Quick Spots

 

The NBA All-Star rosters have been selected. Four players have received bonuses for their selection to the All-Star team: Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, and Domantas Sabonis. Player cap and tax salaries will not be altered until the conclusion of the regular season and their subsequent salaries remaining in their current contracts will now be deemed as likely to be earned, increasing those salaries where applicable. 

Jalyen Brown, BOS

Brown will earn $1.55 million for being selected as an All-Star reserve if he ends up playing 65 games this season. This incentive was already deemed likely to be earned for the 2022-23 season and will remain likely to be earned for the 2023-24 season.

Brown currently has played 46 games for Boston with 30 games remaining on the schedule.

Cap/Tax Implications: As of right now no change; cap and tax salaries for the 2022-23 season will remain the same.

Kevin Durant, BKN

Durant has an All-Star incentive in his contract but it is grouped with the Nets making the playoffs, Nets winning at least 43 games and Durant appearing in at least 39 games. If any of these were to be true the incentive is deemed likely to be earned, which it already is.

Cap/Tax Implications: No change; cap and tax salaries for the 2022-23 season will remain the same.

Jrue Holiday, MIL

Holiday earns $324,000 for being selected as an All-Star reserve. This bonus in now deemed likely to be earned for the 2023-24 season. Holiday is under contract through the 2024-25 season, but could be a free agent after the 2023-24 season if he were to decline his $36 million Player Option. 

Cap/Tax Implications: Cap and tax salaries for the 2022-23 season will be updated at the conclusion of the regular season.

Julius Randle, NYK

Randle earns $1,188,000 for being selected as an All-Star reserve. This incentive was already deemed likely to be earned for the 2022-23 season and will remain as likely for the the 2023-24 season. 

Cap/Tax Implications: Cap and tax salaries for the 2022-23 season will be updated at the conclusion of the regular season.

Domantas Sabonis, SAC

Sabonis earns $1.3 million for being selected as an All-Star reserve. He last earned an All-Star spot in 2020-21 season. This is now deemed as likely for the 2023-24 season which will increase his cap hit from $19.4 million to $20.7 million, which will be the last year of his current 4 year $74.9 million contract.

Cap/Tax Implications: Cap and tax salaries for the 2022-23 season will be updated at the conclusion of the regular season.

NBA NBA All-Star Incentives

The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been mentioned in every trade rumor this season, but it sure seems that way. Now, the Lakers are finally poised to push a deal across the finish line.

The Lakers will reportedly send Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Rui Hachimura. The deal is reportedly on course to be completed later in the day on Monday.

This isn’t the blockbuster that many were waiting on for the Lakers, but it’s still a good move that will help them immediately. That said, even this potentially small of a move can have major ramifications beyond just the final few months of the 2022-23 season.

Los Angeles Lakers

On the basketball side, Rui Hachimura is a great fit for Los Angeles. The Lakers only healthy forward with real size was LeBron James. He’s been taxed to some degree by having to play almost all of his minutes at power forward this season. Hachimura will give the Lakers some additional size in the frontcourt, and he can play alongside both James and Anthony Davis (when the latter gets healthy) in lineups that will be fairly sizable across the frontline.

On offense, Hachimura has settled into a complementary scoring role. He’s able to overpower smaller defenders, while using his quickness against bigger players. Hachimura has also developed a fairly reliable jumper over the years. He’s not much of a passer, but the Lakers should have covered. One continuing worrisome trend is that Hachimura is an inconsistent scorer. Just this past week, he’s gone for 16 points, 0 points and 30 points over a three-game stretch.

On defense, Hachimura doesn’t offer a ton. He’s best when guarding fours, but he can do ok against slower threes. He’s a solid enough rebounder, as his rebounding rates have generally remained consistent when adjusted for playing time. He’s not fixing any defensive issues the Lakers may have, minus some on the glass, but he’s also not taking anything off the table from their current mini-sized lineups either.

Essentially, Hachimura is being added as a flyer to bring a little size to the Lakers, along with some offensive punch to the frontcourt. Given the reasonable cost to acquire him, this is a very low-risk gamble by Los Angeles.

Kendrick Nunn was a consistent rotation player, but he’s part of a guard mix for the Lakers that runs five-deep beyond him when healthy. Swapping Nunn for Hachimura rebalances the rotation and should allow Darvin Ham to avoid relying on so many three- and sometimes four-guard lineups.

It’s on the cap sheet where this deal starts to get really interesting. Prior to this trade, the Lakers were looking at somewhere in the range of $30 to $35 million in cap space this summer. Reports are that LA wants to sign Hachimura to a new deal this summer, when the forward will be eligible for restricted free agency.

In order to do so, and to avoid another team swooping in, the Lakers will have to retain Hachimura’s $18.8 million cap hold. That hold, combined with the likely $2.2 million cap hold for pending restricted free agent Austin Reaves, will be enough to keep Los Angeles over the cap this summer.

That may seem confusing, but here’s how it works: The Lakers were projected to be at roughly $33 million in space before this deal. That was by wiping the books clean of all but the guaranteed salaries of James, Davis and Max Christie, while retaining a cap hold for Austin Reaves.

Now, you add $18.8 million for Hachimura and that space reduces to roughly $14 to $15 million. At that point, that space is less than the combined amount of the Non-Taxpayer Midlevel Exception and the Bi-Annual Exception. Add those against the space, and you have Los Angeles acting as an over-the-cap team in July.

But here’s how Rob Pelinka and the front office can still do some work in free agency beyond just using exceptions. Barring the most incredible final 30-game run the NBA has ever seen, Hachimura isn’t going to be anywhere near $18.8 million in Year 1 salary on his new deal. If the Lakers could sign him to a reasonable new deal, they could still have cap space to play with. (And it will be a new contract and not an extension. As he is wrapping up his rookie scale contract, Hachimura is no longer extension-eligible). Something around $10 million feels fair for Hachimura in Year 1 salary.

If the Lakers sign Hachimura to a deal that includes $10 million in Year 1 salary, they could then wipe away all the rest of their cap holds, minus Reaves’ $2.2 million. In that case, the Lakers would still have roughly $23.5 million to work with this summer, in addition to the $5.8 million room exception. That’s enough to start filling out the roster to build better depth around a core group that now includes James, Davis, Hachimura and Reaves.

It's easy to say “Now, the Lakers have to sign Hachimura to a new deal”, but this is still a low-risk flyer for the Lakers. If Hachimura works out, they can re-sign him to a reasonable new deal, as laid out above. If Hachimura doesn’t work out, the Lakers can renounce him and still have well over $30 million in cap space. The chance that Hachimura might pop is worth spending three second-rounders of capital on.

Last thing to note, Los Angeles will add almost $3 million to their luxury tax bill. The Lakers are only taking on just over $1 million in salary, but in terms of taxes and penalties, they’ll get hit with just shy of $3 million more on their tax bill.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards side of this deal is far easier to explain. When they didn’t ink Rui Hachimura to an extension, it signaled his days in DC might have been numbered. When Hachimura couldn’t fully break through in a crowded forward group, his time in Washington was fully up.

Before his recent injury, the Wizards had shifted Kristaps Porzingis back to playing at the 4. That allowed Washington to get Daniel Gafford back in the starting lineup. That’s important, because the Wizards have $40.2 million in fully guaranteed money invested in Gafford’s extension which starts next season.

Kyle Kuzma slides to the three in that alignment, but that pushed Deni Avdija to the bench. In that situation, you had Avdija, Hachimura and 2021 first-rounder Corey Kispert all competing for minutes behind Porzingis and Kuzma, who both play in the mid-30 minutes per night range.

Essentially, where there was once a logjam, there no longer is.

Nunn may see some time off the Wizards bench, but he was in this deal as salary ballast. Washington doesn’t really need him when the rest of their guards are healthy. The Wizards already aren’t playing veteran wing Will Barton, so it’s unlikely Nunn cracks the rotation. It’s more likely that Nunn and/or Barton could be moved elsewhere before the deadline. If not, keep an eye on both as buyout candidates.

The real get for Washington in this deal was freeing up that forward rotation and adding three second-round picks for a player they weren’t going to re-sign this summer. The Wizards got the Chicago Bulls second-round pick this summer. That’s likely to end being a middle of the second round selection, but there is some upside there, given Chicago’s inconsistency this season. Then they’ll get the worst of their own pick and the Lakers pick in 2028 and the Lakers pick in 2029. At worst, Washington keeps their own pick in 2028, but could get a potentially juicy selection that is several years out in 2029.

If nothing else, the Wizards now have some additional draft pick capital to work with in future trade offers. That’s good for a team that was a bit light in the future pick column, due to several past trades having not fulfilled all of their obligations just yet.

Last note for Washington: They dropped to about $1.3 million under the tax line. That’s good additional flexibility to have over the next two-and-a-half weeks before the trade deadline. Prior to this deal, the Wizards were a little too close to the tax line for comfort. They should now have enough wiggle room to even add a little bit of salary in any subsequent deal, while still avoiding the tax.

NBA Trade

As we enter January and the back-half of the NBA schedule where are dates and deadlines to know.

January 5

Teams can now sign standard 10-day contracts.

The following are the cash amounts players would earn if they were to sign a 10-day contract.

  • YOE 0: $58,493
  • YOE 1: $94,136
  • YOE 2: $105,522
  • YOE 3: $109,318
  • YOE 4: $113,114
  • YOE 5: $122,602
  • YOE 6: $132,091
  • YOE 7: $141,580
  • YOE 8: $151,069
  • YOE 9: $151,821
  • YOE 10: $167,003

Any player that signs with 2+ years of experience will hold a cap hit of $105,522.

Players can sign a maximum of two (2) 10-day contracts with a team before needing to sign a standard Rest-of-Season contract with that team.

January 10

Non-Guaranteed Salaries

Non-guaranteed salaries for 2022-23 season become fully guaranteed. Technically, January 7th is the real date to watch as that is the last day players with non-guaranteed salary can be waived without incurring the full salary as dead cap/cash with a team.

Players who this will effect:

Exceptions

Salary exceptions, such as mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, become prorated each remaining day of the season. Each amount will be reducted by 1/174th per day starting on January 10th.

January 15

Trade Eligible

Majority of the players that signed free agent contracts were trade eligible on December 15th. The remainder of the free agent contracts that were signed during the offseason will not become trade eligible on January 15th.

Players who qualify:

Disabled Player Exception

January 15th is the last day teams can apply for the Disabled Player Exception. The Celtics (Danilo Gallinari) and Thunder (Chet Holmgren) are the only teams to have received the DPE this season. These teams have until March 10th to use the Disabled Player exception.

Two-Way

Last day to sign a player to a Two-Way contract.

January 20

All two-way contracts become guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

February 9

NBA Trade Deadline at 3PM

February 28

Last day players can renegotiate their contract. This would apply to the possible Myles Turner “Renegotiate-and-Extend” Keith Smith mentions in his Next Contract Series piece.

March 1

Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline

Any player waived after March 1st will no longer be playoff eligible if signed with another team.

March 10

Last day for teams to use the Disabled Player exception

NBA

The Orlando Magic visited the Detroit Pistons on Dec 28, 2022. An altercation between Mo Wagner and Killian Hayes, who were fighting for a lose ball, quickly escalated as Hamidou Diallo actively involved himself which then cleared the benches. Wagner, Hayes and Diallo were all ejected from the game and have been assessed suspensions for the altercation.

Per the NBA, Wagner received a 3-game suspension, Hayes received a 2-games suspension and Diallo received a 1-game suspension for their involvement in the altercation. Eight other Orlando Magic players were given a 1-game suspension for leaving the bench during the altercation. Not that either of these teams will reach the luxury tax threshold this season, all luxury tax salaries for suspended players will receive a reduction: 50% of each fined amount. 

Technical Foul Fines

Killian Hayes: $2,000

Hamdiou Diallo: $2,000

Cole Anthony: $2,000

Gary Harris: $2,000

Ejection Fines

Killian Hayes: $2,000

Hamidou Diallo: $2,000

Moritz Wagner: $2,000

Suspension Fines

3-game Suspension

Killian Hayes: $120,781

2-game Suspension

Moritz Wagner: $25,913

1-game Suspension

Hamidou Diallo: $35,862

Wendell Carter Jr: $97,586

Gary Harris: $89,655

Mo Bamba: $71,034

Franz Wagner: $36,264

Cole Anthony: $24,922

RJ Hampton: $16,640

Admiral Schofield: $3,510

Kevon Harris: $3,510

Fines Total

$539,677

 

Related

NBA Fines & Suspension Tracker

NBA Fines Orlando Magic Detroit Pistons

Most NBA general managers will tell you that making trades are a complicated process. The fantasyification of sports, as well as the point-and-click nature of video games, sometimes has fans thinking that making a trade is easy.

The reality is NBA front offices talk trades every single day. Quite often a deal is bandied about months in advance of getting the tweet that it’s been agreed to. Most often, trade talks go nowhere.

The hardest part of making a trade is an obvious one: agreeing on the value heading both ways. But there are complicating factors even beyond that.

Many a time, the teams agree to the base parameters of a deal. Player X is going one way, while Player Y and draft picks are headed the other way. But sometimes that’s not enough to get a deal done. Both sides have to meet the salary-matching component in a trade, and that can get confusing and hard to understand.

Salary-matching in a trade makes signing a player by using cap space look like child’s play. If you have $20 million in available cap space and you want to sign a player, you can offer him up to $20 million. That’s pretty cut and dry.

For a trade to happen in the NBA, there are salary-matching rules that to be met. Let’s break those down.

Trading as a Taxpayer

10 teams are currently over the NBA’s tax line. Nine of them are pretty good bets to finish as taxpayers. Another eight teams are dancing around the tax line. So, over half of the NBA is around the tax as trade season opens.

That’s important because taxpayers have a different set of salary-matching rules than non-taxpayers do.

Taxpayers can take back 125% of the outgoing salary they send out plus $100,000. That means if a taxpayer sends out $20 million in salary, they can take back $25,100,000 in incoming salary.

The reason this is done is to limit how much money a taxpayer can take back in a trade to retain some semblance of competitive balance.

Trading as a Non-Taxpayer

A non-taxpayer has bands for how much salary they can return in a trade.

If a non-taxpayer sends out $1 to $6.5 million in a trade, they can bring back 175% of the outgoing salary plus $100,000.

If a non-taxpayer sends out between greater than $6.5 million in a trade and $19.6 million, they can bring back the outgoing salary plus $5 million.

If a non-taxpayer sends out greater than $19.6 million in a trade, they can bring back 125% of the outgoing salary plus $100,000.

This is done to bring some balance to what non-taxpayers can do in trade as opposed to taxpayers.

Important Note: The calculation as to whether a team is a taxpayer or non-taxpayer is always done post-trade. That means if a team is going from being under the tax to over the tax, how much money they can return via trade could possibly change.

Matching salary via other means

When a trade is made, each team is allowed to structure the trade in the best possible way for themselves. While we might get a deal reported as “Team 1 is trading Players X, Y and Z to Team 2 for Players A, B, C and D”, the actual structure of that deal might be far more complicated.

For example, Team 1 might have a Traded Player Exception (TPE) they are using to absorb Player D and only using salary-matching to trade for Players A, B and C. On the other side, Team 2 could be using the Minimum Exception to absorb Player X, while using salary-matching to bring on Players Y and Z. This type of structuring is often how TPEs are created.

Other Important Trade Rules

  • Players who are making the Veteran Minimum can almost always be acquired via the Minimum Exception. That means no salary-matching needs to be used for them to be brought in. Note: something still needs to be sent to the trading team in the deal.

Inversely, if their salary is needed in a deal to make the salary-matching work, a team is allowed to include it as such.

    • Players with a trade bonus can waive part or all of the trade bonus in order to meet the salary-matching rules.
    • Draft picks always carry a value of $0 in trade. They are “extras” being added to a deal and have no impact on salary-matching.
    • Players on a one-year contract with Bird or Early Bird rights after the contract expires (inclusive of an option year) have an implied no-trade clause. This is because those players lose those rights if traded under these circumstances. Two other players, Bradley Beal and Deandre Ayton, also have no-trade clauses. Beal’s is a full NTC, while Ayton’s is a temporary NTC. This year, the NTC list includes:
      • Ryan Arcidiacono (New York Knicks)
      • Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns - one-year NTC due to matched offer sheet)
      • Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards - only full NTC)
      • Bismack Biyombo (Phoenix Suns)
      • Jevon Carter (Milwaukee Bucks)
      • Kessler Edwards (Brooklyn Nets)
      • Drew Eubanks (Portland Trail Blazers)
      • James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers)
      • Serge Ibaka (Milwaukee Bucks)
      • Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors)
      • Derrick Jones Jr. (Chicago Bulls)
      • Nathan Knight (Minnesota Timberwolves)
      • Wesley Matthews (Milwaukee Bucks)
      • Rodney McGruder (Detroit Pistons)
      • Mike Muscala (Oklahoma City Thunder)
      • Theo Pinson (Dallas Mavericks)
    • Each side has to give up something in a deal. Even in a straight salary dump trade, something has to go back the other way. This can be something as benign as a minor amount of cash ($110,000 is the minimum), a top-55 protected second round pick or draft rights to a player who is unlikely to come over to the NBA. The key is that all parties have to send something out. Trading a player for “nothing” isn’t actually a thing.
    • In a multiple-team trade, each team must satisfy what is called the “touch rule”. The touch rule says that in a multiple-team trade, each team must touch at least two of the other teams in a deal. That can be as simple as sending cash, a protected pick or draft rights. But the touch rule must be satisfied by acquiring from or sending to at least two other teams in the deal.
    • A handful of players can’t be traded due to various date-restrictions that don’t allow the player to be traded before the trade deadline. This season, that list includes:
      • Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
      • LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
      • Stanley Johnson (San Antonio Spurs)
      • Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
      • Maxi Kleber (Dallas Mavericks)
      • C.J. McCollum (New Orleans Pelicans)
      • Larry Nance Jr. (New Orleans Pelicans)
      • Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
      • Dean Wade (Cleveland Cavaliers)
      • Kemba Walker (Dallas Mavericks)
      • Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors)
  • A Traded Player Exception (TPE) is created when one team takes back less money in salary-matching for one player than they send out. TPEs are not traded, but are used to absorb players into the TPE without having to use salary-matching. TPEs are often created when team’s do a deal as laid out under the “Matching salary via other means” section.

Related

NBA Manage Roster Tool

 

NBA Glossary Trade Rules

Quite a few things have changed since we did our last round of cap space projections following 2022 free agency. Donovan Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bojan Bogdanovic was traded to the Detroit Pistons and Patrick Beverley was moved to the Los Angeles Lakers. On the extension front, several veterans have reached contract extensions and multiple players signed rookie scale extensions.

There will be more trades to come with "Early Trade Season" opening soon. And there are going to be even more veteran extensions over the months to come.

With all that in mind, it’s time to look at some updated 2023 cap space projections.

(Note: 538’s 2022-23 NBA standings projections have been used here to determine 2023 NBA Draft selections and their corresponding cap holds. Projections on options, guarantees and renouncements have also been made. No trades have been projected for any teams.)

Cap Space Teams

  1. Houston Rockets - $59.3 million
  2. Indiana Pacers - $49.8 million
  3. San Antonio Spurs - $47.1 million
  4. Detroit Pistons - $44.8 million
  5. Utah Jazz - $42.6 million
  6. Los Angeles Lakers - $33.4 million
  7. Orlando Magic - $32.8 million
  8. Oklahoma City Thunder - $29.0 million
  9. Charlotte Hornets - $18.4 million

Nine teams project to have cap space, and it could end up being fewer than that.

The Rockets seem likely to lead the cap space derby, as they have a roster that is mostly full of players on their rookie scale deals. Houston did knock a bit of their spending power off by inking Kevin Porter Jr. to an extension. But the Rockets got a great value, so it was smart to get that done at the expense of some 2022 spending power. Lastly, Houston seems like a near lock to have a bottom-three record, and thus a 14% chance at Victor Wembanyama.

Indiana could eat into some of their space by doing a renegotiation-and-extension with Myles Turner. Even if that happens, the Pacers should still have a sizeable chunk of cap space. That makes them a very interesting team, as they have a fun mix of young players and solid veterans, which supports them playing much better than was expected.

The Spurs seemingly have no interest in winning this year, as they’ve lost 11 straight as of this writing. They’re also liberally resting players whenever they can. That has San Antonio primed at a run at Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson. So, it should be a good pick, plus plenty of cap space for the Spurs this summer.

Detroit has had a lot of injuries, and that’s got them worse off than expected. But another high draft pick to team with an already exciting young core and nearly $45 million in spending power means the future remains bright. The Pistons did eat a bit into their spending power by signing Bojan Bogdanovic to an extension, but he’s still on a very tradable contract moving forward.

Utah is tough to peg. They’ve been better than expected, but have shown some signs of slipping over the last few weeks. Except the Jazz to get healthy and then give it a month or so to see where they are at. If they keep sliding in the standings, they could sell off the rest of their vets and this cap space projection could rise. If the Jazz play well, it makes it more likely they’ll keep some guys around and this number could drastically lessen. Keep an eye on Utah and the standings over the next two months.

The Lakers have more or less held steady, but by trading Talen Horton-Tucker for Patrick Beverley, they have the ability to clear over $30 million in cap space. The big question: Will Los Angeles sacrifice cap space and future draft picks to make a trade to help them win now?

Orlando could be a swing team. If they choose to keep players like Mo Bamba and Gary Harris, that’ll eat up all of the Magic’s potential cap space. That seems a little unlikely as both the frontcourt and guard lines are looking a bit crowded. And that’s true even despite lots of injuries. Expect Orlando to be a cap space team in July, in addition to being in the mix for Wembanyama or Henderson.

Oklahoma City tied up some future cap space by extending Kenrich Williams, but it was such a good value, that it was well worth it. The Thunder still have plenty of flexibility to play with, plus will likely add another good draft pick to the mix. One thing to watch? Roster spots are getting tight in OKC.

The Hornets remain a swing team. The Miles Bridges situation remains unsettled. If the Hornets were to keep control of his free agent rights, they won’t have cap space. If they set him free, and maybe move a veteran or two for expiring deals, Charlotte could create even more than what we’ve projected here. The Hornets are a team to keep an eye on over the next month or so.

Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

  1. Chicago Bulls
  2. Memphis Grizzlies
  3. Minnesota Timberwolves
  4. Sacramento Kings

Cap flexibility is a bit of a division between haves and have-nots in the summer of 2023. That’s reflected by just these four teams looking like they’ll have the Non-Taxpayer MLE to use.

The Grizzlies are the easiest team to slot in here. They’ve got a mostly full roster after extending their own players over the years. The only real free agent of note is Dillon Brooks, and there’s a decent chance he could be the next player to extend. But even with Brooks at a fair number for both sides and Memphis should have enough room to use the full Non-Taxpayer MLE.

The Bulls, Wolves and Kings are all swing teams. If they choose to move on from some of their veterans (Nikola Vucevic, D’Angelo Russell and Harrison Barnes), then they could all be cap space teams. If they retain their rights to re-sign them, or move them in deals to bring in other players, they’ll be over the cap. But all could still be far enough under the tax to use the full MLE.

Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

  1. Atlanta Hawks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Cleveland Cavaliers
  5. Dallas Mavericks
  6. Denver Nuggets
  7. Golden State Warriors
  8. LA Clippers
  9. Miami Heat
  10. Milwaukee Bucks
  11. New Orleans Pelicans
  12. New York Knicks
  13. Philadelphia 76ers
  14. Phoenix Suns
  15. Portland Trail Blazers
  16. Toronto Raptors
  17. Washington Wizards

This is a pretty huge group of teams dancing around the luxury tax line. The thing all of these teams have in common is that they’re already locked in to the core of their rosters for at least the next two seasons.

Many of these teams have re-signed players to max or near-max deals in recent years. A few have pending free agents who will be pushing for a max deal next offseason. And a handful are already all but guaranteed to be over the tax.

The Cleveland Cavaliers fall into this group now, as they acquired Donovan Mitchell for several players late in the offseason. Instead of being a potential cap space team, the Cavs now have a core group locked in for the foreseeable future. If they re-sign Caris LeVert and/or Kevin Love, Cleveland will be working around the tax line.

Of this group, the teams that could end up with a bit more cap flexibility are Brooklyn, Dallas, Portland, Toronto and Washington.

Brooklyn remains in a weird spot. If Kyrie Irving walks, Kevin Durant might reissue his trade demand. At that point, who knows what the Nets cap space situation will be? At the very least, Brooklyn would have to come away by being well under the tax line.

The Mavericks have a few key free agents, plus a couple of players on partially guaranteed contracts they could move on from. If so, they’d free up some ability to make moves around Luka Doncic.

The Trail Blazers are only going to be flexible if they let Jerami Grant walk. That seems unlikely to happen, unless Portland draws a hard line at what they’ll extend Grant for. An extension for Grant is also likely. They’ll probably be right around, or slightly over, the tax with Grant back in the fold.

Toronto could potentially put themselves in position to have cap space, but that would mean moving on from Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. It’s more likely they’ll have those guys back, or have moved them in a trade, and that means the Raptors will be working around the tax line.

Washington has Bradley Beal on his massive new deal, but that’s really their only substantial long-term money. Their summer really hinges on what happens with Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. If either re-signs for big money, the Wizards will be up against the tax.

NBA Cap Space

When NBA teams lose a player for the season due to injury, they’re limited in how they can replace that player. There is no injured reserve in the NBA. Unless teams are down several players, they don’t get an extra roster spot.

The NBA functions under a soft cap, but with a hard cap limiter that can be triggered in some situations. That can make it hard to sign a replacement player. By the time the season starts, the vast majority of teams are already operating over the cap, with limited resources available to sign a player.

There are always trades, but in that case, you might be robbing Peter to pay Paul and creating another roster issue for yourself.

However, the NBA does have one tool that teams can apply for when they lose a player for the season. The Disabled Player Exception is an exception that teams can be granted to help replace an injured player, but there are some restrictions.

Here’s a quick Q&A as to what a DPE is and how they can and can’t be used.

 

How do teams get a Disabled Player Exception (DPE)?

Teams have to petition the NBA in order to be granted a DPE. It’s not an automatic thing when a player is injured. A team must apply to the NBA for a DPE.

From there, it’s up to either an NBA-designated doctor or the league’s Fitness to Play panel to determine the extent of the injury to the player the DPE is being asked for. If the determination is made that the injured player is substantially more likely than not to miss the rest of the season, the DPE is granted to the team that petitioned for it.

Teams have until January 15 of each season to apply for a DPE. If a player is ruled out for the season after that, teams cannot petition for a DPE. If a player is deemed to be out for the subsequent season, the team will need to reapply during that next league year for a new DPE.

 

How much is a DPE for in terms of salary?

The DPE is worth one-half of the injured player’s salary, with a maximum value equal to that of the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception for the season in which the DPE is granted.

Example: If the injured player’s salary for whom the DPE is granted has a salary of $10 million for the 2022-23, the DPE value would be worth $5 million.

If the injured player was making $30 million for 2022-23, the DPE value would be capped at $10,490,000, which is equivalent to the Non-Taxpayer MLE for the 2022-23 season.

 

How can a DPE be used?

The DPE is a unique exception from other salary cap exceptions. Exceptions like the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level, Taxpayer Mid-Level, Room and Bi-Annual Exceptions are signing exceptions only. They must be used to sign a free agent(s).

Traded Player Exceptions (TPE) can be used in two ways: teams can trade for a player (or players) whose salary fits inside of the TPE or they can use the TPE to claim a player off waivers whose salary fits inside of the TPE.

The DPE is unique in that it can be used to sign a player, trade for a player or to claim a player off waivers. However, there are restrictions with the DPE that do not exist for the other exceptions.

 

What are the restrictions to a DPE?

Unlike the signing exceptions (NTMLE, Tax MLE, Room and BAE), the DPE can only be used to sign a player to a remainder-of-season contract.

The remainder-of-season condition also exists in trades and waiver claims as well. If a team trades for a player or claims that player off waivers, they have to be on an ending (commonly called expiring) contract. And there cannot be an option year after, either. It must be a true ending contract.

In addition, the DPE can also only be used to acquire one player. Unlike several of the signing exceptions and TPEs, the DPE cannot be used to acquire more than one player.

Essentially, teams are granted the DPE to replace the one injured player for the remainder of that current season only.

For re-signing purposes, teams do inherit whatever applicable form of Bird Rights would come after acquiring a player via a DPE.

 

Do you get an additional roster spot when granted a DPE?

No. Teams are still bound by the maximum of 15 players on standard contracts.

In a normal, non-COVID-impacted season, the only way teams can gain extra roster spots is via the Hardship Exemption. If a team has at least four players out for at least three regular season games, they can petition the NBA for a Hardship Exemption, which would grant the team an extra roster spot.

Technically, a team could fill a Hardship roster spot via a DPE. However, when that fourth player is ready to return from injury or illness, the team would need to get back into roster compliance by waiving or trading a player to get back to 15 players on standard contracts.

 

When does a DPE expire?

Unlike signing exceptions, which expire at the end of the regular season, and TPEs, which have a one-year expiration date from the date of creation, a DPE can only be used through March 10.

The idea with the DPE is to give a team an opportunity to add a player through the trade deadline and the early part of what is now commonly called “buyout season”.

A DPE will also expire when used. A DPE is also rendered void if the injured player returns or if the injured player is traded to another team.

If a team only uses a portion of a DPE, the unused portion expires, as the DPE can only be used to acquire one player.

 

Does a DPE prorate in value as the season goes along?

No. Unlike a signing exception, the DPE always retains its full value until it expires or is used.

 

What happens if a DPE is used and then the injured player returns?

Nothing. The player acquired via the DPE is unaffected. This is basically seen a stroke of good fortune that a player thought to be out for the remainder of the season was able to return.

Reminder: Because no roster spot is created through a DPE, there would not need to be corresponding roster move for the injured player to return.

 

Can you trade for an injured player and then apply for a DPE?

No. The player must have been injured while under contract to the team in order for that team to apply for a DPE.

 

Does a DPE count against the salary cap and luxury tax?

Yes, when used to acquire a player, whatever portion of a DPE is used will count against both the salary cap and the luxury tax.

In addition, if a team is hard capped at the tax apron, they cannot exceed the apron via use of a DPE. A hard-capped team is still required to have a team salary that is no higher than that of the tax apron.

 

Does a DPE offer any sort of short or long-term salary relief for the injured player?

No. There is a process under which teams can petition to have a player’s salary removed due to career-ending injury. But that process is independent of the DPE process.

 

Do any teams currently have DPEs available?

The Boston Celtics have a DPE of $3,239,500 which was granted for Danilo Gallinari.

There are no other current DPEs available for use.

 

What are some recent cases where a DPE was used?

In 2017-18, after Gordon Hayward broke his left leg on opening night, the Boston Celtics were granted a DPE of $8,406,000. That was the equivalent of that season’s Non-Taxpayer MLE, as Hayward’s salary for that season was nearly $30 million.

Boston used that DPE to sign Greg Monroe for $5 million after he was waived by the Phoenix Suns.

 

Is a petition for a DPE ever declined?

Yes. Last season, the Chicago Bulls petitioned for a DPE for Patrick Williams after he tore ligaments in his wrist early in the 2021-22 season. The NBA denied the application, as it was deemed Williams had a chance to return for that season. That proved prescient, as Williams did return in late-March.

