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Poll: Best Fit For Josh Smith?

December 23rd, 2014 at 7:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy pulled quite a stunner on Monday when he waived Josh Smith. Smith won’t come off waivers until Wednesday, but it’s likely that he won’t be without a team for long. Numerous franchises have reportedly expressed interest in signing Smith, including the Clippers, Rockets, Mavericks, Heat, Lakers, Grizzlies, and Kings. While Houston is currently rumored to be the favorite to obtain Smith’s services, the veteran forward is apparently in high demand despite only averaging 13.1 points on 39.1% shooting this season, with both numbers being below his career averages of 15.4 PPG and 45.6%.

The competition to ink Smith is most certainly due to the price tag he can be had for, which will be more than likely for the league-minimum salary, or not much more than that, which is all that most of the teams linked to Smith have to offer the big man. Detroit had garnered little to no interest in its efforts to deal Smith prior to its decision to release him, when his price tag would have been $13.5MM for this season, and whose contract ran for two more seasons at the same rate.

While Smith was clearly not performing up to his contract this year, which according to Hoops Rumors’ 2014/15 Salary Rankings, was good for the ninth highest cap hit amongst small forwards in the league, he’ll be a bargain at around the league-minimum for whichever franchise signs him. But which team would be the best fit for Smith?

One of the biggest issues with Smith’s production in Detroit was its insistence on trying to make him a small forward in an oversize frontcourt, a spot that Smith clearly was not suited to play. On his next team, if his coaches are wise, he’ll more than likely go back to his natural power forward position, though he can also provide some minutes at the three as well in a pinch.

Smith has been a starter for 758 of the 781 career games that he has appeared in, though this trend isn’t necessarily going to continue with his next team. Here’s a quick rundown of the starting power forwards on the teams reported to be in the hunt for Smith:

The quandaries for Smith when making the decision on which team to sign with is how to best market himself for next season and which circumstance would allow him to best rebuild his value. Does he try and chase a ring with a contending team? Or does he try to maximize his playing time, as well as have the best opportunity to put up numbers? Out of the teams listed, Smith would only be a clear upgrade as a starter for the Kings, Heat, and Lakers. Miami is the only one of those three that has a realistic shot at the playoffs, mainly because the Heat reside in the much weaker Eastern Conference, which should give Pat Riley‘s squad the edge amongst that group if Smith chooses the playing time route.

If Smith wants to join a contending team, as has been mentioned as being one of his criteria, then relocating to Texas may be his wisest decision. Smith is close friends with Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, who have each campaigned for their respective teams to ink the veteran, and joining the Rockets or the Mavs would certainly be appealing for him as a result of those relationships. Both of those franchises have realistic shots to go deep into the playoffs, but Houston would also offer Smith a much better opportunity to log significant minutes with Motiejunas currently penciled in as the starter.

So where do you think the best fit for Smith to land would be? Cast your votes and sound off below in the comments section to expand on why you believe this would be the best situation for Smith.

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Poll: Will The Mavs Win The Title With Rondo?

December 21st, 2014 at 10:55am CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier in the week, the Mavs acquired four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo and reserve forward Dwight Powell from the Celtics in exchange for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, the Mavs’ 2015 first-rounder and a 2016 second-rounder. The team was looking for improvement in order to push itself into the upper echelon in the Western Conference.

Dallas didn’t need any help on the offensive end. The Mavs were already scoring 110.1 points per game, which was best in the league. The primary reason for the trade, according to owner Mark Cuban, was to bolster the team’s defense. The point guard position was the weakest area for the Mavs, and their upgrades on defense could pay real dividends. When the playoffs come, one of Dallas’ biggest challenges will be defending All-Star point guards like Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Tony Parker. This would have been problematic for the Mavs without Rondo. By turning their biggest weakness into a perceived strength, the Mavs now stand a fighting chance.

However, there are reasons to temper expectations after the trade. Dallas gave up three role players and by doing so, the team’s lack of depth becomes a liability, especially at the backup center position. The Mavs are now relying on 32-year-old Tyson Chandler to stay healthy without having a proven option behind him. The team is the front-runner to sign veteran free agent Jermaine O’Neal and he would fill that void, but it is unclear how big of role the 36-year-old will be able to play at this stage in his career.

