for anyone about our [dominance]. Someone said to me [after the game], one of the officials said to me, ‘You know next time you play, you ought to play with four.’ And I said, ‘No, maybe the other teams better get their act together and compete.’”
Those are strong words, and the Americans will need a strong team to back them up, which brings us to tonight’s question: Which 12 players will represent the United States at the 2020 Games in Tokyo? After four Olympic appearances, Carmelo Anthony is out, announcing his retirement from the international game today. James said this week that he was having regrets about not playing, so he may be back in four years at age 35. The rest of this year’s team is relatively young and all may want to return in 2020, but others who skipped this time may want a shot and some younger players may be in the mix by then.
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Community Shootaround: Knicks ‘Super Team’?
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.