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Battle For Roster Spots: Atlantic Division

October 16th, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Hoops Rumors will be taking a team-by-team look at the battles for regular season roster spots going on around the NBA this month, the last before rosters shrink from the offseason limit of 20 to the 15-man regular season maximum. We’ve already checked out the Northwest, Pacific, Southwest and Central division franchises, and now we’ll look at the Atlantic:

KNICKS

13 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Cleanthony Early — $845,059)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: Galloway, who started half of New York’s regular season games last year and is leading the team in preseason minutes per game, would appear to have a tight grip on a regular season spot, so the preseason seems to be a matter of five players battling for one job. Antetokounmpo is a slight favorite, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, who nonetheless suggests that his paltry two minutes of play in the preseason so far doesn’t bode well for his chances. Still, none of the other Knicks without full guarantees, save for Galloway, have seen more than three minutes total in the preseason, so it’s tough to judge the competition based on that.

NETS

13 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Markel Brown — $845,059)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: No one who’s seen action in the preseason for the Nets so far has played fewer minutes than Reed, who suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb in his lone preseason appearance Wednesday, necessitating surgery, the team announced. It’s a six-to-eight week timeframe for his recovery, the team revealed today via press release. Reed has the team’s largest partial guarantee, and it covers about half of his full season’s salary. Since Reed won’t be out too long, the Nets can cut him without risking more than the $500K he already has coming if they want to. Aside from the concern over Reed, Brooklyn only has two point guards with fully guaranteed deals, suggesting that Sloan and Boatright are going head-to-head for a job on opening night, but power forward Justin Harper has seen more playing time than either of them this month.

CELTICS

16 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: James Young — $1,749,840; Jordan Mickey and R.J. Hunter have smaller salaries for this season, but their contracts include guarantees for 2016/17, too.)

Non-guaranteed players

  • Coty Clarke
  • Malcolm Miller — $25K partial guarantee
  • Levi Randolph — $25K partial guarantee
  • Corey Walden — $25K partial guarantee

Analysis: The Celtics are one of just two NBA teams with more fully guaranteed contracts than regular season roster spots, so they’re under pressure to either swing a trade or eat a significant chunk of money. Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe speculated to us recently that Jones is probably the most likely of the 16 with fully guaranteed contracts to hit waivers between now and opening night. Jones, due more than $2.038MM in the final season of his rookie contract, missed some time this month to deal with a death in the family and has scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in a scant 17 total minutes spread over two preseason appearances so far. His status as a player on an expiring contract might work against him, since even though four Celtics have cheaper guarantees, three of them are players the Celtics just drafted this June and all four have contracts that carry beyond this season. Young is only guaranteed a salary for this season, but the C’s have a team option on him for 2016/17.

SIXERS

12 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Pierre Jackson — $750,000)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: The Sixers roster is a jumble, though that’s nothing new. Still, a few clues exist. Covington is far more likely to end up in the starting lineup than on the waiver wire, and Thompson probably falls in that category, too. Both are among the top four Sixers in minutes per game during the preseason. Injuries to guards Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten complicate the picture for a team already short at the point, so that bodes well for McConnell, an undrafted rookie who’s averaging 20.3 MPG so far, as well as Jackson, who has the smallest full guarantee. McRae, Sampson, Wilbekin and Wood are all averaging double-figure minutes, but Tokoto has only received 5.3 MPG across two appearances.

RAPTORS

15 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Anthony Bennett — $947,276; Norman Powell has a smaller salary for this season, but his salary for next season is guaranteed, too.)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: The Bennett signing took any real suspense out of the competition for the regular season roster in Toronto. He’s the only player with a full guarantee who wouldn’t cost the Raptors either two fully guaranteed seasons or at least $2.5MM to waive, and he’s almost certainly not going anywhere. The partial guarantees for Kyser, Roberts, Scott and Toupane appear to be enticements for them to sign with the new one-to-one D-League affiliate of the Raptors following end-of-preseason cuts.

