https://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/NBABT1-1.png4231210Baseline Timeshttps://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BTheader.pngBaseline Times2021-01-24 00:01:002021-01-24 09:47:162020-2021 NBA Season Standings
Feels like we just left the NBA season a minute ago only to return in time to cash in on the Christmas day games. Throughout the season I would like to provide some daily fantasy advice where the NBA has four or more games scheduled. Below you will find my fantasy basketball rankings!
This way the options are plentiful whereas a two-game slate doesn’t provide anything in the way differentiating your line up. However, in this article, I will focus on guys you should draft in your season-long leagues. I would also like to point out that drafting players who are known to rest several games at a time aren’t ideal so beware.
POINT GODS
In my experience point gods give you the best chance to dominate leagues. That should be obvious due to the amount of time they possess the ball and the litany of ways they can rack up fantasy points. It’s best to draft pass-first point guards as opposed to shooting point guards to keep field goal percentages at a respectable level.
LUKA DONIC – He should be the top draft choice overall if not the top 3. He is multidimensional and can rack up points in a hurry. The Mavericks were the 2nd highest-scoring team in the league last season due to Doncic’s court vision. The man is a walking triple-double and an MVP candidate.
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER – He will be taking over the point guard position now that both CP3 and Shroder have checked out. SGA is the definition of a looter in a riot as the team rebuilds around him as a result you can expect his assist totals to go up. My only concern with him is the turnovers at which is he averages 1.8 on his career. Always look for players on poor teams with less ball-handling options that will have more opportunities to provide higher counting stats.
BEN SIMMONS – This selection is a no-brainer as he is the definition of a pass-first, shoot never point guard. He collects stats in every category and you know his field goal percentage will be pristine.
Honorable Mentions: Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook & Chris Paul.
SHOOTING GUARDS
Shooting guards in my opinion is the worst position you can draft. If you can somehow find a duo guard who also shells out assists that would be perfect. I normally pass on shooting guards due to their volatile field goal percentage.
JAMES HARDEN – He is the obvious choice for this category due to his on-ball usage and propensity to rack up a triple-double at any time. However, adding Wall to the mix could see those assists numbers decline. He is still the highest producing shooting guard to date and clear top choice at the position.
DEVIN BOOKER – The addition of Chris Paul is likely going to cut down on his assists totals. However, like Harden he commands his usage rate on the ball makes up for him being a top selection at the position.
BRADLEY BEAL – Westbrook should make shooting a breeze for Beal for the upcoming season. I expect his turnovers to go down and field percentage to go up as Westbrook being the primary ball-handler. I can see Beal shooting more off-screen passes from RW with less pressure to make plays.
Honorable Mentions: Fred Van-Vleet, Khris Middleton & Buddy Hield.
SMALL FORWARDS
Small forwards are evolving into point forwards which is fantastic for fantasy. However, most seasons i’d treat them like Shooting guards. So if you can’t draft the options below search for forwards who rebound well and can block shots.
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO – Giannis like Luka should be in the top three when drafting this season and for many to come. He provides stats across the four major categories with regularity. There isn’t a lot to say in this department other than draft him and let the good times roll.
LEBRON JAMES – He is your prototypical point forward and has been the best at this size since Oscar Roberson and Magic Johnson. His numbers have declined slightly over the years but he is still a premium fantasy producer.
KAWHI LEONARD – Great hands, solid field goal percentage, and can rack up steals. Leonard is still getting it done at a high level. My only concerns are the amount days he rests which can damper your season leagues at critical junctures.
Honorable Mentions: Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler & Paul George.
POWER FORWARDS
When drafting Power Forwards I look for guys who can consistently shoot the mid-range and can rebound.
ANTHONY DAVIS – This former point guard won’t provide you with many assists but replaces that with blocks. He was relatively healthy last season and can expect to be tops at the position.
KEVIN DURANT – This season KD will be the Nets starting Power Forward. He will still provide you with a solid field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocked shots. Grab him when he’s available.
JULIUS RANDLE – He is a product of Thibodeau syndrome. He will be on the floor a ton which means more opportunities to rack up double-doubles. Thibbs is known to play his guys crazy minutes every season including the preseason. The Knicks are usually a laughing stock but for fantasy under Thibbs could be gold.
It’s all about rebounds, blocks and FG percentage when drafting centers. Free throw percentage is the only negative obstacle you face when drafting them. Draft Point gods with a healthy free throw percentage to offset that.
NIKOLA JOKIC – Hands down the best POINT CENTER ever! Top five selection who does it all across all categories including 3 point shooting.
JOEL EMBIID – Injury concerns are always there but when he’s on there is no one in the league that can stop him from producing.
ANDRE DRUMMOND – KAT could easily be here from a fantasy standpoint but Drummond appears to be more consistent and less injury-prone. We look for double-doubles and FG percentage when drafting bigs. He fits the bill.
Honorable Mentions: Karl Anthony-Towns, Bam Adebayo & Nikola Vucevic.
The calmest time of the NBA has arrived but the countdown to a season restart is almost aligned with the countdown to Christmas 2020! Never too early to start some NBA 2020-2021 season Awards predictions right?
Don’t miss out on the action as we track the standings for you all season long always up-to-date
The Shoot or Pass Podcast from Baseline Times is your go-to NBA podcast for all updated coverage, news, entertainment, and podcast beyond the usual weird hot takes from major media. Make sure you subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Welcome to our overseas listeners from India streaming on the Gaana and Jiosaavn app as well!
Executive of the Year
Rob Pelinka Let’s see here, shall we? Assembling a Championship team in 2019-2020 and then in the short off-season, you sign the reigning Sixth Man of the Year in Montrezl Harrell. Shameless plug, I’ve ranted and raved about the Lakers already winning the 2020 off-season so far. This is a no brainer pick as the Lakers roster is better on paper after winning a championship. Regardless of the Lakers repeating this season or not, Pelkina did what all defending Championship ballclubs should do.
Rick Carlisle Hear me out. This is one of those years we see the Mavericks take a leap into the high rankings of the West. Most of it would fall on Luka Doncic leading the way but also can garner for Carlise to win the Coach of the Year award.
Carlise won the award in 2002 while coaching the Detroit Pistons but in that short stint, he couldn’t get that team over the hump to a championship. Also that year Ben Wallace won the Defensive Player of the Year and Corliss Williamson won the Sixth Man of the Year. Can Carlise repeat a Coach of the Year with one of his own players winning an award too?
Runner-Up: Steve Kerr Most recently winning the award in 2016, Kerr can capture another Coach of the Year if the Warriors overachieve. Well, what is overachieving to the Warriors? Finishing with a top 3 record in the NBA with a roster featuring a rookie in James Wiseman and without Klay Thompson helps. Obviously, winning is needed to win this award and certainly, it can be done with Kerr and Curry.
Rookie of the Year
James Wiseman With Klay Thompson most likely not returning for the 2020-2021 season Wiseman’s opportunity to provide meaningful minutes looks promising. Sure, playing next to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green helps. Can Wiseman be a significant enough of a role to see Rookie of the Year consideration?
While Wiseman only played in three games prior to his suspension from the NCAA, we know what he brings to the table. The Warriors currently have no other skilled Centers on their roster. While he’s a rookie, the benefits of playing with a current championship contender helps.
