Poll: What Will Sixers Do With Evan Turner?
As our Chuck Myron outlined last night, former No. 2 overall pick Evan Turner is in somewhat of a lame duck situation in Philadelphia. While he will likely go down in history as a draft-day bust considering where he was picked, Turner is certainly not a bust as an NBA player and could probably be a useful and effective piece in the right situation. But that doesn’t do much for him in Philadelphia where the Sixers are intent on rebuilding from the ground up — a plan that reportedly doesn’t include Turner.
We know the Sixers haven’t even broached the idea of an extension with Turner, making the chances of the two sides working something out before the October 31st deadline remote to say the least. If they trade him before October 31, he could sign an extension with his new team. If that doesn’t happen, Turner is destined for restricted free agency next summer where the Sixers — or his new team if he’s traded this winter — will have the option to match any offer sheet he signs with another team.
Turner has said all the right things about the unique situation in Philly, but that doesn’t make his fate any less interesting. So what will it be — what will the Sixers do with the former Ohio State star?
Poll: Will The Wizards Make The Playoffs?
Heading into the 2013/14 season, we’ve polled Hoops Rumors readers on whether a handful of contenders will reach the playoffs. So far, you’ve weighed in on the Cavaliers, Bucks, Lakers, and Trail Blazers, but none of those teams could use a postseason berth quite as badly as the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards haven’t appeared in a playoff game since the 2007/08 season, meaning the club hasn’t made the postseason since owner Ted Leonsis assumed control of the franchise in 2010. Leonsis hasn’t been shy about spending to contend, having inked John Wall to a max extension earlier this offseason, and approaching tax territory for Washington’s 2013/14 team salary. The Wizards owner has made comments indicating he’s tired of appearing in the lottery and expects the team to be in the playoff hunt this season.
Do the Wizards have the talent to finish in the top eight in the East? That answer will largely be determined by Wall’s health and development, but the team played well in the second half last season, and added third overall pick Otto Porter to the fold this summer. With continued improvement from the club’s young players, including Bradley Beal, and contributions from veterans like Nene, Trevor Ariza, and Martell Webster, Washington should definitely be in the mix for a postseason berth.
Of course, health is always a concern. Emeka Okafor and Chris Singleton have already suffered injuries, leaving the Wizards a little thin in the frontcourt. Wall and Nene have also missed time with injuries in recent years, and would put a serious dent in the team’s chances if they were to do so again.
What do you think? How will in the Wizards fare going up against teams like the Pistons, Hawks, Cavaliers, Bucks, and Raptors for a spot in the back half of the East’s top eight? Will Washington end its postseason drought and make the playoffs this season?
Will the 2013/14 Wizards make the playoffs?
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No 51% (224)
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Yes 49% (212)
Total votes: 436
Poll: Who Wins Rookie of the Year?
With yesterday’s news that Trey Burke will be sidelined a few weeks with a broken finger, the Rookie of the Year race took an interesting turn before the season even started. Who do you think will win?
Who Wins Rookie of the Year?
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Victor Oladipo 46% (321)
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Kelly Olynyk 19% (128)
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Ben McLemore 15% (101)
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Anthony Bennett 12% (81)
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Trey Burke 9% (60)
Total votes: 691
Poll: Which Guaranteed Deal Will The Suns Cut?
NBA teams will be forced to make a lot of moves in the next two weeks, as teams pare down their preseason rosters to the 15-man regular season limit. Extra players must clear waivers by October 28th, making 4pm Central time on October 26th the deadline for teams to make their camp cuts. Nearly 100 players will be exiting NBA rosters, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors detailed yesterday.
