Sak Sports Blog

The Carmelo Anthony experiment in Houston is already coming to an end, and despite his teams have a worse record with him on the court as opposed to off it over the past two seasons, there are still playoff contenders interested in the veteran's services. As of right now, Anthony is still a Houston Rocket. Barring a trade, it's highly anticipated he will be waived and get to choose his next team. His representatives have already been probing front offices to gauge interest.  Five suitors have emerged, per information from NBA Insiders Kevin O'Conner  and Marc J. Spears . The reports conflict slightly, but the combined list includes the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trailblazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Miami Heat. O'Conner listed the three Western Conference teams, including the Lakers, as the likeliest landing spots, while Spears' intel tells him the Lakers are done making short-term free agent moves.  The Lakers  are e...

No one said LeBron James' arrival in Los Angeles would be smooth. The Big Three era in Miami had a shaky start, so its reasonable that the Lakers need some time to adjust with the King. The Lakers early schedule also hasn't been kind, as tonight they play their third straight Western Conference playoff team. The San Antonio Spurs (1-1) are looking good with DeMar DeRozan in tow. Vegas lists the Lakers as 1.0 home point favorites despite the fact that they're down two starters: Rajan Rondo and Brandon Ingram, after Saturday night's scuffle with Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets. Over his first two games, LeBron is averaging 25 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. His most reliable teammates have been Josh Hart (15.5 PPG) and JaVale McGee (14.5 PPG). As the season progresses, James should be building more chemistry with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Ingram. Josh Hart is the Lakers 2nd-leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. His threes off the ...

On July 6, the news broke that Carmelo Anthony would not be returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder: by any means necessary. Options include a trade, buyout, or using the stretch provision. With the highest luxury tax in NBA history on their books, Oklahoma City could save up to $100 million by moving the veteran. UPDATE 7/10: With the Houston Rockets losing Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns and Luc Mbah a Moute to the LA Clippers, there's a huge hole at small forward for the team. The Rockets are expected to be the most aggressive for Anthony's services. Anthony himself is done with the team too, due to some free agency signings pointing towards a more diminished role in the 2018-2019 season. By accepting his player option, he guarantees receiving that money, whether it's from another team or in a buyout agreement with the Thunder. Just hours after the news broke, three teams have already emerged as suitors: the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers....

LeBron James is a expected to make a major free agency decision for just the second time in his career this summer. While the de facto favorites so far have been the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Houston Rockets, other teams could still compete for LeBron's services before he make his second "Decision." While Joel Embiid has already publicly recruited LeBron, Philadelphia was already a rumored landing spot. But now, recently-crowned Most Impoved Player Victor Oladipo has thrown the Indiana Pacers name in the ring. Oladipo told TMZ Sports that James is his most highly coveted free agent acquisition for the 2018-2019 season. "If you want to win, come to Indy" the guard said, publicly addressing LeBron. While the big buzz has been around the prospects of building superteams, teaming up with Kawhi Leonard and/or Paul George, or completing the process in Philadelphia, there are other suitors that could make sense in the...

For the past four years, we've been treated to a historic rivalry: four straight NBA Finals matchups between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. But many are growing weary and fans of the other 28 teams are often left to wonder: what's the point of watching if the same two teams are left in June every year? In 2018, it seemed like the streak would end, as the Cavaliers barely got out of the first round, and the Warriors weren't fully powered. Even a week before the Finals, both teams were down 3-2 in their conference finals matchups. There was a taste of a fantasy where the young Boston Celtics took on the Houston Rockets, with almost every player making their NBA Finals debut. Instead, we had Cavaliers-Warriors, Round 4. That should change next season, and definitely will if one thing happens: LeBron James looks set to leave Cleveland. The Cavaliers would instantly fall out of contention and guarantee we don't get a 5th straight matchup between th...

The 2017-2018 NBA playoffs are underway and are already thrilling. The Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an instant classic, and the Indiana Pacers stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a 1-0 series lead. As exciting as the present landscape is, let's fast forward to June. The weather will finally be warmer (still snowing sporadically here in the Northeast) and the NBA Finals will be upon us. Here are five potential NBA Finals matchups to look out for in 2018. 5. Toronto Raptors Vs. Portland Trailblazers This might seem like an odd matchup because it doesn't feature any of the heavy hitters from either conference, but it's 100% a realistic possibility. The Toronto Raptors boast the East's top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and the West seems more wide open than ever, which could benefit the 3rd-seeded Portland Trailblazers. Many NBA fans want a change of pace from the annual Cavaliers-Warriors matchup, but th...

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 31-22 sitting in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. To some teams, it's an enviable position, but for LeBron James and the Cavaliers, it's a massive disappointment. After three straight trips to the NBA Finals, anything less will be considered a failure in 2018. The Cavaliers began to gear up for the 2018 NBA Finals last summer, when they made an NBA landscape-shifting move, shipping star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Brooklyn's 2018 1st-round pick. Fast forward to February's trade deadline and both those players are gone. The Cavaliers flipped their roster on Thursday in an unprecedented fashion, trading away six players in an effort to raise the team's playing standards. Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye and Dwyane Wade are all gone. In their place, the Cavaliers received Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance, Rodney Hood and Geor...

The Greatest of All Time. One of the hottest, most opinionated topics in all of sports. Experts and fans alike attempt to compare players across generations in hopes of crowning the best the sport has ever seen. Two of the greatest American professional sports athletes of all-time are playing right in front of our eyes: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. James has been in the conversation with Michael Jordan for greatest basketball player of all-time, and with his 8th Super Bowl appearance, it's hard to put Brady anywhere but the top of the greatest quarterbacks ever. But wait, don't these two players have a history of choking in championship appearances? Doesn't this tarnish their legacies? The answer to both questions is a resounding "No." Many purists argue that Joe Montana, with a perfect 4-0 Super Bowl record, and Michael Jordan, 6-0 in the NBA Finals, are the greatest because of th...

On December 30, 2017, LeBron James will celebrate his 33rd birthday in his 15th NBA season. Comparisons to the all-time greats have been nothing short of inevitable lately, so his birthday begs the question: how does the Cleveland Cavaliers forward matchup at 33 with two players he's been compared to his entire career: Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant? For purposes of these comparisons, we'll even give Jordan and Bryant the upper-hand by considering their careers through the conclusion of their age 33 season. That means LeBron James has four months and another postseason to add on to his already legendary pedigree. We'll start off with a category LeBron trails in: championship rings.  At 33 years old, Michael Jordan was putting the finishing touches on the second of three straight championships, which was his 5th championship win in as many appearances. This was Jordan's 12th season in the league. Kobe Bryant also had all five of his rings at age 33....

The NBA season is reaching it's quarter-way point, and the league is starting to take form. James Harden and the Houston Rockets have been incredible in the Western Conference, with the Golden State Warriors right behind them. In the East, the Boston Celtics rattled off 16 straight wins but the Cleveland Cavaliers have rebounded from a slow start with a win streak of their own. As the standings are starting to take shape, so are the players ranking in the 2017-2018 NBA season. Here are the top ten (technically eleven) players in the league according to NBA 2K18, as of December 2, 2017. 10. Tied: Chris Paul, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kawhi Leonard (91) Both Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard players have struggled with injuries this season, so they still have a chance to improve their ratings as the season goes on. Paul is averaging 11.1 points per game and 10.3 assists per game seven games into his young Rockets career. Using Paul in 2K is a great way to run an offens...