2021 NBA Free Agency Information [Archive] - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Old School

08-05-2021, 10:56 PM

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Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2946889-biggest-winners-and-losers-from-2021-nba-free-agency-so-far

Biggest Winners And Losers From 2021 NBA Free Agency So Far

Remember back in the days of yore, around 2018 or so, when NBA free agency would take more than a few seconds to unfold? When we'd be waiting on marquee players to make decisions for days, all the while tracking their every move and tweet?

Things sure have changed.

Free agency now unfurls, er, pretty much before it ever starts. Rumors of contracts and trades trickle out days in advance. And official agreements hit the breaking-news wire immediately after the clock strikes 6 p.m. ET. It can be underwhelming and, frankly, steal some of the fun from the entire process. Yours truly only has the brain bandwidth to fire off so many bad jokes when 60-something players are striking deals within six hours.

On the bright side, this frenetic, potentially illegal pace allows us to dive into the nuts and bolts of free agency sooner. In this case, that means identifying the biggest winners and losers.

Please note this process will take into account bigger moves made around the draft that won't become officially official until the league's moratorium is lifted on Aug. 6. Please also note these interpretations of players and teams can change. There's a lot of offseason left to traverse. These are just my initial impressions based off everything that's happened so far.

The To-Be-Determined Crew

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were on track to have a universally lovable offseason. Alex Caruso fills a defensive void on the perimeter, and Lonzo Ball is a divine offensive fit next to Zach LaVine.

Then they signed-and-traded for DeMar DeRozan.

And not only did they sign-and-trade for DeRozan, but they gave him a fully guaranteed three-year, $85 million deal while forking over a 2025 first-rounder, two seconds (2022 and 2025) and Thaddeus Young in the process. I mean: My. God.

DeRozan's fit on the Bulls is wonky. He is an operable iso scorer and has turned into one of the league's more dangerous pick-and-roll maestros. But he's a non-factor when displaced from the ball and compromises an already-shaky defensive dynamic. His teams have allowed more points per 100 possessions with him on the floor in each of the past six seasons.

Taking chances is perfectly fine. But where was DeRozan's leverage that Chicago needed to guarantee him an average of $28.3 million per year? And where was the San Antonio Spurs' leverage that they were able to extract a protected distant first-rounder, two seconds and the Bulls' most valuable defensive player last season?

Perhaps this all works out. Sliding DeRozan up to the 4 in lineups that feature Nikola Vucevic can help alleviate some of the spacing concerns, and he gives Chicago a genuine offensive lifeline when when LaVine's on the bench. But after already mortgaging part of the future at last year's trade deadline, and with LaVine set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, the Bulls as they stand profile as uncomfortably combustible.

New York Knicks

Certain Knicks fans will inevitably take this as an insult. It's not. Their offseason is eminently defensible. But landing Kemba Walker for sub-mid-level money is the only indisputable victory of the offseason.

Re-signing Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Derrick Rose without including a third guaranteed season changes the context of those deals. Ditto for the four-year, $78 million contract given to Evan Fournier, which includes a team option on the final installment. And locking down Julius Randle on a max extension well south of what a max deal would've run for him next summer—up to five years and $207 million—could be a flash-bulb moment the Knicks brag about down the line.

At the same time, New York has significantly reinvested in last season's explosion while losing its best perimeter defender (Reggie Bullock). None of the commitments are inherently damaging. The Knicks remain flexible over the long term, and it wasn't like any superstars were available to scoop up in free agency. But interpreting last year as a new normal when next season's Eastern Conference hierarchy will be tougher to navigate is still a risk—a justifiable one, sure, yet a risk all the same.

Toronto Raptors

Holding onto Kyle Lowry through last season made some sense if the Raptors planned to bring him back or could net a nifty return in a sign-and-trade. They did neither.

Accepting Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic for Lowry is akin to selling low knowing there was at least one package returning higher value available to them in March. This deal could be viewed differently if the Raptors were trying to give the GROAT a proper sendoff, but they spent the season playing in Tampa rather than Toronto and wound up shutting him down to close the year.

Declaring them outright losers still goes a touch too far, mostly because they negotiated a new deal with NBA team architect extraordinaire Masai Ujiri. His return is monumental for the franchise, and he more than any other executive deserves the benefit of the doubt—though, Toronto's signing of the actually terrible Sam Dekker does, in fact, test the limits of that leeway.

Winner: Los Angeles Lakers

Trading for Russell Westbrook has defined the Los Angeles Lakers' offseason, but that's not the entirety of it. They made other moves on the margins during actual free agency, and their roster makes more sense because of it.

Bagging Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington and Malik Monk on minimum deals will beef up the spacing of a half-court offense that desperately needs breathing room. They are snipers of varying effectiveness and function—i.e. Ellington prefers to work in motion—but the Lakers jettisoned their two leading three-point makers from last season (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma) to nab Westbrook, one of the league's worst jump shooters ever. Adding even league-average marksmen goes a long way under the circumstances.

Kendrick Nunn is a more awkward fit as someone who prefers to operate on-ball, but he provides more north-south jet fuel and converted 42.1 percent of his catch-and-fire triples last season. Snagging him for the taxpayer's mid-level exception is a worthwhile talent-in-a-vacuum play.

Dwight Howard does nothing for the Lakers' floor balance, but he comes cheap, has experience playing beside Anthony Davis and is a muuuch better rim-runner than Andre Drummond. Talen Horton-Tucker's return also doesn't help Los Angeles' shooting, but a 20-year-old who can defend a bunch of different positions has value to a team that's nearly barren of every other future asset.

None of these moves turn the Westbrook acquisition into a no-risk proposition. Nor does it excuse the Lakers decision to let Alex Caruso walk, despite his chemistry playing beside LeBron James and having the ability to keep him. But Los Angeles entered free agency with supremely limited flexibility following the Westbrook blockbuster and managed to flesh out its rotation in a way that promises actual depth and spacing.

Additionally, as of now, the list of Lakers moves doesn't include overpaying Dennis Schroder. That's a huge win.

Loser: Dennis Schroder

Speaking of Dennis Schroder...yikes.

Plenty of free agents have ostensibly seen their markets implode. Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Oubre Jr. remain unsigned at this writing and will be lucky to net salaries noticeably above the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception. Victor Oladiop is headed back to the Miami Heat on a minimum deal. Etc., etc. etc.

Schroder's market regression amounts to a massive L even by those standards. He turned down an $84 million extension from the Lakers earlier this year and now finds himself unsigned, without a shred of leverage to his name.

Sure, Oladipo is kind of in the same boat. He passed on a two-year, $45.2 million extension from the Houston Rockets during the middle of the season. But his lack of appeal is at least somewhat tied to his health. He's working his way back from another right quad injury. He also re-signed with the team that owns his Bird Rights, giving him the opportunity to reboot his value and secure a larger payday in 2022 independent of other teams' cap space.

Schroder's case is less explicable. He missed time toward the end of the season while in the league's health and safety protocols and needed to quickly ramp up for the playoffs, but his value was waffling long before then.

The Lakers forked over Danny Green and a first-rounder in hopes Schroder would inject some much-needed shot-making both beside LeBron James and without him. He didn't. His shooting percentages at the rim and from deep fell off their career-high marks from 2019-20, and Los Angeles' half-court offense rated inside the 25th percentile of efficiency when he ran the show sans LeBron.

How Schroder's foray into free agency ends is anyone's guess. Will he take a make-good deal at a cut rate to join a different team? Might the Lakers re-sign him on a short-term pact just to have another salary-matching anchor they can flip at the deadline? Will he get a loftier-but-still-modest payday via a sign-and-trade scenario yet to materialize?

Everything is seemingly on the table—you know, except the opportunity for Schroder to meet, exceed or even remotely sniff the $84 million windfall he rejected months ago.

Winner: Miami Heat

Playing against the Heat is going to suck something awful next season. They have assembled an All "Get Under Your Skin" Team by partnering Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler with Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris. They might lead the league in both technical fouls committed and drawn.

Sticklers will point out Miami hasn't vaulted itself onto the same plane as a healthy Brooklyn Nets squad or even the reigning-champion Milwaukee Bucks. Whoop-de-friggin'-do.

Nobody was positioned to bridge that gap relative to gettable free agents and, for now, the offseason trade market. The Heat have at least given themselves a chance. "A healthy Brooklyn Nets" squad is a fairly humongous qualifier at this point, and Milwaukee remains top-heavy. Enough things can feasibly break right for Miami to emerge from the Eastern Conference.

Addressing the point guard and power forward situations is a big deal for the Heat. Lowry dropped off a tick last season, but he's a viable off-the-dribble hub who will set physical screens and defend his butt off. Both Tucker and Morris are better options at the 4 than anyone Miami tried to supplant Jae Crowder with last season—minus the occasional standout performance from Trevor Ariza.

Outside shooting remains a potential offensive wart. Neither Adebayo nor Butler reliably stretches defenses beyond the three-point line, and Tucker, while an upgrade at the 4, splashed in just 31.4 percent of his corner triples during the playoffs.

Still, the Heat will be fine. They brought back Duncan Robinson on a five-year, $90 million contract that seems steep at first glance but isn't so huge when weighed against the five-year, $100 million pact the Cleveland Cavaliers handed Jarrett Allen. Head coach Erik Spoelstra is a whiz at manufacturing quality looks amid clumpiness, as well.

Miami also boasts a bunch of swing potential. Maybe Tyler Herro re-breaks out. A healthy Victor Oladipo would only add to the defense's F-U factor and can boost the offense's off-the-dribble shooting. Entering a free-agency period in which authoring material leaps seemed impossible for almost every team, the Heat have reinserted themselves into the take-them-seriously clique. They win.

Loser: New Orleans Pelicans

It became pretty clear early on that the New Orleans Pelicans' offseason would need to be viewed in totality before rendering a verdict. Zooming out on their moves, though, doesn't help:

In: Devonte' Graham (four years, $47 million via sign-and-trade); Tomas Satoransky; Garrett Temple (three years, $15 million with $10 million guaranteed via sign-and-trade); Jonas Valanciunas; No. 17 (Trey Murphy), future second-round pick (via Chicago), future second-round pick (via L.A. Clippers)
Out: Steven Adams; Lonzo Ball (four years, $85 million via sign-and-trade); Eric Bledsoe; No. 10 (Ziaire Williams); No. 40 (Jared Butler); 2022 first-round pick (lottery protection); L.A. Lakers' 2022 first-round pick (top-10 protection)

This is at once a lot to take in and incredibly underwhelming.

Isolating the Pelicans' moves doesn't reveal any one truly bad decision. The cost of shedding Adams (two years, $35 million) and Bledsoe (two years, $22 million guaranteed) wasn't astronomical. They traded down seven spots in the first round (No. 10 for No. 17), 11 spots in the second round (No. 40 for No. 51, the latter of which they traded to the Clippers) and a protected first-rounder from a championship contender.

Punting on Ball isn't terrible on its own, either. It feels like the Pelicans could have grabbed more for him ahead of the trade deadline, but if they didn't want to pay $20-plus million per year for a point guard who cannot initiate the half-court offense, then so be it. Picking up Graham is solid business. He's coming off a down year, but he can stroke threes off the catch and has shown in the past he can knock down off-the-bounce jumpers.

Combine everything together, and it starts to look dicey. The Pelicans essentially turned Ball, two pick swaps (a first and second) and two first-rounders into...Graham, Satoransky, Temple, Valanciunas and two seconds. That verges on ugly.

Commend the Pelicans for clearing cap space to chase Kyle Lowry if you so please. The same goes for their apparent $100 million overture to Chris Paul. Big swings are admirable. They missed. And their contingencies were unspectacular while lacking discernible aim. They should be flexible again next summer, but they just saw what significant spending power might get them.

Unless they have a left-field trade up their sleeve, this offseason's body of work is flat-out bad.

Winner: Star Point Guards Age 33-and-Older Standing Under 6'2

Are you concerned about the performance curves for aging point guards who stand shorter than 6'2"? NBA teams can't relate.

Ultra-veteran floor generals made absolute bank in this year's free-agency market. Have a looksy:

Mike Conley, age 33: Re-signed with the Utah Jazz for three years, $72.5 million.
Kyle Lowry, age 35: Signed-and-traded to the Heat on a three-year, $87 million deal (assuming the outgoing package to the Raptors only includes Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa).
Chris Paul, age 36: Re-signed with the Phoenix Suns for four years, $120 million ($15 million guaranteed in Year 3 with a team option on final season).

Yes, this is a very specific subset of free agent. And the market wasn't teeming with younger alternatives. More and more, though, contenders and fringe contenders appear to be prioritizing their immediate timelines regardless of how the talent-retention cost will play out in the longer term.

Maybe Lowry will be worth nearly $30 million in his age-37 season. He didn't sniff stardom before his late-20s, and we just watched age-35-season CP3 make the All-NBA second team. But years and career arcs like that are the exception rather than the rule.

This isn't even solely an instance of Miami, Phoenix and Utah saddling themselves with longer-term risk. Conley, Lowry and Paul are all old enough that they could fall off, suddenly and starkly. Immediate gambles are being made, too.

No one's criticizing those dice rolls, by the way. The Jazz dumped salary to make Conley's contract more palatable on their tax bill and were generally applauded for it. The Heat need to maximize the partnership of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, the latter of whom they just signed to a four-year max extension that'll take him through his age-36 season. Lowry does just that.

The Suns absolutely should have paid CP3 after a season of excellence that ended in a trip to the Finals. And his deal is actually more team-friendly than most projected. Imagine that: A contract that guarantees a 36-year-old six-footer $75 million, at minimum, being considered a steal. Good for CP3. Good for all these guys.

Loser: Boston Celtics

Relative inaction or general lacklusterness is not typically grounds to declare any team a loser. The Suns could otherwise be here. So, too, could the Bucks after they apparently entered penny-pinching mode in negotiations with P.J. Tucker.

And yet, there is something thoroughly uninspiring about the Boston Celtics' offseason that warrants overarching skepticism beyond to-be-determined status.

Ducking the tax and remaining flexible in advance of the 2022 offseason is clearly a priority. They gave up the No. 16 pick to exchange Kemba Walker for the cheaper Al Horford and Moses Brown, and turned Tristan Thompson into Kris Dunn. They then sent Brown to the Dallas Mavericks and took Josh Richardson into the remainder of their Gordon Hayward trade exception—a move that added payroll on its face but also ensured the Celtics wouldn't be ponying up for Evan Fournier.

Few are criticizing Boston for any of its moves. The status of Kemba's left knee remains in question, and the buyout he brokered with the Oklahoma City Thunder was never a plausible option for the Celtics. They don't have the timeline required to ferry two seasons' worth of star-sized dead money. Guaranteeing Fournier three seasons at nearly $20 million a pop is hardly a no-brainer.

Acquiring Richardson's expiring contract is a nifty flier on a player who, prior to leaving Miami, could hit threes, make the occasional off-the-bounce jumper and defend four positions. The Celtics have the makings of a defensive terror with him, Dunn, Horford, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum.

To what end, though? The Celtics are currently at a severe offensive-creation deficit. They effectively condensed their big-man rotation by shipping out Brown and Thompson, but their best passer is now Horford or Smart. They were already reliant on banging in difficult jumpers to get by on offense. That dependence has only increased.

And for what? In the name of ducking the tax (for now)? Cleaner books in advance of 2022 free agency? Maybe the Celtics have an unforeseen move in them or a devout belief in some of their youngsters finally hitting. For the time being, their offseason is meh at best—and "meh" just isn't good enough for a team that just finished seventh in an Eastern Conference scheduled to be even deeper next year.

Old School

08-06-2021, 04:45 AM

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HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/nba-2021-free-agency-day-4-recap.html

With cap space drying up around the NBA and guaranteed roster spots increasingly harder to come by, the rate of free agent agreements has slowed significantly since Monday night.

We’re still waiting for a handful of notable free agents to find homes, including Dennis Schröder, Lauri Markkanen, and Reggie Jackson. The exact details of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade deal between the Heat and Raptors remain a mystery. And technically, Kawhi Leonard is still on the board, though we’re mostly wondering what his new contract with the Clippers will look like, not whether he’ll actually change teams.

In the meantime, there were a few stories worth highlighting from Thursday, including new deals for this year’s Most Improved Player and a former Executive of the Year.

Let’s round up the highlights from Day 4 of NBA free agency…

Julius Randle and the Knicks agreed to a four-year contract extension worth at least $106.4MM.
The Raptors signed Masai Ujiri to a multiyear extension and gave him a new title in addition to team president: Vice chairman.
The Hornets and Kelly Oubre have agreed to a two-year, $26MM+ deal.
The Raptors agreed to re-sign Khem Birch to a three-year, $20MM deal and agreed to a two-year deal with Ishmail Wainright.
Lou Williams and the Hawks agreed to a one-year, $5MM deal.
The Suns agreed to re-sign Frank Kaminsky to a one-year, minimum-salary deal and are reportedly nearing an agreement with Elfrid Payton on a one-year deal.
The Wizards waived Caleb Homesley and made Garrison Mathews an unrestricted free agent.

The free agency moratorium will lift on Friday at 11:00am CT, at which point this week’s free agent deals and trade agreements will start becoming official.

We can still expect new deals to be reported on a daily basis for a little while, but since they’re not coming in at the same fast and furious pace they were earlier in the week, this will likely be our last daily roundup of 2021’s free agent action unless Friday is especially busy. Be sure to check our tracker to keep up with the latest deals.

Old School

08-06-2021, 10:13 AM

SB Nation https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2021/8/5/22612240/warriors-andre-iguodala-lakers-nets

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Andre Iguodala choosing between Warriors, Nets, and Lakers

Andre Iguodala has not yet decided where he’ll play this season, but he’s not ruling out a return to the Golden State Warriors. According to a report from Shams Charania, Iguodala has narrowed his free agency decision to three teams: the Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Brooklyn Nets.

These finalists aren’t exactly surprising. Iguodala is clearly at the stage in his career where he wants to join a contending team, and all three fit that bill. The Nets will be favorites in the East if healthy thanks to an absurdly talented triumvirate of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Iguodala’s former teammate, Kevin Durant. The Lakers may be favorites out West with their own talented trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.

And of course the Warriors have a three-headed monster of their own in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The Warriors trio may not be held in as high of regard as Brooklyn’s or LA’s (anymore, at least), but it comes with familiarity for Iguodala, who spent six seasons with the Dubs, sharing the court with Curry, Thompson, and Green in all six years, and playing in Steve Kerr’s system for five of those years.

There’s clearly a lot of comfort there, both on and off the court. Iguodala excelled in the Warriors system on both ends of the court, but also still lives in the Bay Area in the offseason, and considers Curry one of his closest friends.

That said, Iguodala is coming off of a rough season with the Miami Heat, in which he averaged just 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 38.3% from the field. He’ll need to turn back the clock a little to be an x-factor for the Dubs.

Still, a starting lineup of Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Green, and Kevon Looney, with a bench of Iguodala, Jordan Poole, Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and a free agent center or point guard still looks pretty nice, with James Wiseman, Nico Mannion, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody developing in garbage time.

Old School

08-07-2021, 12:43 AM

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HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/nba-2021-free-agency-day-5-recap.html

When we published our recap of Day 4 of the NBA’s 2021 free agent period on Thursday, I noted that the pace seemed to be slowing and that it would likely be our last daily roundup unless Friday was especially busy.

As it turns out, Friday was a pretty active news day, so we’re back at least once more tonight with our recap of all the day’s biggest NBA headlines.

Let’s dive in…

Here are Friday’s most noteworthy free agent deals and contract extension agreements:

Kawhi Leonard agreed to re-sign with the Clippers, though the two sides are still working through the terms of his new contract.
Kevin Durant agreed to a four-year, maximum-salary extension with the Nets that will be worth nearly $198MM.
Jimmy Butler agreed to a four-year, maximum-salary extension with the Heat that projects to be worth more than $186MM.
Reggie Jackson agreed to a two-year, $21.6MM deal with the Clippers.
Andre Iguodala agreed to return to the Warriors on a one-year, minimum-salary deal.
Justise Winslow agreed to a two-year deal with the Clippers that will reportedly come out of the team’s taxpayer mid-level exception.
Willy Hernangomez agreed to a three-year deal with the Pelicans.
Omer Yurtseven signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Heat.
DeAndre’ Bembry agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Nets.
Javonte Green agreed to a two-year deal with the Bulls.

The NBA’s 2021 free agency moratorium ended at 11:00am CT on Friday, allowing teams to complete the free agent deals and trades they’d tentatively agreed upon earlier in the offseason. Plenty of teams took advantage of the ability to officially make moves — the Lakers and Heat were among the teams that announced several signings.

A number of big-money contract extensions were formally completed today, including maximum-salary deals for Warriors guard Stephen Curry (story), Hawks guard Trae Young (story), and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (story).

Some of the summer’s biggest free agent signings also became official, including John Collins‘ five-year deal with the Hawks, Jarrett Allen‘s five-year deal with the Cavaliers, Norman Powell‘s five-year deal with the Trail Blazers, Duncan Robinson‘s five-year deal with the Heat, Chris Paul‘s four-year deal with the Suns, and Mike Conley‘s three-year deal with the Jazz, among others.

Finally, the league started processing trade calls, including the Suns‘ acquisition of Landry Shamet, the Hornets‘ acquisition of Mason Plumlee, the Heat‘s sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry, and the massive five-team deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Lakers and Spencer Dinwiddie to the Wizards.

Here are several more of the day’s notable headlines:

The Grizzlies agreed to trade Grayson Allen to the Bucks in exchange for Sam Merrill and a pair of future second-round picks.
Bulls restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen told a Finnish reporter he’s seeking a change of scenery and a “fresh start.”
The Lakers announced they’ve signed head coach Frank Vogel to a contract extension.
The Celtics have engaged in contract discussions with free agent guard Dennis Schröder.
The Thunder officially completed their buyout agreement with Kemba Walker and placed him on waivers.
The Pistons waived Rodney McGruder.

Old School

08-07-2021, 10:32 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/nba-investigating-lowry-ball-sign-and-trades-for-possible-tampering.html

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The NBA has launched investigations into two of the sign-and-trade deals that were agreed upon early in free agency, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

Those two deals are the one that sent Kyle Lowry from the Raptors to the Heat – which was officially announced on Friday – and the one sending Lonzo Ball from the Pelicans to the Bulls, which hasn’t been officially completed yet. The NBA is set to investigate possible violations of its tampering policy.

According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, the league is expected to look into any contact that may have occurred prior to the opening of the free agency negotiating period on Monday at 5:00pm CT. Both agreements were reported within minutes after the negotiating period began.

It’s an open secret that teams and agents begin free agent discussions before the negotiating period officially starts, but the NBA generally frowns on any deals that blatantly violate those rules. Sign-and-trades receive even more scrutiny since they’re more complex and typically require more time to complete than a typical free agent negotiation, Wojnarowski and Shelburne note.

Last year, for instance, an alleged sign-and-trade agreement involving the Bucks, Kings, and Bogdan Bogdanovic was reported several days before free agency officially began. The league ended up taking away Milwaukee’s 2022 second-round pick after investigating that situation, while Bogdanovic – who claimed he never agreed to terms with the Bucks – landed in Atlanta instead.

We’ll see what the investigation into the Lowry and Ball sign-and-trades turns up this year. It’s unlikely that the league would nix either deal, but fines and/or draft-pick penalties don’t seem out of the question, given the manner in which the deals were publicly reported.

One Monday report outlined the specifics of the Lowry sign-and-trade to the Heat nearly three hours before free agency began, though there was some uncertainty for much of the week about whether the deal would involve more pieces than just Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa. Lowry’s agency had already confirmed his destination during the first hour of free agency.

Ball’s deal with the Bulls was reportedly literally the minute the negotiating window opened, with the full terms of the trade agreement – including another sign-and-trade involving Garrett Temple – surfacing just seven minutes later.

As Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter), the NBA adopted new anti-tampering measures two years ago, giving the league the power to fine teams for up to $10MM, suspend executives, take away draft picks, or even void deals altogether if proof of tampering is found.

The Bucks’ second-round pick forfeiture is the most significant penalty we’ve seen since then. However, as Wojnarowski and Shelburne point out, the league’s decision in that case took into consideration that Bogdanovic didn’t end up signing with Milwaukee.

Old School

08-08-2021, 02:49 AM

RealGM (New Orleans Interested) https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263788/Pelicans-Interested-In-Lauri-Markkanen-Sign-And-Trade-With-Bulls-Seeking-First-Rounder

Da Windy City (Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Dallas Potential Sign & Trade Partners) https://dawindycity.com/2021/08/04/chicago-bulls-future-possibilities-lauri-markkanen/

Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10009793-lauri-markkanen-wants-to-leave-bulls-in-free-agency-has-offers-from-several-teams

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Lauri Markkanen is hoping to close the book on his career with the Chicago Bulls.

Speaking to Finnish journalist Antti-Jussi Sipila (h/t Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports), Markkanen said his camp has "offers from several different teams."

"I want a fresh start to my NBA career somewhere else," he added.

The Finland native is currently a restricted free agent, meaning the Bulls would have the ability to match a potential offer sheet he receives.

Friday is the first day that restricted free agents are eligible to sign offer sheets.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Charlotte Hornets "have emerged with strong interest in a potential offer sheet" for Markkanen.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst (h/t RealGM) reported on his Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective podcast that the San Antonio Spurs did have interest in the 2017 No. 7 overall draft pick before his asking price was more than they were willing to spend.

There is still a chance the Bulls work out a sign-and-trade deal involving the Arizona product, though it's unclear if that's being considered right now. They could also pull his qualifying offer, which would get rid of the $20.2 million hold on their salary cap.

Chicago was one of the more active teams at the start of free agency on Monday. It has reportedly agreed to deals with five players, including sign-and-trade agreements for Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan.

Markkanen seemed to fall out of favor with the Bulls coaching staff last season. He did miss 20 games in the first half because of injuries, but the 24-year-old set career lows in minutes per game (25.8), scoring average (13.6) and rebounds (5.3).

