Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript

January 6th, 2016 at 4:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:05pm: We hosted the weekly live chat.

3:00pm: NBA teams face decisions on their non-guaranteed contracts no later than Thursday, a point in the season that usually sparks movement. Seven trades took place between January 5th and January 15th last year, and those plus a rush of signings and waivers changed the look of many teams. Some NBA clubs are already going through changes, with the Sixers probably chief among them, while others, like the Suns, appear to be contemplating a move of some kind to jolt them from their nine-game losing streak.

Trade Candidate: Caron Butler

January 6th, 2016 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Brad Mills / USA Today Sports Images

A Caron Butler trade was never imminent, but it seemed a fairly strong bet in the middle of last month that the Kings would ship out the 35-year-old Wisconsin native and that he would end up close to home on the Bucks. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported December 16th that Sacramento had promised Butler that he’d be traded so he could see more playing time and that Milwaukee was his likely destination. Since then, Bucks coach and prime mover of personnel Jason Kidd went on a leave of absence to undergo and recover from hip surgery and, as Stein reported last week, the team has tabled its interest in Butler. It’s unclear whether Kidd’s hiatus has to do with the team’s apparent withdrawal from the Butler talks, but the upshot is that the veteran small forward’s future is even murkier than it was before.

Butler started in place of an ailing Rudy Gay and played 19 minutes against the Nets on November 13th, but since then, he’s made only three appearances, the last of which was a six-minute cameo on December 21st. The 14th-year veteran who turns 36 in March clearly isn’t what he used to be, but he made 21 starts and played in 78 games just last season with the Pistons, canning a useful 37.9% of his 3-point attempts. The year before that he averaged 10.5 points per game, shot 39.4% from behind the arc, and was one of the most sought-after buyout candidates after the trade deadline until the Thunder scooped him up. He didn’t have the desired effect for Oklahoma City in the playoffs that year, notching a dreadful 6.8 PER, but he remains proficient as a spot-up shooter who can help a contender that wouldn’t ask too much of him.

The Heat might just be that team. Miami drafted Butler in 2002, and he spent his first two seasons with the Heat before they shipped him to the Lakers as part of their package for Shaquille O’Neal. They were one of the early favorites to land him in the 2014 buyout market before he signed with the Thunder. Then, just like now, the Heat had depth at forward that served as a stumbling block for his return to Miami, but that could change if the Heat unload Chris Andersen, Luol Deng or another player in a cost-cutting move. The Heat have incentive to shed salary, since they’re over the luxury tax line and risk becoming the first team ever to pay the onerous repeat-offender tax penalties if they stay over it.

Butler would make a cheap alternative on the two-year, minimum-salary deal he signed this past summer with the Kings, though the Heat would have to unload more significant salary in either a separate deal or involve a third team in a swap for Butler, because the Kings are over the cap and without a trade exception. Still, Butler’s contract is relatively easy to trade, since it doesn’t require the team that takes him in to have cap space, a trade exception or even to match salaries. It fits within the minimum-salary exception, which is freely available to teams at just about any time.

More troublesome for the Kings is finding a deal that nets a palatable return. Sacramento is in a compromising position, given the report of the team’s vow to trade Butler, so at best it would seem the Kings could come away with a second-round pick that isn’t heavily protected. The Sixers have a renewed interest in veterans with chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo freshly on board, but after dealing two second-rounders to the Pelicans for Ish Smith, Philadelphia is without a second-round pick in either of the next two drafts. The Celtics have no shortage of second-round picks, but they seem more likely to hang on to them to aid their quest for a star than to trade them for a veteran presence.

