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Early Entrants, International Draft List Set

June 14th, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The deadline for international players to withdraw from the 2016 NBA draft passed Monday, and only 13 remain in of the 46 who declared, writes Adam Zagorian of SNY.tv. The draft will be held on Thursday, June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. A total of 73 international and early entrant college prospects kept their names in the draft and are listed below:

The international players who are remaining in the draft are:

The complete list of early entrants from colleges who will are draft eligible:

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Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 21)

June 14th, 2016 at 6:35pm 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 two-thirds of the way through the first round and have come to the Hawks. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Atlanta’s pick and check back Wednesday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Hornets will select with the No. 22 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. 21 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.

Previous Selections

  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)
With the No. 21 Overall Pick, the Hawks Select...
Taurean Prince (Baylor) 15.50% (137 votes)
Malachi Richardson (Syracuse) 11.54% (102 votes)
Brice Johnson (North Carolina) 11.09% (98 votes)
Malik Beasley (Florida State) 7.92% (70 votes)
Dejounte Murray (Washington) 7.58% (67 votes)
Diamond Stone (Maryland) 7.35% (65 votes)
Cheick Diallo (Kansas) 6.00% (53 votes)
DeAndre Bembry (St. Joe's) 5.77% (51 votes)
Ante Zizic (Croatia) 5.32% (47 votes)
Zhou Qi (China) 3.73% (33 votes)
Wayne Selden (Kansas) 2.71% (24 votes)
Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) 2.60% (23 votes)
Juan Hernangomez (Spain) 2.15% (19 votes)
Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) 2.15% (19 votes)
Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) 2.04% (18 votes)
A.J. Hammons (Purdue) 1.70% (15 votes)
Caris LeVert (Michigan) 1.70% (15 votes)
Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville) 1.02% (9 votes)
Patrick McCaw (UNLV) 0.79% (7 votes)
Isaia Cordinier (France) 0.45% (4 votes)
Guerschon Yabusele (Rouen) 0.45% (4 votes)
Petr Cornelie (Le Mans) 0.23% (2 votes)
Robert Carter (Maryland) 0.23% (2 votes)
Total Votes: 884

For Trade Rumors app users: [Direct Link]

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Community Shootaround: Bulls’ Offseason

June 14th, 2016 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

As Dana Gauruder noted in our preview of the Bulls’ offseason on Monday, this summer could be a period of major transition in Chicago, with big men Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah eligible for free agency, and trade rumors swirling around Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. It’s possible the Bulls will try to keep their roster mostly intact, adding a free agent or two and attempting to contend immediately, but a significant retooling of the roster is also in play.

The Timberwolves reportedly have interest in pursuing Butler if he becomes available, and the Celtics are said to be eyeing the All-Star forward as well. However, a Butler deal would probably signal a full-fledged rebuild, and it’s not clear that the Bulls are willing to go that far, unless they get blown away by a trade offer they can’t refuse.

Moving Rose, who is entering the final year of his contract and has had trouble staying healthy since his MVP season, seems more plausible, and at least one report has indicated that Chicago is far more willing to consider a Rose trade than one involving Butler.

As for Noah and Gasol, it’s not clear if either player will re-sign with the Bulls. There have been rumblings that Noah is ready to move on from Chicago, though agent Bill Duffy downplayed those rumors. Gasol, meanwhile, expressed disappointment as the 2015/16 season wound down with the way the team fell apart during the second half.

Today’s discussion question focuses on Chicago’s upcoming decisions. How do you expect the Bulls’ offseason to play out? Will Noah or Gasol be back? Will Butler or Rose be dealt? Do you expect the team to make a splash in free agency, or sit back and make smaller moves? How will the club use its No. 14 overall pick?

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

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Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Cleveland Cavaliers

June 14th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Since LeBron James returned to Cleveland and the Cavaliers traded No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins as part of a package for Kevin Love, anything short of a championship has been considered a disappointment for the franchise. That means the next several days could go a long way toward determining what kind of offseason is in store for the Cavs.

Even if the club manages to pull off the improbable comeback against the Warriors, Love’s days in Cleveland could be numbered. He has essentially been a non-factor in the Finals, and moving his $21MM+ salary shouldn’t be too challenging, with the cap projected to rise by $22MM. Of course, LeBron’s decision on his player option is perhaps the more pressing issue for the Cavs, but even if he opts out, there has been little to no buzz suggesting the former MVP will leave Cleveland this summer.

See how Cleveland’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

  • LeBron James ($29,861,650) — pending player option
  • J.R. Smith ($9,500,000) — pending player option
  • Timofey Mozgov ($9,405,000)
  • Mo Williams ($2,520,000) — pending player option
  • Richard Jefferson ($980,431)
  • James Jones ($980,431)
  • Total: $53,247,512

Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

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

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Offseason Outlook: Chicago Bulls

June 13th, 2016 at 9:07pm 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.

Big Men, Big Decisions

Matt Bush / USA Today Sports Images

Matt Bush / USA Today Sports Images

The Bulls’ frontcourt could look very different next season with veterans Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah hitting the free agent market.