The Bulls used the 7-footer off their bench for 24 games from April 2 to May 15 before putting him back in the starting lineup for the regular-season finale on May 16. He did shoot a career-high 40.2 percent from three-point range on a career-low 5.8 attempts per contest.

Given his age and shooting ability, Markkanen has the ability to be a difference-maker on a team with playoff aspirations.

Old School

08-09-2021, 01:43 AM

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HoopsRumors (All Remaining Free Agents) https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/08/2021-nba-free-agents.html

SB Nation (Top Remaining Free Agents) https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2021/8/4/22610287/nba-free-agents-best-remaining-2021

NBA free agency got off to a furious start from the moment the moratorium window opened on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. Within minutes, Lonzo Ball was going to the Chicago Bulls, Kyle Lowry was going to the Miami Heat, Mike Conley Jr. was back in Utah, and Chris Paul had up to $120 million more in his bank account.

The second day of free agency didn’t provide nearly as many fireworks, but it did give us Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Bulls’ polarizing sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan. The highlights of day three included John Collins’ $125 million extension with the Atlanta Hawks, and the completion of Spencer Dinwiddie’s sign-and-trade to the Washington Wizards. We’re tracking every signing here. It looks like the top free agent, Kawhi Leonard, is re-signing with the Clippers and continues to negotiate a deal, per Chris Haynes.

Who is still available on the free agent market? Glad you asked. Here are the nine best players available in free agency right now. We will update this list as players come off the board. All free agents are unrestricted free agents unless otherwise noted.

1. Dennis Schröder

Schröder is probably not having a great time right now after reportedly turning down an $80 million contract extension from the Lakers (he was reportedly seeking $100-$120 million). We know he won’t be back in LA after the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook and added some more depth to their backcourt headlined by Malik Monk and Wayne Ellington.

The rest of the big name point guards are off the board, so Schröder should be next to go. It will be fascinating to see if he takes the most money possible, or a short deal to rehab his value next offseason. The Celtics are reportedly eyeing him.

2. Josh Hart (RFA)

Hart is another wing in the 3-and-D mold who came over to the Pelicans in the Anthony Davis trade with the Lakers. He was a nice piece next to Zion Williamson in New Orleans, but his shooting fell off a bit with a 32.6 percent mark from deep. Hart tore a ligament in his thumb in April and missed the rest of the season. He is a restricted free agent, so New Orleans could match any deal.

3. Lauri Markkanen (RFA)

Markkanen initially looked like a cornerstone of the Bulls’ rebuild, but he failed to make meaningful improvements through his first four years in the league. The 7-foot big man finally lived up to his reputation as a shooter last season, making 40.2 percent of his triples from behind the arc on 5.8 attempts per game. He struggles defensively and can’t create his own shot, but a team with a high-level facilitator (Markkanen never played with one in Chicago) might be able to unlock some of the upside once seen in the former No. 7 overall draft pick.

He’s also a restricted free agent, meaning the Bulls have the right to match any deal.

4. Paul Millsap

Millsap turns 37 years old in Feb., but he’s coming off another solid season with the Denver Nuggets. Millsap started 36 games this past year and provided tough interior defense, rebounding, and some floor spacing in his 20 minutes per night. His recent turn into a dependable three-point shooter — he hit 34.3 percent last year, and 43.4 percent the year before — has helped extend his career. He can still a nice bench piece for an aspiring contender or a veteran presence for a young team looking to level up.

5. DeMarcus Cousins

Injuries robbed Cousins of his superstar status in the prime of his career, but he can still play a role as a reserve big man off the bench. Cousins scored in double-figures three times during the Clippers’ trip to the conference finals this past season, and had a few big games with the Houston Rockets earlier this year. He feels like a likely fit on another contender.

6. James Ennis

Ennis has clawed his way to a nice career since being a second round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but he’s yet to find a stable home, already playing for seven NBA teams. Now 31 years old, Ennis is a 6’6 3-and-D wing who hit 43.3 percent of his triples on 104 tries last year for the Magic. He’s one of the few rotational wing options left on the market.

7. Isaiah Hartenstein

Hartenstein is a 7-foot, 250-pound big man who has bounced around the league since being a second round pick by the Rockets in the 2017 draft. He had a run of double-figures scoring performances for the Cavs in April while also providing a bit of rim protection. Still only 23 years old, Hartenstein feels like he has more upside left than most of the other available bigs on the market.

8. Svi Mykhailiuk

Mykhailiuk was a second round pick out of Kansas in the 2018 draft who provides value as a 6’7 wing shooter. While his shooting numbers were down last year — hit had 33.4 percent of his threes on 4.8 attempts per game — he did hit 40.4 percent on 5.1 attempts per game in 2019-2020 with Dtroit in 56 games with 27 starts. He’s still only 24 years old.

9. Garrison Mathews

Mathews went undrafted out of Lipscomb, but turned into a reliable three-point gunner in his second season with the Wizards last year, shooting 38.4 percent on more than three attempts per game from deep. Still only 24 years old, the 6’7 forward can slot into a bench shooter role next season.

Old School

08-10-2021, 03:01 AM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/goran-dragic-apologizes-for-comments-on-trade-to-raptors.html

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Veteran point guard Goran Dragic, who was traded from the Heat to the Raptors in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade deal last week, apologized on Monday for comments he made in his home country of Slovenia about the trade, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

A clip that surfaced on Twitter on Monday of Dragic speaking to Slovenian reporters was accompanied by the English caption, “Toronto is not my preferred destination. I have higher ambitions.” While there was some uncertainty about whether something may have been lost in translation, Dragic didn’t claim he was misquoted. He did tell Grange, however, that the context of the quote was missing.

“I was in the center of the city and the journalists were there and I was asked about Toronto and it was basically taken out of context,” Dragic said. “I told them that I had spent seven years in Miami and that would be the preferred destination for me because my family is there and everything, not Toronto.”

Dragic, who is on an expiring $19.5MM contract, was always expected to be part of the Raptors’ return for Lowry after the Heat picked up his team option, but there was speculation for much of last week that he might be flipped to a third team. The Mavericks were frequently mentioned as a potential destination, since Dallas had been on the lookout for a point guard in free agency and joining the Mavs would give Dragic the opportunity to team up with fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic.

It’s still possible Dragic will be moved to the Mavs or another team at some point, but no deal appears imminent, and he told Grange he’s prepared to spend the 2021/22 season in Toronto.

“My message basically, to all Toronto fans, is I would like to apologize,” Dragic said. “It didn’t come out the right way. I know they love their team, and they should be proud, it is one of the best organizations in the NBA. They’ve already won a championship and I didn’t, so what I said, it really was not appropriate.

“… I’ve always been professional. You can ask a bunch of people. Everywhere I’ve played, wherever I’m going to play, I’m going to be professional and do my job,” he continued. “I love basketball, I love to play and I’m going to give 100% wherever I play. Right now I’m (with) Toronto and that’s my main thing to think about.”

Asked during an appearance on 590 The Fan in Toronto about Dragic, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster cautioned that the 35-year-old’s comments were translated to English and he’d want to “get it directly” from the point guard to understand what he meant, Grange writes. Webster also stressed that the Raptors aren’t a rebuilding team looking to jettison veterans.

“We feel like we’re gonna be competitive, we have a core — as we’ve talked about — that’s been around for a while and has won at the highest level as well,” Webster said. “So think that we’ll just give it some time here to see how (Dragic) would fit in and if he likes it here or not. I think he’s a pro and he’s been around a lot and he’s obviously entitled to wanting to make the most of his years as his career comes down here … so I don’t think it’s in any way a slight or anything like that.”

The Lowry sign-and-trade was officially completed on Friday, so it can no longer be expanded to include a third team, but Dragic could be flipped to a third team immediately as long as his salary isn’t aggregated with another player’s in the deal.

Old School

08-10-2021, 07:54 AM

Lake Show Life https://lakeshowlife.com/2021/08/09/los-angeles-lakers-dennis-schroder-sign-trade-happening/

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Perhaps the biggest storyline still remaining in NBA free agency is Dennis Schroder. Schroder’s fall from grace has been a very interesting thing to follow as he reportedly rejected a four-year, $84 million contract from the Los Angeles Lakers during the season and now does not have a team for the 2021-22 season.

Schroder will eventually find a team to play for as he is still a talented rotation player, he just is not going to get anywhere close to what he wants, let alone what the Lakers offered him a few months ago.

One option that has still been floating around the rumor mill is a sign-and-trade. The Boston Celtics appear to be the most viable candidate, with some even predicting the two sides to pull off a sign-and-trade to get Schroder in Boston.

While a Schroder sign-and-trade seemed inevitable four weeks ago, with the current status of the Los Angeles Lakers, it just is not a viable option.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers won’t sign-and-trade Dennis Schroder

Even though Schroder is not getting the deal he wanted he should be getting a deal in the tens of millions. Perhaps it is a one-year prove-it deal worth $10 million. He probably would have accepted the MLE from another team earlier in the offseason, so maybe it is something along the lines of two years, $25 million.

Either way, a safe range to estimate Schroder’s salary next season is $10-13 million with an absolute ceiling of around $16 million. Thus, the Lakers would have to take on a similar contract.

The proposed trade that is linked above has the Los Angeles Lakers taking on Josh Richardson, who fits the bill for the salary. Richardson is making $11.6 million, which fits right into our $10-13 million range.

Boston just acquired Richardson and it can be argued whether or not the team would want to trade him. There is also a debate to be had about if the Lakers would even want Richardson. None of that is relevant as there is an overarching reason why this won’t happen.

The luxury tax. The Los Angeles Lakers are not going to trade Dennis Schroder as they do not want to take on a larger tax bill, plain and simple. While Jeannie Buss has not outright said that they don’t want a bigger tax bill, they have already confirmed that with their actions.

The Lakers let Alex Caruso walk on a four-year, $37 million deal despite Caruso’s camp reportedly going back to the Lakers and giving them one last chance to counter as he wanted to stay in LA. That should tell us all we need to hear.

If the Lakers were to take on another $11.6 million in salary (that is a good in-between point of our range) then they would be just under $28 million ($27.95 million) over the cap. We will round up to $28 million for simplicity’s sake.

Using last year’s luxury tax tiers, the Lakers would be paying $2.975 for every dollar they are over the luxury tax. Multiply that by $28 million and the Lakers would be paying $83.3 million in tax alone.

Right now, according to Spotrac, the Lakers are projected to owe $33.1 million in tax. That is an additional $50 million for a mediocre rotation player.

Old School

08-10-2021, 08:42 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/celtics-dennis-schroder-agree-to-one-year-deal.html

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Celtics, Dennis Schröder Agree To One-Year Deal

The Celtics and free agent point guard Dennis Schröder are in agreement on a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the deal will be worth the $5.89MM taxpayer mid-level exception.

Schröder has officially confirmed in an Instagram story that he’s joining the Celtics.

“This is one of the best franchises in NBA history and it will be a honour to put on the green and white and do what I love!” Schröder wrote. “I’m going out there every night and leaving it all on the floor for the city!! Who’s ready?!”

We first heard last week that the Celtics and Schröder were engaged in contract discussions, with a report earlier today indicating the team had offered him a one-year, $5.9MM deal.

Today’s report suggested Schröder was seeking a second-year player option and the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception (worth about $9.5MM), but the C’s wanted to maintain cap flexibility in 2022 and avoid hard-capping themselves this season. It appears Schröder relented.

Schröder had an up-and-down season for the Lakers in 2020/21 after being acquired from the Thunder last fall. His scoring average dipped to 15.4 PPG, his lowest mark since 2015/16, and his shooting numbers (.437 FG%, .335 3PT%) also fell off a little following a career year in Oklahoma City.

The 27-year-old struggled in the Lakers’ first-round playoff loss to Phoenix, putting up just 14.3 PPG and 2.8 APG on .400/.308/.846 shooting in six games (32.7 MPG), though he was coming off a case of COVID-19 near the end of the regular season.

Despite Schröder’s inconsistent play in Los Angeles, the extent to which his market collapsed is still surprising. He reportedly turned down a four-year extension offer worth in excess of $80MM during the season. When the Lakers agreed to trade for Russell Westbrook, it closed one door for Schröder, and the teams seeking a point guard in free agency didn’t have the German atop their lists of targets.

As a result, the Celtics – who traded away starting point guard Kemba Walker in June – will get a bargain for the 2021/22 season, while Schröder will look to rebuild his value in Boston before re-entering the free agent market in 2022.

As Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston notes (via Twitter), if the Celtics remain committed to not using more than the taxpayer portion of their mid-level exception, they’ll be limited to one- or two-year minimum-salary deals for any other signings, including draft-and-stash prospect Yam Madar.

Old School

08-10-2021, 09:58 PM

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Elfrid Payton Signs With Phoenix https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263809/Elfrid-Payton-Suns-Agree-To-One-Year-Deal

Dwayne Bacon Signs With New York https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/knicks-to-sign-dwayne-bacon.html

Frank Jackson Re-Signs With Detroit https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/pistons-to-re-sign-rfa-frank-jackson.html

Rodney McGruder Re-Signs With Detroit https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/pistons-re-sign-rodney-mcgruder.html

Trent Forrest Signs Two Way Deal With Utah https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/jazz-re-sign-trent-forrest-to-two-way-contract.html

Jae'Sean Tate Contract Guaranteed By Houston https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/2021/08/08/rockets-owner-tilman-fertitta-rewards-jaesean-tate-with-contract-guarantee/

Jarrell Brantley Signs Qualifying Offer With Utah https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/jarrell-brantley-accepts-qualifying-offer-from-jazz.html

Kemba Walker Gave Up 20 Million In OKC Buyout https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/10/report-kemba-walker-surrendered-20m-in-thunder-buyout/

Ignas Brazdeikis Signs Two Way Deal With Orlando https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/magic-to-sign-ignas-brazdeikis-to-two-way-deal.html

Jeremiah Earl Robinson Signs 4 Year Deal With OKC https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/thunder-jeremiah-robinson-earl-agree-to-four-year-deal.html

Chris Chiozza Signs Two Way Deal With Golden State https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/nba-rumors-chris-chiozza-warriors-agree-two-way-contract

Luka Doncic Signs A 5 Year Max Extension With Dallas https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/luka-doncic-to-get-five-year-202mm-extension.html

Daulton Holmes Signs Two Way Deal With New Orleans https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/pelicans-to-add-daulton-hommes-on-two-way-contract.html

Nico Mannion (Golden State) Signs With Virtus Bologna (Italy) https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/warriors-rfa-nico-mannion-signing-with-italian-team.html

Damian Jones & Chimezie Metu Salaries Guaranteed By Sacramento https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/kings-guarantee-contracts-of-jones-metu.html

Lauri Markkanen Receiving Interest From Dallas, Boston, New Orleans & Minnesota https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263815/Lauri-Markkanen-Receiving-Interest-From-Mavs-Pelicans-Wolves-Celtics

Old School

08-10-2021, 10:24 PM

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HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/08/2021-nba-free-agents.html

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2021 free agents is below. The player’s 2021 age is in parentheses.

These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2020/21 season. They either finished the ’20/21 season on an NBA roster or were unsigned at season’s end (but appeared in at least 10 games). A small handful of other notable free agents are also listed.

Players with team or player options for the 2021/22 season are listed, unless they’re still on their rookie-scale contracts. Players whose ’21/22 salaries aren’t fully guaranteed are also listed below, since many will be candidates to be released.

You’ll be able to access this list anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Updated 8-10-21 (6:17pm CT)

Unrestricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Ryan Arcidiacono (27)
Jordan Bone (24)
Quinn Cook (28)
Dante Exum (26)
Tim Frazier (31)
Brandon Goodwin (26)
Jared Harper (24)
Shaquille Harrison (28)
Mike James (31)
Karim Mané (21)
Jeremiah Martin (25)
Emmanuel Mudiay (25)
Frank Ntilikina (23)
Chasson Randle (28)
Grant Riller (24)
Dennis Smith Jr. (24)
Jeff Teague (33)
Isaiah Thomas (32)
Brad Wanamaker (32)
Tremont Waters (23)

Shooting Guards

Avery Bradley (31)
Nate Darling (23)
Terrance Ferguson (23)
Langston Galloway (30)
Kyle Guy (24)
Caleb Homesley (25)
DaQuan Jeffries (24)
Tyler Johnson (29)
Mason Jones (23)
Courtney Lee (36)
Garrison Mathews (25)
Patrick McCaw (26)
Adam Mokoka (23)
E’Twaun Moore (32)
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (24)
J.J. Redick (37)
Jerome Robinson (24)
Iman Shumpert (31)
Deividas Sirvydis (21)
Matt Thomas (27)
Sindarius Thornwell (27)
Denzel Valentine (28)

Small Forwards

Thanasis Antetokounmpo (29)
Tyler Bey (23)
Keljin Blevins (26)
James Ennis (31)
Jaylen Hoard (22)
Justin Jackson (26)
Stanley Johnson (25)
Louis King (22)
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (26)
Caleb Martin (26)
Wesley Matthews (35)
Alfonzo McKinnie (29)
Darius Miller (31)
Theo Pinson (26)
Andre Roberson (30)
Glenn Robinson III (27)
Axel Toupane (29)
Paul Watson (27)

Power Forwards

Michael Beasley (32)
Devontae Cacok (25)
Marquese Chriss (24)
Gary Clark (27)
Tyler Cook (24)
Jared Dudley (36)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (26)
Ersan Ilyasova (34)
T.J. Leaf (24)
Paul Millsap (36)
Juwan Morgan (24)
Cameron Oliver (25)
Patrick Patterson (32)
Jontay Porter (22)
JaKarr Sampson (28)
Mike Scott (33)
Chris Silva (25)
Noah Vonleh (26)
D.J. Wilson (25)

Centers

Aron Baynes (35) *Injured Could Miss 2021/22 Season
Jordan Bell (26)
Bismack Biyombo (29)
DeMarcus Cousins (31)
Ed Davis (32)
Tacko Fall (26)
Harry Giles (23)
Isaiah Hartenstein (23)
John Henson (31)
Luke Kornet (26)
Meyers Leonard (29)
Thon Maker (24)
Justin Patton (24)
Norvel Pelle (28)

Restricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Jordan McLaughlin (25)

Shooting Guards

Hamidou Diallo (23)
Josh Hart (26)

Small Forwards

N/A

Power Forwards

Lauri Markkanen (24)
Jarred Vanderbilt (22)

Centers

N/A

Old School

08-11-2021, 01:51 PM

NBA.com https://www.nba.com/clippers/news/la-clippers-re-sign-reggie-jackson

The LA Clippers have re-signed free agent Reggie Jackson, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

“Reggie elevates our team with his energy, his confidence, and his ability to be at his best in the biggest moments,” said Frank. “He was an important part of our team last season, and he will continue to be going forward.”

Jackson, 31, appeared in 67 games (43 starts) for the Clippers last season, averaging 10.7 points, 3.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting a career-high 43.3 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-2 guard also appeared in 19 games (17 starts) in the postseason, averaging 17.8 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 40.8 percent from three and a career-high 48.4 percent from the field. During the postseason, Jackson ranked second in the NBA in total three-pointers made (58) and 10th in total points (338) and plus-minus (+107).

Jackson holds career averages of 12.6 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 628 appearances across 10 NBA seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and Clippers.

Born in Pordenone, Italy, Jackson played three collegiate seasons at Boston College before being selected by the Thunder with the 24th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. At Boston College, Jackson was named All-ACC First Team during his junior season in 2010-11.

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Old School

08-11-2021, 02:54 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/isaiah-thomas-on-lakers-radar.html

https://superbasket.gr/images/2017/Season2017-18/NBA/Lakers/thomas.jpg

The Lakers still have multiple roster spots available after overhauling their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason, and according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, free agent guard Isaiah Thomas is among the players the team is considering to fill one of those openings.

As Stein explains, it’s far from a lock that the Lakers will sign Thomas, but he’s among the targets the team is keeping its eye on in the search for “additional backcourt punch.”

Thomas generated some buzz on social media over the weekend by racking up 81 points in a Pro-Am game in Seattle. However, he has struggled to make an impact at the NBA level in recent years.

Thomas has appeared in 55 total games since the start of the 2018/19 season for the Nuggets, Wizards, and Pelicans, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.2 APG on .393/.381/.771 shooting in 21.0 minutes per contest during that time. While those numbers aren’t bad, they haven’t been enough to make up for his below-average defense and earn him a full-season rotation role.

Stein – who reported last week that the Celtics have also mulled the idea of a reunion with Thomas – says the Lakers don’t view Thomas’ failed stint alongside James with the 2017/18 Cavaliers as a deterrent, but will still have to decide how best to use their final roster spots.

Currently, Los Angeles has 12 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Joel Ayayi and Austin Reaves on two-way deals.

Old School

08-11-2021, 03:20 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/udonis-haslem-to-re-sign-with-heat.html

https://www.nba.com/heat/sites/heat/files/780x521_haslem_140718.jpg?cw=700&ch=500&w=749&h=500&x=25&y=0

Veteran big man Udonis Haslem will return for another season with the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, who says that an official announcement from the team is expected soon. It will be Haslem’s 19th season with the franchise.

A regular rotation player in Miami when the team won championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013, Haslem hasn’t appeared in more than 16 games or logged more than 130 minutes in a single season since 2015/16.

In 2020/21, he played just once, earning a cameo during the final week of the regular season. He memorably earned an ejection for a dust-up with Dwight Howard just three minutes after checking into the game.

Despite the fact that he no longer sees much action for the Heat, Haslem is a well-respected locker room presence who essentially has a standing invitation to continue signing minimum-salary contracts with the club until he decides to retire.

That day hasn’t arrived yet. The 41-year-old will spend at least one more season in the NBA and, as Winderman points out, will become the 21st player in NBA history to play in 19 seasons as long as he appears in at least one game for the Heat in 2021/22.

Once Haslem officially signs his deal, the Heat will have 14 players on guaranteed contracts. Miami could perhaps use another guard or wing, but a 15th man would put team salary over the tax line, so it’s unclear if the club intends to fill that spot, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

The Heat do have a pair of open two-way slots, which will likely be filled by undrafted free agents who impress the team in Summer League and training camp.

Old School

08-11-2021, 10:22 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/isaac-bonga-to-sign-with-raptors.html

https://www.tsn.ca/polopoly_fs/1.1680729!/fileimage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/isaac-bonga.jpg

Free agent swingman Isaac Bonga is signing with the Raptors, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.

Bonga’s deal will likely include a small guarantee and give him a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp, Murphy adds.

Bonga became an unrestricted free agent when the Wizards declined to extend him a qualifying offer. He has played for Washington the past two seasons after beginning his career with the Lakers.

The 2018 second-round pick started 49 of 66 games in 2019/20, averaging 5.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 18.9 MPG. His playing time dropped dramatically this past season, as he played in 40 games (eight starts) and posted modest stats (2.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG in 10.8 MPG). He went scoreless in 10 playoff minutes.

Bonga, 21, projects to be one of a handful of players with partial guarantees vying for roster spots in Toronto, joining the likes of Sam Dekker, Ishmail Wainright, and Yuta Watanabe.

Old School

08-12-2021, 01:09 AM

HoopsHype (click for article) https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-depth-charts-team-rotations/

With 2021 NBA free agency all but wrapped up, it’s time to start looking ahead at what teams might look like in the 2021-22 season.

Some teams made enormous pickups and changes to their rosters while others opted to run it back, perhaps waiting for the trade market to heat up later on in the summer and fall in order to make their moves.

Below, we break down every team’s depth chart the way we perceive it to be to decipher what nightly rotations for every NBA franchise might look like.

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https://www.depthcharts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/nba-depth-chart.jpg

Old School

08-12-2021, 11:38 PM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/markkanen-hart-millsap-among-top-remaining-free-agents.html

We’re now 10 days into the NBA’s 2021 free agent period, and the list of intriguing names on the open market has shrunk significantly, as has the number of open regular-season roster spots around the NBA.

Before the start of free agency, we listed 75 free agents we were keeping a close eye on this summer — our top 50 players, plus 25 others who earned honorable mention.

Of our top 50 free agents, only four remain unsigned, and three of those four are restricted. Of our 25 names who received honorable mention, just five are still on the board.

Here’s the breakdown of which of those players are still available:

Top 50:

Lauri Markkanen, F, Bulls (RFA)
Josh Hart, F, Pelicans (RFA)
Hamidou Diallo, G, Pistons (RFA)
Paul Millsap, F, Nuggets

Honorable mention:

Avery Bradley, G, Rockets
James Ennis, F, Magic
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, G, Thunder
J.J. Redick, G, Mavericks
Jarred Vanderbilt, F, Timberwolves (RFA)

The restricted free agents on these lists are the most interesting cases. I’d expect at least two or three of them to return to their current teams, but those standoffs may drag out a little longer, given the lack of leverage available to the players.

Markkanen, meanwhile, has said he wants a “fresh start,” so a sign-and-trade deal sending him elsewhere may be in the best interests of both him and the Bulls. However, it remains to be seen whether a sign-and-trade will come together, given the high asking prices put forth by both Markkanen (in terms of salary) and the Bulls (in terms of the trade return). It’s possible the free agent forward will resort to accepting his $9MM qualifying offer.

As for the veterans on this list, they may not be major impact players, but they should have no problem earning rotation roles in 2021/22 as long as they’re healthy. Millsap, in particular, would be a solid addition for any playoff team looking to fortify its frontcourt with a savvy, defensively-sound veteran.

As our running list of free agents shows, there are plenty of other noteworthy names still on the open market.

Teams seeking more backcourt help may take a look at former lottery picks Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., and Dante Exum, or veterans such as Isaiah Thomas, Langston Galloway, Jeff Teague, E’Twaun Moore, and Tyler Johnson. Jordan McLaughlin shouldn’t be overlooked either, though he’s a Timberwolves RFA who may be difficult to pry away without an overpay.

