Photo Credit: Kent Smith/Getty Images

The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a contract extension with starting small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the second overall pick of 2012 NBA Draft. The deal is over four-years and worth $52 million; roughly $13 million per year.

High expectations were set for Kidd-Gilchrist when he was the player picked immediately after fellow Kentucky-star Anthony Davis; expectations that weren’t exactly meant to be labeled on the 2012 national champion.

Kidd-Gilchrist has fallen off the NBA fan-map due to Charlotte’s struggle and the fact that this is not one that is meant to put up big numbers.

Despite not meeting full expectations, Kidd-Gilchrist has proven to be a vital part of Charlotte’s team.

This showed when the Hornets went 7-22 in 29 games that Kidd-Gilchrist did not play in last season; however they went 26-27 when Kidd-Gilchrist was in the starting lineup.

A proficient rebounder for the position as well as an elite defender for a small forward, Kidd-Gilchrist will continue to search for his offensive game.

Now that Kidd-Gilchrist is officially locked in Jordan-land for the distant future, he can now look to gradually improve in what will be a new looking Charlotte team.

Averaging 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season, Kidd-Gilchrist has proven his worth and will be Charlotte’s starting three for years to come.

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The NCAA Preseason All America Team consists of the five best college basketball players heading into the 2015-2016 season. Based on performances last year, whether on returning upper class-men or highly talented freshman these are the projected players to dominate this upcoming season. These do not reflect what will be the actual All America team voted on by an official committee.

Point Guard: Melo Trimble, Sophomore, Maryland

Trimble was one of the most talented yet underrated freshman in the country last year; averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3 assists on 44% shooting and 41% from three in 35 games. Getting to almost perfect size for the point position, Melo put on about 20 pounds of muscle since he declared to Maryland; now checking in at about 6’3″ and 195 lbs. After declaring to return to Maryland for his sophomore season, Maryland is likely to start the season as the number one ranked team in the country and Trimble likely a Naismith Award Finalist. Trimble runs Maryland’s offense well and gets to the free throw line a lot, leading the Big 10 in free throws made and attempted as well as shooting 86% from there. Tremble scored at least 20 points in seven games his freshman year, including a season high of 31 points against Arizona State. Romelo “Melo” Trimble should live up to be the nations best point guard; with North Carolina’s Marcus Paige and Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis competing as well.

Shooting guard: James Blackman Jr, Sophomore, Indiana

Blackman Jr is a prolific scorer, and put that on full display in his freshman season with the Hoosiers. Blackman averaged 15.7 points per game (6th most amongst freshman) while breaking the current New Orleans Pelicans starting two guard Eric Gordon’s Indiana freshman record for three pointers made with 77 of them at 38% shooting from three. Blackman should be getting a lot more looks this season, with potential to put up really big numbers. Alongside Yogi Ferrell in Indiana’s backcourt for a second consecutive year, the Hoosiers will be with co-front runners right under Maryland to win the Big 10 conference. The only issue is the knee surgery for a torn meniscus that Blackman recently had, but James should be ready for the start of the season.

Source: Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America

Small Forward: Ben Simmons, Freshman, LSU

Ben Simmons was the number one overall recruit of the 2015 recruiting class, with good reason. Simmons has outstanding defensive prowess and a great body frame (6’9″ 230 lbs) to absolutely dominate immediately. Defense, athleticism, size, scoring ability, this kid is the real deal. With Simmons and fellow top recruit Antonio Blakeney, LSU will be among the favorites right under Kentucky to take the SEC. Simmons will likely be the number one or two overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, depending on which team gets the pick. This is a really special player coming in this season, be sure to watch him as much as you possibly can.

Source: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images North America

Power Forward: Kyle Wiltjer, Senior, Gonzaga

Kentucky fans still remember screaming “WILTJERRRRRRR” when the lovable freshman would come off the bench and sink one or two threes a game during Kentucky’s 2012 National Championship run. Three years later, Kyle Wiltjer evolves into one of the best college basketball players in the country. Averaging 16.8 points on an incredible 48% from three point range, Wiltjer became a Second Team All American and lead Gonzaga to an Elite Eight appearance. Wiltjer’s senior year should be even better, as he improves on his game that includes and already ridiculously good three point shot. At Wiltjer’s size (6’10” 240lb) he should further prove himself as the nations best stretch four.