The Thunder have a surplus of second-rounders coming their way, and they were reportedly among the teams expected to pursue Butler in free agency this past summer. Oklahoma City has more weapons, particularly on offense, than it did two years ago, so perhaps a second Thunder stint for Butler would go more smoothly than the first did. The Bulls apparently had interest in Butler this past offseason, too, though they’re only break-even in the second-round pick department. Chicago is reportedly looking for an upgrade on the wing and wants to add shooting, yet Butler wouldn’t be the profound difference-maker the Bulls would no doubt prefer. The Spurs were another of the teams linked to Butler in the summer, but they’re not particularly given to making trades and have no need to disrupt their rhythm as winners of 12 of their last 13. The Clippers are one of Butler’s old teams and, like the Thunder, reportedly had interest in a reunion as of this summer. They have more holes to fill than San Antonio does, but Paul Pierce would appear to play the role that Butler would probably be expected to fill in L.A.

Regardless, Butler has made an impact in his brief time with Sacramento, serving as the public spokesman for the players during a contentious team meeting in November and clearly asserting himself as a veteran leader. Still, even though the Kings have a reputation for turmoil, Sacramento has other veterans on the roster who would likely soften whatever blow that Butler’s departure would deliver to team chemistry, James Ham of CSN California and CSNBayArea.com recently said to Hoops Rumors.

It seems the impetus for a trade is coming from Butler and not the Kings, even as the Sacramento front office sounds like it’s eager to fulfill his apparent wish to play elsewhere. Several reasonably logical trade partners exist, though none of them seem a perfect fit. Many of them could be reluctant to commit to the second year of Butler’s deal, which is a player option, so Butler might have to be willing to decline that option in advance, as Corey Brewer did last winter, to accommodate a trade. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be surprising if Butler has to wait until the buyout window after the trade deadline to find a new home, just as it was two years ago.

Which team do you think makes the most sense for Caron Butler? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: 1/5/16

January 5th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA may be going smaller but there’s always room for a talented young big man.

The new wave of “bigs” hardly resembles the traditional version of power forwards and centers. Rather than exclusively setting up shop in the low post, the modern-day version of the big man is much more athletic and versatile.

An exciting development for the league in general is that many of them are just heading into their prime years. Topping that list, at least at the start of the season, was Anthony Davis, who led the Pelicans to a playoff berth last spring.

Davis can overwhelm opponents at both ends of the floor with his varied skills and imposing length. But the 22-year-old’s numbers have taken a slight dip this season while adjusting to a new coaching staff. In particular, Davis’ shooting percentage has fallen from 53.5 a year ago to 49.2 while the Pelicans have lost two-thirds of their games.

In the meantime, several other big men 25 years old or younger have shined during the first half of the season. Pistons center Andre Drummond leads the league in rebounding by a wide margin while also displaying much improved low-post moves.

Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins may be better known for his temper than his production, but he’s the NBA’s highest-scoring big man at 24.4 points per game.

At 6’7”, Warriors power forward Draymond Green may not cut as imposing a figure as many other power forwards, but his all-around contributions have been dazzling. He has posted three consecutive triple-doubles for a team that has lost just two games.

A couple of rookies have also made big impressions in their inaugural campaigns. The Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns has justified his status of being the top overall pick by averaging 15.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his first 35 games.

Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis has taken the Big Apple by storm, drowning out the draft-night boos with a torrent of big performances. The 7’3” European import is already the Knicks’ leading rebounder and shot-blocker and has shooting range that extends beyond the 3-point arc.

This leads us to our question of the day: Which frontcourt player 25 years old or younger would you choose to build your franchise around?

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.

2015/16 NBA Reverse Standings

January 5th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The 2015/16 NBA season covers 24 weeks, and we’ve already burned through 10 of them. The fate of many teams has become apparent, and scouts and executives for teams around the league are getting a clearer picture of where they’ll be picking in the 2016 NBA draft. With our Reverse Standings, which list the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, you can easily follow along, too. Hoops Rumors is continuing to update these standings daily to reflect the outcomes of the games that took place the night before.

