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HoopsHype explains: How no-trade clauses work

HoopsHype is continuing a new series that aims to educate its audience on the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here is an FAQ on the no-trade clause, including the distinction between the traditional no-trade clause and veto rights to …

HoopsHype is continuing a new series that aims to educate its audience on the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here is an FAQ on the no-trade clause, including the distinction between the traditional no-trade clause and veto rights to being traded for one season.

LeBron James extends with the Lakers: What now?

LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal will raise his career earnings to $532 million, which would give him the highest career earnings in NBA history by …

LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal will raise his career earnings to $532 million, which would give him the highest career earnings in NBA history by far. It will also include a 15 percent trade bonus and a player option for the 2024-25 season.

Here we look at the deal and what it means for James and the Lakers going forward.

Kevin Durant to Celtics trade? This is what it would look like

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics have emerged as a suitor for Kevin Durant. Last month when Durant publicly requested a trade, we took a look at potential teams that could be interested in him and pointed out how he would be the best player in the modern era to be traded since Shaquille O’Neal. After the Utah Jazz received four first-round picks for Rudy Gobert, that likely now serves as somewhat of a floor for the type of return the Nets would demand for Durant.

All-Star forward Jaylen Brown is reportedly the centerpiece of the Celtics’ package, which alone should make Brooklyn extremely interested. We take a look at what a potential deal could look like and what it would mean for both Boston and Brooklyn.

What James Harden re-signing with Sixers means

The Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden have finally agreed on a deal for the 13-year veteran to return. He will re-sign with the Sixers on a two-year deal worth $68.6 million with a player option for year two, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. This …

The Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden have finally agreed on a deal for the 13-year veteran to return. He will re-sign with the Sixers on a two-year deal worth $68.6 million with a player option for year two, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. This move could serve as a temporary financial sacrifice from Harden that allows the Sixers to make moves that improve their title odds.

HoopsHype explains: What is the Designated Rookie Rule?

HoopsHype is introducing a new series that aims to educate its audience on the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here is an FAQ on the designated rookie rule, which has become a topic of conversation in this year’s free agency.

Donovan Mitchell: His potential trade destinations

The NBA world felt shockwaves when the Jazz sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade for a historic return. When the Jazz got eliminated from the playoffs in April, speculation began on whether the Jazz would break up their All-Star duo and enter a rebuild. In our offseason preview for the Jazz, we concluded that they were in good hands for a rebuild under newly hired Danny Ainge because of his history of extracting optimal value in trades.

The former Boston Celtics executive managed to outdo his previous haul from the 2013 trade with the Brooklyn Nets by not only getting three unprotected first-round picks again (2023, 2025, 2027), but also an additional Top 5 protected first in 2029. If you include this year’s 22nd overall pick, Walker Kessler, the Jazz got five first-round picks for Gobert, all without taking on any long-term money. They also traded Royce O’Neale to the Nets for a first-round pick on the eve of free agency.

Now the big question is, what happens next? And what that really is asking is if the Jazz will also trade Donovan Mitchell now that the roster has taken a major competitive hit in the short term. As hard as it is to move an all-time generational defender, who by all accounts was fully bought-in to the organization and the city of Utah, the return they got was too good to pass.

Kevin Durant: His potential trade destinations

The 2019-2022 Brooklyn Nets truly will be the biggest what-if team in NBA history. Last week, a contractual dispute between Kyrie Irving and the Nets started to give Kevin Durant a wandering eye. Now Durant has reportedly asked for a trade, …

The 2019-2022 Brooklyn Nets truly will be the biggest what-if team in NBA history. Last week, a contractual dispute between Kyrie Irving and the Nets started to give Kevin Durant a wandering eye. Now Durant has reportedly asked for a trade, according to Shams Charania.

Several teams must have been preparing for this moment after last week’s reports of Durant’s uncertain future in Brooklyn. Last week, we discussed Irving’s potential trade destinations and how his departure could trigger an immediate rebuild for the Nets. Durant is still one of the best players in the league and maintains enough trade for the Nets to extract every asset playoff teams have to offer. The HoopsHype staff voted Kevin Durant as the 13th best player in NBA history, which would make him the second-best player to ever get traded in the modern era under Shaquille O’Neal.

Unless traded to a team with enough cap space to fit Durant’s $44.1 million salary, the magic number for over-the-cap teams to acquire him is $35.2 million. assuming a deal gets done in the 2022-23 league year. Durant may not have the ultimate say towards which team he goes to considering he has four years, $198 million left on his deal, but the veteran superstar would likely still get to one of his preferred teams.

Trades that make a lot of sense: Kyrie Irving to the Lakers and more

With free agency just three days away, HoopsHype’s salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan came up with several trades he’d like to share.

With free agency just three days away, HoopsHype’s salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan came up with several trades he’d like to share.

Why John Wall’s future might not find a resolution soon

A lack of trade suitors and a potentially massive buy-out requirement could keep John Wall in Houston until next season.

John Wall and the Houston Rockets have mutually agreed to work on a separation, according to Shams Charania. Wall will still remain with the team but won’t play in games in order to preserve his trade value. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Wall isn’t in Houston’s plans since they are in a full-scale rebuild. His services are best suited on a contender.

This decision will allow the Rockets to dedicate all their minutes to their young guards, a promising group which includes Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Both are now set to start at the guard positions with Wall out of the picture, which should also guarantee minutes to other young guards such as Josh Christopher and Anthony Lamb.

Although both sides are in agreement that a separation is for the best, one might not come anytime soon. The lack of trade suitors for Wall, as well as a potentially punitive buy-out amount, could keep him shelved in Houston throughout the 2021-22 season.

Why the 2022 free agent market could be dry

Many players are signing veteran extensions and avoiding free agency, making an already dry free agency market even more of a drought.

The 2021 offseason went from being very hyped to a being very slow one relative to the past few years. Barring a trade or two involving a couple of all-stars, Kyle Lowry may have been the biggest name to change teams this offseason. Despite there being more projected cap space this offseason than in 2020, several teams like Dallas, Miami, Toronto, and New Orleans all opted to operate over the salary cap at the last minute. The lack of marquee names led teams to decrease their spending power which overall depressed the market.

Can we expect a more robust market in 2022? It seems as the opposite is happening with many veterans are rushing to lock down their money now through extensions to avoid free agency. This was an expected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of revenue it caused. The rate that the salary cap rose prior to 2020 made potential earnings in the free agency market significantly exceed what players can get through their maximum veteran extension amounts. Now players are incentivized to stay with their teams and earn more with them, especially maximum players.

Where does this leave the amount of potential cap space teams? As of now, only four teams are projected to generate maximum cap space, and it’s possible most of these teams eliminate theirs if they extend certain key players on their roster.