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

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The Beat: Vince Ellis On The Pistons

October 16th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron
Vince Ellis

Vince Ellis

Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.

We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune about the Timberwolves. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Pistons from Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. You can follow Vince on Twitter at @Vincent_Ellis56, and check out his stories right here.

Hoops Rumors: Where do the Pistons and Andre Drummond stand as the deadline for an extension approaches?

Vince Ellis: Stan Van Gundy told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday night that they would have something soon, but he didn’t specify details. I’ve heard that it’s something the Pistons are still working through. Remember this isn’t a negotiation in a traditional sense. Drummond will eventually sign a five-year, $120MM contract extension off his rookie deal. It’s just a matter of when he signs it. If he signs it next offseason, the Pistons will have roughly $12MM more in cap space to chase free agents or facilitate trades — although with the rising cap it’s debatable how much that extra space would help the Pistons. But Drummond has to feel comfortable knowing that if he doesn’t sign now — he will still get the deal if for some reason things don’t go well this year. But the Pistons may decide to just do the deal to give Drummond peace of mind.

Hoops Rumors: Last week, you reported that the Pistons are keeping an eye on the relationship between Markieff Morris and the Suns. However, the Pistons traded for a starting stretch four in June when they acquired Ersan Ilyasova. Why do you think the Pistons are interested in Morris?

Vince Ellis: Simple, they think he is a good player. Grantland had a recent piece on the value of the assist and continued telling us the foolishness of the midrange jump shot. The article points out that Markieff is one of the guys who actually can do work from midrange area. Guys with a heat map that covers the three-point circle are valuable. Also he is locked up for four more years at $8MM per. With the escalating salaries the contract is a bargain. The Pistons will have competition IF the Suns decide to make a move.

Hoops Rumors: What does Reggie Jackson have to do on the court to make a convincing case that he’s truly worthy of the five-year, $80MM deal he signed this summer?

Vince Ellis: After a subpar game in the first preseason game, Jackson has been more than solid, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range in the next three games. If he can have those numbers be 45% and 35% in the regular season, you have a guy living up to his contract – at least by today’s standards when a lot of guys have got eye-opening numbers.

Hoops Rumors: Van Gundy seemed to make backup big men a priority, committing $9MM in combined salaries this season to Aron Baynes and Joel Anthony. Why do you think he found it so important to pour resources into that part of the roster?

Vince Ellis: I’m assuming you are referring to why he did this when the trend is small ball. I really don’t think $9MM is that much of a $70MM payroll. They have four guys (Ersan Ilyasova, Marcus Morris, Anthony Tolliver and human utility belt Stanley Johnson) more than capable of playing the stretch-four position. Van Gundy is stressing the need to play all styles. There are good teams with traditional starting fives (San Antonio, Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies). It’s simply a matter of wanting to match up against those teams.

Hoops Rumors: The Pistons have 17 fully guaranteed salaries and 15 regular season roster spots to go around. How do you think the Pistons resolve this logjam? Who is most likely to go?

Vince Ellis: Getting rid of two — Danny Granger and Cartier Martin — will probably be easy. There were indications Granger would be waived or traded as soon as he was acquired from the Suns. Health is an issue and he has been allowed to stay away from the team during camp to rehab. Martin was a disappointment in his first season with the Pistons and an issue with his right hand has prevented him from getting time during the preseason. The last roster spot appears to come down to Reggie Bullock and camp invite Adonis Thomas. But Bullock has been a revelation and Thomas has been hampered by a sore Achilles.

Hoops Rumors: What do you think Van Gundy learned in his first season balancing the duties of both coach and executive that he can take into this season?

