Poll: What Should The Celtics Do Now?
With Rajon Rondo's torn ACL likely to derail at least this season for the Celtics, speculation has already begun as to where the team should go from here. Rondo is soon to be 27 and it is difficult to predict what Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will have left in the tank once he is back to full strength. While the Celts have plenty of financial commitments beyond their two aging stars, Pierce and Garnett are likely their most tradeable commodities.
So should the Celtics blow up their roster? Rondo is the team's best player and has been for a few years now. They couldn't get through the Heat with him and may be hard pressed to even make the playoffs without him. If they were to get a decent haul for Pierce and/or Garnett, it could yield critical pieces to help Rondo begin the next era of Celtics basketball. What should they do? Feel free to provide details beyond the poll in the comments section.
What Should The Celtics Do Now?
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Trade Garnett and Pierce 47% (991)
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Do Nothing, Wait for Rondo's Return 17% (360)
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Trade Paul Pierce 15% (317)
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Other 14% (302)
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Trade Kevin Garnett 8% (161)
Total votes: 2,131
Was Drafting Royce White Worth The Risk?
Royce White and the Rockets reached an agreement last night that will bring the rookie back on the court after a nearly three-month absence. The 6'8" forward will report February 11th to the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers and ostensibly make his NBA debut shortly thereafter. Presumably, the 16th pick in this past year's draft is finally back on track after grappling with the team over how to handle his psychological ailments.
Still, there's not much reason to believe this is the last bump in the road for White, who has threatened retirement and misled the team about his fear of flying in the leadup to the draft, according to GM Daryl Morey. The GM admitted to Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard that drafting White was a calculated risk, and that the club believed he had the talent of a top-five pick. He also knew White might not work out, though I'm not sure he anticipated quite the saga that's played out this season.
The Rockets had three first-round picks last year, and one of them, No. 12 selection Jeremy Lamb, was sent away as part of the trade that netted James Harden. The wealth of picks may have justified the team's willingness to go out on a limb with White, but as the Rockets collect assets in search of another star to accompany Harden, a draft bust wouldn't help matters.
Regardless of White's troubles thus far, Houston may have one of the most talented rookies in the league on its team soon. Does that justify the risks involved? Let us know.
Was Drafting Royce White Worth The Risk?
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No 65% (586)
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Yes 35% (313)
Total votes: 899
Poll: Should The Lakers Trade Pau Gasol?
Earlier today it was reported that Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni would permanently bench Pau Gasol in favor of Earl Clark in an attempt to get faster and smaller. The move has obvious implications on Gasol's long term future with the team, but Yahoo! NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski has tweeted that the Lakers refuse to take back long-term money in Gasol's place, complicating things.
With the luxury tax, they don't want to tie up a chunk of their salary cap in Bryant, Howard, and another player two years from now. So, should the Lakers move Gasol before the deadline, even if they aren't able to get back anything close to equal talent? With another year on his contract, Gasol would be making $19.2MM as a bench player next year.
Poll: Will Lakers Trade Gasol?
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Yes 76% (1,176)
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No 24% (372)
Total votes: 1,548
Poll: Will The Hawks Trade Josh Smith?
Josh Smith has been the subject of off-and-on trade rumors for years, but even as the Hawks' roster changes around him, Smith has remained a fixture in Atlanta. His contract is finally set to expire this summer though, and with a month remaining until the trade deadline, it's not entirely clear what the veteran forward's future holds.
For most of this season, Smith expressed satisfaction with new general manager Danny Ferry and the Hawks' direction. However, a recent slide by the team has frustrated the 27-year-old, something agent Wallace Prather conveyed to Ferry last week. Neither Smith nor his agent requested a trade, and a weekend report suggested that the team was still committed to the longtime Hawk, but Smith's frustration and a one-game suspension doled out by the club seemed to bring some of those old issues back to the surface.
Zach Lowe tackles the possibility of the Hawks trading Smith in his latest piece for Grantland, noting that there are a number of factors in play. Potential suitors could be reluctant to give up much of value for a player on an expiring contract, and the Hawks may not want to part with Smith if they intend to pursue Dwight Howard this summer, since the two are good friends. Nonetheless, Lowe sees a few teams as real candidates to be trade partners if Atlanta explores deals over the next few weeks. The Rockets, Mavericks, Suns, and Nuggets top Lowe's list.
So what do you think? Is this the year we finally see Smith on the move, or will the Hawks hang on to him, hoping to re-sign him to a long-term contract this summer?
Will the Hawks trade Josh Smith before the deadline?
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Yes 51% (430)
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No 49% (420)
Total votes: 850
Poll: Will LeBron James Return To Cavs In 2014?
Anyone who has either visited Miami or has the good fortune of living there knows that it's the kind of place that you don't want to leave. Fantastic weather, Cuban sandwiches, pretty girls, the ability to wear an abundance of white without getting made fun of – Miami has it all. LeBron James has gotten to toss the Labor Day rule to the wayside while enjoying all of the roast pork he could ever want for two years and change while being at the center of one of the league's most dominant teams. It's inconceivable to some that James would leave Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by opting out after the 2013/14 season, yet some league executives and agents are absolutely convinced that he will use the opportunity to make a face turn and reverse the infamous "Decision" by returning to Cleveland in that summer.
On the surface, it seems incredibly unlikely that James would walk away from one of the strongest teams in the NBA in order to join forces with a team that still may be under construction in 18 months, even with a blossoming superstar in Kyrie Irving. And while some superteams have reportedly dealt with locker room drama (we're looking at you, Dwight and Kobe), the Heat have by and large stayed as a cohesive unit and found enough shots for everyone.