Overall, the move would seem to be a net positive for Dallas, at least for this season. After going 0-5 against incumbent Western Conference playoff teams to begin the year, the team realized it needed to make adjustments in order to make it out of a tough Western Conference and reach the NBA Finals. After their blockbuster trade, how far will the Mavs advance this season?

 

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Poll: Best Fit For Lance Stephenson?

December 15th, 2014 at 10:50pm CST by Alex Lee

You’ve got to give it to Lance Stephenson. Whether he’s blowing in LeBron James‘ ear or stirring up trouble elsewhere, the talented shooting guard is rarely boring. The question, however, is whether or not he’s worth the headaches that he inevitably comes with. The Hornets sure don’t seem to think so, as they’ve reportedly discussed moving him with a handful of teams in recent days.

After losing in Cleveland tonight, Charlotte is off to a disastrous 6-18 start. Stephenson has complained about his role in the offense, struggled to learn the team’s system and been generally unable to co-exist with point guard Kemba Walker. Nearly 60% of Hoops Rumors readers thought the Hornets should trade Stephenson as of two weeks ago and the team has gone 2-4 since.

It seems like Charlotte, a team that was perceived as a contender in the East as recently as a month or so ago, is ready to pull the plug on its prized offseason acquisition. If that is indeed what transpires, what team is best suited to bring aboard the polarizing Stephenson? His talent is undeniable and he is still only 24 years old, but he also brings a level of volatility that had one writer today caution the Pacers from staging a reunion.

So, of the teams he’s been linked to, which team do you think should roll the dice on Lance?

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Poll: Should The Hornets Trade Stephenson?

December 1st, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hornets came into the season with ambitions of making a playoff run and challenging for one of the top seeds in the East, but a 4-14 start has team executives worried. The team has reportedly been aggressive in its attempts to find potential trades with other teams. Charlotte made a few big splashes last offseason, as recently noted by Hoops Rumors’ own Chuck Myron. From a financial standpoint, the biggest move was the acquisition of Lance Stephenson via free agency. His arrival hasn’t panned out the way the team had hoped and although it’s unclear whether the Hornets have dangled him in trade discussions, it’s obvious they are looking for upgrade on the wing, Stephenson’s primary position.

It has also been reported that Charlotte is receptive to moving fellow wing Gerald Henderson, so an addition to Stephenson on the court is just as likely, if not more likely, than a replacement. However, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out, Henderson’s $6MM player option for next season severely damages his trade value, which should dampen the hopes of getting an impact player in a trade.

The Hornets still have two quality young prospects in Noah Vonleh and Cody Zeller as well as their own 2015 first round pick. Those are three valuable assets, but finding a team willing to give up on a quality player this early in the season could be problematic. Few teams have the urgency to make that sort of move at this juncture.

Stephenson, who cannot be traded until December 15th, represents the player with the most value this season to a playoff contender. Do you think Charlotte should trade him?

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Poll: Should The NBA Consider Realignment?

November 28th, 2014 at 7:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s not a closely guarded secret that the Western Conference has been far superior to the east as a whole for some time now. In fact, since the the turn of the millennium, only once — the 2008/09 season — has the Eastern Conference been able to lay claim to the better winning percentage between the two conferences.

The results thus far this season have done nothing to change this trend. Eastern teams have a 23-55 record against their western counterparts, which if you are doing the math, amounts to a .295 winning percentage. Here’s a quick rundown of the non-conference record for each Eastern Conference team this season.

