The highlight of the Rockets’ offseason occurred before the new league year and free agent period even began. Chris Paul had been on track all year to be one of the top free agents available this summer, but when he committed to opting into the final year of his current contract, he pushed his free agency back by a year and gave the Rockets the opportunity to trade for him before July 1.
Houston sacrificed a ton of depth in the Paul trade, which saw players like Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, and Montrezl Harrell head to the Clippers, and there may be some growing pains for the Rockets as Paul and James Harden figure out how best to share the ball.
Still, there’s plenty of reason for optimism in Houston — in addition to adding an All-Star point guard, the Rockets also re-signed Nene and brought aboard of pair of strong perimeter defenders in free agency, signing P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute.
The Rockets had a 55-27 record in 2016/17, and oddsmakers expect the team to finish right in that neighborhood again. Offshore betting site Bovada has placed Houston’s over/under for the 2017/18 season at 55.5 wins.
What do you think? Will the addition of CP3 give the Rockets the boost they need to improve upon last year’s record? Or will the loss of some role players and the adjustment period for the new-look roster result in a slight decline during the coming regular season? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
Even before the Celtics finally completed their acquisition of Kyrie Irving late on Wednesday night, it had been an eventful offseason for Danny Ainge and the C’s, who traded the first overall pick in June and then signed one of the summer’s top free agents in July. A year after finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 53-29 record, Boston appears to have an even more talented roster, but the club will be lacking continuity after a busy summer.
Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum are the big-name acquisitions in Boston, but there are changes up and down the roster, with only four returning players (Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier). Head coach Brad Stevens will have his work cut out for him as he looks to incorporate 11 new players into the mix to start the 2017/18 season.
Despite all the turnover on the roster, offshore betting site Bovada.lv is bullish on the Celtics’ chances to once again claim the No. 1 seed in the East in 2017/18. Bovada has placed Boston’s over/under at 55.5 wins, the top projection in the Eastern Conference.
What do you think? Can the Celtics win 56 games or more, or will the team experience some growing pains as all the new players adjust to Stevens’ system and to one another? Vote below in our poll, then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
Heading into the 2016/17 season, Las Vegas sportsbooks set the over/under for the Warriors’ win total at 66.5. Even for a team coming off a record-breaking 73-9 campaign, that looked like an incredibly high bar to clear. But the Warriors did clear it, posting a 67-15 regular season record before going 16-1 in the postseason.
A year later, expectations in Vegas are even higher for the Warriors. As Ben Fawkes of ESPN.com details, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unveiled its over/under figures for all 30 NBA teams, and Golden State leads the way at an incredible 67.5 wins.
It’s a staggering number, and one that would become nearly impossible to achieve if one or two of the Warriors’ key players goes down with an injury. Still, given what we’ve seen from the team over the last two years, it makes sense — particularly since the general consensus is that Golden State had one of the most successful summers of any NBA team.
The Warriors didn’t lose any core players from last year’s championship roster, with Ian Clark, Matt Barnes, and James Michael McAdoo the only notable departures. To fill the openings on the roster, the Dubs went out and landed Nick Young and Omri Casspi, who may end up being upgrades.
What do you think? Can this year’s version of the Warriors beat their over-under odds again and win 68 or more games? Or would you bet the under on 67.5? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your two cents.
As he does every summer, NBA.com’s John Schuhmann spoke to a number of incoming NBA players this offseason, asking them to assess their fellow rookies. Schuhmann had nearly 40 first-year players predict which rookie will have the best overall career and which player was the biggest draft steal, among other topics.
Of course, one key question Schuhmann asked was about the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2017/18 season, and those voting results were interesting. As we detailed on Tuesday, ninth overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. of the Mavericks was the top pick among his fellow rookies, receiving 25.7% of the vote. Lonzo Ball (Lakers) was second at 20%, with No. 1 overall selection Markelle Fultz (Sixers) coming in third at 17.1%.
While Ball and Fultz placing among the top three choices was predictable, there are plenty of surprises in that group, including a handful of late first-round picks or second-round selections getting votes. Additionally, top-five picks like Fox, Jackson, and Tatum received just one vote each. That doesn’t mean that those players aren’t expected to have successful careers (Tatum tied for the most votes for best career), but their fellow rookies don’t necessarily expect them to have a significant impact immediately.
