When the NBA’s new league year begins on July 1 – or, starting this year, June 30 – players eligible for free agency will be able to begin negotiating and reaching contract agreements with suitors. In addition to those free agents, another group of players will also become eligible to sign new deals.
For players who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie scale contracts, the first day of the new league year is the first day they can agree to rookie scale extensions. Those players, who are almost exclusively 2016 first-round selections, will have until the day before the 2019/20 regular season to finalize long-term agreements with their current teams.
Players eligible for rookie scale extensions can sign new deals that run for up to four – or five – years, with those contracts taking effect to start the 2020/21 season. If they don’t sign extensions during the coming offseason, those players will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2020.
A year ago, five players eligible for rookie scale extensions signed new deals between July 1 and the start of the season, which was a fairly modest number compared to some other recent offseasons. We should have at least that many viable candidates for rookie scale extensions this time around, though that doesn’t mean they’ll all sign new contracts.
Here are the players who will be eligible to sign rookie scale extensions this year before opening night:
- Malik Beasley (Nuggets)
- DeAndre’ Bembry (Hawks)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics): Extended
- Kris Dunn (Bulls)
- Juan Hernangomez (Nuggets)
- Buddy Hield (Kings): Extended
- Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
- Damian Jones (Hawks)
- Skal Labissiere (Trail Blazers)
- Caris LeVert (Nets): Extended
- Thon Maker (Pistons)
- Dejounte Murray (Spurs): Extended
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets): Extended
- Jakob Poeltl (Spurs)
- Taurean Prince (Nets): Extended
- Domantas Sabonis (Pacers): Extended
- Dario Saric (Suns)
- Pascal Siakam (Raptors): Extended
- Ben Simmons (Sixers): Extended
- Denzel Valentine (Bulls)
The following players were selected in the first round of the 2016 draft along with most of the players listed above, but aren’t eligible for rookie-scale extensions this year:
- Wade Baldwin: Waived by Grizzlies in 2017.
- Dragan Bender: Fourth-year option declined by Suns in 2018.
- Marquese Chriss: Fourth-year option declined by Rockets in 2018.
- Henry Ellenson: Waived by Pistons in 2019.
- Brice Johnson: Waived by Grizzlies in 2018.
- Furkan Korkmaz: Third-year option declined by Sixers in 2018.
- Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: Fourth-year option declined by Thunder in 2018.
- Georgios Papagiannis: Waived by Kings in 2018.
- Malachi Richardson: Waived by Sixers in 2019.
- Guerschon Yabusele (Celtics): Signed rookie contract in 2017; could be extension-eligible in 2020.
- Ante Zizic (Cavaliers): Signed rookie contract in 2017; could be extension-eligible in 2020.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The end of that list is a very important reminder that first round picks, especially mid and late first round picks, are not nearly as valuable as some seem to think.
Not counting the 2 guys that didn’t sign until the next season, that is nearly a third of the first round that was waived less than 3 years later including a top 5 pick. Just remember that when watching the 2019 draft.
As far as the extensions go, I expect Hield, Levert, J. Murray, Siakam, Prince, and Simmons to be almost automatic extensions. Maybes would be Brown, Ingram, D. Murray, Sabonis, Saric, Maker. I seriously doubt any of the others get extended.
Some of your maybes look like yesses to me– Brown, Ingram, Sabonis and including Poeltl. The average leading up to two years ago was 8 so the law of averages says 10 works!
Of course it’s not just a measure of worth to get extended– An agreement must be reached– for instance last year, injured Porzingus did not get extended. Dejonte Murray plays at a position of more depth for the Spurs than Poeltl and is returning from injury. I would not consider Ingram injured.
Yeah, some of my maybes were closer to yes than no, but each of them has flaws that could make them nos. I would put them in the order of likelihood as Sabonis, Ingram, Murray, Brown, Saric, Maker. Poeltl could go in there at the end too . I wouldn’t extend him though. He seems like someone that could easily be replaced at a smaller salary.
As far as Murray goes, I think you are forgetting just how impressive he was before injury. The team was basically becoming his. The Spurs may be cautious after the injury, but they seem to love him.
White is the starter now. And Poeltl. I guess 2G is open, with Derozan a 3 now.
Sixers are crazy to give Simmons one more penny until they see improvement. He doesn’t work hard…just wants to play hard. Point guards that can’t shoot/make free throws are about as useful as a kickstand on a horse.
Sabonis deserves an increase. They gave all that money to turner and he is not worth it. Turner thinks he can shoot 3’s…only problem is he misses but he keeps chucking them up. Sabonis shot selection is far better. Trade turner.
Simmons is the safest bet to be extended as simple as! Is a no brainer dude! If Philly doesn’t they better tank even with all the other stars re-upping! That would be the worst move ever by any NBA franchise… really fool not to!
The prospect of maxing Ben Simmons would scare me to death if I was a Sixers fan. He’s a huge liability in a half court set on offense. Haven’t seen anything that indicates he’s interested in learning to shoot either.