2021 August | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Sign James Borrego To Contract Extension

August 9th, 2021 at 3:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 9: Borrego’s extension with the Hornets is now official, the team announced today in a press release.

“We’re extremely pleased with the job that Coach Borrego and his staff have done in their three years in Charlotte,”president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “Coach and his staff have built a strong player development program and it has resulted in the continued improvement of our young players. He has implemented an exciting style that our team likes playing and our Hornets fans enjoy watching. Coach has built strong relationships with our players, has demonstrated a great knowledge of the game and has provided tremendous leadership for our group.

“We’re thrilled to have signed him to an extension and look forward to the future with him leading our team as we continue to grow and improve.”

AUGUST 7: The Hornets and head coach James Borrego are finalizing a multi-year contract extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Charlotte had already decided to pick up its option on Borrego’s contract for next season and this will give him more long-term security.

When Charlotte hired Borrego in 2018, he was given a contract with three guaranteed years, along with an option for the fourth. Although his record is just 95-124 with the Hornets, he has spent most of that time overseeing a rebuilding project.

Borrego was an assistant coach for eight years with New Orleans, Orlando and San Antonio before becoming a head coach. He served as an interim head coach with the Magic for 30 games during the 2014/15 season.

Kemba Walker Gave Up $20MM In Thunder Buyout

August 9th, 2021 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran point guard Kemba Walker gave up $20MM in his buyout agreement with the Thunder, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Bobby Marks of ESPN (Instagram video) first reported that Walker was giving back $20MM as part of that deal.

Walker’s cap hit with Oklahoma City will be reduced by $9,777,778 in 2021/22 and by $10,222,222 in 2022/23, per Smith. The 31-year-old guard had originally been set to earn $36,016,200 this season and $37,653,300 in ’22/23.

It’s a significant concession by Walker, whose new deal with the Knicks is reportedly to be worth approximately $8-9MM per year over two seasons. It’ll be interesting to see whether his new salaries match the amounts he gave up in the buyout, or if he ends up making a little less as a result of his decision to play for his hometown team.

The terms of the buyout also help explain why the Thunder were willing to move on from Walker now rather than trying to rebuild his value during the coming season and flip him for an asset down the road.

Walker, who was traded from Boston to Oklahoma City in June, was limited to 43 games for the Celtics in 2020/21 due to knee issues, but put up strong numbers in the games he played, averaging 19.3 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.0 RPG on .420/.360/.899 shooting in 31.8 minutes per contest.

Walker officially cleared waivers on Sunday, so his new deal with New York can be completed anytime. The Knicks haven’t yet announced any of their free agent signings — they’ll likely finalize them one after another at some point, whether that happens today or later in the week.

2021/22 NBA Contract Extension Tracker

August 9th, 2021 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of 2021 free agents, including John Collins, Jarrett Allen, and Chris Paul, did extremely well for themselves on the open market this fall. However the most lucrative contracts signed since the new league year began weren’t free agent deals at all — they were contract extensions.

Extensions, of course, don’t involve adding a new player to the roster. By extending a contract, a team ensures that a current player will remain locked up for multiple years to come. Although a contract extension may not change the club’s outlook on the court, it can have a major impact on that team’s salary cap situation for the next several seasons.

Rookie scale extensions have typically been the most common form of contract extension. Former first-round picks who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie deals are eligible to sign those up until October 18. It’s common for at least four or five players eligible for rookie scale extensions to sign them, and that number could be much higher — in 2020, there were 10 rookie scale extensions.

While they used to be less common than rookie scale extensions, veteran extensions are happening more frequently these days, with the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement expanding the rules for eligibility and creating some additional incentives for star players to sign new deals before they reach free agency. In the past two league years, a total of 19 veteran extensions were signed, matching the 19 rookie scale extensions completed during that same window.

The deadline for a veteran extension for a player who isn’t in the final year of his current contract is October 18. However, a player eligible for a veteran extension who is on an expiring deal can sign a new contract throughout the season.

Listed below are the players who have finalized contract extensions so far in the 2021/22 league year. This list, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site (or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu) will be kept up to date throughout the offseason — and throughout the ’21/22 regular season if any veteran players ink an extension at that point.