In addition, the Indiana Pacers had also applied for a DPE for Edmond Sumner last season. However, Sumner was traded by Indiana before that DPE was granted, which rendered the application void.

NBA Glossary

Teams must make decisions on rookie scale options for the prior season by October 31st. Therefore, since we are in the 2022-23 season, teams must decide on exercising or declining rookie scale options for the 2023-24 season. 

If an option is exercised, it becomes an actively guaranteed salary for the 2023-24 season.

If an option is declined, the option becomes a Cap Hold and will enter free agency as an Unrestricted Free Agent.

 

Here is a team-by-team list of the rookie scale option decisions:

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers

LA Clippers

  • None

Los Angeles Lakers

  • None

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

  • None

Milwaukee Bucks

  • None

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

  • Jalen Smith - 2022-23 option was declined, signed 3 year $15.13 million contract as free agent in 2022 offseason

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

NBA Rookie Options

The 2022-23 NBA season hasn’t started yet, but already teams are positioning themselves for the 2023 offseason. While the 2022 free agent class was considered to be weak in terms of star power, the 2023 class is setting up to be a good one.

In addition to some All-Star level players looking like they’ll be available, multiple teams are positioned to have cap space this upcoming offseason. Between 10 and 13 teams project to have cap space. On the high end, teams like the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers project to have between $50 and $70 million to spend. Other teams are down in the range of $20 million. In total, Spotrac projects there to be well over $450 million to spend in free agency.

With that much spending power potentially available, here’s who teams may be spending that cap space on. This list is current before any veteran extensions are signed. Extensions have become more and more popular in recent years, which has taken a lot of talent off the free agent board before free agency even opens. In other words: don’t be surprised if a handful of the names on this list never make it to 2023 free agency.

With all that in mind, here are the Top 50 potential 2023 free agents:

  1. James Harden – Philadelphia 76ers – unrestricted free agent – player option
  2. Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets – unrestricted free agent
  3. Draymond Green – Golden State Warriors – unrestricted free agent – player option
  4. Khris Middleton – Milwaukee Bucks – unrestricted free agent – player option
  5. Fred VanVleet – Toronto Raptors – unrestricted free agent – player option
  6. Andrew Wiggins – Golden State Warriors – unrestricted free agent
  7. Tyler Herro – Miami Heat – restricted free agent
  8. Kristaps Porzingis – Washington Wizards – unrestricted free agent – player option
  9. Jordan Poole – Golden State Warriors – restricted free agent
  10. Myles Turner – Indiana Pacers – unrestricted free agent
  11. Nikola Vucevic – Chicago Bulls – unrestricted free agent
  12. Bogdan Bogdanovic – Atlanta Hawks – unrestricted free agent – player option
  13. Kevin Porter Jr. – Houston Rockets – restricted free agent
  14. D’Angelo Russell – Minnesota Timberwolves – unrestricted free agent
  15. Bojan Bogdanovic – Utah Jazz – unrestricted free agent
  16. Harrison Barnes – Sacramento Kings – unrestricted free agent
  17. Jerami Grant – Portland Trail Blazers – unrestricted free agent
  18. Al Horford – Boston Celtics – unrestricted free agent
  19. Christian Wood – Dallas Mavericks – unrestricted free agent
  20. Kyle Kuzma – Washington Wizards – unrestricted free agent – player option
  21. Herb Jones – New Orleans Pelicans – restricted free agent – team option
  22. Will Barton – Washington Wizards – unrestricted free agent
  23. Jakob Poeltl – San Antonio Spurs – unrestricted free agent
  24. Dillon Brooks – Memphis Grizzlies – unrestricted free agent
  25. Kevin Love – Cleveland Cavaliers – unrestricted free agent
  26. Brook Lopez – Milwaukee Bucks – unrestricted free agent
  27. Bruce Brown Jr. – Denver Nuggets – unrestricted free agent – player option
  28. De’Andre Hunter – Atlanta Hawks – restricted free agent
  29. Josh Hart – Portland Trail Blazers – unrestricted free agent – player option
  30. Gary Trent Jr. – Toronto Raptors – unrestricted free agent – player option
  31. Reggie Jackson – LA Clippers – unrestricted free agent
  32. Patrick Beverley – Los Angeles Lakers – unrestricted free agent
  33. P.J. Washington – Charlotte Hornets – restricted free agent
  34. Steven Adams – Memphis Grizzlies – unrestricted free agent
  35. Cameron Johnson – Phoenix Suns – restricted free agent
  36. Seth Curry – Brooklyn Nets – unrestricted free agent
  37. Caris LeVert – Cleveland Cavaliers – unrestricted free agent
  38. Jae Crowder – Phoenix Suns – unrestricted free agent
  39. Malik Beasley – Utah Jazz– unrestricted free agent – team option
  40. Nassir Little – Portland Trail Blazers – restricted free agent
  41. Mason Plumlee – Charlotte Hornets – unrestricted free agent
  42. Max Strus – Miami Heat – unrestricted free agent
  43. Matisse Thybulle – Philadelphia 76ers – restricted free agent
  44. Russell Westbrook – Los Angeles Lakers – unrestricted free agent
  45. Larry Nance Jr. – New Orleans Pelicans – unrestricted free agent
  46. Grant Williams – Boston Celtics – restricted free agent
  47. Otto Porter Jr. – Toronto Raptors – unrestricted free agent – player option
  48. Kelly Oubre Jr. – Charlotte Hornets – unrestricted free agent
  49. Brandon Clarke – Memphis Grizzlies – restricted free agent
  50. Josh Richardson – San Antonio Spurs – unrestricted free agent

 

Related:

2023 NBA Free Agent Tracker

NBA Free Agents

Danny Ainge took over running the Boston Celtics front office on May 9, 2003. It took Ainge about a month-and-half to make his first trade. He hasn’t stopped making trades since.

Ainge’s persistence in making trades earned him the moniker “Trader Danny” while in Boston. When he joined the Utah Jazz, Ainge’s role was initially as an advisor. Anyone who has followed Ainge knew that would only last for so long. He’s not the type to sit on the sidelines. It’s not in his nature.

It took a bit, but Ainge is now bringing the same tried-and-true approach to Utah that he used in Boston. Ainge believes that if you aren’t a title contender, you should be rebuilding and stockpiling assets to aid in becoming a title contender. There’s little gray in his basketball world. It’s best to be really good. But it’s better to be bad than it is to be average or just sort of good.

It’s important to remember Ainge famously told Red Auerbach in the 1990s that the Celtics should trade away Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. Ainge’s thinking was Boston was stuck as a good team, but not a real contender and that the veterans were starting to deteriorate.

Ainge’s thought back when he was a player has stayed with him as a front office executive. You want to build a contender, but more importantly, a sustainable contender. That involves churning the roster from time to time, and occasionally, it necessitates a full teardown.

In the middle of his first season running the Celtics in 2003-04, Ainge traded Antoine Walker and Tony Delk in a then controversial deal that brought Raef LaFrentz and a 2004 first round pick to Boston. By that trade deadline, Ainge had shipped off a couple more veterans for an additional 2004 first round pick.

That summer, with his team ready for a rebuild around a still-young Paul Pierce, Ainge hired Doc Rivers. Rivers was then still seen as a young, but somewhat unproven head coach. He’d had four good, but never great seasons with the Orlando Magic before getting fired early in Year 5.

The Celtics then used three first round picks in the 2004 NBA Draft to select Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen. The plan was that those three would pair with Pierce to form the nucleus of the Celtics next contender. If not, Ainge would keep moving vets to find the right guys to help Boston raise another banner.

Later that summer, Ainge would add Gary Payton to run the Celtics offense. By the 2005 trade deadline, Boston was playing pretty well. That spurred Ainge to trade a future Boston first round pick in a deal to bring back old friend Antoine Walker.

Let’s pause there for a minute.

There’s this impression of Ainge that he’s like a venture capitalist, corporate raider type that comes in, strips things down and then sells when he’s finally gotten things back into the black on the balance sheet.

That’s not really true.

Yes, it’s fair to say Ainge hoards his draft picks. He does do that…to an extent. But Ainge has also repeatedly traded picks when he’s found the right deal. Sure, he’s “close” to making trades a lot, but part of that comes from Ainge’s willingness to be candid with the media about trade talks. He doesn’t guard trade talks like state secrets that should never get out. He’s more open about what happens during the trade process than most of his peers.

The point is, Ainge is a master of the teardown. He’ll collect assets left and right. But he’s not unwilling to flip those assets to build his teams back up.

Back to the break-down and build-up process Ainge has undertaken over the years.

That 2004-05 Celtics team fell short and lost in the first round. As is his nature, Ainge didn’t sit still. Walker’s second go-around in Boston was a short one. That summer Walker was sent to the Miami Heat as a part of the largest trade in NBA history: a five-team, 13-player, two-pick deal.

By January, Ainge was back at it again. He swung a seven-player deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves where Boston acquired another first round pick. Ainge had begun his second teardown in Boston.

The summer of 2006 saw moves towards a rebuild. On a busy 2006 Draft night, Ainge picked up Rajon Rondo’s draft rights and swapped LaFrentz and a pick for Theo Ratliff (really his contract) and Sebastian Telfair.

All that happened while Ainge held tight with Paul Piece. The 2006-07 season was a mess for the Celtics. Pierce got injured, the kids were kids and Boston lost. A lot. But everyone accepted all the losing because Boston had the second-most ping pong balls in the 2007 NBA Draft Lottery. Boston felt confident they’d come away with Greg Oden or Kevin Durant to put next to Pierce and the kids.

Then disaster struck.

The Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics and Atlanta Hawks all jumped up in the draft and Boston fell from the second pick to the fifth pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

But Ainge was ready. He had kids and some extra picks and he started building back up again. This time around, he hit on every move.

At the 2007 NBA Draft, Boston swapped that fifth pick, former first rounder Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak for Ray Allen and 2007 second rounder Glen “Big Baby” Davis. That set the stage for the big move a month later.

Ainge competed the transformation by trading former first rounders Al Jefferson and Gerald Green along with two 2009 first round picks (one of them going back home), Ratliff’s contract and a couple of vets for Kevin Garnett.

A year later, Boston had raised Banner 17.

If you needed proof Ainge could tear a team down and then push his assets in to build back up, that was it. If you were still a skeptic, he did it again a few years later.

After a five-year run of title contention, Ainge harkened back to that 1990s conversation with Red Auerbach. Instead of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Ainge had Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett as his aging vets. He knew Boston had already dragged an extra year or two of their best basketball out of the veteran duo.

Ainge didn’t hesitate and he pulled the trigger on another teardown. Being just sort of good wasn’t good enough.

At the 2013 NBA Draft, Ainge agreed to dealing Pierce and Garnett, along with Jason Terry and a 2017 first round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for a package of veteran players and three first-round picks and a pick swap.

Before that deal, Ainge agreed to let Doc Rivers go to the LA Clippers in exchange for the Clips’ 2015 first rounder. At the 2013 Draft, Ainge traded up a few picks to select Kelly Olynyk.

During the moratorium period between the draft and making the Brooklyn trade official, Ainge pulled off a true surprise by hiring Brad Stevens. For a second time, Ainge was handing his sideline to a young, unproven head coach, just as a rebuild was starting.

Oh, and Ainge wasn’t done trading either. He’d swing three more trades, all of which brought Boston young players and/or draft picks.

During the 2014-15 season, Ainge amped up his trading to a whole new level. The Celtics facility might as well have had a revolving door, as player came and went at a staggering pace.

Ainge picked up Tyler Zeller and a first round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers to help them clear cap space go bring LeBron James home.

Ainge then helped Cleveland clear some space by eating a handful of contracts to pick up two future second round picks. That deal happened right as training camp was starting, but Ainge was far from done.

On the eve of the season, Ainge swapped Joel Anthony for Will Bynum to help the Detroit Piston clear some salary, while giving Boston a guard. But Ainge still wasn’t done.

In the month-long period from January 18, 2015 through the trade deadline on February 19, 2015, Ainge swung a whopping six trades. This including acquiring and re-trading all of Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright and Austin Rivers during that month-long span.

But you know what else happened? The Celtics were playing better than expected. This thrown-together, wear-a-nametag group was winning enough to hang around the playoff picture.

That made Ainge’s last deal of the period a masterstroke. In a three-team deal with the Pistons (remember the favor from the eve of the season?) and the Phoenix Suns, Ainge acquired Isaiah Thomas, Gigi Datome and Jonas Jerebko, and somehow another first round pick.

The Celtics made the playoffs in 2015 and haven’t missed out on the postseason since.

It was in the seasons immediately following that one where Ainge developed the reputation as a pick hoarder. He steadfastly refused to include the Brooklyn picks that eventually became Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (after a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers) in deals for players like Jimmy Butler and Paul George. It turns out, he was right to keep those picks.

But what gets overlooked is Ainge was prioritizing development of Stevens’ young roster, along with preserving cap space. In back-to-back summers, notoriously not-a-free-agent-destination Boston landed Al Horford and Gordon Hayward in free agency. And then Ainge made a deal that should have punted the “he won’t trade picks to buy vets” reputation into the sun.

In August of 2017, Ainge traded the beloved, but deteriorating Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder (who was going to be replaced by the combination of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and newly signed Gordon Hayward) and the last of his precious Nets picks for Kyrie Irving.

Ainge had built a title contender by trading veterans and picks for a second time. Or so we thought.

That Celtics group lead by Irving and Hayward never came together. Injuries and unhappiness sunk that team before they even got started. So, Ainge did what he does and he pivoted again.

Faced with losing Irving and Horford in the same summer, Ainge worked a double sign-and-trade to bring in Kemba Walker for Terry Rozier. Walker would team with the rapidly emerging Brown and Tatum, and a healthy Hayward to get Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, Hayward got hurt again and Walker was never the same after a midseason knee injury.

If all the other moves of his Boston tenure weren’t enough to shed this idea that Ainge could build a team back up and will trade picks, his last few moves sacrificed draft capital just to give Boston a chance at making moves down the line. He worked a sign-and-trade to help Hayward join the Charlotte Hornets by giving up two second round picks to just to create a trade exception. Then he gave up more draft picks to bring Evan Fournier in via that trade exception.

Then Ainge retired and left Boston. 18 seasons, 15 playoff appearances. Three different teardowns and rebuilds. All resulting in teams that ranged from good to great.

Now, Ainge looks to be repeating the process in Utah. Only this time he’s starting from a place of better leverage.

Instead of trading aging veterans for nice collection of draft picks, Ainge traded two in-their-primes All-Stars for a haul of future drafts picks and young players unlike any we’ve seen before.

In two moves, Ainge has added five unprotected first round draft picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s also picked up lightly-protected first round pick and three years of unprotected pick swaps.

If you add in 2023 first rounders Ochai Agbaji and Walker Kessler, that’s a total of 11 additional first round picks the Jazz now largely have control of through 2029.

Just like he did with the Celtics, trading the stars is only the start. Ainge will now begin the process of moving veterans like Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay and Malik Beasley. He’s already flipped Patrick Beverley, who came over in the Gobert deal, to take a flyer on talented youngster Talen Horton-Tucker.

It’s a good bet that Ainge will turn at least a couple of those players into another first round pick or two. And he’ll probably take on some veterans in the process and flip them in subsequent trades. Helpful advice: If you’re traded to the Jazz in the next couple of years, rent instead of buying. You might not be there long.

It’s a tried-and-true process that has worked for Ainge three times before. But it’s not just about tearing a roster down to the studs and collecting assets. That’s just step one. Step two is hiring a young, but talented head coach. Step three is using those assets to build the team back up for his handpicked coach.

Danny Ainge can break a team down, identify a coach and then build that team back up. He’s already done it. Three different times in Boston, in fact.

And now he’s doing it again in Utah. He’s torn the team down and hired Will Hardy as the head coach. The building up process will eventually come. Take a breath, give it a little time and enjoy watching a team-building genius do what he does best.

NBA team-121

The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite the Utah Jazz still talking trades for Donovan Mitchell and most of the vets on their roster.

Teams are mostly adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Northwest Division is in transition. The Denver Nuggets are title contenders. The Minnesota Timberwolves made a big bet that going big will pay off big. The Portland Trail Blazers should be healthier and should compete for a playoff spot. The Oklahoma City Thunder are still working their back after kicking off a full-scale rebuild. And then there the Jazz. After years of being good, but never quite good enough, Utah appears poised to kick off a complete teardown and restart.

 

Denver Nuggets

Additions: Christian Braun (2022 NBA Draft), Bruce Brown Jr. (free agency), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (trade), DeAndre Jordan (free agency), Ish Smith (trade), Peyton Watson (2022 NBA Draft), Collin Gillespie (Two-Way), Jack White (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Will Barton (Wizards via trade), Facundo Campazzo (unrestricted free agent), DeMarcus Cousins (unrestricted free agent), Bryn Forbes (Timberwolves via free agency), JaMychal Green (Thunder via trade (since waived), Monte Morris (Wizards via trade), Austin Rivers (Timberwolves via free agency), Markus Howard (Spain via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $9.1 million Traded Player Exception, $3.5 million Traded Player Exception

Analysis: The Nuggets are betting on the combination of better health and the development of young players to take the franchise to new heights. Denver is starting the year with perhaps the best team they’ve ever had, in addition to the most expectations they’ve had too.

The Nuggets big move was to swap mainstays Will Barton and Monte Morris to the Wizards for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. Denver hopes that adding Caldwell-Pope, along with another free agent addition, will help clean up the team’s leaky perimeter defense. Caldwell-Pope is also excellent playing off the ball, so he should fit in nicely in an offense built around Nikola Jokic’s passing skills.

The free agent addition to help with the above was Bruce Brown. Brown is rugged defender who can hold his own 1-3. He’s also a terrific cutter and small-ball screen-and-roll man. If his 40% three-point shooting from last year, Brown will be a perfect addition for Denver.

While not truly “additions”, the Nuggets will be thrilled to have Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back in the fold. Murray missed the entire season, while Porter missed the vast majority of it. Both will be an immediate boon to the team’s offense. Their returns will take a lot of the pressure off Jokic to create so many of the scoring opportunities.

As for the young players, Denver will be counting on Bones Hyland and Zeke Nnaji to take on bigger roles this season. Both seem capable and ready. To open the year, Hyland may play the bigger role as Murray’s backup. The Nuggets seem likely to be cautious with Murray, at least to open the season. Nnaji will team with veteran Jeff Green to handle the backup big minutes. If Nnaji can handle 15-20 minutes per game, it will allow Denver to keep Jokic fresh throughout the year.

The Nuggets have everything in place to make a deep playoff run. They have the two-time MVP in Jokic (who also inked an extension that should keep him with the Nuggets for years to come), plenty of scoring, lineup versatility and they seem to have shored up their defense. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Denver was in the Western Conference Finals or even the 2023 NBA Finals.

 

Minnesota Timberwolves

Additions: Kyle Anderson (free agency), Bryn Forbes (free agency), Rudy Gobert (trade), Josh Minott (2022 NBA Draft), Wendell Moore Jr. (2022 NBA Draft), Austin Rivers (free agency), A.J. Lawson (Two-Way), Eric Paschall (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Malik Beasley (Jazz via trade), Patrick Beverley (Jazz via trade (since traded to the Lakers)), Leandro Bolmaro (Jazz via trade), Jake Layman (unrestricted free agent), Greg Monroe (unrestricted free agent), Josh Okogie (Suns via free agency), Jarred Vanderbilt (Jazz via trade), McKinley Wright (Mavericks via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: Minnesota made the biggest move of the offseason, both literally and figuratively. The Timberwolves traded for Rudy Gobert by sending the Jazz a package that included multiple players and several years of draft picks. The hope is that Gobert will fix the interior defense issues that have plagued the Wolves for years and that his offensive limitations will be masked by a talented scoring group.

The big question (no pun intended) is: Can Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns play together? Offensively, it doesn’t seem to be a challenge. Towns is perfectly comfortable and capable on the perimeter. On defense, Towns will have to step out and defend on the perimeter more than ever. Gobert will be at the rim to clean things up when drivers slip by Towns, but getting out to shooters on a regular basis will be a new experience.

Trading so many players for Gobert meant that new front office leader Tim Connelly had to rebuild some depth on the fly. All things considered, Connelly did a solid job filling out the rotation.

Kyle Anderson was poached from the Grizzlies and he’ll be a great fit coming off the bench. Anderson can back up both forward spots and he can start if necessary. His passing will be a boon to a frontcourt that features mostly finishers vs passers.

Bryn Forbes came over to be a designated shooter off the bench. On the nights where he’s rolling, Forbes will play. When he’s not, he won’t see many minutes. Austin Rivers was also brought in to add depth and a little defense to the backcourt.

If Gobert and Towns mesh, the Wolves have a chance to be very good. Anthony Edwards is ready to break out as a super star. D’Angelo Russell isn’t perfect, but he’s better than most give him credit for. Taurean Prince was extended for some additional frontcourt depth, and his contract looks like a nice potential trade chip. And keep an eye on Jaden McDaniels. He’s got a ton of potential and could be the team’s starting small forward in a lineup that would be absolutely enormous.

The Wolves have made the playoffs just twice since Kevin Garnett was traded 15 years ago. This group appears set to break that string with multiple appearances. The real question: Can Minnesota do more than just make the playoffs? That depends on the big guys and Edwards all hitting the top end of their potential.

 

Oklahoma City Thunder

Additions: Ousmane Dieng (2022 NBA Draft), Chet Holmgren (2022 NBA Draft), Jalen Williams (2022 NBA Draft), Jaylin Williams (2022 NBA Draft), Eugene Omoruyi (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Isaiah Roby (Spurs via waiver claim), Melvin Frazier Jr. (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $8.5 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: It felt like this season the Thunder would start to take steps forward in their rebuild. Then one injury seems to have them back several steps.

Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick, will miss the entire season after a Lisfranc fracture suffered over the summer. That’s a blow to a team that was going to be mixing and matching in their frontcourt to figure out who fits together with Holmgren. Now, a year of on-court development is gone.

On the plus side, all of the Thunder’s other young pieces are ready to go. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Lu Dort (freshly re-signed to a five-year deal) are all over their injuries and ready to start the season. First rounder Jalen Williams will add to that mix, along with holdover Tre Mann to give Mark Daigneault a lot of options to play with in his backcourt.

Up front, despite Holmgren being out, Daigneault will attempt to work draft picks Ousmane Dieng and Jaylin Williams into a group that features a bunch of question marks. Darius Bazley is the most accomplished of the bunch and he’s still very much a question mark heading into Year 4. Aleksej Pokusevski has potential, but it’s mostly unrealized. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins both flashed as rookies, but need a lot more work. And Kenrich Williams was extended as the veteran of the group at the ripe old age of…27. But that’s a good thing, as Williams is an underrated player.

Oklahoma City was going to be bad again, but it was going to the kind of bad with a purpose. Now, part of that purpose is hard to define with Holmgren out. But the Thunder and Sam Presti are pretty good at making lemonades out of lemons.

There are a ton of minutes available in OKC and a lot of interesting young players competing for them. The competition for roster spots in the preseason should be pretty fierce. Even with Holmgren out, that’s a positive. Another year of development and likely another high draft pick are coming, and then maybe the Thunder start stepping forward in 2023.

 

Portland Trail Blazers

Additions: Drew Eubanks (free agency), Jerami Grant (trade), Gary Payton II (free agency), Shaedon Sharpe (2022 NBA Draft), Jabari Walker (2022 NBA Draft)

Subtractions: Eric Bledsoe (waived), C.J. Elleby (Timberwolves via free agency), Elijah Hughes (unrestricted free agent), Joe Ingles (Bucks via free agency), Didi Louzada (waived), Ben McLemore (unrestricted free agent), Keljin Blevins (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $6.5 million Traded Player Exception, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: The Trail Blazers season went off the rails last year. A rash of injuries sunk the team before they had a chance to really get started. That snapped a string of eight straight playoff appearances. If Portland has their way, that will be a one-year thing.

The Blazers acquired Jerami Grant to help shore up the team’s forward position. Grant can play both forward spots and should give Portland the best athlete they’ve had with Damian Lillard (who extended and added a couple more years to his deal through 2026-27) in a while. He wants a contract extension, but that seems to be in wait-and-see mode for the time being.

Portland also added Gary Payton II from the Warriors to improve the perimeter defense. Payton should fit in perfectly in a three-guard rotation with Lillard and Anfernee Simons. He can play with either guy and will defend the opponent’s best perimeter scorer on a nightly basis.

Speaking of Simons, he was one of two big re-signings by the Blazers. One of the primary beneficiaries of last season’s injuries, Simons took advantage of his extra minutes. He’s an incredibly talented offensive player who should fill the role C.J. McCollum held down for nearly a decade.

Jusuf Nurkic was the other key re-signing. Portland had no real way of replacing Nurkic if he had left, and they don’t have another player ready to step in for him. That meant the Blazers overpaid to re-sign him, but it’s hardly a cap-crippling deal. Plus, Nurkic has great chemistry with Lillard and that’s worth a good amount on its own.

Shaedon Sharpe was the “man of mystery” at the draft. The Blazers are betting he’ll pop in a similar way to Simons. It might take a year or two, but Sharpe has a ton of natural talent.

Overall, Portland looks to have a solid roster. If healthy, they’ll be in the playoff mix. But outside of a team or two unexpectedly slipping, it’s hard to see a path where the Trail Blazers aren’t having to make their way through the Play-In Tournament to start a new playoff streak.

 

Utah Jazz

Additions: Malik Beasley (trade), Patrick Beverley (trade (since traded to Lakers), Leandro Bolmaro (trade), Simone Fontecchio (free agency), Talen Horton-Tucker (trade), Stanley Johnson (trade), Walker Kessler (2022 NBA Draft rights trade), Jarred Vanderbilt (trade), Johnny Juzang (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Trent Forrest (Hawks via free agency), Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves via trade), Juancho Hernangomez (waived), Danuel House Jr. (76ers via free agency), Royce O’Neal (Nets via trade), Eric Paschall (Timberwolves via trade), Hassan Whiteside (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $9.7 million Traded Player Exception, $9.2 million Traded Player Exception, $7.3 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: When he was running the Boston Celtics, Danny Ainge was tabbed with the moniker “Trader Danny” and he’s living up to that nickname with the Jazz. Ainge has kicked off a reset or rebuild for Utah. What will determine that designation is what happens with Donovan Mitchell.

Ainge traded two starters away already by sending Rudy Gobert to Minnesota and Royce O’Neale to Brooklyn. Gobert netted Utah a massive return of players and future draft picks, while O’Neale brought over another first round pick.

Now, Ainge has his eyes on trading Mitchell for another huge haul. The New York Knicks have been keen on adding Mitchell, and have picks and young players to offer. So far, the Knicks have held firm on not giving Utah the additional draft pick or picks and all the young players they seem to want. Still, most expect a deal to eventually get done because it makes too much sense for both parties.

The Jazz also flipped Patrick Beverley to the Los Angeles Lakers to take a flyer on Talen Horton-Tucker. The versatile guard has shown a ton of potential, but was blocked from getting more minutes in LA. That problem shouldn’t exist in Utah…eventually.

Once Ainge is able to trade Mitchell, he can focus on finding homes for a slew of veterans who have no place on a rebuilding team. Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay and maybe even recently-acquired Malik Beasley could all have new homes before training camp starts. That’ll open up minutes for the younger players the Jazz will be evaluating all season.

This is the playbook Ainge used to rebuild the Celtics after trading away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. He amassed draft picks in the initial trade and then kept adding to the hoard by flipping useful veterans for more picks.

It’s hard to fully evaluate the Utah roster, because everything feels unfinished. If Mitchell and the vets are still with the Jazz to start the season, they’ll be a competitive team towards the bottom of the Play-In mix. But that’s not what anyone in Utah wants.

The goal here is to bottom out and start over around kids and an overflowing treasure chest of draft picks. And if one of those picks turns out to be Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, so much the better. The years of being a solid playoff team, but no better, are gone in Utah. The Jazz are taking a big step backwards in hopes of eventually taking the biggest step forward they’ve ever taken.

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The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite a potential Donovan Mitchell trade still hanging around.

Teams are mostly adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Atlantic Division has a couple of title contenders, a solid playoff team, another that could be a solid playoff team and the most confusing team in the NBA. The Boston Celtics made the 2022 NBA Finals and hope that their additions will allow them finish the job this time around. The Philadelphia 76ers have added depth and defense around their star duo in hopes of finally finding playoff success. The Toronto Raptors have resisted breaking up their core and will be firmly in the playoff mix. In New York, the Knicks are still pushing for a Donovan Mitchell deal to supplement what was already a solid offseason. And then there are the Brooklyn Nets. The talent is there for a deep playoff run, but how long will it all hold together after a season and summer marked by absences and unhappiness?

 

Boston Celtics

Additions: Malcom Brogdon (trade), Danilo Gallinari (free agency), J.D. Davison (Two-Way), Mfiondu Kabengele (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Malik Fitts (Pacers via trade (since waived)), Juwan Morgan (Pacers via trade (since waived)), Aaron Nesmith (Pacers via trade), Nik Stauskas (Pacers via trade (since waived)), Daniel Theis (Pacers via trade), Matt Ryan (unrestricted free agent), Brodric Thomas (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts, $6.9 million Traded Player Exception, $5.9 million Traded Player Exception

Analysis: The Celtics made only a couple of additions, but they were big ones that Boston hopes will help them get back to, and win, the NBA Finals. And with several roster spots still open, there is still some work left to do too.

Boston traded for Malcolm Brogdon in an attempt to clean up some of the ballhandling issues that infected the team during the playoffs. Brogdon’s ability to play on and off-ball, as well as his willingness to come off the bench, are also big for the team. And, Boston parted with no key rotation players to get Brogdon. Aaron Nesmith was stuck without enough time to develop on a contender, and Daniel Theis was only a semi-regular in the rotation.

In free agency, the Celtics signed Danilo Gallinari. The hope is that Gallinari, paired with Brogdon, will give Boston the bench scoring they lacked as they got deeper into the playoffs. An offseason meniscus injury has Gallinari’s availability somewhat in doubt, but the hope is he won’t miss much time.

Beyond that, the Eastern Conference champs are basically running it back. There are a slew of veterans reportedly joining Boston in a training camp battle for regular season roster spots. Someone out of the group of Bruno Caboclo, Noah Vonleh, Denzel Valentine and possibly Brodric Thomas and Matt Ryan, will emerge to snag a spot on the regular season roster.

Boston could use another big. Maybe they need another big wing if Gallinari is out for a while. But for now, that will all play itself out during camp and the early part of the regular season.

The Celtics still have some tradable assets available to them, if needed. They can match salary with relative ease in a deal for a high-salary player, or they can ship off a combination of young players in a deal with a rebuilding team. But, for now at least, Boston’s roster seems relatively set. They’ve added depth around their rotation mainstays and will start their title push with the group they’ve got.

 

Brooklyn Nets

Additions: Markieff Morris (free agency), Royce O’Neale (trade), Edmond Sumner (free agency), T.J. Warren (free agency), Alondes Williams (Two-Way)

Subtractions: LaMarcus Aldridge (unrestricted free agent), Bruce Brown Jr. (Nuggets via free agency), Goran Dragic (Bulls via free agency), Andre Drummond (Bulls via free agency), Blake Griffin (unrestricted free agent), David Duke Jr. (restricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $6.5 million Taxpayer MLE

Analysis: “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” is a line from Macbeth, but Shakespeare could have just as easily been writing about the Brooklyn Nets over the last year.

