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Reporting on Knicks trade targets, Immanuel Quickley’s future, Dejounte Murray’s trade market, Lauri Markannen, possible front office changes for the Hornets, two-way conversion candidates, and more from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto
The G League Showcase, the NBA’s unofficial winter meetings summit ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, was filled with chatter about potential trade candidates, front office changes, and more.
Below is a look at the latest intel gathered by HoopsHype, including updates on New York Knicks trade targets and the future of Immanuel Quickley, Dejounte Murray, Lauri Markanen, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, the Hornets, and more.
Reporting on the top NBA trade candidates for the 2023-24 season on each team from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto.
Following the James Harden deal to the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this season and the recent trade chatter surrounding Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, HoopsHype spoke with 15 NBA executives and league sources to project the top trade candidates for each team this season.
Free agent forward TJ Warren is eying a return to the NBA and discussed his future with HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
TJ Warren, who has averaged 14.6 points on 50.6 percent shooting during his career, discussed what he can bring to an NBA playoff team, overcoming injuries, the bubble, playing with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons with the Brooklyn Nets, and more in a recent interview with HoopsHype.
HoopsHype polled media members to rank NBA arenas from best to worst.
What are the top NBA arenas to attend games across the league?
HoopsHype polled 35 media members who’ve traveled to arenas across the country to find out which are the best in the league. Their criteria ranged from the crowd’s atmosphere and energy to the quality of the arena, culinary offerings, and lighting.
Below are the results of the poll, including a fiercely contested three-way battle for the top spot between New York, Los Angeles, and Boston.
NBA executives share their top players to build around under 25 years old in a poll conducted by HoopsHype.
With the start of the 2023-24 season here, HoopsHype polled 20 NBA executives for their Top 5 players under 25 years old.
After dominating this executives poll category for the past three years, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic battled with San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama for the top spot in a tight race. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey were among the top risers in the poll, while LaMelo Ball and Zion Williamson were among the players whose stock slipped. In addition, 11 players earned votes for the first time.
In our scoring system, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point for each ballot.
The results of the poll are listed below.
HoopsHype lists the Top 50 NBA players who made the most money and never made an All-Star team.
Did you know 45 players in NBA history have made over $100 million without an All-Star appearance?
HoopsHype compiled the 50 highest-paid players without making an All-Star team, combining to earn over $6.3 billion, according to our database.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.
The Pacers could be seeking an impact player or premium draft pick for Buddy Hield. Here are six teams that could potentially trade for him.
The Indiana Pacers have begun working to find a potential trade for Buddy Hield, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Hield is currently extension-eligible and can also renegotiate his contract with the Pacers, allowing him to increase his $19.3 million salary for this season. Hield rejected a recent extension offer, so the Pacers are expected to listen to trade offers for him.
Hield is coming off one of his strongest regular season performances where he shot 42.5 percent on three-pointers off 8.5 attempts per game. He is one of the best volume shooters in the league who ranked 6th last season in three-pointers made among players who attempted at least 5 three-pointers per game. He’s also one of the most reliable players in the league having only missed six games in his entire seven-year career.
Hield’s shooting, reliability, and role malleability to start and come off the bench, should make him an attractive trade target for many teams. His $19.3 million salary also makes him a relatively simple acquisition for most teams, especially now with the new expanded trade rules. Teams below the $172.3 million first apron only need to send out $11.8 million in outgoing salary to match for Hield.
Reporting on trade talks surrounding Damian Lillard, Tyler Herro, Pascal Siakam, a three-team trade discussed by the Knicks, Suns, and Pacers, plus the latest free agency updates on the Nets, Mavericks, Hornets, and Summer League interviews from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Three questions predominantly arose when bumping into executives and agents during NBA Summer League on the concourse between the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas:
What’s the word on Damian Lillard?
Where’s Tyler Herro going to end up?
What are you hearing about Pascal Siakam?
Below is the latest intel gathered by HoopsHype on trade talks surrounding Lillard, Herro, Siakam, a three-team trade discussed by the Knicks, Suns, and Pacers, plus the latest free agency updates on the Nets, Mavericks, Hornets, and Summer League interviews on HoopsHype.
More than half of the total cap space teams collectively had were used on trades and renegotiations instead of signing free agents.
The majority of the 2023 free agency dust has settled. There are still a couple of loose ends like the restricted free agencies of PJ Washington and Ayo Dosunmu, and of course, the potential of blockbuster Damian Lillard and James Harden trades. But for the most part, most teams have their roster situations figured out ahead of the 2023-24 season.
This offseason featured eight teams operating with significant cap space, the most we’ve had since 2019. However, unlike that summer, this year had a much weaker crop of free agents. The overall lack of talent led these teams to use most of their cap space in ways other than free agent signings.
Here is how much cap space these teams started out with and how it was utilized.
Here are four teams that could be good fits for Pascal Siakam and make an appealing offer for him.
The Toronto Raptors may finally be ready to make a big change to their group. At last year’s trade deadline, they listened to offers on all their best players but ultimately did not move any of them. Things backfired for them when they missed the playoffs and lost Fred VanVleet to the Houston Rockets in free agency.
The loss of VanVleet fractured an already middling offense and they may not be able to find a suitable replacement before the season starts. While the additions of Dennis Schroeder and Jalen McDaniels suggest that they’re still trying to be competitive, media reports believe otherwise.
According to SportNet’s Michael Grange, Pascal Siakam’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors and the Atlanta Hawks have been pursuing him. Marc Stein echoes similar sentiments and reports that the Indiana Pacers are a legitimate suitor to acquire him.
Trading Siakam could signal a shift toward a rebuild or retool considering the two-time All-NBA forward is their best player. He reportedly wants to remain in Toronto and does not want to discuss an extension with other teams, which could hurt his trade value. This season will be Siakam’s last with supermax eligibility, meaning he can qualify for it if he earns All-NBA honors this season.
If the Raptors do decide to move Siakam, here are some teams that make sense and what they could offer.