Runner-Up: LaMelo Ball The room to freely fly like a butterfly is in Charlotte where the chance to shine is all for this Ball. Sure Big Baller Brand exists but welcome to the world of Michael Jordan and his Jordan Brand affiliates. Ball has shown signs of being more than just a shooter but also a playmaker.
Sixth Man of the Year
Montrezl Harrell This award seems to rarely be passed around lately as Harrell’s former teammate Lou Williams won this award repeatedly. Do they change teams often when doing so? The last time someone besides Lou Williams or Harrell won this award was in 2017 when Eric Gordon was awarded the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. Gordon was employed by the Houston Rockets in 2017 and still his current team. The same is to be said about Williams who has won the back-to-back award while with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Harrell joins the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers and his prime role will be to support a second unit while LeBron James gets some rest. I mean how can we not say that Harrell is primed to win this award yet again for a different team this year?
Runner-Up: Dennis Schroder Can Los Angeles stop taking over this category? Last season Harrell and Williams were two of the favorites to win this award with the Clippers. This season Harrell is the clear favorite to repeat meanwhile last year’s potential runner-up is yet again Harrell’s teammate.
No Rajon Rondo and the Lakers lacking a true point guard on their roster means Schroder can come off the bench with Harrell and be in competition with his own teammate. Fancy that huh?
Most Improved Player
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander I’ve seen Jamal Murray recommended as an ideal candidate for this award in 2021. However, The expectations for Murray should already be ready to come into the 2020-2021 season playing at a high level. Especially, if he’s showcased himself with a great playoff run.
SGA has the next up in Oklahoma City as Chris Paul is gone. Sam Presti traded for Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre Jr. only to turn around and trade both of them away. Danilo Gallinari signed with the Hawks. The Thunder are now stuck with finding a new identity.
Last season, Brandon Ingram won this award despite the Pelicans struggling to make the playoffs in the NBA Bubble. Although, I thought Luka Doncic should have won last season it appears the voters will side with the players who weren’t expected to have a season as Ingram did. This is why I’m going with SGA this year.
Runner-Up: Michael Porter Jr. I almost wanted to put Porter Jr. up as the winner but the opportunity for him maybe a little uncertain as his health is a concern. He definitely had a promising bubble appearance and also with Denver’s loss of Jerami Grant, this is a good thing for MPJ. If he has to “load manage” throughout the season this can cost him a shot at the Most Improved Player award.
Defensive Player of the Year
Anthony Davis A huge part of the Lakers success last season was how impactful Davis was on the defensive end. It almost seemed at times Davis is primed to take over for the Lakers instead of LeBron James. However, James would run away with his fourth Finals MVP despite the run Davis had.
Because the Bucks and Giannis Antetekounmpo had such a successful season defensively Davis was slightly overshadowed. The Bucks also had the best defensive rating at 102.5, in the NBA. However, Davis trailed Giannis in defensive win shares by a mere .6 last season.
Runner-Up: Giannis Antetokounmpo This is another award that may not be fair to the field unless AD or Giannis has an injury or disappointing season. Barring injuries the duo here are the best defensive players the league has. Sure Bam Adebayo and Rudy Gobert are still around but the overall impact these two play for their teams is much more important.
The interchangeable one and two between AD and Giannis is undisputed until teams like Miami or Utah also fare at the top of the league in defensive ratings. Last season, the Lakers finished third and Bucks finished first in the NBA Defensive Team ratings. The impact is much greater when these two are on the floor for their respective teams.
Most Valuable Player
Luka Doncic The future “GOAT” has been primed for the MVP this year. The Mavericks enter a slightly reshaped Western Conference. Luka can lead the Mavericks to a successful season and put the Mavericks at the fourth seed at best in a stacked Western Conference.
We saw without Kristaps Porzingas he led Dallas into the playoffs. Enter the NBA Bubble and Doncic was still the prime reason for Dallas’ success. Porzingas couldn’t finish the first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers due to a knee injury. Luka’s Game 4 game-winner helped push the series to six games. Look for the Mavericks to take the next step towards contenders this season under Luka’s leadership and play.
Runner-Up: Stephen Curry Finding a guy who will matter more to his team more than anything start to drift away beyond Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry. With the return of a partially healthy Warriors roster and James Wiseman the newest addition the Warriors will be in battles night in and night out.
Curry, arguably the best shooter of all-time, has his work cut out this season to push the Warriors back to contenders. Can he average around 28-30 points per game? Can he knock down 3-5 three-point field goals a game? Why am I questioning this? I’m not he’s going to do this! A revenge season for Curry and attempting to return the Warriors back atop of the West will ride on his play.
https://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/NBA-PA-2020-2021.png4231210Chevall Kanhaihttps://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BTheader.pngChevall Kanhai2020-12-22 08:00:002021-01-17 09:23:19Early NBA 2020-2021 Season Awards Predictions
Here are the five NBA Eastern Conference Tiers and the teams I am nominating to each one!
THE BOTTOM FEEDERS
Irrelevant teams no one cares about
Oklahoma City Thunder – An obvious choice for this 2020-21 NBA Season Preview. This team went from overachieving and having a foundation to build on to getting it gutted by a draft pick hoarder (Sup Sam Presti!). To add, only TWO of the Thunder’s 8 starters/key reserves averaged double-digits points last year – (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 19 ppg & Al Horford with 11.9 ppg). Y I K E S
Minnesota Timberwolves – A.K.A. The Bottom Bitch Out West. Their draft/off-season moves were head-scratchers. The bar is low for this team. Though I must say, I am curious to see how the chemistry flows between D’ Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, and rookie Anthony Edwards. Either way, it may be time for KAT to get the hell up out of there.
THE DUMPSTER FIRES
Teams making headlines for all of the WRONG reasons
Houston Rockets – Everyone is talking about James Harden, but there is another disgruntled player on the Houston Rockets. This player took a discount for the team to bring in Chris Paul, ship him off for Russell Westbrook, and has yet to be compensated as he feels he should be. His name? P.J. Tucker. Can he expect a pay day anytime soon? Not with Tilman Fertitta as the team’s owner, that’s for sure.
Sacramento Kings – This team is more of a bridge between a bottom feeder and a dumpster fire. Things should be calmer now that Bogi is gone and Buddy Hield is starting again. However, he is still out here liking tweets implying that he wants out of Sacramento. Friendly reminder – Buddy Hield has a history of butting heads with Luke Walton and while winning typically cures everything, this team is not set up to that. I mean they brought in Hassan Whiteside for goodness sake. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WIN WITH HASSAN WHITESIDE!
WILDCARDS
Teams that can surprise us for good..or bad reasons
Golden State Warriors – Everyone is already writing this team off saying they are missing the playoffs. I’m not ready to do that yet, not as long as Steph, Dray, and Steve Kerr are there. However, I also am not going to go all-in and call them contenders. Can they compete for a playoff spot? Absolutely, though it’s a much more crowded playoff race this season.
