Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Offseason Outlook: Minnesota Timberwolves

June 21st, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise heading into the summer.

State Of The Franchise

Jesse Johnson / USA Today Sports Images

Jesse Johnson / USA Today Sports Images

At the start of last season, the Timberwolves were in a state of mourning. The sudden death of ex-coach and team executive Flip Saunders cast a pall over the franchise and it was difficult for everyone in the organization to overcome their grief.

As the season moved along, it was clear that Saunders’ blueprint for turning the franchise around was working. His decision to select Karl-Anthony Towns ahead of D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor with the No. 1 overall pick in last June’s draft accelerated the process toward making the Timberwolves a playoff contender again. Towns quickly established himself as a franchise player, averaging 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds to earn the Rookie of the Year award.

Several other young players — Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng — showed significant development even though Minnesota finished with a 29-53 record.

Owner Glen Taylor decided to shake up the front office and find a high-profile coach to nurture the talented core into reaching its full potential. Interim coach Sam Mitchell was replaced by ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who was also given the title of president of basketball operations. Former Spurs assistant GM and longtime Jazz executive Scott Layden was hired as Minnesota’s new GM.

Blockbuster Trade Brewing?

Thibodeau seems intent on getting an established, All-Star-caliber player to pair up with Towns. That was made clear when a report surfaced that the Timberwolves were willing to deal the No. 5 pick as part of a package to acquire Bulls star shooting guard Jimmy Butler.

It’s uncertain whether Chicago would consider moving Butler and go into full rebuild mode. Certainly, the Timberwolves would have to sweeten the pot by giving up one or more of their young assets.

Towns is obviously an untouchable but it’s not out of the question that the Timberwolves would consider moving Wiggins if Thibodeau doesn’t view him as the No. 2 scoring option on a contending team. Wiggins averaged 20.7 points in his second season but he’s not a three-point threat and his defensive box rating of minus 2.5 last season needs to improve dramatically for a defense-oriented coach like Thibodeau.

The club would almost certainly rather part with LaVine and other assets, but that might not be enough to acquire an All-Star entering his prime.

Free Agent Targets

It’s no surprise that unrestricted free agent Joakim Noah has been linked to his former coach.

Noah was unhappy with his playing time last season under first-year Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg before a shoulder injury short-circuited his season. A mobile shot-blocker like Noah would seem to be an ideal fit for a club that finished 28th in defensive field-goal percentage. Though Kevin Garnett is still on the roster, Noah would give the club another veteran leader who would play significant minutes.

The Timberwolves will have anywhere from $26-$29MM to sign other free agents with an eye toward versatile defenders and three-point shooters. The Wolves were 25th in three-point percentage last season and the addition of floor spacers will make Towns an even tougher cover in the post.

Potential Trades

Even if the plan to acquire Butler falls through, the Timberwolves figure to be active in the trade market as Thibodeau tries to reshape his roster.

A couple of Minnesota’s rotation players could be on the move. Point guard Ricky Rubio, who has three years and $42.MM remaining on his contract, would be expendable if Thibodeau isn’t sold on him as his long-term floor leader. LaVine could step into that role, or the Timberwolves could draft a point guard if they keep their pick.

Meanwhile, center Nikola Pekovic‘s career has been sidetracked by injuries and he only appeared in 12 games last season while recovering from Achilles tendon surgery. Pekovic has two years and $23.7MM remaining on his deal, but he’s a proven low-post scorer for a team lacking inside punch.

Another big man, Nemanja Bjelica, was a disappointment in his first season with the club, but was highly sought after during last summer before he signed with the Timberwolves. His remaining contract — two years, $7.75MM — makes him a movable piece.

Draft Outlook

  • First-round pick: No. 5

The Timberwolves could go in a lot of different directions if they don’t deal their pick.

They could opt for a wing shooter like Buddy Hield to improve their perimeter game. They could secure one of the top point guards, either Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray, if they’re intent on dealing Rubio. Or they could hone in on a big man such as Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender to pair up with Towns.

Other Decisions

Muhammad and Dieng are eligible for rookie-scale extensions before next season and it will interesting to see how much the new regime values that duo.

While Muhammad provides instant offense off the bench, he’s a subpar three-point shooter. Dieng is a solid defender — he sports a 2.4 defensive box rating in each of the past two seasons — and Thibodeau can’t get enough of those kinds of players.

Coaching Outlook

In stark contrast to the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell’s future last season, the Timberwolves now have an established playoff coach on a long-term contract. Thibodeau signed a five-year, $40MM deal and his front-office title makes him the unquestioned leader of the franchise.

The addition of Layden echoes what the Pistons did when hiring Stan Van Gundy with the same titles as Thibodeau. Detroit added a proven front-office executive in Jeff Bower to negotiate trades and handle most of the day-to-day front office operations. Thibodeau will work in concert with Layden, but the former Bulls coach will have the final say.