It’s not that the Nets did nothing, because Brooklyn made some solid pickups. But for the most part, after a lot of noise and speculation, the main news is that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are back in the fold and ready to go.

For months, Durant’s trade request, made in the moments just before free agency opened, lingered over the NBA. Some players and teams were paralyzed while waiting on a Durant deal to develop. A similar, but less impactful, process played out with Irving.

Now, both superstars are back in Brooklyn. For how long? That’s anyone’s guess.

With Durant and Irving, and a hopefully healthy Ben Simmons, the Nets have a solid nucleus for the upcoming season. There are availability questions, as all three have missed considerable time with injuries over the years, but it’s as a good a starting point as any team in the league.

Brooklyn re-signed Nic Claxton, Patty Mills and Kessler Edwards to start rounding out the rotation. Claxton has a clear runway to the starting center spot, while Mills should revert back to the high-end backup role he was always intended to play. The Nets will also welcome back Seth Curry and a healthy Joe Harris, which allows Steve Nash to put plenty of shooting around his All-Star trio.

Royce O’Neale was added to help upgrade the team’s wing defense. O’Neale slipped some while with the Jazz last year, but if he can find his form again, he’ll play plenty as one of the team’s better big wing defenders.

The Nets took a chance on a pair of former Pacers by signing T.J. Warren and Edmond Sumner. Both are coming off seasons that were lost to injury, but have shown plenty in the past. Warren will give the team some frontcourt scoring punch off the bench, assuming he can stay healthy. Sumner could be a bigger option for a backcourt that is comprised of mostly smaller players.

Perhaps because of waiting out the Durant trade request, Brooklyn’s roster feels a little unfinished. They added Markieff Morris as a veteran frontcourt option, but the Nets could still use more depth up front. They don’t have anything resembling a proven backup center option, and that’s a hole given Claxton is a first-time starter.

If everything comes, and holds, together, the Nets are title contenders. But they’ve got to get past a summer of unhappiness, while incorporating a lot of new faces. And then they have to stay healthy. That’s a lot of “ifs”, but the collection of talent can’t be overlooked in Brooklyn.

 

New York Knicks

Additions: Jalen Brunson (free agency), Isaiah Hartenstein (free agency), Trevor Keels (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Ryan Arcidiacono (unrestricted free agent), Alec Burks (Pistons via trade), Taj Gibson (Wizards via free agency), Nerlens Noel (Pistons via trade), Kemba Walker (Pistons via trade)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $5.4 million Room Exception

Analysis: Roster changes weren’t numerous for the Knicks, but they were as impactful as any team in the NBA. New York rapidly moved on from previous free agent additions while upgrading at both point guard and center.

The offseason centered around adding Jalen Brunson. New York will probably get punished for tampering with the former Mavericks guard, but they’ll happily pay a second pick in exchange for Brunson leading the backcourt moving forward.

If Brunson looks like the player he was for a lot of last season but especially in the playoffs, no one will bat an eye at his $26 million average annual salary. Brunson is that good. And he fills a spot that’s been a long-term issue for the Knicks.

Up front, New York added Isaiah Hartenstein on one of the best value deals of the summer. Hartenstein is one of the better rim protectors in the league, and his offensive game has continued to develop. He’ll pair with a re-signed (if slightly overpaid) Mitchell Robinson to give the Knicks 48 minutes of quality center play.

To clear the space for Brunson and Hartenstein, New York salary-dumped the trio of Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker into the Detroit Pistons cap space. Injury and age-related issues made it unlikely any of the three would be major contributors for the Knicks this season. Essentially, New York didn’t lose much of anything in moving on here to make two major upgrades.

The next big decision was to ink RJ Barrett to a reported four-year, $120 million extension. While many are screaming about $30 million per season for Barrett, that lacks context. With the salary cap going up, that’s going to be the going rate for an All-Star level of player. And that’s exactly what Barrett should become over the next couple of seasons.

And, of course, the Knicks are still trying to get a Donovan Mitchell trade done. Most around the NBA expect this to happen, but it will have to wait until both New York ups their offer a bit, while the Utah Jazz simultaneously bring down their asking price a bit.

Assuming a Mitchell deal happens, New York will be in the mix for a top-six spot and an assured playoff spot. Without Mitchell, the Knicks are part of a pretty big group that will be fighting to make it through the Play-In Tournament. That’s the difference adding Mitchell will make in taking this from a pretty good offseason to an excellent one.

 

Philadelphia 76ers

Additions: Danuel House Jr. (free agency), De’Anthony Melton (trade), Trevelin Queen (free agency), P.J. Tucker (free agency), Julian Champagnie (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Danny Green (Grizzlies via trade), DeAndre Jordan (Nuggets via free agency), Paul Millsap (unrestricted free agent), Myles Powell (China via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis: The Sixers are making a title run by shoring up their defense and depth in the front court and on the wing. And Daryl Morey turned to some familiar faces to do so.

P.J. Tucker was coaxed over from the Miami Heat with a three-year deal for the full Non-Taxpayer MLE. That deal could look a little sketchy in a year or two, but Tucker should hold his value for at least the next season. He’ll give Philadelphia a solid backup 4/5 or he could start at the 4 if Doc Rivers goes a little bigger to open games. Tucker has slipped just a bit against quicker perimeter players, but he can hold up against anyone else.

Danuel House was brought in to help defend the bigger wings that often gave the 76ers trouble. He got the Bi-Annual Exception, which is more than fair value for what House can do as a 3&D player. Trevelin Queen was also added as a bit of a flyer to do similar work to House. He flashed potential with the Houston Rockets while on a Two-Way last season, so Queen is someone to keep an eye on.

In the backcourt/wing mix, Philadelphia swapped Danny Green and a first-round pick to bring in De’Anthony Melton. Melton immediately becomes the team’s backup combo guard behind James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. He should be an upgrade over Shake Milton, who was previously tasked with that role.

All of these additions were made possible by James Harden opting out and taking significantly less in a new deal. That freed up the necessary cap and tax flexibility for Morey to add to the roster. Harden signed a two-year, $68.6 million contract, but everyone expects he’ll opt out and then sign a long-term deal for max money next summer.

None of the players Philadelphia lost will likely have much of an impact. The team didn’t replace DeAndre Jordan with another veteran center, and that’s one of the few holes the Sixers still have to fill. Given Joel Embiid’s injury history, you’d like to have a proven veteran behind him. That’s something Morey can address down the line, if necessary.

It remains to be seen if Harden’s sacrifice will be worth it or not, but this is the best roster Philadelphia has taken into a season in a while. Everyone is healthy and hungry to advance beyond the second round. If Harden is back near his MVP form, the 76ers are title contenders. If not, they’re capped as a good, but not great playoff team.

 

Toronto Raptors

Additions: Juancho Hernangomez (free agency), Christian Koloko (2022 NBA Draft), Otto Porter Jr. (free agency), D.J. Wilson (free agency), Jeff Dowtin (Two-Way), Ron Harper Jr. (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Isaac Bonga (Germany via free agency), Armoni Brooks (waived), Svi Mykhailiuk (waived), Yuta Watanabe (Nets via free agency), David Johnson (restricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $2.99 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception, $5.25 million Traded Player Exception

Analysis: Toronto had an eventful offseason, but is mostly running back the same squad as last year’s talented team. Team president Masai Ujiri waded into trade talks for a couple of superstars, but held firm on keeping players the Raptors have put a high value on.

Scottie Barnes was deemed off limits in trade talks after he won 2022 Rookie of the Year. That’s a reasonable, and likely prudent, decision. Barnes is already good and still overflowing with potential to be better. Toronto has put a less firm, but still solid, stake in the ground on not trading OG Anunoby either.

Barnes and Anunoby, alongside veterans Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr give the Raptors a tough, versatile starting group on both ends of the floor. Behind them, Ujiri has done a good job giving Nick Nurse options to play both big and small, depending on what matchups call for.

The Raptors signed Thaddeus Young to a two-year extension, but left the second season most non-guaranteed should Young age out faster than expected. The team also re-signed Chris Boucher for additional frontcourt depth. Boucher has been a little all over the map, but if he can find consistency with his shot, he’ll be well worth the three-year, $35 million deal he got.

The most important new face is Toronto adding Otto Porter Jr. to their never-ending collection of forwards. How Porter fits in a crowded group at the forward spot is something Nurse will have to work out, but he’s on an excellent value contract.

Ujiri may not have swung a deal for Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert, but that doesn’t mean he’s not working on something. The Raptors are set to trade from a position of strength, especially at the 3-5 spots. When it’s time to go all in for a star, Ujiri will be able put together a solid package, while still leaving Toronto with plenty of depth.

Until then, the Raptors are a really good team. They’re a tier below the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but it won’t take much to make the step up. If Barnes develops, or they make a big trade, Toronto will be in the mix to make a deep playoff run.

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The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite the Los Angeles Lakers making a late push to rebuild their roster ahead of training camp and a Donovan Mitchell trade still floating around.

Teams are mostly adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Pacific Division is the home of the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors got fully back on track with a mostly-healthy season and won their fourth title in the last eight years. The champs fully intend to contend again this coming season. The Phoenix Suns slid back to the pack just a bit and missed out on a second straight Finals berth, but they’ll be back as contenders. The LA Clippers have to be healthier this season. If so, the Clips have the deepest roster in the NBA, and give the division a third title contender. The Los Angeles Lakers are less deep, but any team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis is starting from a good place. And if they can swing another late deal, they’ll be positioned to contend again. And then we have the Sacramento Kings. They aren’t quite on par with the rest of the division, but Sacramento isn’t a laughingstock anymore either. They’ve got a talented roster that is hungry is to win.

 

Golden State Warriors

Additions: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (2022 NBA Draft), Donte DiVincenzo (free agency), JaMychal Green (free agency), Ryan Rollins (2022 NBA Draft), Lester Quinones (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Nemanja Bjelica (Turkey via free agency), Andre Iguodala (unrestricted free agent), Damion Lee (Suns via free agency), Gary Payton II (Trail Blazers via free agency), Otto Porter Jr. (Raptors via free agency), Juan Toscano-Anderson (Lakers via free agency), Chris Chiozza (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis: The Warriors mainstays are all back. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are back to make another run at a fifth title. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole have grown into All-Star level players and are also back. In addition, Golden State re-signed Kevon Looney. That’s the top-six players in the rotation that are all returning.

It’s after that where things will look different. The Warriors lost key rotation players in Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. They also lost some of their deeper bench players who have all had moments in Damion Lee, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nemanja Bjelica.

The only major additions Golden State brought in were Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green. In effect, they’ll replace Payton and Porter. DiVincenzo was finding his way with the Bucks before an injury caused him to miss Milwaukee’s title run and a large chunk of last season. If healthy, he’ll be a shooting and playmaking weapon alongside Poole in the Warriors backcourt. Green is starting to slow down, but he’ll give the team a solid 10-15 minutes a night at the 4 or the 5.

The main difference for the Warriors this year is that their kids like James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody should have a runway to more minutes. If one of two of them pop, Golden State will have added depth for this upcoming season and a bridge to the post-Curry/Green/Thompson years.

This is a key year for Golden State. Ownership has made waves about curbing some of the record spending that occurs every year. That could see major roster upheaval happen next summer. But for this season, the Warriors should be right back in the mix for another championship.

 

LA Clippers

Additions: John Wall (free agency), Moussa Diabate (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Isaiah Hartenstein (Knicks via free agency), Rodney Hood (unrestricted free agent), Jay Scrubb (waived)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis: The Clippers offseason didn’t involve a lot of roster changes. But that doesn’t mean they’ll look like the same team next season.

John Wall finally worked a buyout with the Houston Rockets and he signed on with LA. Wall will likely back up Reggie Jackson initially, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Wall eventually take over the starting role. He reportedly looks healthy and feels good. Wall’s a candidate for a bounce-back season.

The team’s lone loss in free agency was a big one. When the Clips committed the Taxpayer MLE to Wall, Isaiah Hartenstein left for a bigger deal from the New York Knicks. That leaves LA shorthanded at the center spot behind Ivica Zubac. That’s something the team may eventually need to address beyond camp signing Moses Brown.

Speaking of Zubac, he was one of four Clippers veterans to land a new contract. Joining Zubac in reupping in Los Angeles were Nic Batum, Amir Coffey and Robert Covington. That foursome, along with the return of some injured stars gives Ty Lue the deepest roster in the NBA.

With Kawhi Leonard set to return and Paul George healthy after an injury-plagued season, the Clippers have star power and depth. There are at least 12 legitimate NBA players on this roster. Lue will have his work cut out for him to keep everyone happy with enough minutes. But LA will likely liberally rest players, making that an easier task than it seems.

The goal for the Clippers is to win the franchise’s first title. With a such a deep roster, anything but a Finals run will be a disappointment.

 

Los Angeles Lakers

Additions: Patrick Beverley (trade), Troy Brown Jr. (free agency), Thomas Bryant (free agency), Max Christie (2022 NBA Draft), Damian Jones (free agency), Juan Toscano-Anderson (free agency), Lonnie Walker IV (free agency), Scotty Pippen Jr. (Two-Way), Cole Swider (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Carmelo Anthony (unrestricted free agent), D.J. Augustin (unrestricted free agent), Kent Bazemore (Kings via free agency), Avery Bradley (unrestricted free agent), Wayne Ellington (unrestricted free agent), Talen Horton-Tucker (Jazz via trade), Dwight Howard (unrestricted free agent), Stanley Johnson (Jazz via trade), Mason Jones (unrestricted free agent), Mac McClung (Warriors via free agency), Malik Monk (Kings via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis: The Lakers continued their quest to build another title team around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Yes, Russell Westbrook is still in Los Angeles, but just about everyone else is gone.

After signing a bunch of veterans to one-year contracts a year ago, the Lakers let most of those same players leave this summer. In their places, LA went younger and more versatile. That alone should be an upgrade.

Leading the new-look Lakers will be Darvin Ham. After years of being an assistant to watch, Ham finally landed his first head coaching gig. It seems long overdue, as Ham appears to be more than ready for the bright lights of Los Angeles.

To this point, the biggest on-court addition for the Lakers was their most recent one. After a deal for Kyrie Irving never came together, Rob Pelinka traded for Patrick Beverley to give them team some additional guard depth. Beverley is easily the best perimeter defender on the roster, and he’s a good off-ball player as a cutter and shooter.

The Lakers had to give up Talen Horton-Tucker, but there wasn’t room or a fit for him in the team’s rotation. He was an on-ball creator on a team that already features several of those. Stanley Johnson was the best wing defender the Lakers have, but he was poised to be supplanted in the rotation anyway.

Of the free agent additions, they can be lumped into two categories: wings and centers.

The Lakers added Lonnie Walker IV to give the team the scoring punch they lost when Malik Monk headed to the Kings. Juan Toscano-Anderson should replace Johnson as the team’s energetic wing defender. And Troy Brown Jr. has talent, but he’s never put it all together. If he can just focus on getting out and filling lanes on the break and finding shooting space, Brown might finally pop.

Up front, Los Angeles went younger and more skilled by bringing back a couple of familiar faces. Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones are solid, if unspectacular centers. Bryant brings a good offensive game, but he’s not much of a defender. Jones has been a decent rim protector and rebounder. Overall, they should make a productive platoon.

Still, you get the sense this roster isn’t finished. Westbrook is still very available in trade. The Lakers have recently made it known they’re willing to trade both of their tradable first round picks in 2027 and 2029 if they can get back rotation upgrades. That’ll probably continue to drag on until the trade deadline, if Westbrook isn’t moved.

As is, the Lakers aren’t title contenders. In a deep Western Conference, it’ll be a fight for them to even make the playoffs. If they can flip Westbrook and bring back a couple of rotation players, then they’ll have the depth to make a run at a top-six spot and an assured playoff spot. If they do that and stay healthy, Los Angeles could even make a run at the Finals.

 

Phoenix Suns

Additions: Jock Landale (trade), Damion Lee (free agency), Josh Okogie (free agency), Duane Washington Jr. (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Aaron Holiday (Hawks via free agency), Gabriel Lundberg (Italy via free agency), JaVale McGee (Mavericks via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $6.5 million Taxpayer MLE

Analysis: Phoenix didn’t change much. They were a perplexing Game 7 blowout loss from making it back to the Western Conference Finals. Despite some drama with Deandre Ayton, the Suns are basically running it back with the group that made the 2021 NBA Finals.

Ayton’s restricted free agency hung over the summer longer than most expected. Phoenix held firm that they would give Ayton a four-year max deal, but wouldn’t go to a five-year deal. The Suns also said they’d match any offer sheets Ayton signed, and that’s exactly what they did. Now, Phoenix has Ayton on a slightly less expensive four-year deal after matching the Indiana Pacers offer sheet, than they would have from paying Ayton outright.

Still, keeping Ayton was the correct move. He’s not perfect, but Ayton fits in well with Chris Paul and Devin Booker and is one of the better scoring/rebounding centers in the league. Phoenix should be happy they’ve still got the young big man in the fold.

The Suns re-signed Bismack Biyombo to back up Ayton, while letting JaVale McGee walk for more money in free agency. Biyombo had a career resurgence last season, and he’ll be fine for 10-15 minutes a night behind Ayton.

Returning to the frontcourt mix this season should be Dario Saric. He missed the entirety of last season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 NBA Finals. If healthy, Saric gives Monty Williams a versatile offensive player to throw in the frontcourt mix.

Phoenix brought in Damion Lee, fresh off a title with the Golden State Warriors, and Josh Okogie to give the team some additional wing depth. At times, injuries caused Williams to play imbalanced lineups last season. Lee and Okogie should provide some decent depth, should that issue arise again.

There really isn’t much else to say. If healthy, the Suns are title contenders. They’ve got all the ingredients a championship team needs. And they’ve got enough tradable contracts to address any holes that crop up during the year. The title window might not stay open long in Phoenix, but they seem to be making the most of it while it is open.

 

Sacramento Kings

Additions: Kent Bazemore (free agency), Quinn Cook (free agency), Matthew Dellavedova (free agency), Kevin Huerter (trade), Sam Merrill (free agency), Chima Moneke (free agency), Malik Monk (free agency), Keegan Murray (2022 NBA Draft), KZ Okpala (free agency), Keon Ellis (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Donte DiVincenzo (Warriors via free agency), Maurice Harkless (Hawks via trade), Justin Holiday (Hawks via trade), Josh Jackson (unrestricted free agent), Damian Jones (Lakers via free agency), Jeremy Lamb (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $4.1 million of Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: Sacramento isn’t content with being the “same old Kings” anymore. They might not make the playoffs this season, but it won’t be for lack of trying.

The Kings added several rotation upgrades this summer that should make them a more competitive squad all the way through the regular season. And they didn’t sacrifice much in terms of future flexibility to do it either.

Keegan Murray landed in Sacramento at the draft and he already looks like a keeper. Murray can shoot, score and rebound at the forward position. He’s got the ideal player to learn from alongside him in Harris Barnes. Early on, Murray looks like a draft win for the Kings.

Sacramento upgraded their shooting and wing scoring by signing Malik Monk and trading for Kevin Huerter. Monk is the best shooter on the roster, and after a year playing with LeBron James, Monk knows how to get open to find his shots.

Huerter should be an ideal fit next to De’Aaron Fox in the backcourt. He’s got great size, he’s a better defender than most think, and Huerter is a good passer too. Like Monk, he’s also become adept at playing off-ball and drifting into spots where playmakers can find him for shots.

The Kings are going to get a full season with Domantas Sabonis, after last year’s deadline deal brought the All-Star big man to Sacramento. Sabonis’ passing and scoring should allow new head coach Mike Brown and staff to get creative with their offensive sets. They can run the offense through Sabonis or Fox, while players like Huerter, Barnes, Murray and Monk can play the role of secondary creators.

Brown should also bring better organization to the Kings defense. Sacramento isn’t flush with good defenders yet, but they should execute better with some sound schemes. It’s a start and one that should be miles better than what we’ve seen recently.

The playoff drought might not be quite ready to end, but this Kings squad should be firmly in the mix all year. If a team or two stumbles, and things come together quickly in Sacramento, a trip to the Play-In Tournament should be in the offing. That would be a good step forward for a franchise that hasn’t seen the postseason in any form in nearly two decades.

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The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite the Los Angeles Lakers making a late push to rebuild their roster ahead of training camp.

Teams are mostly adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Southeast Division is a mix of contenders, middle-of-the-pack squads and rebuilding teams. The Miami Heat are annually in the mix to the make the NBA Finals, and this season shouldn’t be any different. The Atlanta Hawks are looking to rebound and make an Eastern Conference Finals run like they did in 2021. The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards seem perpetually stuck around the Play-In picture. The Orlando Magic are the worst team in the division, but their future is arguably the brightest of any Southeast Division team.

 

Atlanta Hawks

Additions: A.J. Griffin (2022 NBA Draft), Maurice Harkless (trade), Aaron Holiday (free agency), Justin Holiday (trade), Frank Kaminsky (free agency), Tyrese Martin (2022 NBA Draft), Dejounte Murray (trade), Trent Forrest (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Sharife Cooper (waived), Gorgui Dieng (Spurs via free agency), Danilo Gallinari (Celtics after being waived by Spurs after trade), Kevin Huerter (Kings via trade), Kevin Knox (Pistons via free agency), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (unrestricted free agent), Skylar Mays (unrestricted free agent), Lou Williams (unrestricted free agent), Delon Wright (Wizards via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis:  The Hawks have retooled their rotation around mainstays Trae Young, John Collins and Clint Capela. Atlanta brought in what they hope will be more defense and shooting, as they attempt to get back into contention after a down season.

Dejounte Murray was by far and away the biggest addition the Hawks made this summer. It cost Atlanta Danilo Gallinari and multiple first-round picks, but it should be worth it. The only reason it’s a “should” is because Murray’s fit alongside Young will take a little while to sort out. Murray is used to having the ball a lot, and he’s not great off-ball. Young is also a ball-dominant playmaker and scorer. Assuming they can mesh, the Hawks will have dual point-of-attack players that can score and create looks for others. And Murray is easily best defender on this roster already.

Beyond adding Murray, Atlanta swapped Kevin Huerter for Maurice Harkless and Justin Holiday. This move was driven by luxury tax concerns, but the Hawks did well to land Holiday. He’s a dependable shooter and should see plenty of minutes off the bench. Huerter’s shooting and scoring, as well as his passing and defense (both are better than you probably think), will be missed. But essentially, Murray is replacing Huerter, while Holiday replaces Gallinari. It’s a different look, and a smaller team, but it’s not likely to be any sort of downgrade.

None of the other changes, many as they were, screams huge upgrade or downgrade. The Hawks filled out the back of the bench with some veterans, which should help if there are injuries. The team still has their full MLE, but they are already pushing up against the tax line. That one may remain whole for a while, but could see a portion used during buyout season after the trade deadline.

To this point, despite many, many rumors to the contrary, Collins remains in Atlanta. That’s a good thing, as the Hawks didn’t really have a replacement ready in house for all Collins does for them. If De’Andre Hunter can stay healthy, and Bogdan Bogdanovic gets over offseason knee surgery quickly, Atlanta has the star power and depth to challenge for a top-6 spot in the East.

 

Charlotte Hornets

Additions: Mark Williams (2022 NBA Draft), Bryce McGowens (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Miles Bridges (restricted free agent), Montrezl Harrell (unrestricted free agent), Isaiah Thomas (unrestricted free agent), Arnoldas Kulboka (Greece via agency), Scottie Lewis (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: Charlotte’s offseason was fairly uneventful in terms of players coming and going, but that wasn’t really the Hornets fault. And it definitely wasn’t the team’s plan for this offseason.

Shortly before free agency opened, both Miles Bridges and Montrezl Harrell ran into legal issues. Those situations are currently ongoing and have impacted the free agency for both players. It’s impossible to know what the Hornets plans were, had Bridges or Harrell not run afoul of the law, so we’ll keep the focus to what the team actually did roster-wise.

Mark Williams was added at the draft. Williams looks like a good value pick in the middle of the first round, as well as filling an immediate need on the roster. Like a lot of young bigs, it’s going to take him a little while to adjust to the NBA game, but once Williams does, he should be good. The Duke product is a solid finisher around the rim, and the Hornets are filled with good passers to set him up. Eventually, Williams should also fill the role of rim protector and rebounder that this team desperately needs.

The only other addition of note was bringing back Steve Clifford as the team’s head coach. But even that process was fraught, as the Hornets thought they had Kenny Atkinson in the fold, before Atkinson changed his mind and chose to stay with the Golden State Warriors. That pushed the team back to Clifford for a second run in the Queen City.

Clifford has a history of cleaning things up with his teams and getting them to play as a more organized and cohesive group. Charlotte has been a good team the last couple of years, but sloppy play, combined with injuries, has seen them capped as a Play-In team.

The Hornets were able to re-sign Cody Martin on a nice value contract. He’ll play a big role as the team’s primary backup wing. That’s a key spot, considering Gordon Hayward’s continued troubles staying on the court.

Charlotte does have their full MLE remaining, but the free agent pool is pretty shallow at this point. Considering the team is sitting $22.5 million under the tax line, and the Bridges situation seems likely to remain unresolved for quite some time, it feels like the team missed a chance to add an impact player there.

Overall, this offseason seems really “meh” for the Hornets. The legal issues hung over everything and have left this roster feeling very unfinished. Unfortunately, that’s likely to continue well into the season at this point.

 

Miami Heat 

Additions: Nikola Jovic (2022 NBA Draft), Darius Days (Two-Way), Marcus Garrett (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Markieff Morris (unrestricted free agent), P.J. Tucker (76ers via free agency), Mychal Mulder (waived), Ja’Vonte Smart (waived)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $4 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: Miami’s offseason was focused on retaining their own free agents, despite one key player getting away. Yet, the Heat will still be good. The question now becomes: How good?

P.J. Tucker left Miami for Philadelphia and the full Non-Taxpayer MLE. Miami could have given the same deal to Tucker, but it would have caused constraints elsewhere with the roster. It’s a big loss for the Heat, as they haven’t replaced Tucker in any sort of meaningful way.

Of all the teams that can be considered Finals contenders, Miami arguably has the biggest hole of anyone. They don’t really have a power forward on the roster, but they don’t seem overly concerned about it either. The Heat believe they can get by with smaller lineups that feature more offensive versatility.

Of the team’s offseason additions, Nikola Jovic is the biggest one, but he’s unlikely to have much of an impact this season. The young forward will log time in the G League, but he’s got a ton of potential to be a contributor down the line.

Miami was able to bring back all of Victor Oladipo, Caleb Martin and Dewayne Dedmon. Oladipo looked good in the playoffs last year, and should give Miami some scoring punch, whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Martin blossomed into a legitimate rotation player last season. He’ll start this year as one of Miami’s better 3&D options. Dedmon is back to provide frontcourt depth, but don’t be surprised if he’s surpassed by Omer Yurtseven in the rotation this season.

The major outstanding item for the Heat is an extension for Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro. The question there seems to be: How much can you pay a bench player? Of course, Herro has the potential to be much more than a bench player, but that’s his role for now. Projecting his impact as a full-time starter will drive how much Miami is willing to offer in a new deal.

The Heat have poked around trades for superstars like Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, but nothing has come to fruition… yet. Some of that has to do with a lack of big, tradable contracts for Miami, as well as lacking some draft assets moving forward.

It feels like there’s another move or two to come for the Heat. This is especially true with adding more size to the frontcourt. But don’t count out Miami. They’ll play hard and they’ll find a way to get what they need by the trade deadline. They always do.

 

Orlando Magic 

Additions: Paolo Banchero (2022 NBA Draft), Caleb Houstan (2022 NBA Draft), Kevon Harris (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Ignas Brazdeikis (Lithuania via free agency), Robin Lopez (Cavaliers via free agency), 

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $8.5 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: The Magic kept it simple this summer. They selected Paolo Banchero first overall at the 2022 NBA Draft. Then Orlando re-signed some of their own free agents. The team is committed to the rebuilding process and isn’t looking for shortcuts with their roster.

Banchero was the right selection for Orlando at the top of the draft. He’s got the highest floor of the top prospects, while also having a high ceiling. Banchero’s ability to shoot, score and pass will be an immediate boon to a Magic offense that struggles to create easy offense. And Banchero moves well enough on defense that he’ll hold his own on a team that has a lot of solid defenders already.

In the second round, the Magic snagged Caleb Houstan in part because his rep as a shooter. Orlando struggled at times to convert open jumpers, so having someone who can help open up the floor for the bigs and drivers is a key. Houstan will get his chances to fill that role.

In free agency, the Magic re-signed Mo Bamba, Gary Harris and Bol Bol. All three got fully non-guaranteed second seasons. That’s a key, because it makes them very attractive trade chips up to the trade deadline, should Orlando choose to go in that direction.

Bamba had a breakout season last year. He was better around the rim, but the big improvement came with Bamba consistently knocking down three-pointers. He was also better as a rim protector and rebounder, finally making good on some of that potential he had flashed as an interior defender.

Harris had a bounce-back season for the Magic. Many missed it, as Harris toiled in relative obscurity in Orlando, but he averaged 11.1 points on better shooting than he had shown in the last few years. Harris’ no-nonsense approach also fits in well with the team’s really young backcourt.

Markelle Fultz is fully recovered from a torn ACL after returning late last season. Jonathan Isaac should finally be back on the floor as well. He’s missed two-plus seasons with a variety of knee and leg injuries. And Jalen Suggs is healthy after an injury-plagued rookie season.

Having those players back, along with Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter and Cole Anthony, should give the team plenty of opportunities to see how this group fits together on the court. This year is about developing the kids, while figuring out how all of these players fit together. That’s the focus for now. Wins will come, but that’s at least a year away in Orlando.

 

Washington Wizards 

Additions: Will Barton (trade), Johnny Davis (2022 NBA Draft), Taj Gibson (free agency), Monte Morris (trade), Delon Wright (free agency)

Subtractions: Thomas Bryant (Lakers via free agency), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Nuggets via trade), Raul Neto (Cavaliers via free agency), Tomas Satoransky (Spain via free agency), Ish Smith (Nuggets via trade) Cassius Winston (Germany via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $2.7 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million of Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: The Wizards big move was re-signing Bradley Beal. That was priority one and it was accomplished about as soon as free agency opened. But Washington made other moves that should make a big impact on the team’s success this season.

Let’s start with Beal. Did the Wizards give him everything they possible could? They sure did. He got a no-trade clause, a trade bonus, a player option and one of the largest contracts in NBA history. Did Washington have to give Beal all of that? That’s a bit more complicated.

Beal is the Wizards franchise player. He wants to be in Washington. Those are important things that often get overlooked. He’s also really good…when he’s healthy. And that last part is the challenge. There’s a good chance that Beal’s deal looks bad by the fifth season, when the veteran guard will be 33 years old. And that’s when the no-trade clause might come into play.

But those are all things to worry about later for Washington. For this season, they have their guy back and that’s going to be huge for the Wizards.