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Center: Skal Labissiere, Freshman, Kentucky

What’s stopping Ben Simmons from being the clear cut best player in the country is this man right here. Skal Labissiere is the second overall recruit in the 2015 class behind Simmons. Skal is a guard in a seven footer’s body; now who else from Kentucky have we said that about? Labissiere has incredible scoring ability; a very soft touch around the rim that allows for makes on extremely contested shots, a jump shot that is automatic from mid range and stretches to the three point line, and ball handling like a point guard. Also adding in elite rim protection, Skal puts himself right in the prestigious line of talented big men to play for John Calipari and Kentucky. Labissiere will be up there in the Naismith award hunt as well.

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Exum was the international phenom of the 2014 NBA Draft and was the fifth overall selection by the Jazz; playing in all 82 games for Utah including 41 starts at point guard. This is a major blow for the Jazz, who looked to be a potential playoff sleeper this season. With Exum likely gone for the year, former college player of the year Trey Burke will take back the throne as the Jazz’ starting point guard.

With Exum’s injury as well as Paul George’s gruesome injury in the USA National Team scrimmage last season, you wonder how this will continue to affect NBA players playing for their national team in any event besides the Olympics.

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Photo Credit: Layne Murdoch – Getty Images

Some of the players that have entered the league since the 2010 NBA Draft have shown us some of the best talent already. They serve as a bright future for the league in terms of the next generation of NBA greatness. These 15 players are the future of the league and include the NBA’s next wave of superstars. Here are the 15 best players drafted since the 2010 NBA Draft:

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The Detroit Pistons have that mysterious case of loading in some of the best talent in the NBA, but still struggling consistently. Detroit has not seen a winning season since 2008, and have only had two seasons of 30 or more wins since their last playoff appearance in 2009.

The talent has been there in recent years. Names like Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe, Tracy McGrady, Ben Gordon and Brandon Knight have all come and gone since then with no real impact. Their roster this season will have plenty of talent to contend for a playoff birth. The question is, will Detroit finally be able to figure it out and do it? Here is the Detroit Pistons’ projected 2015-2016 lineup.

Point Guard- Reggie Jackson: Reggie Jackson is a player that Detroit got in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and head coach Jeff Van Gundy has made it clear that Reggie is who he wants as the Pistons’ point guard for many years to come. In 27 games (all starts) with the Pistons last season, Jackson put up an impressive 17.6 points and 9.2 assists per game. This came after averaging just 12 points and four assists with the Thunder that same season. Jackson is a polished scoring point guard and is an excellent fit for the Pistons’ future.

Shooting Guard- Kentavious-Caldwell Pope: KCP was assured the position as the Pistons’ starting two last season, in what was just his second year in the NBA. Pope started all 82 games for Detroit and put up 12.7 points per game, which is not bad at all for a young player. Pope was the 8th overall pick by the Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft after an impressive career at the University of Georgia. At just 22 years old, Pope will spend another year as Detroit’s full time starter; and will continue to develop his game and come closer to reaching his full potential. Pope can easily be a top ten shooting guard by the time he’s at his best. Question is how long will it be until he’s at his best?

Small Forward- Stanley Johnson: Perhaps the most NBA-ready player in the draft, Stanley Johnson looks to make an immediate impact with the Pistons. Johnson has all the potential in the word to be absolutely great in this league. He is an outstanding defender with great athleticism and is just a purely tough player. As a former high school football player, Johnson excels at fighting and finishing right through contact. The trio of Jackson, KCP and Stan-the-man has potential to be one of the best rounded front courts in the NBA in a few years.

Power Forward- Ersan Ilyasova: On June 11th, Detroit traded Caron Butler and Shawne Williams to Milwaukee for seven-year Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova. Ersan had a very successful career with the Bucks, averaging 10.7 points and six rebounds per game over seven years of play. Greg Monroe is a fantastic player, but Ilyasova is a much better fit to play alongside Andre Drummond. Why? Because Ersan is a 37% career three point shooter, with over 400 made threes in his career. With Monroe, the paint was just too crowded for either elite big to fully produce. Now, with Ilyasova who plays more on the perimeter, the paint is free for the monstrous Andre Drummond to fully dominate.

Center- Andre Drummond: Drummond is on the verge of becoming a top five center in the NBA. He is an absolute monster in the paint at 6’11” and nearly 280 lbs. Drummond is heading into just his fourth season in the NBA, after a season where he averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds per game for the second consecutive season. With Greg Monroe gone to Milwaukee and the paint all to himself, Drummond is set to have a monstrous season.