Rookie scale contract extensions:

Luka Doncic (Mavericks): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $207,060,000. Includes fifth-year player option and 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.
Trae Young (Hawks): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $172,500,000. Projected value can increase to $207,060,000 if Young earns All-NBA honors in 2022. Includes fifth-year player option and 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $172,500,000. Projected value can increase to $207,060,000 if Gilgeous-Alexander earns All-NBA honors in 2022. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.
Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $172,500,000. Projected value can increase to $193,256,000 or $207,060,000 if Porter earns All-NBA honors in 2022. Includes partial guarantee ($12MM) in fifth year. Starts in 2022/23.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies): Four years, $104,720,000 (story). Includes Exhibit 3 injury protection related to Jackson’s left knee. Starts in 2022/23.
Mikal Bridges (Suns): Four years, $90,000,000 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
Kevin Huerter (Hawks): Four years, $65,000,000 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
Wendell Carter Jr. (Magic): Four years, $50,000,000 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
Robert Williams (Celtics): Four years, $48,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $6MM in total incentives. Starts in 2022/23.
Landry Shamet (Suns): Four years, $42,500,000 (story). Includes non-guaranteed third year and fourth-year team option. Starts in 2022/23.
Grayson Allen (Bucks): Two years, $17,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $2.55MM in total incentives. Starts in 2022/23.

Veteran contract extensions:

Stephen Curry (Warriors): Four years, $215,353,662 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
Kevin Durant (Nets): Four years, $192,504,908 (base value) (story). Includes $5,152,000 in total incentives. Starts in 2022/23.
Joel Embiid (Sixers): Four years, maximum salary (story). Includes fourth-year player option. Starts in 2023/24.
- Note: Embiid’s starting salary in 2023/24 will be 35% of the ’23/24 salary cap.
Jimmy Butler (Heat): Three years, maximum salary (story). Includes third-year player option. Starts in 2023/24.
- Note: Butler’s starting salary in 2023/24 will be the lesser amount of $45,183,960 or 35% of the ’23/24 salary cap.
Julius Randle (Knicks): Four years, $106,444,800 (base value) (story). Includes $15,966,720 in total incentives, a fourth-year player option, and a 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.
Terry Rozier (Hornets): Four years, $96,258,694 (story). Includes partial guarantee ($24,924,126) in fourth year. Starts in 2022/23.
Aaron Gordon (Nuggets): Four years, $86,640,001 (base value) (story). Includes $4.8MM in total incentives and a fourth-year player option. Starts in 2022/23.
Marcus Smart (Celtics): Four years, $77,087,995 (story). Includes trade kicker ($1MM or 15%; whichever is lesser). Starts in 2022/23.
Dorian Finney-Smith (Mavericks): Four years, $55,560,960 (story). Includes fourth-year player option and 5% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.
Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers): Two years, $45,000,000 (story). Starts in 2023/24.
Clint Capela (Hawks): Two years, $42,881,280 (base value) (story). Includes $4MM in incentives. Starts in 2023/24.
Daniel Gafford (Wizards): Three years, $40,182,480 (story). Starts in 2023/24.
Ivica Zubac (Clippers): Three years, $32,800,000 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
Jonas Valanciunas (Pelicans): Two years, $30,135,000 (story). Includes trade kicker ($1MM or 15%; whichever is lesser). Starts in 2022/23.
Gary Harris (Magic): Two years, $26,000,000 (story). Second year non-guaranteed. Starts in 2022/23.
Robert Covington (Clippers): Two years, $24,000,000 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
Terance Mann (Clippers): Two years, $22,000,000 (story). Starts in 2023/24.
Taurean Prince (Timberwolves): Two years, $14,555,000 (story). Second year non-guaranteed. Includes $2.13MM in total incentives. Starts in 2022/23.
Thaddeus Young (Raptors): Two years, $16,000,000 (base value) (story). Second year partially guaranteed. Includes $1MM in total incentives. Starts in 2022/23.
Patrick Beverley (Timberwolves): One year, $13,000,000 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
Josh Richardson (Celtics): One year, $12,196,084 (story). Starts in 2022/23.
- Note: Richardson has been traded to the Spurs since signing his extension.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Clippers Sign Jason Preston To Multiyear Deal

August 9th, 2021 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have signed second-round pick Jason Preston, the team announced today in a press release. While the team didn’t disclose the terms of the contract, Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) hears from a source that the deal includes two guaranteed seasons with a team option on year three.

It sounds like it’ll be the same as – or very similar to – Brandon Boston Jr.‘s new deal with the Clippers, which was also confirmed today by the team. Both signings were completed using a leftover portion of the club’s taxpayer mid-level exception in order to add the third year.

