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October 11th, 2012 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

If you want to keep tabs on all of Hoops Rumors' stories and updates, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our feed through your RSS reader of choice. However, if you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NBA team, we have you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 30 teams.

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Pacific

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

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Returnees By Team: Western Conference

October 10th, 2012 at 8:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

We specialize in news about roster movement here at Hoops Rumors, but sometimes looking at the players who stay put can provide just as much insight on the plans of their teams. So we've rounded up the returning players from each Western Conference team, just as we did with the Eastern Conference yesterday.

Unlike the East, where most of the stabillity was found amongst lottery teams — with the exception of the Heat, who brought back a dozen players — five of the West's top six teams with the most returning players made the playoffs last season. The lone exception is the Kings, who finished with the second-worst record in the conference but still brought back 11 guys. The Spurs have the most returnees of any team in the league, with 13.

The players listed here were all under contract with their teams at the end of 2011/12. So, Andrew Bogut is listed as a returnee for the Warriors even though he's never played a game for the team, since his rights were acquired in a midseason trade last year. Likewise, Raja Bell is on this list since he remains on the Jazz roster despite his absence from camp as he continues to work on a buyout with the team.

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Rookie Contract 2013/14 Option Tracker

October 10th, 2012 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

As I noted last month, October 31st represents this year's deadline not only for fourth-year players to sign rookie scale extensions, but also for option decisions on second- and third-year players.

All of the players listed below are under contract with their respective teams for the 2012/13 season, but only have team options for 2013/14. Their clubs must decide by Halloween whether to lock up these guys for '13/14 for the contract amount indicated in parentheses, or to let them become unrestricted free agents.

That October 31st deadline is still three weeks away, and many of the decisions on these players won't become official until much closer to that date, but we'll be tracking every decision right here for the rest of the month. You can find our rookie contract 2013/14 option tracker anytime on the right sidebar under "Hoops Rumors Features." Here's the list to date, with updates to come as decisions are announced:

Read more

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Returnees By Team: Eastern Conference

October 9th, 2012 at 4:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

There's been plenty of roster turnover this offseason, and some teams have been significantly more active than others, as usual. Though the Heat added Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, most of the players from their championship team last year were under contract for at least one more season, so they bring back a dozen members of last year's squad, more returnees than any other Eastern Conference team. 

Success is not necessarily a harbinger of stability, though, with only other Eastern Conference playoff team bringing back more than seven guys. Six lottery teams have eight or more returnees, including the woeful Bobcats, who have eight of the same players from the team that set a record for the lowest winning percentage in NBA history last year. 

This list includes players who were under contract with their teams at the end of last season, so Jeff Green, whose deal with the Celtics was voided last year, and Mickell Gladness, who played for the Warriors after the Heat cut him loose, are seen here. We'll follow up soon with the Western Conference list.

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Teams With Designated Players

October 6th, 2012 at 2:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

The October 31st deadline for teams with players eligible to extend their rookie-scale contracts is drawing near, and as it does, the new CBA provides an extra wrinkle to consider. Teams can only agree a five-year rookie-scale extension with one player, known as the "designated player" in CBA parlance. As long as the designated player is on the roster, none of the team's other first-round picks nearing the end of their original deals may receive an extension of longer than four years.

The Thunder, for instance, are barred from giving James Harden a fifth year in an extension because they agreed to a five-year extension with Russell Westbrook in January. If they had that option, it would have given Oklahoma City an opportunity to spread out Harden's cap hit over one more season, easing the team's luxury tax concerns.

Teams can acquire one more designated player via trade, and extensions signed under the old CBA are grandfathered in. The latter exception explains how Westbrook was able to get a five-year extension after Kevin Durant had already signed a five-year extension in 2010. Still, the rule presents a challenge for teams like the Thunder who have built through the draft.

Only three teams have designated players so far, with more likely by the end of the month. Here's a breakdown of those teams, and how the five-year extensions they've handed out limit them in the future:

Bulls — Derrick Rose (signed five-year extension on December 11th, 2011 that runs through 2017)
Others limited to rookie-scale extension of four years or fewer:

  • Taj Gibson (extension-eligible in 2012)
  • Jimmy Butler (extension-eligible in 2014)
  • Marquis Teague (extension-eligible in 2015)
  • Any first-round pick the team adds next summer will be ineligible for a five-year extension as well, since he'd be eligible for an extension in 2016, when Rose is still under his extension.