Helping Beal will be reinforcements at point guard and on the wing. Washington traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith to get Monte Morris and Will Barton. Morris will step in and give the team the solid point guard play they lacked for most of last season. He did well when filling in for Jamal Murray as a starter the last two seasons in Denver, and he looks poised for an even bigger role in Washington.

Backing up Morris will be Delon Wright. Wright has bounced around some the last few seasons, but remains a good backup point guard. He’s also got enough size to play alongside Morris in some lineups, if necessary.

Barton will replace Caldwell-Pope as a different look on the wing. Barton is a slashing scorer, whereas Caldwell-Pope was the archetypical 3&D wing. On those nights when the jumpers aren’t falling, Barton is a guy who can go get you a bucket.

Washington is looking forward to a full season with Kristaps Porzingis, as well as development from a host of young players including Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura and Corey Kispert. Kyle Kuzma is also back after turning his best all-around season in the NBA.

The Wizards need everything to fit right, as well as injury-prone players to stay healthy. If that happens, this team will challenge for a playoff spot. If the fits are off, or injuries strike again, it’ll be back to the lottery for Washington.

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The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite Donovan Mitchell and a few others still being on the trade market, even if Kevin Durant no longer is.

Teams are adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Southwest Division was one of the best in the NBA last season. Four of five teams made the postseason. The Dallas Mavericks made a run to the Western Conference Finals, while the Memphis Grizzlies finished with the second-best regular season record in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans made it through the Play-In Tournament before pushing the heavily-favored Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. And the Spurs managed to squeak into the last Play-In spot. Finally, the Houston Rockets might have had the NBA’s worst record, but it was by design as they leaned heavy into the second year of their rebuild.

 

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Jaden Hardy (2022 NBA Draft), JaVale McGee (free agency), Christian Wood (trade), Tyler Dorsey (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Sterling Brown (Rockets via trade), Jalen Brunson (Knicks via free agency), Trey Burke (Rockets via trade), Marquese Chriss (Rockets via trade), Boban Marjanovic (Rockets via trade), Moses Wright (China via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis:  The Mavericks didn’t make a lot of changes to their roster this summer, but the few they did make should have major impacts. Let’s start with adding Christian Wood.

Dallas traded four players for Wood, but none were regular rotation players by the end of last season. Wood is an immediate upgrade over the Mavs other big men. He’s the best inside-outside scorer of the group and should give Luka Doncic a versatile pick-and-roll partner. The other Dallas bigs are either rollers or poppers. Wood can both roll to the rim and finish, or he can pick-and-pop. That gives the Mavericks a more offensive versatility.

One of the reports out of Dallas is that Wood may start the year coming off the bench, and that’s because the Mavs other big addition this summer was reportedly promised a starting spot. Should JaVale McGee be getting that sort of promise? Probably not. But McGee should help shore up the interior defense for a team that was solid everywhere else. Thus, McGee starts, at least to open the season.

No matter what the lineup constructions are, both Wood and McGee are going to play a lot and that’s going to help the Mavericks. They traded some perimeter scoring, ballhandling and playmaking for size, but the hope is Dallas has enough of the former still on the roster.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will likely take back his starting spot, and he’ll give the team another offensive creator alongside Doncic. While not an actual addition, Hardaway missed the entire playoffs, so he’s kind of a like a new face from when we last saw the Mavericks.

Still, Jalen Brunson is a big loss. He really came into his own last season, especially in the postseason. Replacing Brunson will be a combination of Hardaway being back, a little more from Spencer Dinwiddie and further growth from Josh Green. Just don’t expect much from Jaden Hardy in his rookie year. He’ll probably log more G League minutes than NBA minutes, even if he’s got the potential to be a rotation player down the line.

The Mavs are probably one tier below the best teams in the West, with Golden State, Phoenix, the LA Clippers and Denver ahead of them. But if any of those teams slide, Dallas is poised to step forward, much like they did a season ago.

 

Houston Rockets

Additions: Sterling Brown (trade), Trey Burke (trade), Marquese Chriss (trade), Tari Eason (2022 NBA Draft), Trevor Hudgins (Two-Way), Boban Marjanovic (trade), Jabari Smith Jr. (2022 NBA Draft), TyTy Washington (2022 NBA Draft)

Subtractions: Anthony Lamb (unrestricted free agent), Trevelin Queen (76ers via free agency), Dennis Schroder (unrestricted free agent), John Wall (waived), Christian Wood (Mavericks via trade)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception, $3.1M Traded Player Exception for Christian Wood

Analysis: The Rockets were awful last season. But that wasn’t unexpected. Houston was supposed to be bad. Yet, it was somewhat of an odd season.

The Rockets had losing streaks of 15 games, 12 games, eight games, seven games and five games. They also, oddly, had a winning streak of seven games. As a matter of fact, that streak immediately followed the 15-game losing streak.

At any rate, Houston landed near the top of the lottery where they selected Jabari Smith Jr. The 6-foot-10 combo forward is flush with talent. He’s got just as much potential as either of the players selected before him (Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren), but Smith’s fit with the Rockets might be even better.

Houston has added a whopping seven first rounders in the last two drafts. Smith should slot in as a stater next two one of last year’s picks, Alperen Sengun, in the frontcourt. While Banchero and Holmgren would have been good fits with Sengun too, Smith’s athleticism should pair even better with the ground-bound big man.

On the wing, the Rockets re-signed Jae’Sean Tate to a great value contract. Tate has become Houston’s best perimeter defender and his off-ball ability is a boon to the team’s offense.

Tate’s ability to play without the ball is important because the Rockets guards get a lot of usage. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are both solid scorers and playmakers. As they continue to grow and refine their games, they’ll likely become even better at setting up their teammates for scoring.

Houston also added Tari Eason and TyTy Washington at the draft. They’ll combine with a couple of last year’s first rounders, Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba, to make up what should be a very youthful bench. There’s a ton of potential there, even if will be a little wild and unharnessed at times.

After trading away Christian Wood to open up frontcourt playing time for the kids, Eric Gordon is somehow the last vet standing in Houston. Gordon is coming off another productive season, but as he’s now on a de facto expiring contract, it would be a surprise to see him remain with the Rockets past the trade deadline.

It’s probably going to be another year filled will losses for Houston. But their young core is as exciting as any in the NBA. And this team is going to have a few years to continue growing together, as so many of them were added in just last few seasons. Oh…and the Rockets project to have over $70 million in cap space next summer. So, yeah, the future is very bright in Houston.

 

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: Kennedy Chandler (2022 NBA Draft), Danny Green (trade), Jake LaRavia (2022 NBA Draft), David Roddy (2022 NBA Draft), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Two-Way), Vince Williams (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Kyle Anderson (Timberwolves via free agency), Jarrett Culver (unrestricted free agent), De’Anthony Melton (76ers via trade), Yves Pons (France via free agency), Tyrell Terry (waived)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $9.3 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: There was a thought that the 2022-23 season would be when the Grizzlies would start pushing forward after rebuilding. Memphis blew past those expectations by challenging for a playoff spot in the bubble, a playoff appearance two seasons ago and then by finishing with the NBA’s second-best record last season.

This offseason was about adding a bit more youth, while mostly keeping their cap space powder dry for future flexibility. In the process, Memphis lost a couple of rotation players, but they’re hopeful that some kids are ready to take on bigger roles.

At the draft, the Grizzlies traded De’Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers. Memphis got back Danny Green, but the real get was adding a second first-round draft pick. After draft night was over, the Grizzlies left with Jake LaRavia, David Roddy and Kennedy Chandler. The team hopes all three will eventually be rotation players.

Free agency was a similar mixed big. The team re-signed Tyus Jones. That was big, as Jones is a critical player being the backup to Ja Morant. But the Grizzlies lost do-everything forward Kyle Anderson. That one could come back to hurt them given some questions in the frontcourt.

Most importantly, Memphis got Morant to ink a five-year, max contract extension. Crucially, that is a full five-year deal without a player option on the end. The Grizzlies have their superstar and he’s in Memphis for the long haul.

The moves around the rotation leave the roster feeling a bit incomplete. Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the beginning of the season, adding to that incomplete feel. Last year’s first rounder Ziaire Williams will be asked to do more this season, while the Grizzlies hope one of LaRavia or Roddy is ready for some rotation minutes right away. A bounce-back season from Brandon Clarke will also go a long way towards helping replace Jackson’s production, along with what was lost with Anderson leaving.

Because the rest of the Western Conference is so strong, and Memphis will be missing Jackson for a while, the Grizzlies might take a bit of a step back this season. But that’s not the end of the world. They’re still away ahead of schedule and they’ve got a lot of flexibility to keep adding in the future.

 

New Orleans Pelicans

Additions: Dyson Daniels (2022 NBA Draft)

Subtractions: Tony Snell (unrestricted free agent), Gary Clark (unrestricted free agent), Jared Harper (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: No team had a quieter offseason than the New Orleans Pelicans. They added exactly one player to the standard roster and lost exactly one player from the standard roster. But that’s because New Orleans got a jump on the offseason at the trade deadline. Oh…and they’ve got a pretty big “addition” coming back too.

Dyson Daniels was the lone addition this offseason, and he may not see regular rotation minutes until next season at the earliest. Daniels is a combo guard with enough size to play the three, but the Pelicans rotation minutes 1-3 are basically spoken for. Look for Daniels to log a lot of development time with the Birmingham Squadron of the G League, which is good for him and a good sign of how much depth New Orleans has.

The big “addition” the Pelicans have coming is the return of Zion Williamson. After missing all of last season after a fractured foot, Williamson appears to be full-go for the start of this season. He’s arguably the best player any team has added to their rotation compared to last year.

Equally as important as Williamson being back this season is the five-year extension he signed with New Orleans. The Pels even have some protections against injuries in the deal, along with Williamson having to meet weight requirements. And if Williamson comes back and dominates like he did two seasons ago, he can qualify for Designated Player status and get a bump from 25% of the cap to 30%. It’s a win-win deal for both player and team.

New Orleans will also get a full season with C.J. McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. in the rotation. Those two, combined with Williamson, give the Pelicans a legitimately 10-deep rotation. And that’s with a few useful players in deeper reserve too.

New Orleans probably isn’t quite ready to break through to challenge the Warriors, Suns, Clippers and Nuggets at the top of the conference…yet. But if they have good health, and things mesh together well, this is probably the last year for a while that the Pelicans aren’t fighting for a spot at the top of the West.

 

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: Malaki Branham (2022 NBA Draft), Gorgui Dieng (free agency), Isaiah Roby (waivers), Jeremy Sochan (2022 NBA Draft), Blake Wesley (2022 NBA Draft), Dominick Barlow (Two-Way), Jordan Hall (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Devontae Cacok (unrestricted free agent), Jock Landale (Hawks (subsequently Suns) via trade), Dejounte Murray (Hawks via trade), Lonnie Walker IV (Lakers via free agency), D.J. Stewart Jr. (unrestricted free agent), Robert Woodard II (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $30 million in cap space, $5.4 million Room Exception (after cap space is used)

Analysis: The San Antonio Spurs appear to be finally leaning into rebuilding. At last year’s trade deadline, the Spurs traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics, and this summer they traded Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for three first round picks. San Antonio also let Lonnie Walker IV leave in free agency, which meant three former first-round guards left in the span of about five months.

Replacing those three? Three rookies who were selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Jeremy Sochan is the mostly highly-regarded of the three. He’s an NBA-ready defender, and a developing offensive player. Essentially, Sochan is exactly the kind of player the Spurs turn into an All-Star.

Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley both have a good deal of potential in the backcourt. Branham is more of a pure two-guard, as he’s a score-first player. Wesley has shown flashes of point-guard potential, and that’s likely where he’ll be developed initially. San Antonio doesn’t have a lot at the point guard spot beyond Tre Jones and sometimes point guard Josh Richardson.

The Spurs made a sneaky offseason pickup when they snagged Isaiah Roby off waivers after he was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Roby showed signs of being rotation-level big at times with the Thunder. San Antonio can afford to give him some more minutes in what appears to be a developmental year to see if there’s really a player in there or not with Roby.

The other big move by San Antonio was to ink Keldon Johnson to a team-friendly extension. Johnson got $74 million in a semi-descending contract. If you aren’t familiar with Johnson, you will be soon. He averaged 17 points on good shooting efficiency last season. This year, he’ll likely be the centerpiece of the Spurs offense, so those scoring numbers should climb even more. Johnson is really good and more people should know it.

Finally, the Spurs, along with the Indiana Pacers, will be everyone’s favorite “third team in” on multi-team trades. San Antonio is sitting on nearly $30 million in cap space. Next offseason, the Spurs should have over $45 million in cap space. If you need to move some money to make a deal work, San Antonio should be your first call.

Spurs fans have been begging the team for the last few years to stop chasing spots at the bottom of the playoff picture or in the Play-In Tournament. The team finally seems to have agreed and has kicked off a rebuild. They’ve got some solid young talent and a ton of flexibility, both cap-wise and with future drafts picks. They might be rebuilding right now, but don’t bet on San Antonio staying down for long.

NBA team-98 team-102 team-106 team-180 team-118

The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Despite a few big names languishing on the proverbial trade vine as the change from summer to fall approaches, rosters are largely finished.

Teams are adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Central Division was one in some flux last season. The Milwaukee Bucks remained title contenders, while the Chicago Bulls took a big step forward towards playoff relevancy. The Cleveland Cavaliers turned in their best post-LeBron season, while Detroit Pistons continued their rebuilding project around rookie Cade Cunningham. And the Indiana Pacers kicked off a long-awaited reset (rebuild?) and fell out of the playoff picture for the second straight season after a run of nine postseason appearances in the previous 10 years.

 

Chicago Bulls

Additions: Goran Dragic (free agency), Andre Drummond (free agency), Dalen Terry (2022 NBA Draft), Justin Lewis (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Troy Brown Jr (Lakers via free agency), Matt Thomas (unrestricted free agent), Tristan Thompson (unrestricted free agent), Tyler Cook (unrestricted free agent), Malcolm Hill (restricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $7.29 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE

Analysis:  The Bulls didn’t make many changes, but the ones they did make should be impact moves. After injuries ruined what was shaping up to Chicago’s best season in years, Arturas Karnisovas firmed up depth at some key positions.

Before we get to the additions, the Bulls key move was to re-sign All-Star Zach LaVine. Chicago and LaVine agreed to a max deal worth $215 million over five seasons. Had he stayed healthy, LaVine might have turned in an All-NBA season last year. The Bulls also re-signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a team-friendly deal for some additional forward depth behind DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams.

Andre Drummond gives Chicago a viable backup behind Nikola Vucevic. Ideally, with Vucevic turning 32 years old early in the season, he’ll see his minutes drop from the 33.1 per game he played last season. Drummond remains a good rebounder and solid play-finisher, so he should provide quality play when Vucevic sits.

Goran Dragic gives the Bulls incredible depth at the guard position. With Lonzo Ball’s availability after last season’s knee surgery still in question, Chicago didn’t want to be caught short at the lead guard spot. Dragic is 36 years old, but he’s still a solid shooter and scorer. On the nights when the veteran point guard doesn’t have it, Billy Donovan can lean more on Alex Caruso and last year’s second-round find Ayo Dosunmu for more minutes. Coby White also remains in the mix, but his future with the Bulls seems to be very uncertain.

Dalen Terry was a nice upside selection in the middle of the first round. He gives Chicago some size on the wing, which they lack behind their starters. This will probably be mostly a developmental year for Terry. Expect him to log plenty of time with Windy City of the G League.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Additions: Ochai Agbaji (2022 NBA Draft), Robin Lopez (free agency), Raul Neto (free agency), Ricky Rubio (free agency), Isaiah Mobley (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Moses Brown (Clippers via free agency), Ed Davis (unrestricted free agent), Rajon Rondo (unrestricted free agent), Brandon Goodwin (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $4.6 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: The Cavaliers took a major step forward in 2022. They landed in the Play-In Tournament before falling to the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks. Despite the disappointment of not making the playoffs, the future is brighter than it’s been in a while in Cleveland.

The Cavs were in position to make the playoffs outright for a lot of the season, but some late injuries caused them to slip in the standings. Last season’s injuries at both the center spot and the point guard spot seem to have been the impetus for the team’s offseason signings.

Robin Lopez was brought in to provide depth up front. Lopez probably won’t log a lot of time unless another center is out, but he’s become adept as a “stay ready” big.

Ricky Rubio was brought back after a mid-season trade sent him away to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Caris LeVert. Rubio was having a terrific season for Cleveland before tearing his ACL in late-December. He probably won’t return until around the holidays, but when he does, Rubio will give the Cavs terrific depth behind Darius Garland.

Until Rubio is back, Raul Neto will likely hold down the backup point guard spot. Neto is also very good at playing off-ball, so he may feature in some lineups with Garland and Rubio at times too.

Ochai Agbaji was a good flyer in the middle of the first round of the draft. Cleveland continues to look for wing depth, so Agbaji could find minutes if he plays well enough. The competition isn’t all that stout, so keep an eye on the rookie playing his way into the rotation.

The only real remaining question for Cleveland is with guard Collin Sexton. Sexton remains unsigned, and the restricted free agent and the Cavs reportedly aren’t close on a deal. Talks have remained ongoing and there’s no animosity, so hopefully this deal gets done sooner rather than later. Sexton’s scoring off the bench would be a boon to a team hoping to make a real playoff run this season.

 

Detroit Pistons

Additions: Alec Burks (trade), Jalen Duren (2022 NBA Draft trade), Jaden Ivey (2022 NBA Draft), Kevin Knox (free agency), Nerlens Noel (trade), Kemba Walker (trade), Buddy Boeheim (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Carsen Edwards (Fenerbahce via free agency), Luka Garza (unrestricted free agent), Frank Jackson (unrestricted free agent), Jamorko Pickett (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $5.5 million in cap space, $5.4 million Room Exception (after cap space is used)

Analysis: Despite having nearly $50 million in cap space available to them this offseason, the Pistons continued the rebuilding process. It was the right move for Detroit too, as taking shortcuts could have undone the progress Troy Weaver and crew have made over the last couple of years to clean up the cap sheet.

This summer’s work started at the draft. Detroit added Jaden Ivey with their own pick, and then picked up Jalen Duren by agreeing to eat Kemba Walker’s salary from the New York Knicks. Ivey should be an immediate starter alongside Cade Cunningham in the backcourt. Ivey’s scoring game should mesh nicely with Cunningham’s playmaking.

Duren might take a bit longer to join the starting lineup, but when he does, he should stick for a long time. Duren will be the athletic frontcourt weapon on both ends to finish plays for Cunningham and Ivey on offense, and to help cover for them at the rim on the other end.

The Pistons biggest move in free agency was re-signing Marvin Bagley III. While the deal was an overpay, it’s hardly a cap-crusher. Bagley played some of his best ball after landing in Detroit at the trade deadline. He’s still young enough to fit with the team’s youthful core. And Bagley fills a need for frontcourt size.

Kevin Knox was added as a low-cost flyer. Detroit has had some success with rehabbing players over the last couple of seasons. If Knox works out, the Pistons have a nice frontcourt player on a team-friendly deal. If not, Weaver can move on with nothing lost.

Walker is expected to bought out before training camp starts. Detroit has no reason to waive Walker just yet, and will exhaust any trade possibilities where Walker could be salary-matching first. Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel are in more interesting spots. Both could be nice veteran depth for a young team that is looking to take steps forward. Or either could be on the move. As long as they don’t take away too many minutes from the kids, almost anything Detroit gets out of either Burks or Noel is fine.

As for the kids, the Pistons collection features several other promising youngsters beyond the ones we already mentioned. Saddiq Bey has proven he’s a more than solid two-way player. Isaiah Stewart will be a terrific rotation piece as an energy big, at the very least.  And Detroit still hopes that Killian Hayes, Isaiah Livers and Saben Lee might pop and take their place as useful rotation players.

Sure, the Pistons didn’t make a splash in free agency. But just like sometimes the best trade is one you don’t make, the money you don’t spend is often the best too. This group is going to get another season of developing together and next summer might feature the spending spree Detroit fans have been waiting on.

 

Indiana Pacers

Additions: Bennedict Mathurin (2022 NBA Draft), Andrew Nembhard (2022 NBA Draft), Aaron Nesmith (trade), Daniel Theis (trade)

Subtractions: Malcolm Brogdon (Celtics via trade), Ricky Rubio (Cavaliers via free agency), Lance Stephenson (unrestricted free agent), T.J. Warren (Nets via trade), Duane Washington Jr. (waived), Nate Hinton (unrestricted free agent), Gabe York (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $29.6 million in cap space, $5.4 million Room Exception (after cap space is used)

Analysis: The Pacers have had a semi-quiet offseason, but not for lack of trying. And with nearly $30 million in leftover cap space, Indiana remains a team to watch leading up to the start of the season.

Indiana’s big addition was Bennedict Mathurin at the draft. Mathurin is a supremely confident wing that can shoot and score. He showed in Summer League that he should fit in perfectly as a long-time running mate for Tyrese Haliburton.

At the start of the offseason, the Pacers swapped Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics for Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis and a first-round pick. (Three other players were also acquired that have since been waived.) Nesmith struggled to find consistent playing time with Boston, but should have a shot at minutes in Indiana. With regular minutes, Nesmith may find the shooting rhythm that caused him to a lottery selection only a few years ago.

The Pacers biggest move was one that didn’t end up landing them the player they were chasing. Indiana gave a four-year, max offer sheet to free agent center Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns. The Suns quickly matched the offer. This was one where the Pacers would have landed a nice centerpiece had Phoenix not matched, but are out nothing since the Suns did match.

Indiana did re-sign big man Jalen Smith to a team-friendly deal for $15 million over three seasons. Smith played his best basketball after joining the team at the trade deadline, and he’s got plenty of upside left. Considering the Pacers were capped at how much they could pay Smith, they did well in this re-signing.

With nearly $30 million in remaining cap space, Indiana joins the San Antonio Spurs as everyone’s favorite “third team in” to make multi-team deals work. The Pacers are also still listening to offers for veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. They might be calling it a “reset” in Indiana, but it’s at least a partial rebuild. However, starting that rebuild with Haliburton and Mathurin, along with a boatload of cap space, is a pretty good spot to be in.

 

Milwaukee Bucks

Additions: Marjon Beauchamp (2022 NBA Draft), Joe Ingles (free agency), A.J. Green (Two-Way)

Subtractions: None

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis: The Bucks are running it back and no one should blame them for it. Milwaukee lost Khris Middleton during their first-round playoff series and then bowed out to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the second round. Had Middleton been available, we might be talking about the Bucks as repeat champions.

This offseason was mostly focused on re-signing their own players. Milwaukee gave Bobby Portis slightly more than $48 million over the next four seasons. That’s more than fair value for everything Portis brings the Bucks. With Brook Lopez aging, Portis can start or handle heavy minutes as the team’s third big.

The Bucks also re-signed Jevon Carter, who should give them solid depth behind Jrue Holiday at the point guard spot. George Hill is still around, but by the time the playoffs rolled around, it seemed clear that Carter should be getting the backup lead guard minutes.

Wesley Matthews and Serge Ibaka are both also back. Matthews’ role should lessen, assuming the Bucks are healthy on the wing this year. But Matthews is still a capable 3&D wing, even if he’s starting to struggle some with the quicker players. Ibaka is the team’s fourth or fifth big. That’s a role he can capably play, especially if he’s over the back issues that plagued him last season.

Milwaukee’s main offseason addition was Joe Ingles. We may not see Ingles take the floor until after the holidays, as he’s rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered in late-January. When he does play, don’t be surprised if Ingles takes on more of a role as a 3/4 player, as opposed to the 2/3 role he’s had in his career. Ingles is strong enough to defend backup fours, and his passing should be a boon to the backup units.

Marjon Beauchamp was a bigtime upside selection at the draft. If he can make shots and defend, the Bucks will have found themselves a player. He’s probably a couple of years away from making an impact as a rotation player, so look for Beauchamp to log lots of G League time this season.

Everything is in place for the Bucks to be a title contender next season. They’ll need better injury luck, but when you start you team around Giannis Antetokounmpo, you’re in a better place than the vast majority of the NBA.

NBA team-64 team-97 team-100 team-103 team-108

NBA teams have signed nearly 200 players to new contracts totaling over $4 billion in new money. While that seems like a staggering figure, it’s important to note that the NBA business is as healthy as it’s ever been.

The NBA and NBPA navigated through three pandemic-impacted seasons and have come out of them better than anyone expected. The cap rose from $112.1 million for 2021-22 to $123.6 million for 2022-23.

The cap projects to continue that upward momentum. The conservative projection for 2023-24 is $133 million, with the luxury tax line set at $161 million. By as soon as the 2025-26 season, it won’t be a surprise if the cap is over $150 million.

But that’s something to look at down the line. Even though the 2022-23 season hasn’t tipped off yet, several teams are clearly preparing for the 2023 offseason already. We’re using the conservative cap projection of $133 million as we take our first look at what the landscape might look like in the summer of 2023.

(Note: 2023 standings projections have been used here to determine 2023 NBA Draft selections and their corresponding cap holds. Projections on options, guarantees and renouncements have also been made. No trades have been projected for any teams.)

 

Cap Space Teams

  1. Houston Rockets - $70.1 million
  2. Detroit Pistons - $62.9 million
  3. Indiana Pacers - $53.1 million
  4. San Antonio Spurs - $46.3 million
  5. Utah Jazz - $33.4 million
  6. Oklahoma City Thunder - $32 million
  7. Orlando Magic - $31.7 million
  8. Cleveland Cavaliers - $25.1 million
  9. Memphis Grizzlies - $19.8 million
  10. Charlotte Hornets - $19.7 million
  11. Los Angeles Lakers - $19.1 million

11 teams project to have cap space in the summer of 2023. There’s a good chance a few others could join them too. And, of course, a few teams above could drop off this list as they continue to make roster moves.

The Rockets are looking at hitting the summer of 2023 with seven players on rookie scale contracts, Jae’Sean Tate on a team-friendly deal and another top-five draft pick. Even if Kevin Porter signs an extension, Houston will be in the mix for the most cap space in the league.

The Pistons are in a very similar boat. Six players on rookie scale deals, Marvin Bagley on a fully guaranteed deal and a likely top-10 pick. Detroit feels slightly more ready to take the next step than the Rockets (but only slightly!). That means that after a few years of collecting assets and renting out their cap space, Detroit could be a real player in free agency in 2023.

The Pacers are still sorting through their rebuild. They shipped Malcolm Brogdon off already and could do the same with Myles Turner too. That would leave Indiana without a lot of long-term salary obligations. That could make for a very quick retool of their roster, as opposed to a multi-year rebuild.

San Antonio is tearing things down almost fully. They signed Keldon Johnson to a very fair value extension. They’ve got Doug McDermott on the final year of his three-year deal at $13.75 million. Beyond that it’s basically all rookie deals. The Spurs are tanking, which has historically worked out well for them. The last two times they took this approach they ended up with David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Is Victor Wembanyama next?

Utah is in the same boat as the Spurs. This projection doesn’t factor in Donovan Mitchell being traded, but that seems likely to happen. In that case, the Jazz could be up near Rockets/Pistons territory as far as cap space goes. Cap flexibility, a ton of draft picks and some interesting young players? Sounds like a Danny Ainge rebuild is well underway in Utah.

Oklahoma City and Orlando are in the same boat. Great young talent, a few key players signed long-term and a ton of cap flexibility. They’re both on their way back up.

The final four teams are swing teams. If Cleveland re-signs Collin Sexton, they probably drop out of the cap space running. They can then stay over the cap and re-sign some key players. If they don’t re-sign Sexton, or he takes the qualifying offer, the Cavs are probably in the running to push for max cap space with another salary-clearing move.

The Grizzlies have a lot of different ways they can go, same with the Hornets. Memphis is clearly well ahead of Charlotte, because they have Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane, who are better than LaMelo Ball and question marks. But both teams could be players in 2023 free agency to add pieces around their young stars.

You might be surprised to see the Lakers land here, but with Russell Westbrook coming off the books, LA is in position to add around LeBron James (this projection reflects him either re-signing or his cap hold being retained) and Anthony Davis. There’s not much else on the books for the Lakers. If they trade Westbrook for a player signed long-term, or for a player they project to re-sign for big money, they’ll be right back in the same boat as the last couple of seasons with the Taxpayer MLE and minimums to fill out the roster.

 

Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

  1. Brooklyn Nets
  2. Chicago Bulls
  3. Minnesota Timberwolves
  4. Sacramento Kings

Cap flexibility is a bit of a division between haves and have-nots in the summer of 2023. That’s reflected by just these four teams looking like they’ll have the Non-Taxpayer MLE to use.

Brooklyn is obviously in a weird spot with the uncertainty surrounding Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. If both are gone, the Nets could even end up a cap space team next summer. For now, we’re going to put them here in the middle and, like everyone else, impatiently wait to see how their roster comes together.

The Bulls, Wolves and Kings are all swing teams. If they choose to move on from some of their veterans (Nikola Vucevic, D’Angelo Russell and Harrison Barnes), then they could all be cap space teams. If they retain their rights to re-sign them, or move them in deals to bring in other players, they’ll be over the cap. But all could still be far enough under the tax to use the full MLE.

 

Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

  1. Atlanta Hawks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. Denver Nuggets
  5. Golden State Warriors
  6. LA Clippers
  7. Miami Heat
  8. Milwaukee Bucks
  9. New Orleans Pelicans
  10. New York Knicks
  11. Philadelphia 76ers
  12. Phoenix Suns
  13. Portland Trail Blazers
  14. Toronto Raptors
  15. Washington Wizards

This is a pretty huge group of teams dancing around the luxury tax line. The thing all of these teams have in common is that they’re already locked in to the core of their rosters for at least the next two seasons.

Many of these teams have re-signed players to max or near-max deals in recent years. A few have pending free agents who will be pushing for a max deal next offseason. And a handful are already all but guaranteed to be over the tax.

Of this group, the teams that could end up with a bit more cap flexibility are Dallas, Portland, Toronto and Washington.

The Mavericks have a few key free agents, plus a couple of players on partially guaranteed contracts they could move on from. If so, they’d free up some space to make moves around Luka Doncic.

The Trail Blazers are only going to be flexible if they let Jerami Grant walk. That seems unlikely to happen, unless Portland draws a hard line at what they’ll extend Grant for. They’ll probably be right around the tax.

Toronto could potentially put themselves in position to have cap space, but that would mean moving on from Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. It’s more likely they’ll have those guys back, of have moved them in a trade, and that means the Raptors will be working around the tax line.

Washington has Bradley Beal on his massive new deal, but that’s really their only substantial long-term money. Their summer really hinges on what happens with Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. If either re-signs for big money, the Wizards will be up against the tax.

NBA

As we do each year when free agency winds down, we’re going to cover the 10 worst value contracts teams signed this offseason. Full disclosure: In the opposite of the 10 Best Free Agent and Extension Values, it’s getting harder and harder to find 10 bad or even questionable contracts. More and more it trends towards a “Kind of get it, but don’t like it” thought vs a truly bad deal.

A few notes:

  • Unlike the Best Values, you will see max contracts and max extensions here. Some of them are just sort of mind-boggling in terms of committed salary.
  • No 2022 Rookie Scale signees will appear here. Even if we think the pick was bad, the contract is what it is with Rookie Scale deals.
  • This isn’t necessarily a “worst contracts” list. That’s a different thing. We’re also limiting this to signings made during the 2022 offseason only.

