Sak Sports Blog

Veteran Carmelo Anthony, who appeared in a mere 10 games for the Houston Rockets and none since November 8, has been traded from the Houston Rockets to the Chicago Bulls for cash considerations. According to a league source and via Adrian Wojnarowski, Anthony will be swiftly released by the Bulls, as he was last year by the Atlanta Hawks. Anthony won't play a game for the Bulls, league source tells ESPN. He will be released and become a free agent if he clears waivers. https://t.co/Oo2IA0nsJP — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 21, 2019 This officially gives Melo the opportunity to explore free agent opportunities. I pondered potential landing spots in November, and many of the teams remain hot destinations. The short-handed Los Angeles Lakers could be particularity interested as they search for depth amidst injuries. Header photo via ESPN More Sak Sports Patriots Quickly Lose Underdog Status in Fluctuating Vegas Line Follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter ...

We're over a month into the 2018-19 NBA season. The Los Angeles Clippers have the best winning percentage in the West. Last year's Western Conference runner-up is sitting at 13th in the conference now. And the Golden State Warriors aren't currently the top seed. (At least not technically) Sure, the Warriors will probably remain atop the conference, but after that, the West has more intrigue and storylines than ever. The top seed and the 14th-best team are separated by a mere 5.5 games. In the East, this disparity is 12 games. Sitting outside the current playoff picture are six teams that have just as good a chance to make the playoffs as the seven teams ahead of them, not counting the Warriors. The conference currently stands: Los Angeles Clippers (13-6 but technically 0.5 GB) Golden State Warriors (15-7, technically 0.5 GA) Denver Nuggets (13-7, 1 GB) Memphis Grizzlies (12-7, 1.5 GB) Oklahoma City Thunder (12-7, 1.5 GB) Portland Trailblazers (12-8, 2...

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 ...

The 2018-19 NBA season brings some much desired intrigue to the regular season. Without LeBron James, the East will send a new team to the Finals for the first time in eight years. In the West, the Rockets try to close the gap on the Warriors with the addition of Carmelo Anthony. And of course the biggest story: how will LeBron James fare with the Los Angeles Lakers? A new Finals matchup, an exciting MVP race, fresh rookies, and stars on new teams give plenty of reasons to watch the NBA regular season. Here are my predictions for the 16 playoff teams, major awards, and NBA Finals outcome. Eastern Conference Playoff Teams Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Detroit Pistons Washington Wizards Outside Looking In: Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks LeBron James is finally out of the Eastern Conference after 15 years. The teams must be rejoicing, and the East is totally up...

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...

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 Detroit Pistons surged out of the gate this season, sitting 2nd in the Eastern Conference at an impressive 14-6. But point guard Reggie Jackson was lost for the season, and the wheels started to fall off.  An 8-20 stretch, and a current eight-game losing streak, has plunged the Pistons to 9th in the East. While there's still months to play, the team has lost realistic hope of making the playoffs and is trending towards the bottom of the conference. With hope dwindling, Detroit will reportedly shop guard Avery Bradley ahead of the February trade deadline. Bradley was acquired from the Boston Celtics last summer, but will be a free agent in the summer of 2018. The Pistons are looking to move, to avoid having him walk for nothing in July. Contenders would be wise to look at adding Bradley for a playoff run. While the guard's production offensively isn't as good as it was the previous two seasons, his defense is still elite and he can knock down an open thr...