Shooters like Garrison Mathews, Wesley Matthews, and Denzel Valentine are still on the board, as are defensively versatile wings like Stanley Johnson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Andre Roberson.

Ersan Ilyasova, Patrick Patterson, and Mike Scott could be players of interest to teams looking for a frontcourt player capable of stretching the floor. DeMarcus Cousins, Bismack Biyombo, Ed Davis, and Isaiah Hartenstein are among the other big men still available.

What do you think? Which free agents still on the board – either among those we mentioned or those we didn’t – do you believe are capable of moving the needle for NBA teams this season?

Old School

08-13-2021, 02:25 AM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/kawhi-leonard-will-re-sign-with-clippers-still-discussing-terms.html

https://p5.toutiaoimg.com/large/pgc-image/474dc63cf1544762b09989a73487b7aa

Leonard has officially signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract that includes a player option in the final year, according to Haynes. The Clippers have issued a press release announcing the deal.

As our maximum-salary chart shows, the four-year contract will be worth about $176.3MM, as follows:

2021/22: $39,344,900
2022/23: $42,492,492
2023/24: $45,640,084
2024/25: $48,787,676 (Player Option)

As noted below, because Leonard only had Early Bird rights, he couldn’t sign a five-year deal, so this is the longest and largest contract he could have received this offseason.

“Kawhi is a transcendent player and a relentless worker who improves himself every day,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “We share many of the same goals, which include a long-term relationship.

“This agreement marks another important moment for our franchise and our fans, as we strive to create a championship-caliber organization, where players find the success and fulfillment they seek. We’re eager to continue building with Kawhi. For now, we will do whatever we can to support him in his recovery from injury. We look forward to seeing him back where he wants to be, on the court with teammates.”

Old School

08-13-2021, 04:45 AM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947084-ranking-the-10-worst-signings-of-2021-nba-free-agency

Ranking The 10 Worst Signings Of 2021 NBA Free Agency

The 2021 NBA offseason was never going to be remembered as the summer of free-agency regrets.

Most teams lacked significant cap space. Some that had it were without the win-now motivations to spend it aggressively. The select few still ready to splurge largely recognized there wasn't a lot of splurge-worthy talent available.

That being said, not everyone got it right.

Some spent unnecessary premiums on salaries. Others let deals stretch deeper into the future than they should have.

In the grand scheme, few may be remembered as bad signings. They aren't attached to bad players, and the fits are mostly fine.

Objectively weighed against this summer's other spending, though, these deals don't quite seem as valuable as the others that were inked.

10. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns

The Contract: Four years, $120 million

This is where it's worth reiterating that we aren't talking about bad players or even necessarily bad decisions. The Suns had to come out of this offseason with a new pact for the Point God; the fanbase may have revolted without it.

Paul's transformational touch helped Phoenix rise out of a decade-long playoff drought and into the NBA Finals. He coaxed significant, sustainable growth out of this young core and took the team to places beyond its wildest dreams.

And yet, the sticker shock here is unavoidable—even if the Suns safeguarded themselves a bit with a partial guarantee on the third season and no guarantee on the fourth.

Paul's 36th birthday came before the Finals run. He might turn 40 before this contract is up. He doesn't have a spotless health record either, having missed double-digit games in three of the past five seasons. Father Time could come for him at any moment—it seemed that might be happening in 2018-19 when he averaged just 15.6 points on 41.9 percent shooting—so the Suns will hope to reap as much value as possible before that happens.

9. Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat

The Contract: Three years, $85 million

Let's get off to a jarring start, shall we?

Some will be shocked to see Lowry listed here, as others will identify his sign-and-trade to South Beach as one of this summer's best moves. It should certainly rank among the most impactful, as his on-court ability and obvious #Culture fit—his tenacity is right up this team's alley, and he's a close friend of franchise face, Jimmy Butler—could put the Heat right on the cusp of championship contention.

From a value perspective, though, this may not pass the smell test.

This is a long, rich deal for anyone, let alone a 35-year-old who has topped 65 games once in the past five seasons and just posted his worst box plus/minus (and fewest win shares) in more than a decade. It's debatable if he's worth a near $30 million salary now and has virtually no chance of measuring up to his 2023-24 money.

8. Daniel Theis, Houston Rockets

The Contract: Four years, $36 million

Something drew the Rockets to Theis. It's just tough to tell what that might have been.

The contract is hard to decipher. Why four years? That kind of commitment might make sense if he had untapped potential, but he's a 29-year-old with four seasons of NBA work, so...nope. It also might work if Houston wanted to lock him into a role on a perennial playoff participant, but the Rockets just posted a .236 winning percentage. These are the early stages of a top-to-bottom rebuild.

Maybe Houston sees some value in Theis being a temporary placeholder who can tutor the likes of Christian Wood, Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba, but again, does that role take four years to execute? Some might argue Theis is tradeable at this rate, but for what kind of return? The Boston Celtics sent him out at the deadline for only Moritz Wagner and Luke Kornet—and Theis was on an expiring, $5 million salary.

Theis is...fine. No, really, he logged 1,601 minutes this past season and delivered a perfectly average 15.0 player efficiency rating in them. Modern teams don't need to commit this kind of money or this many years to average bigs.

7. Zach Collins, San Antonio Spurs

The Contract: Three years, $22 million

The Spurs just spent $22 million on the idea of Collins. Even in the wacky world of NBA economics, that's an overpay.

Reality shows the 23-year-old already fighting to salvage his career, and it's been a losing battle each of the past two seasons. He suited up a total of 11 times in that stretch, first recovering from surgery on his left shoulder and then fighting a left ankle problem that has required three separate surgeries in the past year.

The Portland Trail Blazers saw too much risk to extend Collins his $7 million qualifying offer, despite lacking the cap space to sign a significant replacement. The Spurs pressed on, apparently buying into Collins not only staying healthy but becoming the player the Blazers long hoped he could be.

Of course, that's another way of saying Collins isn't that player right now. He owns career averages of 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds across 154 contests, plus a forgettable 44.4/32.4/72.2 shooting slash. This signing should probably rank even higher, but a team can only hurt itself so much with a commitment of this level.

6. Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat

The Contract: Five years, $89.9 million

The Heat needed Robinson more than he needed them. Their offense is already squeezed for spacing—and always will be with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo at the center of it—and had they lost Robinson's prolific perimeter stroke, they would have struggled to find viable replacements.

They're clearly all-in on this core and have essentially signaled money is no object in pursuit of this group's potential. If you want to tip your cap, note that it's #NotMyMoney and credit the front office for a highly productive offseason, you can do that.

We just can't.

We're here to weigh contract values, and it's hard to get behind the idea of throwing $89.9 million at a 27-year-old specialist with effectively two NBA seasons under his belt. Robinson is exceptional at that specialty, bagging the NBA's third-most triples and splashing at a 42.7 percent clip since the start of last season.

But he's not someone who can create offense (for himself or his teammates), doesn't rebound much and improved to reach a serviceable level on defense. It made a lot of sense for Miami to keep him because his shooting and off-ball movement are critical components of the offense, but the salary seems high for his skill set and the length seems unnecessarily long for a role player.

5. Kelly Olynyk, Detroit Pistons

The Contract: Three years, $37.2 million

While the Pistons got the last laugh on 2020's similarly stunning signing of Jerami Grant, history won't repeat itself with Olynyk.

For starters, the 30-year-old offers nothing when it comes to upside, which is what a young, rebuilding team like Detroit should be chasing. Sure, he had a great 27-game run late last season with the tank-tastic Houston Rockets, but they wagered his production wouldn't nudge too many wins their direction and it didn't. The Rockets went 5-23 following his debut.

The lack of potential with Olynyk is tied to his age, which again makes him a strange target for this team. While the Pistons should be playing the long game (and are with much of their roster), Olynyk is racing against the clock to capitalize on what's left of his prime. His best basketball will stop well before his teammates' starts.

Finally, it's hard to see a great bail-out option if (when?) it becomes obvious Olynyk was a poor fit. He is hard to hide on defense, since he doesn't protect the basket and can't switch out onto perimeter players. That lessens the impact of the offensive skills he does provide (primarily, floor spacing and secondary distributing) and plugs him into an offensive reserve role, which isn't an itch winning teams should pay this much to scratch.

4. Devonte' Graham, New Orleans Pelicans

The Contract: Four years, $47.3 million

In a vacuum, this contract isn't egregious for Graham, a lights-out three-point shooter who can create out of pick-and-rolls. It might be on the high end given his two-way limitations as a 6'1", 195-pounder who lacks length and explosion, but the pay rate alone doesn't make it jump off the page.

Once you factor in the total cost for the Pelicans, though, it gets rough real quick.

For starters, it's hard to separate Graham's arrival from Lonzo Ball's departure, since the former should step into the starting role vacated by the latter. Can anyone explain why the Pelicans let Ball walk? He's a 23-year-old who can shoot, distribute and defend, plus Crescent City centerpiece Zion Williamson wanted Ball to stay. The Pels let him walk and didn't even get a first-round pick back.

Meanwhile, they did sacrifice a future first for the right to overpay Graham, who might only be keeping the seat warm until Kira Lewis Jr. or Nickeil Alexander-Walker forces their way into his spot. It's just confusing all around for the Pelicans, who didn't need a confusing offseason with all of the uneasiness around Williamson.

3. Evan Fournier, New York Knicks

The Contract: Four years, $78 million

It's tempting to snicker at New York's summer and chalk it up to how the Knicks are always gonna Knick. That's partly because the Knicks seemingly did a decent amount of Knicking, spending significant sums to keep together a core that followed a solid regular season (.569 winning percentage) with a swift playoff exit (4-1 series loss to the Atlanta Hawks).

But New York's internal spending was largely forgivable, as the club smartly tacked team options onto the third season of the contracts for Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks. Fournier has a team option on his deal too, though not before he'll collect a massive amount of money for what he brings.

He's a good shooter, solid scorer and decent complementary passer, but he isn't elite in any one area and might be below average when everything is tied together.

He has a subpar 14.0 career PER and a negative BPM across nine NBA seasons. He has only reached the playoffs four times and never advanced past the opening round, and while some of that could be attributed to his team, it's worth noting they've been outscored by 1.9 points per 100 possessions over his career. They've fared better with him than without, but not enough to change their fate (plus-1.5).

He's not a difference-maker, so why are the Knicks paying him like one?

2. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

The Contract: Five years, $100 million

It takes a lot for a modern center to be worth a $20 million salary. The conditions have to be near perfect, and they're simply nowhere close for Allen in Cleveland.

For starters, the Cavs just used the No. 3 pick on a player at the same position, Evan Mobley. Now, Cleveland fans will say the two bigs can share the floor in a twin-towers model, but how can the Cavs find proper spacing with that frontcourt?

Oh, and let's not forget small forward Isaac Okoro, last year's No. 5 pick, isn't a shooter, either. Or that despite spending consecutive top-10 picks on point guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, the Cavs don't have the kind of floor general who can make the most of an imperfect offense. For all of the holes Mobley and Allen might plug defensively, they could create just as much congestion on offense.

Allen is a rim-runner. He's good at his gig, but it's a pretty limited role teams don't invest a ton of resources into anymore. Tack on the fact that he was a restricted free agent, and who else was going to give him this kind of coin? Who were the Cavaliers bidding against? Allen surely had a market, but a nine-figure one? That's hard to imagine, which could mute his trade market if (when?) Cleveland decides he doesn't fit with Mobley.

1. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls

The Contract: Three years, $85 million

The gap between any two spots on these rankings might be the widest at the top. Look past DeRozan's per-game production (21.6 points and 6.9 assists), and you'll see a 32-year-old who's a poor fit with his new club and limited in worrisome ways for someone aging past his prime.

He has never been a great (or even good) defender, and that deficiency won't get better with time (or while playing alongside similar sieves in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic). DeRozan's growth as a playmaker won't be easily utilized in Chicago, as LaVine, Vucevic and Lonzo Ball all need significant touches. Moving DeRozan off the ball only highlights his limited shooting range (career 28.1 percent from three) and shrinks the floor.

Those are just the issues of fit. The costs are what make this the worst of the worst. There were hopes in league circles DeRozan might be open to taking the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception for a chance to contend, per B/R's Jake Fischer. DeRozan seemingly fueled those hopes telling Fox Sports' Shannon Sharpe, "I've been fortunate to make a lot of money, but at this point, the ultimate goal is to compete for a championship."

So much for that idea. The Bulls should be better next season, but better as in maybe competing for the sixth or seventh seed in the East. That's probably why DeRozan didn't give any type of discount, instead collecting an average salary north of $28 million. And the money isn't the only cost, since Chicago also parted with Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a future first-round pick and two future seconds in the sign-and-trade.

Yikes. You could argue that Young, who will cost $14.2 million next season, contributes more to winning than DeRozan. It's at the very least debatable, which just further shows how poorly Chicago mismanaged the summer's worst signing.

Old School

08-13-2021, 05:12 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWBd1uzWz88
(LA Lakers Video) Intro Press Conference: Carmelo Anthony

Silver Screen And Roll https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/8/11/22620678/carmelo-anthony-lebron-james-free-agency-pitch-lakers-nba-banana-boat-crew

https://www.nba.com/lakers/sites/lakers/files/2122_lal_mktg_freeagency_melo_756x440.jpg

Carmelo Anthony reveals LeBron James’ free agency pitch to join Lakers: ‘The time is now’

After years of circling the franchise and off-court friend LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony finally joined the Lakers this summer after one pitch from James.

Despite long being considered a member of the Banana Boat Crew, Carmelo Anthony was not in the original photo. While friends LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade sat atop an inflatable banana on a vacation in 2015, it was Wade’s wife Gabrielle Union, not Anthony, taking up the fourth spot in the almost instantly viral photograph.

Even still, the quartet of friends has long been linked together when it came to free agency and trade rumors. While James and Wade, obviously, played together in Miami for multiple years and for a half-season in Cleveland, neither Paul nor Anthony had teamed up with their friends on an NBA court.

With Wade already retired, each passing season marked one step closer to the end of the careers for the remaining trio. This summer, it meant the calls for Anthony, an unrestricted free agent long linked to the Lakers, to join James as the Lakers look to fill their roster with veteran minimum players.

As Anthony said on Monday as he was introduced as a Laker for the first time, playing with his friend and for the Lakers was a matter of timing and, at last, it was finally right this summer.

“I mean, for years we’ve always laughed about it and spoke about it what it would be like,” he said. “We had a little bit of experience with USA Basketball and playing together but that’s totally different than in a situation like this. But we’ve always talked about it, laughed and joked about it. But I thought and he thought at this moment, now, everything comes back full circle for us and I think the time is now for us to be on the same team. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

After the trade for Russell Westbrook, the Lakers’ roster was barren. At the same time, with over $120 million due to Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis, convincing players to take veterans minimum deals was the likeliest way for the Lakers to land free agents.

Enter Anthony, a player who has played on a minimum deal for the last two seasons in Portland after being effectively exiled from the league for a year. Surprisingly, James’ recruitment of his longtime friend to join the Lakers was not persistent. It was, instead, one simple message.

“Once (the Lakers) reached out, I was with Bron a couple of times and I’m sure everybody thought we were talking about it,” Anthony said, “but we never had no conversations about it. Bron came to me one time and just said ‘The time is now. I want you. We got to make this happen’ and I took that information and took that dialogue and took my time with it and weighed all the options. I just felt like for right now, I think this was the best time for us. I mean, most people will say we should have got together years ago early in our career but we were in two different lanes, we were on two different paths. Everything came full circle.”

Anthony’s history with the Lakers is similarly littered with near misses. In 2011, the Lakers discussed a trade for Anthony in Denver. In 2014, the Lakers pulled out all the stops in free agency to try to lure Anthony away from the Knicks. In 2018 as Anthony was playing his final games in Houston before what would become a year-long break, the rumors swirled of a James-Anthony reunion.

Finally, after a decade of circling each other, the Lakers and Anthony found common ground.

“Every year there is so much movement in NBA,” Anthony said. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen. One player is always connected with one organization somewhere whether they’re there or not. And it seemed like, just throughout my whole career, I’ve always been connected with the Lakers someway, somehow. Whether it was still my brother Kobe, regardless of what it is, I’ve always been connected to them someway somehow.

“It wasn’t really no pitch this time. I think it was just more of an understanding. Like, okay, the time is now for both parties to merge and both parties to meet and come together and let’s put this thing together. There’s a lot of understanding on my behalf. There’s a lot of understanding on the Lakers behalf and the organization.”

It won’t be the young, athletic forward from the Nuggets or the lethal midrange scorer from the Knicks that joins the Lakers. It won’t be a player scapegoated and left watching the NBA from afar, either. It’ll be a version of Anthony that, even entering the 19th year of his career, can still be a positive player alongside a friend and for a franchise...now that the timing is finally right.

Old School

08-13-2021, 05:20 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l88k0XuHo4
(LA Lakers Video) Intro Press Conference: Russell Westbrook

CBS Sports https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/russell-westbrook-discusses-playing-for-hometown-lakers-everything-coming-full-circle-for-me/

https://www.nba.com/lakers/sites/lakers/files/2122_lal_mktg_freeagency_westbrook_756x440.jpg?cw=720&ch=419&w=720&h=419&x=0&y=0

Like many young players in the NBA, Russell Westbrook always wanted to play for his hometown team, and now he will have an opportunity to do just that. Westbrook, who is a California native and attended college at UCLA, was recently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and to say that he's excited for the opportunity to suit up for the franchise that he grew up rooting for is an understatement.

"It's surreal," Westbrook said of joining the Lakers during his introductory press conference with the team, via ESPN. "I think it still hasn't hit me yet, being from L.A., growing up not too far from here and being able to watch the parades -- try to go to them, try to miss school to try to go to them. Being a Laker fan and being from L.A., but now everything coming full circle for me.

"Being from L.A., you always wish that you can play for your home team and be able to do that," Westbrook added "But that's definitely something that always kind of circled around in my mind. And maybe one day. But I would always come back and be like, 'Ahh, that probably won't happen.' I just had to wait and see. But now that we're here, I'm going to take full advantage of it."

After competing against him for well over a decade -- including in the 2012 NBA Finals -- Westbrook is especially eager to play alongside Lakers star forward LeBron James. Westbrook and James actually met weeks before the trade to discuss potentially playing together in L.A., and they came away feeling that they could make it work, despite the fact that both have been ball-dominant players throughout their careers.

"Bron is one of the best players to play this game, and his ability to be able to kind of do everything on the floor allows me to be able to just figure it out," Westbrook said. "I'm coming to a championship-caliber team and my job is to make sure that I'm able to make his game easier for him, and I'll find ways to do that throughout the game.

"As it pertains to ball-handling, it really doesn't matter. There's many different ways you can impact the game without having the ball in your hands. I've been able to do that for a number of years, and we'll figure it out."

It's not just James, either, as Westbrook is also bullish on the rest of the roster, which includes other veterans like Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol and Trevor Ariza. Given their sheer talent and experience, the Lakers will likely be favored to come out of the Western Conference next season.

"The roster is great," Westbrook said. "A bunch of guys I've already known, which is even better. I'm always looking at the roster and figuring out how I can make other guys better, simple as that," then I'll find ways to do that with the roster. I'm really looking forward to getting with the guys and figuring it out."

Westbrook is a former league MVP and a nine-time All-Star. He has led the league in scoring twice and assists three times, and he has recorded the most triple-doubles ever. In other words, he has pretty much every individual accolade that one would want. The only thing missing from his resume is a title and, with the Lakers, he has an excellent opportunity to potentially win one with the team he grew up rooting for. You can't blame him for being excited.

Old School

08-13-2021, 10:05 PM

HoopsRumors https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263850/Lance-Stephenson-Holding-Private-Workout-For-NBA-Teams

Free agent swingman Lance Stephenson is holding a private workout for NBA teams in Las Vegas on Friday morning, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

According to Haynes, the Bucks, Nuggets, Sixers, and Nets are among the teams expected to have representatives in attendance at the workout.

Stephenson, who has appeared in over 500 regular season NBA games and another 57 playoff contests across nine seasons, hasn’t played in the league since 2018/19, when he made 68 appearances for the Lakers.

In his prime, Stephenson was a secondary scorer and play-maker who provided toughness and defensive versatility on the wing. Despite his two-year absence from the NBA, the 6’6″ guard/forward hasn’t given up on trying to get back into the league and believes he’s still capable of helping teams.

While it remains to be seen whether any of the four teams mentioned above – or any others – will seriously consider bringing Stephenson to training camp, it’s worth noting he was one of the players on Denver’s radar last spring when the club was seeking backcourt help following injuries to Jamal Murray and Will Barton, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. The Nuggets ended up signing Austin Rivers instead.

https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lance-Stephenson-1024x574.jpeg

Old School

08-13-2021, 10:14 PM

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2021/08/13/bucks-resign-thanasis-antetokounmpo-play-brother-giannis/8120686002/

https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/PjDXfLHKcxP5CGbQJzHHtQ--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD0yODg7dz01MTQ7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-08/89b84ac0-fc7d-11eb-bffd-7e938ac08787

The Bucks are re-signing Thanasis Antetokounmpo to reunite the 'Antetokounmbros'

The "Antetokounmbros" will run it back for the Milwaukee Bucks next season.

The team announced on Friday it has re-signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo. According to ESPN and The Athletic, it is a two-year deal with a player option for the second year.

“Thanasis brings energy, effort and tenacity every minute of every game,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “He’s a valuable part of our team and we’re excited to have him remain in Milwaukee.”

The 6-foot-6 forward has spent two seasons in Milwaukee. He has appeared in 77 regular-season games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.8 minutes.

Antetokounmpo, 29, played in 13 playoff games as the Bucks earned their first NBA title in 50 years, al though he missed the first-round series against the Miami Heat with a right knee injury and the final two games of the NBA Finals due to COVID protocols.

Antetokounmpo is a high-energy presence on the bench during games and has been an active defender and rebounder when he's seen minutes. But his main role is as confidant, hype man and sounding board for his younger brother, two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The siblings have a tight bond after surviving a poverty-stricken childhood in Greece. Thanasis was the first family member to play professional basketball in the United States, appearing in the NBA's developmental league for two years before signing a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks in the 2015-16 season. After three seasons in overseas leagues, Thanasis joined the Bucks to play with Giannis in 2019-20.

Thanasis was quarantined when the Bucks won the title in Game 6 at Fiserv Forum, but Giannis made sure to FaceTime his brother during the celebration. At the championship parade a few days later, Thanasis followed behind the buses in his car. Since then, the Antetokounmpo brothers spent time in Greece and were in Las Vegas this week to see younger brother Alex play for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA summer league.

Earlier this week, the Bucks announced the signing of second-round pick Georgios Kalaitzakis, a 6-7 forward from Greece who was the last selection in the NBA draft.

The Bucks have 16 players under contract, plus second-round pick Sandro Mamukelashvili on a two-way deal that will allow him to bounce between the G League and the NBA. Milwaukee will have to get down to 15 players before next season, although they can still add another two-way contract. Elijah Bryant and Mamadi Diakite are both on non-guaranteed deals.

Old School

08-14-2021, 09:58 AM

Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947181-ranking-the-10-best-signings-of-2021-nba-free-agency

https://www.bettingblogger.com/files/2021/06/NBA-Free-Agent-Period.jpg

Ranking the 10 Best Signings of 2021 NBA Free Agency

The 2021 version of NBA free agency is effectively finished.

As usual, a few players find themselves caught in restricted free agency (Lauri Markkanen, Josh Hart) and a handful of past-their-prime vets are presumably weighing their options (JJ Redick, Paul Millsap, Wesley Matthews).

By and large, though, teams have spent the money they're going to spend. Some invested it more wisely than others.

That's a subjective take, of course, but it weighs objective items like production, pay rate and potential to improve over the life of the pact. These aren't necessarily the 10 moves that improved teams the most or the ones with the greatest league-wide impact, but rather those offering the best marriage of economic and on-court value.

10. Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks

The Contract: Three years, $30 million (partial guarantee on third season)

On the surface, giving an eight-figure salary to a 30-year-old with a single-digit career scoring average maybe doesn't look like the best business decision. But the late-blooming Bullock—he wasn't a rotation regular until his fifth NBA season—is a reliable wing who can splash open shots and hold his own defensively.

That skill set isn't cheap. It's more or less what netted Gary Trent Jr. a three-year, $54 million deal from the Toronto Raptors this summer.

This past season, Bullock averaged a career-high 2.5 threes, which he connected on at a 41.0 percent clip, and posted a personal best with 2.3 defensive win shares. This is a smart investment for the Mavs to make, as they've long needed more two-way wings on the roster.

9. Jeff Green, Denver Nuggets

The Contract: Two years, $10 million

Green deserved some stability having already played for 10 different teams in his career, including eight in just the past six seasons. The Nuggets gave him that with a two-year commitment and handed him an overdue raise from his seemingly annual veteran's minimum pacts.

And yet he's still worth more than his salary.

He connects plenty of dots as a well-seasoned vet who adds value in multiple ways at both ends of the court. He plays and defends both the 4 and 5 spots, drains long-distance shots (a career-high 41.2 percent of them last season) and still has enough to juice to demolish defenders at the rim. The Nuggets will get significant mileage from him both alongside and in relief of MVP Nikola Jokic.

8. Kendrick Nunn, Los Angeles Lakers

The Contract: Two years, $10.3 million (player option on second season)

When The Athletic's John Hollinger projected pay rates for this year's free agents, he saw Nunn collecting a salary north of $11 million. The Lakers won't even have to pay him that much across two seasons, and they can thank their contending credentials and experienced roster for that.

"Just that chance to go out there and win a ring. A good chance, a great chance to win a ring. I wanted to be in that position again and also just to help my teammates and learn from them," Nunn said of his decision, via Silver Screen & Roll. "I look at the roster around and I'm one of the younger guys, so I'm going to be a sponge to a lot of these guys in the locker room and just continue to grow and develop my game."

