James Salmon Articles - Page 4

The world of free agency hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground for the Detroit Pistons, and over the years they’ve secured very few players who have really moved the needle for the franchise through this medium – with one notable exception, that is. But while there is a clear best free agent signing in […]

The Dallas Mavericks are a consistently competitive franchise, particularly since the turn of the century, a period during which they’ve made the playoffs 18 out of 23 seasons. Though a lot of that success has come from the draft and the trade tables, some savvy free agency moves have also helped to keep them in […]

There is generally no shortage of free agents looking to move to The Big Apple, but historically they bypass Brooklyn (or New Jersey) and head straight to the Knicks. Of course, after the likes of Caris Levert and Joe Harris helped to turn the plucky Nets into an exciting, developing young team, all of a […]

In just three seasons in the NBA, Anthony Edwards has rapidly become a human highlight reel, with his incredible offensive talents making him one of the most watchable players in the world at the age of just 22. Less talked about is his defense, but Team USA head coach Steve Kerr has set about changing […]

It’s safe to say that the Sacramento Kings haven’t historically been known as a go-to destination for free agents. The lack of success which saw them make the playoffs just once in their first ten seasons in Sacramento, and miss the postseason 15 consecutive times prior to last year’s breakthrough – along with a questionable […]

Over the course of their history, the Houston Rockets have been lucky enough to be the home of plenty of dominant big men, so it’s unsurprising that trend extends to their best free agency signings too. But while Dwight Howard and Dikembe Mutombo are unequivocally among the best free agents this franchise has ever signed, […]

The San Antonio Spurs haven’t necessarily always attracted the biggest names through free agency, but over the course of their illustrious history they’ve signed plenty of free agents who have had a major impact on their franchise. From players who contributed significantly to the six championships they won within 15 years to those who have […]

The Utah Jazz aren’t exactly renowned for their ability to lure big fish to Salt Lake City. The players with the potential to alter the path of a franchise tend to look towards the bigger teams, but that doesn’t mean those in smaller markets can’t find a few diamonds in the rough, or fill holes […]

The Philadelphia 76ers have a long and illustrious history of free agency signings, with a couple of the best players to ever represent them – and to play in the NBA – joining the franchise in that way. A lot of the most fruitful of these signings came in the 1970s in the lead-up to their […]

The Denver Nuggets have a long and storied history, but it wasn’t until last season when they famously broke a championship drought which had stretched for close to 60 years. But despite having never previously tasting the ultimate success, they’ve made plenty of savvy free agency moves. Let’s take a look at ten of the […]

The Golden State Warriors have enjoyed plenty of quality free agent signings over the years, even before they controversially lured perhaps the best player in the world to one of the best teams in history a few short years ago. With moves spread out over more than half a century, these are the ten best […]

More than 50 years into their existence, the Phoenix Suns are still yet to achieve the ultimate success. They have, however, been a consistent presence in the playoffs for large swathes of that time – the 2010s being a notable exception – and a number of free agency signings have helped to either take them […]

A little over two decades into their existence, life in the NBA hasn’t always been easy for the New Orleans Pelicans. They’ve won just two playoff series in that time and have made the playoffs just three times since transforming from the Hornets into the Pelicans ahead of the 2013-14 season. Being a small market […]

Montrezl Harrell has undergone successful surgery on his right knee after rupturing his ACL during the NBA off-season. The news of the ACL injury came earlier this month after he had an MRI after suffering swelling in his right knee following a workout. The news, of course, was about as bad as it could be […]

Luka Doncic has well and truly established himself as one of the best players in the world. Just five seasons into his NBA career, his last four have seen him average at least 27 points and at least eight rebounds and assists, and last year those numbers were up to 32.4/8.6/8.0. He would be by […]

Kobe Bryant was not afraid to take difficult shots, and as he demonstrated throughout the course of one of the most illustrious careers in NBA history, he was more than capable of making them. On what would have been the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar’s 45th birthday, his former teammate Trevor Ariza has shared a text […]

Team France will head to the 2023 FIBA World Cup with high hopes. The number five ranked side in the world, they’ve never held the Naismith Trophy aloft but have finished third at the past two incarnations of the event, and with names like 3x Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert leading the charge, […]

Anthony Edwards has had a strong start to Team USA’s FIBA World Cup campaign, putting in a number of strong performances throughout the lead-up to the tournament. On the back of those performances, Team USA coach Steve Kerr could hardly have been more effusive in his praise of the young Timberwolves’ star, saying that he […]

Gilbert Arenas has spoken out about what went on behind the scenes prior to Doc Rivers being hired for the Philadelphia 76ers coaching job, which he accepted in 2020. For the seven years prior, Rivers – who is one of the most decorated coaches in the NBA having been at the helm of a franchise […]

They might have only won a solitary championship, but the Portland Trail Blazers have put plenty of very productive teams out on the court over their history, and a lot of those teams have benefited greatly from the franchise’s performance at the trade table. From the acquisitions of the likes of Buck Williams and Kevin […]

