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 ...

The Boston Celtics (25-17, 5th in the East) will be short-handed as they take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. Looking to bounce back from two road losses in Florida, point guard Kyrie Irving is out with a right quad contusion. The Celtics expect him to be available for Wednesday's matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Marcus Smart (illness) has played in all 42 games for the Celtics this season, but will also miss the Nets game. This will be Irving's fifth missed game of the year. Boston is 3-1 in games where Irving hasn't played. Brooklyn is 21-23 and has won four of their last six. A home victory would narrow the gap between the Celtics and Nets to 4.0 games. For more, follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter Other Articles NFL Divisional Round Reactions NFL Divisional Round Picks NFL Wildcard Weekend Picks The West is Wild and the Regular Season Matters Again Header photo via NESN.com

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...

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a team on the rise. After last year's playoff appearance and first round victory, the expectations were high for Philadelphia to compete in the LeBron-less Eastern Conference. But even with the addition of superstar Jimmy Butler, the 76ers still face an uphill battle in their conference. Jimmy Butler's trade came somewhat out of the blue. He requested a trade prior to the season, but the Minnesota Timberwolves seemed content holding on to him until the right offer came along. Minnesota reportedly rejected separate offers from the Houston Rockets: one including a whopping FOUR first-round draft picks and one packaging Eric Gordon and Nene with two first-rounders. Instead, the 76ers acquired him early on Saturday afternoon. The trade also brought PG Landry Shamet to Philadelphia, while the Sixers shipped out two starters: Robert Covington and Dario Sarcic. This leads us to the first reason the Butler trade won't put Philly ov...

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...

The Kawhi Leonard saga is finally over... or at least taking a year-long break before he becomes a free agent in July 2019. The NBA world was shook in the early morning of July 18th with Leonard being traded to the Toronto Raptors for a package centered around DeMar DeRozan. In all, the trade sent Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green north of the border, while the San Antonio Spurs received DeRozan, forward Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round pick. With some potential re-working still on the way, the Raptors current starting five is interesting to say the least. Leonard would be surrounded by Kyle Lowry at point guard, Green or C.J. Miles at shooting guard, Serge Ibaka at power forward, and Jonas Valanciunas at center. It's not the superteam the Warriors are building in Golden State, but it's a collection of above average basketball players. (Note: This article is based under the assumption a healthy Kawhi plays in Toronto. There are rumors he may still sit out t...

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...

DeAndre Ayton was selected number one overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA Draft, and he's wasting no time making his voice heard. He compared the newly formed duo of Devin Booker and himself to the historic pair of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. While many are quick to dismiss this as arrogant banter, what if we entertain the thought? Could this really be the NBA's next power duo, and one of legendary proportions at that? Let's start by removing the extreme: it would be outlandish and foolish to say Booker and Ayton will have careers that rival those of Kobe and Shaq. But in simpler terms, could the duo have a dominant three-year run like the two Hall of Fame Los Angeles Lakers did in the early 2000's? I think it's quite possible. Consider these two players: Player A: 22.5 PPG, 4.9 AST, 6.3 RPG, 47% FG Player B: 24.9 PPG, 4.7 AST, 4.5 RPG, 43% FG You could really go either way here, a slightly better rebounder and more effective...

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 Golden State Warriors are heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals, with home-court advantage and a more talented roster on their side. Before the season began, I ranked the Warriors biggest competitors that stood between them and back-to-back championships. You can read the full list here.  In ascending order, I ranked the Celtics, Thunder, Rockets, Spurs and Cavaliers are the teams with the best chances to dethrone Golden State in the playoffs. There's been some major shakeups to each of these teams, which certainly affects how I view them today. Courtesy of ABC Sports 5. New Orleans Pelicans (formerly: Boston Celtics) 4. Cleveland Cavaliers (formerly: Oklahoma City Thunder) 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly: Houston Rockets) 2. Boston Celtics (formerly: San Antonio Spurs) 1. Houston Rockets (formerly: Cleveland Cavaliers) The Celtics and Rockets were the biggest upward movers since October: even though Boston lost Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for ...

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...