The Reverse Standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what the 2016 first-round order would look like with no changes to lottery position. Traded picks are included via footnotes. For instance, the note next to Sacramento’s pick indicates that if the team finishes outside the top 10, it’ll relinquish the pick to the Bulls. If the Kings wind up in the top 10, they have a chance to keep the pick, though the Sixers would have the right to switch it out for their pick. The Kings are currently in spot No. 10, so it’s a situation that bears watching the rest of the season.

The existence of the lottery means the teams atop the Reverse Standings aren’t guaranteed to draft in the order in which they finish, but the worse a club’s record, the better shot it has at landing the cream of the 2016 draft class. This year’s group of prospects, which includes Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and Dragan Bender, is heavy on frontcourt players, and we’ll be finding out more about them in the month ahead with posts under our 2016 NBA Draft tag.

Our Reverse Standings feature can be found at anytime on our right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2016. Be sure to check back often!

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/4/16

January 4th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics, much like the Bulls, have an overabundance of front court players on their roster this season. While depth is certainly a nice luxury to possess for any franchise, having more players than minutes to go around can create locker room issues if some team members feel slighted by playing time cuts. It can also slow the development of younger players needing as much game experience as they can get their hands on. With the February trade deadline rapidly approaching and the team clinging to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, Boston’s president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, could look to alleviate Boston’s frontcourt logjam, as Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com noted on Sunday.

This brings me to the topic for today: Should the Celtics look to deal one or more of their current crop of frontcourt players, and if so, who should the team look to move?

Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger are both eligible to hit restricted free agency after the season, provided Boston tenders them qualifying offers, and David Lee is playing on an expiring deal, which makes them all prime candidates to be moved. The team would likely prefer to deal Lee, seeing as he’s not in the Celtics’ long-term plans, but his $15,493,680 salary for 2015/16 makes him a difficult player to find a suitor for without having to take back a less than desirable contract or two in return. Offseason signee Amir Johnson is also a possibility, and his non-guaranteed salary for next season could certainly be attractive to a team looking to free up cap space. Boston could also look to make a smaller trade involving Jonas Jerebko, whose 2016/17 salary is non-guaranteed, or Kelly Olynyk, who still has one more season on his fully guaranteed contract remaining after this one.

But what say you? Should the team look to deal one of the players I mentioned above, or would you prefer the Celtics stand pat? If you think Boston needs to make a trade, who should the team look to move first? What’s the best realistic trade you can come up with for your choice? Take to the comments section below to weigh in and share your thoughts on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Poll: Should Suns Re-Hire Mike D’Antoni?

January 4th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

According to a report by Marc Stein of ESPN.com, people within the coaching community believe that the Suns will make Mike D’Antoni a candidate for their head coaching job should it come open in the near future. D’Antoni, who recently returned to the NBA as the lead assistant for the Sixers, took Phoenix to consecutive Western Conference Finals during a solid run as Suns head coach from 2003-08. The 64-year-old went 253-136 in the regular season and 26-25 in the playoffs during his time as head coach of the Suns, and he won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award in his first full season in charge of the team.

D’Antoni recently described himself as “happy as heck” to be back in coaching with the Sixers after a sabbatical that lasted about a year and a half following his resignation from the Lakers in the spring of 2014. The offensive-minded coach didn’t enjoy the same success in L.A. or during his time with the Knicks as he did with Phoenix, and he’s gone a combined 202-290 in regular season games and 0-8 in the postseason at his other head-coaching stops in the NBA. D’Antoni had told Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com back in 2012 that he regretted leaving the Suns to take the job in New York, a departure that Shelburne heard was a mutual decision between D’Antoni and the Phoenix organization.

Phoenix’s recent troubles reportedly put current head coach Jeff Hornacek on the hot seat, though the team decided to fire a pair of assistants instead of Hornacek last week. With the Suns having made significant financial commitments to guards Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, perhaps bringing back D’Antoni, whose offense is geared toward maximizing the production of point guards, can revitalize the floundering organization. But what say you? Would a return to Phoenix by D’Antoni allow the franchise to rise from its current doldrums, or should the organization look to go in a different direction should Hornacek be let go? Cast your vote below and then take to the comments section to continue the discussion. We look forward to what you have to say.