Final Take

The Timberwolves look a lot like the Thunder several years ago. They have star talents in Towns and Wiggins, a la Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, to build around. With Thibodeau in charge, they’re ready to take the next step. If they can pull off a blockbuster and pry an proven, top-tier talent away from a team looking to shake up its roster, the Wolves could find themselves in the playoffs next season.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

  • None

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

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

 

Repost Share Send via email

Offseason Outlook: Washington Wizards

June 20th, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise as the summer approaches.

State Of The Franchise

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Wizards never expected to be spectators at playoff time. Coming off back-to-back postseason appearances and with a strong foundation built around an elite backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal, Washington saw itself as a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference. But that rise hit a brick wall in an injury-filled 41-41 season that has transitioned into an offseason of uncertainty.

The question marks start with Beal, a restricted free agent who was limited to a career-low 55 games this season. Beyond deciding on whether to bring back their talented shooting guard, the Wizards have to quickly rebuild a rapidly aging roster to compete with a slew of young challengers in the East.

Coaching Change

The first casualty of this non-playoff season was head coach Randy Wittman, who was fired and replaced by former Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks. Wittman alienated center Marcin Gortat with public comments about his rebounding and had a deteriorating relationship with other players, so his fate was sealed once the Wizards missed the playoffs.

Brooks oversaw the Thunder as they developed into one of the top teams in the West and will bring a welcome change to the Washington locker room. He had a 338-207 record in seven seasons with OKC.

Bring Back Beal?

A recent report from Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post says the Wizards are planning to offer the 22-year-old a maximum contract when free agency begins next month. That contract would start at approximately $22MM per season and would run for five years. Beal set himself up for the massive payday when he and the Wizards mutually agreed in November not to work out an extension.

Beal was Washington’s second-leading scorer this season at 17.4 points per game and has a career scoring average of 16.0. Under normal circumstances, a max deal for a player of that caliber would be an easy decision, but Beal carries a long-term injury risk that has to make the Wizards think twice. He was placed on a minutes restriction in December when doctors discovered “the beginnings of a stress reaction” in his lower right fibula. Beal started just 35 games this season and has only once played in more than 63 in a season.

But the Wizards seem to have little choice about making a max offer if they want to keep Beal. He recently told Castillo that he considers himself a maximum-salary player and that he plans to seek such a deal from another organization if the Wizards don’t agree. “If Washington can’t meet that requirement then I may be thinking elsewhere,” Beal said. “I’m pretty sure that they probably won’t [let me go].”

No Nene?

Washington’s other major free agency decision involves veteran power forward Nene, who made $13MM this year. A calf strain hampered the 33-year-old at the start of the season, but he improved as the season progressed. Still, Nene started just 11 games and saw his playing time dip below 20 minutes per night. As a result, he averaged less than 10 points per game for the first time in eight years and fewer than five rebounds per contest for the first time in his career.

Nene recently indicated that he’s not considering retirement. He has a solid relationship with Brooks, who started as an assistant coach in Denver when Nene played there. If he returns to Washington, it will be likely be in a reserve role at a deeply discounted price.

Where Are All The Big Guys?

Free agency and non-guaranteed contracts have left Gortat and Markieff Morris as the only big men who will definitely be on Washington’s roster next season. Alan Anderson and J.J. Hickson are both free agents, while Drew Gooden‘s $3.6MM salary is not guaranteed. The need to add size will loom over all of Washington’s trade and free agency decisions.

Free Agent Targets

Washington’s dream scenario is for Kevin Durant to decide he wants to return home to the D.C. area. If that happens, the Wizards can team the former MVP with Wall and Beal to form a new Big Three that would become an immediate title contender.

Even if they don’t land Durant, the Wizards are positioned to make an impact on the free agent market. With only five players holding guaranteed contracts and a little more than $50MM committed against a $94MM salary cap, Washington is in position to offer two maximum deals. Al Horford would be a nice addition to help fill the void up front, while either Harrison Barnes or Nicolas Batum could be a long-term answer at small forward.

Filling Out The Roster

With so many roster openings, the Wizards might use some of that cap space to rebuild their bench. Jared Dudley, Ramon Sessions and Garrett Temple are free agents and are all 30 years old. Washington needs reliable backups to Wall and Beal, so Brandon Jennings, Arron Afflalo or Gerald Henderson might be in the mix. Other names to watch include Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo, Seth Curry and maybe even Ty Lawson.

Barring a late trade, no help will be coming through the draft. Washington sent its first-round pick to Phoenix in the February deal that brought back Morris, and its second-round pick belongs to Atlanta from a 2015 trade.

Final Take

This is an extremely important offseason in defining the Wizards for the remainder of the decade, and a wide range of outcomes are possible. Landing Durant would be like winning the lottery and make Washington an instant challenger to Cleveland for Eastern Conference supremacy. The nightmare scenario would be losing out on all the top free agents, re-signing Beal to a max contract and watching him struggle with leg problems for the next five years.