San Antonio Spurs – Another team I am not ready to write off just yet. Sure, it’s becoming increasingly clear that is not the San Antonio Spurs of old. They couldn’t do much during free agency and won’t be able to until DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are off the books.Yet, it’s hard to overlook the potential this young core has and under the tutelage of the legend Gregg Popovich, anything is possible. They could tank. Or shock us all and beat the higher seed twice in the play-in tournament and miraculously take the 8th seed. This team truly embodies the world “WILDCARD”
Memphis Grizzlies – I don’t really know about his team. They overachieved this past season thanks to an incredible rookie campaign by Ja Morant. I do not expect him to experience the dreaded “sophomore slump”. He’ll have a bigger workload this season as it was recently revealed that Jaren Jackson Jr. will be out for the start of the season after tearing his left meniscus in the bubble. There is currently no timetable for his return. That’s a good amount of scoring and rim protection to make up for.
Phoenix Suns – ARE THE BUBBLE SUNS FOR REAL, FOR REAL? Perhaps, as their off-season moves made waves. That Chris Paul/Devin Booker backcourt is going to be soooo much fun to watch. Not to mention, I am still in mourning over the loss of Jae “BAE” Crowder, who brings some three-point shooting, defense, and physicality on the wing. It all comes down to how these pieces all fit together and how the younger guys on the team continue to develop. Will Devin Booker take a leap this year into superstardom? Will DeAndre Ayton move toward being that worthy pick-and-roll option and post guy? How will the Cams and Mikal Bridges capitalize on the achievements they made last season?
Dallas Mavericks – The success of this team rides on the back of one man. No, it’s not Luka. We know he will ball out. The man is actually Kristaps Porzingis. How will he look coming back from yet another injury and durable he will be beyond it? The speculation is that a January return is a possibility. They brought in some defense with Josh Richardson and James Johnson, something they desperately needed to account for the colossal amount of points/leads they were giving up last season. In my opinion, this team can very well be a contender, but Luka needs a reliable #2 option. I hope The Unicorn proves me wrong because I am starting to think he is more of a liability than an asset for the Mavericks.
THE PRETENDERS
Teams whose bullshit I see right through
New Orleans Pelicans – To start, I love Stan Van Gundy. I believe he was a great hire and will do some good for this team and its young core, but I’m not buying into the Pelicans being a playoff team just yet. A shortened off-season and significant changes to their roster really does not help a team who is trying to be more COHESIVE. Van Gundy is not only tasked with the X’s and O’s of coaching, he has to build team culture and team chemistry. I expect Zion and Brandon Ingram to make strides this season with him as their head coach, but, achieving the aforementioned AND making the playoffs in one season is a BIG ASK.
Los Angeles Clippers – Let’s be real. The Ty Lue hiring was UNDERWHELMING to say the least. “Oh, but he’s a respected voice in the locker room!” Well, if he really was that respected voice in the locker room, then why the Clippers have so many locker room issues last seaon? They lost Montrezl Harrell and brought in Serge Ibaka, who in many ways will be an upgrade, but they still don’t have that other play-making point guard they need. To add, Zubac is the only true low-post option. That’s not enough to beat the Lakers, which is what this team was built for. Expectations remain high for this team. Anything short of an NBA Finals bid and we are in for another meltdown for the other team in L.A..
THE CONTENDERS
Not sure if they cook or clean, but let me tell you how they’ll get this RING
Los Angeles Lakers – What else is there to say for our 2020-21 NBA Season Preview of the Los Angeles Lakers? It’s them…and then every other damn NBA team. Rob Pelinka worked his magic again and the Lakers are seemingly widening the gap between themselves and the rest of the league with some impressive free agency acquisitions.
Portland Trail Blazers – I need more DAME TIME in the playoffs and I think I may be getting my wishes this year. The Blazers should’ve been a top-4 seed last season but kept getting hampered by injuries. That’s not happening this season. Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, and Rodney Hood are all healthy. The renaissance of Carmelo Anthony appears to be back in full swing, as it appears he has added cornrows to his look again. On the whole, the Blazers quietly had a great off-season, poising themselves for a deep playoff run.
Denver Nuggets – The more I think about it, the more I become concerned about this team’s title chances. They lost their three best defenders (including Jerami Grant) and I am hoping this doesn’t come back to bite them in the ass. Nonetheless, if Mike Malone is good at any two things, it’s praying his team to series victories on the bench AND experimenting with rotations. Could this be the season we finally get BOL BOL? The success of this team will come down to how they deal with those defensive losses and the leaps Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. take. Can Jamal Murray elevate himself into All-Star status? Can MPJ become that third star?
Utah Jazz – I’m getting a lot of shit for naming the Jazz as contenders. Perhaps it’s warranted. They didn’t do much if anything at all to address their defensive and depth issues. Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson will remain with the team. Derrick Favors is back to bail the team out when Rudy Gobert goes to the bench. Equally important, Bojan Bogdanovic is healthy. TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, if we were to call this “running it back” then the Jazz are going to the playoffs and have a chance to win the title, albeit a very slim one. Here’s the deal, I NEED ANOTHER JAMAL MURRAY/DONOVAN MITCHELL SHOWDOWN. Make it happen, Utah!
Want to win a $50 VISA GIFT CARD this holiday season? Enter our SECRET SANTA GIVEAWAY!
For a full 2020-21 NBA Season Preview, news, headlines, and more content – check out the Shoot or Pass podcast!
https://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CHEVGODS-CREATIONS-4.png4231210Rhoby Salahttps://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BTheader.pngRhoby Sala2020-12-18 16:18:172020-12-21 11:55:522020-21 NBA Season Preview: Western Conference Tiers
All rankings below reflect rosters as of December 4, 2020. Free agency, draft picks, and re-signings are considered. I present the NBA Western Conference Early 2020-2021 Preseason Power Rankings!
Los Angeles Lakers The defending champs are obviously going to fill this spot. Signing Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews, and Marc Gasol can be looked at as upgrades. Retaining Markieff Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope rounds out the defending champs moves early and a roster poised to repeat as champions in 2021.
Los Angeles Clippers Does the battle of LA matter this year again? Montrezl Harrell surprisingly switching locker rooms made the Clippers look a little shaky. However, rebounding by signing Serge Ibaka on a 2-year deal, reportedly $19 million is a nice piece to add. Now the next part is determining with Tyronn Lue as head coach can they turn into a more serious contender? The roster looked great last year on paper but then again losing to the Denver Nuggets in the West Semifinals is concerning.
Denver Nuggets Denver gets Paul Millsap to return on a one-year deal and JaMychal Green returns on a two-year deal. Did the Nuggets need to drastically improve their roster? Probably not. Losing Jerami Grant to Detroit is probably for the better as Grant seemed to want to expand his offensive role. You’re now asking for guys like Gary Harris, Bol Bol, and Will Barton to fill the gaps of Grant’s loss of production. I’ll take the Clippers in a rematch series at this rate.
Golden State Warriors The wounded Warriors head back into the season with a man down. That is Klay Thompson this time again with a knee injury. While they still have two All-Stars in Draymond Green and Steph Curry, this should be good enough to compete for a top-four spot in the West this upcoming season. Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman are two players to look forward to the Warriors relying on this season. The signing of Kelly Oubre is also a nice pick-up to fill in a knock-down shooter.
Dallas Mavericks Let’s start this by mentioning Luka Doncic is on track to become the best NBA player and only entering year three. The concern here is can the Mavericks take the next step to become a contender in the West in 2021? The West seems to be in a bit of a “reset” looking at seeds four through eight. The Mavericks finished 7th in a year that allowed Kristaps Porzingas to show off what he can do with Luka. Dallas came on strong at the end of the 2020 restart in the bubble and now all signs should point to them moving up in the West.