Thunder — Russell Westbrook (signed five-year extension on January 19th, 2012 that runs through 2017)
Others limited to rookie-scale extension of four years or fewer:

  • James Harden (extension-eligible in 2012)
  • Eric Maynor (extension-eligible in 2012)
  • Cole Aldrich (extension-eligible in 2013)
  • Lazar Hayward (extension-eligible in 2013)
  • Reggie Jackson (extension-eligible in 2014)
  • Perry Jones (extension-eligible in 2015)
  • Any first-round pick the team adds next summer will be ineligible for a five-year extension as well, since he'd be eligible for an extension in 2016, when Westbrook is still under his extension. 

Clippers — Blake Griffin (signed five-year extension on July 11th, 2012 that runs through 2018)
Others limited to rookie-scale extension of four years or fewer:

  • Eric Bledsoe (extension-eligible in 2013)
  • Any first-round picks the team adds next summer and in will 2014 be ineligible for a five-year extension as well, since they'd be eligible for an extension in 2016 and 2017, when Griffin is still under his extension.
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NBA Introduces Anti-Flopping Rule, Union Protests

October 3rd, 2012 at 10:49pm CST by Luke Adams

10:49pm: Union vice president Matt Bonner doesn't think the rule will be upheld, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports (Twitter links). "Obviously, flopping isn't a good thing for the game," Bonner said. "The question is, how do you police it? Fining seems a bit extreme." Bonner would prefer the NBA to combat the practice by calling technical fouls, as McDonald also tweets.

7:21pm: The NBA has released a statement denying any wrongdoing, as Jeff Zillgitt of USAToday.com writes. "Although we haven't seen any filing from the Players Association, our adoption of an anti-flopping rule is fully consistent with our rights and obligations under the collective bargaining agreement and the law," said league spokesman Tim Frank. 

5:50pm: The union's opposition is largely procedural, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes, adding that there was a dialogue between league and union officials before the rule was announced. The league had wanted a maximum fine of $50K, Berger hears, but settled on $30K for the fifth offense. The union is not opposed to a measure that would curb flopping, but believes monetary fines can't be imposed outside of those already laid out in the CBA. Berger clarifies that the union will file the grievance with the league office and the unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board, which appears unlikely to respond anytime soon. 

5:11pm: The NBPA will file a grievance and an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board stemming from the anti-flopping measure, according to a statement released by the union, which claims the league acted without its input. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel posted a portion of the release via Sulia. 

“The NBA is not to unilaterally impose new economic discipline against the players without first bargaining with the union," the statement reads. "We believe that any monetary penalty for an act of this type is inappropriate and without precedent in our sport or any other sport. We will bring appropriate legal action to challenge what is clearly a vague and arbitrary overreaction and overreach by the Commissioner’s office."

12:40pm: The NBA has officially announced the adoption of an anti-flopping rule for the 2012/13 season, according to a press release sent out today by the league. Players who violate the rule will be warned for their first offense, and fined for subsequent offenses, according to the league, which defines flopping as follows:

"Flopping" will be defined as any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player. The primary factor in determining whether a player committed a flop is whether his physical reaction to contact with another player is inconsistent with what would reasonably be expected given the force or direction of the contact.

Whether or not a player "flops" will be determined using video review following the game, and I would imagine only egregious instances will be penalized. The penalties for flopping are as follows:

  • First offense: Warning
  • Second offense: $5K fine
  • Third offense: $10K fine
  • Fourth offense: $15K fine
  • Fifth offense: $30K fine
  • If a player violates the rule a sixth time (or more), an increased fine or suspension is likely.

The penalties implemented by the NBA for flopping only apply to regular-season action. The league is expected to announce at a later date a separate set of penalties that will apply to the postseason.

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Reaction To New Anti-Flopping Policy

October 3rd, 2012 at 7:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

Much of the talk around the NBA today has been about the league's new rule on flopping, which quickly prompted opposition from the union. That dissent appears to be largely procedural, and many players have spoken in favor of the measure. A majority of Hoops Rumors readers gave a thumbs-up to the new rule in our poll earlier today, and we passed along Cavs coach Byron Scott's thoughts on the matter. Here's more input from players and coaches.  