Gasol has a player option of $7.77MM but it’s a near certainty he’ll decline it so that he can become an unrestricted free agent. Despite turning 36 next month, Gasol should get some juicy offers from playoff contenders. He is coming off a stellar season in which he averaged 16.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 blocks.

It would be a surprise if Gasol stuck around with a team that didn’t even make the playoffs this spring. Gasol expressed disappointment as last season wound down with the way the team fell apart during the second half of the season.

It’s also questionable whether the front office wants to give its aging center a big contract, unless they plan on making other moves with a ‘win now’ mentality, rather than rebuilding around younger players.

Pau’s brother, Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol, believes he should chase another championship ring by signing with the Spurs.

There are conflicting reports on whether Noah will consider staying with the Bulls, but it’s likely he’ll be wearing another uniform next season.

A league source told ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell late last month that the team has had positive discussions on a new contract. Earlier reports indicated that Noah distrusts the front office and wants out.

Noah, who was in Italy last week, told Sportando he would “consider every offer on the table this summer.” He added that he was “very focused” on free agency and was disappointed with his playing time and the culture change in the locker room last season.

Noah’s season was cut short by shoulder surgery and that could affect the offers he receives, while also improving the Bulls’ chances of retaining him if they’re intent on doing so. The Timberwolves, who hired ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, are one of the teams reportedly interested in his services.

Breaking Up The Backcourt

Trade rumors are swirling around both of Chicago’s starting guards. The Bulls will certainly entertain offers for Derrick Rose. The question is whether they can stir up any interest in the former MVP.

Rose’s career has been marred by knee issues and he’s been unable to play a full season since suffering an ACL tear during the 2012 playoffs. He managed to play 66 games this past season but, as his subpar 13.5 PER suggests, he’s nowhere near the player he used to be.

Rose has one year and $21.3MM remaining on his contract. Given the salary-cap explosion this summer, some teams could fit him into their salary structure but it’s unlikely the Bulls could get much for him. Not only is his declining production an impediment, he expressed eagerness as far back as last summer about testing the free agent market in 2017.

It may be in both parties’ interest for Rose to stay put this season. He’ll have every incentive to prove he can regain his previous All-Star form.

If the Bulls really want to blow things up, they could shop their best player in Jimmy Butler. That would seem foolhardy unless they got an overwhelming package in return but that could be the case.

The Timberwolves and Celtics, who both own Top 5 picks, are eagerly pursuing a trade for Butler. Undoubtedly, other teams would jump into the sweepstakes if the Bulls were willing to move Butler, but it’s unclear if they’ll make him available.

Free Agent Targets

The Bulls will have the financial flexibility to pursue top-level free agents if both Gasol and Noah bolt. They would be in the market for younger replacements, as well as upgrades at small forward or shooting guard, depending upon whether they retain Butler and which position they want him to play.

Al Horford‘s skill set would make him a natural replacement for Gasol. If they decide to pursue a more traditional center, the enigmatic Dwight Howard would have to be on their radar screen.

Nicolas Batum‘s versatility would upgrade them dramatically at small forward as would Chandler Parsons, contingent on his health issues.

They could also look for depth at point guard if Rose is dealt, or to have a quality veteran to replace him when he misses games. Jeremy Lin or Brandon Jennings could fill that need.

Potential Trades

Besides Rose and Butler, the Bulls could dangle some of their frontcourt pieces if they decide to get younger and acquire future draft picks. Taj Gibson‘s $8.95MM salary for the upcoming season is not the deal breaker it might have been in past, and the Bulls have a similar, younger power forward in Bobby Portis to take his minutes.

Nikola Mirotic would certainly attract interest around the league if he were made available, considering the value teams place on stretch fours.

Draft Outlook

  • First round pick: No. 14
  • Second round pick: No. 48

The Bulls find themselves in the unusual position of drafting in the lottery, though they’re in the middle of the first round. Considering they have needs at most positions, they’ll go the “best player available” route.

Given the uncertainty surrounding Rose’s future with the club, a point guard like Demetrius Jackson or Wade Baldwin would make sense with the No. 14 pick.

Coaching Outlook

Fred Hoiberg’s first year was a lot stormier than anyone could have imagined. Given that he was handed a five-year, $25MM contract last summer, Hoiberg will get at least one more season to prove himself as an NBA head man.

Final Take

The Bulls’ summer is shrouded with mystery. They could try to make a big splash and sign a top-flight free agent to join Butler and get the team back in the playoff picture. Or they could opt to go into full rebuild mode by selling off assets and stockpiling draft picks. It seems nearly certain they’ll lose both Gasol and Noah, so the latter approach might be best.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

  • None

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Other Cap Holds

  • No. 14 pick ($1,743,500)

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

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

 

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Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Utah Jazz

June 13th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Jazz have a little more injury luck and stay healthier in 2016/17, they should be in the mix for a playoff spot, so it will be interesting to see how the team fills out its roster this offseason. Assuming the club drafts a player with the 12th overall pick, Utah will have 12 guaranteed contracts on its books, but only about $58.5MM in guaranteed salary. That leaves plenty of cap flexibility to add a veteran or two, but the Jazz will have to be careful about investing long-term in any free agents. With Gordon Hayward potentially opting out in 2017, and Rudy Gobert and Trey Burke eligible for extensions as of July 1st, some key contributors will get much more expensive a year from now, so the team will likely be wary of adding long-term salary to its books this summer if it intends to keep those players around.

