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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/22/16

February 23rd, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

We saw quite a bit of activity during the final days leading up to last Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, though there were no earthshaking moves.

The biggest names in the rumor mill — Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Pau Gasol — stayed put. There were still some eye-catching trades.

The Pistons and Magic fired an early salvo as Detroit acquired a young, prolific scoring forward in Tobias Harris in exchange for point guard Brandon Jennings and power forward Ersan Ilyasova. Both were previously coached by Scott Skiles and can help Orlando’s playoff push while giving the Magic flexibility this summer. Jennings has an expiring contract, and Ilyasova’s contract for next season isn’t fully guaranteed.

The Clippers dealt away Lance Stephenson to the Grizzlies for Jeff Green, giving Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers a better scoring option at small forward.

The Grizzlies were also involved in a three-team deal earlier in the week, sending shooting guard Courtney Lee to the Hornets.

The Thunder picked up a quality guard in Randy Foye from the Nuggets, shipping out guards D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak and a couple of second-round picks for him.

The Wizards made a significant frontcourt move, acquiring talented but controversial power forward Markieff Morris from the Suns. Phoenix received Washington’s first-round pick (top-nine protected) and a couple of veteran power forwards, Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair (who was waived).

Channing Frye was shipped by the Magic to the Cavaliers, giving the Cavs a stretch four at their disposal for the playoffs. Orlando got rid of Frye’s contract, which runs through the 2017/18 season, while also receiving Jared Cunningham and an unprotected second-round pick.

The Trail Blazers received the Cavaliers’ top-10 protected 2018 first-round pick as an incentive to take Anderson Varejao‘s contract off their hands and help their luxury-tax situation.

This leads us to our question of the day: Which team made the best trade last week?

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.

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Hoops Rumors Originals 2/14/16-2/20/16

February 20th, 2016 at 12:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

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

  • If you missed the week’s live chat, you can view the transcript here.
  • Chuck Myron ran down the list of the top salaries to change hands via trade during the month of February since 2013.
  • Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
  • Will Joseph answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
  • We recapped all of the trade deadline moves.
  • To better prepare you for the NBA’s trade deadline we rolled out our Trade Deadline Primer.
  • I ran down the Hawks’ updated 2015/16 salary cap numbers.
  • If you missed any of our daily reader-driven discussions, be sure to check out the Community Shootaround archives.
  • Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
  • You can keep track of where your favorite team currently stands in relation to the 2016 NBA Draft lottery with our reverse standings tracker.
  • We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
  • Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
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2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Atlanta Hawks

February 19th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades now past and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts rapidly approaching, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Atlanta Hawks, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

  • 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
  • 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $71,162,768*
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$1,162,768
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $13,577,232

*Note: This amount includes the $75K owed to Terran Petteway, who was waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • Room Exception= $2,814,000
  • Trade Exception=  $947,276 (Justin Holiday. Expires on February 18th, 2017)

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000

Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.

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

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Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

February 19th, 2016 at 5:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Sunday.

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

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

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2016 Trade Deadline Recap

February 19th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

No superstars were among the players changing teams in nine deadline-day trades Thursday, but several notable figures, from Markieff Morris to Lance Stephenson to Channing Frye, were among those swapped. It wasn’t quite the bonanza that the 2015 trade deadline was, but chaos reigned for a while Thursday afternoon as teams feverishly negotiated and struck deals, as is often the case this time of year.

So, in the aftermath, we’re offering this simple guide to sorting out what happened. Click on the link atop each summary for full details on each trade, including information on salary, trade exceptions and more. Note that the trades are listed in reverse chronological order.

Oklahoma City/Denver

  • The Thunder get Randy Foye.
  • The Nuggets get D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak, Oklahoma City’s 2016 unprotected second-round pick, Charlotte’s 2016 second-round pick (bottom-five protected) and cash.

L.A. Clippers/Memphis

VOIDED — Detroit/Houston/Philadelphia

Washington/Phoenix

Portland/Miami

  • The Trail Blazers get Brian Roberts and Miami’s 2021 second-round pick.
  • The Heat get $75K cash.

Cleveland/Orlando

Portland/Cleveland

  • The Trail Blazers get Anderson Varejao and Cleveland’s top-10 protected 2018 first-round pick.
  • The Cavaliers get their own 2020 second-round pick (unprotected; Portland had acquired it in a previous trade).

Atlanta/Chicago/Utah

New Orleans/Miami

  • The Pelicans get Jarnell Stokes and $721,300 cash.
  • The Heat get New Orleans’ 2018 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/16/16

February 16th, 2016 at 11:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Heat franchise power forward Chris Bosh may be dealing with another serious health situation involving blood clots that could knock him out of action for the rest of the season if the worst case scenario comes to pass. Bosh is expected to meet with doctors on Thursday to determine how serious the situation is and how much time he is projected to miss, according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. There is still a chance that a regimen of blood thinners could correct the issue enough to allow the big man to suit up for Miami again in 2015/16.

Bosh sat out the entire second half of last season after potentially life-threatening blood clots were found in his lungs, but his current problem is reportedly not life threatening. The 31-year-old was previously on blood thinners for seven months after last season’s diagnosis. If Bosh is indeed sidelined for a prolonged period, the Heat’s chances of making the playoffs would obviously be dealt a severe blow. The Heat’s depth in the frontcourt is even thinner now with today’s reported three-way trade that is sending Chris Andersen to the Grizzlies, which may force team president Pat Riley into making additional moves prior to Thursday’s deadline.

