Young players having the best seasons in their careers right before they’re due a new contract is hardly a new phenomenon, but it takes on new significance due to the NBA’s current economic situation. A likely escalation in the salary cap this summer will allow free agents to obtain more expensive contracts from a larger pool of teams with newfound cap space. A quartet of these young, emerging stars— Milwaukee’s Brandon Knight, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, Orlando’s Tobias Harris and Golden State’s
An 11-game NBA slate on Monday leaves us room for minimal analysis. OKC at Golden State is sure to be entertaining and high scoring. Kevin Durant $11500 and Russell Westbrook $10500 are unstoppable, but as Toronto found out, so are Stephen Curry $11100 and his energetic teammates. [Read more…]
Yesterday, we broke down what a crowded field it is in the Western Conference when it comes to picking the seven All-Star reserves. There are easily 10 players who are worthy, maybe more. But what about the East? And let’s start with this quiz: Can you name the starting five on the best team in the East? In fact, can you name the best team in the East? It is the Atlanta Hawks who ascended to that position when the Toronto Raptors
Happy New Year! The first two NBA games of 2015 will have trouble matching the excitement and drama of the 2014 finale. Russell Westbrook was ejected before the half for two technicals, so Kevin Durant took over. [Read more…]
LeBron James pulled his jersey up over his mouth as he spoke to the players on the Miami Heat bench late in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s Christmas day dud on Biscayne Bay, keeping the lip-readers out of the conversation. He id the same thing after the game ended when he spoke with Dwyane Wade, but his efforts at stealth could not elude the ESPN microphones. One snippet that was audible to the world was James saying he was making “like
Now that Josh Smith is gone, what does the long-term future hold for Greg Monroe? A rival executive believes he will end up with the New York Knicks. “I could see $48 million for four years. I don’t think he’s a max (contract) guy, but he is pretty good. He might get more based on who is left on the board. I could see New York overpaying him,” the executive told SheridanHoops. Monroe has a trade veto after signing his qualifying offer
While many GMs were working the phones this week, Knicks president Phil Jackson was using a different, more contemporary form of communication: Twitter. On Thursday, Donnie Nelson and Danny Ainge swung a five-player trade that sent Rajon Rondo to Dallas and draft picks to Boston. On Friday, Daryl Morey, Flip Saunders and Sam Hinkie worked a three-team deal that landed Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved in Houston and draft picks in Minnesota and Philadelphia. But not Jackson, and not the Knicks. Jackson doesn’t
On Christmas Day, there’s a huge guaranteed contest at Draft Kings. The $200K Holiday Classic will make someone $25,000 richer. [Read more…]