Nunn could be a more consistently engaged defender and willing passer, but he's also someone who just averaged 14.6 points on 48.5/38.1/93.3 as an NBA sophomore. His scoring punch and shooting stroke are for real, and if the Lakers can help iron out the rest of this game, they'll turn this from a bargain to outright larceny—even if Nunn plays well enough the first season to opt out of the second.

7. Nicolas Batum, Los Angeles Clippers

The Contract: Two years, $6.3 million

After languishing for a year on the Kemba Walker-less Charlotte Hornets, Batum broke free in November, latched on with the Clippers and quickly reminded everyone of all the ways he positively impacts a winning team.

Win-now shoppers took note. The Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers all chased Batum in free agency, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

But Batum returned to the Clippers on a more than reasonable rate that's closer to the minimum than the mid-level exception he could have commanded. The 32-year-old's best days might be behind him, but he's still a steady source of spacing (40.4 percent from three last season), secondary playmaking and defensive versatility.

6. Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks

The Contract: Two years, $8.9 million (player option on second season)

For the second successive summer, Portis left money on the table to sign with the Bucks. Last time around, his decision helped Milwaukee capture its first NBA title in 50 years.

He's the Bucks' biggest energizer, but he has more game than the label implies. It's hard to pick out the most impressive part of his 2020-21 stat sheet: was it his 52.3 field-goal percentage, 47.1 percent connection rate from three or his per-36-minutes supplies of 19.8 points and 12.2 rebounds?

Milwaukee doesn't need to decide, because it's getting all of the above at a deeply discounted rate. And at this rate, if Portis declines his option for 2022-23, he'll apparently just circle back to the Bucks again. Signing Portis to this contract in the same summer Kelly Olynyk scored a three-year, $37 million deal and always-injured Zach Collins made $22 million is wild.

5. Bruce Brown, Brooklyn Nets

The Contract: One year, $4.7 million

Brown was never going to be the easiest player to price in free agency, since so much of what he does takes place away from the stat sheet. He captained this season's Luke Walton All-Star Team, an annual exercise from ESPN's Zach Lowe spotlighting under-the-radar players who starred in their roles.

Brown's versatility stood out even in this increasingly positionless league. He essentially functioned as both a screen-setting "big" on offense (as a 6'4", 202-pounder) and perimeter stopper at the other end. More than anything, he found ways to fit, be that attacking the glass, slipping through the cracks on offense or even supplying some secondary playmaking.

"He's a glue guy," Jim Larranaga, Brown's coach at the University of Miami, told Lowe. "He's an amoeba. He changes form. He's the best rebounding guard I've ever coached."

Brown is...well, too important to a winning team to get a salary of this size (his qualifying offer). He could rank even higher if the contract had any length to it, but the salary is such a bargain, he's still a top-five steal on a one-year deal.

4. Patty Mills, Brooklyn Nets

The Contract: Two years, $12.1 million (player option on second season)

Back-to-back Nets? Have a summer, Sean Marks.

Brown seemed likely to stick around in some capacity, but the move for Mills was a stunner—and a steal. Adding him to what was already the Association's most efficient attack feels unfair. Doing it for the modest rate of $6 million per season, and while keeping him away from the Lakers, is just masterful work by this front office.

Mills comes to Brooklyn boasting a lethal long-range shot (career 38.8 percent), the ability to steer a second-team offense and loads of playoff experience, including a 2014 title run with the San Antonio Spurs. He could have a similar impact (albeit without quite the same numbers) as Derrick Rose, who's the same age as Mills, has a terrifying injury history and will cost the New York Knicks $43 million over the next three seasons.

It's possible (if not probable) Mills outperforms his salary to the degree that declining his player option becomes a no-brainer. It's also possible (again, if not probable) his efforts will have contributed to a championship run, so you won't hear the Nets complaining.

3. Kemba Walker, New York Knicks

The Contract: Two years, $17.9 million

Who wants to start with a disclaimer? Well, too bad, we're going there first to get a couple things out of the way.

One, Walker's pay rate is distorted by his buy out from the Oklahoma City Thunder. His finances were taken care of before signing with the Knicks, so he didn't have to squeeze them for every dollar. Two, because he arrived late to free agency, a lot of win-now spenders had already completed their shopping. Maybe the Bronx native still would've taken a club-friendly contract from the Knicks, but his market wasn't what it could have been.

With that out of the way...Wow. He might be 31 years old and in a lengthy battle with his left knee, but just—wow. When he's right, he's about as potent as they come. He wasn't 100 percent this past season (and often looked nowhere near it) and still found his way to 19.3 points, 3.0 three-pointers and 4.9 assists per game. For context, six other players hit those marks across the entire league.

As good as the signings have been to this point, Walker is on a different tier. This is where it shifts from good value for a solid role player to great contract for a possible star. It's hard to imagine there were two better signings this summer, but Walker's age and ongoing knee issues kept him from climbing any higher.

2. Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls

The Contract: Four years, $80 million (player option on fourth season)

The Bulls needed to find a ball-mover this offseason. Ideally, the player could defend multiple positions and splash three-balls, too. Oh, and if he could somehow fit their win-now timeline and still provide value when Patrick Williams hits this peak, that would be phenomenal.

Well, somehow Chicago checked all of the above boxes while poaching a 23-year-old restricted free agent and paying him below-market money. Also, Ball is someone that New Orleans Pelicans' franchise player Zion Williamson publicly said he wanted them to keep.

So...yeah, still not quite sure how the Bulls got this done. But kudos to Arturas Karnisovas and the rest of this front office for giving this group exactly what it needed.

In the Windy City, Ball will liven up the transition attack, lock down the perimeter defensively and make life easier on Chicago's shot-creators (Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan) as a vastly improved outside shooter (37.6 percent since the start of last season). Ball can help the Bulls win now and perhaps reach centerpiece status down the line.

If not for a buzzer-beating megabargain in Boston, this would've been the summer's best signing by a comfortable margin.

1. Dennis Schroder, Boston Celtics

The Contract: One year, $5.9 million

Schroder misreading of his market is Boston's big gain.

Back in March, the point guard turned down a four-year, $84 million extension offer from the Lakers. The decision looks disastrous with hindsight, but at the time it was defensible—if a bit optimistic. If nothing else, L.A. seemed destined to pay him virtually whatever he wanted with no obvious means of replacing him. Then, the Lakers pulled off the stunning trade for Westbrook, the point guard market evaporated and, well, here we are.

People can debate whether Schroder is worth a $20 million salary, but it wouldn't have been shocking to see someone give him that kind of coin. He's one of only 16 players to tally 6,000 points and 1,500 assists since the start of 2016-17, despite starting just 63 percent of his games over that five-season stretch. He's a potent offensive weapon, especially when his threes drop. They didn't fall enough last season but did plenty the previous year (125 triples at a 38.5 percent clip).

In other words, his talents are worth more than $6 million—a lot more. This market might have disagreed, but most wouldn't. He could be the third-best player on the Celtics, a club that will expect to make the playoffs and could make some noise upon arrival. Their chances of doing so improved dramatically as soon as the ink dried on this summer's best signing.

Old School

08-14-2021, 10:15 AM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/08/2021-nba-free-agents.html

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2021 free agents is below. The player’s 2021 age is in parentheses.

These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2020/21 season. They either finished the ’20/21 season on an NBA roster or were unsigned at season’s end (but appeared in at least 10 games). A small handful of other notable free agents are also listed.

Players with team or player options for the 2021/22 season are listed, unless they’re still on their rookie-scale contracts. Players whose ’21/22 salaries aren’t fully guaranteed are also listed below, since many will be candidates to be released.

You’ll be able to access this list anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Ryan Arcidiacono (27)
Jordan Bone (24)
Quinn Cook (28)
Dante Exum (26)
Tim Frazier (31)
Brandon Goodwin (26)
Jared Harper (24)
Shaquille Harrison (28)
Karim Mané (21)
Jeremiah Martin (25)
Emmanuel Mudiay (25)
Frank Ntilikina (23)
Chasson Randle (28)
Dennis Smith Jr. (24)
Jeff Teague (33)
Isaiah Thomas (32)
Brad Wanamaker (32)
Tremont Waters (23)

Shooting Guards

Avery Bradley (31)
Nate Darling (23)
Terrance Ferguson (23)
Langston Galloway (30)
Kyle Guy (24)
Caleb Homesley (25)
DaQuan Jeffries (24)
Tyler Johnson (29)
Mason Jones (23)
Courtney Lee (36)
Garrison Mathews (25)
Patrick McCaw (26)
Adam Mokoka (23)
E’Twaun Moore (32)
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (24)
J.J. Redick (37)
Jerome Robinson (24)
Iman Shumpert (31)
Deividas Sirvydis (21)
Cassius Stanley (22)
Matt Thomas (27)
Sindarius Thornwell (27)
Denzel Valentine (28)

Small Forwards

Tyler Bey (23)
Keljin Blevins (26)
James Ennis (31)
Jaylen Hoard (22)
Justin Jackson (26)
Stanley Johnson (25)
Louis King (22)
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (26)
Caleb Martin (26)
Wesley Matthews (35)
Alfonzo McKinnie (29)
Darius Miller (31)
Theo Pinson (26)
Andre Roberson (30)
Glenn Robinson III (27)
Axel Toupane (29)
Paul Watson (27)

Power Forwards

Michael Beasley (32)
Devontae Cacok (25)
Marquese Chriss (24)
Gary Clark (27)
Tyler Cook (24)
Jared Dudley (36)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (26)
Ersan Ilyasova (34)
T.J. Leaf (24)
Paul Millsap (36)
Juwan Morgan (24)
Cameron Oliver (25)
Patrick Patterson (32)
Jontay Porter (22)
JaKarr Sampson (28)
Mike Scott (33)
Chris Silva (25)
Noah Vonleh (26)
D.J. Wilson (25)

Centers

Aron Baynes (35) *Injured May Miss 2021-22 Season
Jordan Bell (26)
Bismack Biyombo (29)
DeMarcus Cousins (31)
Ed Davis (32)
Tacko Fall (26)
Harry Giles (23)
Isaiah Hartenstein (23)
John Henson (31)
Luke Kornet (26)
Meyers Leonard (29)
Thon Maker (24)
Justin Patton (24)
Norvel Pelle (28)

Restricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Jordan McLaughlin (25)

Shooting Guards

Hamidou Diallo (23)

Small Forwards

N/A

Power Forwards

Lauri Markkanen (24)
Jarred Vanderbilt (22)

Centers

N/A

Old School

08-14-2021, 09:57 PM

NBC Sports https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/14/seven-nba-veteran-free-agents-still-available-hart-markkanen-more/

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

NBA free agency is basically over.

While the attention of the basketball world turned to Tokyo and then NBA Summer League, teams rounded out their roster and now most are down to offering a few minimum contracts.

Still, there are some quality NBA veterans who can help a team — particularly a contender — still available. Here are seven top free agents still available right now.

1. SG Josh Hart (Restricted)

Hart is this season’s prime example of the leverage teams have with restricted free agency. Plenty of teams could use Hart as a quality backup wing — he averaged 9.2 points and eight boards a game off the bench for the Pelicans last season — but all those teams knew the Pelicans would match any reasonable offer, so no offer sheets have arrived. There have been some rumors about Hart being a key piece in a sign-and-trade between the Pelicans and Kings that would bring Buddy Hield to New Orleans, but so far that has been more smoke than fire. Hart could up back in the Big Easy.

2. PF Lauri Markkanen (Restricted)

Markkanen wants a fresh start somewhere far away from Chicago.

https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes
Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes (Aug 6)
Bulls restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen tells Finnish journalist
@AJ_Sipila he wants out of Chicago: “We have offers from several different teams. I want a fresh start to my NBA career somewhere else.”

The Bulls — who have his rights as a restricted free agent — would be happy to give Markkanen that fresh start through a sign-and-trade. Markkanen appears to have misread the market, he wanted around $14 million a year and a larger role than he had with the Bulls, but neither of those things are now (or have been) on the table for him. A lot of rumors about the Pelicans bringing him in as a backup stretch four, and with their $17 million trade exception they can just sign him to an offer sheet the Bulls don’t want to match. Or, the sides can figure out a sign-and-trade. Minnesota also remains interested.

3. PF Paul Millsap (Unrestricted)

Millsap is a four who can defend, hit threes, and is strong on the glass — he could help teams in a limited role off the bench, but so far nothing has come together. Last season he averaged 9 points and 4.7 rebounds a game in Denver, hitting 34.3% from 3. He is 36, so it is likely a one-year deal, but he can help teams. There have been rumors about a return to the Hawks, with the Warriors and Celtics mentioned in some quarters, but no deal has yet been struck.

4. SF James Ennis (Unrestricted)

Long Beach State’s own Ennis (Go Beach!) started 37 games last season in Orlando, scoring 8.7 points a game, shooting 43.3% from 3, and is a serviceable defender — he is a solid NBA rotation player at a position of need on the wing. There has been talk about the Lakers bringing Ennis back to Southern California, but so far neither that nor anything else has come together for the seven-year NBA veteran. This is a good pick-up for some team on a minimum contract.

5. SG Avery Bradley (Unrestricted)

Bradley never quite found a comfort level last season in either Miami or Houston due to a calf strain, and for the season averaged 6.4 points per game, shooting 32.7% from 3, both below his career averages. The Rockets chose not to pick up his $5.9 million option. Still, a good on-ball defender at the two guard, there is a role for him in the NBA. Rumors of a return to the Lakers and Celtics have floated around, and he would make sense as a veteran bench player on a contender rounding out its roster.

6. SG JJ Redick (Unrestricted)

He may be 37 and may have lost half-a-step, but the man can shoot the rock — 7.4 points per game on 37.1% from 3 last season — and that remains a very valuable skill. Plus, he’s strong in the locker room. He battled injuries last season, which makes teams hesitant, and he wants to play closer to home in New York, which would limit his offers. Redick himself said on his podcast that he is likely to join a team once the season is underway.

“I would say, pretty much definitively, like, I won’t be in a training camp to start the season. That’s not gonna happen. So, you know, I’ll join a team at some point this season and finish the year and try to go get a chip. That’s the plan.”

7. SG Wesley Matthews (Unrestricted)

Matthews saw his offensive numbers drop last season with the Lakers — down to 4.8 points per game — but part of that was the constantly changing roles he faced on the Lakers. Matthews will turn 35 early next season, but he’s still a solid on-ball defender who can hit some threes and play within a system. A few teams could use him, but like Redick this may be a case where Matthews is not in a training camp but gets a call early in the season from a team seeking veteran help.

Old School

08-15-2021, 03:58 PM

Bleacher Report (LA Lakers) https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947276-lakers-rumors-latest-buzz-on-isaiah-thomas-dennis-schroder-and-more

Clutch Points (Golden State) https://clutchpoints.com/isaiah-thomas-exactly-what-stephen-curry-warriors-need/

NBC Sports https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/isaiah-thomas-addresses-celtics-reported-free-agent-interest

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It's no secret that Isaiah Thomas would love to reunite with the Boston Celtics. But is the feeling mutual?I

The free-agent point guard is seeking an NBA job after a brief stint last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, his fifth team in the four years since the Celtics traded him in 2017.

Boston was reported as having interest in signing Thomas last week, and the 32-year-old addressed that rumor Wednesday during an appearance on ESPN's "Jalen & Jacoby" show.

"There’s a little talk about that," Thomas said about a potential Celtics reunion. "I think the world wants that to happen because it only makes sense.

"If the opportunity presents itself, I know I can help that team -- especially the young guys, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. I know I can help."

Thomas also revealed he's been talking to "about four teams" this offseason regarding an NBA return.

Thomas' best season with the Celtics came during Brown's rookie year, when he averaged 28.9 points per game while Brown played mostly in a reserve role. Thomas didn't overlap with Tatum, but he's a big fan of the young All-Star's game.

The Celtics' backcourt is very crowded after adding Dennis Schroder and Kris Dunn to a group that includes Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard. So, unless Boston trades Dunn, it's hard to see the team taking on another point guard, even if it's a Boston fan favorite on a minimum deal.

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have interest in Thomas as well, so it's possible he lands elsewhere. Then again, it sounds like he's at least on the Celtics' radar, and Boston's new head coach is a fellow Pacific Northwest native in Ime Udoka (Portland, Ore.).

While Thomas hasn't played more than 40 games in a season since 2016-17 due to a hip injury, the two-time All-Star is doing his best to promote himself after dropping 81 points in Jamal Crawford's Seattle Pro-Am league.

“I’m just trying to present myself in a way that I can show teams that I’m healthy in any role that is given to me," Thomas added. "That’s all I’m doing. Hopefully that call comes and you know I’ll be ready to take it back to the top."

Check out Thomas' full interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xhmprMCYww

Old School

08-15-2021, 10:26 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/grizzlies-trading-bledsoe-to-clippers-for-beverley-rondo-oturu.html

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Memphis Grizzlies trade Eric Bledsoe to LA Clippers for Rajon Rondo, Patrick Beverley and Daniel Oturu

The Grizzlies and Clippers have agree to a trade that will send veteran point guard Eric Bledsoe back to Los Angeles in exchange for point guard Patrick Beverley, point guard Rajon Rondo, and center Daniel Oturu, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bledsoe, who began his NBA career with the Clippers back in 2010, was traded from New Orleans to Memphis earlier in the offseason as part of a salary-dump deal that also sent Steven Adams to the Grizzlies. A report at the time of the agreement indicated that Bledsoe was unlikely to remain in Memphis, though it was unclear if the plan was to trade him or buy him out.

This trade, a three-for-one swap, will help generate some roster flexibility for a Clippers team that had been carrying 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts. Los Angeles will now have 14 players on guaranteed deals, plus Yogi Ferrell on a non-guaranteed salary.

Swapping out Beverley ($14.32MM), Rondo ($8.25MM), and Oturu ($1.52MM) for Bledsoe ($18.13MM) will also save the Clippers some money on a tax bill that was projected to be worth $125MM. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter), that projection will dip to about $95MM.

The three outgoing players are all on expiring contracts, while Bledsoe is on a pseudo-expiring deal — his $19.38MM salary for 2022/23 is only partially guaranteed for $3.9MM. Because only Beverley and Oturu are required for salary-matching purposes, L.A. will generate a trade exception worth Rondo’s $8.25MM salary, Marks notes.

Although the Clippers will sacrifice a little depth in the trade, Bledsoe is a bounce-back candidate who could conceivably provide the club with some of the play-making and defense lost by moving Beverley and Rondo. Bledsoe had a down year with the Pelicans in 2020/21, but he averaged 5.5 assists per game during his time in Milwaukee from 2018-20 and earned All-Defensive nods in both seasons.

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, save a little 2022/23 money in the deal while taking on some extra salary for ’21/22. Memphis is now facing a roster crunch of its own, with 17 players on fully guaranteed contracts.

According to Wojnarowsi the Grizzlies will be “open-minded” in weighing additional roster moves involving Beverley, Rondo, and/or Oturu and will likely consider flipping one or more of them in separate deals.

Memphis is already relatively deep at the point guard spot, with Tyus Jones backing up Ja Morant and De’Anthony Melton also capable of playing the position. As such, it’s hard to imagine both Beverley and Rondo starting the season with the club.

Because they’re on smaller expiring deals, Beverley and Rondo should be easier for the Grizzlies to move in subsequent trades than Bledsoe was. The move to turn one bigger contract into multiple smaller ones is somewhat reminiscent of a trade the team completed during the 2019 offseason, sending out Chandler Parsons‘ oversized expiring deal for Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee, who were each earning about half of what Parsons was.

Old School

08-16-2021, 06:33 AM

ESPN https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31999577/lowe-winners-losers-everyone-a-wild-2021-offseason

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e1tZWBUhRvI/maxresdefault.jpg

Lowe: Winners, losers and everyone in between after a wild 2021 NBA offseason

NBA free agency was fast and predictable outside of one big point guard exchange for the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls' mortgaging chunks of the future to build something now, and the annual facelift for the Los Angeles Lakers of LeBron James.

Let's take stock!

Winner: the Brooklyn Nets

The Lakers made splashier moves -- discussed in depth on the Lowe Post podcast -- but the Nets, pending good health, enter next season as undisputed favorites.

Losing Jeff Green's versatility hurt, but the Nets recovered well. Blake Griffin is a nice fit on both ends. They retained Bruce Brown on the one-year qualifying offer -- a potential win for both player and team, but more likely team -- and nabbed a bigger, meaner version of Brown in James Johnson.

They can use Johnson just as they do Brown: as the screen-setter and nominal "center" in super-spacing lineups. Johnson doesn't have Brown's pogo-stick floater, but he has more experience in that role -- and he's a better playmaker, though prone to wildness. Johnson meshes with Brooklyn's switch-everything scheme on defense.

Then came Patty Mills, slipping into Green's salary slot. Mills is a beloved veteran. He can play next to Brooklyn's stars as a turbo-charged roving sharpshooter (seriously, Mills scampers like he has a battery pack attached to him), and assume backup point guard duties. (That need may never arise -- James Harden runs second units -- but Mills gives head coach Steve Nash leeway to experiment, and cover for any injury to Harden or Kyrie Irving.)

The capper: retaining Kevin Durant on an extension.

The Nets are never going to be a great defensive team, and maybe not even a good one. But over 12 playoff games, they flashed a good-enough gear.

The Lakers' defense is going to slip a little. Los Angeles faces real questions about how its three stars complement one another on offense, though the Lakers will solve a lot of those questions by go time. The Nets face no such questions. The "only one ball!" pearl-clutching was always overblown given the collective shooting and playmaking of Durant, Irving, and Harden.

Durant has staked an emphatic claim as James' true equal. You can't assume the Lakers have an advantage at the No. 1 spot anymore.

If every team is healthy, the 2022 title is Brooklyn's to lose.

Winner: the always all-in Miami Heat

Covered here. Miami enters next season third in the East pecking order behind Brooklyn and the champion Milwaukee Bucks, but it should be the kind of No. 3 that is one break away from a real chance at the Finals.

Winner: the delicious uncertainty of stasis

Most teams that stood pat -- re-signing their own guys, tinkering around the fringes -- should not feel bad. Many had no other options and got better anyway.

The Lakers are probably on-paper favorites in the West after trading a third of their rotation for Russell Westbrook and ditching all but four players from last year's team. That said, I don't sense rivals regard them as any more or less fearsome than last season's iteration -- a shoulder-shrugging that strikes me as the correct reaction.

That's no slight. It feels like eons ago, but the Lakers were considered favorites in the West in most corners before James' ankle injury. James was neck-and-neck with Nikola Jokic for MVP.

It will take time and tinkering for the Lakers' to work out their spacing. Their reconfigured team may test Anthony Davis' taste for heavy minutes at center. The Lakers did well finding shooters on the cheap, including two younger guys in Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn who can act as secondary ball handlers. (Nunn can share backup point guard duties with Talen Horton-Tucker.) But most of those guys are defensive liabilities -- chipping away at the Lakers' core strength.

Trevor Ariza is an exception, but he's 36 with tons of mileage and an uneven stroke. Horton-Tucker has the tools to be a plus defender, but he's 20.

It's also fair to wonder if injury risk is now baked into the LeBron experience -- if the once indestructible superman is more vulnerable. James is almost 37. He'll pass Karl Malone for No. 2 all-time in minutes (regular season and playoffs combined) this season. Injuries have derailed two of his past three seasons.

He's still LeBron. He takes care of his body. A lot of GMs and coaches -- maybe most, maybe half or a smidgen lower considering Durant's last calendar year -- would draft him No. 1 for a winner-take-all game. But it might be time to apply the "if healthy" qualifier here, too.

Meanwhile:

The Suns filled their only hole by signing JaVale McGee, and should expect normal age-related improvement from Mikal Bridges, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Cameron Johnson. Jalen Smith has looked good in summer league. Landry Shamet brings needed quick shooting.

The Clippers and Nuggets won't contend until Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray get back, but both did good business around them. The Clips retained Reggie Jackson and Nicolas Batum, took a flier on Justise Winslow, and were aggressive trading up in the first round and into the second.

Denver retained Will Barton and JaMychal Green, and swiped Jeff Green. (That they failed to sign Javonte Green and corner the market on J. Greens is disappointing.) Zeke Nnaji is ready for more. Bones Hyland is another well-regarded late first-rounder.

Utah didn't lose ground toggling from the Georges Niang/Derrick Favors bench tandem to Rudy Gay/Hassan Whiteside -- and snagged the potential steal of the draft in Jared Butler. We might even see Gay (and Eric Paschall) play some small-ball center. The Jazz remain way over the luxury tax, but as of now do not plan to dump any of their mid-salaried rotation guys -- Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O'Neale -- for tax relief, sources said.

Failing to reach Game 7 against a Clippers team missing Leonard was an undeniable disappointment, but how does that series unfold if Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley are healthy?

Dallas fans are tired of the Mavericks doing pretty well in free agency after teasing grand plans. I get that. We don't need to recite the free agents who spurned the Mavericks, or the draft assets Dallas forfeited to crack open cap space.

Unwinding the Josh Richardson trade was painful -- an admission of its failure, and of wanderlust for Seth Curry. I liked that trade at the time for both teams. Richardson represented the two-way wing to shore up Dallas' defense and maybe provide secondary creation around the overburdened Luka Doncic.

Reggie Bullock is an archetypal 3-and-D wing with a quick release. (Richardson's slow release was an under-discussed problem.) Bullock brings zero off-the-bounce juice, but he's fine on a 3-year, $30 million deal.

The Mavs brought back Tim Hardaway Jr. on what should be a tradable contract. He has grown into a knockdown shooter who can pump-and-go, and run some pick-and-roll. He's not a good defender, but he tries and has improved.

I've been beating the Sterling Brown drum for years. He's 6-5, can guard three positions, and hit 42% from deep last season. That will likely prove a fluke; Brown was a league-average 3-point shooter before busting out in Houston. He's not as reliable on defense as you might think given his size and versatility, but he has the outlines of a rotation reserve on a good team.