Over at betting website Bovada, their odds for Rookie of the Year are somewhat in step with the players’ predictions. Ball is viewed as a slight frontrunner over Smith, With Simmons and Tatum tied for third, followed by Fultz, Fox, Monk, Jackson, and players like Jonathan Isaac, Justin Jackson, and Lauri Markkanen, who didn’t receive votes in Schuhmann’s rookie poll.
While oddsmakers sometimes misfire, they should perhaps be more trusted than Schuhmann’s respondents, who haven’t correctly predicted the Rookie of the Year since Kevin Durant won the award back in 2007/08.
What do you think? Who do you expect to see take home the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award next spring? Place your vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts — especially if your choice isn’t one of the options in our poll.
For the last month, two stories have consistently remained at the top of the NBA news cycle: When and where will Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony be traded? One of those two lingering offseason questions was answered earlier this week when the Cavaliers granted Irving’s trade request by sending him to Boston. However, there has still been no resolution for the other All-Star on the trade block.
Unlike Irving, who could have been dealt to any of the NBA’s 29 other teams, Anthony has a no-trade clause that allows him to block a move to any club. He has taken full advantage of that clause in his contract, having reportedly expressed a preference to go to Houston. However, trade talks between the Knicks and Rockets are “fairly dormant” — the two teams are at something of impasse, having been unable to find a third or fourth club to help facilitate a deal.
Earlier in the offseason, reports indicated that Anthony would also be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Cavaliers, but that changed at some point. With the Irving situation resolved and Cleveland having secured a strong return for the star point guard, would Anthony reconsider his stance? There’s speculation that could be the case, though nothing concrete has been reported yet. And even if Anthony is on board, the Cavs could face the same challenges the Rockets have as they try to find a trade package the Knicks would accept.
Within his latest report on the Rockets and Knicks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that the two sides are preparing for the possibility that Anthony will open training camp as a Knick. That likely won’t thrill the veteran forward, but it makes sense for the Knicks to remain patient if they’ve only received low-ball offers to date. If Carmelo gets frustrated by the lack of movement on the trade front, perhaps he’d be willing to expand his list of preferred landing spots, which could help New York find a more viable offer.
What do you think? By the time opening night rolls around in mid-October, will Anthony still be a Knick? Will he end up being traded to Houston or Cleveland, or will he eventually give the Knicks the go-ahead to send him somewhere else? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
After a month of Kyrie Irving rumors, the Cavaliers and Celtics struck a mega-deal on Tuesday that sent the All-Star point guard to Boston in exchange for a package headlined by another All-Star point guard. In exchange for Irving, the Cavaliers received Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick (unprotected).
While there was plenty of speculation about the Celtics being a fit for Irving, it’s still a stunning deal — multiple All-Stars aren’t often included in the same trade, and the two top teams in a conference are often reluctant to deal with one another. So which side came out on top in the swap? Let’s break down the argument for each side…
For the Cavaliers:
After teams received somewhat underwhelming returns for stars like DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler, and Paul George in recent months, there was some skepticism that the Cavs would be able to land an appealing package for Irving. Cleveland had wanted a return that would allow the team to stay competitive in the short term while building for the long term, but it appeared that the Cavs might have to compromise that stance.
That wasn’t the case, however. Thomas was one of the NBA’s leading scorers in 2016/17, and could potentially replicate Irving’s production if he’s healthy. Crowder, meanwhile, is a talented two-way player on an extremely affordable contract. He’s exactly the sort of player the Cavs will need to match up with the Warriors and Kevin Durant, and he’ll only cost Cleveland about $7MM per season for the next three years.
Zizic is a wild card, and while his Summer League performance showed that he may not be ready for a major role quite yet, there was plenty of enthusiasm for his long-term potential based on his play overseas last season. Finally, the Cavaliers also secured Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick. The Nets shouldn’t be quite as bad in 2017/18 as they were last year, but that pick still has a good chance to be a top-five choice, allowing the Cavs to land a young player with star potential.