See how Utah’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

  • None

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Other Cap Holds

  • No. 12 pick ($1,931,900)

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

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

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Community Shootaround: Draymond Green

June 12th, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will have to play Game 5 of the NBA Finals without Draymond Green, who was suspended today when the league assessed him a flagrant 1 foul for an encounter with LeBron James in Game 4.

League officials called Green’s actions a “retaliatory swipe of his hand to the groin” after he and James collided. The flagrant foul was Green’s fourth of the playoffs, which triggers an automatic one-game suspension.

“The cumulative points system is designed to deter flagrant fouls in our game,” NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe explained. “While Draymond Green’s actions in Game 4 do not merit a suspension as a standalone act, the number of flagrant points he has earned triggers a suspension for Game 5.”

Golden State has three double-digit wins in the series and has controlled the Finals except for a lopsided loss in Game 3. However, Green’s versatility is a major part of the Warriors’ effectiveness, and they won’t be the same team without him in the lineup.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Does Green’s absence in Game 5 give the Cavaliers a chance to win the series? The Warriors are returning home and will be aided by their raucous crowd, but the absence of Green gives Cleveland a fighting chance. If the Cavs can find a way to win Game 5 and then take Game 6 on their home court, that would set up a Game 7 next Sunday in Oakland. Is the series no longer a foregone conclusion, or will Golden State overcome Green’s absence and win the trophy Monday night?

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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Community Shootaround: Kevin Love

June 11th, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

When the Cavaliers traded for Kevin Love two years ago, they hoped he was the missing piece to a championship team. But in this year’s finals, they’ve looked more like a champion when Love was missing.

Cleveland’s only win came in a Game 3 blowout with Love unable to play because of a concussion. He returned for Friday’s Game 4, but managed just 11 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes as the Cavs fell into a 3-1 hole.

Love came to Cleveland in a trade with Minnesota to form a new Big Three with Kyrie Irving and the returning LeBron James. But questions about his compatibility started almost immediately and grew louder as Andrew Wiggins, the key player sent to the Wolves in the deal, blossomed into the 2014/15 Rookie of the Year.

Love and the Cavs had a chance to end their uneasy partnership when he became a free agent last summer. Instead, he re-signed in Cleveland for about $110MM over five years, agreeing to terms shortly after the July 1st start of free agency. Later in the offseason, the Cavaliers committed $82MM over five years to Tristan Thompson, also a power forward.

With another championship slipping out of reach and a huge luxury tax payment due, speculation is growing that the Cavs might try to trade Love this summer. The Denver Post’s Christopher Dempsey wrote in April that the Nuggets would be a willing partner, possibly parting with a group of young players who are a better fit for coach Tyronn Lue’s fast-paced offense. The Celtics, Trail Blazers, Suns, Wizards, Rockets, Mavericks, Magic and Hornets would also be interested, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation.

Love clearly wants to be in Cleveland and is irritated by the talk that the franchise needs to get rid of him to win a title. He showed his loyalty during free agency and doesn’t want to be dispatched now as a scapegoat.

“I don’t know how to answer it, because I have a couple bad games last series [against Toronto], tough games, and have to come back and do whatever I needed to do to help the team,” Love told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “Still, it’s just never enough.”

But the economic reality is that Love is owed $93MM over the next four seasons. Add in the more than $67.7MM the Cavs must pay Thompson over that span and the possibility that James will become a power forward as he gets older, and it’s easy to see that Cleveland is overloaded at one position.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Should the Cavaliers trade Love this summer, and where would be the best spot for him? 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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2015/16 D-League Usage Reports

June 11th, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s relationship with the D-League continues to grow, and this season a total of 19 NBA teams had one-to-one affiliations with D-League clubs. Those NBA organizations without their own affiliates were required to assign players to D-League clubs associated with other NBA franchises. D-League teams could volunteer to take on the assigned players, and if no volunteers emerged, the players were assigned at random.

This significant change from the 2014/15 season came about after the Pacers purchased the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and turned them into their one-to-one partner for the 2015/16 campaign. Other NBA teams have interest in following suit in the years ahead, and the NBA’s ultimate goal for the D-League is for all 30 NBA franchises to have their own D-League squads. You can view the complete list of D-League affiliates here.

We at Hoops Rumors recapped the D-League-related activity for the 2015/16 campaign. Listed below are all the reports sorted by conference and division:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

Central Division

Southeast Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest Division

Pacific Division

Southwest Division

Note: Teams marked with an asterisk did not make any assignments to the D-League this season.

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Hoops Rumors Originals 6/5/16-6/11/16

June 11th, 2016 at 11:31am CST by Eddie Scarito

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

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