None of this is as exciting as an alternate reality with Kyle Lowry next to Doncic.

Chasing Lowry evinced an internal belief that the Mavs were one player away from title contention. That was an appropriate mindset. Doncic is that good already.

Surrounding Doncic with shooters is the right Plan B, even if it does not resolve the issue of Doncic wearing down late in playoff games because no one else can orchestrate. (There is hope Jalen Brunson becomes that relief orchestrator, but his size is a detriment against elite postseason defenses.) The Mavs are loaded with good role players on value contracts -- grist for trades, even if the Mavs (pending a Kristaps Porzingis revival) don't have the blue-chip players to get in on superstar trades.

Dallas still has semi-reasonable pathways to Goran Dragic, though they are surely wary of surrendering more picks after forking over two in the Porzingis deal.

And that's what everything boils down to: The Mavs have a hard ceiling as long as the gap between their best and second-best players is gargantuan. Porzingis can shrink that gap by finding his groove again on defense, and playing more center. The Mavs can shrink it by trading Porzingis for someone better, but they won't manage that unless Porzingis rounds back into form.

The Mavs made their bed by punting on the first round of the draft for years (they have done well in the second, and excelled with undrafted free agents) and then dealing their remaining equity for Porzingis. They have reprioritized the draft over the past two offseasons, though the results are TBD.

The Mavs are in a bit of a holding pattern around Doncic. But they will be a dangerous playoff team, and they are doing well on the fringes while in that holding pattern. That is the only way to break out of it.

Even for true believers in the Stephen Curry-Draymond Green-Klay Thompson trio (me!), it is asking a lot for the Golden State Warriors to vault right back into contention. Green has declined on offense, though the decline is masked with two all-time shooters orbiting him. We don't know when Thompson will return, or how long it will take him to approximate peak form.

Andrew Wiggins has settled in, but you never quite know what you are getting from him on offense. Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica should fit if they get in shape.

Andre Iguodala has one good year left. This is the perfect coda. As I've written before, the dynastic Warriors only really became the Warriors -- more sensory experience than basketball team -- when Iguodala strode onto the floor with his genius anticipatory playmaking and selfless ethos.

As a neutral party, I'm glad he didn't join the Lakers. In the show "The Good Place," about an imagined paradise, architects design homes tailored to the ultra-specific tastes of each resident. I once joked to the writers -- after they appeared on the Lowe Post podcast -- that my "Good Place" home would have a video wall of Iguodala defending LeBron on the wing. That says something about both my own psychosis and how riveting it has been to watch that matchup in so many huge moments -- Iguodala crouched, staring up at James, waiting to mirror his steps and swipe down at the ball. (Iguodala is the greatest swipe-down thief ever.) It is one of the defining NBA images of the past decade.

Beyond that, the Warriors are going young with James Wiseman, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jordan Poole (coming off a nice second season). The youth movement has inspired angst about the Warriors getting too cute and wasting Curry's remaining prime. Joe Lacob, the Warriors' governor, has inflamed that angst by trumpeting plans to emulate the San Antonio Spurs -- how Kuminga, Wiseman, and Moody represent a bridge to the next era.

Those are words. Monitor the team's actions. If stars become available, the Warriors will investigate win-now trades. They understand what Curry, Green, and Thompson have meant, and what the franchise owes them.

That debt goes beyond money. Multiple rival executives asked me if Curry's new mega-extension could become a liability on the back end. Hogwash. Who even cares? Everything that has happened to the Warriors -- the titles, the quadrupling (at least) in team valuation, the new arena, record-breaking revenues -- all starts with Curry. None of it happens without him. Pay him everything.

I'm high on this team even as is. If Thompson nears peak form by the playoffs, they could become a real threat to win the West. We are two years removed from the Thompson/Curry/Green trio dusting the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers in the postseason after Durant's injury -- and carrying a preposterous 31-1 record into those Finals in games Curry played without Durant. Curry is an MVP candidate. Steve Kerr showed last season he can figure out a flawed team.

Even without Thompson last season, the Warriors wallopped opponents by almost 12 points per 100 possessions when Curry and Green played without Wiseman. Small-ball lineups with Green at center -- often with Juan Toscano-Anderson in a key role -- were as deadly as ever.

It would take several things flipping Golden State's way -- Thompson's progress, one of the young guys popping, perhaps another contender or two hitting obstacles -- but there are realistic scenarios in which Golden State contends even without an earthquake trade.

The superstar trade landscape

About that earthquake trade: Bradley Beal, Ben Simmons, and Damian Lillard all remain with their teams. The Wizards are an undeniable winner of the offseason, having turned John Wall into almost an entirely new team -- and coming out net-neutral in first-round picks.

Simmons is the only one among them who is available, but his availability is very much tied to the other two -- and probably more to Lillard than Beal, though that can swing in time. Several teams -- including the Warriors, Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves -- have discussed Simmons with varying degrees of interest, sources said, but one reason talks haven't gone far is that the Sixers likely view Simmons as their path to Lillard.

They have a temporary time advantage no one is talking about. There is a good chance the Lillard trade war, should it ever happen, comes down to the Sixers and New York Knicks. (And to be clear: Lillard is not available, and has not asked for a trade, sources said.) Other alternatives will pop up. Any team willing to trade all its future picks and swap rights can butt into the conversation.

But rebuilding teams have no reason to trade for Lillard unless they are 100% confident another star is coming close behind. The Heat are low on trade ammo after acquiring Lowry. The Pelicans are the Lillard wild card, with Brandon Ingram and oodles of future picks from several teams.

If it's Philly versus New York, the Sixers have an edge that will expire on Dec. 15 at the earliest: The Knicks will have a very hard time building an offer for Lillard in a two-team trade until all their big-money signings -- including Julius Randle on a new extension -- become trade eligible at various points beginning midseason. Philly's offer is ready now. The Sixers are surely hoping for some disruption in Portland to happen sooner -- or at least they should be. They recently hired Phil Beckner, a player development ace who coached Lillard at Weber State and remains one of his confidantes.

The flip side is that the Sixers might be on their own clock with Simmons: Can everyone come back to camp and put on a good face? How long can they wait for Lillard?

P.S. How about this three-team construction: Lillard to Philly, Simmons to Team X, and players and picks from both Philly and Team X to the Blazers?

The Knicks had a solid offseason, signing plug-and-play veterans to contracts with neutral-ish trade value. None are needle-movers, but that's not the point. The Knicks are just trying to stay competitive, portray an image of competency, and keep Madison Square Garden buzzing until the first disgruntled superstar points to New York and says: I want to go to there. Kemba Walker will turn the volume on the buzz up, and his signing was a low-risk, high-reward no-brainer.

They still have all their young players, future picks, and extra first-rounders from the Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets. That is the biggest difference between Chicago and New York after spendy win-now summers: The Knicks have all their arrows in the quiver, but the Bulls have used lots of theirs -- unless they want to trade one of their core players at some point.

The Knicks' issue is whether trading for a Lillard-level superstar would gut their team to the point that said superstar would not have enough talent around him upon arrival. The Sixers, with Joel Embiid, do not have that concern. The Knicks might not either if they believe the first star would attract a second in short order.

As for Golden State, I've always wondered about its real end game. Beal and Lillard would marry them to three-guard lineups facing major challenges on defense. Simmons and Green together could be awkward, though I wonder if we are over-fretting about that. Both are A-plus playmakers. Surround them with shooting -- the Warriors have plenty -- and they might make magic together, especially in the open court. (There would be some bumpy half-court trips.)

Regardless, the Warriors should have eyes on Karl-Anthony Towns. That's easy for me to say. Towns is not available, and may not be for a while (or ever.) Curry is 33. Talent is talent, even if the fit is imperfect.

There are so many variables in this Simmons/Beal/Lillard vortex. I can't wait to see how it plays out.

Portland, Toronto, Boston, and Indiana are among solid playoff teams who did very little, sewing unease among fans, but I would caution against overreacting. None had tons of options. The transaction window is basically year-round. Let's monitor them over the next six months.

Biggest gambler: the wheelin', dealin' Chicago Bulls

I discussed the Bulls on last week's Lowe Post podcast, so I'll be brief. I am somewhere in the middle on their raucous offseason. I see a slightly higher ceiling than those cementing them in the play-in tournament in the beefed-up East. Their offense should be really good. Don't overthink the DeMar DeRozan fit just because he shoots long 2s and won't provide pitch-perfect spacing for Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball.

DeRozan has become a good passer; he'll get Vucevic and LaVine easy buckets. Redirecting about 10% of LaVine's game from on-ball creation to off-ball marauding is healthy. DeRozan can create for Chicago's shooters -- including Vucevic -- out of the post too.

DeRozan has more gravity away from the ball than a typical non-threat from deep; he's a cagey mover who can play second-side basketball, and defenses respect his long 2s.

But I wonder if the Bulls can grow into a strong top-four playoff seed over the rest of LaVine's prime, assuming the Bulls re-sign him next summer.

Building an average defense around LaVine, Vucevic, and DeRozan will be tough. Chicago's under-25 core now consists of Ball, Patrick Williams, and Coby White -- whose role going forward is a little murky. Chicago whiffed on a bunch of swings at young talent before the Jimmy Butler trade, and as part of that deal. (Lauri Markkanen, one of the key players in that trade, hangs in restricted free agency. He doesn't seem long for the Bulls, but maybe they can salvage something in a sign-and-trade.)

Chicago then traded away Wendell Carter Jr. and three future first-round picks for Vucevic and DeRozan -- two of the NBA's ultimate floor-raisers. (The Bulls are kinda Team Raised Floor.)

I like Ball, and I'm super-high long-term on Williams. You'd just like to have a little more in the young-player cupboard after one megatrade and years in purgatory.

That said, LaVine and Alex Caruso are just entering their primes; DeRozan and Vucevic are still in theirs. The Bulls have a nice age-range mix, which should give them at least some wiggle room to change direction if need be.

Winner: the prudent Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte is quietly building a solid team with future flexibility. The Hornets are probably one really good young player from a high-level long-term nucleus -- depending on the development of Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington -- but they are giving themselves avenues to get there.

Acquiring Mason Plumlee and the 37th pick -- JT Thor, signed to a richer version of the ol' Hinkie Special -- in a salary dump was a nice start. Plumlee is not the lob threat the Hornets dream of pairing with LaMelo Ball, but he's a ball mover who will be in the right place on defense (unless he's defending a buzzer-beater against the Lakers.) His $8.5 million deal for 2022-23 is only half guaranteed.

Plumlee is a stopgap, and that's fine. Snaring him prevented any irrationally aggressive trade. Charlotte has kicked the tires on basically every young center -- including Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers, sources have said -- and they can continue sniffing around from a position of strength.

They jumped into the first round for Kai Jones, and were careful to protect the future pick they sent the Knicks to do so. They gobbled up another future first-round pick for Devonte' Graham, a player they didn't really need with Ball's emergence and Terry Rozier's central role.

(That move does create pressure to re-sign Rozier next summer, which could wipe out near-term cap space. Rozier had a really good season, redeeming Charlotte's decision -- pilloried at the time, including here -- to effectively swap Kemba Walker for him. He's only 27, and the cap space landscape next summer does not look player friendly.)

Kelly Oubre Jr. -- whose $12.6 million salary for 2022-23 is only 40% guaranteed -- should function better in Charlotte than he did in Golden State's motion offense. He provides insurance against another Gordon Hayward injury.

The next big decision is a potential extension for Bridges. He showed last season he is so much more than a dunker: a switchable forward blossoming as a playmaker and 3-point shooter (including off the dribble.) He has a lot to prove before you can pen him in as a high-level starter on a conference finals team, and pending Bridges' ask, the Hornets would be smart to let things play out in restricted free agency.

Washington's extension follows a year later. Ball looks like a future star. The Hornets have to remain nimble around him.

Loser: the New Orleans Pelicans

You can talk me into next season's Pelicans being better with Graham, Tomas Satoransky, Jonas Valanciunas, and Garrett Temple in place of Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, and Steven Adams. I'm not sure I'd really buy it, and if it ends up true, it'll likely be driven by improvement from holdovers -- including Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

But I doubt New Orleans makes any short-term leap worth moving down 10 spots in the draft to open space for Lowry (whoops!); flinging away two other first-round picks; and losing Ball before his 24th birthday.

Lowry would have been a hand-in-glove fit, and it was not unreasonable for the Pelicans to believe they were one All-Star-level point guard from making a big leap up the standings -- and then one or two lucky breaks from a long playoff run. That was not the most likely outcome, but it was not outlandish. They didn't get Lowry. I'm not privy to their intel, but it clearly was not firm enough.

We know Ball's limitations as a half-court orchestrator. Graham corrects for some of them. He's a more willing off-the-bounce 3-point shooter on the pick-and-roll, though he hit just 29% on pull-up 3s last season and 34% in 2019-20. (Ball has been around 30% on lower volume.) The threat of that shot might open rim runs for Williamson, and steady New Orleans' horrid late-game offense.

Graham has hit 42.5% of his catch-and-shoot 3s over the past two seasons, a few ticks above Ball's mark. A knockdown catch-and-shoot guard is a boon for Point Zion, Post Zion, and every other Zion known to man.

Valanciunas is a nominal perimeter threat in a way Adams has never been. But let's not go wild. Valanciunas is not, like, Dirk Nowitzki. He attempted 0.9 3s per game last season. His defender can leave the court, order a beer, and chug half of it in the time it takes Valanciunas to hoist. Valanciunas at heart is a post-up fiend who will clog the lane a lot.

He is a slight step down on defense from Adams. The gap on that end between Ball and Graham -- a very small lead guard -- is pretty big. Graham is a sixth or seventh man on a good team. The Pelicans were bad last year because their defense was bad, without any consistent identity, and they've done little to repair that. (Satoransky and Temple are decent, but they are 15-minute reserves on good teams. The Pelicans did open a big trade exception for use later.)

Satoransky and Valanciunas are free agents after next season. Valanciunas will turn 30 then. Are the Pelicans excited to pay full freight? One potential benefit of these transactions is the Pelicans carrying a large chunk of cap room into next offseason -- the final summer before Williamson's salary balloons. Paying Valanciunas would jeopardize that.

The Pelicans had picks to play with; burning two isn't catastrophic. But it's two fewer to wield in trade talks -- or have leftover after some megadeal -- and it's hard to justify all this rigmarole when the alternative of just keeping Ball was sitting right there.

Winner: the Detroit Pistons

Ditching the 37th pick to dump Plumlee compounded the Pistons sending four (!) second-rounders to the LA Clippers in last season's Luke Kennard/Bruce Brown/Landry Shamet trade -- which netted Detroit Saddiq Bey.

But the rest of this offseason went well. Cade Cunningham might be a franchise player. Three years and $37 million for Kelly Olynyk -- with only $3 million guaranteed in Year 3 -- is fair and movable. Olynyk killed it in his half season in Houston, and was likely getting the midlevel exception from someone. Detroit outbidding that by a couple million is fine. A shooting center opens the floor for Cunningham, Killian Hayes, and the rest of Detroit's young attacking perimeter players -- making every decision easier as they adapt to the NBA.

Old School

08-16-2021, 06:29 PM

NBA.com https://ca.nba.com/news/2021-nba-free-agency-ideal-fits-for-best-remaining-free-agents/aopunxhjlxxx1jeztod81770i

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2021 NBA Free Agency: Ideal fits for best remaining free agents

Two weeks have passed since the start of 2021 NBA Free Agency, and while the majority of needle-moving players have already signed deals, there are still a handful of players remaining that could make an impact for a team. Who are the best remaining free agents and what would be their ideal landing spot?

Who are the best remaining free agents and what would be an ideal landing spot for each of them?

Listed alphabetically.

Best remaining 2021 NBA Free Agents

Avery Bradley, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets

The 30-year-old veteran went through an injury-riddled season last year, missing significant time with a knee injury, a calf strain and COVID-19. He only appeared in 27 games - 10 with the Miami Heat and 17 with the Houston Rockets following a trade at the deadline - averaging just 6.4 points and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 32.7 percent from 3.

In 2019-20, Bradley started in 44 of 49 games played for the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, holding his own as a playmaker and perimeter defender before opting out of the season restart following the pandemic. At this stage in his career, Bradley could look to bring those two skills to a contender's bench, and the Warriors and Nuggets seem like strong fits based on a need for depth at the position.

DeMarcus Cousins, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets

Significant injuries led to Cousins bouncing around from team-to-team, playing for four different franchises in the past three seasons. From the Warriors to the Lakers to the Rockets to the Clippers, the former four-time All-Star is looking to find his footing and try and make a consistent impact off the bench for a team in need of a center.

Cousins had a solid showing in the playoffs with the Clippers this past season, scoring double figures in three of the seven games he appeared in, shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3.

With the Heat and Nets both loading up on veterans for a potential title push, Cousins could add a voice on the bench and in the locker room while staying ready in case his team needs a physical presence on the floor.

James Ennis, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers

Ennis is a solid 3-and-D wing who should receive some consideration for contenders looking to add shooting and defence.

A reunion with the 76ers would make some sense, but the Lakers may be the best possible landing spot for the 31-year-old. NBA Insider Marc Stein reported an interest between Ennis and Los Angeles, which adds up, given he shot 43.3 percent from 3-point range with the Orlando Magic last season.

Harry Giles III, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors

Giles is still just 23 years old, yet the versatile forward hasn't been able to find a permanent landing spot in the NBA. He has shown glimpses of promise as a player who has averaged a double-double per 36 minutes throughout his three-year NBA career, but without a designated position and role, the Duke product has struggled to fit in.

The Celtics are an intriguing fit because of his tight relationship with superstar Jayson Tatum and their need for some forward depth. The Raptors would make an interesting pairing as a team that has loaded their roster with lengthy, switchy forwards - a bill that Giles fits - and their renowned player development program could get the most out of the young player.

Josh Hart, restricted

Ideal fit: New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls

Update: According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Hart is "closing in" on signing a three-year, $38 million deal to stay with the Pelicans.

There were multiple reports that the Pelicans weighed sign-and-trade options for the restricted free agent, including potential deals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings .

Hart was one of the best rebounding wings in the NBA last season, averaging 8.0 boards per game. He can defend multiple positions and is a career 34.8 percent 3-point shooter, something any team in the league could use.

New Orleans needs to improve on the defensive end and letting Hart walk would have been a step backward on that front, so staying put was the best option for both him and his team.

Lauri Markkanen, restricted

Ideal fit: New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves

Markkanen has been linked to the Dallas Mavericks but it would be very interesting to see how he and Kristaps Porzingis would fit next to each other, considering they are eerily similar players.

The 24-year-old forward was a hot commodity following an All-Rookie calibre first season and a sophomore season in which he averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game for the Bulls. His value has appeared to diminish a bit since then, coming off of a season where he averaged a career-low 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds.

However, the 7-footer still shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range and a change of scenery could be all he needs to get back on the right path.

There has been reported interest between Markkanen and the Pelicans, an intriguing fit that would give New Orleans some much-needed perimeter shooting. The Timberwolves are another team that has had reported interest in Markkanen, and I like his fit there for the same reason as the Pelicans, especially given how quiet this offseason as been for Minnesota, who could use more talent on its roster.

Wesley Matthews, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets

Things didn't work out as planned between Matthews and the Lakers last season, as the 34-year-old struggled to find a rhythm on either end of the floor the way Los Angeles would have hoped. He shot a career-low 33.5 percent from 3-point range while only averaging 1.1 3-pointers made per game, his lowest mark since his rookie season.

With that being said, if the Lakers are looking for another shooter to round out their bench, there is a familiarity with Matthews and it wouldn't hurt to give him another chance. The Nuggets are another team that could use his veteran presence and 3-point shooting, too.

Paul Millsap, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls

Millsap has been a solid contributor throughout his entire NBA career and his veteran presence would be invaluable for any team looking to take a leap as a potential contender.

He is still a sound defender that can guard multiple positions, as well as a capable scorer who can score around the basket or from 3-point range.

A reunion with his former Hawks could be a match made in heaven, as Atlanta looks to live up to the expectations of a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Millsap was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks from 2013 to 2017.

The Bulls are another seamless fit as a team looking enter playoff conversations, especially after trading away a similar player in veteran forward Thaddeus Young to the San Antonio Spurs.

JJ Redick, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics

Redick has made it known that Brooklyn is his ideal destination given that's where his home and family are. It came as a surprise when the Pelicans sent Redick to the Mavericks instead of the Nets last trade deadline. Could the 37-year-old sharpshooter finally end up back at home this free agency?

You can never have too much shooting and Redick still converted 3s at a 37.1 percent clip last season.

The Celtics are another interesting spot, given it's in the Northeast, close enough to his home, and Boston could use a pure shooter of Redick's calibre to space the floor.

Isaiah Thomas, unrestricted

Ideal fit: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat

Thomas had social media buzzing after going for 81 points in a Pro-Am game last week, stating his case for a return to the NBA.

The 32-year-old veteran has been in and out of the league since his season as an MVP candidate for the Celtics back in 2017, with injuries preventing him from completely returning to All-Star form. Thomas has had 10-day contracts with different teams and even played half of a season with the Washington Wizards in 2019-20, where he averaged 12.2 points and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 41.3 percent from 3.

His latest opportunity came on a 10-day contract with the Pelicans last season, but Thomas didn't exactly get a fair shake with playing time.

The Lakers have had reported interest in Thomas, who played 17 games in Los Angeles back in 2018. He would give the Lakers a shot creator and another ball handler off the bench. If the Heat are looking for depth behind newly acquired Kyle Lowry, Thomas may be a decent fit there, as well.

Old School

08-16-2021, 06:42 PM

CBS Sports https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-2021-josh-hart-nearing-agreement-on-three-year-38-million-deal-with-pelicans-per-report/

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NBA free agency 2021: Josh Hart nearing agreement on three-year, $38 million deal with Pelicans

Two weeks after NBA free agency began, Josh Hart finally has a new contract. The veteran wing is nearing an agreement on a three-year, $38 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The No. 30 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2017, Hart arrived in New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade. Since then, Hart has become something of a fan favorite because of his hustle and hard-working style. As a restricted free agent the Pelicans could have matched any offer he received, but they avoided any sort of drama or complications by just signing him themselves.

While Hart has never put up big numbers, and probably never will, he's the type of player every team loves to have. He plays with incredible effort, can guard multiple positions and rebounds extremely well for his size. If he can improve his 3-point shot -- since his rookie season he hasn't shot better than 34.2 percent from outside -- he can be a very solid 3 & D player.

After losing Lonzo Ball to the Chicago Bulls in free agency, and trading Eric Bledsoe to the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of the draft, bringing Hart back made a lot of sense for the Pelicans. They were already one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season -- 113.3 defensive rating which checked in at No. 23 -- and couldn't afford to lose another important perimeter defender.

Following the conclusion of the regular season, Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin spoke about Hart and Ball and said they could be "very important focal points on a team that goes into the playoffs. They are playoff-caliber rotational pieces for sure." While Ball is obviously gone, that shows how the team viewed Hart as an important part of their future.

Hart was limited to 47 games last season and missed the final six weeks due to a torn ligament in his thumb that required surgery. At the time of his injury, the Pelicans did not give a specific recovery timetable, but Hart should be ready to go by the start of training camp late next month.

Old School

08-16-2021, 08:45 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/marcus-smart-to-sign-four-year-extension-with-celtics.html

https://boston.cbslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3859903/2021/01/marcus-smart.jpg?w=640&h=360&crop=1

Celtics guard Marcus Smart will sign a four-year, $77.1MM maximum contract extension of his current deal with the team who drafted him, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania notes that the deal includes a trade kicker. Smart’s new contract is fully guaranteed through 2025/26. There is no player option. The new agreement will begin during the 2022/23 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Originally selected with the sixth pick in the 2014 draft out of Oklahoma State, Smart first re-signed with Boston on a four-year, $52MM deal that will take him through the 2021/22 season. A two-time All-Defensive Team selection, the 27-year-old guard has proved to be a valuable addition during seven playoff-bound NBA seasons with the Celtics.

The 6’3″ Smart, working mostly as a starter, averaged 13.1 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.5 RPG and 0.5 BPG during the 2020/21 season. Beyond his raw numbers, Smart has shined as a wing and perimeter defender, in addition to operating as a vocal team leader.

Bobby Marks of ESPN details the full anticipated annual breakdown of Smart’s new deal (Twitter link). Smart’s extension will begin with a $17.2MM salary in the 2022/23 season, 120% increase of his 2021/22 salary, the maximal value available for a contract extension. During the last year of the deal (2025/26), Smart will make $22.7MM.

The Celtics’ backcourt underwent two major transitions earlier during the 2021 offseason. Boston first traded oft-injured former All-Star starting point guard Kemba Walker to the Thunder, and more recently signed former starting Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder to a one-year, $5.89MM taxpayer mid-level exception.

Old School

08-17-2021, 09:06 PM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

Taj Gibson Re-Signs With New York https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/knicks-taj-gibson-agree-to-new-terms.html

Philadelphia Leaning Towards Keeping Ben Simmons https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/latest-on-ben-simmons-2.html

Terry Rozier Signs 4 Year Contract Extension With Charlotte https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/hornets-terry-rozier-agree-to-four-year-extension.html

Joel Embiid Signs 4 Year Contract Extension With Philadelphia https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/sixers-joel-embiid-agree-to-four-year-super-max-extension.html

Memphis Trades PBeverley To Minnesota For JCulver & JHernangomez https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/grizzlies-to-trade-beverley-to-wolves-for-culver-hernangomez.html

Old School

08-18-2021, 09:45 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/lakers-work-out-isaiah-thomas-darren-collison-mike-james.html

https://newsimgs.sina.tw/article/images/news-16292467691195.png

Free agent guards Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collison and Mike James all recently worked out for the Lakers, who are looking for veteran help to fill out their roster, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

None of the three veteran guards will definitely be signed, sources tell Haynes, and L.A. may decide to have a training camp battle for its final roster spots. The Lakers currently have 12 players with guaranteed contracts and plan to carry just 14 in the regular season for roster flexibility.