GM Ernie Grunfeld was spared when Wittman was dismissed after the season ended. If he wants to ensure a long-term future in Washington, Grunfeld is going to need to make some really shrewd decisions this summer.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

  • Bradley Beal ($7,471,412/$14,236,685)
  • Totals: $7,471,412/$14,236,685

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

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

Repost Share Send via email

Community Shootaround: Return Trip For Warriors?

June 20th, 2016 at 6:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors’ dream season came to a stunning conclusion on Sunday as they watched the Cavaliers celebrate their first NBA title at Oracle Arena. The team that set a league record with 73 regular-season victories also became the first team to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

The good news is that their three best players are under contract for next season. Regular season MVP Stephen Curry will enter the final year of his team-friendly deal that will pay him $12.1MM next season. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have at least three years left on their contracts.

Sixth man Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut have one year left on their contracts and they can retain backup point Shaun Livingston, who had some big postseason games, who has a partially-guaranteed contract.

The remainder of the roster is in a state of flux. Harrison Barnes becomes a restricted free agent and several other rotation pieces will also enter the free-agent market.

Golden State will still come into next season as the team to beat in the Western Conference, especially if they add a top-tier free agent. While the odds are against Kevin Durant signing with them, the Warriors could be the kings of the West for years to come if they’re able to pull off that feat.

More likely, they’ll try to add to their depth and find a suitable replacement for Barnes if they deem him too expensive for their long-term budget.

Making the Finals three consecutive years is no easy feat and the Warriors will have plenty of hungry competitors nipping at their heels. The Spurs aren’t declining any time soon, even if Tim Duncan decides to retire. The Thunder were just one win away from knocking the Warriors off their perch and will remain a powerhouse if Durant re-signs. With better health, the star-laden Clippers could finally reach their potential.

This leads us to our question of the day: Do you think the Warriors will reach the Finals again next season? If not, who will take their place?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Repost Share Send via email

Five Teams Holding Multiple First-Round Picks

June 20th, 2016 at 5:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2016 NBA draft just three days away, trade talks figure to heat up around the league this week, and there’s a chance we could see plenty of action on Thursday night. One prominent agent tells Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times (Twitter link) that he expects several trades to be made around the draft, with some star players potentially involved.

While first-round picks are always desirable trade assets, the value of those selections has increased even more this year. The salary cap is expected to rise by upwards of $24MM for the 2016/17 season, but rookie salaries will only increase marginally, making those four-year rookie contracts one of the best bargains in the sport. And as it turns out, five NBA teams control nearly half of those first-round picks — four clubs have three first-rounders apiece, while a fifth club holds a pair of them.

Outside of teams in the process of a complete rebuild, there generally aren’t many clubs interested in adding more than a couple rookies to their roster. As such, the teams holding multiple first-rounders (and, in some cases, some second-rounders as well) figure to receive plenty of inquiries this week about those picks, and could be involved in draft-night trades.

Here’s a breakdown of the five teams holding multiple first-round picks:

Boston Celtics
Picks: 3rd, 16th, 23rd
The Celtics’ three first-rounders pale in comparison to their five second-rounders, and the fact that Boston holds eight total selections in this year’s draft means that a trade is probably inevitable. The No. 3 overall pick is in play, though the team reportedly hasn’t yet found a deal it likes involving that pick. The C’s have the option of packaging multiple picks if it means acquiring an impact player, which could be appealing to a team with one big trade chip that wants to land a handful of assets.

Denver Nuggets
Picks: 7th, 15th, 19th
The only team with three top-20 picks, the Nuggets are also the only team in this group of five without a D-League affiliate. That means selecting a project at No. 15 or 19 with the intention of developing him in the D-League isn’t really a viable approach. It also makes Denver a prime trade candidate, though the team could also use its 15th or 19th pick on a draft-and-stash player, since there are a handful of international prospects projected to potentially come off the board in that range.

Philadelphia 76ers
Picks: 1st, 24th, 26th
The 76ers aren’t moving the No. 1 pick, and they’re probably not in win-now mode quite yet, meaning they could conceivably keep their two mid-20s selections as well. Still, with a new GM (Bryan Colangelo) in charge, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team shift its approach this year, and trade one of those selections for more immediate help, rather than stashing a prospect or dealing the pick for a future first-rounder.

Phoenix Suns
Picks: 4th, 13th, 28th
Executive and agents around the NBA expect the Nets to acquire a first-round pick, and I could easily imagine them making their first call to Phoenix to talk about that 28th overall pick. There’s a reasonable chance that the Suns move that selection, and No. 13 could be in play as well. I’d expect Phoenix to keep No. 4 though, giving them the opportunity to add a prospect like Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender.