  • Sam Amick of SI.com rounds up opinions from the Lakers, including Kobe Bryant, who called flopping "a chump move."
  • Pacers coach Frank Vogel drew a fine of $15K from the league during the playoffs this spring when he said the Heat were the "biggest flopping team in the NBA," so it's not surprising that he's in favor of the new rule, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star documents. "The NBA does a great job delivering a great product and I think that's what they're trying to clean up more than anything, just the silly acting and trying to fool the officials," the coach said. "It's a good thing." 
  • Kevin Love believes the $30K fine for the fifth violation is "excessive," as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets.
  • James Harden said, "It was bound to happen at some point and obviously the league got fed up with it and put it in, so I'm happy they did it," writes John Rohde of The Oklahoman, who also passes along the thoughts of Nick Collison, who's taking a wait-and-see approach.
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2012 NBA Free Agent Tracker

September 28th, 2012 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

If you haven't done so yet, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors' 2012 Free Agent Tracker. Using our tracker, you can quickly browse the offseason's contract agreements, sorting by team, position, contract length, total salary, and a handful of other variables.

For instance, if you want to see all the Celtics' summer signings, you can sort by team and find all of Boston's free agent additions listed here. If you're curious to see how many players signed five-year contracts, you can sort by contract length and bring up that list right here.

A couple additional notes on the tracker:

  • A number of rumored signings have yet to be finalized, and won't be found in the tracker yet. For instance, despite today's reports that the Knicks are expected to sign Rasheed Wallace and that the Clippers will sign Marqus Blakely, those transactions aren't official yet, and aren't in the tracker.
  • Contract amounts are based on what's been reported to date, and aren't necessarily fully guaranteed. This is especially true for players on summer contracts, many of whom will be cut before earning their non-guaranteed salaries. You can use our list of 2012/13 non-guaranteed contracts to cross-reference.

Our Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under "Hoops Rumors Features" and is a good resource for checking out which players have been added to teams' training camp rosters, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

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Players On Non-Guaranteed Contracts

September 26th, 2012 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

As players continue to be signed and released, and training camp rosters become finalized, Hoops Rumors has been tracking the players whose contracts aren't fully guaranteed.  Because teams can carry up to 20 players during the offseason, a number that must be reduced to 15 by opening night, guys whose contracts aren't guaranteed are the best bets to be waived or traded by the end of October.

While a handful of teams will undoubtedly end up eating a little money by waiving a player with a guaranteed contract in favor of a non-guaranteed player that excels in training camp and the preseason, the players without full guarantees will generally be first on the chopping block. That's especially true for free agents who signed summer contracts — those deals don't even count toward team salary until the season gets underway.

Hoops Rumors' full list of non-guaranteed players for 2012/13 is located right here, and can be found anytime on the right sidebar under "Hoops Rumors Features." Although plenty of decisions on these players will be made by October 30th, many non-guaranteed deals don't officially become fully guaranteed until January 10th, so this page will be updated until that deadline.

If you notice any errors or omissions on our list of non-guaranteed contracts, please contact us and let us know. A number of players who are expected to be on training camp rosters, including Armon Johnson (Magic), DeQuan Jones (Magic), D.J. Kennedy (Grizzlies), Courtney Fortson (Clippers), Darnell Jackson (Jazz), and Trey Gilder (Jazz), will be added to the list when we receive official word that they're on board with their respective clubs.

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Hoops Rumors Features

September 24th, 2012 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NBA player movement 365 days a year, but those aren't the only updates you'll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you'll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here's a rundown of a few of them:

  • Our Free Agent Tracker features up-to-date details on this summer's free agent signings, with data sortable by team, position, contract years, and contract amount.
  • We also have free agent lists for both next summer, and the summer of 2014, which will continue to be modified as needed.
  • Using our 10-day contract tracker, you can find any 10-day contract signed since 2007, sorting by player, team, year, and other variables.
  • Every Thursday at 4:00pm CT, Luke Adams answers readers' questions in a live chat. You can check out transcripts of past chats here.
  • Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions is updated whenever a trade exception is used or expires.
  • We're also tracking teams' amnesty provisions — using our complete list, you can check to see which clubs have used the amnesty clause and which will carry it into next summer.
  • The Hoops Rumors glossary helps explain some of the more complex concepts in the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.
  • Our ongoing Extension Candidate series provides a look at a handful of players that could have their contracts extended before the season begins.
  • Zach Links rounds up the best of the blogosphere every Saturday in his weekly Hoops Links feature.
  • If you're looking to catch up on a few days worth of content, our Week in Review posts round up the week's news and rumors, while our Hoops Rumors Originals posts recap the site's original content for the week. Both round-ups are published every Sunday.
  • Be sure to check out the Featured Posts section on the right sidebar for more original pieces from the Hoops Rumors writing team. Recently, we listed the NBA players who are still eligible to be amnestied, recapped all the trades made this offseason, and examined the largest expiring contracts of 2012/13.
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