Vince Ellis: Really hard to compare the two. He took over in May and spent the summer on the sidelines for the most part except for a couple of free agent signings because he didn’t feel comfortable making major personnel decisions without the apparatus in place. But he was stunning the NBA by Christmas with the waiving of Josh Smith and wound up moving to get Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline. I think most of the lessons he will take into this season will come at the coaching end. He was probably caught off guard with just how much teams have come to rely on the three-point shot. He is adjusting his defense there and also on how the team guards the pick-and-roll.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 10/15/15

October 15th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Last year’s NBA All-Star game saw six players earn themselves an invite for the first time, and for many of these players, it won’t be their last appearance at the annual showcase. While the league has averaged approximately five first-time All-Stars per year since 2005, the 2013 and 2014 events saw a combined 13 first-time All-Stars join the ranks of the elite. The 2014 first-timers were DeMar DeRozan, Paul Millsap, and John Wall in the East, and Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, and Damian Lillard out West. While being named as an All-Star starter is occasionally based more on a player’s popularity than actual on-court production, it’s difficult to argue against any of last season’s rookie All-Stars making the cut.

This brings me to the topic/question for today: Who will earn their first NBA All-Star game invitation this season?

Which player(s) do you predict will take the next step this season and emerge as an All-Star? Or are you on the other side of the fence, and believe that there won’t be any new additions to the All-Star rosters of either Conference? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

October 15th, 2015 at 10:15pm 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 Saturday.

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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Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 10)

October 15th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA preseason has officially begun, and teams are now in the process of paring down their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.

We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the 10th best overall record. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.

Previous Selections:

  • No. 30: 76ers
  • No. 29: Knicks
  • No. 28: Nuggets
  • No. 27: Lakers
  • No. 26: Nets
  • No. 25: Timberwolves
  • No. 24: Trail Blazers
  • No. 23: Magic
  • No. 22: Pistons
  • No. 21: Kings
  • No. 20: Hornets
  • No. 19: Jazz
  • No. 18: Suns
  • No. 17: Celtics
  • No. 16: Pacers
  • No. 15: Mavericks
  • No. 14 Bucks
  • No. 13: Pelicans
  • No. 12: Raptors
  • No. 11: Heat
The No. 10 Ranked Team For the 2015/16 Season Is...
Wizards 54.07% (186 votes)
Hawks 18.31% (63 votes)
Bulls 9.88% (34 votes)
Grizzlies 7.27% (25 votes)
Warriors 2.03% (7 votes)
Rockets 2.03% (7 votes)
Clippers 2.03% (7 votes)
Thunder 2.03% (7 votes)
Cavaliers 1.45% (5 votes)
Spurs 0.87% (3 votes)
Total Votes: 344

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 10/14/15

October 14th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons is entering the second year of the three-year, $46.08MM deal that he signed with Dallas back in July of 2013. The upcoming campaign is a pivotal one for the 26-year-old who can opt out of his contract after this season and become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his professional career. Parsons’ first year in Dallas was marred by injury, as well as the team failing to live up to expectations in the wake of acquiring point guard Rajon Rondo from Boston back in December.

Parsons appeared in 66 contests for Dallas during the 2014/15 season, averaging 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. While those numbers aren’t terrible, they don’t quite measure up to the expectations that go along with the $15MM+ annual salary that Parsons receives, an amount that is more befitting a star player than the supporting role that Parsons has played thus far since arriving in Dallas.

This brings me to the question/topic of the day: Will Chandler Parsons’ performance ever live up to his contract, or will he be looked at as a mistake once his current deal runs its course?

It can certainly be argued that Parsons’ performance last season was impacted by switching teams and cities, though I was never a fan of the deal in the first place. I have always felt that Dallas overpaid for Parsons in an effort to damage the rival Rockets, and that his contract would hamper the Mavs’ efforts to rebuild. He has shown himself to be a valuable player, though I don’t ever see him evolving past his current ability level and production, which certainly would not justify Dallas’ expenditure for Parsons’ services … especially if he opts in for the 2016/17 campaign.

But what do you think? Do you believe that Parsons will live up to his contract, or are you dissatisfied with the return the Mavs franchise has received thus far, and remain pessimistic that Parsons will do much to improve? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 11)

October 14th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA preseason has officially begun, and teams are now in the process of paring down their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.

We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the 11th best overall record. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.