Toronto Raptors
Picks: 9th, 27th
General manager GM Masai Ujiri has indicated that the Raptors are open for business when it comes to their first-round picks, joking that there’s a clause in Dwane Casey‘s new extension forbidding the team from adding multiple rookies to the 2016/17 roster. Of the two picks, No. 27 is more likely to be moved, but if Toronto has the opportunity to trade for a veteran power forward that could immediately slot into the starting lineup, No. 9 will certainly be in play as well.

Repost Share Send via email

Offseason Outlook: Sacramento Kings

June 20th, 2016 at 12:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise heading into the summer.

State Of The Franchise

Ed Szczepanski / USA Today Sports Images

Ed Szczepanski / USA Today Sports Images

If nothing else, the Kings should have a more harmonious locker room in 2016/17.

Controversy swirled around coach George Karl and star player DeMarcus Cousins throughout last season. Karl nearly got fired midway through the campaign and finally got the ax after it ended. A disconnect between the front office and Karl added to the turmoil enveloping the franchise.

“There were too many distractions on and off the court,” said point guard Rajon Rondo, no stranger to controversy himself.

There are signs of better days ahead for a franchise that hasn’t visited the postseason for 10 years. They hired a much less contentious head coach to replace Karl in Dave Joerger, who guided the Grizzlies to three straight playoff appearances. They’ll also be playing in a brand new arena, the Golden 1 Center, which should boost attendance and create some positive energy.

The next step is to reshape the roster and give their fans a reason to keep coming back.

Point Of Contention

The Kings may have to find replacements for their top two point guards, Rondo and Darren Collison.

Rondo revived his career after a woeful stint with the Mavericks in 2014/15, leading the league in assists at 11.7 per game. He’s an unrestricted free agent and the Kings want him back, but apparently don’t want to get into a bidding war for his services. Rondo, who made $9.5MM in the final year of his contract, will explore all his options, though he’s not averse to re-signing as long as he’s convinced of a culture change in the organization.

Collison has a team-friendly $5.23MM contract for next season but he could face a lengthy suspension after domestic violence charges were filed against him over a May incident. Collison wasn’t a typical backup, as he averaged 14.0 points — third most on the team — and 30 minutes despite starting only 15 games.

The Kings ranked third in points scored and fourth in assists with Rondo and Collison being the main distributors. Even if they manage to re-sign Rondo, they’ll have to acquire another point guard who can play regular minutes if the league cracks down on Collison.

Building Block Or Blockbuster?

VP of Basketball Operations and GM Vlade Divac tried to quell speculation about a possible Cousins trade this summer, saying in recent interview, “He’s not going to be traded — this year for sure.”

Joerger echoed that sentiment by saying he wouldn’t have accepted the job if the team was in a full rebuild mode.

“There’s still some heavy lifting to do but some of the heavy lifting has been done,” he said. “This is not a blow it up, let’s start all over again situation.”

That still won’t end all the rumors about Cousins’ status, considering the Kings have never won more than 33 games with the big man as their centerpiece. Teams such as Celtics and Sixers have been angling to acquire a superstar for years and could put together impressive packages for Cousins, who averaged 26.9 points and 11.5 rebounds last season.

The mercurial Cousins has said all the right things since his frequent verbal sparring partner, Karl, was sent packing.

“I want to bring us back to those glory days,” said Cousins, who has two years remaining on his contract.

Free Agent Targets

The Kings will be hanging up a “Help Wanted” sign and with only $61.3MM committed to guaranteed salaries, they’ll have plenty of salary cap space to pursue top free agents.

Naturally, they’re not a prime destination and some free agents may not want to put up with the volatile Cousins. Thus, the Kings may have to overpay to land a player they covet.

Would Mike Conley consider joining his former head coach in Sacramento? Unlikely, but Joerger’s presence gives the Kings a glimmer of hope toward landing the top free agent point guard on this year’s market.

Beyond Conley and Rondo, there are only second-tier options such as Jeremy Lin and Brandon Jennings.

The Kings, who gave up the most points in the league last season, also need to acquire some veteran defenders to instill toughness. A player like shooting guard Courtney Lee, whom Joerger coached in Memphis, would be a good fit.

Potential Trades

Even if the Kings live up to their vow to retain Cousins, they will likely be active on the trade market.

Rudy Gay, who will make $13.3MM next season and holds a player option on the final year of his deal, will be easier to move with the salary-cap jump coming this summer. Ben McLemore could also get sent packing to a suitor willing to take a chance on the disappointing lottery pick.

Marco Belinelli has two years left on his deal but with shooting at a premium around the league, he could also draw interest.

Draft Outlook

  • First-round pick: No. 8
  • Second-round pick: No. 59

The Kings brass is reportedly enamored with Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, who would be an immediate upgrade at shooting guard. However, there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll still be on the board when the No. 8 pick comes up. They may have to trade up to get him.

Otherwise, the Kings are expected to shop the pick for a more experienced rotation player.