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Photo Credit: Justin Ford – USA Today

After being one of the NBA’s best sixth men for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013-2014, Miller took a veteran minimum deal to reunite with LeBron James in Cleveland. That decision was nothing short of an absolute failure for Miller, as the following season was by far his worst in his NBA career.

Playing in only 52 games, Miller averaged two points per game, shot in the 30’s in field goal percentage (32.5 percent) for the first time in his career, and averaged just 13.5 minutes per game. David Blatt used Miller very incorrectly as he did many players on that Cavaliers team.

The Trail Blazers will likely waive Miller and Haywood so they can sign with a team that will give the players more opportunities at success.

Portland is obviously a team that unloaded a lot of its team from last year, including every starter except Damian Lilliard. This move is to bring in as much depth as possible to back up what they have already. Miller can still be a solid bench player – if not waived – and should get a lot of playing time behind CJ McCollum at the shooting guard spot.

Brendan Haywood should be able to serve as a quality backup center -if kept – as well for Portland, another player that wasn’t utilized well at all in Cleveland. This is a good move by Portland to add great bench pieces to a team that’s beginning a rebuild.

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Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

The Phoenix Suns are in the midst of a classic rebuilding dilemma. Loaded with solid, young talent (an average age of 27 with seven players that are expected to start or get significant minutes being drafted since 2010), the team is still left with no true leader and no definite go-to player. The Suns are certainly heading in the right direction though and are poised to contend for a playoff spot next season. Here is the well-talented Phoenix Suns 2015-2016 projected lineup:

Point Guard – Eric Bledsoe: Eric Bledsoe has positioned himself as one of the 10-12 best point guards in the NBA. With excellent athleticism and scoring-ability tagged with nearly elite defense, Bledsoe is right up there with the league’s next class of young, prosperous point guards. What Bledsoe has lacked in his tenure with the Suns is the ambition to pursue that leadership role; mostly because he hasn’t had to. After Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas were shipped away at the trade deadline this year, Bledsoe needed to step up. While the Suns ultimately fell apart by the end of the season, Bledsoe showed glimpses of how he could run this team in the future. While trade talks have loomed over Bledsoe since the re-signing of Brandon Knight and likely will continue all the way to the trade deadline, Bledsoe should enter the season as the continued Suns starting point. That is where he will have the chance to ultimately prove himself.

Shooting Guard – Brandon Knight: The Suns acquired Brandon Knight from the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline last March. Though he is considered a combo guard and can play the two, Knight is a natural point guard and has played point since his college days at Kentucky. Knight has the skill set to be able to play off of Eric Bledsoe, who knows how to make a dual point guard lineup work, playing alongside John Wall at Kentucky and with Dragic for a little over a year. Knight has developed a very consistent three-point stroke along with very natural passing ability that Bledsoe doesn’t posses much of. These two will always have the Kentucky Wildcats soul in them, which should allow them to play off of each other very nicely. Knight and Bledsoe are both potential All-Stars at their highest peak.

Small Forward – TJ Warren: A year-and-a-half removed from being the ACC Player of the Year, NC State product TJ Warren should be getting his first crack as a starter in his sophomore season. With Gerald Green gone to the Miami Heat and PJ Tucker showing he’s just not meant to be a starting three, the job should be Warren’s to take. TJ only solidified his resume in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging over 20 points per game and making the All-NBA Summer League First Team. Phoenix has been in search of a starting-quality scorer at the small forward position for years now; drafting Warren in the first round last year proved to be the answer and that is how it should play out this season.

Power Forward – Markieff Morris: Markieff Morris has been stamped as the Suns’ starting four for quite some time now. A classical stretch four that has developed his game to a very high level the past few years, Morris is the perfect fit for a Phoenix team that loves to shoot the three ball. Though it’s not guaranteed that the Suns will not trade him after the season starts, Morris will continue developing his game under Jeff Hornacek.

Center- Tyson Chandler: Perhaps the most unexpected signing of free agency, the Suns went and signed Tyson Chandler from the Dallas Mavericks. The addition of Chandler brings defensive and rebounding prowess that Phoenix could not get from Alex Len and Miles Plumlee at the center position. While it is certainly an upgrade, Chandler is certainly not a go-to scorer; leaving the Suns with, still, close to zero inside scoring.