Portland Trailblazers Losing to the eventual NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers in the first round shouldn’t be as disappointing. The Blazers secured Carmelo Anthony and Rodney Hood for another go around. Signing Derrick Jones Jr. and adding Enes Kanter are the quiet additions for Portland. Last season, without Jusuf Nurkić pre-NBA bubble the Blazers struggled to compete. At the end of the bubble, a healthy Blazer team looks more promising than sitting at the bottom of the West. This could be the West’s sneakiest team to rise above to a top-three spot in the final Western Conference standings.
Phoenix Suns Alright, we have to give them some sort of credit for their undefeated 8-0 seeding games in the NBA bubble. Unfortunately, the numbers favored Portland and the Suns went home after an amazing run in the bubble. Today, the Suns roster currently showcases Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Jae Crowder, and DeAndre Ayton. Phoenix secured Dario Saric again. Cue in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. If CP3 can take last year’s Thunder team to 44 wins and a 5th seed spot out West, this team is primed to possibly overachieve.
Houston Rockets Welcome to a Kentucky reunion with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. The two newest faces of the Rockets join James Harden. Who wins this trade? Some say Houston being able to get the draft but for a win-now purpose? John Wall hasn’t played a game since 2018 and Cousins 2019. You’re not sure what you’re getting to pair next to Harden. As of recent James Harden supposedly is suggested he’d like to be traded and to Philadelphia, Milwaukee, or another contender. While Harden hasn’t publicly commented on the trade rumors, if true, Houston we have a problem. The season starts in less than two weeks. For now, the Rockets rank as a probable best 8th seed out West.
Utah Jazz This is where the Western Conference becomes a little tough to navigate. Utah has shown they can stay relevant in the playoff talk out West. Kind of hard to put them in the middle of the pack since their acquisitions are retaining Jordan Clarkson, signing Derrick Favors, and giving Donovan Mitchell a max deal. I’d predict that Utah is going to spend a lot of their season attempting to stay afloat for the 7th or 8th seed.
Memphis Grizzlies I want to provide positive energy to Ja Morant. Let’s forgo “sophomore slumps” and have an even better season! Losing Jaren Jackson Jr to a knee injury in the bubble made this team look depressed. They lost the 8th seed and making matters even worse they had to win two games to even regain the 8th seed during a play-in tournament. Obviously, that didn’t happen. With a little more experienced teams ahead of the Grizzlies this is going to be a tough year to lock in the 8th seed.
New Orleans Pelicans Welcome back, Stan Van Gundy! Here is Zion Williamson and now make some magic! The Pelicans had a nice outing last week. Their roster now includes Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams, and they re-signed Brandon Ingram to a max deal. Adding a few more veteran pieces that shouldn’t impact Zion’s play is a good deal here for Van Gundy and co. Being optimistic that this team also can compete for the West’s last playoff spot and if not, a play-in tournament would be their only option come May for the playoffs.
San Antonio Spurs Greg Popovich is still running the show and this roster still includes DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. The most they can do is overachieve and position themselves as that under the radar team we love to see. However, any slow start to the season could have the Spurs finding themselves in a hole too deep to recover and make the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves The team that had the number one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft now has a concern. The T-Wolves number one is on the record before the draft stating that football is his number one love. The words are quoted as saying that perhaps basketball is just good enough as a job. Yikes! Well, there still is Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell. Acquiring Russell during a trade in the middle of last season only means we got to see the duo perform for 12 games together. Good enough to compete in a stacked Western Conference? To be determined…
Sacramento Kings The good news is that De’Aron Fox has inked a max deal to stay in Sacramento long-term. The bad news? Bogdan Bogdanović apparently did not want to go to Milwaukee in a foiled deal. The Hawks swooped in quickly and signed him to an offer sheet in which the Kings agreed not to match. Kent Bazemore and Harry Giles also are out in Sacramento. A 31-win team in 2019-2020 and no significant additions. The plus side is drafting the highly-regarded Tyrese Haliburton 12th overall.
Oklahoma City Thunder One of the most retooled rosters in a short amount of time is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let’s tally up these losses, shall we? Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroder, and Nerlens Noel all have signed, traded, or agreed to contracts with other teams. George Hill is the replacement for Chris Paul and perhaps is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now considered the best player for OKC? Yikes. It’s been a fun run Thunder fans but welcome to the bottom again.
https://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CHEVGODS-CREATIONS-1.png4231210Chevall Kanhaihttps://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BTheader.pngChevall Kanhai2020-12-11 14:37:462020-12-11 14:37:48NBA Western Conference – Early 2020-2021 Preseason Power Rankings
The champagne is hardly dried in the locker rooms at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida. Just slightly over two months ago, the NBA crowned the Los Angeles Lakers Champions of the 2019-2020 Season on October 11, 2020.
Without delay to retain a normal schedule again the NBA has released the 2020-2021 Preseason schedule.
December 11, 2020, kicks off with five games. Two games are Nationally televised games. The Portland Trailblazers will host the Sacramento Kings on ESPN. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 PM EST. The Houston Rockets will be in Chicago for an 8 PM EST tip-off on NBATV.
TNT will resume coverage on December 15th, 2020 showcasing two games. The Boston Celtics will travel to Philadelphia and play the 76ers in a 7:30 PM EST tip-off. The later game will feature the Warriors visiting Sacramento in a 10:00. PM EST tip-off against the Kings.
The Los Angeles Lakers have four preseason games while the Miami HEAT will only play two games. The HEAT will not leave the state of Florida until New Year’s day when they visit the Dallas Mavericks.
Miami will play their two preseason games in Miami and Tampa (where they will visit the Raptors). Miami opens their season in Orlando and will host the Pelicans, and Bucks twice before 2020 ends.
Finally, Preseason will conclude on Saturday, December 19th, 2020 as the NBA prepares to start the 2020-2021 Season on December 22, 2020.
Miami Heat Signing Avery Bradley and Maurice Harkless to short-term deals and still maintaining a favorable Eastern Conference team to win the conference again. The defending Eastern Conference Champions may have lost a solid defender and shooter in Jae Crowder to the Phoenix Suns but have no fear. Well, other teams in the East should fear them as the undisputed leaders in the East. According to Zach Lowe of ESPN however, “people” have advised Miami’s run in the bubble is only a fluke due to circumstances. We’ll see if that’s any fluke this season.
Brooklyn Nets No further rumors about James Harden coming to the Nets are alive at this time. Should the Nets stay put with a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this should be the team to beat out East. Preferably if they can keep the talents of Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot without making any significant moves for another All-Star. This team can still be heavily favored as a championship contender. Re-signing Joe Harris of a four-year deal is a key sign the Nets understand their needs without creating havoc to an already questionable leadership from Irving.
Milwaukee Bucks The biggest question coming into the short off-season is how much better can the Bucks get? Insert Jrue Holiday instead of Eric Bledsoe and I call that an upgrade. Also, the Bucks bolstered up their bench by signing veterans D.J. Augustin and Bobby Portis. However, in my opinion, we’re still going to question can this team get the job done in the playoffs? For many unknown reasons, restricted free-agent Bogdan Bogdanović refused to show up to Milwaukee. Did the Bucks miss out potentially but too late to make reparations as Bogdanović has signed in Atlanta.