Coaching Outlook

There’s a lot more stability along the sidelines than on the roster, as Joerger signed a four-year, $16MM contract. He has promised to work closely with the front office and end the discord that was so prevalent during the Karl era. How he’ll mesh with Cousins is the big unknown. The jury is still out on whether Cousins will respond better to a players’ coach like Joerger or a no-nonsense type like ex-Kings coach Michael Malone.

Final Take

The Kings seem content to build around Cousins for the time being and hope that he matures into a true leader. They can always explore trades for him during the season if that doesn’t happen.

The bigger issue is that they have question marks at every other spot on the roster. The front office will have make a series of shrewd moves to obtain quality pieces and end the playoff drought. It’s easy to be skeptical of that happening.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Other Cap Holds

  • No. 8 pick ($2,451,200)

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

Footnotes:

  1. Curry, Acy, and Anderson all declined player options for 2016/17.

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

Repost Share Send via email

Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 27)

June 20th, 2016 at 10:11am CST by Eddie Scarito

The results of the 2016 NBA Draft lottery are in and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we are doing with a series of polls.

We are nearing the end of the first round and have once again come to the Raptors. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Toronto’s selection and check back Tuesday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Suns will select with the No. 28 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 27 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.

  1. Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
  2. Lakers — Brandon Ingram (Duke)
  3. Celtics — Dragan Bender (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
  4. Suns — Jaylen Brown (California)
  5. Timberwolves — Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
  6. Pelicans — Kris Dunn (Providence)
  7. Nuggets — Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
  8. Kings — Henry Ellenson (Marquette)
  9. Raptors — Marquese Chriss (Washington)
  10. Bucks — Jakob Poeltl (Utah)
  11. Magic — Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)
  12. Jazz — Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)
  13. Suns — Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga)
  14. Bulls — Deyonta Davis (Michigan State)
  15. Nuggets — Timothe Luwawu (Mega Leks)
  16. Celtics — Thon Maker (Australia)
  17. Grizzlies — Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt)
  18. Pistons — Tyler Ulis (Kentucky)
  19. Nuggets — Furkan Korkmaz (Anadolu Efes)
  20. Pacers — Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame)
  21. Hawks — Taurean Prince (Baylor)
  22. Hornets — Brice Johnson (North Carolina)
  23. Celtics — Malachi Richardson (Syracuse)
  24. Sixers — Malik Beasley (Florida State)
  25. Clippers — DeAndre Bembry (St. Joe’s)
  26. Sixers — Dejounte Murray (Washington)
With the No. 27 Overall Pick, the Raptors Select...
Cheick Diallo (Kansas) 22.16% (220 votes)
Diamond Stone (Maryland) 10.07% (100 votes)
Juan Hernangomez (Spain) 8.86% (88 votes)
Zhou Qi (China) 8.36% (83 votes)
Ben Bentil (Providence) 7.25% (72 votes)
Ante Zizic (Croatia) 6.45% (64 votes)
Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) 6.04% (60 votes)
Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) 5.74% (57 votes)
Caris LeVert (Michigan) 5.24% (52 votes)
Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) 3.73% (37 votes)
Patrick McCaw (UNLV) 3.42% (34 votes)
Wayne Selden (Kansas) 3.42% (34 votes)
Ivica Zubac (Mega Leks) 3.12% (31 votes)
A.J. Hammons (Purdue) 1.61% (16 votes)
Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville) 1.51% (15 votes)
Isaia Cordinier (France) 0.91% (9 votes)
Robert Carter (Maryland) 0.81% (8 votes)
Petr Cornelie (Le Mans) 0.70% (7 votes)
Guerschon Yabusele (Rouen) 0.60% (6 votes)
Total Votes: 993

For Trade Rumors app users: [Direct Link]

Repost Share Send via email

Community Shootaround: Cleveland Cavaliers

June 19th, 2016 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

After watching the Warriors make history all season long, the Cavaliers made some of their own Sunday night. Cleveland became the first team ever to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals and the first to win Game 7 of the finals on the road since 1978.

LeBron James‘ return home in the summer of 2014 created the foundation for this year’s title, but so did the three No. 1 draft picks in four years that brought Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins, who was traded to Minnesota to acquire Kevin Love.

Tonight’s victory served as vindication for Love, who has been the subject of criticism and trade rumors almost from the time he arrived in Cleveland. It also validated the controversial decision to fire David Blatt in January with a 30-11 record and turn the team over to first-time head coach Tyronn Lue. The win rewarded owner Dan Gilbert for his willingness to take on salary right up to the trade deadline, even though the Cavs were facing the highest luxury tax in the league.

Cleveland will almost certainly keep the core of this year’s team together to try to defend its title. James will be a free agent, but it’s unthinkable that he would leave town again after winning a ring. The Love trade talk should die down, at least for the offseason. J.R. Smith has a $5MM player option and Mo Williams has already said he will opt in for next season for $2MM. Richard Jefferson, who turns 36 on Tuesday, announced that he plans to retire. Also headed toward free agency are Timofey Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova and James Jones.