Throw in the fact that the Cavs generated a modest trade exception (worth about $5.8MM) in the deal and slashed their projected tax bill by nearly $30MM, and that’s a pretty impressive return for a player who wanted out of Cleveland.
For the Celtics:
While the Celtics sacrificed some depth and future assets in the Irving blockbuster, the ability to go from Thomas to Irving is an upgrade in many ways, even if the two players posted similar numbers a year ago. Irving is three years younger than Thomas, making him a better candidate for a long-term, maximum salary contract.
Irving is also under team control on his current deal for at least one extra year (he can opt out in 2019), and is currently healthy, unlike Thomas, who is recovering from a hip ailment. Danny Ainge indicated in his remarks last night that Thomas’ hip injury was a concern for the C’s heading into training camp.
Losing Crowder, a reliable and affordable three-and-D wing, isn’t ideal for the Celtics, but the team added Gordon Hayward in free agency and has youngsters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum poised to play larger roles — depth at the small forward position shouldn’t be an issue.
Boston likely would have preferred to keep Zizic as well, but he has yet to play a single NBA minute and his long-term outlook remains hazy. In recent years, the C’s have had to move on from a handful of young players that didn’t pan out, including R.J. Hunter, Jordan Mickey, Demetrius Jackson, and James Young — perhaps moving Zizic while he’s still considered a strong prospect will end up paying off.
The Celtics also parted with the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, meaning Boston fans will no longer have to closely monitor Brooklyn’s position in the standings all season. It’s possible that first-rounder will turn into a future star, but the Celtics have three more first-round picks coming their way in the next two years – in addition to their own selections – and if the Nets take a step forward this season, that pick could end up being good, but not great.
Having traded three guaranteed contracts for one, the Celtics now have an open spot on their 15-man roster, which could come in handy later in the year — perhaps Boston looks to bring back Tony Allen to help replace Crowder’s defense? Even if they go in another direction, the C’s gained some added flexibility by opening up that roster spot.
What do you think? Did one side clearly come out on top in this trade, or did both teams do well? Or would you argue that this swap wasn’t ideal for either club? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
Although the Suns weren’t one of the teams named on Kyrie Irving‘s alleged list of preferred landing spots when he made his trade request earlier this offseason, Phoenix has been frequently mentioned as a possible trade partner for the Cavaliers. The Suns possess a win-now veteran (Eric Bledsoe), a young potential star (Josh Jackson), extra future draft picks, and an ability to absorb an extra contract or two, making them a good fit for the Cavs.
Still, the two sides haven’t found common ground yet, and Jackson – this year’s No. 4 overall pick – appears to be a point of contention. Last month, reports indicated that the Suns were unwilling to include Jackson in an offer for Irving, telling the rookie forward that he wouldn’t be going anywhere. The team reportedly prefers to include last year’s fourth overall pick Dragan Bender.
Jackson has been cited as a primary target for the Cavaliers as they explore their options with Irving. LeBron James himself reportedly asked about Cleveland’s chances of landing Jackson, who was named this week as one of several young players the Cavs were focused on — Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, and Jamal Murray were among the others.
If the Suns were willing to include Jackson, a package of the rookie and Bledsoe would be a starting point, though previous reports have indicated Phoenix would need to give up a little more too — perhaps in the form of a draft pick or taking back a player like Channing Frye or Iman Shumpert.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer took a closer look at the situation on Tuesday, making cases for why the Suns should and shouldn’t be willing to put Jackson into an offer for Irving. Ultimately, O’Connor’s “bad cop” – who argued for including Jackson – won out, with The Ringer scribe suggesting that an unproven rookie with some question marks shouldn’t be a sticking point in a deal for a legit star.
What do you think? Are the Suns overvaluing Jackson, or are they right to refuse to include him in an offer for Irving? Does it make sense for Phoenix to hope that the Cavs will accept other players in Jackson’s place, and to move on if that bid falls short?
Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
Earlier this week, ESPN had a panel of 44 experts pick the Eastern and Western Conference winners for the 2017/18 season, along with the eventual NBA champion. The results were familiar and unsurprising — ESPN projects the Cavaliers and the Warriors to meet in the NBA Finals for a fourth consecutive season, with Golden State winning its third title in four years.