Perhaps the most difficult decisions will be made in Phoenix, where the Suns have 16 fully guaranteed contracts. They’re the only team with more than 15 such deals, so unless they can find a trade partner soon, they’ll wind up owing a full season’s salary to a player they won’t be carrying. New GM Ryan McDonough also has Dionte Christmas on a partially guaranteed deal and James Nunnally on a make-good contract, further complicating matters. Christmas and McDonough have a history with the Celtics, and Nunnally was a sought-after camp invitee, so if the GM and president of basketball operations Lon Babby are tempted into keeping one or both of those players, multiple Suns with guaranteed deals could hit the road.
For the purposes of our poll, we’ll simply assume that the Suns will cut only one guaranteed contract. Which do you think is likeliest to go? We’ve included their 2012/13 salary figures via ShamSports to assist your choice. Leave a comment if you think someone you don’t see here is a better bet to end up on waivers. The other option here is a wild card — if you think the Suns can find a team willing to absorb one of their guaranteed contracts via trade and finalize the transaction by October 28th, they won’t have to cut any of their guaranteed guys.
Which Guaranteed Deal Will The Suns Waive?
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Ish Smith ($951,463) 24% (92)
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Malcolm Lee ($884,293) 21% (82)
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Viacheslav Kravtsov ($1,500,000) 15% (59)
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Kendall Marshall ($2,005,560) 15% (57)
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No one — the Suns will work out a trade 14% (54)
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P.J. Tucker ($884,293) 12% (46)
Total votes: 390
Poll: Will The Cavaliers Make The Playoffs?
Since LeBron James left Cleveland in free agency in 2010, the Cavaliers have won just 64 games in three seasons — that’s two fewer wins than LeBron’s Heat accumulated last season alone. But with a pair of No. 1 picks (Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett) on board, as well as an All-Star center (Andrew Bynum), there’s some optimism about the Cavs’ chances headed into the 2013/14 season.
In spite of the talent on the Cavs’ roster, however, there are plenty of concerns as well. Irving has missed time with injuries in each of his two NBA seasons, and he still doesn’t qualify as nearly the injury risk that Bynum does. Bennett, meanwhile, was the first overall pick among a class considered by draft experts to be the weakest in years. Throw in the fact that Anderson Varejao is coming off a lost season, and that the team will be relying on Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters to take major steps forward, and the question marks begin to add up.
With five legit contenders at the top of the Eastern Conference (or four, if you’re not bullish on the Knicks), there should be three playoff openings up for grabs in 2014. Many of the conference’s lottery teams, such as the Pistons, Raptors, and Wizards, will be looking to grab one of those spots, and 2013 playoff clubs like the Hawks and Bucks expect to return to the postseason.
If they stay healthy, the Cavaliers have as good a chance as any of those playoff hopefuls to earn a spot. But injuries are a real concern, and this is still a very young team. So what do you think? Will we see the Cavs return to the postseason next spring for the first time since 2010?
Will the 2013/14 Cavs make the playoffs?
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Yes 72% (384)
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No 28% (147)
Total votes: 531
Poll: Will The Lakers Make The Playoffs?
A little more than two months into the 2012/13 NBA season, I posed a question that would have seemed ridiculous last fall, asking Hoops Rumors readers whether the Lakers would make the playoffs. The No votes slightly outweighed the Yes votes at the time, but L.A. did eventually sneak into the postseason, only to be quickly dispatched by the Spurs.
Last season’s team featured a star-studded starting lineup and championship aspirations, while the expectations for this year’s squad have been scaled back significantly. The Lakers will be without Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace, who are now playing in Houston and New York respectively, and they’ll likely start the season without Kobe Bryant, who continues to recover from an Achilles injury.
The Lakers still have Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, and they retooled their roster with a few potential bargains like Chris Kaman, Wesley Johnson, Nick Young, and Jordan Farmar. But as the 2012/13 Mavericks will tell you, relying on veterans and players on one-year contracts isn’t necessarily a formula for a playoff team.
The road to the postseason in the Western Conference will be particularly tough this season, with a number of 2013 lottery teams having upgraded their respective rosters over the summer. In addition to obvious contenders like the Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Rockets, Warriors, and Grizzlies, clubs like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Mavs will be vying for playoff berths.