Miami entered the All-Star break with a mark of 29-24, which currently has it slotted in the fifth overall playoff spot in the East, possessing a one game lead over current No. 6 seed Indiana. Any prolonged loss of Bosh’s services would likely doom the Heat’s playoff chances, or at the very last, make them severe underdogs in any series. This unfortunate development regarding Bosh could also alter the franchise’s strategy heading into the trade deadline, which bring me to the topic for today: Should the Heat become sellers at the trade deadline because of Chris Bosh’s medical situation?

If you were the Heat, how would you approach this year’s trade deadline? Would you stand pat and pray that Bosh was able to return to action this season? Or would you attempt to extract as much value as possible from your roster via trades and attempt to retool for 2016/17? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. If you think that the Heat need to start thinking about next season, who should the team look to deal in addition to Andersen? Who or what should Miami look to nab in return? Or do you have faith that Bosh will be back on the court again this season and think that Riley shouldn’t hit the panic button and start tearing down his roster? We look forward to what you have to say.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/15/16

February 16th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder possess the most dynamic 1-2 punch in the league in All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Both players have stayed healthy this season and, not surprisingly, put up big numbers. Durant is averaging 27.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists while Westbrook, the All-Star Game MVP, has been a triple-double machine while averaging 24.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 10.0 assists.

Oklahoma City collected 40 wins before the break and have a realistic shot at 60 before the playoffs. With Durant and Westbrook leading the way, the Thunder would seem a like a major title contender in almost any season.

Instead, the amazing consistency of the Warriors and Spurs has relegated the Thunder to an afterthought. A Western Conference finals matchup between those powerhouses seems almost inevitable, given that both clubs have been invincible at home and show no signs of letting up.

Is there anything Oklahoma City can do to change that perception? Perhaps adding another starting piece by this week’s trade deadline could make people think twice about the Thunder’s chances of upsetting the Spurs and Warriors and reaching the NBA Finals.

Seemingly, the Thunder have enough “bigs” to compete with the other top echelon teams with Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Nick Collison giving them impressive depth at power forward and center.

Oklahoma City could use an upgrade at the wings. The shooting guard spot has been an issue for the Thunder, with Dion Waiters seeing the most action at the position. They could also seek a starter-quality small forward and go smaller with Durant playing more minutes at power forward. That would help them match up better with the Warriors, who use Draymond Green at power forward and even center at times while “downsizing” their units.

This leads us to our question of the day: What player should the Thunder target in trade talks this week?

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.

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Deadline Trades Involving High Salaries Rare

February 15th, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Trade rumors have involved some fairly significant names in the past few days, some of whom are pulling down sizable salaries. Chief among them is Dwight Howard, who’s making more than $22.359MM this season on the maximum-salary contract he signed with the Rockets in 2013. Kevin Love, who just this past summer signed a max deal that gives him $19.689MM this season, has also drawn mention. However, in part because trades involving highly paid players are difficult to put together under the constraints of the league’s salary-matching rules, few who have especially impressive paychecks change teams this time of year.

No one who’s been traded during February in any of the past three years has had a higher salary than Danny Granger, who was due more than $14MM when he went from the Pacers to the Sixers in 2014. Only two others making $10MM or more have found themselves in trades at or near the deadline in the last three years. The deadline was particularly devoid of money changing hands in 2013, when J.J. Redick, with his $6.19MM salary, was the most well-compensated player to get swapped.

The list below shows the top salaries to change hands via trade during the month of February since 2013. Note that Marcus Thornton appears twice, having been included in trades each of the last two years. (He may again be traded this year, but he’s only making the minimum this time around.)

  1. Danny Granger, Pacers to Sixers, 2014 — $14,021,788
  2. Kevin Garnett, Nets to Timberwolves, 2015 — $12MM
  3. JaVale McGee, Nuggets to Sixers, 2015 — $11.25MM
  4. Thaddeus Young, Timberwolves to Nets, 2015 — $9,660,869
  5. Kendrick Perkins, Thunder to Jazz, 2015 — $9,654,342
  6. Marcus Thornton, Celtics to Suns, 2015 — $8.575MM
  7. Marcus Thornton, Kings to Nets, 2014 — $8.05MM
  8. Tayshaun Prince, Celtics to Pistons, 2015 — $7,707,865
  9. Arron Afflalo, Nuggets to Trail Blazers, 2015 — $7.75MM
  10. Goran Dragic, Suns to Heat, 2015 — $7.5MM
  11. Isaiah Thomas, Suns to Celtics, 2015 — $7,238,606
  12. Evan Turner, Sixers to Pacers, 2014 — $6,679,867
  13. Spencer Hawes, Sixers to Cavaliers, 2014 — $6.6MM
  14. J.J. Redick, Magic to Bucks, 2013 — $6.19MM

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

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/13/16

February 13th, 2016 at 11:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Chatter about a blockbuster three-way deal that would send Carmelo Anthony to the Cavaliers, Kevin Love to the Celtics and an assortment of players and draft picks to the Knicks interrupted NBA All-Star weekend on Friday night. The proposed trade would align Anthony with another star player, which is something that would appease the 31-year-old. “I think everybody always kind of dreams and hopes that they can play with another great player, another star player,” Anthony said. LeBron James has since dismissed the rumors and Anthony, who holds a no-trade clause in his contract, said he isn’t leaving New York.

Anthony has played well this season, accumulating 21.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while sporting a 20.3 player efficiency rating. He had trouble with his surgically repaired left knee this season, which along with a January ankle injury, has caused him to miss seven games and play others at less than 100%.

The Cavs have reportedly been shopping Love, though their asking price is very high. Netting Anthony would be a nice return for a player of Love’s caliber, but it would be a move with the short term in mind. In tonight’s shootaround, let’s assume Anthony is willing to waive his no-trade clause for a deal that sends him to Cleveland. Would acquiring Anthony be the best move for the Cavs or is there a Love trade that makes more sense for Cleveland?

Take to the comments section to share your opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

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