Should the Suns Re-Hire Mike D'Antoni as Head Coach?

Absolutely. He's just what the franchise needs. 34.73% (166 votes)

No. The franchise should give Jeff Hornacek another season to prove himself. 33.05% (158 votes)

No way. The team needs to go in a different direction. 32.22% (154 votes)

Total Votes: 478

Where Are They Now?: Amnestied Players

January 4th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Elton Brand and the Sixers pulled off an unusual kind of reunion today, as Brand signed with the team that waived him via the amnesty clause in 2012. Few teams revisit the players they essentially admitted they made a mistake in signing, and on top of that, teams are barred from re-signing the players they amnesty until their amnestied contracts expire.

Brand only had one year left on his deal when the Sixers released him, so his return to Philadelphia has theoretically been possible since 2013. Still, it would have been hard to envision such a move from Sixers GM Sam Hinkie, who took control of the team shortly before Brand became eligible to re-sign with the team, at least until chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo came aboard in December.

However, this isn’t the only example of an amnestied player rejoining the team that let him go. The Lakers and Metta World Peace hooked up on a non-guaranteed deal in the offseason, though their renewed relationship is liable to end this week, with Thursday looming as the final day for the Lakers to waive him before his full salary becomes guaranteed.

Four other players amnestied after the provision was reintroduced in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement are still in the NBA, though they’re on different teams than the ones that amnestied them. Oddly, Mike Miller, whom the Heat amnestied, is playing with the Nuggets, while Chris Andersen, whom the Nuggets amnestied, is with the Heat. Here’s a look at the whereabouts of each player amnestied since 2011. Note that this doesn’t include those amnestied during the 2005 window:

76ers: Elton Brand (2012) — Re-signed with Sixers today.
Bulls: Carlos Boozer (2014) — Free agent; reportedly met with Bucks recently.
Bucks: Drew Gooden (2013) — Playing with Wizards.
Cavaliers: Baron Davis (2011) — Free agent
Celtics: Unused
Clippers: Ryan Gomes (2012) — Free agent
Grizzlies: Unused
Hawks: Unused
Heat: Mike Miller (2013) — Playing with Nuggets.
Hornets: Tyrus Thomas (2013) — Playing in Germany with Eisbären Bremerhaven.
Jazz: Unused
Kings:Unused
Knicks: Chauncey Billups — Retired
Lakers: Metta World Peace (2013) — Playing with Lakers again on non-guaranteed deal.
Magic: Gilbert Arenas (2011) — Free agent
Mavericks: Brendan Haywood (2012) — Free agent
Nets: Travis Outlaw (2011) — Free agent
Nuggets: Chris Andersen (2012) — Playing with Heat.
Pacers: James Posey (2011) — Retired; assistant coach for Cavaliers.
Pelicans: Unused
Pistons: Unused
Raptors: Linas Kleiza (2013) — Free agent
Rockets: Luis Scola (2012) — Playing with Raptors.
Spurs: Unused
Suns: Josh Childress (2012) — Playing in Australia with the Sydney Kings.
Thunder: Unused
Timberwolves: Darko Milicic (2012) — Retired
Trail Blazers: Brandon Roy (2011) — Free agent
Warriors: Charlie Bell (2011) — Free agent
Wizards: Andray Blatche (2012) — Playing in China for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: 10-Day Contracts

January 4th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tuesday marks the renewal of the annual tradition of the ultimate on-the-job tryout in professional sports. The 10-day contract has been the foot in the door for several players who’ve gone on to lengthy, successful NBA careers, like Anthony Mason, Bruce Bowen, Raja Bell, Kurt Rambis, Howard Eisley and several others. More recently, C.J. Watson saw his first NBA action on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Warriors in 2008, and he’s since blossomed into a sought-after backup point guard. He signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Magic this past offseason.