The Cavaliers have traded both their picks in this year’s draft and have no cap room to chase free agents other than the $3.477MM taxpayer mid-level exception. They have a trade exception from the Anderson Varejao deal worth $9,638,554 that will be in effect until February 18th. They also have a $2,854,940 exception from the trade of Mike Miller and a $2,329,471 exception from a deal involving Brendan Haywood. Both of those expire July 30th.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Should the Cavaliers be favored to win the title again next season? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Repost Share Send via email

Offseason Outlook: Dallas Mavericks

June 19th, 2016 at 4:46pm CST by Will Joseph

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise as the summer approaches.

State Of The Franchise

Not many experts and analysts believed the Mavs would make the playoffs this past season, but Dallas defied expectations and, indeed, made the postseason for the 15th time in the last 16 years. It was another first round exit for the Mavs, but considering the team experienced an odd summer and was again led by an aging star in Dirk Nowitzki, this had to be considered a success.

It appeared the Mavs on their way toward locking up DeAndre Jordan to their core of Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons. Jordan, however, balked in the 11th hour and re-signed with the Clippers. The Mavs did land Wesley Matthews via free agency, though, and then  shifted gears by acquiring Zaza Pachulia in a salary dump from the Bucks. The Mavs made, perhaps, one of the shrewdest decisions of last summer by inking Deron Williams, who intends to opt out.

While Matthews was mostly inconsistent, Pachulia gave the Mavs pretty much what they could have expected and Williams over-performed in system that included other point guards J.J. Barea, Raymond Felton and Devin Harris. Nowitzki remained a capable player and dependable scorer by averaging 18.3 points per game and as long as the 38-year-old is still a fixture on the team, the Mavs will not be rebuilding. Instead, look for the Mavs to retool and add veteran talent. The Mavs will again need another steady season from Nowitzki, who is expected to opt out and re-sign, and above average contributions from the point guard position to exceed expectations. As it stands now, the Mavs must also address their rebounding deficiency; they ranked 19th in the league in rebounds per game and finished 26th in  rebounding percentage.

Free Agents

The salary cap puzzle for the Mavs this summer depends largely on three player options worth more than $30MM. Chandler Parsons will almost certainly decline his to seek more on the open market, and Nowitzki has said he plans to opt in as long as the Mavs don’t start a rebuilding project. Pachulia, Felton, Charlie Villanueva and David Lee will all hit the market as unrestricted free agents when free agency begins on July 1st. Second-year standout Dwight Powell will be a restricted free agent, giving the Mavs an opportunity to match any offer for the coveted young pro. Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson has said that the front office will prioritize re-signing free agents, which makes considering the group seemed to mesh well together.

Williams, an 11-year veteran who turns 32 in June likely needs offseason surgery to address a sports hernia. The Jeff Schwartz client said in the aftermath of the Mavs’ playoff ouster this week that he’d love to return to Dallas, and coach Rick Carlisle said he’d also like to see him return. Nelson pointed to what he saw as a renewed sense of enthusiasm in Williams’ play this season, the first for Williams with the Mavericks

There is a decent chance Parsons finds a more lucrative deal on the open market if he opts out. He sustained another serious injury last season, but that should not stop Parsons from landing what is likely to be his final significant pay day. It will be interesting to see if the Mavs re-sign the versatile forward because they already have a stretch-four in Nowitzki. It seems likely Lee could garner some interest as a bench player from other teams after he thrived with Dallas late in the season. Look for Felton, who rejuvenated his career, to return on a cheap deal and Villanueva could return for the veteran minimum. With Salah Mejri and JaVale McGee on the roster, it would not be surprising if Powell did not return if he were to land a significant offer elsewhere.

Free Agent Targets

The Mavs can offer one max contract to free agents this summer and possibly a second if Nowitzki and Parsons follow Williams and opt out for next season, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post recently detailed. Dallas entered the offseason expecting to have at least $32MM to spend, but that number could rise closer to $60MM if Nowitzki, Parsons and Williams all opt out. Bontemps noted that Dallas is counting on landing an elite free agent this summer and added that owner Mark Cuban is trying to surround Nowitzki, who’s likely to remain, with as much talent as possible before he retires.

If the Mavs do not re-sign Williams, they would need an upgrade at point guard. Jeremy Lin, Brandon Jennings and Greivis Vasquez all would make sense as options. Dallas would also need a scorer on the wing and a veteran that comes to mind would be Eric Gordon. If the Mavs decide to splurge a bit, Nic Batum would not be a far-fetched option.

Draft Outlook

  • Second-round pick: 46th

The Mavericks do not own a first-round pick in the 2016 Draft, as that pick belongs to the Celtics as part of the Rajon Rondo deal. Barring a deal, the Mavs’ only pick is No. 46 in the second round, so Dallas is not expected to make a whole lot of noise here. Indiana forward Troy Williams and Maryland big man Robert Carter Jr. are two names to watch as they have been linked to the Mavs in workouts and meeting. Of note, Purdue center A.J. Hammons is the No. 46 ranked player in ESPN.com’s Chad Ford’s Top 100.