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The Atlanta Hawks, fresh off their greatest season in franchise history, head into the 2015-2016 season with a very large chip on their shoulders. After winning 60 games – the second best record in the NBA – and making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time, the expectations are high to repeat a similar success and few are expecting Atlanta to reach it. However, the talent on the roster is certainly there and capable of being just as good this season. This leads us right into the Atlanta Hawks’ projected 2015-2016 starting lineup.and

Point Guard- Jeff Teague: After being an All-Star for the first time in his six year career, Jeff Teague is evolving himself into the NBA’s next elite point guard in a league that’s full of them. He takes after the role of one of the league’s quietist superstars, the same that was labeled on former Hawk-great Joe Johnson. Teague is the unquestioned leader of this Atlanta team, serving as the floor general and the one who truly runs the offense. Teague’s blend of killer athleticism and ankle-breaking ball handling serve him as one of the league’s smoothest natural point guards.

Shooting Guard- Tim Hardaway Jr.: Hardaway will be the sole newcomer to the Hawks’ starting group; with DeMarre Carroll heading north to the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta had to make a replacement at the two. The Hawks acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. in a draft day trade with the New York Knicks for the pick that would be Jerian Grant. Hardaway can fit right into the Hawks’ system that has shown a true knack for unleashing untapped potential. The perimeter shooting and athleticism will show to be an upgrade from Carroll, but the defense will take a stumble. Not for now, at least; there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Small Forward – Kyle Korver: Mr. Reliable Atlanta will obviously stay in the starting lineup as the main wing scorer. Korver’s 6’7″ frame should allow him to switch to the three without too much complication. Arguably the second best three point shooter in the league, only behind the MVP, Korver looks to continue his automated perimeter shooting, which he’s lead the league the past two seasons at 49 percent. Maybe another All-Star game is in reach for the man who’s family name is the occupational label for a basketmaker (I’m not kidding either.)

Power Forward – Paul Millsap: Millsap is the backbone of this Hawks team; without him, Atlanta would surely fall apart. That’s the reasoning behind the Hawks making it absolutely sure that they would re-sign him. In two years with Atlanta’s system, Millsap has gone from a slightly above average starter to being a back-to-back All-Star. He is not only Atlanta’s trump card, he is the most versatile of the Hawks starters. Though an undersized four, the Louisiana Tech product has a keen skill set; he has solid athleticism to drive to the rim and finish along with decent three point shooting. Millsap can also bring the ball up court and make the right passes as well. If one of the Hawks’ players were too evolve into a true go-to superstar, it may very well be Paul Millsap.

Center- Al Horford: Horford has been with the Hawks for what’s seemed like ages. Atlanta has made the playoffs for eight straight seasons, all of them since Horford was drafted third overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. He’s been Atlanta’s starting big ever since. He is the only major player still left from Mike Woodson era that included Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Mike Bibby. Horford has served as Atlanta’s true leader for many years, and shall continue his glorified Hawks career with what should be another All-Star season this year.

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Harrison, though a very streaky shooter, is a good shooter from the perimeter, which is what Charlotte finished dead last in a season ago. 

Yet streaky, Harrison is known for being absolutely clutch during the biggest stages of the NCAA Tournament in his freshman year at Kentucky. In Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Four, Harrison hit dagger game winning three pointers; including two on their final possession in the final seconds.

Harrison averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals on 42 percent shooting during the Orlando Summer League with the Hornets. While he shot poorly from three, Harrison seemed very comfortable driving to the basket and finishing at the rim. Though he has good two-guard size (6’6″ 210 lbs), the Hornets experimented having Harrisom run point guard for the summer league squad; something his twin brother Andrew did more of at Kentucky.

His showing throughout was enough to earn Harrison a spot on the Hornets’ roster. Just adding to the list of what has been a Kentucky takeover on NBA rosters.

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The Brooklyn Nets have officially reached a buyout deal with three time All Star point guard Deron Williams.

This agreement will make him a free agent, as Williams is now allowed to sign with the team of his choice, which will likely be the Dallas Mavericks.

Williams had been three years into a five-year, $98.7 million deal that he signed in July of 2012, resigning with the Nets who acquired him from the Utah Jazz in 2011.

The then New Jersey Nets traded guard Devin Harris, 2010 third overall pick Derrick Favors, two first round draft picks and $3 million in cash for four-and-a-half years of wonderful service and three playoff appearances for Brooklyn.

Shortly after the mind-boggling DeAndre Jordan incident, Williams requested that the Nets buy out his contract with the intent of signing with the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas, in desperate need of a starting point guard and an extra $20 million to spend, are expected to soon come to terms with Williams on a two-year deal.

After eleven seasons – 716 regular season games with an extra 69 postseason games – in the NBA, the 31-year-old former star may be on his final road as a starting point guard. The odds of a championship for Deron are surely slight, but obviously not impossible.

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