Got it? On to the list!

 

Honorable Mentions

  • Minnesota trading for Rudy Gobert: We’re already breaking the rules! This isn’t a signing of any sort, but that’s how few bad deals there were this summer. Instead, we’re covering a trade!

It’s not that the Gobert trade was really bad, especially not for this upcoming season. It was just…a lot. Five players and essentially five picks went to Utah for Gobert. A 10-for-1 deal! The Timberwolves have to hope this leads to multiple playoff appearances at least, and Finals contention at most. Otherwise, what was it all for?

  • Detroit trading for Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel: The Pistons eating contracts is a great use of their cap space. Especially ones that are effectively one-year deals. But Detroit only got two second-round picks in this deal. Why is that a bad return for renting out some cap space? The Knicks HAD to do this trade to clear the cap space to sign Jalen Brunson. The Pistons should have squeezed them for more draft capital.

 

On to the 10 Worst Free Agent Values of the 2022 Offseason!

  1. Marvin Bagley III – Detroit Pistons – three years, $37.5 million: 

Who were the Pistons bidding against here? This deal came together so quickly, that it seems like the conversation was one proposal by one side and an immediate accept from the other. Bagley played pretty good in Detroit. He may end up being a fine value at $12.5 million for each of the next three seasons. But he would have been even better value at $8-10 million for each of the next three seasons.

 

  1. Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers – two-year, $121.8 million extension: 

We’re going to hit a couple of veterans in similar boats here. Lillard gets the first nod because of the staggering amount of money this extension is for. $61 million-plus for two seasons? His age-35 and age-36 seasons no less. It’s highly respectable that Lillard wants to make it work in Portland. And, yes, the cap is going to go way up. But this deal is linked to that rise to at least some extent. It’s just staggering to think of a small guard, who has already had several injury issues, making more than $60 million at Lillard’s age in the 2026-27 season.

 

  1. Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards – five years, $251 million: 

This one is about the money and the extras that Beal got. He now has the NBA’s only true, negotiated no-trade clause. He also has a player option on Year 5 of his new deal. Oh, and he’ll make $50 million per year too, topping out at $57 million in Year 5. This deal runs through Beal’s age-33 season. Like Lillard, it’s respectable he wants to win in Washington. And the Wizards were a little caught here, because Beal is their franchise guy. But the money wasn’t enough? Why include the no-trade clause too?

 

  1. Anfernee Simons – Portland Trail Blazers – four years, $100 million: 

To start off with, Simons is a terrific and improving young player. He’s also still relatively unproven. Committing $25 million per season, without any sort of team protection, is a lot. The Blazers also just split up their small, score-first backcourt. Now, they’re right back in the same spot. That makes this a bit of a questionable investment when you add it all up.

 

  1. Jusuf Nurkic – Portland Trail Blazers – four years, $70 million: 

It’s apparently “pick on Portland” time here. But this Nurkic deal screams Bird Rights Trap more than any other this offseason. The Blazers had no other center on the roster. They couldn’t replace Nurkic for a similarly salaried player if he left. So, they re-signed him to a questionable contract. Prototypical Bird Rights Trap. If nothing else, this deal could (should?) have been a descending contract or the final year could (should?) have been partially guaranteed, if not fully non-guaranteed. It’s all just too much for a good, but not irreplaceable player.

 

  1. JaVale McGee – Dallas Mavericks – three years, $17.2 million: 

We’re at the “Why so much for that veteran?” portion of the list. The good news? Dallas ended up giving McGee about $3 million less than was originally reported. The bad news? It was still a three-year deal for a 34-year-old center on a team that didn’t really need a center all that badly. The worse news? This might push Christian Wood to the bench. That’s just weird, given Dallas just traded for Wood. The worst news? McGee has a $6 million player option the third year, which comes just as the Mavs books clear up considerably for another run at free agents.

 

  1. P.J. Tucker – Philadelphia 76ers – three years, $33 million: 

Tucker is a nice fit for Philadelphia, but a bit of an odd one. If he starts, Tobias Harris has to play the three. That kind of offsets Tucker’s impact defensively in the starting group. If he comes off the bench, Tucker isn’t really a perfect backup for Joel Embiid. And if Embiid misses time, the Sixers still need a real center to fill in for him. Finally, that $11.5 million player option in Year 3, when Tucker will be 40 years old already looks really bad.

 

  1. Dewayne Dedmon – Miami Heat – two-years, $9 million: 

This one isn’t bad as much as it is weird. Dedmon seems like a minimum salary big man at this point. The Heat couldn’t even play him by the end of their playoff run. Omer Yurtseven might already be better as a backup for Bam Adebayo. Even with a fully non-guaranteed second season, $4.7 million for this year is a lot for Dedmon. But (there’s always a but with Miami) the Heat were lacking midrange tradable contracts. That’s something to keep an eye on when we get to trade season.

 

  1. Mitchell Robinson – New York Knicks – four years, $60 million: 

The Knicks current front office has been great about smartly structuring contracts. Their deals generally include some level of team control on the final season, either a team option or a non-guaranteed year. Robinson’s deal has neither of those protections for New York. It is a descending deal, however, and the average salary is fine. The commitment is a bit odd though. Isaiah Hartenstein has less upside, but may be a more reliable player right now than Robinson. And New York made a decent-sized investment in signing Jericho Sims too. That’s a lot of money tied up in the center spot, even if none of it is truly bad money.

 

  1. Lu Dort – Oklahoma City Thunder – five years, $82.5 million: 

Dort’s deal isn’t actually bad. It’s just kind of long. The last time OKC committed this long of a deal to a non-max player, they ended up waiving and stretching Kyle Singler’s weird contract. Given that the Thunder have a team option on the final year, this is more like $16 million a year over four years. That looks better. But, even then, it’s starting to be a crowded roster in Oklahoma City. And Dort only just barely cracked 40% shooting last year. Will playing time be so easy to come by in Years 2-4 of this deal? If not, that’s a lot of money for a “No-3&D” backup wing.

 

Final Thought

As you can probably tell by the reluctant inclusions of Dewayne Dedmon, Mitchell Robinson and Lu Dort on this list, it’s getting harder and harder to find bad contracts in the NBA. Teams have been smarter about not committing major money to non-max players. At least in free agency. Most of the questionable money comes from overpaying to keep their own players.

In fact, eight of the 10 deals we picked were re-signings. And they came in all sorts of manners. Extensions, Bird Rights Trap and just plain odd valuations made up that group of eight questionable deals. NBA teams find it hard to let go, even when they probably should.

The real takeaway here: none of these deals are truly bad. They belong in the questionable category, if even that. It seems that the truly bad overpays are now reserved for trades (and that’s before we see what happens with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell), as opposed to signings and re-signings.

NBA Offseason

As we do each year when free agency winds down, we’re going to cover the 10 best value contracts teams signed this offseason. Full disclosure: It’s getting harder and harder to trim this list to just 10. Teams have gotten increasingly better about finding good value deals in recent years.

A few notes:

  • You won’t see any max contracts on here, nor max extensions. Even if you think it’s fair to pay a player $100 million per season, that’s not allowed. So, no matter how good it looks that teams got some players to ink max deals, they won’t show up here.
  • No 2022 Rookie Scale signees will appear here either. Like a max deal, it’s nearly impossible to do better than teams already do on these deals.
  • This isn’t necessarily a “best contracts” list. That’s a different thing. We’re also limiting this to signings made during the 2022 offseason only.

Got it? On to the list!

 

Honorable Mentions

  • Rookie Scale Extensions: We’re going to break a rule here, but just slightly. The New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers signing Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and Darius Garland to full max extensions would be breaking the “no max contracts” rule, but there’s a wrinkle. None of these guys have a player option on their fifth year. That’s a massive win for their teams and that’s why they are included here. They now have their stars for the next five years and that’s enormous for three rapidly improving small market franchises.
  • Otto Porter Jr. – Toronto Raptors: Porter’s deal is going to pay him just $6 million this season. But it’s functionally a one-year deal with Porter having a player option on Year 2. Great value, but it’s very short-term. That kept it off the list.
  • Bruce Brown Jr. – Denver Nuggets: Basically, the same situation as Porter. Getting Brown for the Taxpayer MLE of roughly $6.5 million is a terrific signing for the Denver Nuggets. But it’s also functionally a one-year deal, because Brown has a player option on Year 2.

 

On to the 10 Best Free Agent Values of the 2022 Offseason!

  1. James Harden – Philadelphia 76ers – reportedly two years, $68 million: 

The Sixers and Harden are reportedly putting the finishing touches on a deal worth roughly $68 million over two seasons. Yes, Year 2 will be a player option, but that’s all by design. Normally, a deal this short wouldn’t make the list, but Harden opted out $47.4 million to take considerably less from Philadelphia. He’ll then opt out next summer and go back up to a max or near-max deal. But it was that opt out this offseason that allowed the team to add P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. That’s basically three players for $50 million or so this season. That’s tremendous value for the Sixers.

 

  1. Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs – reportedly four-year, $80 million extension: 

When news of this one first dropped, some responses were “How much?”, but Johnson is worth every penny. $20 million average annual value (AAV) for Johnson is actually a great deal for San Antonio. Johnson averaged 17 points on 13.5 field goal attempts per game last season on 47/40/76 shooting splits. Next year, Johnson will be the face of the Spurs. Don’t be surprised when he’s a breakout player and putting up over 20 points per game on solid efficiency.

 

  1. Kevon Looney – Golden State Warriors – three years, $25.5 million: 

Looney was just the starting center on a championship team. That alone would make you think a deal for the full Non-Taxpayer MLE starting around $10.5 million was coming for Looney. Instead, Golden State got him for three years and only $19.5 million guaranteed. Looney was one of only five players to appear in all 82 games last season. He’s a good rebounder and terrific defender. Getting him for under the MLE in AAV is tremendous value for the champs.

 

  1. Jae’Sean Tate – Houston Rockets – three years, $20.6 million: 

Tate played well enough that Houston re-signed him a year earlier than they needed to. That’s a huge win for Tate. On the Rockets side, they got great value here, as they are paying their best defender well under the MLE in AAV. And Houston has a team option on Year 3, which is also big for them. The Rockets have a roster stacked with young talent, and more picks on the way. Having flexibility to trade or get out of a deal is important. This is a true win-win contract.

 

  1. Tie: Cody Martin – Charlotte Hornets – four years, $31.4 million: 

It’s only fitting that the twins come in tied on our list. Cody gets the ever-so-slight nod, because his deal is really a three-year, $22.7 million contract, with a fully non-guaranteed fourth year. But that $7-8 million AAV for a good 3&D wing is terrific work by the Hornets.

 

  1. Tie: Caleb Martin – Miami Heat – three years, $20.4 million: 

Caleb Martin gets nudged slightly behind his brother, because he has a player option on Year 3. That could put the Heat in a tough spot in a couple of years. But Miami still got great value for the Taxpayer MLE amount for a player who should have played more in the Eastern Conference Finals.

 

  1. Gary Payton II – Portland Trail Blazers – three years, $26.1 million: 

Payton cashed in being a champion with the Golden State Warriors, but he also benefitted from the champs being a bit cost-conscience this summer. When the Warriors wouldn’t pay Payton, he headed north on a really solid contract for the Blazers. Year 3 is a player option, but for the next two years Portland gets an elite perimeter defender to put with a guard group that desperately needs a defender. Payton will fit in perfectly in the three-guard rotation with Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. And if that 36% three-point shooting holds up, Portland will look even better here.

 

  1. Ricky Rubio – Cleveland Cavaliers – three years, $18.4 million: 

The Cavs did well to get Rubio back. He was playing great for them before tearing his ACL. Cleveland’s guard-play behind Darius Garland really fell apart after Rubio got hurt. That was a big part in the Cavaliers slipping in the standings. Rubio might not be ready to go until mid-season, but that’s fine. The Cavs will get a boost ahead of the trade deadline with an “acquisition” of sorts, just as Darius Garland might need his minutes dialed back a bit. And if Rubio can’t make it all the way back, or can’t hold up, the final year is only partially guaranteed, giving Cleveland an easy out.

 

  1. Ivica Zubac – LA Clippers – three-year, $32.8 million extension: 

The Clippers did well to get their starting center signed to a new deal before the league year changed over. Because LA was sort of an average team last season, many may have missed just how good Zubac was. He was a nightly double-double threat, while holding down the backline of the defense. And he did so in just 24 minute per game. Look for his playing time and stats to bump up slightly, which will be good news for this year’s Clippers as a title contender.

 

  1. Malik Monk – Sacramento Kings – two years, $19.4 million: 

This contract was a win for the Kings. Not only did a quality free agent choose Sacramento, but the Kings didn’t have to give him a player option on the second year. Sacramento needed perimeter shooting and bench scoring, and they got it in Monk for slightly less than the full Non-Taxpayer MLE. That’ll be huge as they build their roster around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis over the next two seasons.

 

  1. Isaiah Hartenstein – New York Knicks – two years, $16 million:

Hartenstein is really good. He might even be better than Mitchell Robinson, who the Knicks paid over twice as much over the next two seasons. No matter what, New York locked down 48 quality minutes of center-play for the next two seasons. In Hartenstein, the Knicks got a big man who can defend, rebound, pass and finish. Hartenstein is also showing signs of extending his range too. For less than the Non-Taxpayer MLE, that’s tremendous value.

NBA Offseason

Almost immediately after the Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals, the criticisms started. Their fourth title in eight years was called a “checkbook win”. There’s also been reporting that Joe Lacob’s fellow NBA governors are upset about the Warriors lavish spending.

To be fair, Golden State has outspent the rest of the NBA by a wide margin over the last half-decade or so. That’s a fact.

Last season, the Warriors were over $39 million over the luxury tax line. That amount, combined with the subsequent penalties for being so far over the tax, plus being a luxury tax repeater team, hit Golden State with a total tax bill of over $170 million.

The second-most expensive team in terms of total tax bill? The Brooklyn Nets at roughly $97.7 million. Third on the list were the LA Clippers at $83 million.

That’s $72 million to $87 million more than the next two most expensive teams in the NBA last season. Even more staggering? The Warriors paid far more in luxury taxes than the other four tax teams did combined. The Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers combined to pay approximately $131.7 million in tax payments last season. That’s more than $38 million less than the Warriors.

The other 23 teams? No tax payments at all. They all got a check from the tax teams that totaled about $11 million per non-taxpaying team.

Even if you consider the Nets and Clippers to be within range of the Warriors, that still leaves 27 teams fighting to catch the champs in terms of spending. Thus, the bellyaching that Golden State is operating in a realm the rest of the NBA can’t hope to play in.

Boo hoo. Grab a tissue and wipe your tears while the world’s smallest violin plays a somber tune for your melancholy.

Yes, small market teams probably can’t spend what the Warriors are spending. That is true. The TV and metro markets of teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies are a fraction of that of Golden State’s market. They’d have struggles keeping up that level of spending over a period of a few years, never mind over the bulk of a decade.

But the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz are in markets as small as the teams listed above and both were luxury tax teams last season. The “small market” Portland Trail Blazers have regularly been tax payers too.

Market size clearly doesn’t, and shouldn’t, dictate ownership’s willingness to pay the tax. When you have the right team, you pay for it. Compete for titles, and you get expensive. That’s just how it works in the NBA. Even the small-market-example-of-excellence Spurs regularly paid the tax when they were competing to win the Finals.

And that’s the real crux of this argument. Have the Golden State Warriors bought championships, à la the accusation often leveled at the George Steinbrenner-era New York Yankees?

No. Or, at least, not exactly.

Since the Warriors won their first title in 2016, they’ve paid the tax in five of eight seasons. In their four championship seasons, Golden State has only actually paid the tax in two of those years.

Now, this year’s tax bill got a bit out of control. But that’s come from years of spending starting to add up, as opposed to a one-year, or series of one-year, spending sprees. That’s one place where the comparisons to the Yankees fall apart.

The other place the Yankees comp comes up short? The Warriors aren’t building the bulk of their roster through free agent signings and trading for players other teams can no longer afford.

Here’s the Warriors roster from last season and how they acquired each player:

  • Nemanja Bjelica – 2021 Minimum Exception
  • Stephen Curry – 2009 Draft
  • Draymond Green – 2012 Draft
  • Andre Iguodala – 2021 Minimum Exception
  • Jonathan Kuminga – 2021 Draft
  • Damion Lee – 2018 Minimum Exception
  • Kevon Looney – 2015 Draft
  • Moses Moody – 2021 Draft
  • Gary Payton II – 2021 Minimum Exception
  • Jordan Poole – 2019 Draft
  • Otto Porter Jr. – 2021 Minimum Exception
  • Klay Thompson – 2011 Draft
  • Juan Toscano-Anderson – 2020 Minimum Exception
  • Andrew Wiggins – 2020 Trade
  • James Wiseman 2020 Draft
  • Chris Chiozza – 2021 Two-Way
  • Quinndary Weatherspoon – 2021 Two-Way

Here’s how those acquisitions break down:

  • Draft – 8 players
  • Minimum Exception – 6 players
  • Two-Way – 2 players
  • Trade – 1 player

Outside of Andrew Wiggins, every player on the roster was acquirable by a means available to every other team. With eight players acquired via the draft, the Warriors are one of the more homegrown teams in the NBA. Funnily enough, the highest-drafted of those eight players, James Wiseman, didn’t even appear in a game last season.

Now, that homegrown talent has largely blossomed and they’ve signed very lucrative contract extensions, followed by second and third extensions by some of the players. That’s largely what pushes Golden State’s salary plus tax commitment into the stratosphere.

Yes, they acquired Wiggins through a chain of transactions that relates back to signing Kevin Durant as a free agent. But even that original Durant acquisition wasn’t about just overpaying and “buying” a title. That 2016 signing was aided by a cap spike and the vastly under-market deal of Stephen Curry at the time.

After his initial 1+1 deal, Durant opted out. He did the same thing one more time. In total, Durant signed three different deals with the Warriors to keep pushing his salary higher. But when Durant wanted to leave, Golden State didn’t just let him walk. They kept that salary slot alive by working a double sign-and-trade to acquire D’Angelo Russell.

About seven months later, Russell was flipped for Wiggins, and his then-seen-as toxic contract. Two-and-a-half seasons and a title later, opinions on Wiggins’ deal have softened or flipped entirely.

In total, the Warriors made one chained-together set of deals that turned Durant into Russell into Wiggins that was even remotely enabled by their ability to spend.

Beyond that Durant-Russell-Wiggins salary slot, of which you can find a similarly exorbitant deal on the books of almost every team in the NBA over the last decade, all the Warriors have done is paid to keep their own players, while largely filling out their roster with minimum signings.

Which begs the questions: Was Golden State supposed to let their own players leave? Are the Warriors to be faulted for drafting and developing, and then paying, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson? How about Jordan Poole when he’s next to sign a big new deal?

If the answer is no, then what’s the crying about? The name of the game, for all 30 NBA teams, is always “draft and develop” first. The Warriors have simply been better at that than most for a decade.

The next logical question becomes: Can, or could, any other team have continued to up their salary plus tax commitment over a long period to keep a title team together?

This one is a little more complicated. But outside of the situation where James Harden was traded from Oklahoma City to Houston, what title contender has ever failed to pay to keep an All-Star around? To go a bit further: what team, in general, has lost an All-Star in the last 20 years because of salary concerns?

Yes, that was answering a question with more questions. But the answer to number of All-Stars leaving because their teams wouldn’t pay them is exactly zero. 0. None. Nada. Nil. Zilch. When All-Stars have left teams, it’s been to try to win somewhere else, often at the cost of giving up salary by leaving.

In an era where there are often complaints about super teams and players jumping from team to team seemingly on a whim, Golden State Warriors has built a team of mostly homegrown players and they’ve won more than anyone else over the past decade.

Instead of complaining about the Warriors largesse and skyrocketing tax bills, maybe the fingers should be pointed in the other direction. Why aren’t more teams drafting and developing better? And then, if they do, why aren’t they able to keep those teams together?

The answers to those questions probably aren’t money-based. Those teams didn’t stay together because of other reasons, often driven by failures of the teams or the players on those teams to win enough to keep everyone happy and home.

In a league where every team is owned by billionaires, it’s true that the Golden State Warriors have outspent everyone else. Not because they are the only ones who can, but because they’re the only ones who have. And it’s because they’ve outplayed everyone else during that same period and kept their team together in an era where that rarely happens. That’s a combination that should be applauded and respected instead of abhorred and reviled.

NBA Golden State Warriors

Signing a free agent player to a Top-5 free agent contract in the NBA is no recipe for long-term stability with the team the player signs with. Of the 35 players that were signed over the last 7 free agency periods (Top-5 signed contracts per the last 7 years), 45% of those contracts had some kind of movement, trade or waived, before the contract expired. 40% of the contracts had been traded before the contract had expired, but when looking at the period of 2015-16 through 2018-19, a four-year span, that number goes up to 75%. Moreover, a few of the contracts (Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul, Otto Porter Jr.) had been traded two times within that signed contract.

 

Movement over the last 7 years (through June 26, 2022):

  • Players traded at least once within contract: 14 (40%)
  • Players extended before the end of the contract: 5 (14%)
  • Players waived at some point before contract expires: 2 (5%)



While the last three free agency periods have a majority of the players with the teams they signed, it is already been rumored that a few players are already on the trade block:

  • Tobias Harris (PHI) has been rumored numerous times over the last 12 months
  • Kevin Durant (BKN) is now mulling his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets
  • Anthony Davis (LAL) has been rumored of recent to possibly be traded
  • John Collins (ATL) has been rumored to potentially be traded before the new league year begins
  • Duncan Robinson (MIA) has come up in reports as to what to do with him and his contract moving forward

 

If the trend from 2015-16 through 2018-19 continues into the contracts signed from 2019-20 through 2021-22 where the players having been rumored to be traded becomes a reality, we’re talking about a around a 50-75% chance that a player who signs a Top-5 contract in a free agency period is likely to be moved at some point before the contract expires. If you are a fan of any of the top signed free agents moving forward, beware that that player is likely going to get moved at some point in the future - most likely Year 3 or Year 4 of that contract based on what has transpired in the past. 

 

2015-16 

Marc Gasol

Signed with: Memphis Grizzlies

Contract Signed: 5 year, $113,211,750 (AAV: $22,642,350)

What Happened? 

  • Traded in Year 4 to Toronto

 

Kevin Love

Signed with: Cleveland Cavaliers

Contract Signed: 5 year, $113,211,750 (AAV: $22,642,350)

What Happened?

  •  Signed a 4 year $120 million extension with Cleveland in Year 4

 

Kawhi Leonard

Signed with: San Antonio

Contract Signed: 5 year, $94,343,125 (AAV: $18,868,625)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Toronto in Year 4

 

Jimmy Butler

Signed with: Chicago Bulls

Contract Signed: 5 year, $92,339,878 (AAV: $18,467,976)

What Happened? 

  • Trade to Minnesota in Year 3 
  • Traded to Philadelphia in Year 4
  • Declined Player Option for Year 5 to become an Unrestricted Free Agent

 

DeAndre Jordan

Signed with: LA Clippers

Contract Signed: 4 year, $87,616,050 (AAV: $21,904,013)

What Happened? 

  • Declined Player Option in Year 4 to become an Unrestricted Free Agent

 

2016-17 

Mike Conley

Signed with: Memphis Grizzlies

Contract Signed: 5 year, $152,605,578 (AAV: $30,521,116)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Utah in Year 4

 

DeMar DeRozan

Signed with: Toronto Raptors

Contract Signed: 5 year, $139,000,000 (AAV: $27,800,000)

What Happened? 

  • Trade to San Antonio in Year 3

 

Bradley Beal

Signed with: Washington Wizards

Contract Signed: 5 year, $127,171,313 (AAV: $25,434,263)

What Happened? 

  • Signed a 2 year extension with Washington going into Year 4 

 

Andre Drummond

Signed with: Detroit Pistons

Contract Signed:  5 year, $127,171,313 (AAV: $25,434,263)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Cleveland in Year 4
  • Waived via buyout by Cleveland in Year 5

 

Nicolas Batum

Signed with: Charlotte Hornets

Contract Signed: 5 year, $120,000,000 (AAV: $24,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Exercised Player Option in Year 5
  • Waived and stretched by Charlotte 13 days after exercising Player Option



2017-18 

Stephen Curry

Signed with: Golden State Warriors

Contract Signed: 5 year, $201,158,790 (AAV: $40,231,758)

What Happened? 

  • Signed a 4 year $215 million contract extension with Golden State going into Year 5

 

Blake Griffin

Signed with: Detroit Pistons

Contract Signed: 5 year, $171,174,820 (AAV: $34,234,964)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Detroit in Year 1
  • Waived via buyout in Year 3

 

Gordon Hayward

Signed with: Boston Celtics

Contract Signed: 4 year, $127,829,970 (AAV: $31,957,493)

What Happened? 

  • Declined Player Option in Year 4 to become an Unrestricted Free Agent

 

Jrue Holiday

Signed with: New Orleans Pelicans

Contract Signed:  5 year, $126,000,000 (AAV: $25,200,000)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Milwaukee in Year 4

 

Otto Porter Jr.

Signed with: Brooklyn Nets

Contract Signed: 4 year, $106,524,975 (AAV: $26,631,244)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Chicago in Year 2
  • Traded to Orlando in Year 4

 

2018-19 

Chris Paul

Signed with: Houston Rockets

Contract Signed: 4 year, $159,730,592 (AAV: $39,932,648)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Oklahoma City in Year 2
  • Traded to Phoenix in Year 3

 

LeBron James

Signed with: Los Angeles Lakers

Contract Signed: 4 year, $153,312,846 (AAV: $38,328,212)

What Happened? 

  • Signed a 2 year contract extension with Los Angeles going into Year 3

 

Nikola Jokic

Signed with: Denver Nuggets

Contract Signed: 5 year, $147,710,050 (AAV: $29,542,010)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Denver Nuggets
  • Supermax extension eligible with Denver during 2022-23 offseason

 

Paul George

Signed with: Oklahoma City Thunder

Contract Signed: 4 year, $136,911,936 (AAV: $34,227,984)

What Happened? 

  • Traded with LA Clippers in Year 2

 

Aaron Gordon

Signed with: Orlando Magic

Contract Signed: 4 year $80,000,000 (AAV: $20,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Denver in Year 3
  • Signed a 4 year contract extension going into Year 4



2019-20 

Klay Thompson

Signed with: Golden State Warriors

Contract Signed: 5 year, $189,903,600 (AAV: $37,980,720)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Golden State

 

Tobias Harris

Signed with: Philadelphia 76ers

Contract Signed: 5 year, $180,000,000 (AAV: $36,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently With Philadelphia



Khris Middleton

Signed with: Milwaukee Bucks

Contract Signed: 5 year, $177,500,000 (AAV: $35,500,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Milwaukee

 

Kevin Durant

Signed with: Brooklyn Nets

Contract Signed: 4 year, $164,255,700 (AAV: $41,063,925)

What Happened? 

  • Signed a 4 year contract extension going into Year 3

 

Kristaps Porzingis

Signed with: Dallas Mavericks

Contract Signed: 5 year, $158,253,000 (AAV: $31,650,600)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Washington in Year 3

 

2020-21 

Anthony Davis

Signed with: Los Angeles Lakers

Contract Signed: 5 year, $189,903,600 (AAV: $37,980,720)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Los Angeles

 

Brandon Ingram

Signed with: New Orleans Pelicans

Contract Signed: 5 year, $158,253,000 (AAV: $31,650,600)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with New Orleans

 

Gordon Hayward

Signed with: Charlotte Hornets (via Sign-and-Trade with Boston)

Contract Signed: 4 year $120,000,000 (AAV: $30,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Charlotte

 

Fred VanVleet

Signed with: Toronto Raptors

Contract Signed: 4 year $85,000,000 (AAV: $21,250,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Toronto

 

Davis Bertans

Signed with: Washington Wizards

Contract Signed: 5 year, $80,000,000 (AAV: $16,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Traded to Dallas in Year 2

 

2021-22 

Kawhi Leonard

Signed with: LA Clippers

Contract Signed: 4 year, $176,265,152 (AAV: $44,066,288)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with LA Clippers
  • Missed all of Year 1 due to season-ending injury

 

John Collins

Signed with: Atlanta Hawks

Contract Signed: 5 year, $125,000,000 (AAV: $25,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Atlanta

 

Chris Paul

Signed with: Phoenix Suns

Contract Signed: 4 year, $120,000,000 (AAV: $30,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Phoenix

 

Jarrett Allen

Signed with: Cleveland Cavaliers

Contract Signed: 5 year, $120,000,000 (AAV: $30,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Cleveland

 

Duncan Robinson

Signed with: Miami Heat

Contract Signed: 5 year, $90,000,000 (AAV: $18,000,000)

What Happened? 

  • Currently with Miami
NBA Free Agents

The 2022 NBA Draft is now behind us. There were 19 trades agreed to involving 2022 draft picks. These deals ranged from the big trades that sent Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks and Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers to smaller deals where draft picks were swapped.

Now that the draft has passed, we have a better idea of what this offseason landscape might look like.

In general, teams slot into one of three categories in the offseason. There are Cap Space teams, Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level teams (can use the full $10.3 million MLE) and Taxpayer Mid-Level teams (can use the “mini” $6.4 million MLE).

Here’s where each team stands after the trade deadline:

 

Cap Space Teams

  1. Detroit Pistons - $44.8 million
  2. San Antonio Spurs – $32.6 million
  3. Orlando Magic - $27.9 million
  4. Indiana Pacers - $25.6 million
  5. New York Knicks - $16.3 million

These five teams are all in line to have cap space this summer. All five seem like locks to go the cap space route. Barring something unexpected with their own free agents, these five will be in position to do the big spending in the offseason. The San Antonio Spurs bumped up this list after drafting two more shooting guards. That means the generally player-friendly Spurs will likely let Lonnie Walker IV hit the unrestricted market this summer, while also creating the second-most cap space in the league.

The Knicks are still looking to shed another salary or two to get into range to make a big offer to a point guard, likely Jalen Brunson. If they can move off one more $9-$17 million salary, New York will be major players in free agency this summer.

The Portland Trail Blazers were on this list prior to acquiring Jerami Grant at the draft. That acquisition, via the C.J. McCollum traded player exception, made it a virtual lock that Portland will operate as an over the cap team.

The Memphis Grizzlies are the lone real swing team this summer. If they were to lose Kyle Anderson and/or Tyus Jones, Memphis could pivot to having over $20 million cap space. That’s somewhat of a frightening thought for the rest of the NBA, as the Grizzlies could add to what is already a good, deep roster this summer.

 

Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

  1. Houston Rockets
  2. Memphis Grizzlies
  3. Miami Heat
  4. Minnesota Timberwolves
  5. Oklahoma City Thunder
  6. Portland Trail Blazers
  7. Sacramento Kings
  8. Toronto Raptors
  9. Washington Wizards

This group of nine teams is a mixed bag. Teams like Memphis, Miami, Minnesota and Toronto have their cores locked in. They’ll be looking to use the $10.3 million Non-Taxpayer MLE to supplement that group.

