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...

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...

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...