  1. Raptors 4-0
  2. Bucks 3-0
  3. Bulls 3-3
  4. Heat 2-3
  5. Cavs 2-4
  6. Pacers 2-4
  7. Nets 2-5
  8. Hawks 1-2
  9. Magic 1-3
  10. Knicks 1-4
  11. Wizards 0-1
  12. Pistons 1-6
  13. Celtics 0-6
  14. Sixers 0-6
  15. Hornets 1-8

Earlier this week, Mavs team owner Mark Cuban suggested a plan to try and level the playing field between the NBA’s two conferences through realignment. In Cuban’s plan, the Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans and Mavs would shift to the Eastern Conference, and the Bulls, Pacers, Pistons, and Bucks would relocate to the west. Cuban did acknowledge that his franchise could benefit from the shift to the east, but added, “It’s not like it’d be the first time we’ve ever realigned. It’s happened many times before, so there’s precedent and I just think it shakes things up and makes things interesting. It’s not like you’re reducing competition. You keep Cleveland, Washington and other good teams in the East. It kind of shakes things up in terms of not just interest but also in terms of how people rebuild.”

I re-calculated the numbers based on Cuban’s plan, and the shift in teams improved the east’s numbers against the west to 37-57, or a .394 winning percentage. With the NBA campaign only a month old the numbers would likely improve as the season continued, especially with the relative strength of the teams in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.  This realignment plan would essentially swap out the bulk of the Central Division for the majority of the Southwest Division. But is Cuban’s idea something that would be good for the league long-term? It would certainly be a touch odd geographically, but so is having New Orleans residing in the west as it currently does.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been receptive to ideas that would address the issue of the West being a significantly deeper, stronger conference than the East. One idea that has been suggested is to have a 16-team playoff bracket that does not take conferences into consideration, but rather overall winning percentages. This change would certainly make the playoffs more intense and entertaining, but it would do nothing to address the disparity between the two conferences during the regular season.

What do you think? Should the league give serious consideration to Cuban’s realignment suggestion, go to the top-16 team format in the playoffs, or just leave well-enough alone? Cast your vote below and feel free to expand on the debate in the comments section.

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Poll: Could Kentucky Defeat The Sixers?

November 21st, 2014 at 8:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Suns guard Eric Bledsoe unleashed some bulletin board material the other night when he declared that this year’s University of Kentucky Wildcats team could defeat the Sixers in a seven-game series. When prompted by a reporter who asked if Bledsoe’s alma mater, which many predict to go undefeated this season, could beat the lowly Sixers, Bledsoe said, “I’m definitely taking Kentucky. I think Philly would get probably, maybe one game. I know Sixers fans gonna be mad, but I love my Wildcats. “

Now I’m reasonably certain that Bledsoe’s comments weren’t meant to offend Philadelphia’s team or its fans, but rather to show pride is his college team, and he’s since backed off his assertion. None of it stopped the speculation and debate from running wild on Twitter. It also doesn’t help matters that Bledsoe’s Suns are in Philadelphia this evening to take on the Sixers. During the pregame player introductions, the Philadelphia faithful let Bledsoe have it with a chorus of boos when his name was announced, though in a city famous for booing Santa Claus during an Eagles game, the jeers weren’t necessarily noteworthy.

Despite the likelihood that the Sixers will be historically dreadful this season, we are still talking about NBA-caliber players, many of whom were highly regarded college players in their own right. Kentucky is also a squad laden with underclassmen. In fact, there are only two juniors who see regular minutes in Kentucky’s regular rotation: Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress.

There is a reason that most rookies struggle when entering the NBA. They aren’t physically ready or developed enough to compete with fully grown men who also happen to be some of the greatest athletes in the world. So, no matter how talented the Wildcats are, keep in mind these are still developing teenagers, not professional athletes. The prime example is Nerlens Noel, who also attended Kentucky. Noel is still experiencing growing pains, and he was touted just as highly as any player on the current Wildcats roster. If he has had more than a year to practice against NBA-caliber players and is still struggling, a group of college underclassmen would also have serious issues against NBA talent as well.

Here are the likely starting lineups for this fictional matchup:

Kentucky Wildcats

  • PG: Andrew Harrison (9.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.7 APG)
  • SG: Aaron Harrison (7.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.7 APG)
  • SF: Alex Poythress (6.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG)
  • PF: Karl-Anthony Towns (6.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 BPG)
  • C: Willie Cauley-Stein (8.3 PPG. 8.3 RPG, 2.0 BPG)

Philadelphia 76ers

I don’t believe that the Wildcats would win even a single game against the Sixers, much less the required four needed to emerge victorious in a seven-game series. It might be competitive for a quarter or a half, but eventually NBA talent would win out and the Sixers would end up dominating. But what do you say? Who would win if these two squads faced off in a series? Cast your votes below and feel free to expand on the debate in the comments section.