Previous Selections:

  • No. 30: 76ers
  • No. 29: Knicks
  • No. 28: Nuggets
  • No. 27: Lakers
  • No. 26: Nets
  • No. 25: Timberwolves
  • No. 24: Trail Blazers
  • No. 23: Magic
  • No. 22: Pistons
  • No. 21: Kings
  • No. 20: Hornets
  • No. 19: Jazz
  • No. 18: Suns
  • No. 17: Celtics
  • No. 16: Pacers
  • No. 15: Mavericks
  • No. 14 Bucks
  • No. 13: Pelicans
  • No. 12: Raptors
The No. 11 Ranked Team For the 2015/16 Season Is...
Heat 40.05% (155 votes)
Wizards 32.82% (127 votes)
Hawks 11.11% (43 votes)
Bulls 7.24% (28 votes)
Grizzlies 3.36% (13 votes)
Rockets 1.29% (5 votes)
Clippers 1.29% (5 votes)
Cavaliers 1.03% (4 votes)
Warriors 0.78% (3 votes)
Thunder 0.78% (3 votes)
Spurs 0.26% (1 votes)
Total Votes: 387

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.

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Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript

October 14th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:02pm: We hosted the weekly live chat.

3:00pm: The preseason is at roughly the midway point, and much remains unresolved as teams evaluate end-of-the-bench options. The Pelicans, with Anthony Davis ensconced at power forward, are scrambling to find a center, but it doesn’t seem they’re in the market for Larry Sanders, in whom the Mavs reportedly maintain a level of interest. The Pistons are less than two weeks away from having to waive at least a pair of players with fully guaranteed salaries unless they can find a trade taker. Plus, conflicting reports exist about whether the Knicks were in talks with Lamar Odom about a potential comeback before Odom’s health took a turn for the worse.

We can talk about all that and more in today’s chat, so click here to join!

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Battle For Roster Spots: Central Division

October 14th, 2015 at 1:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

Hoops Rumors will be taking a team-by-team look at the battles for regular season roster spots going on around the NBA this month, the last before rosters shrink from the offseason limit of 20 to the 15-man regular season maximum. We’ve already checked out the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest division franchises, and now we’ll look at the Central Division:

BUCKS

15 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Johnny O’Bryant — $845,059)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: It would seem as though the opening night roster for the Bucks is set, though Gutierrez, a holdover point guard from last season, conceivably poses a threat to some degree and is averaging an assist-to-turnover ratio of better than three-to-one in the small sample size of the preseason so far. O’Bryant, who has the team’s cheapest full guarantee, is averaging 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game in preseason action, not overwhelming stats but not numbers that would suggest his job is in jeopardy. The fully guaranteed salary of Damien Inglis isn’t much greater than Bryant’s, but he’s only a year removed from having been the top pick of the second round and an injury kept him out all of last season, so the Bucks have yet to see what the small forward can do.

BULLS

13 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: E’Twaun Moore — $1,015,421)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: The Bulls have traditionally carried only 13 players on opening night, the league minimum, though last season was the first since 2008/09 that they carried 14. That’s still one shy of the 15-man maximum that most teams started with, and it underscores the idea that jobs are at a premium at the end of Chicago’s bench. The team is apparently enamored with Felicio, but to stick on the roster into the regular season he’d have to overcome Bairstow’s financial advantage of a sizable partial guarantee, plus one of the fully guaranteed players, unless the team breaks with tradition and carries a full roster. Crawford has four years of NBA experience and the pedigree of having been a first-round pick on his side, but he’s only averaging 5.4 minutes per game in the preseason so far. Moore, who has the team’s cheapest full guarantee, is seeing 26.0 MPG.

CAVALIERS

13 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Joe Harris — $845,059)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: The specter of the unsigned Tristan Thompson looms over the Cavs, as do injuries to Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert. Players at the end of the bench are liable to see some meaningful playing time at the start of the regular season, depending on how quickly those key figures return to the team. Jared Cunningham is tied with J.R. Smith with a team-high 15.0 points per game in the preseason so far, and Cunningham’s 25.0 minutes per game are the most on the Cavs, so he appears to be in strong position. Christmas, who signed just this weekend, played nearly 17 minutes and scored 10 points in his debut, and every Cav who has seen action so far is averaging at least 10 MPG.