Ten-day deals also help veterans make comebacks. Chris Andersen languished in free agency for six months after the Nuggets used the amnesty clause to get rid of him, but a pair of 10-day contracts with the Heat in 2013 kick-started a revival for the Birdman. He wound up signing for the rest of the season that year and played a key role in Miami’s championship run. Andersen reprised that role on a guaranteed minimum-salary contract the next season, and that led the Heat to re-sign him in 2014 to a two-year, $10.375MM deal.

Andersen’s Heat teammate, former first-round pick Gerald Green, had been out of the league for three years when he made a splash during his pair of 10-day deals with the Nets in 2011/12. That earned him a contract for the rest of the season, and he parlayed 12.9 points and 48.1% shooting in 25.2 minutes per game for the Nets into a three-year, $10.5MM contract with the Pacers the following summer. He took a discount to sign with the Heat for one year at the minimum salary this past offseason, but his revamped defensive game and sizable role in the Heat’s rotation suggest that he’ll command much more in free agency this coming summer.

Still, the 10-day is usually a fleeting glimpse at NBA life for players on pro basketball’s fringe. Only a small fraction of last year’s 10-day signees remain in the league, as I noted last month. Hunter Atkins of The New York Times profiled the player whom Green replaced on the Nets roster, chronicling what turned out to be only a brief passage through the league for 10-day signee Andre Emmett. Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated took a similarly revealing look at the life of Zabian Dowdell as he tried to make the most of a 10-day with the Suns in 2010/11. Dowdell hasn’t played in the NBA since that season.

Teams can sign a player to as many as two 10-day contracts before committing to him for the rest of the season, or, as in many cases, turning him away. Ten-day deals are almost always for a prorated portion of the minimum salary, though they can be for more. A minimum-salary 10-day contract for a rookie this season is worth $30,888, or 10/170ths of the full-season rookie minimum salary. A one-year veteran would make $49,709. A minimum-salary 10-day deal with any veteran of two or more seasons would represent a cost of $55,722 to the team. Veterans of greater than two seasons would see more than that, but the league would pay the extra freight. However, teams gain no financial advantage if they eschew 10-day contracts with more experienced players to sign rookies or one-year veterans to 10-day deals in an effort to avoid the tax, as those deals count the same as the ones for two-year veterans when the league calculates a team’s salary for tax purposes.

Teams have to pay slightly more if they sign a player to a 10-day contract and they have fewer than three games on their schedule over that 10-day period. In those cases, the length of the 10-day contract is extended so that it covers three games for the team. It’s rare that any team would have such a light schedule, since most play at least three games a week, but the rule came into play in February 2015 with the Pistons and John Lucas III. Detroit signed him to a 10-day contract after its final game prior to the All-Star break, which the NBA lengthened last season. The Pistons played only three games in the 13 days that followed the signing, so Lucas was essentially on a 13-day deal. He received 13 days’ worth of prorated minimum salary, meaning the pact was worth more than a standard 10-day contract. The All-Star break will be just as long in 2016 it was in 2015, so the situation could repeat itself.

Teams may terminate 10-day contracts before they run to term, and that happened on multiple occasions last season, such as when the Sixers ended their 10-day contract with Tim Frazier a day early so they could claim Thomas Robinson off waivers. Players who see their 10-day contracts end early don’t go on waivers, so they become free agents immediately. Still, those players receive their full 10-day salaries, as the contracts are fully guaranteed for the 10 days.

Teams like the Rockets and Nets, who are perilously close to the hard cap and luxury tax threshold, respectively, may be wary of bringing anybody aboard via 10-day contract. Other teams may make liberal use of 10-day deals, in part because they’re relatively inexpensive. The Clippers, who paid the luxury tax and narrowly ducked their hard cap, handed out seven 10-day contracts last season, more than all but two other teams.