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Poll: Best Fit For Corey Brewer

November 20th, 2014 at 9:06am CST by Chuck Myron

Corey Brewer can’t single-handedly change the fortunes of an NBA franchise, but he can be a difference-maker in the title race for a team that already has its stars in place. Brewer’s six-steal performance Wednesday for the Timberwolves in a win against the Knicks is testament to the sort of effect he can have defensively. It’s no doubt with that sort of ability in mind that a pair of elite teams are reportedly in talks with the Wolves to acquire the eighth-year swingman.

Cleveland, one of those teams, is supposed to be atop the league after welcoming LeBron James back and trading for Kevin Love this past summer. Instead, the Cavs are just 5-5, allowing the fifth most points per possession in the league, according to NBA.com. Joe Harris, the 33rd overall pick from this year’s draft, is seeing significant minutes at shooting guard, a development that bodes well for the long-term future but doesn’t speak highly of the team’s perimeter depth for this season.

The Rockets, the other club linked to Brewer, are 9-3 after a 9-1 start. The Rockets have begun the season better than might have been expected after a disappointing offseason, but GM Daryl Morey is apparently anxious to use the trade exception he acquired for Jeremy Lin to fortify a rotation that lost much of its depth over the summer. Houston has the best defense in the league in terms of points allowed per possession, NBA.com shows, but if the Rockets can use their exception to acquire Brewer without giving anyone up in return, they stand a better chance of remaining a defensive force all season and into the playoffs.

The Cavs are probably more talented on the whole than the Rockets are, but that doesn’t mean everything when it comes to the acquisition of a specific player. Let us know whether you think Cleveland or Houston is the better destination for the former University of Florida standout, or if you believe he’d better serve another team. Feel free to elaborate on your choice in the comments.

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Poll: Reggie Jackson’s Future In OKC

November 17th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Alex Lee

A week ago, our own Chuck Myron unveiled our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings, a list that profiles the top 10 targets for next summer and also lists the next 10 best. Absent from that compilation is restricted free agent-to-be Reggie Jackson, who has been on a mission over the past week to keep the Thunder afloat while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook heal up. The fourth year point guard — whose extension talks with Oklahoma City fell apart in October — is averaging 21.5 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds in the team’s first 11 games. All of a sudden, the Boston College product seems destined for quite the payday come summertime.

With the Rockets in town yesterday, Jackson’s recent play led Houston’s James Harden to weigh in on the backup point guard’s situation. Harden is uniquely qualified to comment, as the Rockets’ superstar was once the tertiary option himself in Oklahoma City. After he played a major role in the Thunder’s 2011/12 Finals appearance, Harden was shipped to Houston once it became clear the two sides couldn’t agree to an extension. He immediately emerged as a superstar in Houston, averaging over 25 points since in 161 career games with the Rockets.

Sitting at 3-8 with their two megastars on the shelf, the Thunder are feeling the ramifications of that trade at this very moment. Some think small-market OKC didn’t want to pay the luxury tax, which would have been inevitable had they ponied up the necessary money for a Harden extension. Others say the Thunder, already armed with Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, thought that the package of Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first round picks was enough to ensure long-term success.

More than two years and zero additional Finals appearances later, it’s safe to say the decision to move Harden was a bust. The question is, what does that mean for Jackson? He might not possess the All-NBA potential of Harden, but Jackson has showed so far this season that he can fill up a box score with the best of them. Have the Thunder learned their lesson? Jackson is sure to get lucrative offers next summer from teams hoping to pry him from OKC. What do you think the Thunder should do?

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Poll: Rudy Gay’s Extension With Kings

November 16th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that the Kings and Rudy Gay agreed to a three-year, $40MM extension that includes a player option after year two.  On the surface, it’s significant money to be spent on a player whose game has endured sharp criticism from the analytics community over the last few years.  However, when considering Gay’s age, the short length of the pact, and Sacramento’s position as a free agent destination, one could argue that the deal is something of a good value for the Kings.

As Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated writes, the deal actually appears to be something of a head-scratcher from Gay’s perspective.  The forward was set to hit the open market this upcoming summer and would have had a good amount of leverage behind him.  No, Gay isn’t regarded as the type of guy that can be a No. 1 player for a contending team, but he’s still on the right side of 30 and the incumbent Kings likely would have been just as hungry to retain him then, if not more so.  Meanwhile, the $13.3MM average annual value won’t leave Gay starving, but it’s a step back from the $16.4MM AAV on his previous deal.

On the flipside, the Kings have signed on for at least two additional seasons for a player who has been widely panned for his offensive inefficiency in recent seasons.  In 75 games for the Grizzlies and Raptors in 2012-13, Gay recorded a combined PER of 15.6, putting him in the same range as guys like Ivan Johnson, DeMarre Carroll, and Matt Barnes.  Since then, Gay has set new career highs in PER in each of the last two seasons (18.3 and 22.0, respectively), but the forward is not far removed from his pattern of dreadful offensive decisions and ill-advised long-range shots.  The Grizzlies didn’t fade after trading Gay to Toronto and the Raptors actually improved after dealing Gay to the Kings, so it’s certainly fair for one to wonder exactly how valuable the 28-year-old really is.

Gay traded in the chance to earn a bit more this summer for the security of a new deal with the Kings, albeit with an escape hatch that can allow him to collect some of that sweet, sweet TV money in the summer of 2017.  Putting aside the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the deal from Gay’s perspective, what do you think of the extension from the Kings’ side of things?

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Poll: Which 2015 FA Is Most Likely To Depart?

November 14th, 2014 at 1:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The 10 players atop the Hoops Rumors 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings comprise a star-studded list, but not all of them will change teams between now and next season. Only two of the 10 free agents on the final edition of last year’s Power Rankings changed teams. It’s indicative of the extra power that incumbent teams have to retain their star talent under the collective bargaining agreement, but it didn’t help the Heat, who lost LeBron James to the Cavs. Conservely, the Cavs saw Luol Deng sign with the Heat, but that’s a trade-off any team would make.

The idea of James leaving the Cavs again, and so soon after returning, seems a bit far-fetched, so we won’t include him among the options in this poll. Kevin Love has indicated his intent to remain with the Cavs, too, and he denied a report that he’s interested in signing with the Lakers. LaMarcus Aldridge also seems like a solid bet to return to his team, having repeated his desire to re-sign on a long-term deal, but his hometown Mavs are apparently eyeing him, and his relationship with the Blazers appeared to be on rocky ground up until last year.

Marc Gasol is a slick-passing defense anchor of a center who has an aging team around him, and brother Pau Gasol isn’t ruling out the idea that Marc would join the Knicks. Still, the younger Gasol has close ties to Memphis and appears content there. Rumors swirl nearly constantly around Rajon Rondo, but he hasn’t stopped singing Boston’s praises. The Spurs appear poised to match any offer for Kawhi Leonard, but after they passed on a max extension for the reigning Finals MVP last month, it’s fair to wonder whether a rival team will force them to decide whether to match a max offer sheet for him next summer.

Al Jefferson‘s value may never be higher after this season in Charlotte, and if he opts out, he’ll presumably have his choice of destinations. The same may be true of Goran Dragic, but the Suns will push to retain him, and they’ve already signed brother Zoran Dragic through 2015/16.

Greg Monroe and the Pistons haven’t ruled out a new deal this summer, but this past offseason he resisted any scenario that would tie him to the Pistons for the long term. DeAndre Jordan is fond of Doc Rivers, but the big man’s best days still seem to be ahead of him as he awaits his 27th birthday in July, the month when NBA teams traditionally shower cash on promising starting centers.

Last year’s 8 for 10 retention rate might be on par with what we’ll see this summer, but it would nonetheless be surprising to see all 10 top free agents re-sign with their current teams. Tell us which free agent you think is most likely to leave his team next summer, and leave a comment to let us know why you made your choice.

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