It’s never easy for small market teams to lure talent to their franchise, but over their nearly-50-year history the Utah Jazz have managed to recruit some very good players. Unfortunately, despite having a number of great teams they have never achieved the ultimate success, but nonetheless they have enjoyed plenty of good trades in their […]

He might be 43 years of age and three years out of the NBA, but Jamal Crawford has still got it. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year was an unstoppable scorer at the zenith of his two-decade career in the big league, and those abilities certainly haven’t deserted him if his latest performance in […]

It always loomed as a must-watch clash, and the Cincinnati Masters final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz certainly didn’t disappoint. Little separated the two throughout the course of the match. After a tight first set it was Alcaraz who rose to the challenge when he needed it most, breaking late to take the set […]

Matt Fitzpatrick had a message for Viktor Hovland after the Norwegian shot 61 on the final day to win the BMW Championship, and it’s not one that you’ll want to be repeating in front of your boss on Monday. Speaking after the conclusion of the event, Fitzpatrick said, “Yeah, I played great. Can’t do anything […]

The Nets have not exactly been renowned over their lengthy history for their success at the trade table, with one particular recent move of note involving a couple of Boston Celtics legends well past their prime immediately coming to mind. But while the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade didn’t exactly prove to be the franchise-altering move […]

Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings haven’t won anything just yet, but recent comments by the star big man suggest that he has an insatiable appetite to fill his trophy cabinet. Not everybody in the NBA world is thrilled about the addition of the recently announced NBA In-Season Tournament to the calendar, but according to […]

There is no doubt that Andre Iguodala played a pivotal role in the Golden State Warriors’ 2015 NBA Finals win, but the fact that he won the Finals MVP Award over teammate Stephen Curry has long been debated. Iguodala himself recently weighed into the argument, suggesting that he wouldn’t have been upset had Curry received […]

The Golden State Warriors will head into the 2023-24 season with high hopes and no small amount of pressure, with the careers of their star trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green getting nearer and nearer to a close. Having won the championship in 2022 and being just a game away from another […]

Kendrick Perkins is not afraid to voice an opinion, and his latest prediction relates to next season’s MVP race. Speaking on NBA Today, the on-court agitator turned off-court agitator was asked about the prospects of Anthony Davis winning the MVP.  The question came in response to Kevin Garnett’s statement that he expects Davis to win […]

There may still be life in Eric Gordon’s old legs yet. The 34-year-old, who signed with the Phoenix Suns in July of this year, was representing his native Bahamas alongside new teammate Deandre Ayton in a 2024 Olympic qualifier against Argentina when he pulled off a move which Suns fans hoping is a sign of […]

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is the greatest recognition of a player’s contribution to basketball – or at least it’s supposed to be. According to Gilbert Arenas, however, it’s not quite serving its purpose. Speaking on the Gilbert Arena Show, the eponymous star made his thoughts about the Hall of Fame very clear, […]

The NBA In-Season Tournament is set to make its debut during the 2023 season, with the announcement being met with mixed reviews. Invariably it will take some time for what will be known as the NBA Cup to develop much prestige, but with games in the tournament counting towards regular season records, teams will be […]

East Group C of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament will see the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic each play one another for a spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals. There will be plenty of high-quality players running around in this group – as there will for each of them given […]

More than 50 years after first entering the league, the Phoenix Suns are still searching for their first NBA title. Unsurprisingly, a team with such a record hasn’t always set the world on fire at the trade table, but equally they’ve had plenty of periods of relative success during which they’ve made some really crafty […]

Josh Giddey needed just 24 minutes to notch up a near triple-double in a dominant display by both he and his Australian Boomers against Venezuela in the lead-up to the FIBA World Cup on Monday. The Boomers dominated from the outset, taking a 27-16 lead in the first quarter before seriously putting on the brakes, […]

Lucas Glover is in some serious form. Two weeks ago the 43-year-old had won just four PGA Tour events in a career which spanned nearly two decades, a rate of roughly one every five years. Fast forward a fortnight, and that number has increased by 50%, with back to back wins at first the Wyndham […]

American Jessica Pegula has won the Canadian Open in dominant fashion, thrashing Liudmila Samsonova 6-1 6-0 in just 49 minutes in the final. It concluded what was a highly impressive tournament by the fourth seed at the event, who knocked out compatriot Coco Gauff – the six seed – in three sets in the quarters […]

Winner of the 2009 US Open Lucas Glover has won his second PGA Tour event in as many weeks, defeating fellow American Patrick Cantlay in a playoff at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Glover, who led going into the final round at -14, played a solid albeit unspectacular final round, dropping in two birdies and […]

Italian young gun Jannik Sinner has broken through for his maiden Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open in a strong field which included the likes of world number one Carlos Alcaraz. The 21-year-old proved too good for Australian Alex de Minaur, racing away with the match after a tight first set to win 6-4 […]