When training camps open later this month, a handful of teams will be at less than full strength. And some of them may be that way for a while. The Los Angeles Lakers, a legitimate title contender, will be without the biggest prize of the offseason. The Chicago Bulls, who have the NBA’s best record over the last two seasons, will be without their best player. The New York Knicks, who claim to be contenders, will be without two of their three shooting guards.
As the season inches near, we will have an update of all the offseason moves and analysis of every team in the league from Chris Bernucca. Here is the scoop on three teams from today, with updates: New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets. Also, check out our new writer Bruce Wrigley on our Fantasy Spin. Will Damian Lillard be relevant? And of course, here is your daily dose of news from Thursday around the league: Derrick Rose was brought to tears
Will James Harden stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the long run? Will he take less money to do so? These have been the questions surrounding the talented guard through much of the summer, and Sam Presti had some choice words regarding the situation, as you can see in our Tuesday blog. Then, Kendrick Perkins came out and spoke as if he had some sort of inside knowledge regarding the contract talks between the team and Harden. See what was
Last week, Chris Bosh somewhat controversially admitted that the Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the league on paper. Turns out, he wasn’t the only one that would willingly admit to that notion. See what other noteworthy player agreed with Bosh, along with Kobe Bryant’s Dwight Howard prediction and more in Monday’s news. Be sure to also check out Chris Bernucca’s preseason list of Eastern Conference Playoff Teams: Apparently, Kobe Bryant knew all along that Dwight Howard would end
We already told you who we believe will make the playoffs in the Western Conference. The picture in the Eastern Conference is a bit different. Just like the West, the East has six teams that are locks to play in May. They are the defending champion Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, who last season weren’t in (a) Brooklyn or (b) the playoffs. You can find whatever real or imagined faults you’d like with those
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who has been promoting his book over the summer while resting and rehabbing his knee, took some time to talk to the media about Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. See all of his intriguing thoughts, along with some transactions and entertaining videos below: Dwyane Wade talked about how tough it was to turn down the opportunity to become a Bull back in the summer of 2010, from Ira Winderman
The Oklahoma City Thunder recently locked Serge Ibaka into a lucrative long-term contract and may or may not look to do the same with James Harden in the near future. Also, Stephen Curry believes the smart thing for the Warriors to do is to lock him up for a “reasonable amount” while they still can. See how the contract situations are playing out for some of the remaining key players that still have yet to sign a new deal, along
The Philadelphia 76ers had an impressive party of sorts on Wednesday for Andrew Bynum’s press conference, thanks to all the devoted fans (see the video below) that showed great love for their newly acquired center. Bynum will surely look to make a notable impact on the team, but the Sixers have other players of significance that will have to mature into greater roles if they wish to play at a high level as a team. See who some of those