On the other hand, we already know that LeBron doesn't have any reservations about following his heart and changing zip codes if he feels that it's the best move to make. When LeBron is faced with the first of his two-opt out years with Miami, he'll be closing in on his 30th birthday and hearing the chatter about his legacy and place amongst the all-time greats more than ever. Winning a title with a Cavs team that likely won't have the same top-heavy roster as the Heat would be a massive plus for his resume. Nuggets coach George Karl is a believer. Are you?
Will LeBron Return To Cleveland?
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No 64% (1,409)
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Yes 36% (787)
Total votes: 2,196
Poll: Where WIll Rudy Gay End His Season?
Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay has been in several trade rumors these last few weeks, and the combination of his expensive contract and team's need for outside shooting makes it possible one of them comes true. Where will he end up at the end of the season?
Where Will Rudy Gay End Up After The Deadline?
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Other 29% (335)
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Memphis 22% (255)
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Toronto 20% (227)
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Washington 10% (114)
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Phoenix 10% (109)
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Golden State 9% (101)
Total votes: 1,141
Poll: Will The Kings Move To Seattle?
Earlier today, it was reported that the Maloofs were finalizing an agreement to sell the Kings to a Seattle-based group led by investor Chris Hansen. That's certainly cause for celebration for the basketball widows in Seattle, but the deal isn't as close to being completed as first thought.
We've been through this before with the Maloofs. There have been rumors of the team being sold over the years and in 2012 they were being courted by the city of Virginia Beach. Of course, all of that conjecture has yet to manifest itself in the form of a sale or a move. It seems that most NBA fans outside of Sacramento are on board with the Sonics 2.0, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the transaction will go through. When all is said and done, do you think we will see the Association return to the Emerald City?
Will The Kings Move To Seattle?
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Yes 90% (1,001)
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No 10% (108)
Total votes: 1,109
Poll: Will The Lakers Make The Playoffs?
When the 1-4 Lakers fired Mike Brown, it was hard to imagine the season getting much worse in Los Angeles. But nearly 30 games later, despite playing a reasonable schedule, with more home than road games, the Lakers are still three games under .500, at 15-18. Los Angeles currently sits 3.5 games back of the 20-16 Nuggets and Trail Blazers for the Western Conference's final two playoff spots.
As Ric Bucher of the 95.7 The Game points out (via Sulia), we may be nearing a tipping point, where the idea of the Lakers making the postseason is more far-fetched than the idea that they won't. After all, if Denver's and Portland's current pace of 46 wins represents the price of admission to the postseason in the West, the Lakers would have to go 31-18 the rest of the way to get there. For a team that's currently without Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, and Jordan Hill, that could be a very tall order.
Still, as Zach Lowe of Grantland writes, the Lakers have had a borderline top-five offense and the NBA's eighth-best point differential, which suggests some potential for a turnaround. And it's not as if they'd have to pass a collection of juggernauts in the Western Conference standings. The Timberwolves are banged up, the Jazz have played sub-.500 ball, and two of the teams currently in the top eight, the Rockets and Trail Blazers, are young and fairly unproven.
One thing is clear: The Lakers can no longer be considered a playoff lock. And if the team does crack the top eight, it figures to face a team like the Thunder, Clippers, or Spurs in the first round, without homecourt advantage. What do you think? Will the Lakers make a second-half run and appear in the postseason, or will the injuries and the slow start be too much to overcome?
Will the Lakers make the playoffs?
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No 51% (575)
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Yes 49% (550)
Total votes: 1,125
Poll: Are The Timberwolves Buyers Or Sellers?
The Timberwolves are currently in ninth place in the Western Conference, fighting for a playoff spot with the Lakers, Mavericks, and Jazz hot on their heels. But news today of Kevin Love missing time with a broken right hand could deter those playoff plans.
With the trade deadline looming, do you think Minnesota will sell assets (Derrick Williams, Andrei Kirilenko), add pieces that could help them in the short term, or do nothing?
Are The Timberwolves Buyers Or Sellers?
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Sellers 53% (334)
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Buyers 28% (176)
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Standing Pat 19% (117)
Total votes: 627
Poll: What Should The Jazz Do?
Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune wrote an interesting column today regarding the current state of the Utah Jazz. Despite having a roster filled with talented young pieces and valuable veterans, a variety of factors have the Jazz trapped in NBA mediocrity.
Most important, they simply aren't good enough as currently constructed and will likely be a fringe playoff team. Additionally, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are both unrestricted free agents at the end of the year. Utah has never been a traditional landing spot for big name free agents, nor has it had a great track record of keeping its best players (see Deron Williams). So what should the Jazz do?
The easy answer is to move Millsap and Jefferson this season for draft picks and/or young assets, especially when you consider that the team's best young players – Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter – play similar positions to them and would receive valuable bumps in playing time. That is essentially what they did with Williams. But compiling a team of 20-to-24 year olds, while it looks good on paper, is a risk in itself. For every Oklahoma City Thunder type result, there are teams that spend a decade in the lottery taking this approach.
Should Utah decide to make a run at a playoff spot, they could keep their big man duo and either attempt to re-sign one or both of them after the year or look to replace them with other free agents. But again, the Jazz have had limited success luring any free agents to Utah, much less impactful ones.
Every option comes with a certain level of uncertainty. So what would you do if you were running the Jazz? And please, feel free to expand on your selection in the comments section, especially if you selected "Other."