Latest news with #EricPincus
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hawks Predicted to 'Steal' Playmaking 6-Foot-5 Guard
Hawks Predicted to 'Steal' Playmaking 6-Foot-5 Guard originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Atlanta Hawks will return both of their starting guards for the 2025-26 season. But they could still make a significant move in the backcourt during NBA free agency. Advertisement That's what Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus predicted Thursday when he projected the landing spots for the top 30 NBA free agents this summer. Pincus predicted the Hawks to add Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. "Alexander-Walker may be the most attainable, still young (almost 27), unrestricted free-agent 3-and-D wing on the market," wrote Pincus. "Minnesota has a hefty payroll before deciding on potential free agents Julius Randle and Naz Reid. It may not have a long-term solution at point guard." Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker© Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images "Competing executives may want to test the Timberwolves' appetite for another hefty deal, gambling that Minnesota trusts Terrence Shannon Jr. (24) to handle that responsibility at a cheaper price," continued Pincus. Advertisement "Also, because he's unrestricted, Alexander-Walker has a say in where he goes, though few teams have the kind of money he might have gotten in a looser offseason." Pincus concluded writing the Hawks will "steal" the Timberwolves guard "away with a full" non-taxpayer mid-level exception offer. Alexander-Walker played the past two and a half seasons for the Timberwolves. Since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, he's started 30 games and not missed a regular season contest. In 2024-25, the guard averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. His playing time decreased during Minnesota's postseason run this spring. But he still averaged 8.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. Advertisement The Brooklyn Nets drafted Alexander-Walker at No. 17 overall in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. But the guard never played for the Nets. Alexander-Walker made his regular season debut with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019-20. He's also played for the Utah Jazz in his six-year NBA career. Related: Trae Young News Emerges on Friday Amid NBA Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers Predicted to Land $45 Million Big Man
Lakers Predicted to Land $45 Million Big Man originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers are in the market for an upgrade at center as the franchise aims to to solidify their frontcourt depth around LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus predicts an interesting name will be headed to Hollywood. Advertisement The Lakers have been linked to a bevy of big men in ongoing NBA rumors ahead of free agency. With the Atlanta Hawks benching Clint Capela in favor of Onyeka Okongwu, the veteran appears primed for a change of scenery. "Capela, 31, has probably aged out of his stay in Atlanta. Onyeka Okongwu and others will fill that spot, leaving the veteran rebounder and shot-blocker to find a new home." Pincus wrote on Wednesday. "He should expect a decrease in pay, but he may be one of the top available bigs on the market. He's not much of a scorer, and his efficiency at the rim has dropped from 65.3 percent from the field in 2022-3 to 55.9 percent," Pincus added. "Still, he might provide a team with double-double production as a 24-minute starter, sharing minutes on a playoff-capable team," he added. Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Reddick coaches against the New York Knicks.© Brad Penner-Imagn Images Internally, the Lakers face a salary cap squeeze, lacking true free-agent space. They've earmarked the taxpayer mid-level exception (~$5.7 million) and have more than $70 million tied up in expiring contracts and locked-in stars like James ($52.6 million) and Doncic ($46.0 million). Advertisement Capela was on a two-year, $45 million contract with the Hawks but will now be a free agent. Pincus predicts the Lakers can land Capela on the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception, a bargain compared to his previous deal. The big man would immediately address Los Angeles' lack of interior defense and rebounding. During his five seasons in Atlanta, Capela averaged 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and one block per game. In particular, Capela thrived in pick-and-roll situations alongside Trae Young. Related: Stephen A. Smith Labels Caitlin Clark an Instigator After Recent WNBA Fights This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
08-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How should the Nets spend their money in the 2025 NBA offseason?