Boston Celtics If you’re a Boston Celtic fan and feeling like the current roster is better then, I need to find out how?! Alright, I agree to let Gordon Hayward opt-out saves some cap space in the near future. Signing Tristian Thompson and Jeff Teague isn’t going to put you over the hump in an Eastern Conference where teams contending are getting better (on paper at least). Everything on the Celtics front has been quiet. The easy assumption is that hopefully Boston staying put means Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart are all ready for their game to take an extreme improvement into the 2020-021 season.
Toronto Raptors Signing Fred VanVleet to a decent deal and not committing to a multi-year deal with Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol give you a little bit more flexibility next off-season as well. The VanVleet deal does have a bit of a regression in year two which enables the Raptors to have a bit more cap space flexibility next-offseason as well. Oh, do we still refer to this team as the Toronto Raptors for the first half of the season? They will be forced to play in Tampa, Florida for the first half of the 2020-2021 season. Their graphic team had no issues accommodating this as their training camp backdrop features a palm tree.
Philadelphia 76ers I know, you’re probably asking where is the Indiana Pacers at this point. Well quite frankly, I’m investing a bit of faith back into the 76ers. Bad idea right? I’ll take the risk this early in the off-season versus later. I like the signings of more shooters in Seth Curry and Danny Green you got to like the upgrades there. Curry can be a playmaker and the 76ers were in dire need of a legit point guard. Curry’s stock went up after his performance in the first round of last year’s Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers series. This surely is an upgrade at the point guard position as some of you might not remember who stepped in for Ben Simmons. (Hint: Shake Milton?)
Indiana Pacers Here we are! The Pacers stayed pretty quiet during the free agency period at this point. Besides re-signing Justin Holiday the roster stays put. See Pacer fans, this is why the 76ers have that slight bump this early. Will the Pacers make some trades soon? Time will tell but for now but a new coach and the same roster amongst others improving see the Pacers at 7th in the East at best for now.
Atlanta Hawks Let’s review this free agency for the Hawks. They locked in Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanović, and convinced Rajon Rondo to come to mentor Trae Young. Let’s not forget the roster includes John Collins and Clint Capela. Defensively, can this keep up? I’m not sure yet hence the highest ceiling for Atlanta is going to be battling for the bottom of the East last couple of playoff spots. If anything they’ve had the biggest turnaround in the East so far off of free agency alone.
Washington Wizards Just when you thought the Wizards were probably doomed with John Wall and his uncertainty of play they saved themselves. What I consider a big upgrade in Russell Westbrook now Washington fans can be optimistic about the playoffs. Still, a lot of variables to be determined but the Wizards are a better team with this trade now. Rui Hachimura is emerging as a rookie averaging 13.5 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, shooting 47-percent from the field on 30 minutes of play last season. For now, they’ll still compete with the bottom half of the East’s top 8 but that isn’t a bad thing.
Orlando Magic The East’s team that finishes 8th last season has a decent enough team to be considered as a team that can either decide to tank with young talent or competes for at best the 8th seed in the East. For now, a healthy young roster that could overachieve under Head Coach Steve Clifford is the direction this team’s highest ceiling. The obvious move is allowing part-time starting point guard, D.J. Augustin to sign with Milwaukee. Orlando re-signs Michael Carter-Williams and hopefully, this points to Markelle Fultz’s increase of playing time and responsibility for this team. Their first-round pick in the 2020 draft Cole Anthony also will be competing for playing time at the guard spot next to Fultz, Carter-Williams, and Evan Fournier.
Charlotte Hornets Technically, the Hornets finished ahead of the Wizards last season. Here is the catch, the Wizards were invited to the seeding games in the bubble but the Hornets were not. Adding LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward is quite an interesting combo, right? For what it’s worth they do have some nice NBA City Edition jerseys this year. The last time the Hornets made the playoffs was in 2016. The window to steal the 8th spot is a little bit better with the uncertainty of Orlando but a bigger challenge with Washington. Let’s see if they finally push over the hill this season.
Chicago Bulls Insert Billy Donovan and a team that also is similar to Indiana. A new coach with new hope. The biggest free agency singing? Garrett Temple? Well, the Bulls could be in tank mode and pending the rumors, it seems their biggest trade piece of Zack LaVine. If Chicago makes moves to tank further it would be trading for draft picks one could assume.
Cleveland Cavaliers A few young bright pieces and a solid lottery pick can keep Cavs fans a little optimistic this season. Collin Sexton returns and the hope is for his game taking the next step. Drafting Isaac Okoro was also a nice grab for the Cavs in the lottery round. This current team may be a bit of a lackluster in an already disappointing bottom of the East.
Detroit Pistons The Pistons come in with a few moves in free agency. Signing Jahlil Okafor, Jerami Grant, and Mason Plumlee to bolster up their frontcourt. Zhaire Smith and Wayne Ellington join the party in Detroit who finished with a miserable 20-wins last season. Can they get back Blake Griffin for a whole season? The best case available for Detroit is to overachieve and hopefully make the chase for the 8th seed competitive. The latest signing is LiAngelo Ball who makes it a perfect 3-for-3 on Lavar Ball’s sons now currently on an NBA roster. Lavar could make the Pistons more relevant than the team they place on the floor this season.
New York Knicks Yes, we are here at the bottom with the New York Knicks. I have to say this is probably one of the most recent off-seasons they have accomplished not screwing up. Guys like Montrezl Harrell, Serge Ibaka, and Austin Rivers weren’t paid max contract to diminish in New York. A lot of one-year deals no more than $5-6 million to Elfrid Payton, Alex Burks, and Nerlens Noel. I mean this is a clear sign of tanking plus maybe waiting for another off-season with cap space. However, the Knicks have struck out in the free agency game as Kevin Durant is across the city, and does Giannis surprise us and go to the Knicks? Stay tuned!
It’s time to be cliche as the NBA is set to start in less than a month. All rankings below reflect rosters as of December 4, 2020. Free agency, draft picks, and re-signings are considered. All hail the first power ranking of the NBA Western Conference of the 2020-2021 Season.
Los Angeles Lakers The defending champs are obviously going to fill this spot. Signing Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews, and Marc Gasol can be looked at as upgrades. Retaining Markieff Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope rounds out the defending champs moves early and a roster poised to repeat as champions in 2021.
Los Angeles Clippers Does the battle of LA matter this year again? Montrezl Harrell surprisingly switching locker rooms made the Clippers look a little shaky. However, rebounding by signing Serge Ibaka on a 2-year deal, reportedly $19 million is a nice piece to add. Now the next part is determining with Tyronn Lue as head coach can they turn into a more serious contender? The roster looked great last year on paper but then again losing to the Denver Nuggets in the West Semifinals is concerning.
Denver Nuggets Denver gets Paul Millsap to return on a one-year deal and JaMychal Green returns on a two-year deal. Did the Nuggets need to drastically improve their roster? Probably not. Losing Jerami Grant to Detroit is probably for the better as Grant seemed to want to expand his offensive role. You’re now asking for guys like Gary Harris, Bol Bol, and Will Barton to fill the gaps of Grant’s loss of production. I’ll take the Clippers in a rematch series at this rate.