Final Take

Dallas seems to be in a similar position it was in heading into last summer. The Mavs still need to find an answer at point guard, would need another big man and are unsure what to expect on the wing. Look for the Mavs to re-sign the core group of their bench players and upgrade at point guard. Dallas needs someone on the roster to emerge as capable scorer to take some of the load off of Nowitzki. As long as Nowitzki is on the team, the front office will build a team that is in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

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

Repost Share Send via email

Offseason Outlook: New Orleans Pelicans

June 19th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise as the summer approaches.

State Of The Franchise

The Pelicans were decimated by injuries this past season. Eric Gordon was sidelined for 37 games. Anthony Davis missed 21 games, while Tyreke Evans sat out 57. Jrue Holiday missed 17 and was limited in more than half of the contests he did play. The result was a 30-win campaign that exposed the team’s lack of depth.

Benny Sieu / USA TODAY Sports

Benny Sieu / USA TODAY Sports

The team was in that position due to the moves it made in previous offseasons. New Orleans doubled down on the center position last summer, handing out a four-year, $20MM deal to Alexis Ajinca and five-year, slightly less than $53MM deal to Omar Asik. Asik’s contract is one of the worst in the league, though the rising cap should help mitigate having it on the books. Even so, for a team that employs Davis and has plenty of other needs, spending so heavily on the center position was a foolish decision.

Ever since the Pelicans drafted Davis, they’ve been determined to speed up the timeline of putting together a winning team around their No.1 overall pick. They traded two first-round picks for Holiday and dealt another for Asik during Dell Demps’ time as GM. The franchise would have been in better position had it had kept those selections. Nerlens Noel, Elfrid Payton and Sam Dekker were the players selected with those picks. The Pelicans likely would not have made the playoffs last season with those youngsters, and there’s no guarantee that they would have picked all three of those players had they kept the selections. In fact, they likely would been in worse position in the standings over the past several years had they not made the trades, which would have led them to receiving better picks in each of the 2014 and 2015 drafts. Having three developing players on rookie contracts in place of Holiday and Asik would have improved their cap situation going forward as well as given them a chance of injecting themselves into trade talks for potentially available All-Stars such as Jimmy Butler or Jeff Teague.

As it stands, the Pelicans have a core with a limited ceiling. Davis may very well win the MVP award one day and carry his team deep into the playoffs. Beyond him, there arguably isn’t an All-Star caliber player on the roster. Thursday’s draft likely represents the team’s best shot at acquiring a long-term running mate for Davis.

Draft Outlook

  • First-round picks: 6th
  • Second-round picks: 39th, 4oth

Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray could be targets at No. 6. Either player would fit nicely next to Holiday in the backcourt, though Murray could potentially replace Holiday as the starting point guard down the road, as I outlined in his Prospect Profile. The draft is unpredictable after the No.2 pick, so both players could gone by the time New Orleans is on the clock. The team could also go with Jaylen Brown, and he would be a tremendous addition via the No.6 pick. It’s possible that Hield, Murray and Brown come off the board right before the Pelicans are on the clock, but it’s likely at least one of those players fall to them.

This is a deep draft in terms of the amount of prospects who are projected to become at least rotation-level players. The Pelicans may be able to pick up a couple role players with their two second-round picks, which would benefit the team greatly.

Free Agents

Gordon is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, and he may have played his last game as a Pelican. In 2012, Gordon signed an offer sheet presented by the Suns and claimed his heart was in Phoenix. New Orleans matched anyway and Gordon became a subject of trade rumors for the ensuing four years. Gordon has since backed off those comments and acknowledged that he should have handled the situation differently. From a basketball standpoint, he hasn’t meshed well with Evans and Holiday. That, coupled with his inability to stay on the court, should have the franchise looking for a new shooting guard.

The Pelicans would like to keep Ryan Anderson, but his price tag may keep them from doing so. New Orleans isn’t in position to give Anderson max or near max contract, and if he receives one on the open market, which is a good possibility, he’ll likely be suiting up for a new team next season. Anderson will be eligible for the middle-tier max, which is projected to be approximately $25.4MM. The team simply can’t afford to bring Anderson back on that kind of contract.

Davis’ Extension

Davis signed a max extension last offseason that will go into effect this upcoming year. He had an opportunity this season to trigger the Fifth-Year 30% Max Criteria, which is also known as the Derrick Rose Rule. He wasn’t named to an All-NBA team this past season nor was he voted as a starter in the All-Star game. Davis also didn’t win the MVP award, so he failed to meet any of the criteria and as a result, he will make roughly 25% of the salary cap in the first year of his five-year deal rather than nearly 30%. While I’m sure the team wanted to reward its franchise player with as much salary as possible, it’s now in better position to improve the talent around him because of the cap space it saved.