Usually, teams only have one player on a 10-day contract at a time, though they’re allowed to carry as many 10-day contracts as they have players on the inactive list. If a team has 13 players on the active list, it can carry one more 10-day contract than the number of inactive players it has, meaning that if a team has a full 15-man roster, as many as three of those players may be on 10-day deals.

Veterans whom NBA teams have recently released, like Tony Wroten, Russ Smith and Phil Pressey, figure to draw consideration for 10-day contracts, as should notable players who’ve gone unsigned this season, like Carlos Boozer and Glen Davis. D-League standouts like Elliot Williams, Sean Kilpatrick and Jimmer Fredette could all find paths to the NBA via 10-day contracts, and hopefuls from the D-League will make their cases to scouts at the five-day D-League showcase, which runs this week from Wednesday through Sunday.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Versions of this post were initially published on January 5th, 2013, January 4th, 2014 and January 5th, 2015.

Trade Candidate: Jahlil Okafor

January 2nd, 2016 at 11:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

For much of the 2014/15 campaign, many pegged Jahlil Okafor as the top prospect for the 2015 draft. His footwork, ball-handling skills and overall fundamentals enraptured scouts and fans alike. Yet after two months of NBA action and several off–court incidents, questions remain about whether the big man can become a franchise cornerstone.

January 2, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) controls the ball against Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports Images

Part of the issue is the fit in Philadelphia. Okafor has no future in the league playing any position besides the five spot, something that’s even more true with the small-ball trend taking over the league. The problem, at least on the court, lies in the personnel around him. Nerlens Noel is clearly a center despite playing over half of his minutes at the four spot. Joel Embiid showcased some outside shooting during his time in college, but there is little evidence that he can play any position beside the five at the NBA level. Whenever the Sixers get out of the rebuilding industry and start looking to field a competitive team, they’ll have some decisions to make, as there is just no room at the inn for all these big men.

Making a trade will be the logical option at some point and maximizing value has been a constant during the Sam Hinkie administration. The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday just months after he appeared in his first All-Star Game, and they dealt Michael Carter-Williams when he was the reigning Rookie of the Year. Okafor’s trade value has probably taken a hit since he came into the league, but young big men with his kind of talent don’t become available very often, and if the Sixers dangle him in trade discussions, they should be able to fetch an excellent return.

Earlier in the season, John Smallwood of The Daily News wondered if the Sixers should consider a trade for Derrick Rose. Franchise-altering stars rarely become available, and although Rose hasn’t consistently played at an MVP level since injuring his knees, this is the type of move the Sixers should be making if they’re going to claim a strategy of championship-or-bust. Smallwood suggested the team offer the Lakers’ pick, which was acquired in the MCW trade, and one other late first-round pick for Rose. That Lakers pick is one of the league’s best trade assets, given Los Angeles’ struggles, and it may not make sense to give that up for the gamble that Rose has become. A deal centered around Okafor and Rose would be better for Philadelphia, and it would make sense for Chicago.

The Bulls have an anemic offense and the team chemistry has been shaky to say the least. With Jimmy Butler‘s emergence as a No. 1 option, the Bulls may be better off retooling around their star wing. Chicago has reportedly made Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah available in search of an upgrade on the wing opposite to Butler. Finding value for Noah would be tricky, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors noted in Noah’s trade candidate piece, and trading Gibson would likely net a greater return, but it carries the risk of turning a position of strength into one of weakness if Noah and Pau Gasol depart after the season. In addition to adding a young pillar who could help carry the team offensively, the acquisition of Okafor would allow Chicago to explore the trade market for another perimeter player.