Golden State Warriors The wounded Warriors head back into the season with a man down. That is Klay Thompson this time again with a knee injury. While they still have two All-Stars in Draymond Green and Steph Curry, this should be good enough to compete for a top-four spot in the West this upcoming season. Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman are two players to look forward to the Warriors relying on this season. The signing of Kelly Oubre is also a nice pick-up to fill in a knock-down shooter.
Dallas Mavericks Let’s start this by mentioning Luka Doncic is on track to become the best NBA player and only entering year three. The concern here is can the Mavericks take the next step to become a contender in the West in 2021? The West seems to be in a bit of a “reset” looking at seeds four through eight. The Mavericks finished 7th in a year that allowed Kristaps Porzingas to show off what he can do with Luka. Dallas came on strong at the end of the 2020 restart in the bubble and now all signs should point to them moving up in the West.
Portland Trailblazers Losing to the eventual NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers in the first round shouldn’t be as disappointing. The Blazers secured Carmelo Anthony and Rodney Hood for another go around. Signing Derrick Jones Jr. and adding Enes Kanter are the quiet additions for Portland. Last season, without Jusuf Nurkić pre-NBA bubble the Blazers struggled to compete. At the end of the bubble, a healthy Blazer team looks more promising than sitting at the bottom of the West.
Phoenix Suns Alright, we have to give them some sort of credit for their undefeated 8-0 seeding games in the NBA bubble. Unfortunately, the numbers favored Portland and the Suns went home after an amazing run in the bubble. Today, the Suns roster currently showcases Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Jae Crowder, and DeAndre Ayton. Phoenix secured Dario Saric again. Cue in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. If CP3 can take last year’s Thunder team to 44 wins and a 5th seed spot out West, this team is primed to possibly overachieve.
Houston Rockets Welcome to a Kentucky reunion with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. The two newest faces of the Rockets join James Harden. Who wins this trade? Some say Houston being able to get the draft but for a win-now purpose? John Wall hasn’t played a game since 2018 and Cousins 2019. You’re not sure what you’re getting to pair next to Harden. However, on paper, this team serves at best a bubble team for the 8th seed in a stacked Western Conference
Utah Jazz This is where the Western Conference becomes a little tough to navigate. Utah has shown they can stay relevant in the playoff talk out West. Kind of hard to put them in the middle of the pack since their acquisitions are retaining Jordan Clarkson, signing Derrick Favors, and giving Donovan Mitchell a max deal. I’d predict that Utah is going to spend a lot of their season attempting to stay afloat for the 7th or 8th seed.
Memphis Grizzlies I want to provide positive energy to Ja Morant. Let’s forgo “sophomore slumps” and have an even better season! Losing Jaren Jackson Jr to a knee injury in the bubble made this team look depressed. They lost the 8th seed and making matters even worse they had to win two games to even regain the 8th seed during a play-in tournament. Obviously, that didn’t happen. With a little more experienced teams ahead of the Grizzlies this is going to be a tough year to lock in the 8th seed.
New Orleans Pelicans Welcome back, Stan Van Gundy! Here is Zion Williamson and now make some magic! The Pelicans had a nice outing last week. Their roster now includes Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams, and they re-signed Brandon Ingram to a max deal. Adding a few more veteran pieces that shouldn’t impact Zion’s play is a good deal here for Van Gundy and co. Being optimistic that this team also can compete for the West’s last playoff spot and if not, a play-in tournament would be their only option come May for the playoffs.
San Antonio Spurs Greg Popovich is still running the show and this roster still includes DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. The most they can do is overachieve and position themselves as that under the radar team we love to see. However, any slow start to the season could have the Spurs finding themselves in a hole too deep to recover and make the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves The team that had the number one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft now has a concern. The T-Wolves number one is on the record before the draft stating that football is his number one love. The words are quoted as saying that perhaps basketball is just good enough as a job. Yikes! Well, there still is Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell. Acquiring Russell during a trade in the middle of last season only means we got to see the duo perform for 12 games together. Good enough to compete in a stacked Western Conference? To be determined…
Sacramento Kings The good news is that De’Aron Fox has inked a max deal to stay in Sacramento long-term. The bad news? Bogdan Bogdanović apparently did not want to go to Milwaukee in a foiled deal. The Hawks swooped in quickly and signed him to an offer sheet in which the Kings agreed not to match. Kent Bazemore and Harry Giles also are out in Sacramento. A 31-win team in 2019-2020 and no significant additions. The plus side is drafting the highly-regarded Tyrese Haliburton 12th overall.
Oklahoma City Thunder One of the most retooled rosters in a short amount of time is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let’s tally up these losses, shall we? Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroder, and Nerlens Noel all have signed, traded, or agreed to contracts with other teams. George Hill is the replacement for Chris Paul and perhaps is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now considered the best player for OKC? Yikes. It’s been a fun run Thunder fans but welcome to the bottom again.
https://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/NBA-Western.jpg3601030Chevall Kanhaihttps://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BTheader.pngChevall Kanhai2020-12-04 05:45:002020-12-06 09:31:11NBA Western Conference - Early 2020-2021 Off-Season Power Rankings
It’s time to be cliche as the NBA is set to start in less than a month. All rankings below reflect rosters as of December 4, 2020. Free agency, draft picks, and re-signings are considered. All hail the first power ranking of the NBA Eastern Conference of the 2020-2021 Season.
Miami Heat Pat Riley is gearing up for a shot in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. Signing Avery Bradley and Maurice Harkless to short-term deals is a sign. The defending Eastern Conference Champions may have lost a solid defender and shooter in Jae Crowder to the Phoenix Suns but have no fear. Well, other teams in the East should fear them as the undisputed leaders in the East.
Brooklyn Nets This is the year! The Brooklyn Nets will be heavily favored to win the East. Can they be in the top spot? Surely, but since we’re only in the off-season I’ll give the nod to the Miami Heat. The biggest question is seeing how well this team meshes and offensively, that shouldn’t be an issue with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The first time Head Coach Steve Nash backed by Mike D’Antoni also helps solidify that notion.
Milwaukee Bucks The biggest question coming into the short off-season is how much better can the Bucks get? Insert Jrue Holiday instead of Eric Bledsoe and I call that an upgrade. Also, the Bucks bolstered up their bench by signing veterans D.J. Augustin and Bobby Portis. However, in my opinion, we’re still going to question can this team get the job done in the playoffs? Time will tell but looking better than last year already.
Boston Celtics If you’re a Boston Celtic fan and feeling like the current roster is better then, I need to find out how?! Alright, I agree to let Gordon Hayward opt-out saves some cap space in the near future. Signing Tristian Thompson and Jeff Teague isn’t going to put you over the hump in an Eastern Conference where teams contending are getting better (on paper at least).
Toronto Raptors Signing Fred VanVleet to a decent deal and not committing to a multi-year deal with Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol give you a little bit more flexibility next off-season as well. The VanVleet deal does have a bit of a regression in year two which enables the Raptors to have a bit more cap space flexibility next-offseason as well. The 2019 Champions should still be considered as a contender out East. However, I’ll give the Celtics the one-up here as the Raptors might have to lean more on Pascal Siakam this season.
Philadelphia 76ers I know, you’re probably asking where is the Indiana Pacers at this point. Well quite frankly, I’m investing a bit of faith back into the 76ers. Bad idea right? I’ll take the risk this early in the off-season versus later. I like the signings of more shooters in Seth Curry and Danny Green you got to like the upgrades there. Curry can be a playmaker and the 76ers were in dire need of a legit point guard. Curry’s stock went up after his performance in the first round of last year’s Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers series. This surely is an upgrade at the point guard position as some of you might not remember who stepped in for Ben Simmons. (Hint: Shake Milton?)