L.A.’s priority is finding a third point guard, according to Haynes’ sources, and the team may be in the market for another wing player as well.

Thomas, 32, is hoping to revive his career after dealing with injuries the past four years. He played just three games last season on a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, but says he’s fully healthy now and has been playing well in pro-am leagues. He joined LeBron James and Russell Westbrook for a workout Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to Haynes.

Collison, 33, made a surprise retirement announcement in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. There were rumors that he might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the 2019/20 season, but he later called them “overhyped.” He played 76 games for the Pacers in his final NBA season, averaging 11.2 PPG and shooting 40.7% from three-point range.

James, 30, finished last season with the Nets after leaving CSKA Moscow. He was part of the rotation in Brooklyn, playing 13 games and averaging 7.7 points and 4.2 assists in 18.2 minutes per night.

The Lakers are expected to move on from veteran shooter Jared Dudley, Haynes adds. Dudley is a free agent after playing 12 games last season

Old School

08-19-2021, 07:15 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/diallo-to-re-sign-with-pistons-on-two-year-contract.html

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=4VKdUy_0b8M06FR00

Restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo will remain with the Pistons on a two-year, $10.4MM deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Diallo’s agents, Thad Foucher and Joe Smith, informed Wojnarowski of the decision.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link), the Pistons will eventually have to make another roster move to fit in Diallo, since they now have 16 guaranteed contracts on their books.

Diallo appeared in 20 games after Detroit acquired him from Oklahoma City, averaging 11.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.2 APG. The high-flying Diallo also showed improvement with his 3-point shot after the mid-season trade, draining 39% of his 3-point shots. He had a breakout season with extended playing time, as he also averaged 11.9 for OKC in 32 games.

A 2018 second-round selection, Diallo appeared in 129 games with the Thunder. He’s averaged 7.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 17.8 MPG during his three-year career.

GM Troy Weaver, a former Thunder executive, had prioritized re-signing Diallo this offseason. Detroit extended a qualifying offer of $2.08MM to make him a restricted free agent.

Diallo joins a crowd at the wing that includes top pick Cade Cunningham, who will often share the floor with Killian Hayes, as well Saddiq Bey, Josh Jackson, Rodney McGruder, Frank Jackson and Jerami Grant (in bigger lineups).

Old School

08-20-2021, 12:28 AM

HoopsHype https://hoopshype.com/lists/2021-nba-free-agent-rankings-top-point-guards-available-right-now/

https://boston.cbslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3859903/2017/01/it-all-star.jpg?w=628

1. Isaiah Thomas / Last team: New Orleans

Must prove he can still contribute. Short stint with the Pelicans wasn’t overly impressive.

2020/21 stats: 7.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 33.3 FG%, 25.0 3P%

Career earnings: $31,309,253

Agent: Bernie Lee

2. Jeff Teague / Last team: Milwaukee

At this point, he’s pretty much a replacement-level point guard. Can run an offense off the bench and create for others some.

2020/21 stats: 6.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 43.3 FG%, 43.9 3P%

Career earnings: $99,236,542

Agent: JR Hensley

3. Mike James / Last team: Brooklyn

Quick point guard with confidence as a scorer and off-the-dribble shooting ability.

2020/21 stats: 7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 37.0 FG%, 35.5 3P%

Career earnings: $402,450

Agent: Happy Walters

4. Dennis Smith / Restricted free agent / Last team: Detroit

Had moments last year with the Pistons where he flashed the explosive point guard he was drafted to be. Still young enough to have upside, but running out of time to show it more consistently.

2020/21 stats: 6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 40.0 FG%, 32.8 3P%

Career earnings: $17,188,557

Agent: Raymond Brothers

5. Shane Larkin / Last team: Anadolu Efes (Turkey)

One of the best guards in Europe over the past few seasons. Despite short stature, very quick, changes direction exceptionally well and has deep range on his jumper.

2020/21 stats (Euroleague): 15.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.1 apg, 43.6 FG%, 39.2 3P%

Career earnings: $6,167,345

Agent: Jim Tanner

6. Shabazz Napier / Last team: Washington

Capable backup guard who can run a second-team offense and do some individual scoring. Quick crossover.

2019/20 stats: 7.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 39.7 FG%, 34.5 3P%

Career earnings: $10,032,282

Agent: Brandon Rosenthal

7. Emmanuel Mudiay / Last team: Utah

Great size for a point guard with some athleticism, but lacks any and all feel for offense, both as a scorer and passer.

2020/21 stats: 11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.8 apg, 40.1 FG%, 32.3 3P%

Career earnings: $15,757,144

Agent: BJ Armstrong

8. Brad Wanamaker / Last team: Charlotte

Backup point guard who can run the offense, score at the rim and get teammates in the right spots.

2020/21 stats: 5.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 38.5 FG%, 18.8 3P%

Career earnings: $4,534,161

Agent: Happy Walters

9. Jordan McLaughlin / Restricted free agent / Last team: Minnesota

Undersized point guard, but a tough-nosed one who can shoot the ball and set up baskets. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in effort.

2020/21 stats: 5.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 41.3 FG%, 35.9 3P%

Career earnings: $583,328

Agent: Mitchell Butler

10. Quinn Cook / Last team: Cleveland

Point guard on the smaller side without the elite athleticism to make up for it. Can hit open threes with his feet set.

2020/21 stats: 3.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.8 apg, 42.6 FG%, 42.3 3P%

Career earnings: $6,812,336

Agent: Mark Bartelstein

11. Yogi Ferrell / Last team: LA Clippers

Quick point guard who can hit shots from three as well as run a second-team offense.

2020/21 stats: 5.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 35.1 FG%, 32.1 3P%

Career earnings: $8,435,042

Agent: Cervando Tejeda

12. Jeremy Lin / Last team: Beijing Shougang

Experienced point guard who was willing to play in the G League last year for another NBA shot, though one hasn’t come yet. Solid scorer.

2020/21 stats (G League): 19.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 6.4 apg, 50.5 FG%, 42.6 3P%

Old School

08-20-2021, 07:56 AM

CBS Sports https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-offseason-grades-player-movement-knicks-lakers-warriors-revamp-rosters-blazers-pelicans-underwhelm/

https://i1.wp.com/www.totalbasket.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/national-basketball-association-logo.jpg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1&w=640

NBA offseason grades, player movement: Knicks, Lakers, Warriors revamp rosters; Blazers, Pelicans underwhelm

With free agency slowing to a crawl, here's how all 30 teams are shaping up

While there are still a few key free agents yet to land with teams, the NBA offseason has slowed to a snail's pace as rosters have most of their pieces in place for the 2021-22 season. Free agency has started with a frenzy over the past few summers, and this year was no exception with All-Stars like Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, Kemba Walker and DeMar DeRozan all switching uniforms.

Now that we've had a bit of time to collect ourselves, we thought it was a good time to take stock of all the maneuvers and hand out offseason grades for all 30 NBA teams. Obviously, there are still some deals left to be made, which could moderately affect the perception of a team's offseason, but for the most part, we know what we're dealing with.

Here's a look at each NBA team's player movement (shout out to NBA.com and HoopsHype for helping to keep everything straight), along with a grade for its offseason activity.

Atlanta Hawks

In:

Delon Wright (trade)
Gorgui Dieng (free agent)
Jalen Johnson (draft)
Sharife Cooper (draft)
Johnny Hamilton (free agent)

Out:

Tony Snell (free agent)
Kris Dunn (trade)
Bruno Fernando (trade)
Nathan Knight (free agent)

Re-signings:

John Collins
Lou Williams
Solomon Hill
Skylar Mays

Extensions:

Trae Young

Atlanta essentially brought back the same roster that made an unexpected run to the conference finals last season, while adding a couple of promising rookies and locking up Young and Collins through 2026 and 2027, respectively. Swapping Dunn for Wright also gives Young a legitimate backup -- something the Hawks have sorely needed. Johnson was considered a lottery talent but dropped due to a polarizing 13-game career at Duke. He could compete for minutes, but the Hawks are one of the deepest teams in the league and should have plenty of patience while he develops.

Grade: A

Boston Celtics

In:

Al Horford (trade)
Josh Richardson (trade)
Dennis Schroder (free agent)
Kris Dunn (trade)
Enes Kanter (free agent)
Bruno Fernando (trade)
Juhann Begarin (draft)
Sam Hauser (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Kemba Walker (trade)
Evan Fournier (free agent)
Tristan Thompson (trade)
Semi Ojeleye (free agent)

Re-signings:

None

Extensions:

Marcus Smart

The Celtics spent a draft pick to get rid of Walker's contract while bringing back a familiar face in Horford. They've done just enough to remain firmly in the mix in the middle of the Eastern Conference, but even more pressure will be on the shoulders of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Getting Schroder for the mid-level exception is an unquestionable coup, and he'll be supremely motivated on a one-year prove-it deal. Depending on what Horford has left in the tank, the Celtics could end up being a top-five defense. The offense could present some problems, however.

Grade: B

Brooklyn Nets

In:

Patty Mills (free agent)
Jevon Carter (trade)
James Johnson (free agent)
Cameron Thomas (draft)
Day'Ron Sharpe (draft)
DeAndre' Bembry (free agent)
Kessler Edwards (draft)
Marcus Zegarowski (draft)
RaiQuan Gray (draft)
David Duke Jr. (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Spencer Dinwiddie (free agent)
Jeff Green (free agent)
Landry Shamet (trade)
Chris Chiozza (free agent)

Re-signings:

Bruce Brown
Blake Griffin

Extensions:

Kevin Durant

By bringing back Brown and Griffin while adding the veteran Mills, the Nets look to be just as strong as a year ago, when they were the title favorites before injuries derailed their quest. They picked up a couple of talented rookies in Thomas and Sharpe, while adding some serious toughness in Carter, Johnson and Bembry. Losing Green may prove costly given how important he was for Brooklyn in the postseason, but overall it was a strong offseason, capped by the Durant extension.

Grade: A-minus

Charlotte Hornets

In:

Kelly Oubre Jr. (free agent)
Mason Plumlee (trade)
Ish Smith (free agent)
James Bouknight (draft)
Kai Jones (draft)
Wesley Iwundu (trade)
JT Thor (draft)
DJ Carton (undrafted free agent)
Arnoldas Kulboka (free agent)
Scottie Lewis (draft)

Out:

Cody Zeller (free agent)
Malik Monk (free agent)
Devonte' Graham (free agent)
Grant Riller (free agent)

Re-signings:

None

Extensions:

Terry Rozier

If the goal was to put athletes alongside LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier, the Hornets' summer has been a resounding success. Oubre and Plumlee can both get out on the break and finish, while rookies Bouknight and Jones are spectacularly explosive. The lightning-quick Smith will push the pace in transition for what should be one of the most entertaining teams in the league next season. They lose shooting with Graham's departure, but Bouknight has shot 38 percent from deep in summer league, continuing a trend from his pre-draft workouts.

Grade: A-minus

Chicago Bulls

In:

DeMar DeRozan (free agent)
Lonzo Ball (free agent)
Alex Caruso (free agent)
Tony Bradley (free agent)
Ayo Dosunmu (draft)
Marko Simonovic (2020 draft)

Out:

Thaddeus Young (trade)
Tomas Satoransky (trade)
Al-Farouq Aminu (trade)
Cristiano Felicio (free agent)
Daniel Theis (free agent)
Garrett Temple (trade)

Re-signings:

Javonte Green
Devon Dotson

Extensions:

None

Nobody can accuse the Bulls of being timid. Ball is a perfect fit next to Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, and you can argue that DeRozan is overpaid, but he was one of the most efficient halfcourt scorers and playmakers in the league last season. Chicago might struggle defensively, but adding Ball and Caruso helps in that department. Dosunmu was considered to be a first-round talent by most draft evaluators, so the Bulls did well to get him at No. 38. Chicago decided to go all-in and spent accordingly, so it's hard to fault a playoff-starved franchise for that kind of boldness.

Grade: A-minus

Cleveland Cavaliers

In:

Ricky Rubio (trade)
Evan Mobley (draft)

Out:

Taurean Prince (trade)
Matthew Dellavedova (free agent)

Re-signings:

Jarrett Allen

Extensions:

None

Not many moves for the Cavs, but Mobley has the potential to be a transcendent big man and Rubio should serve as a floor leader and mentor for the young backcourt of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. Giving Allen a $100 million contract may seem a bit excessive, but it's a sign that they think he and Mobley can co-exist for the foreseeable future. The Cavs might not be a playoff team yet, but they're taking steps in the right direction.
Grade:

A-minus

Dallas Mavericks

In:

Reggie Bullock (free agent)
Sterling Brown (free agent)
Moses Brown (trade)
Eugene Omoruyi (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Josh Richardson (trade)
Nicolo Melli (free agent)

Re-signings:

Tim Hardaway Jr.
Boban Marjanovic
Nate Hinton

Extensions:

Luka Doncic

It wasn't exactly the blockbuster offseason Dallas fans were dreaming of back when Giannis Antetokounmpo was still on the market, but they accomplished the most important order of business: Signing Doncic to a max extension. They also brought back Hardaway, one of the most efficient offensive players in the league last season, while adding more shooting with Bullock and Brown. The Richardson experiment never really worked in Dallas, so losing him shouldn't hurt too much.

Grade: B

Denver Nuggets

In:

Jeff Green (free agent)
Nah'Shon Hyland (draft)

Out:

JaVale McGee (free agent)

Re-signings:

Will Barton
JaMychal Green
Austin Rivers
Markus Howard

Extensions:

None

Denver took care of business by bringing back Barton, JaMychal Green and Rivers, all of whom played important roles last postseason. They also added Jeff Green, a cagey veteran who will presumably play some backup center after the departure of McGee. Hyland is an exciting rookie who has the brashness to fill in some of Jamal Murray's minutes while he recovers from ACL surgery. Nikola Jokic and this supporting cast should have the Nuggets in fine shape by the time Murray potentially returns later in the season.

Grade: B-plus

Detroit Pistons

In:

Cade Cunningham (draft)
Kelly Olynyk (free agent)
Trey Lyles (free agent)
Isaiah Livers (draft)
Luka Garza (draft)
Balsa Koprivica (draft)
Chris Smith (undrafted free agent)
Jamorko Pickett (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Mason Plumlee (trade)
Wayne Ellington (free agent)

Re-signings:

Cory Joseph
Rodney McGruder
Frank Jackson
Saben Lee
Hamidou Diallo

Extensions:

None

The Pistons' offseason was about one thing and one thing only: Cade Cunningham. They have their potential foundational piece that every rebuilding franchise dreams of, and now it's about nurturing his talent and putting him in positions to succeed. Bringing back veterans Joseph and McGruder should help with that, while Olynyk will space the floor and provide a nice foil for bruiser Isaiah Stewart.

Grade: A

Golden State Warriors

In:

Jonathan Kuminga (draft)
Moses Moody (draft)
Andre Iguodala (free agent)
Otto Porter (free agent)
Nemanja Bjelica (free agent)
Chris Chiozza (free agent)

Out:

Kelly Oubre Jr. (free agent)
Kent Bazemore (free agent)
Eric Paschall (trade)
Alen Smailagic (free agent)
Nico Mannion (free agent)

Re-signings:

None

Extensions:

Stephen Curry

Short of a blockbuster trade for Bradley Beal (who is currently unavailable), it's hard to imagine the offseason going much better for the Warriors. They got a potential future superstar in Kuminga, a 3-and-D wing in Moody, then loaded the bench with veterans, as was the stated goal of Bob Myers and the front office. They also traded Paschall to ease the luxury tax burden while taking care of Curry's extension. The Warriors should be right back in contention in the Western Conference if everyone is healthy, and they have the assets to make a move for a superstar (Beal or otherwise) if one becomes available.

Grade: A

Houston Rockets

In:

Jalen Green (draft)
Alperen Sengun (draft)
Usman Garuba (draft)
Josh Christopher (draft)
Daniel Theis (free agent)
Matthew Hurt (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Kelly Olynyk (free agent)
Sterling Brown (free agent)
Cam Reynolds (free agent)

Re-signings:

David Nwaba

Extensions:

None

Drafting four teenagers is a bold move, but if there's any franchise that can take that kind of chance, it's the Rockets, who are right at the precipice of a rebuild. Green is a potential 25-point-per-game scorer, while Sengun and Garuba were two of the best international prospects in the draft. Houston also added Theis to do the dirty work alongside Christian Wood, while re-signing the energetic Nwaba to keep the defense respectable. The Rockets have no incentive to win this season -- and they won't -- but they have put together a nice collection of young players with the hopes that one or two will hit big.

Grade: A

Indiana Pacers

In:

Chris Duarte (draft)
Torrey Craig (free agent)
Isaiah Jackson (draft)
Keifer Sykes (free agent)
Terry Taylor (undrafted free agent)
Duane Washington Jr. (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Doug McDermott (free agent)
Aaron Holiday (trade)
Re-signings:

TJ McConnell

Extensions:

None

Perhaps the most important offseason move for the Pacers was replacing head coach Nate Bjorkgren with Rick Carlisle, who will bring instant credibility and (hopefully) respect from his players. The 24-year-old Duarte should be able to contribute right away as a rookie, averaging over 18 points on 48 percent 3-point shooting through four Summer League games, while Jackson has the potential to be a shot-blocker extraordinaire. Holiday became expendable with the emergence of McConnell, who the team quickly re-signed, and the Pacers will largely run back the same unit as last season, but hopefully with a healthy TJ Warren.

Grade: B

Los Angeles Clippers

In:

Eric Bledsoe (trade)
Keon Johnson (draft)
Justise Winslow (free agent)
Jason Preston (draft)
Brandon Boston Jr. (draft)

Out:

Patrick Beverley (trade)
Rajon Rondo (trade)
Daniel Oturu (trade)

Re-signings:

Kawhi Leonard
Reggie Jackson
Nicolas Batum

Extensions:

None

The Clippers breathed a huge sigh of relief as they re-signed Leonard to a four-year deal, which will keep him and Paul George in a Clipper uniform potentially through 2025. They were also able to bring back Jackson and Batum, whose roles will be even more prominent for however long Leonard is out while recovering from a torn ACL. The Clippers traded up to get Johnson, the best traditional athlete in the draft, and added Winslow, who has been an intriguing player when healthy. The Bledsoe trade adds a solid combo guard who will return to where his career started, and saves the Clippers $30 million in their luxury tax bill.

Grade: A

Los Angeles Lakers

In:

Russell Westbrook (trade)
Kendrick Nunn (free agent)
Carmelo Anthony (free agent)
Trevor Ariza (free agent)
Wayne Ellington (free agent)
Dwight Howard (free agent)
Kent Bazemore (free agent)
Malik Monk (free agent)
Mac McClung (undrafted free agent)
Chaundee Brown (undrafted free agent)
Joel Ayayi (undrafted free agent)
Austin Reaves (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Dennis Schroder (free agent)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (trade)
Kyle Kuzma (trade)
Montrezl Harrell (trade)
Alex Caruso (free agent)
Markieff Morris (free agent)
Andre Drummond (free agent)
Ben McLemore (free agent)
Kostas Antetokounmpo (free agent)

Re-signings:

Talen Horton-Tucker

Extensions:

None

The Lakers basically swapped out their entire roster, highlighted by the acquisition of Westbrook. While it could lead to postseason issues, the addition gives the Lakers a nuclear ball of energy to get them through the regular season and take some of the playmaking pressure off of LeBron James, who will turn 37 in December. After that, the Lakers did well to pick up quality role players on cheap deals with Anthony, Ariza, Howard, Bazemore and Ellington, while adding some spry legs in Nunn and Monk. The loss of Caruso, Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope and to some extent Schroder, could hurt their elite defense, but as long as James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis are healthy, the Lakers are going to win a lot of games.

Grade: A-minus

Memphis Grizzlies

In:

Steven Adams (trade)
Ziaire Williams (draft)
Rajon Rondo (trade)
Daniel Oturu (trade)
Santi Aldama (draft)
Sam Merrill (trade)
Yves Pons (undrafted free agent)
Jarrett Culver (trade)
Juancho Hernangomez (trade)

Out:

Jonas Valanciunas (trade)
Justise Winslow (free agent)
Grayson Allen (trade)

Re-signings:

Killian Tillie

Extensions:

None

The Grizzlies decided to take on the salary of Adams and Bledsoe in exchange for a higher draft pick (with which they selected Williams), later flipping Bledsoe for three more players, one of which (Patrick Beverley) they traded for Culver and Hernangomez. Got all that? Parting with Valanciunas hurts, since he's been essential to the heart and soul of this team over the past two-plus seasons. Memphis relied on his interior scoring and will have to find other ways to make up for it now that he's gone. Adams is solid and the Grizzlies should compete for a playoff spot once again behind Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks, but they clearly had an eye toward the future -- not the present -- with their moves.

Grade: B

Miami Heat

In:

Kyle Lowry (free agent)
PJ Tucker (free agent)
Markieff Morris (free agent)
DJ Stewart (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Goran Dragic (trade)
Andre Iguodala (free agent)
Trevor Ariza (free agent)
Nemanja Bjelica (free agent)
Precious Achiuwa (trade)
Kendrick Nunn (free agent)

Re-signings:

Duncan Robinson
Victor Oladipo
Udonis Haslem
Dewayne Dedmon
Gabe Vincent
Max Strus
Omer Yurtseven

Extensions:

Jimmy Butler

The Heat's offseason has been well documented, as they've probably done the most to raise their ceiling of any NBA team. Lowry is exactly the type of player Miami needed -- not only with his defense and intangibles but also with his shooting ability. Bringing back Robinson was essential with the lack of 3-point prowess between Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tucker, presumably three of the team's starters. Locking up Butler with an extension should keep him happy, and getting Oladipo back on a minimum deal could do wonders for the Heat if he's healthy by the postseason.

Grade: A-plus

Milwaukee Bucks

In:

George Hill (free agent)
Grayson Allen (trade)
Rodney Hood (free agent)
Semi Ojeleye (free agent)
Georgios Kalaitzakis (draft)
Sandro Mamukelashvili (draft)

Out:

PJ Tucker (free agent)
Bryn Forbes (free agent)
Sam Merrill (trade)

Re-signings:

Bobby Portis
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Extensions:

None

The loss of Tucker was unexpected and could hurt come playoff time, but the Bucks should be just fine in the regular season after adding Hill, Hood and Allen to shore up their rotation. They were also able to get Portis back on a below-market rate, and at least got a similar body type to Tucker in Ojeleye, who should be able to eat up some minutes. The champs look more than ready to defend their title.

Grade: B

Minnesota Timberwolves

In:

Taurean Prince (trade)
Patrick Beverley (trade)
Nathan Knight (free agent)
McKinley Wright (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Ricky Rubio (trade)
Jarrett Culver (trade)
Juancho Hernangomez (trade)

Re-signings:

None

Extensions:

None

The Wolves swapped Rubio for Prince as D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards prepare to assume more ball-handling and playmaking duties, while making a presumably win-now move by bringing in Beverley while giving up former No. 6 overall pick Culver. Beverley is the right kind of defense-first guard to put alongside Russell, but it remains to be seen whether he'll have enough impact to justify parting with Culver's potential, despite his early-career struggles. Minnesota made strides toward the end of the year under Chris Finch and they played well in the limited minutes that Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns shared, but nothing about their offseason gives you the impression that they're ready to make a playoff push in the cutthroat Western Conference.

Grade: B-minus

New Orleans Pelicans

In:

Jonas Valanciunas (trade)
Devonte' Graham (free agent)
Tomas Satoransky (trade)
Trey Murphy (draft)
Garrett Temple (trade)
Herbert Jones (draft)
Daulton Hommes (free agent)
Jose Alvarado (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Lonzo Ball (free agent)
Steven Adams (trade)
Eric Bledsoe (trade)
James Johnson (free agent)
Wesley Iwundu (trade)
James Nunnally (free agent)

Re-signings:

Josh Hart
Didi Louzada
Willy Hernangomez

Extensions:

None

It was an odd offseason for the Pelicans, who watched Lonzo Ball, a friend of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, walk out the door, while they added solid veterans and jettisoned the contracts of Adams and Bledsoe. Valanciunas isn't a great fit alongside Williamson, and Graham, while a knock-down shooter, will only exacerbate their defensive issues from a season ago. Murphy should be able to contribute as a rookie and Josh Hart's is coming back, but it's hard to say that the Pelicans got better this offseason.

Grade: C

New York Knicks

In:

Kemba Walker (free agent)
Evan Fournier (free agent)
Quentin Grimes (draft)
Dwayne Bacon (free agent)
Rokas Jokubaitis (draft)
Miles McBride (draft)
Jericho Sims (draft)
Aamir Simms (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Elfrid Payton (free agent)
Reggie Bullock (free agent)

Re-signings:

Derrick Rose
Alec Burks
Nerlens Noel
Taj Gibson

Extensions:

Julius Randle

The Knicks pulled a fast one on all of us by signing Walker after a buyout with the Thunder, and suddenly their other moves this offseason make a whole lot more sense. They addressed their offensive issues with Walker and Fournier, while bringing back the core of the team that surprisingly earned a No. 4 seed last season. The Randle extension seems like fair value for the 26-year-old All-Star, and now the Knicks look even more imposing, with the assets to make a move for a superstar if the opportunity should arise.

Grade: A

Oklahoma City Thunder

In:

Derrick Favors (trade)
Josh Giddey (draft)
Tre Mann (draft)
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (draft)
Aaron Wiggins (draft)

Out:

Al Horford (trade)
Tony Bradley (free agent)
Moses Brown (trade)

Re-signings:

Mike Muscala
Josh Hall

Extensions:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Giddey has a chance to be one of the most exciting players in the league, even if taking him at No. 6 might have been a slight reach. The Thunder picked up a draft pick for Kemba Walker, whom they promptly chose to buy out rather than try to flip for another asset (Walker reportedly gave up $20 million in the buyout, which could have been the selling point). Locking up Gilgeous-Alexander with an extension was a smart move, even if they end up trading him down the road. A solid offseason for OKC, but don't expect many wins this season.