The Clippers sent a future second-round pick and cash to Orlando on draft night in order to secure the No. 33 pick and select Preston. The 6’4″ guard (and former basketball blogger) played his college ball at Ohio, filling up the box score with 15.7 PPG, 7.3 APG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.5 SPG on .514/.390/.596 shooting in 20 games (34.6 MPG) as a junior in 2020/21.

Interestingly, the Clippers now project to have 16 players on fully guaranteed salaries once Kawhi Leonard, Reggie Jackson, and Nicolas Batum officially sign their new deals. Since 15 is the regular season limit, a player with a guaranteed contract will have to be traded or cut before the regular season begins. It also doesn’t look like there will be room for Yogi Ferrell, who is on a non-guaranteed deal.

Eastern Notes: Bucks, Pacers, Butler, Heat

August 9th, 2021 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The two second-round picks the Bucks sent to the Grizzlies in the Grayson Allen trade were the 2024 and 2026 selections Milwaukee had just acquired from Indiana in a trade for the No. 31 pick, according to RealGM.

In the deal with Indiana, Milwaukee gave up the No. 31 selection in exchange for this year’s Nos. 54 and 60 selections along with those two future second-rounders. The team subsequently flipped the second-rounders to Memphis along with Sam Merrill for Allen.

The upshot is that the Bucks gave up Merrill and the No. 31 pick (Isaiah Todd) in exchange for Allen, the No. 54 pick (Sandro Mamukelashvili), and the No. 60 pick (Georgios Kalaitzakis).

Here’s more from around the East:

The Pacers officially announced a pair of additions to Rick Carlisle‘s staff, stating in a press release that Jannero Pargo has been hired as a player development assistant and Zach Chu has come aboard as the team’s manager of game strategy and analytics. Pargo spent the last two seasons with Portland, while Chu worked under Carlisle in Dallas.
Jimmy Butler‘s new maximum-salary extension with the Heat will actually be a three-year deal that begins in 2023/24, meaning it’s being tacked onto his 2022/23 player option, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Instagram video). Butler’s salary in ’23/24 will likely be 35% of that year’s cap, so the exact value of his extension isn’t yet known.
The Heat are taking their usual approach to their two-way contract slots, not filling them right away and instead auditioning several players for those openings. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, the next week at the Las Vegas Summer League could go a long way toward determining which players have the leg up for those spots. Javonte Smart, A.J. Lawson, RJ Nembhard, Micah Potter, and Marcus Garrett are expected to be in the mix.

Cristiano Felicio Signs With German Team

August 9th, 2021 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Former Bulls forward/center Cristiano Felicio has signed a one-year contract with German club Ratiopharm Ulm, the team announced today in a press release.

Felicio, a Brazilian big man who went undrafted in 2014, initially signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Bulls in 2015, then re-upped on a four-year, $32MM deal in 2017.

That investment, which was questioned even at the time, didn’t produce positive returns for Chicago, as Felicio appeared in just 155 games across the last four years, averaging 4.2 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 14.1 minutes per contest off the team’s bench. He hasn’t played regular rotation minutes since the 2018/19 season.

Making the move to Germany will give Felicio an opportunity to once again see consistent playing time and to rebuild his value. However, it’s unclear whether he’ll make his way back to the NBA down the road or if he’ll continue playing in international leagues for the foreseeable future.

Kings, Warriors, Clippers Eyeing Pascal Siakam

August 9th, 2021 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings, Warriors, and Clippers are among the teams believed to be especially “enamored” with forward Pascal Siakam, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

A source with knowledge of the situation tells Anderson that Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has received numerous trade inquiries on Siakam and is “listening like a good negotiator.” However, while a deal is possible, Anderson’s source doesn’t believe it’s likely, noting that Siakam has no desire to be moved.

Siakam’s name has popped up in trade rumors throughout the offeason. John Hollinger of The Athletic first suggested in June that the former All-Star was on Golden State’s radar, and multiple subsequent reports referenced a leaguewide belief that Siakam could be had, particularly in the wake of Toronto using the No. 4 pick to draft Scottie Barnes.

Sam Amick of The Athletic said last week that Sacramento “definitely” has interest in Siakam, and Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report stated that the Trail Blazers engaged in some preliminary discussions involving the veteran forward.

If the Kings were to make an offer for Siakam, it would likely include Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, and at least one future first-round pick, per Anderson. While that would be a perfect salary match, it’s not clear if such a package would be enough to seriously entice Toronto, Anderson acknowledges.