Indiana Pacers Here we are! The Pacers stayed pretty quiet during the free agency period at this point. Besides re-signing Justin Holiday the roster stays put. See Pacer fans, this is why the 76ers have that slight bump this early. Will the Pacers make some trades soon? Time will tell but for now but a new coach and the same roster amongst others improving see the Pacers at 7th in the East at best for now.
Atlanta Hawks Let’s review this free agency for the Hawks. They locked in Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanović, and convinced Rajon Rondo to come to mentor Trae Young. Let’s not forget the roster includes John Collins and Clint Capela. Defensively, can this keep up? I’m not sure yet hence the highest ceiling for Atlanta is going to be battling for the bottom of the East last couple of playoff spots. If anything they’ve had the biggest turnaround in the East so far off of free agency alone.
Washington Wizards Just when you thought the Wizards were probably doomed with John Wall and his uncertainty of play they saved themselves. What I consider a big upgrade in Russell Westbrook now Washington fans can be optimistic about the playoffs. Still, a lot of variables to be determined but the Wizards are a better team with this trade now. Rui Hachimura is emerging as a rookie averaging 13.5 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, shooting 47-percent from the field on 30 minutes of play last season. For now, they’ll still compete with the bottom half of the East’s top 8 but that isn’t a bad thing.
Orlando Magic The East’s team that finishes 8th last season has a decent enough team to be considered as a team that can either decide to tank with young talent or competes for at best the 8th seed in the East. Which way will they go? For now, a healthy young roster that could overachieve under Head Coach Steve Clifford is the direction this team’s highest ceiling. The obvious move is allowing part-time starting point guard, D.J. Augustin to sign with Milwaukee. Orlando re-signs Michael Carter-Williams and hopefully, this points to Markelle Fultz’s increase of playing time and responsibility for this team. Their first-round pick in the 2020 draft Cole Anthony also will be competing for playing time at the guard spot next to Fultz, Carter-Williams, and Evan Fournier.
Charlotte Hornets Technically, the Hornets finished ahead of the Wizards last season. Here is the catch, the Wizards were invited to the seeding games in the bubble but the Hornets were not. Adding LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward is quite an interesting combo, right? For what it’s worth they do have some nice NBA City Edition jerseys this year.
Chicago Bulls Insert Billy Donovan and a team that also is similar to Indiana. A new coach with new hope. The biggest free agency singing? Garrett Temple? Well, the Bulls could be in tank mode and pending the rumors, it seems their biggest trade piece of Zack LaVine. If Chicago makes moves to tank further it would be trading for draft picks one could assume.
Cleveland Cavaliers A few young bright pieces and a solid lottery pick can keep Cavs fans a little optimistic this season. Collin Sexton returns and the hope is for his game taking the next step. Drafting Isaac Okoro was also a nice grab for the Cavs in the lottery round. This current team may be a bit of a lackluster in an already disappointing bottom of the East.
Detroit Pistons The Pistons come in with a few moves in free agency. Signing Jahlil Okafor, Jerami Grant, and Mason Plumlee to bolster up their frontcourt. Zhaire Smith and Wayne Ellington join the party in Detroit who finished with a miserable 20-wins last season. Can they get back Blake Griffin for a whole season? The best case available for Detroit is to overachieve and hopefully make the chase for the 8th seed competitive.
New York Knicks Yes, we are here at the bottom with the New York Knicks. I have to say this is probably one of the most recent off-seasons they have accomplished not screwing up. Guys like Montrezl Harrell, Serge Ibaka, and Austin Rivers weren’t paid max contract to diminish in New York. A lot of one-year deals no more than $5-6 million to Elfrid Payton, Alex Burks, and Nerlens Noel. I mean this is a clear sign of tanking plus maybe waiting for another off-season with cap space. However, the Knicks have struck out in the free agency game as Kevin Durant is across the city, and does Giannis surprise us and go to the Knicks? Stay tuned!
The 2020 NBA offseason is officially underway and this is your one-stop place for all the latest trades, free agency signings, and more! Refresh for updates.
Anthony Davis is finalizing a five-year, $190M maximum contract to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers
December 2, 2020
Houston has agreed to trade Russell Westbrook to Washington for John Wall and a first-round pick
LiAngelo Ball is signing a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $85 million maximum contract extension with the Lakers
December 1, 2020
Nicolas Batum has signed his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers
November 30th, 2020
Free-agent G Jared Dudley has agreed to a 1-year, $2.6M deal to return to the Lakers
LaMelo Ball signed his rookie contract with the Charlotte Hornets
R.J. Hampton has signed his rookie deal with the Denver Nuggets
Free-agent guard Reggie Jackson is returning to the Los Angeles Clippers on a one-year deal
November 27th, 2020
Free agent F Alize Johnson has agreed to a deal with the Toronto Raptors
Jazz are sending G Rayjon Tucker and a future second-round pick to the Cavaliers for cash
The New York Knicks are signing Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to a one-year contract
November 26th, 2020
Kostas Antetokounmpo has signed a two-way contract to return to the Los Angeles Lakers
Free-agent F Noah Vonleh has agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Bulls
Free-agent G Kelan Martin has agreed to a two-year deal with the Indiana Pacers
The 76ers agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent G Derrick Walton Jr.