Grade: B

Orlando Magic

In:

Jalen Suggs (draft)
Franz Wagner (draft)
Robin Lopez (free agent)

Out:

Otto Porter (free agent)
Dwayne Bacon (free agent)

Re-signings:

Moritz Wagner
Ignas Brazdeikis

Extensions:

None

At the cusp of a full rebuild, the Magic have the foundation of a potentially elite defense, particularly after adding Suggs and Wagner with their two top-eight draft picks. Offense, on the other hand, is going to be a problem. Suggs could end up being a transformative talent and Wagner reportedly drew rave reviews from several teams in the pre-draft process, so getting them in the system is probably the best you could hope for as a Magic fan this offseason.

Grade: A-minus

Philadelphia 76ers

In:

Andre Drummond (free agent)
Jaden Springer (draft)
Georges Niang (free agent)
Grant Riller (free agent)
Filip Petrusev (draft)
Charles Bassey (draft)

Out:

George Hill (free agent)
Dwight Howard (free agent)

Re-signings:

Danny Green
Furkan Korkmaz

Extensions:

Joel Embiid

As we await Ben Simmons' future, the most important move of the Sixers' offseason so far has been bringing back Green. No matter how you feel about Drummond, getting him on a veteran minimum is a huge steal, and Niang could be a sneaky signing for them with his versatile skill set off the bench. Springer is one of the youngest players in the draft, so he may not contribute right away, but he profiles as a stout defender with some offensive upside. Obviously, everything could change with the Simmons deal (or non-deal), but we can only judge what we've seen so far.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns

In:

Landry Shamet (trade)
JaVale McGee (free agent)
Elfrid Payton (free agent)

Out:

Jevon Carter (trade)
Torrey Craig (free agent)

Re-signings:

Chris Paul
Cameron Payne
Frank Kaminsky
Abdel Nader

Extensions:

None

The Suns were content to get the band back together for another run, and the partially guaranteed final years of Paul's four-year, $120 million contract make it a little more digestible. They added shooting with Shamet and a much-needed backup center in McGee, while securing Payton as insurance for a Paul or Payne injury. With a run to the Finals under the belts of the Suns' young core, they should be a top Western Conference contender again next season.

Grade: B-plus

Portland Trail Blazers

In:

Ben McLemore (free agent)
Cody Zeller (free agent)
Tony Snell (free agent)
Greg Brown (draft)
Trendon Watford (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Zach Collins (free agent)
Enes Kanter (free agent)
Carmelo Anthony (free agent)

Re-signings:

Norman Powell

Extensions:

None

If Damian Lillard wanted to see meaningful change to the Blazers roster this offseason, he can't be happy with what he's looking at right now. Powell's four-year, $90 million contract is fine, and Portland could still have a move or two to make, but as it stands, McLemore, Zeller and Snell don't exactly make this a championship contender, and Brown wasn't considered NBA-ready heading into the draft. It's going to be a tense couple of months waiting to see how Lillard proceeds.

Grade: C-minus

Sacramento Kings

In:

Davion Mitchell (draft)
Tristan Thompson (trade)
Alex Len (free agent)
Neemias Queta (draft)

Out:

Delon Wright (trade)
Hassan Whiteside (free agent)

Re-signings:

Richaun Holmes
Moe Harkless
Terence Davis

Extensions:

None

The Kings probably didn't get much worse this offseason, but they also didn't get much better. Mitchell and Thompson should help the league-worst defense from a season ago, while bringing back Holmes solidified the middle. The real question is what Sacramento is going to do with Buddy Hield, who was nearly dealt to the Lakers and has been sporadically unhappy for years now. He and Marvin Bagley could be trade fodder for another deal, but who's really out there that could make a difference?

Grade: C

San Antonio Spurs

In:

Josh Primo (draft)
Doug McDermott (free agent)
Thaddeus Young (trade)
Al-Farouq Aminu (trade)
Zach Collins (free agent)
Chandler Hutchison (trade)
Bryn Forbes (free agent)
Joe Wieskamp (draft)
Jock Landale (free agent)

Out:

DeMar DeRozan (free agent)
Rudy Gay (free agent)
Patty Mills (free agent)
Trey Lyles (free agent)
Gorgui Dieng (free agent)

Re-signings:

None

Extensions:

None

The old guard is officially out in San Antonio, and Gregg Popovich will have a deep collection of youngsters to deploy as the franchise transitions to a rebuild. The Spurs shocked the NBA world by selecting Primo, the youngest player in the draft, at No. 12, and he'll join a cadre of talented young guards in the backcourt. San Antonio has a strange enough roster that it could still be competitive next season, or it could flip players like Young and Aminu, but as of now, they lack a high-upside future star to build around.

Grade: B-minus

Toronto Raptors

In:

Scottie Barnes (draft)
Goran Dragic (trade)
Precious Achiuwa (trade)
Sam Dekker (free agent)
Isaac Bonga (free agent)
Dalano Banton (draft)
Ishmail Wainright (free agent)
David Johnson (draft)
Justin Champagnie (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Kyle Lowry (free agent)
Aron Baynes (free agent)
Rodney Hood (free agent)
DeAndre' Bembry (free agent)
Paul Watson (free agent)
Jalen Harris (free agent)

Re-signings:

Gary Trent Jr.
Khem Birch

Extensions:

None

The Raptors surprised a lot of draft analysts by selecting Barnes over Jalen Suggs, then picked up Dragic in the Lowry sign-and-trade to man the point for the time being. Outside of those two, the Raptors didn't really add much in terms of win-now help, which makes you wonder what the future entails for players like Dragic and Pascal Siakam. As of now Toronto looks stuck between a rebuild and competing for a playoff spot -- a precarious place to be in the NBA -- but more moves could be forthcoming.

Grade: B-minus

Utah Jazz

In:

Rudy Gay (free agent)
Hassan Whiteside (free agent)
Eric Paschall (trade)
Jared Butler (draft)
MaCio Teague (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Derrick Favors (trade)
Georges Niang (free agent)

Re-signings:

Mike Conley
Jarrell Brantley
Trent Forrest

Extensions:

None

Bringing back Conley was priority No. 1 for the Jazz, and they got that done quickly. The only key piece they lost from last season's NBA-best 52-win team is Favors, whose backup center minutes will likely be replaced by some combination of Gay, Whiteside and Paschall. Butler could end up being the steal of the draft, and the Jazz should be just as imposing in 2021-22 if they choose to run it back with the same crew.

Grade: B-plus

Washington Wizards

In:

Spencer Dinwiddie (free agent)
Kyle Kuzma (trade)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (trade)
Montrezl Harrell (trade)
Aaron Holiday (trade)
Corey Kispert (draft)
Isaiah Todd (draft)
Jay Huff (undrafted free agent)

Out:

Russell Westbrook (trade)
Robin Lopez (free agent)
Ish Smith (free agent)
Chandler Hutchison (trade)
Alex Len (free agent)
Isaac Bonga (free agent)

Re-signings:

Raul Neto

Extensions:

None

The offseason headline for the Wizards (and probably for the league) was dealing Westbrook and the $91 million left on his contract to the Lakers in exchange for three vets who will contribute right away. Washington replaced Westbrook with Dinwiddie to slot in next to Bradley Beal, who reportedly insists he has no interest in leaving the Wizards any time soon. It's going to take time for all these new pieces to acclimate, but they added shooting with Kispert and Caldwell-Pope and now have a deep roster that should be able to compete for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Grade: B

Old School

08-20-2021, 10:47 PM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

Washington Re-Signs Cassius Winston https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/wizards-re-sign-winston-on-two-way-deal.html

Biggest Winners & Losers From Free Agency https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947382-lakers-biggest-winners-and-losers-from-2021-nba-free-agency

Marc Gasol Not A Lock To Return To LA Lakers https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/8/20/22634360/lakers-rumors-marc-gasol-not-lock-return-cut-trade-free-agency

NBA Executives & Scouts Vote DeRozan Worst Free Agent Deal https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2021/08/19/executives-and-scouts-vote-derozan-deal-worst-move-of-free-agency/

Robert Williams Signs Four Year Contract Extension With Boston https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/celtics-robert-williams-agree-to-four-year-extension.html

Old School

08-21-2021, 07:57 AM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/08/2021-nba-free-agents.html

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2021 free agents is below. The player’s 2021 age is in parentheses.

These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2020/21 season. They either finished the ’20/21 season on an NBA roster or were unsigned at season’s end (but appeared in at least 10 games). A small handful of other notable free agents are also listed.

Players with team or player options for the 2021/22 season are listed, unless they’re still on their rookie-scale contracts. Players whose ’21/22 salaries aren’t fully guaranteed are also listed below, since many will be candidates to be released.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Ryan Arcidiacono (27)
Jordan Bone (24)
Quinn Cook (28)
Dante Exum (26)
Tim Frazier (31)
Brandon Goodwin (26)
Jared Harper (24)
Shaquille Harrison (28)
Karim Mané (21)
Jeremiah Martin (25)
Frank Ntilikina (23)
Chasson Randle (28)
Dennis Smith Jr. (24)
Jeff Teague (33)
Isaiah Thomas (32)
Brad Wanamaker (32)
Tremont Waters (23)

Shooting Guards

Ty-Shon Alexander (23)
Avery Bradley (31)
Nate Darling (23)
Terrance Ferguson (23)
Langston Galloway (30)
Kyle Guy (24)
Nate Hinton (22)
Caleb Homesley (25)
Justin James (24)
DaQuan Jeffries (24)
Tyler Johnson (29)
Mason Jones (23)
Courtney Lee (36)
Garrison Mathews (25)
Patrick McCaw (26)
Adam Mokoka (23)
E’Twaun Moore (32)
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (24)
J.J. Redick (37)
Jerome Robinson (24)
Iman Shumpert (31)
Deividas Sirvydis (21)
Cassius Stanley (22)
Matt Thomas (27)
Sindarius Thornwell (27)
Rayjon Tucker (24)
Denzel Valentine (28)
Quinndary Weatherspoon (25)

Small Forwards

Keljin Blevins (26)
James Ennis (31)
Jaylen Hoard (22)
Justin Jackson (26)
Stanley Johnson (25)
Louis King (22)
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (26)
Caleb Martin (26)
Wesley Matthews (35)
Alfonzo McKinnie (29)
Darius Miller (31)
Theo Pinson (26)
Andre Roberson (30)
Glenn Robinson III (27)
Axel Toupane (29)
Paul Watson (27)

Power Forwards

Michael Beasley (32)
Devontae Cacok (25)
Marquese Chriss (24)
Gary Clark (27)
Tyler Cook (24)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (26)
Ersan Ilyasova (34)
T.J. Leaf (24)
Paul Millsap (36)
Juwan Morgan (24)
Cameron Oliver (25)
Patrick Patterson (32)
Jontay Porter (22)
JaKarr Sampson (28)
Mike Scott (33)
Chris Silva (25)
Anthony Tolliver (36)
Noah Vonleh (26)
D.J. Wilson (25)

Centers

Aron Baynes (35) *Injured May Miss 2021-22 Season
Jordan Bell (26)
Bismack Biyombo (29)
Amida Brimah (27)
DeMarcus Cousins (31)
Ed Davis (32)
Tacko Fall (26)
Harry Giles (23)
Isaiah Hartenstein (23)
John Henson (31)
Luke Kornet (26)
Meyers Leonard (29)
Norvel Pelle (28)
Reggie Perry (21)

Restricted Free Agents

Point Guards

Jordan McLaughlin (25)

Shooting Guards

N/A

Small Forwards

N/A

Power Forwards

Jarred Vanderbilt (22)

Centers

N/A

Old School

08-22-2021, 05:25 PM

Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10010761-nba-rumors-paul-millsap-drawing-interest-from-warriors-nets-in-free-agency

https://www.tsn.ca/polopoly_fs/1.1591240!/fileimage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/paul-millsap.jpg

NBA Rumors: Paul Millsap Drawing Interest from Warriors, Nets in Free Agency

Free-agent veteran power forward Paul Millsap is reportedly drawing interest from the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post.

The 36-year-old Millsap has played in 15 NBA seasons, suiting up for the Denver Nuggets in his last four. The four-time All-Star averaged 9.0 points on 47.6 percent shooting and 4.7 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game in 2020-21.

He started 36 of a possible 56 regular-season matchups for a Nuggets team that reached the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Millsap began his career with the Utah Jazz in 2006 after the team selected him 47th overall in that year's draft. He remained in Salt Lake City through 2013, playing on a few successful playoff teams that also featured Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.

He signed with the Atlanta Hawks in free agency in 2013 and made the All-Star team in each of his four seasons there. Millsap's best year was 2014-15 when he helped lead the Hawks to a 60-22 record and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Atlanta went all the way to the conference finals, where they fell to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That Hawks team broke up after the 2016-17 season, and Millsap moved onto Denver, where he helped turn around a franchise that scuffled through four straight losing seasons before his arrival. The Nuggets have had four winning seasons since, including three in the playoffs and one that ended in the Western Conference Finals.

Millsap appeared to slow down a bit near the end of his Denver tenure, with his 9.0 points per game his lowest mark since 2007-08. But he could still be a key veteran piece off the bench for a team looking to contend, and the Nets and Warriors would seem to fit that bill.

They can't break the bank for Millsap, considering they have more money committed to their 2021-22 payrolls than any other NBA team, but he'd be a good fit for either one for some added frontcourt depth.

Old School

08-24-2021, 01:03 AM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/emmanuel-mudiay-signs-with-lithuanian-team.html

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XJpCcKh14UQ/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEjCOADEI4CSFryq4qpAxUIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJDeAE=&rs=AOn4CLA3tb-0z3lx-KvL2sXiZMUD6E6pGQ

Veteran point guard Emmanuel Mudiay has inked a one-year contract with the Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas, per an official team announcement.

The 25-year-old was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Nuggets in the 2015 draft. Across his 300 NBA games played between 2015-20, Mudiay averaged 11.0 PPG, 3.8 APG, and 2.9 RPG on .401/.323/.744 shooting. Beyond his tenure with the Nuggets, Mudiay also suited up for the Knicks and Jazz. His last NBA stint was spent with Utah during the 2019/20 season.

Mudiay received offers to play in the G League and in Europe in 2020/21, according to a recent report, but turned them down in hopes of catching on with an NBA team. The former lottery pick, who played on the Trail Blazers’ Summer League team this year, was once again angling for an NBA comeback. However, his agreement with Zalgiris Kaunas had been anticipated as a contingency plan.

Though this marks Mudiay’s first appearance with a European team, this is not his first experience in a non-NBA pro league. Back when he was an elite high school prospect, the 6’3″ Mudiay opted to bypass college, instead signing a one-year, $1.2MM deal with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China for the 2014/15 season before entering his name into NBA draft consideration.

Mudiay still has to report to the team in Lithuania and undergo a physical examination.

Old School

08-24-2021, 01:05 AM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/kevin-pangos-drawing-interest-from-cavaliers-others.html

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1352355029173362688/zHpTwFUV_400x400.jpg

Former Gonzaga guard Kevin Pangos, who has spent the last several seasons playing in Europe, is garnering interest from the Cavaliers, according to reports from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com and Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

Pangos, 28, has carved out an impressive career overseas, having spent time in Spain, Lithuania, and Russia since going undrafted in 2015. In 2020/21, he averaged 13.5 PPG and 6.6 APG on .449/.390/.845 shooting in 39 EuroLeague contests (28.9 MPG) for Zenit Saint Petersburg, earning a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team.

According to Fedor, Pangos has received “big” offers to remain in Europe, but it sounds like he’s interested in making the move to the NBA. Urbonas and Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link) both suggest that the Canadian guard would likely need a guaranteed contract offer to justify a return stateside.

As Urbonas writes, the Grizzlies are among the other teams eyeing Pangos, but they already have too many players on guaranteed salaries on their roster and likely aren’t in position to offer more than an Exhibit 10 contract. Murphy names the Raptors as another NBA club with interest.

Cleveland could ultimately be the best fit for Pangos. As Fedor has previously reported, the team remains in the market for one more point guard even after acquiring Ricky Rubio earlier this offseason. The Cavs also have plenty of roster flexibility, with just 10 players on guaranteed contracts so far — Lamar Stevens, Damyean Dotson, Dean Wade, and Mfiondu Kabengele don’t have full guarantees.

Old School

08-24-2021, 06:58 AM

Sporting News https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/2021-nba-free-agency-what-dante-exum-brings-to-an-nba-team/1epopvticgdfh1kwufg6gb6m4d

https://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20200103&t=2&i=1471503925&w=640&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=MTZXEG13IFVUF3

2021 NBA Free Agency: Dante Exum remains unsigned, looms as a value free agent pick up

With free agency nearly done and dusted, Australian point guard Dante Exum still remains without a team for the 2021-22 NBA season.

The 26-year-old has had a rough run of injuries throughout his career and last season only appeared in six games before a calf injury ended his campaign in January.

A mid-season trade saw him swap Cleveland for Houston, but the Aussie didn't suit up for the Rockets due to injury and looks to find his way back onto an NBA roster after an impressive display at the Tokyo Olympic Games, helping the Australian Boomers win a bronze medal.

The former No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft is back healthy and showed in Tokyo he still has his explosive first step and the defensive intangibles that will no doubt have caught the eye of NBA teams.

Here's what he'll bring to a team that picks him up in free agency:

Bench scoring

173 of Exum's 245 career NBA games have come off the bench and the versatile guard can cover multiple positions from point guard to shooting guard and small forward with his 6-foot-6 frame.

Exum's speed in transition and ability to push the tempo and finish around the basket remains his biggest strength and that type of dynamic burst of energy fits the profile of a backup point guard who can attack second units and give the offence strong five-minute bursts.

While his primary offensive threat is on the fastbreak, he continues to evolve in the half-court and as a 3-point shooter, primarily as a catch-and-shoot option. In 2019-20 across games for the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, Exum shot 37.5 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. In 24 games with the Cavs that season, he shot 35.1 percent from long range.

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"This is a shooting game now, everyone is trying to shoot now and I think it just opens up so much more of my game if I'm able to knock down shots," Exum said prior to the Olympics. It opens up driving lanes and just getting into the paint and making the right reads."

Defensive versatility

While his offensive game continues to evolve, Exum can deliver quality minutes on the defensive end and has shown throughout his NBA career, he's not afraid to take on tough defensive assignments.

At 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Exum's combination of length, speed and athleticism gives you options especially against smaller lineups and at this point in his career, defence is going to be the thing that keeps him on the floor.

"I know I definitely didn't get drafted on my defensive ability," Exum said. "I know that's something I've always tried to work on and it's turned into something that is who I am now."

In the bronze medal game against Slovenia, Exum was immense on the defensive end in tandem with Matisse Thybulle, as the Aussie duo swarmed Luka Doncic on the perimeter, forcing the All-NBA guard into eight turnovers.

Exum's best performances in Tokyo came against Team USA and Slovenia in the semi-final and bronze medal game, serving as a strong audition for NBA teams, showing what he is capable of against NBA-level competition on the defensive end.

Best fits

Toronto Raptors: With the departure of Kyle Lowry in the off-season, the Raptors have a need in the backcourt with Fred VanVleet to assume the ball-handling duties. Beyond that, second-year guard Malachi Flynn will likely step into some of those minutes, while it's unclear if recently acquired Goran Dragic will be on the roster on opening night.

Given their reputation for player development, taking a flyer on Exum could be worth a shot and gives them another long, athletic perimeter player, which certainly fits the profile of the roster their building.

Charlotte Hornets: With LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier locked in as the Hornets backcourt, their depth at guard beyond that includes Ish Smith who signed as a free agent and rookie James Bouknight who will factor into the equation. The Hornets' up-and-down style certainly fits Exum's transition game and gives their defence a nice boost.

Oklahoma City Thunder: The rebuilding Thunder have options in the backcourt with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and No. 6 overall pick Josh Giddey to assume the majority of the ball-handling duties. With Theo Maledon and rookie Tre Mann also on board, Exum offers them a buy-low, high upside player, who can operate in a frightening defensive tandem with Lu Dort.

Houston Rockets: The Rockets didn't get to see Exum suit up for them last season and could bring him back to add some depth to their backcourt. John Wall and D.J. Augustin are the lone point guards on the roster, with many expecting Wall to move on from the rebuilding squad. At 26, Exum fits the age profile of the young squad, who will build around No. 2 pick Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.

Minnesota Timberwolves: After trading Ricky Rubio, the Wolves' point guards consist of D'Angelo Russell, Jordan McLaughlin and Patrick Beverley, who was acquired in a trade for Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez.

The Wolves are unlikely to let Beverley go to a contender given what they gave up to get him, but in the event he isn't on the roster on opening night, Exum could be a name that comes up to fill the void.

Old School

08-25-2021, 12:06 AM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

Eastern Conference Offseason Grades https://www.si.com/nba/2021/08/23/nba-offseason-report-cards-eastern-conference-grades

Western Conference Offseason Grades https://www.si.com/nba/2021/08/24/nba-offseason-report-cards-western-conference-grades

Terry Rozier Signs 4 Year Extension With Charlotte https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/hornets-terry-rozier-agree-to-four-year-extension.html

Josh Richardson Signs 1 Year Extension With Boston https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/celtics-josh-richardson-ink-one-year-extension-to-current-deal.html

Brooklyn And New York Battling Over Free Agent JJ Reddick https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-knicks-battle-kevin-durant-nets-in-race-to-sign-highly-coveted-free-agent/

Old School

08-25-2021, 12:45 AM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

Yardbarker https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/who_are_the_most_notable_free_agents_still_unsigned/s1_16793_35682620

Who are the most notable free agents still unsigned?

We're now 20 days into NBA free agency, and as expected, nearly all of the big names have jumped off the market. But the 2021 free-agency class was so large, that even three weeks later, a number of quality pros remain available.

At this stage, your favorite squad isn't likely to sign a game-changer. But plug-and-play veterans and young castoffs can bring value to any roster. Lauri Markkanen and Paul Millsap headline the remaining best available players, and dozens of others are worth taking a peek at.

Below are five notable unsigned players for each of the three umbrella positional groups.

Guards

Wesley Matthews (UFA)

Matthews has now played for five teams in three seasons. The 34-year-old most recently suited up for the Lakers in 2020-21, averaging 4.8 points per game in a bench role. Matthews provides toughness on both ends as a 3-and-D veteran.

J.J. Redick (UFA)

Redick can still shoot it (37.1% from three last season) but has lost much of the explosiveness off the ball that had made him such a threat throughout his career. The 37-year-old played for the Pelicans and Mavericks last season, and could help a team searching for an offensive spark.

Avery Bradley (UFA)

Bradley was traded from Miami to Houston at the March 25 trade deadline, but did shoot 42.1% from long range during his short stint with the Heat. The 30-year-old has been part of a number of successful teams, including the Lakers' championship squad in 2020. He'll be able to provide adequate shooting and defense wherever he lands.

Langston Galloway (UFA)

Galloway played a minor bench role for the Suns in their trip to the NBA Finals. The 29-year-old did what he was asked: he shot well from the perimeter (42.4%) and turned the ball over just 13 times in 480 minutes. He'll be a valuable and reliable reserve wherever he goes.

Frank Ntilikina (UFA)

The 2017 No. 8 overall pick never found his groove with the New York Knicks. Ntilikina's minutes were halved in his fourth season (just 9.8 per game) as he battled on the outside of Tom Thibodeau's rotation. He's still only 23 years old, though, and is an NBA-caliber perimeter defender. Ntilikina also made 23 of his 48 three-point attempts in 2020-21, a 47.9% clip albeit on a small sample size.

Others Include: Isaiah Thomas, E'Twaun Moore, Brad Wanamaker, Jordan McLaughlin, Dante Exum, Dennis Smith Jr., Tyler Johnson, Jeff Teague

Wings

Svi Mykhailiuk (UFA)

The former Jayhawk played 36 games for the Detroit Pistons before being dealt to OKC. Mykhailiuk had a down year shooting the ball (33.4% from deep in total), but profiles as a sharpshooter with room to grow. The Thunder rescinded the qualifying offer on Mykhailiuk, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Jarred Vanderbilt (RFA)

Timberwolves fans were intrigued by Vanderbilt last season. The 22-year-old made 30 starts and generally battled on defense and on the glass. Vanderbilt also made 71.7% of his attempts around the rim, and still radiates potential as a 6-foot-9 combo forward.

James Ennis (UFA)

The journeyman wing has taken the court for seven franchises in his seven professional seasons. Ennis has made 36.0% of his threes in his career, but canned 43.3% of those looks with the Orlando Magic in 2020-21. He can operate as a mini microwave scorer, and floor-spacing wings will always have value in today's NBA.

Stanley Johnson (UFA)

Johnson worked his way to increased playing time with the Toronto Raptors last season, even starting 13 games for the team. It was a mixed bag — he shot just 37.8 percent from the field — but the former 2015 lottery pick had some bright moments, including a 35-point, 10-rebound effort in a May 13 loss to Chicago. Johnson has improve notably as a defender and may be one of the better free agent "flier" options.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (UFA)

If a team is looking for a defensive spark plug, they should start with Hollis-Jefferson. The 26-year-old can guard both forward spots and even some smaller bigs with his length and energy. Hollis-Jefferson has a rough offensive foundation, but he wouldn't need to be relied on as more than a finisher.

Others include: Denzel Valentine, Garrison Mathews, Paul Watson, Gary Clark, Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson, Michael Beasley, Deividas Sirvydis

Bigs

Lauri Markkanen (RFA)

Markkanen is the clear best remaining free agent. However, his next steps seem clouded. The 24-year-old went on the record saying he would like to get out of Chicago, who owns his rights via restricted free agency. Plenty of teams have shown interest, but with so much money and cap space used up, facilitating a sign-and-trade will prove tricky. Regardless, Markkanen is a talented scorer and shooter who can immediately boost any offense in the league.