PACERS

15 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Shayne Whittington — $845,059)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: The Pacers have 15 full guarantees, but the final spot on the opening night roster appears to be in flux thanks to the partial guarantee they gave Douglas, which is almost as large as the full guarantee Shayne Whittington has. Douglas, who’s averaging 6.2 points in 13.1 minutes per game during the preseason, is putting up numbers superior to Whittington’s 2.5 PPG in 9.3 MPG. Paul George and George Hill both believe Douglas is worthy of a regular season spot, as Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star notes (Twitter links). “It’s a tough situation for our front office,” George said. “We feel Toney is the makeup of this team.” Fair, a camp invitee with the Pacers for a second year in a row, is also seeing more minutes than Whittington is, but the Pacers reportedly signed Jack with the D-League in mind.

PISTONS

17 full guarantees (Smallest full guarantee: Spencer Dinwiddie — $845,059; Darrun Hilliard has a smaller salary for this season, but part of next season’s salary is guaranteed, too.)

Non-guaranteed players

Analysis: It’s not a matter of sorting through non-guarantees and partial guarantees for the Pistons, who have a league-high 17 fully guaranteed salaries. Detroit will have to eat at least two full salaries, barring a trade. Danny Granger, who continues to nurse his way back to health, seems like the most logical cut despite the $2,170,465 owed to him. Hilliard, with $1.1MM in guaranteed money for this year and next on his contract, has seen less playing time than anyone but Bachynski so far in preseason. However, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy hinted that it’s because the team already has a strong feel for this year’s 38th overall pick, notes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, so Hilliard seems a decent bet to stick on the roster. A sprained wrist is keeping Cartier Martin, who’s due $1,270,964, from the court, but after seeing little playing time last season, he’s a candidate for the waiver wire. Reggie Bullock, with $1,252,440 coming his way, is aveaging 10.0 points in 18.0 minutes per game, and his upside works to his benefit. The same is true for Dinwiddie, a second-rounder from 2014 who’s seeing 21.2 MPG so far.

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

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 10/13/15

October 13th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

According to a report by Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, a Western Conference team has had internal discussions about the idea of signing former Bucks center Larry Sanders. It’s unknown which team is reportedly interested, or even whether Sanders desires to play again. The 26-year-old cast some doubt on the notion after his buyout deal with Milwaukee last February. Woelfel reported in April that Sanders still had no desire to return to the game, and the player had spoken in early June about his peace with life away from basketball.

The Mavericks and Clippers, as well as the Cavs, all reportedly had at least some level of interest in Sanders toward the end of last season, though all but the Mavericks appear set roster-wise for the time being. That’s not to say that the unnamed team from Woelfel’s report is indeed Dallas, though it would certainly be reasonable to speculate that the Mavericks would have some passing level of interest given the current state of their center rotation. The Mavs have a need for a clear-cut starter at center, though they do happen to have 15 fully guaranteed salaries plus a $500K partial guarantee out to JaVale McGee currently on the books. Both Tim Cato of SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com confirmed that the Mavs continue to have interest in Sanders, but noted that no talks are currently ongoing.

This bring me to the question/topic of the day: Which team, if any, would be the best fit for Larry Sanders if he were to return to the NBA this season?

A motivated and healthy Sanders could be a game-changing pickup at this point of the preseason, but adding him comes with some level of risk, and his commitment level would be a constant topic of conversation for the team. If I were a team like the Mavericks, who have an aging Dirk Nowitzki, and a clear need for an upgrade at the pivot, signing Sanders to a non-guaranteed, make-good deal would carry little risk and could possibly pay off big time.

But that’s merely my opinion, and now it’s time for you to offer up yours. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts on which team, if any, you believe could use Sanders’ particular skill set. Also, no need to stop there, go ahead and tell us why you feel that way. We look forward to what you have to say.

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