November 25th, 2020
Free agent center Hassan Whiteside has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings
November 24th, 2020
The Miami Heat plan to sign All-Star Bam Adebayo to a five-year, $163M contract extension
Denver’s Bol Bol has agreed to a new two-year, $4.2M deal with the Nuggets
November 23rd, 2020
Matthew Dellavedova has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers,
November 22st, 2020
Free-agent Markieff Morris has agreed to a minimum deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers
Free-agent center Aron Baynes has agreed to a two-year, $14.3M deal with the Toronto Raptors
Free-agent F Solomon Hill has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks
Dario Saric has agreed to a three-year, $27M deal to stay with Phoenix
Chris Boucher has agreed to a two-year, $13.5M deal to stay with the Toronto Raptors
Free-agent G Damyean Dotson has agreed to a two-year, $4M deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Free-agent DeMarcus Cousins and the Houston Rockets agree to a deal
Free-agent center Alex Len has agreed to a deal with the Toronto Raptors
November 22st, 2020
Lakers trade JaVale McGee and a future second-round pick to Cavaliers
Free-agent Austin Rivers has agreed to deal with the Knicks
Jayson Tatum has agreed to a five-year, $195M extension with the Celtics,
The 76ers are trading G Zhaire Smith to the Pistons for C Tony Bradley
Free-agent C Damian Jones has agreed to a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns
Free-agent center Willie Cauley-Stein has agreed to a two-year, $8.2M deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks
Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a five-year, $195M designated rookie max extension
Free-agent Harry Giles has agreed to a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers
Free-agent center Willy Hernangomez has agreed to a one-year, minimum deal with the New Orleans Pelicans
Free-agent Serge Ibaka plans to sign a 2-year, $19M deal with the Clippers
Free-agent C Nerlens Noel has agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks
Free-agent G Brad Wanamaker has agreed to a one-year, $2.25M deal to join the Golden State Warriors
Free-agent Marc Gasol has agreed to a deal with the Lakers
November 21st, 2020
Real Madrid guard Facundo Campazzo has agreed to a two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets
Free-agent Michael Carter-Williamshas agreed to a deal to return to the Orlando Magic
Free-agent Kris Dunnhas agreed to a two-year, $10M deal with the Atlanta Hawks
Free-agent Moe Harklesshas agreed to a one-year, $3.6M deal with the Miami Heat
Jae Crowder has agreed to a 3-year, $30 million deal with the Phoenix Suns
Free-agent Jeff Green has agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets
Free-agent Avery Bradleyhas agreed to a two-year, $11.6M deal with the Miami Heat
Fred VanVleethas agreed to a four-year, $85M deal to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors
Free-agent Gordon Haywardis signing a 4-year, $120M deal with Charlotte
Free-agent DJ Augustinhas agreed to a three-year, $21M deal with Milwaukee
Free-agent Bobby Portishas agreed to a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks
Free-agent Kentavious Caldwell-Popehas agreed to a three-year, $40M deal with the Lakers
Free-agent Carmelo Anthonyis finalizing a deal to re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers
Free-agent Gary Clarkhas agreed to a two-year, $4.1M deal to stay with Orlando
Free-agent Paul Millsaphas agreed to a one-year, $10M-plus deal to return to the Denver Nuggets
Rajon Rondohas agreed to a two-year, $15M deal with Atlanta Hawks
Free-agent Jeff Greenhas agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets
Elfrid Paytonhas agreed to a one-year, $5M deal with Knicks
Free-agent Brad Wanamakerhas agreed to a one-year, $2.25M deal to join the Golden State Warriors
Free-agent Nerlens Noelhas agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks
Free-agent Serge Ibakahas agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers
Free-agent Wes Iwunduis close to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks
November 20th, 2020
Free-agent Goran Dragichas agreed to a two-year, $37.4M deal tore-sign with the Miami Heat
Free-agent center Mason Plumleehas agreed to a three-year, $25M deal with the Detroit Pistons
Free-agent Patrick Patterson is returning to the Los Angeles Clippers on a one-year deal
Free-agent Wes Matthews plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers
The Sacramento Kings have agreed to a five-yearextension deal with De’Aaron Fox, worth $163M
Free-agent Dwight Howardhas agreed to aone-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers
Free-agent Garrett Templehas agreed to a one-year, $5M deal with Chicago
Free-agent Joe Harrishas agreed to a four-year, $75M deal to return to the Brooklyn Nets
Free-agent Alec Burkshas agreed to a one-year, $6M deal with the New York Knicks, agent Alex Saratsis
Free-agent Davis Bertanshas agreed to a 5-year, $80M deal to return to the Washington Wizards
Free-agent center Jahlil Okaforhas agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Pistons
Free-agent Anthony Gillhas agreed to a two-year deal with the Washington Wizards
Free-agent Danilo Gallinariis finalizing a three-year, $61.5M contract with the Atlanta Hawks
Free-agent Rodney Hood is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers on a two-year, $21M deal
Free-agent Jordan Clarksonhas agreed to a four-year, $52M deal with the Utah Jazz
Malik Beasley has agreed to a four-year, $60M deal to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Free-agent Montrezl Harrell has agreed to atwo-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers
Free-agent Jerami Grant has agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Detroit Pistons
Free-agent Derrick Jones has agreed to a two-year, $19M deal with the Portland Trail Blazers
Free-agent Marcus Morrishas agreed to return to the Clippers on a four-year, $64M deal
Free-agent James Ennis has agreed to aone-year deal to return to the Orlando Magic
Free-agent Christian Woodhas agreed to a three-year, $41M deal with the Houston Rockets,
Free-agent Justin Holiday has agreed to athree-year, $18.1M deal to return to the Indiana Pacers
Free-agent Jakob Poeltl is finalizing athree-year, near $27M deal to return to San Antonio, per agents Mike Tellem, Aaron Mintz, and Steven Heumann
Free-agent Pat Connaughtonhas agreed to a two-year, $8.3M deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks
Free-agent JaMychal Green has agreed to atwo-year, $15M deal with the Denver Nuggets
Free-agent Denzel Valentine has signed a one-year, $4.7M (qualifying offer) deal with the Bulls
November 19th, 2020
Devon Dotsonsigns with the Chicago Bulls
Killian Tilliesigns with the Memphis Grizzlies
Nate Darlingsigns with the Charlotte Hornets
Jahill Trippsigns with the Memphis Grizzlies
Mason Jonessigns with the Houston Rockets
Nate Hintonsigns with the Dallas Mavericks
Markus Howardsigns with the Denver Nuggets
Naji Marshallsigns with the New Orleans Pelicans
Ashton Haganssigns with the Minnesota Timberwolves
Lamar Stevenssigns with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Sean McDermottsigns with the Memphis Grizzlies
November 18th
New York has agreed to trade the 27th pick and 38th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Utah for the 23rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Philadelphia has agreed to trade Al Horford, a 2020 first-round pick, a 2025 first-round pick, and a second-round pick to Oklahoma City for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson.
Houston has agreed to trade Trevor Ariza and the 16th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Detroit for a future first-round pick.
Oklahoma City has agreed to trade Ricky Rubio, the 25th pick and 28th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Minnesota for the 17th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Los Angeles Clippers trade Landry Shamet to Brooklyn for the 19th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Detroit also traded Luke Kennard to the Clippers for Rodney McGruder.
Minnesota has agreed to trade the 25th pick and 33rd pick to New York for the 23rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
New Orleans has agreed to trade the 24th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Denver for a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick
Utah has agreed to trade Tony Bradley and the 38th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Detroit for a future draft pick and cash considerations.
Boston agrees to trade the 30th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Memphis for two future second-round picks.
New York has agreed to trade the 33rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to the LA Clippers for a 2023 second-round pick.
Dallas has agreed to trade Seth Curry to Philadelphia for Josh Richardson and the 36th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Washington has agreed to trade the 37th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Oklahoma City for the 53rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and a future second-round pick.
New Orleans has agreed to trade the 39th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Utah for a future second-round pick.
New Orleans has agreed to trade the 42nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Charlotte for a future second-round pick.
Sacramento has agreed to trade the 52nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Houston for a 2021 second-round pick and cash considerations.
Brooklyn has agreed to trade the 55th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to the LA Clippers for the 57th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
November 16th
Oklahoma City has agreed to trade Chris Paul and Abdel Nader to Phoenix for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, and a 2022 first-round pick.
Milwaukee has agreed to trade Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and multiple draft picks to New Orleans for Jrue Holiday.
Sacramento has agreed to trade Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, and Ersan Ilyasova.
Houston has agreed to trade Robert Covington to Portland for Trevor Ariza, a 2020 first-round pick, and a 2021 protected first-round pick.
Detroit has agreed to trade Bruce Brown to Brooklyn for Dzanan Musa and a 2021 second-round pick.
Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to trade Danny Green and a 2020 first-round pick to Oklahoma City for Dennis Schroder
Listen to the Shoot or Pass Podcast – Baseline Times NBA dedicated podcast for all of your latest NBA news, predictions, and coverage!