Paul Millsap (UFA)

Millsap has slowly regressed with age, and at 36 years old, is no longer the Swiss Army knife he has usually been on both ends. But he's still a versatile piece that teams can plug in at power forward or center while shooting the ball respectably. Millsap spent his last four seasons with the Denver Nuggets., and the Warriors and Nets have reportedly demonstrated recent interest.

LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA)

It appears that the veteran Aldridge, who retired just a few months ago due to a heart condition, has consulted with medical personnel and decided to attempt a return to the NBA (per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski). Just based on the finesse center's face-up capabilities and ability to stretch the floor, he should draw plenty of suitors. He last played for the Nets.

Isaiah Hartenstein (UFA)

The Nuggets traded Hartenstein to the Cleveland Cavaliers at last spring's deadline. He seemed to find a groove in Cleveland, averaging 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Hartenstein is still only 23 and was a second-round pick in 2017.

DeMarcus Cousins (UFA)

Cousins fell out of the Clippers' playoff rotation because he simply wasn't up to par with the smaller, faster matchups he often faced. Injuries have drained the 30-year-old of his athleticism. But Cousins quietly became a knockdown, low-volume shooter (42.1% on 1.2 threes per game), and that could be a way to keep his NBA stock afloat.

Others include: Aron Baynes, Bismack Biyombo, Ed Davis, Harry Giles, T.J. Leaf, Patrick Patterson, D.J. Wilson, Ersan Ilyasova, Alen Smailagic, Luke Kornet, Tacko Fall

Old School

08-26-2021, 02:50 AM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/justin-patton-agrees-to-sign-with-hapoel-eilat.html

https://www.dailyherald.com/storyimage/DA/20210312/sports/303129983/EP/1/5/EP-303129983.jpg&updated=202103120120&MaxW=900&maxH=900&noborder&Q=80

Another NBA big man is headed to Israel, as Justin Patton has agreed to sign with Hapoel Eilat, according to a report from Yakov Meir of Israel Hayom. A source confirmed the news to our JD Shaw (Twitter link https://twitter.com/JShawNBA/status/1430626370401488906).

Word of Patton’s agreement comes on the heels of former No. 10 overall pick Thon Maker signing a deal with Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem.

Patton, 24, was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2017 draft and began his career with the Timberwolves, having been included in the deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. However, a series of foot injuries limited the center’s availability in his first few years in the NBA as he bounced around from Minnesota to Philadelphia to Oklahoma City to Houston.

In four total seasons, Patton has appeared in just 22 NBA games. Thirteen of those appearances came in 2020/21, as he spent several weeks on a two-way contract with the Rockets, averaging 5.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 19.0 minutes per contest. He was released in April, then suited up for the Jazz and Knicks in Summer Leagues in Utah and Las Vegas earlier this month.

Old School

08-26-2021, 02:54 AM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/thon-maker-signs-with-hapoel-jerusalem.html

Former NBA lottery pick Thon Maker has signed with Hapoel Jerusalem for the 2021/22 season, the Israeli team announced in a press release.

Maker, who was selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2016 draft, spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Bucks before being traded to the Pistons. The seven-footer finished his rookie contract in Detroit, then joined the Cavaliers to start the 2020/21 season before being waived in January. The Heat and Knicks reportedly considered signing the 24-year-old later in the season, but opted against it.

In 263 total regular season games in the NBA, Maker averaged a modest 4.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 0.7 BPG on .435/.327/.680 shooting in 13.8 minutes per contest.

Besides playing in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, Hapoel Jerusalem also competes in the Israeli State Cup and the Basketball Champions League.

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Old School

08-26-2021, 09:19 AM

Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947555-the-10-best-nba-free-agents-who-can-still-help-contenders

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A lack of available salary-cap space around the NBA made this a somewhat unusual free-agency period. Many players had to be acquired through sign-and-trades, minimum deals and cap exceptions.

The squeeze potentially cost former Los Angeles Laker and new Boston Celtic Dennis Schroder close to $80 million. After turning down a long-term extension from L.A. last season, he saw that limited cap space snatched up by others before signing a $5.9 million deal with Boston.

Lauri Markkanen is another free agent who may be looking at a reality that is quite a bit different than what he imagined heading into this offseason. And he remains unsigned. If he wants a deal that pays him more than the $6.7 million he made in the final year of his rookie contract, the restricted free agent will likely need a sign-and-trade.

A number of trade exceptions around the league can absorb his new salary, though. Despite the lack of obvious spending power, there are still ways to add available talents like Markkanen, Paul Millsap and others.

This late in the offseason, you're rarely going to find a star. But this slideshow provides a look at the top 10 players who can still make a difference on good teams.

Of course, predicting how someone will perform in the future takes a healthy dose of subjectivity. Age, size, advanced metrics and projection systems like FiveThirtyEight's help, but the final order was determined by combining all of those factors with a feel for what the future holds.

10. Marquese Chriss

There isn't a good time for a significant injury, but the fact that Marquese Chriss' fractured leg came on the heels of a minor breakout in 2019-20 was a major momentum killer.

In his first season with the Golden State Warriors, Chriss averaged 16.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.2 steals per 75 possessions. He was second on the team in total wins over replacement player.

Of course, one might chalk that up to a "good stats, bad team" situation, but Chriss showed enough of a multifaceted game to get a look from someone this offseason.

He wouldn't be called upon to start at the 5 right away, but he can stack up traditional numbers against backups. He's a good finisher and rebounder who can also find open teammates at a decent rate for his position.

9. Shaquille Harrison

Teams around the league often seem to be in the market for more perimeter defense, and few players provide it as well as Shaquille Harrison.

During his career, the fifth-year guard trails only Matisse Thybulle and Kris Dunn in steals per possession, and he's fifth in defensive box plus/minus, which is a "box score-based metric that estimates a basketball player's contribution to the team when that player is on the court," according to Basketball Reference, among players 6'7" or shorter.

If you're looking to cool off someone on a heater, Harrison's length, athleticism and on-ball tenacity would be a heck of an option.

Of course, basketball is about more than defense. And Harrison's struggles on the other end are why he has bounced around the league and remains unsigned.

He's at just 47.9 percent from two-point range and 28.3 percent from three. If he could be anywhere near the 38.1 percent he shot from deep in 2019-20, he'd be a major value signing.

8. Denzel Valentine

The theme of "this player is one or two years removed from a solid season" continues. Only in Denzel Valentine's case, we have to stretch back to 2017-18.

That season, the then-24-year-old Valentine averaged 13.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.5 threes and 1.1 steals per 75 possessions, while shooting 38.6 percent from three.

At 6'4", he's undersized, but that kind of Swiss Army knife production would help make up for that. The combination of passing and three-point shooting is particularly intriguing.

Secondary creators can take some pressure off primary options, especially if they can check both of those boxes. The playmaking allows the star to work off the ball at times. And the shooting gives him an outlet when drives get stifled.

Though we're talking about production from a few years ago, it might be worth a minimum contract to see if it's still in there.

7. Dante Exum

Terrible luck with injuries has been the biggest problem throughout Dante Exum's career. When healthy, he's been a top-tier perimeter defender who can beat almost anyone with a lightning-like first step (though he often struggled with whatever came after beating that first man).

And after managing just six appearances in another injury-plagued campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets in 2020-21, the 26-year-old Exum looked positively spry at the Tokyo Olympics.

As a utility man for Australia's bronze-medal-winning Boomers, the 6'5" Exum averaged 9.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 6-of-10 from three. And he was clearly his team's best defender.

Surely, some franchise's front office watched the tournament and wondered how that version of Exum would fit in with its reserves.

6. Isaiah Hartenstein

Throughout his three-year career, Isaiah Hartenstein has been a per-possession machine. And a slight uptick in passing in 2020-21 should make him intriguing for any team in need of depth at center.

As a backup for the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers, Hartenstein averaged 15.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per 75 possessions.

His ceiling might be reached as someone who does most of his damage as a rim-runner, but Hartenstein proved capable of a little more.

He can block shots in rotation, pass out of crowded rolls to the rim and clean up the boards.

And he's just 23 years old.

5. Jabari Parker

Jabari Parker was the No. 2 pick in the much-ballyhooed 2014 draft class. Seven years later, he's 19th among his draft classmates in career wins over replacement player (a few spots better than No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins).

It's safe to say things haven't gone quite according to plan for the former blue chipper, and injuries (including two torn ACLs) had a lot to do with that.

Still, on a minimum salary for the Boston Celtics in 2020-21, he showed flashes of the kind of scoring ability and versatility that made him such a high draft pick.

He averaged 17.0 points per 75 possessions in 10 regular-season appearances with Boston and then hit double figures twice in the playoffs.

Even with his explosiveness somewhat limited by the knee injuries, Parker can still bully his way to the rim. And a 37.1 three-point percentage in 2016-17 and 2017-18 may offer a sliver of hope for his jumper.

As a heat-check-off-the-bench guy, Parker can help the right team.

4. Jarred Vanderbilt

Jarred Vanderbilt is the kind gap-filling forward most teams could use. The restricted free agent fights on the glass, defends and moves the ball without the reward of many scoring opportunities. And he took advantage of the few chances he got, posting a 61.2 true shooting percentage last season.

He also averaged 11.4 boards, 10.7 points, 2.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per 75 possessions. And face-of-the-franchise Karl-Anthony Towns had a significantly better net rating when he shared the floor with Vanderbilt.

At 6'9", he can also float from one position to another, which allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to spare lesser defensive players from difficult assignments.

And on top of it all, he's just 22 years old. So things he's missing, like an outside shot, could come along in time.

3. JJ Redick

JJ Redick is 37 years old and coming off what may have been the worst season of his career.

He posted his worst BPM and his lowest three-point percentage since 2012-13. And one thing that helps some floor spacers last a bit longer after their athleticism wanes is size, which the 6'3" Redick doesn't have.

In his defense, though, it can be difficult for a shooter to play at peak levels with a role as volatile as Redick's was last season. He was in and out of the rotations of both the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks and never quite got in a rhythm.

In a defined, consistent role, he should still provide value by bending defenses with his off-ball movement and taking advantage of catch-and-shoot looks.

2. Paul Millsap

Like Redick, 36-year-old Paul Millsap is well past his prime. His average for minutes has gone down in each of his last four seasons, and he just scored fewer than 10 points per game for the first time since 2007-08.

But in this limited role, he still provides plenty of value as a big who can play the 4 or 5, rebound a little, hit threes and even create for others.

Per 75 possessions, he averaged a box score-stuffing 16.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 threes, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks for the Denver Nuggets last season.

He may not be able to contribute at that level for more than 20 to 25 minutes per game, but whatever team signs him likely isn't looking for more anyway.

1. Lauri Markkanen

After averaging 18.7 points in 32.3 minutes in 2018-19, Lauri Markkanen has seen his scoring and minutes averages decline in each of the last two seasons. He's never been an exceptional rebounder or rim protector for a 7-footer either.

But Markkanen combines two simple elements that should make him an intriguing target throughout his career: size and shooting.

Last season, he averaged a career-high 3.3 threes per 36 minutes and shot 40.2 percent from three. That kind of floor spacing opens up the lane for slashers.

The fact that Markkanen is just 24 should be a selling point too. He'll never develop into a multifaceted big like Nikola Jokic or a defender like Rudy Gobert, but he still has plenty of time to make incremental gains in other parts of his game.

Old School

08-26-2021, 11:09 PM

RealGM https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263943/Anthony-Bennett-Signs-With-Hapoel-Jerusalem

Former number one overall pick Anthony Bennett will continue his basketball career in Israel with Hapoel Jersalem. Bennett last played in the NBA during the 2016-17 season with the Brooklyn Nets.

Drafted with the first pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Bennett played for four different NBA teams in four seasons. The UNLV product started with the Cleveland Cavaliers, then played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors before joining the Nets. Bennett has also played parts of four different seasons in the NBA G-League, as well as a season in Turkey.

Bennett most recently played for Team Canada in qualifiers for the 2020 Olympics. The 6'8'' forward was sparingly used in three games, as Canada failed to qualifying for the Tokyo games, played in the summer of 2021.

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Old School

08-27-2021, 10:36 PM

HoopsRumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/markkanen-headed-to-cavaliers-in-three-team-sign-and-trade.html

https://p2.itc.cn/images01/20210828/c078e2ba640c4d4a9c14bae97a8b4c5f.jpeg

The Cavaliers will acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that also includes the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Portland will receive Larry Nance Jr. in the deal, according to Wojnarowski and will send Derrick Jones Jr. and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Chicago. The Blazers will also get a 2023 second-rounder from Cleveland that originally belonged to the Nuggets.

The trade ends a long wait for Markkanen, who had been looking for a new team since free agency began on August 2. He will receive a four-year, $67MM contract from the Cavs, Wojnarowski reports, and the Bulls get the first-round pick they were seeking in return for the 24-year-old restricted free agent. That pick from Portland will be lottery protected through 2028, Woj adds (via Twitter), and will become a second-round selection if it’s not conveyed before then.

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Markkanen’s contract is valued at $18MM in the final season, but only carries a $6MM guarantee, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

The deal leaves the Cavs $4.7MM under the luxury tax with 14 players under contract, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Blazers are $1.3MM above the tax threshold with 13 players signed and will likely be $3MM over once they add a league-mandated 14th player. The Bulls are $6.4MM under the tax and $11.8MM below the hard cap with 13 guaranteed contracts.

Markkanen’s outgoing salary only counts as $7.79MM, rather than the full amount, Marks adds (via Twitter). Chicago had hoped to get a player in the $9MM to $10MM range, which it did by acquiring Jones. Cleveland’s incoming salary will be the full amount of $15.58MM.

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Markkanen fell out of Chicago’s starting lineup last season for the first time in his four years in the NBA and played a career-low 25.8 minutes per night. His averages of 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists were all the worst of his career.

He had been hoping for a “fresh start” and will get it in Cleveland, where he will likely be the new starting power forward. The trade allows the Cavs to solidify a position of need and gives rookie big man Evan Mobley more time to develop.

Nance, 28, is under contract for two more year at $10.69MM and $9.67MM. He averaged 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season and will bring a defensive presence to Portland’s front line. New coach Chauncey Billups has spoken repeatedly about the need to upgrade the team’s defense.

Jones, 24, has an expiring $9.72MM contract for the upcoming season. He averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 58 games last season and adds another versatile forward to Chicago’s rotation.

Old School

08-28-2021, 02:28 AM

RealGM https://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/263955/The-NBAs-Tentpole-Free-Agency-Era-Is-Over

https://www.bettingblogger.com/files/2021/06/NBA-Free-Agent-Period.jpg

The protracted, deliberative superstar free agency that for several days freezes a multitude of teams holding onto cap space after a series of high profile meetings, whether in the Hamptons, Los Angeles or downtown Cleveland, appears all but set to become a relic of the past decade. We most notably had this set of circumstances with LeBron James in 2010 and 2014, as well as Dwight Howard in 2013, Kevin Durant in 2016 and then culminating with Kawhi Leonard in 2019.

While this has commonly become known as the player empowerment era, celebrated by some and derided by others, the ability for players to have more agency in where they play and who they play with has been a byproduct of owners seeking shorter contract lengths in successive CBA negotiations, the 2003 draft class astutely setting the precedent to sign contracts with player options, as well as an extension system that disincentivized players to actually sign them as they would have to wait until free agency to sign for the maximum allowable amount.

Durant and Kyrie Irving’s free agency decisions in 2019 are more illustrative of how we can expect the process to play out in which they didn’t take any formal meetings and news of their commitments leaked even before the official start of the offseason. The lead up to Durant’s free agency in 2019 was decidedly more muffled compared to 2016, with a sense of inevitability that he would end up either with the Nets or New York Knicks. LeBron’s first free agency in 2010 and Durant’s in 2016 played out over several years with constant monitoring by teams and fans in which there was an extended germination process. They were spectacles that raised the profile of the NBA, its best players went to better teams and delivered titles. LeBron’s 2018 free agency was more formality and assuaging tampering optics than real rumination on his part.

Whether players of that station even reach true free agency and ponder a decision, sloppily in the cases of Dwight Howard in 2013 and Gordon Hayward in 2017, while the league is frozen is probably the more pertinent question. The correction of the extension system coming out of the 2017 CBA, with a 35 percent supermax, has effectively ended free agency for most superstars.

Even though his play dropped off in the years following his decision to re-sign with the Knicks in 2014, Carmelo Anthony hinted at the blueprint when he took the extra year and money and privately acknowledged that he could be traded if it didn’t work out. Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 and then again to the Atlanta Hawks in 2018 and was then bought out.

Durant, who was a free agent every summer between 2016 and 2019, has already signed an extension with the Nets, while Irving and James Harden are also expected to extend. LeBron and Anthony Davis have extended their deals with the Los Angeles Lakers. Leonard and Paul George are on long-term deals as well with the Los Angeles Clippers. Joel Embiid just extended with the Philadelphia 76ers. Luka Doncic and Trae Young are now on long-term rookie scale extensions.

Beyond Zion Williamson, it is difficult to identify a player who has enough juice to shut down free agency and is also in a situation where he will soon become a free agent. Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine, by nature of the limitations of the extensions available to them currently, will likely become free agents in 2022 but neither player is good enough to become a tentpole free agent. The number of teams with meaningful cap space for 2022 is down to three, all of which are rebuilding. If either player leaves their incumbent team, it will likely be via trade at the deadline or in a sign-and-trade next summer. If Williamson signals he won't sign his rookie scale extension with the Pelicans next summer and is prepared to go the qualifying offer route, it is difficult to envision the franchise calling his bluff when they could trade him for a package similar to the one they received from the Lakers for Anthony Davis.

The money available to players via extensions is too rich to reject and the trade packages for superstars are too massive for teams to turn down for a player who doesn't want to be there anymore. The incentives are firmly in place for all interested parties.

The prior arrangement between the NBA and its superstars undoubtedly increased casual interest in the league with the apex coming in the May through July stretch in 2016 when it had the record-breaking Golden State Warriors coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder before losing a 3-1 lead of their own to the Cleveland Cavaliers in The Finals, followed by Durant leaving the Thunder for the Warriors on the Fourth of July in what was a suspenseful free agency. The three most recent MVPs, LeBron, Durant and Stephen Curry were all centrally involved in those events. The MVP in the subsequent season, Russell Westbrook, was conspicuously ditched.

The league is probably better served without a quotidian rumor mill. There was a palpable sense of exasperation in 2019 when Leonard left a franchise that had just won a ring to sign with the Clippers while also orchestrating the George trade. There are better things we can do with our time than exhaust ourselves with Photoshopping every star into every jersey and discussing what-ifs of future Finals while another Finals is actually being played.

The material downstream effect of this rapid free agency is on players who aren't on non-minimum contracts.

With more players on short-term contracts than ever before in this Stars and Scrubs NBA that Owen Phillips recently coined, free agency is undeniably overloaded but it is hardly with momentous, league-altering players. It is musical chairs with the music at 5X speed in which most fungible players feel compelled to take the best immediate offer as teams brutely replenish the end of their roster.

Players and agents have come to believe free agency ends by the time the sun rises on Day 2 and pressure mounts if a deal isn’t done by then, whether it be through social media taunting or panic from friends and family. Both players and agents have self-imposed a timetable on themselves that greatly favors teams. This is particularly the case for players with Bird rights on teams that have no reasonable ability to replace them.

The final new trend of free agency that has been bubbling for a few years but became too blatantly egregious to ignore is the NFL-like inflation of contract totals in the initial reporting. Josh Hart’s three-year deal that contains only one guaranteed season, which was confirmed by three agents on the record, was the most excessive.

Even Chris Paul, the outgoing president of the NBPA, had what was initially reported as a $120 million deal later be identified as only guaranteed at $75 million. Spencer Dinwiddie and Mike Conley similarly have partial guarantees in the final season of their new contracts. Kyle Lowry had the most robust market of teams interested in him, but his $90 million contract became an $85 million one a few days after it was initially reported.

There is a lack of accountability on the part of agents and reporters though I suspect the tide is turning rather quickly against as this is one area where a noisy NBA Twitter community can be productive. With free agency now expedited, hopefully they also enjoy the time away.

Old School

08-28-2021, 05:28 AM

https://cdn.insidesport.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/08045225/nba-Free-Agency.jpg

Hawks Sign Skylar Mays To Two-Way Contract https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263946/Hawks-Sign-Skylar-Mays-To-Two-Way-Contract

Suns Waive Ty-Shon Alexander From Two-Way https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263949/Suns-Waive-Ty-Shon-Alexander-From-Two-Way

Kevin Love, Cavaliers Making Progress On Buyout https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263954/Kevin-Love-Cavaliers-Making-Progress-On-Buyout

Rockets Re-Sign Armoni Brooks To Exhibit 10 Deal https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263957/Rockets-Re-Sign-Armoni-Brooks-To-Exhibit-10-Deal

Mavericks Waive Nate Hinton From Two-Way Contract https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/263956/Mavericks-Waive-Nate-Hinton-From-Two-Way-Contract

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Old School

08-28-2021, 11:13 AM

The Score https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2193766

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Another hectic NBA offseason is almost in the rearview mirror.

Teams once again spent big during free agency to shore up weaknesses, but not all the moves will pan out.

Here are the five riskiest signings from this past summer.

1. Devonte' Graham, New Orleans Pelicans

Contract: 4 years, $47.3 million

New Orleans swung for the fences during free agency, clearing salary-cap space to reportedly pursue Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry. The Pelicans missed out on both and settled on Graham instead of matching the Chicago Bulls' offer sheet for Lonzo Ball.

Graham's contract isn't bad at face value. New Orleans needed to surround budding star Zion Williamson with more perimeter shooting, and Graham has connected on 37.4% of his triples over the last two seasons, including a 42.3% clip on catch-and-shoot threes in 2020-21. Additionally, the Kansas product can create out of the pick-and-roll and finished eighth in the Association in assists just two seasons ago.

However, the Pelicans gave up a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick to acquire Graham through a sign-and-trade. He's also a downgrade defensively from Ball, and Graham joins a unit that surrendered the seventh-most points per contest last season.

Ball's chemistry with Williamson was evident during their time together, so moving on from that partnership is a risk, especially with rumors about the latter's long-term future in the Big Easy already swirling.

2. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

Contract: 5 years, $100 million

Cleveland didn't waste any time locking up Allen, but it's possible he could've been brought back at a lower price if the team was more patient. The Cavs held the right to match any offer for the young center after extending him a qualifying offer. While Allen reportedly attracted interest from multiple teams, it's unknown if any of those suitors were willing to table a nine-figure contract.

The Cavaliers' investment also came days after they selected USC standout Evan Mobley third overall in this year's draft. Like Allen, Mobley's natural position is at the five-spot, but his passing skills, ball-handling, and perimeter defensive ability may allow the pair to co-exist.

Still, the Cavs are rolling the dice without seeing Allen and Mobley play a single minute together. Neither is a proven outside threat, which could further complicate the club's floor-spacing issues. The Cavs will probably move forward with Mobley if their jumbo experiment fails, though finding a taker for Allen's $20-million annual salary will be difficult.

3. Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat

Contract: 3 years, $85 million

It was a big offseason for a pair of veteran floor generals. Paul received a four-year, $120-million deal from the Phoenix Suns, while Lowry will earn an average of $28.3 million throughout his contract. However, Paul's salary is only partially guaranteed for 2023-24 and isn't guaranteed over the final year, whereas Lowry and the Heat are locked in for the next three seasons.

Lowry is still performing at a high level into his mid-30s, and he's a stellar fit for the Heat on paper. He averaged 17.2 points, finished 17th in assist percentage, and shot nearly 40% from deep last season. The six-time All-Star makes Miami a legitimate contender in the East. But he made only 46 appearances in 2020-21 and exceeded 65 games played just once over the previous five campaigns.

Handing Lowry a fully guaranteed deal at nearly $30 million annually is a gamble, especially with his durability issues. Lowry's physical brand of basketball is part of what's endeared him to fans, though that style of play might not suit him well at this stage of his career.

4. Lauri Markkanen, Cleveland Cavaliers

Contract: 4 years, $67 million

The Cavs raised eyebrows again when they reportedly landed restricted free-agent forward Markkanen in a three-team sign-and-trade deal. Chicago didn't offer the 7-footer a rookie extension before the 2020-21 season. Markkanen went on to endure another injury-plagued campaign, averaging career lows in scoring (13.6 points per game) and rebounding (5.3).

The native of Finland is a career 36.6% shooter from downtown, and he should provide some floor-spacing alongside Allen or Mobley. However, Markkanen's presence could slow the development of Mobley, as the young prospect will get fewer avenues to playing time in the club's crowded frontcourt.

Cleveland also lost Larry Nance's defensive versatility as part of the acquisition, and the team sits only $4.7 million under the luxury tax, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

The Cavs will surely surpass their 22 wins from 2020-21, but the club is nowhere close to title contention and won't get much wiggle room under the salary cap moving forward.

5. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls

Contract: 3 years, $85 million

DeRozan has been a dependable scorer over the past eight seasons, averaging 22.8 points on 46.3% shooting. The four-time All-Star has built his career on an effective mid-range game while developing into a solid passer during his recent stint with the San Antonio Spurs. But although his shot creation and playmaking will inject some much-needed life into the Bulls' offense, he isn't a perfect fit with their current roster.

DeRozan will often share the court with co-stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. The three have been defensive liabilities throughout their careers, and sharing the rock may be an issue because all of them ranked among the NBA's top 50 in usage percentage last season. Additionally, Chicago paid a hefty price for DeRozan by including arguably their top defender Thaddeus Young, a first-round pick, and two second-rounders in the sign-and-trade deal.

There are more concerns next offseason when LaVine's contract expires. The 6-foot-5 guard will likely eat up most of Chicago's cap space while probably commanding a max deal. With LaVine's and DeRozan's salaries potentially on the books, the club won't hold much financial flexibility to improve on a core that hasn't established itself as a contender.