Philadelphia would have to include other players in order to have the financial ability to acquire Rose, as Okafor is making roughly $4.58MM this season and the Sixers currently sit nearly $10MM under the salary cap. They could toss Carl Landry with his $6.5MM salary and Isaiah Canaan, who is making slightly over $947K, into a package with Okafor and they would have a successful trade from a salary matching standpoint. Both sides would likely argue that the other should attach an asset to make a deal happen, but I’d speculate that Chicago would ultimately have to pony up a little more value, such as a protected first-round pick, to get a deal done because of the size of Rose’s deal.

His contract, which has slightly over $41.4MM remaining on it and includes a 15% trade kicker, makes acquiring him a deterrent for nearly every franchise. Yet Philadelphia is built a little differently than the typical NBA team. Acquiring Rose and his massive contract wouldn’t carry the same opportunity cost for Philadelphia as it would for the other 28 franchises to do the same. As noted above, The Sixers are nearly $10MM under the cap this season and the team has only slightly more than $25.5MM in guaranteed salary on the books against a projected $89MM salary for the 2016/17 season, as our Salary Cap Projection page indicates. Philadelphia hasn’t spent all of its cap space in any season during the Sam Hinkie era and there have been rumors that agents would steer their clients away from signing in Philly once they were ready spend. The presence of Jerry Colangelo might bring change to that, but the team can’t reasonably believe a true star is going to arrive via free agency yet.

Rose, who has missed the last few games because of his hamstring injury, hasn’t resembled anything close to a franchise player this season, averaging just 14.4 points, 5.1 assist and 0.6 steals per game, while shooting 38.6% from the field, including an icy 24.6% from behind the arc. The Memphis product has suffered numerous injuries over the last calendar year, including a torn right knee meniscus and a sprained left ankle. His preseason orbital fracture led him to spend two weeks in a dark room doing almost nothing, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Having that type of facial injury has to alter your mental psyche on the court, and the Sixers would give Rose an environment this season where he could simply work on his game, similar to an elongated D-League stint. This is a perfect buy-low opportunity for the franchise and it’s also a winning situation for Rose. The former No.1 overall pick could benefit from running a Mike D’Antoni offense, which has historically been favorable to point guards, and set himself up for another lucrative payday at the end of the 2016/17 season.

Picture a healthy — both mentally from a basketball standpoint and physically — Rose running the break during the 2016/17 season with Noel and Jerami Grant galloping alongside him. Nik Stauskas is sprinting down the sideline, spacing the floor and taking attention away from Rose, while Robert Covington is trailing the play, staying ready for the spot-up 3-pointer in transition. Picture Embiid, hopefully standing on two healthy feet, cheering on the team near the bench as he gets ready to headline a respectable second unit that includes Dario Saric, Ish Smith and Richaun Holmes. Add in a likely top-three overall pick in the 2016 draft, as well as a few other rookies, and you can see a team with an identity and a future.

This scenario may be a pipe dream, but if the point guard’s game can resemble anything close to an All-Star’s again, trading Okafor for him would put Philadelphia back on the NBA map. If Rose suffers a setback or simply remains ineffective, the Sixers are right where they are now — in a position to tank. The difference would be that they took a high-ceiling risk that involved the acquisition of a possible game-changing star to arrive at the same point, and that would be a path to the lottery that other team owners can’t gripe about.

Hoops Rumors On Social Media/RSS

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

We’re into the 2016 part of the 2015/16 season now, and the league is poised for player movement. Thursday is the final day that teams can waive players with non-guaranteed salaries without them becoming fully guaranteed, and six weeks from that day is the February 18th trade deadline. Hoops Rumors gives you a handful of ways you can keep tabs on the latest news and rumors as all the stories unfold.

We have a Google Plus account that you can follow for headlines and links to all of our posts. You can also Like us on Facebook and see our content through your account there. Follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to you. Our RSS feed is located here if you’d like to follow us using your reader of choice.

If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.

And, as always, the easiest way to stay up to date on the go is with our free Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android. You can set up notifications and set up custom filters to tailor the news to your favorite teams and players, so go download it!

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