While it’s possible a contender like the Celtics, Spurs, or Rockets will upend the established order, there may be more potential for a crowded field and a dramatic race at the other end of the standings. ESPN also published its first 2018 mock draft this week, which included teams picking in specific positions based on projections for 2017/18 records.
ESPN has the Bulls picking at No. 1, followed by the Celtics (via Nets), Hawks, Suns, Kings, Magic, and Knicks, suggesting those are the teams expected to finish at the bottom of the NBA’s standings this season. A few of those clubs were cellar-dwellers last season as well, but ESPN anticipates teams like the Sixers, Lakers, and Timberwolves will improve and get out of that group, while teams like the Bulls and Hawks are expected to drop off significantly after making the playoffs last season.
It’s not hard to see where those predictions come from — Chicago and Atlanta both lost All-Stars and began rebuilding this offseason, while Minnesota acquired one of those All-Stars (Jimmy Butler) and Philadelphia and L.A. fortified their respective rosters in both the draft and free agency. As for Brooklyn, Phoenix, Sacramento, Orlando, and New York, none of those clubs made the sort of summer splash that would necessarily result in a major jump in the standings.
What do you think? Do you expect one of those clubs to be the NBA’s worst team in 2017/18, or is there another team you believe will end up in the league’s basement? Vote below in our poll, then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
Over the last eight days, we’ve presented a series of polls asking Hoops Rumors readers which team in each division has had the best offseason. Starting with the Atlantic last Thursday and running through the Pacific yesterday, we’ve covered all six divisions.
In some cases, the results of those polls have revealed that a particular division didn’t do well as a whole this summer. For instance, voting in the Central has placed the Bucks in first, despite the fact that Milwaukee has essentially stood pat after having conducted an unusual search for a new GM that saw the team’s co-owners on different pages. While the Bucks’ offseason was underwhelming, it wasn’t viewed as a net negative, like the Pacers‘, Bulls‘, and Cavaliers‘ summers.
Other divisions fell on the other end of the spectrum, with multiple teams worthy of consideration after a successful summer. In the Northwest, for example, the Thunder have received less than 18% of the vote despite acquiring Paul George. But that’s only because the Timberwolves‘ offseason was considered even stronger, picking up more than 72% of the votes.
In today’s poll, we’re asking which team had the best offseason overall. While the options listed here are mostly based on your top picks in those divisional polls, I’ve also used my discretion to include some runners-up and to eliminate a poll winner in the Bucks, who probably don’t belong in the league-wide conversation for the best offseason.
What do you think? Which NBA team has had the best offseason so far? Vote below and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts. Is your pick not on our list? Let us know!
It almost seems unfair that a team with a 67-15 record in the regular season and a 16-1 postseason mark could subsequently have one of the NBA’s offseasons too, but Golden State may have achieved that feat.
While Golden State’s summer moves were impressive, some of their division rivals had very strong summers too. The Lakers, led by a new-look front office, drafted a potential franchise point guard in Lonzo Ball, dumped Timofey Mozgov‘s mega-contract, and improbably landed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.
Meanwhile, the Kings – like the Lakers – certainly won’t challenge Golden State for Pacific supremacy right away, but Sacramento’s offseason’s moves featured an impressive mix of roster additions. Not only did the Kings sign a few veterans – George Hill, Zach Randolph, and Vince Carter – but the team also added several youngsters with big upside, including De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles, and Frank Mason.
The Clippers suffered the biggest single-player loss of any Pacific team as Chris Paul headed to Houston, but L.A. recovered nicely to retool its roster. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, and multiple young big men arrived in the CP3 trade, and the Clips managed to add potential starters like Danilo Gallinari and Euroleague star Milos Teodosic in free agency. The team also re-signed Blake Griffin when many NBA observers expected him to explore other options.
One of those teams that may have been eyeing Griffin was the Suns, but Phoenix ultimately opted to lay low and be patient with its rebuild rather than pursuing a top free agent. That made for a quiet summer, but it’s probably the right long-term move, and it’s not as if the Suns were totally inactive. The club landed one of the top players on its draft board in Josh Jackson and re-signed free agent big man Alan Williams to a team-friendly three-year deal.
What do you think? Which Pacific team has had the best offseason so far? Weigh in below with your vote and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.