The Heat could be choosing between a combination of using some of the Non-Taxpayer MLE to re-sign Caleb Martin, using Bird Rights to re-sign Victor Oladipo and re-signing P.J. Tucker via his Non-Bird Rights. But they should be able to create just enough room under the tax apron to do two. Maybe they can squeeze in all three, if everyone takes a bit of a cut. It’ll mean filling out the roster with minimums, but that’s where most title contenders are at anyway.

The Rockets are well within range of being able to use the full MLE this offseason. Houston isn’t really one MLE signing away from contending, so this will be a targeted signing to help shepherd the young roster.

Some may be surprised to find Oklahoma City in this group instead of the cap space group. The Thunder have a major contract extension kicking in for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander next season, plus they have three first-round draft picks to sign, and they’ve got over $28 million in dead money on the books. That’s got them over the cap, despite still being early in their rebuild. OKC continues to build through the draft and through trades and may just sit on the MLE for now. They are also getting really tight on roster spots.

The Trail Blazers can re-sign Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons and probably still squeeze in a full MLE signing too. If they’re serious about pushing back towards the playoffs, they’ll need to do all three.

Then you have the factories of sadness that are Sacramento and Washington. Both have All-Star level players (assuming Bradley Beal returns to the Wizards). Both have solid role players. Yet, it never quite seems to come together for either franchise. In an offseason that will feature yet another retooling, these teams will spend the MLE on a player or players they hope will push them firmly into the playoff picture.

 

Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

This group is so big we’re going to sub-divide them. The two categories will be “Close to the Tax” and “Over the Tax”

 

Close to the Tax

  1. Charlotte Hornets
  2. Chicago Bulls
  3. Cleveland Cavaliers
  4. New Orleans Pelicans

These four teams will be dancing around the tax line. Charlotte (Miles Bridges) and Chicago (Zach LaVine) have free agents to re-sign who are going to eat up most of their wiggle room under the tax line.

The Cavs aren’t going to re-sign Collin Sexton to anything near a max deal, but if he gets somewhere between $15 and $20 million in first-year salary, they’ll be doing the same dance as Charlotte and Chicago.

New Orleans is probably a move away from joining the teams who can use the full MLE and stay under the tax. They have 14 players under contract and are only one small salary-shedding deal from opening up full MLE space. The bigger challenge for the Pelicans is that they are getting really tight on roster spots.

 

Over the Tax

  1. Atlanta Hawks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Dallas Mavericks
  5. Denver Nuggets
  6. Golden State Warriors
  7. LA Clippers
  8. Los Angeles Lakers
  9. Milwaukee Bucks
  10. Philadelphia 76ers
  11. Phoenix Suns
  12. Utah Jazz

This is potentially the largest group of tax-paying teams the NBA will have ever seen. It may not end up playing out this way, as some will shed salary or make free agent decisions that allow them to duck the tax. But as it stands, all 12 of these teams are currently over the tax, or project to be after they fill out their rosters for the 2022-23 season. That’ll have them limited to spending the $6.4 million Taxpayer MLE for help, or upgrading their rosters via trades. Since all fancy themselves as somewhere between solid playoff teams and title contenders, don’t expect to see a lot of salary-shedding from within this group.

The teams to watch are the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns. The Sixers have put themselves in range of being able to use the Non-Taxpayer MLE. A lot depends on what happens with James Harden and his player option or a new deal. If he plays ball, the Sixers can create a little more spending power.

The Suns are solely dependent on the Deandre Ayton situation. If he leaves with nothing coming back to Phoenix, they’ll have the full MLE and a big hole to fill at center. If it’s a sign-and-trade deal, the Suns will likely be limited to using the Taxpayer MLE to fill out their depth up front.

And, of course, there’s the circus in Brooklyn. For now, we’ll plug the Nets in here and assume that everyone decides to play nice and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant stay put. If not, the Nets could end up just about anywhere on this list. It’ll be like pressing the reset button and basically starting all over in Brooklyn.

NBA Cap Space Luxury Tax

First round draft picks will be eligible to sign a rookie scale contract worth up to 120% of the determined rookie scale baseline or as low as 80% of the designated rookie scale baseline (which is very rare). 

 

Breakdown Details

  • Year 1 of the 120% Baseline scale will represent a Cap Hold immediately upon being drafted by a team. 
  • Years 1 and 2 are guaranteed upon signing.
  • Years 3 and 4 are guaranteed Club Options. Club Options must be exercised or declined by Oct 31st of the year preceding (i.e. if a Club Option is in 2024-25, a team must decide on that option by Oct 31, 2023). If a team does decline either option, that value will remain as a Cap Hold for that value’s year and the player becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent.
  • If Years 3 and 4 options are both exercised, a team has the option to extend a Qualifying Offer making the player a Restricted Free Agent in the offseason following Year 4. Qualifying Offer amounts can be lower based on the amount of (or lack thereof) starts those players have over the last two years of the contract.

 

Logistic Details

  • Drafted players can be used in trades. However, their “value” in the trade would count for $0 as far as salary matching is concerned. 
  • Players cannot be traded for 30 days upon signing their rookie scale contract.

 

Example:

A key example of the last two bulleted items is with the 2014 NBA Draft when Andrew Wiggins was drafted #1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, which happened to be the year that LeBron James returned to Cleveland in Free Agency on July 12th. Andrew Wiggins had signed his rookie scale contract on July 24th and 30 days after that signing on July 23rd he was traded to Minnesota for Kevin Love as part of a three-team trade. 

Wiggins had to sign his rookie contract when he did and Cleveland had to wait the 30 days because they needed Wiggins’ first year salary to be a part of the salary matching process. Otherwise, Wiggins’ “value” to the trade would have accounted for $0 when matching all of the salaries for the salary matching rules. 



2022-23 120% of Rookie Scale Baseline

Pick

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Total

1

$10,907,040

$11,452,680

$11,997,960

$15,129,428

$49,487,108

2

$9,759,000

$10,246,800

$10,735,080

$13,547,671

$44,288,551

3

$8,763,720

$9,201,720

$9,640,200

$12,185,213

$39,790,853

4

$7,901,280

$8,296,560

$8,691,480

$10,994,722

$35,884,042

5

$7,155,240

$7,512,720

$7,870,560

$9,972,000

$32,510,520

6

$6,498,600

$6,823,320

$7,148,760

$9,064,628

$29,535,308

7

$5,932,440

$6,229,320

$6,525,360

$8,287,207

$26,974,327

8

$5,434,800

$5,706,600

$5,978,400

$7,604,525

$24,724,325

9

$4,995,840

$5,245,680

$5,495,520

$7,001,292

$22,738,332

10

$4,746,000

$4,983,480

$5,220,360

$6,655,959

$21,605,799

11

$4,508,640

$4,734,120

$4,959,720

$6,581,548

$20,784,028

12

$4,283,280

$4,497,720

$4,711,800

$6,492,860

$19,985,660

13

$4,069,200

$4,272,600

$4,475,880

$6,396,033

$19,213,713

14

$3,865,800

$4,059,000

$4,252,560

$6,298,041

$18,475,401

15

$3,672,120

$3,855,840

$4,039,320

$6,192,278

$17,759,558

16

$3,488,760

$3,663,240

$3,837,960

$5,887,431

$16,877,391

17

$3,314,160

$3,480,000

$3,645,720

$5,599,826

$16,039,706

18

$3,148,560

$3,305,880

$3,463,320

$5,326,586

$15,244,346

19

$3,006,720

$3,157,200

$3,307,560

$5,093,642

$14,565,122

20

$2,886,240

$3,030,600

$3,174,840

$4,895,603

$13,987,283

21

$2,770,800

$2,909,640

$3,048,120

$4,855,655

$13,584,215

22

$2,660,040

$2,793,120

$2,926,200

$4,813,599

$13,192,959

23

$2,553,960

$2,681,880

$2,809,080

$4,767,009

$12,811,929

24

$2,451,840

$2,574,360

$2,697,120

$4,717,263

$12,440,583

25

$2,353,680

$2,471,160

$2,589,120

$4,663,005

$12,076,965

26

$2,275,680

$2,389,080

$2,502,960

$4,512,837

$11,680,557

27

$2,209,920

$2,320,440

$2,430,960

$4,385,452

$11,346,772

28

$2,196,360

$2,306,400

$2,416,200

$4,361,241

$11,280,201

29

$2,180,280

$2,289,120

$2,398,560

$4,329,401

$11,197,361

30

$2,164,560

$2,272,800

$2,381,280

$4,298,210

$11,116,850

 

2022-23 Rookie Scale Baseline

Pick

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Total

1

$9,089,200

$9,543,900

$9,998,300

$12,607,856

$41,239,256

2

$8,132,500

$8,539,000

$8,945,900

$11,289,726

$36,907,126

3

$7,303,100

$7,668,100

$8,033,500

$10,154,344

$33,159,044

4

$6,584,400

$6,913,800

$7,242,900

$9,162,269

$29,903,369

5

$5,962,700

$6,260,600

$6,558,800

$8,310,000

$27,092,100

6

$5,415,500

$5,686,100

$5,957,300

$7,553,856

$24,612,756

7

$4,943,700

$5,191,100

$5,437,800

$6,906,006

$22,478,606

8

$4,529,000

$4,755,500

$4,982,000

$6,337,104

$20,603,604

9

$4,163,200

$4,371,400

$4,579,600

$5,834,410

$18,948,610

10

$3,955,000

$4,152,900

$4,350,300

$5,546,633

$18,004,833

11

$3,757,200

$3,945,100

$4,133,100

$5,484,624

$17,320,024

12

$3,569,400

$3,748,100

$3,926,500

$5,410,717

$16,654,717

13

$3,391,000

$3,560,500

$3,729,900

$5,330,027

$16,011,427

14

$3,221,500

$3,382,500

$3,543,800

$5,248,368

$15,396,168

15

$3,060,100

$3,213,200

$3,366,100

$5,160,231

$14,799,631

16

$2,907,300

$3,052,700

$3,198,300

$4,906,192

$14,064,492

17

$2,761,800

$2,900,000

$3,038,100

$4,666,522

$13,366,422

18

$2,623,800

$2,754,900

$2,886,100

$4,438,822

$12,703,622

19

$2,505,600

$2,631,000

$2,756,300

$4,244,702

$12,137,602

20

$2,405,200

$2,525,500

$2,645,700

$4,079,669

$11,656,069

21

$2,309,000

$2,424,700

$2,540,100

$4,046,379

$11,320,179

22

$2,216,700

$2,327,600

$2,438,500

$4,011,333

$10,994,133

23

$2,128,300

$2,234,900

$2,340,900

$3,972,507

$10,676,607

24

$2,043,200

$2,145,300

$2,247,600

$3,931,052

$10,367,152

25

$1,961,400

$2,059,300

$2,157,600

$3,885,838

$10,064,138

26

$1,896,400

$1,990,900

$2,085,800

$3,760,697

$9,733,797

27

$1,841,600

$1,933,700

$2,025,800

$3,654,543

$9,455,643

28

$1,830,300

$1,922,000

$2,013,500

$3,634,368

$9,400,168

29

$1,816,900

$1,907,600

$1,998,800

$3,607,834

$9,331,134

30

$1,803,800

$1,894,000

$1,984,400

$3,581,842

$9,264,042




Related Links

2022-23 NBA Draft Tracker

NBA Transactions

NBA NBA Draft

Of the NBA Top-100 Contract AAV (Average Annual Value) of All-Time through the 2021-22 season, 14 players have won an NBA Championship. These contracts include AAVs of $20M+ and contract lengths of 1 year through 5 years.

With the recent championship for the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry becomes the first $40M AAV contract with an NBA Championship in addition to becoming the first player with an AAV of $20M+ to win two championships within the same contract.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the other two other players to have contracts with an AAV of $20M+ and with NBA championships, but they did so under two different contract structures.

 

Stephen Curry

  • Contract: 5 year, $201.2M
  • AAV: $40.2M (Rank #11)
  • Championship within contract: 2 with GSW (2017-18, 2021-22)
  • Note: Championships came in the first and fifth years of the contract.

 

Klay Thompson

  • Contract: 5 year, $189.9M
  • AAV: $37.98M (Rank #12)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with GSW (2021-22)
  • Note: Championship came in the third year of the contract. 

 

Khris Middleton

  • Contract: 5 year, $1177.5M
  • AAV: $35.5M (Rank #11)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with MIL (2020-21)
  • Note: Championship came in the second year of the contract. 

 

Kyle Lowry

  • Contract: 3 year, $100M
  • AAV: $33.3M (Rank #7)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with TOR (2018-19)
  • Note: Championship came in the second year of the contract. 

 

LeBron James

  • Contract: 3 year, $99.9M
  • AAV: $33.2M (Rank #1)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with CLE (2016-17)
  • Note: Championship came in the first year of the contract. 

 

  • Contract: 4 year $153.3M
  • AAV: $38.3M (Rank #7)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with LAL (2019-20)
  • Note: Championship came in the second year of the contract. 

 

Andrew Wiggins

  • Contract: 5 year, $147.7M
  • AAV: $29.5M (Rank #35)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with GSW (2021-22)
  • Note: Championship came in the fourth year of the contract. Wiggins was acquired by Golden State via trade for D’Angelo Russell during the second year of the contract.

 

Kevin Durant

  • Contract: 2 year, $54.3M
  • AAV: $27.1M (Rank #8)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with GSW (2016-17)
  • Note: Championship came in the first year of the contract. Durant declined a Player Option for the 2017-18 season and then signed a new 2 year $51.25M contract with Golden State in free agency.

 

  • Contract: 2 year, $51.25M
  • AAV: $25.6M (Rank #15)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with GSW (2017-18)
  • Note: Championship came in the first year of the contract. Durant declined a Player Option for the 2018-19 season and then signed a new 2 year $61.5M contract with Golden State in free agency.

 

Anthony Davis

  • Contract: 5 year, $127.2M
  • AAV: $25.4M (Rank #35)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with LAL (2019-20)
  • Note: Championship came in the fourth year of the contract. Davis declined a Player Option for 2020-21 season and then signed a 5 year $189.9M contract with Los Angeles in free agency.

 

Jrue Holiday

  • Contract: 5 year, $126M
  • AAV: $25.2M (Rank #40)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with MIL (2020-21)
  • Note: Championship came in the fourth year of the contract. Milwaukee acquired Holiday from New Orleans on 11/24/20. Holiday declined a Player Option for the 2021-22 season and signed a 4 year $134.99M contract extension with Milwaukee on 4/4/21.

 

Giannis Antetokounmpo

  • Contract: 4 year, $100M
  • AAV: $25M (Rank #41)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with MIL (2020-21)
  • Note: Championship came in the fourth year of the contract. Antetokounmpo had signed a 5 year $228.2M contract extension with Milwaukee prior to the 2020-21 season.

 

Draymond Green

  • Contract: 4 year, $99.7M
  • AAV: $24.9M (Rank #45)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with GSW (2021-22)
  • Note: Championship came in the second year of the contract.

 

Serge Ibaka

  • Contract: 3 year $65M
  • AAV: $21.7M (Rank #35)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with TOR (2018-19)
  • Note: Championship came in the second year of the contract.

 

Shaquille O'Neal

  • Contract: 5 year, $101M
  • AAV: $20.2M (Rank #1)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with MIA (2005-06)
  • Note: Championship came in the first year of the contract.

 

Dirk Nowitzki

  • Contract: 4 year, $80M
  • AAV: $20M (Rank #2)
  • Championship within contract: 1 with DAL (2010-11)
  • Note: Championship came in the first year of the contract.

 

NBA

ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
    • Cap Hit: $39,344,900 (7th)
  • Devin Booker (PHX)
    • Cap Hit: $31,650,600 (22nd)
    • Triggers eligibility for Designated Veteran Player Extension ("Supermax") this offseason. Could sign estimated 4 year $211 million (based on $134.5 million cap) which would begin with the 2024-25 season.
  • Luka Doncic (DAL)
    • Cap Hit: $10,174,391 (121st)
    • Already triggered Designated Rookie Extension ("Rookie Supermax") with previous two All-NBA selections. This makes it three All-NBA selections in a row. Will earn estimated 5 year $212.28 million beginning with the 2022-23 season (based on $122 million cap)
  • Nikola Jokic (DEN)
    • Cap Hit: $31,579,390 (25th)
    • Eligible for Designated Veteran Player Extension ("Supermax") this offseason. Eligibility was triggered last season with 2020-21 MVP Award. 
  • Jayson Tatum (BOS)
    • Cap Hit: $28,103,500 (35th)

ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

  • Stephen Curry (GSW)
    • Cap Hit: $45,780,966 (1st)
  • DeMar DeRozan (CHI)
    • Cap Hit: $26,000,000 (41st)
  • Kevin Durant (BKN)
    • Cap Hit: $42,018,900 (5th)
  • Joel Embiid (PHI)
    • Cap Hit: $31,579,390 (25th)
  • Ja Morant (MEM)
    • Cap Hit: $9,603,360 (129th)
    • Does not automatically trigger Designated Rookie Maximum Extension ("Rookie Supermax"), would need All-NBA in 2022-23 to trigger escalation

ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM

  • LeBron James (LAL)
    • Cap Hit: $41,180,544 (6th)
    • Eligible for Veteran Extension this offseason (award has no bearing on financial triggers).
  • Chris Paul (PHX)
    • Cap Hit: $30,800,000 (30th)
  • Pascal Siakam (TOR)
    • Cap Hit: $33,003,936 (19th)
    • Eligible for Veteran Extension this offseason (award has no bearing on financial triggers).
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)
    • Cap Hit: $31,650,600 (22nd)
    • Triggers eligibility for Designated Veteran Player Extension ("Supermax") in this offseason. Could sign estimated 4 year $211 million (based on $134.5 million cap) which would begin with the 2024-25 season.
  • Trae Young (ATL)
    • Cap Hit: $8,326,471 (150th)
    • Triggered Designated Rookie Maximum Extension ("Rookie Supermax") for already signed rookie extension that was signed in the 2021 offseason. Contract now becomes an estimated 5 year $212.28 million contract (based on $122 million cap)

 

ALL-NBA DEFENSE FIRST TEAM

ALL-NBA DEFENSE SECOND TEAM

  • Bam Adebayo (MIA)
    • Cap Hit: $28,103,500 (35th)
  • Jrue Holiday (MIL)
    • Cap Hit: $32,431,333 (21st)
    • Earned $120,000 bonus
  • Matisse Thybulle (PHI)
    • Cap Hit: $2,840,160 (267)
    • Eligible for Rookie Scale Extension this offseason (award has no bearing on financial triggers).
  • Robert Williams III (BOS)
    • Cap Hit: $3,661,976 (245th)
  • Draymond Green (GSW)
    • Cap Hit: $24,026,712 (43rd)
    • Eligible for Veteran Extension this offseason (award has no bearing on financial triggers).

 

ALL-NBA ROOKIE FIRST TEAM

ALL-NBA ROOKIE SECOND TEAM

 

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

  • Nikola Jokic (DEN)
    • Cap Hit: $31,579,390 (25th)
    • Eligible for Designated Veteran Player Extension ("Supermax") this offseason. This was triggered last season with 2020-21 MVP Award. 

 

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR

  • Tyler Herro (MIA)
    • Cap Hit: $4,004,280 (230th)
    • Eligible for Rookie Scale Extension this offseason (award has no bearing on financial triggers). View contract options

 

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

  • Ja Morant (MEM)
    • Cap Hit: $9,603,360 (129th)
    • Eligible for Rookie Scale Extension this offseason (award has no bearing on financial triggers).

 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

 

ROOKIE OF THE PLAYER

NBA NBA Awards

The NBA last expanded in 2004. The Charlotte Bobcats joined the league and spent a decade as the Bobcats before rebranding and bringing back the Charlotte Hornets.

Now, nearly two decades after adding their franchise, it’s time for the NBA to expand again.

No, expansion isn’t imminent. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has routinely shot down any rumor to that effect. But in recent years, Silver hasn’t completely brushed aside the idea as idle gossip. Instead, Silver has said the league “dusted off some of their analysis” on the topic.

This week, Silver’s new negotiating partner at the NBPA, Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio, said she is of the mindset that the NBA is ready to expand as well.

“We do want more teams, I think it's good for the business,’’ Tremaglio said during her opening keynote conversation with SBJ executive editor Abraham Madkour. “Ideally, we hope that there will be more teams popping up in the U.S.’’

What makes it time for the NBA to expand? Let’s break it down.

 

Labor Peace

The NBA and NBPA have established a long period of labor peace. The last CBA negotiations were barely a blip, despite some major changes to contract structures, and the like, being pushed through. That was nearly five years ago now.

Then, behind Silver on the NBA side and former Executive Director Michele Roberts on the NBPA side, the two parties managed to work through the pandemic. The 2019-20 season paused for roughly four months in 2020 before resuming and completing at Walt Disney World. That was no small task, and required immense coordination on the part of all parties involved.

The next season was full of challenges with various mandates, guidelines and laws, but the NBA played a full, if pared down, season. And the 2021-22 season has completed with very few postponements and a full 82-game slate.

None of that happens without the league and the players having a good working relationship. And that labor peace is necessary before you add any more parties to mix in the form of new teams.

 

Talent Pool

When the NBA has expanded in the past, it’s led to a somewhat watered-down product for at least a couple of years. The way the rules work for expansion, it’s hard for an expansion team to be good quickly. They work with limited resources, lower salary caps, draft handicaps and pick their initial rosters from the ends of benches around the league.

It’s that last part that matters though. The NBA is as deep in talent as it has ever been. There are quality players in the 11-17 (including Two-Way players) spots on each roster. Some of them just don’t play because the guys in front of them are that good.

In addition to that, it’s expected a new round of expansion would come with smarter run teams than in the past. They might be willing to eat a questionable contract or two for additional assets. That will lead to a handful of vets who need a fresh start popping up on expansion rosters.

And, as the expanded rosters during the pandemic-challenged seasons taught us, there are a lot of really good players on the fringes of the NBA just waiting for a chance.

 

Draft Reform

It’s expected that the NBA and NBPA will tackle draft reform sooner rather than later. It’ll probably wait until the next CBA negotiations, but could come before that. With the advent of the G League being a now stable minor league, and the creation of the G League Ignite for players who don’t want to attend college, it’s time to change things up a bit with entry into the NBA.

It’s expected that players will again be allowed to make the leap from high school to the NBA again. There may be parameters put around that to safeguard those players making that leap, but it’s expected to be pushed through. That further increases the pool of talent coming to the league, and is another indication that two more teams can be supported.

 

Cities Ready

There are several cities that are ready for expansion teams. Primary cities mentioned are Seattle and Las Vegas, but at least five or six others are considered viable candidates.

Seattle has upgraded Climate Pledge Arena (formerly Key Arena) enough to host an NBA team. There’s also talk of building an entirely new building in another area of Seattle, should they be awarded a team. In addition, Seattle’s major has continually said he regularly pushes for a team to be brought back to the Emerald City

In Las Vegas, there are plans to build a brand new, state-of-the-art arena, with the primary goal of getting an expansion team. In the interim, there are several sites that could host an expansion team, should that new arena not be ready.

If not one of those cities, then places like Louisville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Vancouver, Montreal and Mexico City have all been mentioned as potential expansion sites. Some of them are champing at the bit to get team, especially Louisville, which has been pushing for expansion for nearly a decade now.

 

Maintaining “Basketball” Cities

As it pertains to Seattle and Las Vegas, the NBA has seen those as “basketball” cities. Seattle has a long history of turning out great players and had the SuperSonics for years. Las Vegas is the home of NBA Summer League, as well a location where several players live and train in the offseason.

However, Seattle has the Seahawks in the NFL and the Mariners in MLB, and added the Kraken in the NHL this year. Las Vegas now the Golden Knights in the NHL and recently added the Raiders in the NFL. There are rumors that Las Vegas could be a relocation spot for an MLB team too.

Now, basketball isn’t likely to lose its foothold in either of those cities. But the NBA is cautious about letting new teams, especially in direct season competition like the NHL, gain too big of a following to be overcome. The league understands that consumers have only so much expendable income. Getting those dollars funneled towards the NBA is a priority.

 

Immediate Cash Infusion

When asked about potential expansion in 2021, Adam Silver said that the reported $2.5 billion expected expansion fee was “very low”. It’s now expected that the expansion fee for each team would be somewhere between $3 and $3.5 billion. That’s $6 to $7 billion dollars that goes directly into the league.

In addition, expansion teams often operate under reduced revenue sharing and the like in their initial years. Even with a new TV contract coming, and then being split 32 ways vs 30, that expansion fee is a hefty chunk of change.

And it’s that new TV contract that also makes expansion somewhat more likely. While that pie would get further divided with two more franchises and up to 34 more players, there’s expected to be more than enough to go around. In addition, two more teams would mean two more Regional Sports Networks added. That’s just further income into the NBA coffers.

 

Increased Interest in the NBA

The NBA just released that they pulled their highest TV ratings in three years. NBA League Pass subscriptions are at their highest levels in history. And social media engagement is through the roof.

The league is ready to bring in new markets, and it will be easier than ever because there are readymade fans in those markets already. There’s not going to be any selling anyone on the NBA game, as there was when Charlotte (the initial version), Miami, Minnesota and Orlando joined the team. And the game has grown enough internationally, and the Toronto Raptors having been such a success, that growing that way wouldn’t be any sort of worry either.

 

NBA Reform

The NBA is in a position to rework their current division and conference setup in a major way. The schedule continues to be a major topic of conversation. While no one is advocating for less overall games, expansion could be a way to keep the current number of total games across the league the same, while lessening them for each individual team.

If Adam Silver really wants to push through his in-season tournament, it could be easier with two new teams and an overhaul of the schedule. Mostly, the NBA will continue to tinker with ways to make their winter-time product (regular season) as meaningful and exciting as their spring-time product (playoffs) is. Two new teams would help with that.

 

Overall

If you add it all up, it’s time for the NBA to expand. It’ll have been over 20 years since the last new team joined the league by the time an expansion team takes the floor.

While neither the NFL or MLB have expanded in that time period, they have relocated teams, re-aligned divisions/conferences/leagues and undertaken other drastic changes, like postseason expansion.

The NHL has added two teams in that time period, in two prime cities of Las Vegas and Seattle. In addition, MLS has grown by leaps and bounds since the NBA last expanded.

Mostly, when both Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio are openly admitting expansion is being discussed, it’s really time. Those are the two with the power to push expansion or block the discussions from even being started. It seems like both are ready to embrace the idea of adding teams to the league.

While expansion may not be imminent, it would be no surprise to get word within the next two-to-three years that the NBA is expanding with two new teams starting play within the next five years.

NBA Expansion

A list of active NBA players and their career earnings with respect to the NCAA Sweet 16 teams.

 

#1 Gonzaga

Kelly Olynyk, $70,356,906

Domantas Sabonis, $62,573,326

Zach Collins, $23,067,603

Rui Hachimura, $13,798,838

Brandon Clarke, $7,808,640

Jalen Suggs, $6,592,920

Corey Kispert, $3,383,640

Killian Tillie, $1,901,625

 

#1 Arizona

Andre Iguodala, $182,314,035

Aaron Gordon, $92,777,983

Deandre Ayton, $39,781,548

Lauri Markkanen, $35,749,302

Stanley Johnson, $21,419,703

T.J. McConnell, $18,752,881

Josh Green, $5,774,280

Zeke Nnaji, $4,878,600

Brandon Williams, $53,176

 

#1 Kansas

Andrew Wiggins, $137,224,484

Joel Embiid, $132,355,267

Marcus Morris Sr., $72,877,547

Kelly Oubre Jr., $50,251,988

Markieff Morris, $50,169,716

Ben McLemore, $30,891,878

Josh Jackson, $27,522,173

Devonte' Graham, $14,980,624

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, $6,209,071

Udoka Azubuike, $4,052,880

 

#2 Villanova

Kyle Lowry, $217,032,826

Josh Hart, $20,354,114

Mikal Bridges, $17,370,623

Donte DiVincenzo, $12,925,178

Ryan Arcidiacono, $8,028,681

Jalen Brunson, $6,024,217

Saddiq Bey, $5,514,240

Eric Paschall, $4,142,768

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, $2,000,000


#2 Duke

Kyrie Irving, $194,017,299

Brandon Ingram, $80,122,392

Mason Plumlee, $64,325,952

Jayson Tatum, $57,687,445

Austin Rivers, $54,453,395

Justise Winslow, $40,319,065

Marvin Bagley III, $35,602,717

Seth Curry, $33,050,810

Tyus Jones, $32,409,999

Zion Williamson, $30,126,480

Luke Kennard $27,623,622

Rodney Hood $27,552,690

R.J. Barrett $24,695,640

Wendell Carter Jr., $21,686,380

Gary Trent Jr., $19,830,624

Cam Reddish, $13,373,880

Grayson Allen, $10,951,898

Frank Jackson , $6,961,220

Vernon Carey Jr., $2,867,981

Jalen Johnson , $2,659,680

Tre Jones, $2,416,291

 

#3 Purdue

No active players

 

#3 Texas Tech

Jarrett Culver, $18,313,080

 

#4 Arkansas

Bobby Portis, $28,888,606

Daniel Gafford, $4,142,768

Moses Moody, $3,562,200

Isaiah Joe, $2,416,291

Mason Jones, $61,528

 

#4 Providence

David Duke Jr., $0 / Two-Way

 

#4 UCLA

Russell Westbrook, $288,581,670

Kevin Love, $235,261,434

Jrue Holiday, $186,069,405

Trevor Ariza, $116,874,668

Zach LaVine, $86,428,548

Lonzo Ball, $51,531,316

Norman Powell, $48,230,702

Kyle Anderson, $42,169,578

Kevon Looney, $19,538,458

Aaron Holiday, $10,477,351

Moses Brown, $3,143,453

Chris Smith, $0 / Two-Way



#5 Houston

Quentin Grimes, $2,168,640

Armoni Brooks, $1,660,221

 

#8 North Carolina

Harrison Barnes, $147,806,228

Danny Green, $91,692,990

Wayne Ellington, $47,587,347

Ed Davis, $46,486,744

Reggie Bullock, $28,343,804

Coby White, $16,385,865

Cameron Johnson, $12,453,510

Tony Bradley, $10,265,469

Cole Anthony, $6,734,520

Nassir Little, $6,500,805

Day'Ron Sharpe, $2,009,160

Theo Pinson, $1,558,838

 

#10 Miami

Lonnie Walker IV, $12,285,006

Bruce Brown Jr., $8,566,726

Davon Reed, $2,480,021

 

#11 Michigan

Tim Hardaway Jr., $100,906,220

Caris LeVert, $41,062,875

Trey Burke, $22,019,147

Duncan Robinson, $18,651,634

Nik Stauskas, $15,043,243

Moritz Wagner, $7,809,762

Jordan Poole, $6,189,480

Franz Wagner, $5,00,7840

Ignas Brazdeikis, $2,508,677

Isaiah Livers, $1,057,260

 

#11 Iowa State

Monte Morris, $13,411,128

Talen Horton-Tucker, $11,860,147

Georges Niang, $8,920,084

Tyrese Haliburto, $7,855,440

Matt Thomas, $4,029,325

Lindell Wiggington, $0 / Two-Way



#15 Saint Peters

No active players




NBA NCAA

All-Star Game Roster

A financial breakdown of the 2022 NBA All-Star Teams drafted by LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Team LeBron 2021-22 Cap Hit   2021-22 Cap Hit

Team DURANT

  $183,885,800 Starters $109,192,111  
LeBron James, LAL $41,180,544   $31,579,390 Joel Embiid, PHI
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL $39,344,900   $9,603,360 Ja Morant, MEM
Stephen Curry, GSW $45,780,966   $28,103,500 Jayson Tatum, BOS
DeMar DeRozan, CHI $26,000,000   $31,579,390 Andrew Wiggins, GSW
Nikola Jokic, DEN $31,579,390   $8,326,471 Trae Young, ATL
  $196,121,737 Reserves $201,333,380  
Jarrett Allen, CLE $20,000,000   $8,231,760 LaMelo Ball, CHA
Jimmy Butler, MIA $36,016,200   $31,650,600 Devin Booker, PHX
Luka Doncic, DAL $10,174,391   $35,344,828 Rudy Gobert, UTH
Darius Garland, CLE $7,040,880   $19,500,000 Zach LaVine, CHI
James Harden, PHI $44,310,840   $35,500,000 Khris Middleton, MIL
Donovan Mitchell, UTH $28,103,500   $15,428,880 Dejounte Murray, SAS
Chris Paul, PHX $30,800,000   $31,650,600 Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN
Fre VanVleet, TOR $19,675,926   $24,026,712 Draymond Green, GSW
  $380,007,537 Totals $310,525,491  
  $29,231,349 Average $23,886,576  

 

The following amounts are the payouts for each participation of game or skills competition:

All-Star Game

Winning Team: $50,000 per player

Losing Team: $25,000 per player

 

Rookie-Sophomore Game

Winning Team: $25,000 per player

Losing Team: $10,000 per player

 

Shooting Stars

Winning Team: $60,000 per player

2nd Place Team: $45,000 per player

3rd Place Team: $24,000 per player

4th Place Team: $24,000 per player

 

Slam Dunk

1st Place: $100,000

2nd Place: $50,000

3rd Place: $20,000

4th Place: $20,000

 

Three-Point Shootout

1st Place: $50,000

2nd Place: $35,000

3rd Place: $25,000

4th Place: $10,000

5th Place: $10,000

6th Place: $10,000

 

Skills

1st Place: $50,000

2nd Place: $35,000

3rd Place: $15,000

4th Place: $15,000

 

Related NBA Links

NBA 2021-22 Cap Hit Rankings

NBA NBA All-Star

At the trade deadline, there’s a rush to grade trades or to decide who won or lost deals. Sometimes, this happens before all the details are even out. “The Celtics are getting Derrick White? Winners! Oh, they gave up Josh Richardson? Still Winners! Wait…a first and a potential swap too? Losers!” And then you see it play out on the floor and all of a sudden, your opinion may completely flip again.

With the benefit of a week to clear our heads, gather all the details and even see some games with new faces in new places, it’s time to start evaluating who won and lost at the trade deadline.

But…it’s not really that simple. For some of these deals, it will take months or even years to see how they fully play out. With that, there’s a pretty big caveat to all this “winners and losers” talk. This is how we judge things today, in mid-February 2022. There’s lots of room and time to be wrong. But it’s up those teams to prove us so.

All that said, here’s who won, lost and sat out the 2022 NBA trade deadline. (Note: This will encompass trades in the weeks leading up to the deadline, not just trades near or on deadline day.)

 

Winners

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks didn’t do much. They essentially swapped Cam Reddish for Kevin Knox and a protected first-round pick. Knox has little value to Atlanta, and he’s hardly played for them, and the pick is fairly heavily-protected. The part where the Hawks won is that it removed a potentially extension negotiation from their trade of Reddish. For a team that’s already expensive and flirting with the luxury tax, that’s notable.

Boston Celtics

Boston was pretty active. They moved a couple of rotation players, plus shed enough salary to put themselves in position to avoid the luxury tax. Most importantly, the players they got back are better fits for this roster than the ones the Celtics gave up. Derrick White’s defensive versatility and skill, along with his quick-processing offensive game is a perfect fit for what Boston needs out of a backup guard. Daniel Theis is the ideal fourth-big in the rotation, because he can execute the same scheme as the other three bigs Ime Udoka uses regularly. Yes, the Celtics gave up a first-round pick and a potential pick swap. And, yes, they took on long-term money. But that long-term money gives them flexibility to match salary in almost any possible trade construction Brad Stevens can dream up moving forward.

Brooklyn Nets

We’ll get to the Philadelphia 76ers later, but this seems like it could be the most blockbustery of win-win trades in NBA history. The Nets side just may take a little longer to play out than the Sixers side. It could take Ben Simmons a while to find his form and to fit in, but, lest we forget, he’s really good at basketball! Simmons might be a non-shooter, but he’s an elite passer and the most versatile defender in the NBA. And Brooklyn is getting a couple of picks out of this deal too. Also, don’t overlook Seth Curry. He’ll feast on open jumpers created by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. And the more shooting around Simmons, the better.

Charlotte Hornets

We can keep this one simple. The Hornets got Montrezl Harrell for two non-rotation players. Backup center has been an issue all season long. P.J. Washington does his best, but he’s a four masquerading as a five. Harrell will give Charlotte energy and scoring off the bench, and the cost was essentially nothing.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs did well to snag Caris LeVert for Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract. They also picked up Rajon Rondo for nothing a few weeks earlier. Those are rotation-stabilizing moves for a team that is in the mix for homecourt advantage in the East. And they have LeVert for next year, while nothing prevents Cleveland from re-signing Rubio as a free agent. Good stuff all-around.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets got Bryn Forbes for two injured players. Considering they needed another shooter while Jamal Murray works his way back, that’s great work. But really, Murray, and potentially Michael Porter Jr., will be the big “additions” for Denver. The Nuggets are a team no higher-seeded team is going to want to see in the playoffs.

Houston Rockets

Houston got off long-term money for Daniel Theis, without taking any long-term money on. Sure, that’s an admission of guilt that they blew the Theis’ signing in the first place. But there’s no saving that by throwing good money after bad. Getting off that deal is a win for the Rockets. Now, about a John Wall buyout…

Indiana Pacers

Indiana reset themselves at the deadline as much as any team outside of Portland did. But getting back Tyrese Haliburton as a cost-controlled rookie scale guy that has All-Star potential is huge. The Pacers also got themselves a first-round pick for Caris LeVert, and they get to take a flier on Jalen Smith. But really, this is all about Haliburton, who has a chance to lead the next set of Pacers playoffs teams for years to come.

LA Clippers

The Clippers took on a good chunk of money, both this season and moving forward, but they did so for good players. Norman Powell got hurt, but that acquisition was only sort of about this year anyway. If everyone is healthy to begin next season, LA has the deepest team in the NBA and it’s not particularly close. And they’ve set themselves up with some good trade options if a third star wants to team up with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. When your owner makes millions per second, spending his money is never a bad thing.

Milwaukee Bucks

The trade of Donte DiVincenzo looks a little rough with the hindsight of Pat Connaughton getting hurt, but as long as Connaughton is back to himself by the playoffs, all is good. Milwaukee needed another big to ease the burden on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. Serge Ibaka can do that. He’s a reasonable facsimile for Brook Lopez, in that he can protect the rim on defense and space the floor on offense. And DiVincenzo likely wasn’t getting re-signed, given the presence of Connaughton and Grayson Allen already on the roster. For a team that’s trying to repeat as champs, it’s perfectly acceptable to make win-now moves like DiVincenzo for Ibaka.

New Orleans Pelicans

This one is a little tricky and you have to be bought in that C.J. McCollum has at least a few good years left. And he should. That’s probably enough to give up a first-round pick and rotation player in Josh Hart. But add in Larry Nance Jr. (if he gets healthy!) and you’ve really got something working. New Orleans has chance to be eight or nine-deep in quality rotation players at the start of next season. That’s huge for battling their way through the Western Conference. But if Zion Williamson isn’t healthy, a whole new set of questions will start being asked in the bayou.

Philadelphia 76ers

As stated above, this could be a win-win blockbuster deal. James Harden is a massive upgrade over the exactly zero the Sixers were getting from Ben Simmons. MASSIVE. That’s all that really matters here. If Harden is healthy, he and Joel Embiid can parade their way to the free throw line on a nightly basis all the way into a deep playoff run. That alone is worth giving up on Simmons (who was never playing for Philly again), Seth Curry and a couple of picks.

Phoenix Suns

Much like their terrific season to date, the Suns trade deadline moves seem to have gone a little under the radar. They got Torrey Craig for Jalen Smith, who had no future left in Phoenix. And they got Aaron Holiday for literally nothing. Craig was a nice add during last season’s NBA Finals run, and he’ll be the same this year. He’s good insurance on the wing behind Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder. Holiday is a nice upgrade on Elfrid Payton until Cameron Payne gets back. These are winning moves at basically no cost. That’s how you get back to the Finals.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers finally started the teardown. Err…umm…reset. Whatever they call it, it’s begun in Portland, and that’s a good thing. They gave it the best possible run they could with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum led rosters. Now, it’s time to rebuild around Lillard. The Trail Blazers opened up all sorts of cap flexibility, possibly as soon as this summer. Now, it’s about getting things right at the draft and in free agency, if they hope to keep Lillard in the only NBA home he’s ever known.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings got unfairly pilloried when news of their trade with the Indiana Pacers first broke. Sure, Tyrese Haliburton is a really good, young player. But you know what? Domantas Sabonis is also a really good, not-that-much-older player. The early returns are interesting for Sacramento. All of the offense creation doesn’t fall on De’Aaron Fox now. Sabonis is a hub through which they can run plays. He’s a two-time All-Star and that seems to have been forgotten a bit. Yes, the Kings are often the KANGZ, but this doesn’t seem to be one of those times.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs traded Gregg Popovich favorite Derrick White, but they got a helpful player back in Josh Richardson, along with a first-round pick and swap rights down the line. And they get a chance to see if Romeo Langford can pop, although the wing is crowded with young prospects in San Antonio. They also got a first-round pick for Thaddeus Young, which is offset a bit by giving up a nice second-round pick, but it’s still an upgrade. Overall, this is a win for the Spurs, who usually let the deadline pass with nary a peep.

 

Losers

Chicago Bulls

Usually, we won’t be too harsh on a team that sits the deadline out. But the Bulls are a legit title contender. They have a multitude of injuries, including Zach LaVine having a troublesome knee. And DeMar DeRozan is turning in a near-career-year during his age-32 season. That all screams to get someone. Yes, it would have cost them Patrick Williams and maybe Coby White. And yes, they are a little short on tradable picks. But there were deals they seemingly could have gotten in on. Standing pat could come back to bite Chicago this spring.

Dallas Mavericks

It’s understandable to want to move on from Kristaps Porzingis. He was seemingly destined to miss 30-40 games per year in Dallas. But to take back two questionable contracts in Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans offsets the shedding of Porzingis’ salary in a major way. If Dinwiddie and/or Bertans finds their previous form, we’ll eat a big helping of crow. But this doesn’t really seem like an upgrade around Luka Doncic, just as he wraps up the cheap years of his rookie scale deal.

Detroit Pistons

Putting the Pistons in the “losers” category is a little harsh. They didn’t give up anything of value in the deal to get Marvin Bagley III, but there’s no real upside there. If Bagley plays great, and finally looks something like the #2 overall pick he was in 2018, the Pistons will have no choice but to keep him and sacrifice any chance of cap space this summer. If he plays poorly, there’s nothing really lost, but there’s also nothing gained. And they didn’t deal Jerami Grant. Not making a deal is better than making a bad deal, but dragging that situation out one more trade-cycle could get a little messy for the long-term roster building.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers didn’t do anything, and that in and of itself, is a loss. It might not have been the time to shed Russell Westbrook, and that should be easier to deal with this summer, but things aren’t likely to get a whole lot better with that situation. And Los Angeles shopped the Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and a pick package to every team in the league. No one was buying, because there’s just not much value there. What you see is what you get for the rest of this year, minus a possible buyout addition or two.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota is another team that did nothing, but should have. They had the contracts to pile together to get in on some of the players who were traded. They also could have put together an offer for someone like Jerami Grant. Again, not making a deal is better than making a bad deal. But…the playoffs are in sight for a team that has seen the postseason once with Kevin Garnett left town. Some sort of upgrade should have been made to bolster those chances.

New York Knicks

Yes, the Knicks got Cam Reddish for a fairly minor outgoing package. But Reddish has struggled to crack Tom Thibodeau’s rotation and the coach said he’s not likely to play at all when the roster is healthy. That makes it a little hard to evaluate his fit before extension negotiations start this summer. Beyond that, the Knicks could have reset things a bit by trading away players like Alec Burks or Nerlens Noel. This season hasn’t gone how New York wanted. Not moving off some money might have been a mistake. If they don’t turn some of those contracts into better fits for next season, it definitely will have been a mistake.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The upset of the trade deadline is between the San Antonio Spurs making four trades or the Oklahoma City Thunder making just two extremely small deals to eat salary. While that’s good for the Spurs, it’s not great for the Thunder. OKC is on the tipping point of having too many draft picks. They found it impossible to move up in last year’s draft, as it was. But sitting on over $20 million cap space seems like a missed opportunity to collect more picks, or even to acquire some young talent. And the Thunder don’t project to have this sort of flexibility into this offseason.

Orlando Magic

Much like the Thunder, the Magic had a chance to be more active at the deadline. They ate a couple of small contracts, but let a large Traded Player Exception expire unused. And Orlando didn’t deal any of their veterans like Gary Harris, Terrence Ross or Robin Lopez. Not be a broken record, but not making a bad trade is more important than not making a trade. But the Magic may have missed an opportunity to collect some assets for players who aren’t likely to be a part of the next Orlando playoff team.

Toronto Raptors

It’s not that Thaddeus Young won’t help the Raptors. He might. But was that really worth sliding back 10-15 picks in the draft and giving up their best trade asset in Goran Dragic’s expiring deal? It feels like Toronto should have been able to do better than that with Dragic and a protected first-round pick. That’s what got them here as a very soft “loser”.

Utah Jazz

Much like the Bulls, the Jazz are a contender that didn’t do anything. That’s a miss. They could have gotten a piece to push them over the top. But as it stands now, Utah is firmly behind Phoenix and Golden State in the Western Conference. That’s not a great spot to be in, considering this is year umpteen of very good, but not quite great Jazz teams.

Washington Wizards

Much like the Mavericks, the Wizards sort of shuffled things around in picking up Kristaps Porzingis in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Maybe Porzingis will pop and finally stay healthy, but history says he won’t. And that means his deal will be a cap albatross for Washington for a couple more seasons. It’s also easier to move a couple of smaller contracts vs one big one. This could go really poorly for the Wizards.

 

Sat-it-out

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors didn’t have much to do. They are playing well and their roster is fairly set. Their best trade assets are their recent draftees and all are too young, too good or both, to trade now. It’s likely this roster is what it is, minus some hopefully better health down the stretch.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are way ahead of schedule. This young team is brash, scrappy and fun. They’re also very good. Maybe Memphis could have moved a couple of their expiring deals, but they had no real roster holes to fill. They’ll use this playoff run to determine what they need to take the next step from fun playoff team to title contender.

Miami Heat

The Heat largely sat out the deadline. They made one small, salary-clearing deal. That opened up a roster spot and some space under the tax. Miami converted Caleb Martin to a standard deal, after he outplayed his Two-Way deal. Now, the Heat will look to add another veteran on the buyout market.

 

NBA NBA Trade Deadline

The 2022 NBA trade deadline is now behind us. There were 10 trades made on deadline day alone, and 16 total trades made during deadline week. These deals ranged from the blockbuster James Harden-for-Ben Simmons swap to small salary-clearing trades for teams looking to dodge the luxury tax.

Now that the deadline has passed, we have a better idea of what this offseason landscape might look like.

In general, teams slot into one of three categories in the offseason. There are Cap Space teams, Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level teams (can use the full $10.2 million MLE) and Taxpayer Mid-Level teams (can use the “mini” $6.3 million MLE).

Here’s where each team stands after the trade deadline:

 

Cap Space Teams

  1. Detroit Pistons - $31.4 million
  2. Orlando Magic - $28.1 million
  3. Indiana Pacers - $23.8 million
  4. Portland Trail Blazers - $20.0 million
  5. San Antonio Spurs - $17.6 million

These five teams are all in line to have cap space this summer. Detroit and Orlando seem like locks to go the cap space route. Barring something unexpected with their own free agents, or with trades before the deadline, these three will be in position to do the spending in the offseason. The only major changes that could come to this projection is if either team decides to hang on to former high draft picks, Marvin Bagley III or Mo Bamba.

Indiana and Portland could both choose to stay over the cap via keeping free agent rights and or trade exceptions. Both made considerable changes leading up to the deadline and more big changes are likely to come this season. Neither team has said they are rebuilding, but rather “resetting” around some of the players they kept after making several trades.

The Spurs took on some money at the deadline by acquiring Romeo Langford and Josh Richardson, and by acquiring two additional first-round picks. That takes their projection to under $20 million. If San Antonio was to move on from restricted free Lonnie Walker IV, they could push the Pistons for the most space this summer.

 

Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. Houston Rockets
  3. Memphis Grizzlies
  4. Minnesota Timberwolves
  5. New York Knicks
  6. Oklahoma City Thunder
  7. Sacramento Kings
  8. Toronto Raptors
  9. Washington Wizards

This group of eight teams is a mixed bag. Teams like Cleveland, Memphis, Minnesota and Toronto have their cores locked in. They’ll be looking to use the $10.3 million Non-Taxpayer MLE to supplement that group.

After salary-dumping Daniel Theis at the deadline, the Houston Rockets are now in range of being able to use the full MLE this offseason. They’ll likely split it, as the Rockets are still more than one MLE addition away from competing for the playoffs.

New York is a bit harder to project. They could be a team that makes a major pivot after a disappointing season following their 2021 playoff appearance. Look for whatever the Knicks to do to come via trade vs clearing enough salary to get in the cap space derby.

Some may be surprised to find Oklahoma City in this group. The Thunder have a major contract extension kicking in for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander next season, plus they project to have three first-round draft picks. That’s got them over the cap, despite still being early in their rebuild. OKC will continue to build through the draft and through trades and may just sit on the MLE for now.

Then you have the factories of sadness that are Sacramento and Washington. Both have All-Star level players. Both have solid role players. Yet, it never quite seems to come together for either franchise. In an offseason that will feature yet another retooling, these teams will spend the MLE on a player or players they hope will push them firmly into the playoff picture.

 

Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

This group is so big we’re going to sub-divide them. The two categories will be “Close to the Tax” and “Over the Tax”

Close to the Tax

  1. Charlotte Hornets
  2. Chicago Bulls
  3. New Orleans Pelicans

These three teams will be dancing around the tax line. Charlotte (Miles Bridges) and Chicago (Zach LaVine) have free agents to re-sign who are going to eat up most of their room under the tax line.

New Orleans is probably a move away from joining the teams who can use the full MLE and stay under the tax. They have 13 players under contract and are only one small salary-shedding deal from opening up full MLE space.

Over the Tax

  1. Atlanta Hawks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Dallas Mavericks
  5. Denver Nuggets
  6. Golden State Warriors
  7. LA Clippers
  8. Los Angeles Lakers
  9. Miami Heat
  10. Milwaukee Bucks
  11. Philadelphia 76ers
  12. Phoenix Suns
  13. Utah Jazz

This is potentially the largest group of tax-paying teams the NBA will have ever seen. It may not end up playing out this way, as some may shed salary or make free agent decisions that allow them to duck the tax. But as it stands, all 13 of these teams are currently over the tax, or project to be after they fill out their rosters for the 2022-23 season. That’ll have them limited to spending the $6.3 million Taxpayer MLE for help, or upgrading their rosters via trades. Since all fancy themselves as somewhere between solid playoff teams and title contenders, don’t expect to see a lot of salary-shedding from within this group.

 

Related NBA Links

NBA Cap Tracker

NBA Tax Tracker

NBA Cap Space Luxury Tax

The 2022 NBA trade deadline is closing in. We’ve already seen several big trades, including the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers kicking off major resets. On the other side, the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings have made moves that should help them now and in the future.

There’s likely more moves to come. Ben Simmons for James Harden, anyone? But the summer of 2022 landscape is already coming into focus for cap space as we approach the deadline.

In general, teams slot into one of three categories in the offseason. There are Cap Space teams, Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level teams (can use the full $10.2 million MLE) and Taxpayer Mid-Level teams (can use the “mini” $6.3 million MLE).

Here’s where each team stands before the trade deadline passes at 3:00 Pm ET on Thursday:

 

Cap Space Teams

  1. Detroit Pistons - $31.4 million
  2. Orlando Magic - $28.1 million
  3. San Antonio Spurs - $22.5 million
  4. Indiana Pacers - $20.8 million
  5. Portland Trail Blazers – $20.3 million

These five teams are all in line to have cap space this summer. Detroit, Orlando and San Antonio all seem like locks to go the cap space route. Barring something unexpected with their own free agents, or with trades before the deadline, these three will be in position to do the spending in the offseason.

Indiana and Portland could both choose to stay over the cap via keeping free agent rights and or trade exceptions. It’s not really clear if either is done dealing before the deadline either. Further moves could change this projection by a considerable amount.

 

Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. Memphis Grizzlies
  3. Minnesota Timberwolves
  4. New York Knicks
  5. Oklahoma City Thunder
  6. Sacramento Kings
  7. Toronto Raptors
  8. Washington Wizards

This group of eight teams is a mixed bag. Teams like Cleveland, Memphis, Minnesota and Toronto have their cores locked in. They’ll be looking to use the $10.3 million Non-Taxpayer MLE to supplement that group.

New York is a bit harder to project. They could be a team that makes a major pivot after a disappointing season following their 2021 playoff appearance. Look for whatever the Knicks to do to come via trade vs clearing enough salary to get in the cap space derby.

Some may be surprised to find Oklahoma City in this group. The Thunder have a major contract extension kicking in for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander next season, plus they project to have three first-round draft picks. That’s got them over the cap, despite still being early in their rebuild. OKC will continue to build through the draft and through trades and may just sit on the MLE for now.

Then you have the factories of sadness that are Sacramento and Washington. Both have All-Star level players. Both have solid role players. Yet, it never quite seems to come together for either franchise. In an offseason that will feature yet another retooling, these teams will spend the MLE on a player or players they hope will push them firmly into the playoff picture.

 

Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

This group is so big we’re going to sub-divide them. The two categories will be “Close to the Tax” and “Over the Tax”

Close to the Tax

  1. Charlotte Hornets
  2. Chicago Bulls
  3. Houston Rockets
  4. New Orleans Pelicans

These four teams will be dancing around the tax line. Charlotte (Miles Bridges) and Chicago (Zach LaVine) have free agents to re-sign who are going to eat up most of their room under the tax line.

Houston is still carrying John Wall’s sizable contract, which has them tighter to the tax than they would like.

New Orleans is probably a move away from joining the teams who can use the full MLE and stay under the tax. They have 13 players under contract and are only one small salary-shedding deal from opening up full MLE space.

Over the Tax

  1. Atlanta Hawks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Dallas Mavericks
  5. Denver Nuggets
  6. Golden State Warriors
  7. LA Clippers
  8. Los Angeles Lakers
  9. Miami Heat
  10. Milwaukee Bucks
  11. Philadelphia 76ers
  12. Phoenix Suns
  13. Utah Jazz

This is potentially the largest group of tax-paying teams the NBA will have ever seen. It may not end up playing out this way, as some may shed salary or make free agent decisions that allow them to duck the tax. But as it stands, all 13 of these teams are currently over the tax, or project to be after they fill out their rosters for the 2022-23 season. That’ll have them limited to spending the $6.3 million Taxpayer MLE for help, or upgrading their rosters via trades. Since all fancy themselves as somewhere between solid playoff teams and title contenders, don’t expect to see a lot of salary-shedding from within this group.

 

Related NBA Links

NBA Cap Tracker

NBA Tax Tracker

NBA Cap Space Luxury Tax

The Kings promised that Tyrese Haliburton was untouchable for this deadline, but as everyone knows - there’s always a price. 

 

Kings Acquire…

Domantas Sabonis, PF
Sabonis is under contract through 2023-24 with cap hits of $19.8M the rest of this year, $18.5M next year, and $19.4M to finish it off. The 25 year old is averaging 19 points, 5 assists, and 9 boards in 34 minutes per game this season.

Jeremy Lamb, SG
Lamb is an expiring contract, holding a $10.5M cap hit for the rest of 2021-22. The 29-year-old is posting 5 year lows in 2021, with just 7 points, 1 assist, and 2 boards per game.

Justin Holiday, SF
Holiday brings team-friendly cap hits of $6M & $6.3M respectively over this and next year. The 32-year-old has collected 11 points, 3 boards, & 2 assists in 2021-22 thus far, hitting over 41% of his shots.

2027 2nd Round Pick

 

Pacers Acquire…

Tyrese Haliburton, PG
The #12 overall pick in 2020 was rumored to be “untouchable” for this deadline, but the Pacers found the right price. Haliburton holds cap hits of $4M, $4.2M, & $5.8M through 2023-24, after which he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency. His ceiling offers major value for the Pacers going forward.

Buddy Hield, SG
Hield is in year 2 of a 4 year, $94M extension, bringing with him cap hits of $23M, $21.1M, & $19.2M through 2023-24. Buddy is posting 5 year lows in points (14), Assists (2), & Rebounds (4) thus far this season.

Tristan Thompson, C
Thompson offers an expiring contract, with a $9.7M to boot for the rest of 2021-22. His minutes and production have been rapidly declined over the past two seasons, currently sitting at 6 points, and 5 boards per game.

 

Financial Ramifications

The Pacers promised they would find a way to rip this current roster apart and start anew next season, and they’re well on their way to that with a few days left to spare. The Caris LeVert trade plus this move allows them to free up what could be $21M of cap space for the 2022 offseason, a good start to getting another key piece in the building to pair with Haliburton. Today’s move puts the Pacers right at the luxury tax threshold for 2021-22, suggesting there’s still another move to be made to free themselves from that burden.

The Kings’ added significant salary with Sabonis’ $38M of future salary, but it’s hard not to look at his production vs. contract and see a ton of value in adding this player to an overpaid De’Aaron Fox to try to restart this process on the fly.

NBA NBA Trade Deadline Sacramento Kings Indiana Pacers

The February 10th trade deadline finally heats up with a blockbuster move between the Portland Trailblazers, & the New Orleans Pelicans. The deal included 7 players and 3 picks (for now).

 

The Portland Trailblazers Receive…

The Pelicans 2022 1st Round Pick
As long as it lands between #5 & #14. If not, the pick will push out to a future year.

Two Future 2nd Round Picks
Details TBD

Josh Hart, SG
Brings with him a $12M cap hit to finish off 21-22, then a non-guaranteed $12.96M next season, and a $12.96M player option for 2023-24. The 26 year old is averaging almost 14 points, 4 assists, and 8 rebounds this year.

Tomas Satoransky, SG
Is an expiring contract with a $10M cap figure for 21-22. Satoranksy’s production has been minimal this year, with just 2 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds in 15 minutes per game.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG
The 23 year old #17 overall draft pick back in 2019 brings a $3.2M cap hit this year, and a $5M already exercised option for 2022-23 before restricted free agency eligibility. The youngster has posted nearly 13 points, 3 assists, and 3 boards thus far in 26 minutes per game.

Didi Louzada, SF
Louzada holds a $1.78M cap figure this year, and a guaranteed $1.8M next year before his non-guaranteed salaries kick in. He’s also amidst a 25 game suspension for a positive PED test.

 

The New Orleans Pelicans Receive…

C.J. McCollum, SG
The 30-year-old brings with him $30.8M cap figure, then fully guaranteed salaries of $33.3M, & $35.8M respectively through 2023-24. McCollum has posted 20 points, 4 assists, and 4 boards per game in around 35 minutes played. It should also be noted that he suffered a scary collapsed lung injury that kept him away for 18 Portland games. He earned $136.25M in 8.5 seasons with Portland.


Larry Nance Jr., PF
Nance holds a $10.7M cap hit for the remainder of 2021-22, then a small dip down to $9.6M for the 2022-23 season. The 29-year-old has posted 7 points, 2 assists, and 5 boards in 23 minutes per game this season.


Tony Snell, SG
The 30 year old brings a 1 year veteran minimum deal over to the Pelicans, which carries a valuable $1.6M cap hit for the remainder of the season. Snell has posted about a basket a game numbers in 14 minutes played thus far.

 

Financial Ramifications

The Trailblazers now sit with $17.3M of tax space this year, while the Pelicans are sitting with nearly $5.1M of tax space.

Portland sheds almost $80M of future cash, bringing back just $6.8M of future guarantees. This is a tale of one franchise beginning to break things down, and another (finally) pushing the gas pedal down. 

Portland gains a $21M trade exception per this move, and now has a chance to free up significant cap space this summer. If the plan is to keep Damian Lillard, they now have assets to add at least one significant (new) piece around him going forward.

NBA NBA Trade Deadline Portland Trail Blazers New Orleans Pelicans

The recent trade between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks (breakdown below) could be the start of some significant blockbuster trades that have yet to happen in 2022. While this New York-Atlanta trade may not be categorized as significant, we have seen major NBA stars traded in January of recent; most notably James Harden, Blake Griffin and Kristaps Porzingis. Below is a breakdown of the major January trades, what each team acquired, the salaries the team took on and where those players ended up post trade.

 

2021-22 Trades

Jan 13, 2021

New York Knicks

Cam Reddish - acquiring salaries $4.67 million (2021-22) and $5.95 million (2022-23). Reddish becomes rookie scale extension eligible in the offseason.

Solomon Hill - expiring contract with a minimum salary of $2,389,641

 

Atlanta Hawks

Kevin Knox - expiring contract with salary of $5,845,978. Knox will be a Restricted Free Agent in the offseason.

2022 1st Round pick (Charlotte’s pick which is Top-18 protected in 2022, Top-16 protected in 2023, Top-14 protected in 2024 and 2025 which would convey to 2nd-round picks in 2026 and 2027)


Notable Past January Trades

Jan 14, 2021

Brooklyn Nets

James Harden - acquired guaranteed salaries of $41.3 million (2020-21) and $44.3 million (2021-22). Harden has a Player Option of $47.4 million for the 2022-23. Brooklyn offered Harden an extension during the 2021 offseason but has yet to be signed.

 

Houston Rockets

2022 1st round pick (unprotected), 

2022 1st round pick (CLE pick via MIL), 

2024 1st round pick (unprotected), 

2026 1st round pick (unprotected), 

Pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027

Dante Exum - expiring contract with a salary of $9.1million

Rodions Kurucs - acquired minimum salaries of $1.78 million (2020-21) and $1.86 million (2021-22). Kurcus was traded 2 months later to Milwaukee.

Victor Oladipo - expiring contract with a salary of $21 million. Oladipo was traded 2 months later to Miami.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers 

Jarrett Allen - expiring rookie scale contract with a salary of $3.9 million. Allen became an Unrestricted Free Agent and signeda  5 year $100 million contract with Cleveland.

Taurean Prince - acquired salaries of $12.25 million (2020-21) and $13 million (2021-22). Prince was traded in the 2021 offseason to Minnesota.

Aleksandar Vezenkov - rights were acquired

 

Indiana Pacers

Caris LeVert - acquired rookie contract extension which was signed in Aug 2019 with salaries of $16.2 million (2020-21), $17.5 million (2021-22) and $18.8 million (2022-23) 

2023 2nd round pick (least favorable of HOU, DAL and MIA)

2024 2nd round pick (least favorable of CLE and UTH pick)

$2.6 million



Jan 31, 2019

Dallas Mavericks

Kristaps Porzingis - acquired expiring rookie contract with salary of $5,697,054 (2018-19). Porzingis became an Unrestricted Free Agent in the 2019 offseason and signed a 5 year $158.3 million maximum contract with Dallas.

Courtney Lee - acquired with salaries of $12.25 million (2018-19) and $12.76 million (2019-20). Lee finished the contract out with Dallas before becoming an Unrestricted Free Agent in the 2020 offseason.

Tim Hardaway Jr. - acquired with salaries of $17.33 million (2018-19), $18.15 million (2019-20), and $18.98 million (2020-21). Hardaway Jr. finished the contract with Dallas and then signed a 4 year $75 million contract during the 2021 offseason.

Trey Burke - acquired an expiring contract with a minimum salary of $1.80 million 

 

New York Knicks

Dennis Smith Jr. - acquired a rookie contract with salaries of $3.8 million (2018-19), $4.46 million (2019-20) and $5.69 million (2020-21). Smith Jr. was traded in February 2021 to Detroit.

Wesley Matthews - acquired an expiring contract with a salary of $18.6 million. Matthews was bought out by New York days later.

DeAndre Jordan - acquired an expiring contract with a salary of $22.9 million. Jordan completed the contract and signed a 4 year $40 million contract with Brooklyn during the 2019 offseason.

2021 1st round pick (unprotected)

2023 1st round pick (Top-10 protected)



Jan 29, 2018

Detroit Pistons

Blake Griffin - acquired 6 months after signing a 5 year $171.2 million contract that was signed with Los Angeles during the 2017 offseason. Detroit acquired salaries of $29.5 million, $31.87 million, $34.23 million, $36.6 million and $38.96 million. After playing 3+ seasons with Detroit, Griffin agreed to a buyout in March 2021 giving back $13.3 million. 

Brice Johnson - acquired rookie contract salaries of $1.3 million (2017-18), $1.5 million (2018-19) and $2.5 million (2019-20). Johnson was traded days later to Memphis.

Willie Reed - acquired an expiring contract with a salary of $1.58 million. Reed was traded days later to Chicago who then waived Reed.

 

Los Angeles Clippers

Tobias Harris - acquired contract with salaries of $16 million (2017-18) and $14.8 million (2018-19). Harris was traded 1 year later to Philadelphia.

Avery Bradley - acquired expiring contract with salary of $8.8 million. Bradley completed the contract and signed a 2 year $24.96 million contract as an Unrestricted Free Agent during the 2018 offseason.

Boban Marjanovic - acquired salaries of $7 million (2017-18) and $7 million (2018-19). Marjanovic was traded 1 year later with Harris to Philadelphia.

2019 2nd round pick - pick was traded 

2018 1st round pick (Top-4 protected)

 

Notable NBA Links

NBA Trade Tracker

NBA Transactions Wire

NBA Trades

The NBA calendar is full of important dates from mid-December to mid-February. On December 15, the trade window unofficially opens, as the vast majority of players signed that offseason can be traded. On January 5, teams can sign 10-Day contract. This was tweaked this season, due to so many teams having players in the health and safety protocols.

January 7 is the final day to waive a player before all contracts become fully guaranteed on January 10. And of course, mid-February (February 10 this season) features the trade deadline.

In between looms January 15. This is an important date for a couple of reasons. It’s the last day teams can apply for a disabled player exception to replace players out for the rest of the season. It’s also usually the deadline to sign players to a Two-Way Contract. This season, because of the COVID related absences, Two-Way rules have been tweaked and there will be no deadline.

Most importantly: January 15 is the final big trade restriction date for offseason signees.

Unlike the December 15 restriction, when most free agents signed in the summer can be dealt, the January 15 trade restriction only applies to players who were re-signed in the offseason. And of that group, it only applies to select individuals.

When a player is re-signed using Bird or Early Bird rights to a contract that is 20% or greater than their previous deal AND their team is over the cap, those players can’t be traded until January 15. This is because those contracts tie to Base Year Compensation rules, which impact how a BYC player’s salary works in trade. In effect, it’s an additional blocker that keeps teams from re-signing and player and immediately trading them.

Once January 15 (or three months after the player re-signed) hits, that restriction is lifted and those players can be traded. Here’s a list of players who become trade eligible on January 15:

  1. Jarrett Allen – Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. Bruce Brown Jr – Brooklyn Nets
  3. John Collins – Atlanta Hawks
  4. Terence Davis – Sacramento Kings
  5. Hamidou Diallo – Detroit Pistons
  6. Josh Hart – New Orleans Pelicans
  7. Richaun Holmes – Sacramento Kings
  8. Talen Horton-Tucker – Los Angeles Lakers
  9. Reggie Jackson – LA Clippers
  10. Furkan Korkmaz – Philadelphia 76ers
  11. T.J. McConnell – Indiana Pacers
  12. Jordan McLaughlin – Minnesota Timberwolves
  13. David Nwaba – Houston Rockets
  14. Duncan Robinson – Miami Heat
  15. Derrick Rose – New York Knicks
  16. Cameron Payne – Phoenix Suns
  17. Norman Powell – Portland Trail Blazers
  18. Gary Trent Jr. – Toronto Raptors
  19. Jarred Vanderbilt – Minnesota Timberwolves

A handful of the players listed above have been prominently mentioned in trade rumors, including Hart, Holmes, Horton-Tucker and Powell. It’s important to keep in mind that you may hear their names mentioned in the rumor mill now, but it’s still a bit before those players can actually be moved.

 

Notable NBA Links

NBA Trade Restrictions

As far as the calendar goes in a normal NBA season, of which 2021-22 is thankfully one, January 10 is a meaningful date for teams and players. On that date, all NBA contracts become fully guaranteed for the duration of the season. In addition, any contract signed after that date (minus a 10-Day contract) is also fully guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

However, the date to really keep an eye on is January 7. Because players have to clear waivers by January 10, that turns January 7 into the date when players need to be waived by to avoid a cap hit for the full salary.

If a player is waived, the salary already paid to the player, plus the two days on waivers, is put on the team’s books as dead money. If the player is claimed off waivers, the entire salary and cap hit is transferred to the claiming team’s cap sheet.

Here are the 30 players to watch with January 10 (but really January 7!) guarantee dates:

 

Notable NBA Links

 

NBA Salary Guarantees

October 18th was the deadline for 2018 1st round picks to lock in a rookie extension before the start of the upcoming season. For those who didn't extend, the next available opportunity to do so now becomes via free agency after July 1st 2022, the beginning of the next league year.

In total, 11 of the 30 eligible draft picks locked into future contracts, ranging from Luka Doncic's $207M SuperMax, to Grayson Allen's $18.7M bridge upgrade. The 11 new deals is up from 10 last fall, 10 in 2019, and just 5 in 2019.

Total extensions: 11 of 30 eligible players
Total Max Value (if all incentives met): $1,151,660,000
Total Practical Value (Base salaries + LTBE incentives): $1,144,810,000
Total Guaranteed at Signing:  $1,093,090,000

Related Links:
2018 NBA Draft Tracker
Upcoming NBA Extensions

 

Extension Details

3. Luka Doncic
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Terms: 5 year, $207,060,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $207,060,000 (at minimum)
Average: $41,412,000
2022-23 Salary: $35,700,000 (estimate)

  • Contract is an estimate due to language allowing the first year salary to be determined based on 30% of League Cap in 2022-23 season.
  • 15% Trade Bonus

 

4. Jaren Jackson Jr.
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Terms: 4 year, $104,720,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $104,720,000
Average: $26,180,000
2022-23 Salary: $28,946,605

 

5. Trae Young
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Terms: 5 year, $172,550,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $172,550,000 (at minimum)
Average: $34,510,000
2022-23 Salary: $29,750,000 (estimate)

  • Contract is an estimate due to language allowing the first year salary to be determined based on 25% of League Cap in 2022-23 season.
  • If All-NBA status is achieved, first year salary will be determined based on 30% of the League Cap in 2022-23 raise the estimated contract value to 5 years, $207 million
  • 2025-26 Early Termination Option
  • 15% Trade Bonus

 

7. Wendell Carter Jr.
Team: Orlando Magic (drafted by Chicago)
Terms: 4 year, $50,000,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $50,000,000
Average: $12,500,000
2022-23 Salary: $14,150,000

  • Salaries are decreasing over the length of the contract, finishing with $10,850,000 in 2025-26 season.

 

10. Mikal Bridges
Team: Phoenix Suns
Terms: 4 year, $90,900,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $90,900,000
Average: $22,725,000
2022-23 Salary: $22,725,000

 

11. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Terms: 5 year, $172,550,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $172,550,000 (at minimum)
Average: $34,510,000
2022-23 Salary: $29,750,000 (estimate)

  • Contract is an estimate due to language allowing the first year salary to be determined based on 25% of League Cap in 2022-23 season.
  • If All-NBA status is achieved, first year salary will be determined based on 30% of the League Cap in 2022-23 raise the estimated contract value to 5 years, $207 million
  • 15% Trade Bonus

 

14. Michael Porter Jr.
Team: Denver Nuggets
Terms: 5 year, $172,550,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $145,280,000 (at minimum)
Average: $34,510,000
2022-23 Salary: $29,750,000 (estimate)

  • Contract is an estimate due to language allowing the first year salary to be determined based on 25% of League Cap in 2022-23 season.
  • 2026-27 season: Partially guaranteed
  • (i) $12 million of the $39.27 million is guaranteed at signing.
  • (ii) $17 million becomes guaranteed if earns All-Star status in any of the 2021-22 through 2025-26 seasons.
  • (iii) Fully guaranteed based on performance metrics and awards that can be triggered prior to the 2026-27 season.

 

19. Kevin Huerter
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Terms: 4 year, $65,000,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $65,000,000
Average: $16,250,000
2022-23 Salary: $14,508,929

 

21. Grayson Allen
Team: Milwaukee Bucks (drafted by Memphis)
Terms: 2 year, $18,700,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $17,000,000
Average: $9,350,000
2022-23 Salary: $8,500,000

  • Maximum value could reach $19,550,000 if all incentives are achieved.
  • Total incentives: $2,550,000 (Annual Likely-to-be-earned: $850,000; Annual Unlikely-to-be-earned: $425,000 - at time of signing)

 

26. Landry Shamet
Team: Phoenix Suns (drafted by Los Angeles Clippers via Brooklyn)
Terms: 4 year, $42,500,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $19,750,000
Average: $10,625,000
2022-23 Salary: $9,500,000

  • 2024-25: non-guaranteed salary
  • 2025-26: Club Option/non-guaranteed salary

 

27. Robert Williams III
Team: Boston Celtics
Terms: 4 year, $48,000,000
Guaranteed at Signing: $48,000,000
Average: $12,000,000
2022-23 Salary: $10,714,287

  • Maximum value could reach $54,000,000 if all incentives are achieved.
  • Total incentives: $6,000,000 - Annual escalating incentives for games played + playoffs thresholds (all deemed unlikely at signing) 

 

Notable Players Without Extensions

1. Deandre Ayton, PHX
2. Marvin Bagley III, SAC
8. Collin Sexton, CLE
12. Miles Bridges, CHA
17. Donte DiVincenzo, MIL

Related Links:
2018 NBA Draft Tracker
Upcoming NBA Extensions

NBA Rookie Extension 2018 NBA Draft Class

Top Drafted Colleges

Earnings Per College (Last 5 Years, 2016 - 2020)

#1) Duke, $202,705,284 (15 players)

#2) Kentucky, $159,204,357 (Kentucky)

#3) Washington, $82,798,262 (7 players)

#4) Florida State, $66,483,327 (7 players)

#5) Gonzaga, $62,042,322 (5 players)

 

Top Drafted Countries

Players Per Country (Last 5 Years, 2016 - 2020)

#1) USA: 213 players

#2) France: 11 players

#3) Canada: 6 players

#4) Serbia: 5 players

Overall: 82% = USA, 18% International

 

Earnings Per Country (Last 5 Years, 2016 - 2020)

#1) USA, $1,521,928,509

#2) Australia, $74,667,792

#3) Bahamas, $67,704,272

#4) France, $48,708,736

#5) Croatia, $43,327,129

 

By Position

Earnings Per Position (Last 5 Years, 2016 - 2020)

#1) Point Guard, $533,139,216 (65 players)

#2) Shooting Guard, $504,122,295 (78 players)

#3) Power Forward, $447,719,445 (58 players)

#4) Small Forward, $306,373,984 (52 players)

#5) Center, $278,631,406 (41 players)

 

Top Earnings

Top Drafted Earners (Last 10 Years, 2011 - 2020)

Rank Player Round Pick Earnings
1 Kyrie Irving 1 1 $158,688,599
2 Anthony Davis 1 1 $152,666,234
3 Damian Lillard 1 6 $151,870,966
4 Kawhi Leonard 1 15 $149,088,735
5 Jimmy Butler 1 30 $144,395,731
6 Klay Thompson 1 11 $144,363,984
7 Bradley Beal 1 3 $144,130,512
8 Andre Drummond 1 9 $136,137,168
9 Tobias Harris 1 19 $135,604,355
10 Harrison Barnes 1 7 $127,522,137
11 Chandler Parsons 2 38 $126,998,919
12 Otto Porter Jr. 1 3 $124,127,236
13 Kemba Walker 1 9 $123,274,126
14 Khris Middleton 2 39 $120,920,176
15 C.J. McCollum 1 10 $115,393,598

 

Top Drafted Earners Per First Round Pick Number (Last 10 Years, 2011 - 2020)

Pick No. Player Draft Year Earnings
1 Kyrie Irving 2011 $158,688,599
2 Victor Oladipo 2013 $104,174,940
3 Bradley Beal 2012 $144,130,512
4 Tristan Thompson 2011 $106,193,433
5 Jonas Valanciunas 2011 $91,621,944
6 Damian Lillard 2012 $151,870,966
7 Harrison Barnes 2012 $127,522,137
8 Brandon Knight 2011 $79,134,209
9 Andre Drummond 2012 $136,137,168
10 C.J. McCollum 2013 $115,393,598
11 Klay Thompson 2011 $144,363,984
12 Steven Adams 2013 $110,144,832
13 Zach LaVine 2014 $66,928,548
14 Marcus Morris Sr. 2011 $57,249,640
15 Kawhi Leonard 2011 $149,088,735
16 Nikola Vucevic 2011 $108,338,639
17 Dennis Schröder 2013 $69,042,112
18 TJ Leaf 2017 $11,400,195
19 Tobias Harris 2011 $135,604,355
20 Evan Fournier 2012 $91,384,369
21 Gorgui Dieng 2013 $67,660,739
22 Kenneth Faried 2011 $56,855,817
23 Solomon Hill 2013 $53,774,756
24 Reggie Jackson 2011 $87,869,444
25 Clint Capela 2014 $52,252,343
26 Miles Plumlee 2012 $55,253,385
27 Rudy Gobert 2013 $102,690,340
28 Tony Bradley 2017 $8,476,213
29 Cory Joseph 2011 $58,717,660
30 Jimmy Butler 2011 $144,395,731

 

Top Earnings Per Pick Number (Last 10 Years, 2011 - 2020)

Rank Pick No. Earnings
1 1 $664,037,211
2 3 $612,686,470
3 4 $474,864,090
4 2 $472,767,404
5 7 $409,073,608
6 15 $400,486,152
7 9 $374,521,876
8 11 $370,915,100
9 6 $357,318,467
10 12 $324,158,136
11 8 $301,847,455
12 10 $291,857,169
13 13 $287,287,243
14 5 $285,818,004
15 19 $280,180,602

 

Top Earnings per International Player (Last 10 Years, 2011 - 2020)

Rank Player Country Pick No. Earnings
1 Giannis Antetokounmpo Greece 15 $106,999,970
2 Rudy Gobert France 27 $102,690,340
3 Jonas Valanciunas Lithuania 5 $91,621,944
4 Evan Fournier France 20 $91,384,369
5 Nikola Jokic Serbia 41 $85,855,769
6 Bismack Biyombo Congo, Democratic Republic of the 7 $85,350,819
7 Kristaps Porzingis Latvia 4 $73,697,582
8 Dennis Schröder Germany 17 $69,042,112
9 Bojan Bogdanovic Croatia 31 $65,379,296
10 Clint Capela Switzerland 25 $52,252,343
NBA NBA Draft

NBA players signed to minimum contracts are usually defined into one of three groups:

  • Rookies or young players who are hoping to make a team
  • Veteran players who are hoping to play a role a title contender
  • Veteran players who receive a buyout and catch on late in the season with a contender

The first group regularly sees players play themselves off of a minimum contract. This offseason alone, that group includes Bruce Brown Jr., Devonte’ Graham, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson and Gary Trent Jr. All of these players are going to get more than the minimum and some are going to get considerably more.

The last group is a matter of circumstance. For all of Andre Drummond’s foibles as a player, he’s not really someone who will play on a minimum contract for very long. After his buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Drummond joined the Lakers for a shot at a ring. This summer, Drummond will make far more than the minimum, even if it means taking a role with a lesser team. Blake Griffin is another good example. If he wants to leave the Nets for more than the minimum, he’s shown he’s still got the game to earn more.

It’s the middle group where players often get stuck, sometimes forever. Around the NBA there is a thought that “Once a minimum player, always a minimum player” when it comes to veterans.

Fair or unfair, that’s how life works in the NBA. The vast majority of successful teams are built around one to three players on max contracts, a handful signed to a mid-tier contract via the Mid-Level Exception, a few Rookie Scale players and then a handful of players that were signed via the Minimum Exception. Or the bench is rounded out with young players who the team used part of an exception to sign to a three or four-year minimum contract (Minimum Exception deals are limited to two seasons in length).

This season several players stuck in that “minimum player” category seem to have played themselves out of that designation. Here’s a list of players who might be looking at a more lucrative contract in 2021-22, based on their play this year.

 

Reggie Jackson (PG, LAC)

Jackson turned in one of his better seasons while toiling away on the minimum for the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 10.7 points per game, while shooting 45% from the field and 43% from behind the arc. In the postseason, Jackson has been even better. He’s averaged 17.6 points on 51% shooting overall and 42% from behind the arc. With several teams looking at point guard openings this summer, Jackson has earned himself at least a large chunk of the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception from someone.

 

Nicolas Batum (SF, LAC)

Let’s stick with Clippers vets for a minute. Batum looked finished in 2019-20 with the Charlotte Hornets. He barely played, shot poorly and it looked like his NBA career was over. The Clippers added Batum for the minimum and he became a key rotation player for them. He stayed healthy all season and turned in 8.1 points (on some of the best shooting of his career) and 4.7 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game. He’s also shown the ability to play some small ball five, which adds to his value. It’s unclear if Batum will leave LA or not. If he stays, he probably stays on the minimum. If he wants to cash in elsewhere, he could get $4 or $5 million from a title contender for a bench role.

 

Cameron Payne (PG, PHX)

Going head-to-head with the Clippers is Payne, who has finally put it all together in his sixth season. The Phoenix Suns did well to add Payne on a two-year, minimum contract before the bubble last season. He played well at Walt Disney World and that’s carried over to this year. He’s been a solid backup to Chris Paul and stepped up while Paul was out to start the Western Conference Finals. Payne should get a portion of the MLE from a good team to be a high-end backup point guard that can start when necessary.

 

Torrey Craig (SF, PHX)

Completing our quartet of Western Conference finalists on the minimum is Craig. He’s a defense-first wing who easily fits on any good team. The Milwaukee Bucks probably should have kept him, but the Suns stole him on the cheap when the Bucks needed to clear a roster spot. Craig’s defense alone should earn him a chunk of the MLE from someone, but his offense is probably better than you think too.

 

Solomon Hill (SF, ATL)

Hill belongs in the same camp as Batum, even if he’s several years younger. If he wants to return to Atlanta, it’s probably for the minimum, as the Hawks payroll is starting to get a little unwieldy. But if Hill wants to cash in on his newfound “defensive stopper” reputation, he could get a nice offer elsewhere.

 

Austin Rivers (PG, DEN)

Rivers play for the Denver Nuggets was better than most expected. If he’s happy there as a placeholder until Jamal Murray returns, Rivers will re-sign with Denver for the minimum. Otherwise, he could leverage a poor free agent class into a bigger offer from a playoff contender seeking guard depth.

 

Jeff Green (PF, BKN)

Since his one-year, $15 million contract with the Orlando Magic expired in 2017, Jeff Green has played for the minimum for five different clubs over the last four seasons. If Green wants to stay with a ready-made title contender in Brooklyn, the Nets will happily bring him back on another minimum deal. If Green wants to cash in one last time, he might have a chance to snag part of the MLE from a playoff hopeful looking for a veteran forward for their bench.

NBA Minimum Contract Reggie Jackson Nicolas Batum Cameron Payne Torrey Craig Solomon Hill Austin Rivers Jeff Green

The presence, and absence, of a handful of players with the recently announced 2020-21 All-NBA teams has major financial ramifications for upcoming and future contract extensions.

The 2020-21 All-NBA Teams:

First Team

  • Nikola Jokic
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Kawhi Leonard
  • Stephen Curry
  • Luka Doncic

Second Team

  • Joel Embiid
  • Julius Randle
  • LeBron James
  • Damian Lillard
  • Chris Paul

Third Team

  • Rudy Gobert
  • Jimmy Butler
  • Paul George
  • Bradley Beal
  • Kyrie Irving

 

Luka Doncic, G, DAL

Let’s start with Luka Doncic. By virtue of being named to an All-NBA team for the second consecutive year, Doncic now qualifies for the Designated Player Rookie Extension. We previously covered all of the options for Doncic last week. Here’s the projected extension starting at 30% of the 2022-23 cap that Doncic is now in line to sign:

  • 2022-23 - $34,735,800
  • 2023-24 - $37,514,664
  • 2024-25 - $40,293,528
  • 2025-26 - $43,072,392
  • 2026-27 - $45,851,256
  • Total – 5 years, $201,467,640

(Note: Doncic will complete the fourth and final year of his Rookie Scale contract during the 2021-22 season. This extension would start with the following season in 2022-23.) Because of Doncic’s stature in the league, it’s likely he’ll have a player option on the fifth year of his new deal. And he’ll probably have a 15% trade bonus added in there too.

Because Doncic made All-NBA in both 2019-20 and 2020-21, he is no longer dependent on being honored for 2021-22. A player must make All-NBA or win Defensive Player of the Year in either the two seasons that preceded the most recent season or in the most recent season (or win MVP in any of the three preceding seasons) to qualify for a Designated Player Extension. Since Doncic made it in 2019-20 and 2020-21, he’s now qualified for the Designated Player Rookie Extension no matter how his 2021-22 season goes.

 

Bam, Fox, Mitchell, & Tatum

Sticking with Designated Player Rookie Extensions, a quartet of players did not make All-NBA and thus did not qualify for the jump from 25% to 30% of the cap (or anywhere in-between). Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum all were eligible to bump to 30% of the cap in first-year salary in their extensions had they made All-NBA. Fox wasn’t a realistic candidate to make All-NBA, but Adebayo had a case and Tatum and Mitchell were both certainly deserving. In the case of Tatum, he narrowly missed out on his second straight All-NBA nod.

As it stands now, each player will have a projected extension structure of:

  • 2021-22 - $28,103,500
  • 2022-23 - $30,351,780
  • 2023-24 - $32,600,060
  • 2024-25 - $34,848,340
  • 2025-26 - $37,096,620
  • Total – 5 years, $163,000,300

Both Tatum and Mitchell have player options on their fifth years, while Adebayo and Fox are straight five-year contracts.

Had any of the quartet been named to All-NBA, they would have been eligible for a projected first-year salary of $33,724,200 and a total salary of $195,600,360 over the life of their deals. That’s a difference of $5,620,700 in 2021-22 and $32,600,060 over the full run.

 

Joel Embiid, C, PHI

As for the Designated Player Veteran Extension, Joel Embiid has now qualified to sign under this criterion. Embiid’s current deal is scheduled to run through 2022-23. This offseason, the 76ers could tack on four additional years to Embiid’s contract via the Designated Player Veteran Extension beginning in 2023-24 at 35% of the cap. That would give Embiid a projected contract structure of:

  • 2021-22 - $31,579,390 (current contract)
  • 2022-23 - $33,616,770 (current contract)
  • 2023-24 - $42,551,250 (Year 1 of Designated Player Veteran Extension)
  • 2024-25 - $45,955,350
  • 2025-26 - $49,359,450
  • 2026-27 - $52,763,550
  • Total – 6 years, $255,825,760

That’s a lot of money to lay out, given Embiid’s injury history and the fact that he’ll turn 33 years old during the 2026-27 season, but Embiid is the NBA’s best two-way center and has gotten more serious about his conditioning this year. It’s probably worth the gamble to keep one of the league’s most talented big men happy and in the fold in Philadelphia.

NBA All-NBA Team

Tim Duncan

Signed six contracts over his career.

    • 3 year / $10.24 million (Rookie contract)
    • 3 year / $31.9 million
    • 7 year / $122 million (exercised 2008-09 Player Option)
    • 2 year / $40 million (extension)
    • 3 year / $30.36 million (exercised 2014-15 Player Option)
    • 2 year / $10.85 million (retired prior to 2016-17 season but salary was guaranteed)

Highest Salary: $22,183,220 (2009-10 season)

Average Salary per 20 seasons played: $12,738,147

 

Kobe Bryant

Signed five contracts over his career.

    • 3 year / $3.5 million (Rookie contract)
    • 5 year / $56.225 million (exercised 2004-05 Early Termination Option to become free agent)
    • 7 year / $136.4 million (exercised 2010-11 Player Option)
    • 3 year / $83.5 million (included the rare no-trade clause)
    • 2 year / $48 million

Highest Salary: $30,453,805 (2013-14 season)

Average Salary per 20 seasons played: $16,165,615

 

Kevin Garnett

Signed six contracts over his career.

    • 3 year / $5.39 million (Rookie contract)
    • 6 year / $126 million (exercised 2004-05 Early Termination Option to become free agent)
    • 5 year / $100 million (traded to Boston; trade kicker activated)
    • 3 year / $51.3 million (signed extension part of MIN-BOS trade)
    • 3 year / $36 million (included rare no-trade clause; waived for BKN-BOS trade)
    • 2 year / $16.5 million (included rare no-trade clause; retired prior to 2016-17 season but salary was guaranteed)

Highest Salary: $30,417,829 (2007-08 season due to trade kicker bonus money)

Average Salary per 21 seasons played: $15,919,250

 

Year Tim Duncan Kobe Bryant Kevin Garnett
1 $2,967,840 $1,015,000 $1,622,000
2 $3,413,000 $1,167,240 $1,666,000
3 $3,858,240 $1,319,000 $2,109,120
4 $9,600,000 $9,000,000 $8,536,585
5 $10,230,000 $10,130,000 $16,806,300
6 $12,072,500 $11,250,000 $19,610,000
7 $12,676,125 $12,375,000 $22,400,000
8 $14,260,641 $13,500,000 $25,200,000
9 $15,845,156 $14,175,000 $28,000,000
10 $17,429,672 $15,946,875 $16,000,000
11 $19,014,188 $17,718,750 $18,000,000
12 $20,598,704 $19,490,625 $21,000,000
13 $22,183,220 $21,262,500 $30,417,829
14 $18,835,381 $23,034,375 $23,000,000
15 $17,034,937 $24,806,250 $14,665,110
16 $9,638,554 $20,318,738 $17,080,110
17 $10,361,446 $27,849,149 $15,691,186
18 $10,361,446 $30,453,805 $11,566,265
19 $6,000,000 $23,500,000 $12,433,735
20 $5,643,750
(retired/waived but earned)
$25,000,000 $12,000,000
21     $8,500,000
22     $8,000,000
(retired/waived but earned)
Total $242,024,800 $323,312,307 $334,304,240
Avg $12,738,147 $16,165,615 $15,919,250

 

NBA NBA Hall of Fame Tim Duncan Kobe Bryant Kevin Garnett

A "SuperMax" Extension or also known as the Designated Player rule allows for an NBA player to receive increased compensation based on certain criteria being met. The increased salary allows for the first year salary of the extension to be 30% or 35% of the designated league year cap based on credited experience and performance awards (All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year or Most Valuable Player). Players are able to receive a yearly raise up to 8% of the first year salary.

A player who is signed to a Designated Player extension can only be signed from the end of the offseason moratorium through the last day before the regular season. Furthermore, being signed to this extension type means a player cannot be traded for one year after the extension has been signed.

Designated/"SuperMax" Extension Types

Designated Rookie Extension

Player is entering the 4th year of rookie scale contract, maximum salary starts at 25% of the cap (30% based on criteria below) with a maximum of six (6) years (which includes the remaining year on the current contract).

A player with fewer than seven (7) years of experience and mets the criteria for the 30% of the cap is said to be eligible for the "Derrick Rose Rule," name for Derrick Rose who won the MVP during his third season in the NBA.

Designated Veteran Extension

Player has 7 or 8 years of experience and has 1 or 2 years remaining on their current contract (all with with the same team or was traded during first four years in the NBA) and meets the criteria below is eligible for a maximum salary that starts at 35% of the cap with a maximum of six (6) years (which includes the remaining years on the current contract).

 

Who applies for this increase:

(A) Players finishing their rookie scale contract and other players having been credited with four (4) years of service can receive a starting salary up to 30% of the cap.

(B) Players finishing their rookie scale extension or other players having seven to nine (7-9) years of experience can receive a starting salary up to 35% of the cap.

 

At least one of the following must apply:

(A) Player was named to All-NBA First, Second or Third team in most reason season or both of the two seasons prior to the most recent season.

Based on 2021 offseason, player was named to any All-NBA team in 2020-21 OR was named to any All-NBA team in 2018-19 AND 2019-20.

(B) Player was named the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) in most reason reason or both of the two season prior to the most recent season.

Based on 2021 offseason, player was named to DPOY in 2020-21 OR was named as DPOY in 2018-19 AND 2019-20.

(C) Player was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in any of the three most recent seasons.

Based on 2021 offseason, player was named as MVP in 2018-19, 2019-20 or 2020-21.

 

Supermax Extension Designated Player Extension Extension NBA

How much do the players selected to the All-Star Game, Rookie-Sophomore Game, and All-Star Skills competition make?

 

All-Star Game

Winners: $50,000 per player

Losers: $25,000 per player

 

Rookie-Sophomore Game

Winners: $25,000 per player

Losers: $10,000 per player

 

All-Star Skills Competition

Slam Dunk

1st Place: $100,000

2nd Place: $50,000

3rd Place: $20,000

4th Place: $20,000

 

Three-Point Shootout

1st Place: $50,000

2nd Place: $35,000

3rd Place: $25,000

4th Place: $10,000

5th Place: $10,000

6th Place: $10,000

 

Skills

1st Place: $50,000

2nd Place: $35,000

3rd Place: $15,000

4th Place: $15,000

 

Shooting Stars

1st Place: $60,000

2nd Place: $45,000

3rd Place: $24,000

4th Place: $24,000

 

NBA All-Star Game All-Star Skills