ESPN.com projected in August that the Lakers would finish 12th in the West, a forecast that will surely motivate Kobe and the rest of the team this season. So what do you think? A year after an underachieving Lakers squad squeaked into the playoffs, will the 2013/14 Lakers overachieve and finish among the West’s top eight?
Will the 2013/14 Lakers make the playoffs?
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Yes 51% (479)
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No 49% (454)
Total votes: 933
Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference?
With the season just a few weeks away, the Western Conference is shaping up to have one of the most competitive races in recent history. With so many talented teams, who do you think wins the conference?
Who Wins The Western Conference?
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Los Angeles Clippers 23% (192)
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Oklahoma City Thunder 23% (189)
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Other 21% (175)
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San Antonio Spurs 21% (169)
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Houston Rockets 11% (94)
Total votes: 819
Poll: Which Free Agent Is Most Likely To Sign?
Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors this week ran down several notable veterans who remain without a deal as camps and the preseason begin. Since his report three days ago, we've already heard more about one of the vets he listed, as it appears representatives for Mickael Pietrus have contacted the Timberwolves, who are down a small forward in the wake of Chase Budinger's injury. Luke didn't mention DeShawn Stevenson, who also drew mention in that Wolves report, or Daniel Gibson, who's piqued the interest of the Nuggets.
Still, the seven free agents Luke examined are among the most intriguing names on the market, and with injuries already a factor for some teams, it would be surprising if all of them go the entire season without another NBA contract. We'll add Stevenson and Gibson to the mix as we ask which free agent is most likely to sign with a team at some point in 2013/14. If you feel like there's another veteran who's a more likely signee than anyone in the group listed here, let us know in the comments.
Poll: Which Free Agent Is Most Likely To Sign?
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Richard Hamilton 23% (97)
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Daniel Gibson 18% (75)
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Stephen Jackson 16% (67)
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Rodrigue Beaubois 15% (63)
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Mickael Pietrus 11% (47)
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DeShawn Stevenson 6% (27)
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Jason Collins 4% (17)
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Josh Howard 4% (17)
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Chris Duhon 3% (11)
Total votes: 421
Poll: Did Knicks Err In Hiring New GM?
The Knicks pulled off a surprise this week, removing Glen Grunwald from the GM position and giving that job, as well as the title of team president, to former Madison Square Garden boss Steve Mills. The move inspired a stream of reaction that prompted us to use multiple posts to round it all up, and much of the chatter paints the Knicks in a negative light. Mills is inexperienced in player personnel matters, while Grunwald acquired Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith, helping to construct the roster that this spring gave the Knicks their first division title since 1994, and their first 50-win season since 2000.
Mills seems to possess a superior personal appeal with players, and, as Howard Beck of Bleacher Report wrote today, his connections to the Creative Artists Agency surely endear him to a Knicks franchise that's full of CAA clients. His backers include commissioner David Stern and former Knicks president Donnie Walsh, as Marc Berman of the New York Post points out.
So, would the Knicks have been better off keeping their architect from the past two seasons, or did they make the right move to bring in a new GM? Let us know with your vote, and share more of your thoughts on the changes in New York in the comments.
Did Knicks Err In Hiring New GM?
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Yes, they should have kept Glen Grunwald. 77% (230)
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No, Steve Mills is the right man for the job. 23% (70)
Total votes: 300
Poll: Which Extension Candidate Will Sign Next?
Earlier today we asked your thoughts on whether Paul George or John Wall was more deserving of a max contract. Now we're asking which extension candidate you believe will re-sign with his respective team first:
Which Extension Candidate Will Be Next To Sign?
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Paul George 75% (293)
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Gordon Hayward 9% (34)
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Greg Monroe 8% (30)
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DeMarcus Cousins 7% (27)
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Other 2% (8)
Total votes: 392