Siakam is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and will likely miss a little time at the start of the 2021/22 season.

The Kings have also displayed interest in Sixers star Ben Simmons, Anderson confirms, adding that GM Monte McNair seems motivated to make a major roster move as the pressure to win begins to build. Outside Sacramento, there’s a sense that McNair and his front office – installed just a year ago – are already “feeling the heat” from Kings owner Vivek Ranadive to take a significant step forward, says Anderson.

Hoops Rumors’ 2021 NBA Free Agent Tracker

August 9th, 2021 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s 2021 free agent period about to reach the one-week mark and most of the year’s biggest names already off the board, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this fall.

To this end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a tool we’ve maintained each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

Some of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect tentative agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed.
Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
Players reported to be joining teams on training camp/Exhibit 10 contracts won’t be added to the tracker until those signings are official, since those deals are more likely to fall through and some will end up being procedural moves that aren’t completed until the preseason.
A restricted free agent who signs an offer sheet won’t be included in the tracker right away. We’ll wait to hear whether the player’s original team will match or pass on that offer sheet before we update our tracker in order to avoid any confusion.
If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2021 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. On our mobile site, it can be found in our menu under “Free Agent Lists.”

The tracker will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Kings Sign Neemias Queta To Two-Way Contract

August 8th, 2021 at 11:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Neemias Queta, the 39th overall pick in July’s NBA draft, has officially signed a two-way contract with the Kings, the club announced today in a press release.

Queta, 22, played his college ball at Utah State. As a junior in 2020/21, the young center averaged a double-double (14.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG) with an impressive 3.3 blocks per game in 29 contests (30.0 MPG).

The Kings carried over Louis King as a two-way player from last season, so King and Queta will occupy the team’s two-way contract slots.

Sacramento is currently carrying 12 players on guaranteed contracts, three players on non-guaranteed deals, and two on two-way pacts, for a total of 17. That number will increase to 20 (the offseason limit) if and when the Kings complete their previously-reported deals with Alex Len, Matt Coleman, and DJ Steward.

Bulls Acquire Lonzo Ball Via Sign-And-Trade

August 8th, 2021 at 11:07pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 8: The Bulls have officially acquired Ball, the team announced late on Sunday night in a press release. As expected, the Pelicans acquired Satoransky, Temple, and a future second-round pick in the deal. The future second-rounder is Chicago’s 2024 selection, and New Orleans also received cash considerations.

This transaction continues to be investigated by the NBA due to possible “gun-jumping,” since it’s a complicated sign-and-trade deal that was reported as being done the minute that free agency opened on Monday.

The Pelicans and especially the Bulls may face discipline from the league based on that investigation’s findings. However, the fact that the trade was processed while the probe is ongoing is another sign the NBA isn’t going to disallow it.

Due to base year compensation rules affecting Ball’s new contract, neither the Bulls nor the Pelicans will create a trade exception in the deal.

AUGUST 2: The Bulls and point guard Lonzo Ball have agreed to a four-year, $85MM deal, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The contract will include a fourth-year player option, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Ball is a restricted free agent, but the Bulls and Pelicans will work out a sign-and-trade to get him to Chicago, Paul tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The Pelicans will receive Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple, and a second-round pick from the Bulls in the sign-and-trade agreement, according to Charania (Twitter link).

Temple is a free agent, so he’ll be signed-and-traded as well. He’s getting a three-year contract with the first two years guaranteed, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic, who adds that the deal is expected to be worth about $5MM per year (Twitter links).

It’s a major coup for the Bulls, who have been linked to Ball for the last several months. The team reportedly discussed a trade with the Pelicans at the deadline, but couldn’t reach a deal to land Ball at the time. Now, Chicago is in position to add the former No. 2 overall pick to a starting lineup led by Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.

Ball, 23, had arguably the best season of his career in 2020/21, averaging 14.6 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.8 RPG in 55 games (31.8 MPG) and improving his shooting numbers to .414/.378/.781.

His deal is right in line with the four-year deals signed by fellow point guards Fred VanVleet and Malcolm Brogdon in recent free agencies.

While Pelicans stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram expressed a desire to continue playing with Ball, the team’s front office never seemed sold on the idea of making him a long-term cornerstone. Adding Satoransky will give New Orleans some depth at the point, though the team will likely remain in the hunt for another point guard in free agency.

Month: November 2024

Rookie scale contract extensions:

Veteran contract extensions: