The 2018 NBA draft took place less than a month ago, but over three quarters over the players selected on the night of June 22 have already signed their first NBA contracts. That includes each of the 30 players picked in the first round, all of whom are now under contract.
The following players have not yet signed contracts with their new NBA teams:
- Detroit Pistons: Khyri Thomas, SG (Creighton)
- Orlando Magic: Justin Jackson, F (Maryland)
- Washington Wizards: Issuf Sanon, G (Olimpija Ljubljana)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Hamidou Diallo, SG (Kentucky)
- Houston Rockets: De’Anthony Melton, G (USC)
- San Antonio Spurs: Chimezie Metu, F/C (USC)
- New Orleans Pelicans: Tony Carr, PG (Penn State)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Devon Hall, SG (Virginia)
- Philadelphia 76ers: Shake Milton, G (SMU)
- Charlotte Hornets: Arnoldas Kulboka, SF (Capo D’Orlando)
- Dallas Mavericks: Ray Spalding, PF (Louisville)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Hervey, SF (Texas-Arlington)
- Denver Nuggets: Thomas Welsh, C (UCLA)
Sanon, Carr, and Kulboka will reportedly spend the 2018/19 season overseas, so we can safely remove their names from this list — they won’t be signing NBA contracts this offseason. Welsh, meanwhile, has reportedly agreed to terms on a two-way contract with Denver, though it’s not yet official.
That leaves just nine players from 2018’s draft class who we should still expect to sign at some point. Of those nine players, the higher picks such as Thomas (Pistons), Jackson (Magic), Diallo (Thunder), and Melton (Rockets) are good bets to sign multiyear NBA contracts. Even though some of those teams have luxury-tax concerns, they’ll have to fill out their rosters somehow, and a rookie contract at or near the minimum is the best way to avoid significantly increasing their potential tax penalties.
The players selected in the 50s may be candidates for two-way deals. A year ago, no player selected between Nos. 49-60 received a standard NBA contract, with all of those players signing two-way contracts, agreeing to straight G League contracts, or heading overseas to join an international team.
[RELATED: 2018/19 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
As such, players like Hall (Thunder), Milton (Sixers), Spalding (Mavericks), and Hervey (Thunder) should be considered two-way options. For now though, Dallas doesn’t have a two-way slot open, and Oklahoma City only has one, so it remains to be seen what the future holds for these late second-rounders. We should find out in the coming weeks.
The link for Justin Jackson goes to the Justin that was drafted out of UNC last year by the Kings
Fixed, thanks.