Seven Players With Non-Guaranteed Salaries To Watch

An important deadline is fast approaching for 30 players around the NBA whose salaries are non-guaranteed, as we’re just over two weeks away from all of those deals becoming guaranteed for the rest of the season.

While February 27 is technically this season’s guarantee date, a player must clear waivers before that date if his club wants to avoid paying his full guarantee. That means February 24 is the final day that teams can waive a player whose salary for 2020/21 is non-guaranteed without that player’s cap hit becoming locked in for the rest of the season.

For some teams, that deadline is a mere formality, since they have no intention of waiving players on non-guaranteed contracts if they’re part of the club’s plans going forward. However, there are some players around the league whose roster spots may be in jeopardy.

Here’s a list of some of the players we’re keeping an eye as possible release candidates as this season’s guarantee deadline nears:

1. Iman Shumpert (Nets): The Nets have several recently-signed players whose status beyond February 24 remains up in the air, including Norvel Pelle and Noah Vonleh. Shumpert’s case looks like the most interesting of the bunch, since a hamstring injury may prevent him from getting much of a chance to prove he deserves to stick around.
2. Mychal Mulder (Warriors): The fact that the Warriors have opted to retain Mulder even as they lost three centers (Marquese Chriss, James Wiseman, and Kevon Looney) to injuries is a promising sign for his grip on his roster spot. Still, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s safe. Golden State may decide it wants that 15th spot open for potential trades or a possible Juan Toscano-Anderson promotion.
3. Damian Jones (Suns): When he signed as a free agent, Jones looked like he was ticketed for a role as the Suns’ backup center behind Deandre Ayton. Instead, Frank Kaminsky – who was claimed off waivers at the start of the regular season – has assumed that backup role. Jones missed time due to the health and safety protocols, but hasn’t been a regular part of the rotation even when available, logging just 75 total minutes in nine games.
4. Kelan Martin (Pacers): Although he showed promised as a rookie last season in Minnesota, Martin hasn’t had any role in Indiana, where he has played more than six minutes in a game just once, in a blowout win in December. The Pacers liked Martin enough to give him a two-year contract in the fall, but he’s their 15th man, so hanging onto him will reduce the team’s flexibility at the deadline a little.
5. Juwan Morgan (Jazz): Morgan is a project for the Jazz, who saw a glimpse of his promise in a 12-point, seven-rebound showing against Dallas last month. However, he hasn’t made an impact in his other nine appearances this season and will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. If Morgan isn’t in the Jazz’s plans beyond 2021, it might make sense to waive him this month to make room for a veteran who’d have a better chance of contributing in the postseason, since Utah looks capable of deep playoff run.
6. Sindarius Thornwell (Pelicans): The Pelicans have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so there’s no harm in keeping Thornwell around. Still, it’s a crowded backcourt in New Orleans, with the club already looking to get Kira Lewis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker more minutes. It’s hard to imagine Thornwell having a role unless there’s a fire sale of veterans or a string of injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.
7. Dean Wade (Cavaliers): Wade was part of the Cavaliers’ rotation for a couple weeks early in the season and would seem to be a prime candidate for minutes at power forward now that Kevin Love and Larry Nance are both out. However, he has struggled to produce in his 20 games (2.0 PPG on 33.3% shooting in 8.7 MPG) and is no longer playing regularly. Cleveland has an open roster spot and doesn’t necessarily need another, but that doesn’t mean Wade is locked in quite yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.