January 7 represents a key date for the NBA players who are on non-guaranteed contracts for the 2018/19 season. While their salaries won’t technically become guaranteed until January 10, the players who remained under contract through 5:00pm ET today are now assured of those guaranteed salaries. If released tomorrow, they wouldn’t clear waivers by the start of January 10, so they’ve survived the cut.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), only five players on non-guaranteed deals were released in advance of today’s deadline, so the rest of this season’s non-guaranteed players should be safe.
We’ll use the space below to break down those decisions from around the league. The following players will have their non-guaranteed 2018/19 salaries become fully guaranteed on Thursday:
- Ryan Arcidiacono (Bulls): $1,349,383
- Patrick Beverley (Clippers): $5,027,028
- Isaiah Briscoe (Magic): $838,464
- Trey Burke (Knicks): $1,795,015
- Tim Frazier (Pelicans): $1,621,415 ($1,512,601 cap hit)
- Shaquille Harrison (Bulls): $1,311,265
- Richaun Holmes (Suns): $1,600,520
- T.J. McConnell (Sixers): $1,600,520
- Alfonzo McKinnie (Warriors): $1,349,383
- Royce O’Neale (Jazz): $1,378,242
- Jahlil Okafor (Pelicans): $1,567,007
- Quincy Pondexter (Spurs): $2,165,481 ($1,512,601 cap hit)
- Chasson Randle (Wizards): $869,094
- Noah Vonleh (Knicks): $1,621,415 ($1,512,601 cap hit)
- Tyrone Wallace (Clippers): $1,349,383
- Kenrich Williams (Pelicans): $838,464
- Christian Wood (Bucks): $1,512,601
The following players were waived within the last couple days before their salaries could become fully guaranteed. Their approximate cap hits are noted:
- Ron Baker (Wizards): $171K
- Lorenzo Brown (Raptors): $800K
- Michael Carter-Williams (Bulls): $1.2MM
- Patrick McCaw (Cavaliers): $324K
- James Nunnally (Timberwolves): $656K
Technically, all of these players are now on waivers, so their salaries could still become fully guaranteed – and these cap hits could be removed from their old teams’ books – if they’re claimed by a new team. That seems unlikely, however.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.