Free Agent Targets

Adding a top-tier free agent, such as DeMar DeRozan or Mike Conley, probably isn’t going to happen. Nicolas Batum would be a great fit with this team, but he’ll have no shortage of suitors, which will probably lead him to receiving a deal near the max elsewhere. More likely, the team will have to look at the next tier of free agents in order to add talent.

Danny Ferry, whom the team hired as a special advisor earlier this month, was reportedly a big fan of Kent Bazemore during his time in Atlanta. Signing Bazemore is a gamble, as I discussed in the Grizzlies’ Offseason Outlook, but he could grow into the type of player who outperforms his next deal. If the Pelicans can snag the small forward at an annual salary of $12MM-14MM, they could still add a few other pieces via free agency.

Evan Fournier is another option who would fit in with the franchise both on the court and on the cap sheet. I speculate that the shooting guard will command a deal with annual salaries in that $12MM-14MM range. That’s a reasonable price given the league’s current climate, but he’s a restricted free agent, so the Magic could match any offer.

New Orleans should be looking to add a few pieces to its existing core provided it doesn’t trade away Evans or Holiday. Adding a potential starter, such as Bazemore or Fournier, in addition to a couple of role players would make for a successful offseason. Courtney Lee, Gerald Henderson and Mario Chalmers are among the players whom the Pelicans could look at when filling out their bench.

Final Take

Davis is progressing toward becoming one of the best players in the league, and if he reaches that pinnacle, it will overshadow some of the team’s deficiencies. Outside shooting and perimeter defense are areas that the team should address. This offseason needs to be about surrounding Davis with players who can help him elevate this team, but unless the Pelicans can pull off a deal that brings them a second perennial All-Star, the team can only go so far.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Other Cap Holds

  • No. 6 pick ($2,931,000)

Projected Salary Cap: $94,000,000

Footnotes:

  1. Davis’ exact salary on his max contract won’t be determined until July. This figure represents an estimation.
  2. Babbitt’s full $1,227,286 salary would become guaranteed on July 12th.
  3. Dejean-Jones died in May, but his contract will remain on the Pelicans’ books until the team makes a roster move.

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

 

Repost Share Send via email

Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 26)

June 19th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Eddie Scarito

The results of the 2016 NBA Draft lottery are in and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we are doing with a series of polls.

We are now well on our way to completing the first round and have once again come to the Sixers. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Philadelphia’s selection and check back Monday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Raptors will select with the No. 27 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 26 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.

  1. Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
  2. Lakers — Brandon Ingram (Duke)
  3. Celtics — Dragan Bender (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
  4. Suns — Jaylen Brown (California)
  5. Timberwolves — Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
  6. Pelicans — Kris Dunn (Providence)
  7. Nuggets — Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
  8. Kings — Henry Ellenson (Marquette)
  9. Raptors — Marquese Chriss (Washington)
  10. Bucks — Jakob Poeltl (Utah)
  11. Magic — Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)
  12. Jazz — Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)
  13. Suns — Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga)
  14. Bulls — Deyonta Davis (Michigan State)
  15. Nuggets — Timothe Luwawu (Mega Leks)
  16. Celtics — Thon Maker (Australia)
  17. Grizzlies — Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt)
  18. Pistons — Tyler Ulis (Kentucky)
  19. Nuggets — Furkan Korkmaz (Anadolu Efes)
  20. Pacers — Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame)
  21. Hawks — Taurean Prince (Baylor)
  22. Hornets — Brice Johnson (North Carolina)
  23. Celtics — Malachi Richardson (Syracuse)
  24. Sixers — Malik Beasley (Florida State)
  25. Clippers — DeAndre Bembry (St. Joe’s)
With the No. 26 Overall Pick, the Sixers Select...
Dejounte Murray (Washington) 39.38% (471 votes)
Patrick McCaw (UNLV) 8.61% (103 votes)
Cheick Diallo (Kansas) 7.11% (85 votes)
Juan Hernangomez (Spain) 6.10% (73 votes)
Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) 5.94% (71 votes)
Wayne Selden (Kansas) 5.35% (64 votes)
Zhou Qi (China) 5.02% (60 votes)
Isaia Cordinier (France) 4.10% (49 votes)
Caris LeVert (Michigan) 3.93% (47 votes)
Diamond Stone (Maryland) 3.18% (38 votes)
Ante Zizic (Croatia) 2.76% (33 votes)
Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) 2.34% (28 votes)
Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) 2.01% (24 votes)
Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville) 1.17% (14 votes)
A.J. Hammons (Purdue) 0.92% (11 votes)
Petr Cornelie (Le Mans) 0.75% (9 votes)
Guerschon Yabusele (Rouen) 0.67% (8 votes)
Robert Carter (Maryland) 0.67% (8 votes)
Total Votes: 1,196

For Trade Rumors app users: [Direct Link]

Repost Share Send via email
Load More Posts