How should the Nets spend their money in the 2025 NBA offseason? The Brooklyn Nets have some important decisions to make this summer as they have to navigate the 2025 NBA Draft along with everything else that comes with the offseason. Brooklyn will add some young talent to the roster through the Draft in June, but they will also have to figure out what to do with all of the cap space that they have this summer. There are a number of ways that the Nets can utilize the cap space they have, the most obvious of which would be signing free-agents, including their own. As of this writing, Brooklyn has 10 players that are technically free-agents this summer with four of those players having team options for next season. Ultimately, the Nets will have to decide which free-agents they're signing, but they can also get creative with their cap space. "No teams has cap space like the Nets this summer," Eric Pincus wrote for Bleacher Report when reviewing Brooklyn's financial decisions. "They could go star-chasing or veer in the opposite direction, trading away veterans like Cam Johnson and Nicolas Claxton to bottom out further. The latter would involve using cap room to take on another team's unwanted salary in return for draft picks and young talent." This summer has been interesting to see from the Nets' point of view given that they have four first-round picks in the upcoming Draft, but they are also rumored to have interest in trading for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo if he requests a trade. As Pincus noted, Brooklyn can also go the route of continuing the rebuild with the goal of finding their next star and trying to build around that player heading into the near future. There are also reports of the Nets potentially looking to shake things up in the upcoming Draft, whether that involves them trading up in the Draft, acquiring a second pick in the Lottery, or pushing some of their first-round picks into future years to always have a leg up on the competition. Either way, Brooklyn has plenty of options thanks to their draft capital and cap space, but the choices they make will be more important as a result.
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Insider: Three centers may be out of reach for Lakers in free agency
Insider: Three centers may be out of reach for Lakers in free agency The Los Angeles Lakers badly need a starting-caliber center and will look to obtain one this summer. They can either look to land such a player through free agency or from the trade market. The trade market will likely be a more realistic source of a center than the free agent market for the Lakers. Unless LeBron James takes enough of a pay cut on a new contract, which he isn't expected to do, they will likely only have the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception to offer. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there are three possible free agency targets who play the 5 who will be out of reach for Los Angeles this offseason. Via Bleacher Report: "Myles Turner, who'd be the best fit, will get more to stay with the Indiana Pacers," Pincus wrote. "The Houston Rockets won't lose Steven Adams to the Lakers at $5.7 million. ... Andre Drummond is expected to pick up his $5 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers." Turner is someone whom L.A. has had interest in for the last couple of years. He's an excellent shot-blocker and a reliable 3-point shooter, but he's likely going to command a lot of money on the open market. In addition, with his Pacers seemingly on the verge of reaching the NBA Finals, it's hard to imagine him leaving such a strong team. Adams could bring L.A. strength, defense and physicality at the 5, as could Drummond. One possible option in free agency, if he's willing to take a significant pay cut, is Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he's 37 years of age and could fall off a cliff in terms of his production and overall game next season. One NBA executive reportedly said he's sure the Lakers "have already talked to" Lopez, who played for them during the 2017-18 season.
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Was the Celtics' Jrue Holiday trade one of the NBA's most impactful of the last decade?
Was the Celtics' Jrue Holiday trade one of the NBA's most impactful of the last decade? Was the trade that brought veteran guard Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics one of the NBA's most impactful of the last decade? If you happen to be of the same mind as Bleacher Report league analyst Eric Pincus, it most certainly is. The deal saw the Celtics ship out veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, beloved big man Robert Williams III, a 2024 first round pick from the Golden State Warriors, and a 2029 first round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers. It was not a minor deal to be sure, and Boston admittedly took a risk given Holiday's age and considerable contract. But it paid off in terms of a title, the only currency that truly matters among fans of the storied ball club. To turn the screws tighter on the Milwaukee Bucks (who had dealt the UCLA alum to the Blazers earlier in the offseason to land veteran star Damian Lillard), an unnamed exec quoted by Pincus said that the Bucks "should have done a multi-team trade to get all the assets Portland got from Boston for Jrue." But ultimately they did not, and it has their roster looking threadbare with little in the way of assets to replenish it under the tenure of star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. While it might be fun for some to wonder what would have happened had it played out that way, most Celtics fans are more than content to bask in the glow of Banner 18's aura. Listen to the "Celtics Lab" podcast on: Apple Podcasts: Spotify:
