2021 | Hoops Rumors

Recap Of 2022/23 Rookie Scale Option Decisions

November 1st, 2021 at 9:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Decisions on rookie scale options for the 2022/23 season were due on Monday — any team that wanted to exercise a third- or fourth-year option on a player for next season was required to do so by today.

As is typically the case, a huge majority of those options were picked up. Even for top picks, who are paid higher salaries due to the NBA’s rookie scale, those third- and fourth-year options are relatively team-friendly. So unless a player has fallen well short of his team’s expectations, it generally makes sense to lock in his salary for the following season at this point.

However, not every player with a 2022/23 team option had it exercised by Monday’s deadline. The players who had those options declined will now be on track to reach unrestricted free agency during the summer of 2022, assuming they’re not waived before then. At the end of the season, their teams won’t be able to offer them starting salaries that exceed the value of their declined options.

Listed below are the players who had their options turned down, followed by the players whose options were exercised. If a player had his option picked up, his ’22/23 salary is now guaranteed and he won’t be eligible for free agency until at least 2023.

Declined options:

Note: These players will become unrestricted free agents in 2022.

Jarrett Culver, Grizzlies (fourth year, $8,109,063)
Jalen Smith, Suns (third year, $4,670,160)

In addition to these two players who remain under contract for the 2021/22 season, two players who had rookie scale team options on their contracts for ’22/23 were waived during the offseason. Those players were Sekou Doumbouya (cut by the Rockets) and Luka Samanic (waived by the Spurs). Their options were automatically voided once they cleared waivers.

Exercised options:

Fourth year:

Note: These players will become eligible for rookie scale extensions in July of 2022. If they’re not extended, they’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2023.

Zion Williamson, Pelicans ($13,534,817)
Ja Morant, Grizzlies ($12,119,440)
RJ Barrett, Knicks ($10,900,635)
De’Andre Hunter, Hawks ($9,835,881)
Darius Garland, Cavaliers ($8,920,795)
Coby White, Bulls ($7,413,955)
Jaxson Hayes, Pelicans ($6,803,012)
Rui Hachimura, Wizards ($6,263,188)
Cam Reddish, Hawks ($5,954,454)
Cameron Johnson, Suns ($5,887,899)
P.J. Washington, Hornets ($5,808,435)
Tyler Herro, Heat ($5,722,116)
Romeo Langford, Celtics ($5,634,257)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Pelicans ($5,009,633)
Goga Bitadze, Pacers ($4,765,339)
Matisse Thybulle, Sixers ($4,379,527)
Brandon Clarke, Grizzlies ($4,343,920)
Grant Williams, Celtics ($4,306,281)
Darius Bazley, Thunder ($4,264,629)
Ty Jerome, Thunder ($4,220,057)
Nassir Little, Trail Blazers ($4,171,548)
Dylan Windler, Cavaliers ($4,037,278)
Jordan Poole, Warriors ($3,901,399)
Keldon Johnson, Spurs ($3,873,025)
Kevin Porter Jr., Rockets ($3,217,631)

Third year:

Note: Teams will have to make fourth-year option decisions for 2023/24 on these players by October 31, 2022.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves ($10,733,400)
James Wiseman, Warriors ($9,603,360)
LaMelo Ball, Hornets ($8,623,920)
Patrick Williams, Bulls ($7,775,400)
Isaac Okoro, Cavaliers ($7,040,880)
Onyeka Okongwu, Hawks ($6,395,160)
Killian Hayes, Pistons ($5,837,760)
Obi Toppin, Knicks ($5,348,280)
Deni Avdija, Wizards ($4,916,160)
Devin Vassell, Spurs ($4,437,000)
Tyrese Haliburton, Kings ($4,215,120)
Kira Lewis, Pelicans ($4,004,280)
Aaron Nesmith, Celtics ($3,804,360)
Cole Anthony, Magic ($3,613,680)
Chuma Okeke, Magic ($3,433,320)
Isaiah Stewart, Pistons ($3,433,320)
Aleksej Pokusevski, Thunder ($3,261,480)
Josh Green, Mavericks ($3,098,400)
Saddiq Bey, Pistons ($2,959,080)
Precious Achiuwa, Raptors ($2,840,160)
Tyrese Maxey, Sixers ($2,726,880)
Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets ($2,617,800)
R.J. Hampton, Magic ($2,412,840)
Immanuel Quickley, Knicks ($2,316,240)
Payton Pritchard, Celtics ($2,239,200)
Udoka Azubuike, Jazz ($2,174,880)
Jaden McDaniels, Timberwolves ($2,161,440)
Malachi Flynn, Raptors ($2,145,720)
Desmond Bane, Grizzlies ($2,130,240)

For a team-by-team breakdown of this year’s rookie scale option decisions for the 2022/23 season, along with full stories on each decision, you can check out our tracker.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Nets’ Nash Not Planning To Bench Blake Griffin

November 1st, 2021 at 9:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Blake Griffin is off to an extremely slow start but Nets coach Steve Nash has no plans to bench the former All-Star, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Griffin has scored in single digits in every game this season while starting all six games. He has posted averages of 4.8 PPG on 28.6% shooting and 4.8 RPG in 20.0 MPG. Griffin has made just two of 17 3-point attempts while LaMarcus Aldridge has scored 37 points over the last two games.

“There’s no (plan to pull him). We’re not really thinking about changing roles,” Nash said. “BG’s been successful there for us in the past, and LaMarcus is successful coming off the bench right now. So there’s no reason to make any big changes.”

Nicolas Claxton has missed the last three games due to a non-COVID-19 illness. He’s expected to miss at least one more week, which gives Griffin more time to find his offensive game.

“We all go through different periods where we won’t have our rhythm, our confidence; and that’s what he’s going through right now. So it’s normal. We just don’t expect it from him because he’s shot the ball well for us,” Nash said.

Griffin re-signed with the Nets on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract. He reached a buyout agreement last year with the Pistons, who have the remaining $29.7MM from that contract on their cap this season.

Eastern Notes: Cunningham, Livers, Gafford, Strus

November 1st, 2021 at 7:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Top pick Cade Cunningham made his belated NBA debut on Saturday against Orlando, then sat out Sunday’s loss to Brooklyn. The Pistons’ prized rookie won’t play in back-to-backs in the short term, coach Dwane Casey told The Detroit News’ Rod Beard and other media members (Twitter link). Cunningham missed the first four regular season games due to an ankle sprain. Cunningham is expected to suit up against Milwaukee on Tuesday.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Another Pistons rookie, forward Isaiah Livers, has been assigned to the team’s G League team, the Motor City Cruise, the team’s PR department tweets. Livers has been rehabbing from foot surgery, so that’s an indication he’s been medically cleared to at least practice. He was one of three second-round picks made by Detroit. Fellow rookie, center Luka Garza, and second-year guard Saben Lee have also been assigned to the Cruise.
Wizards big man Daniel Gafford returned to action on Monday, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. He suffered a right quad contusion against the Celtics on Wednesday. He underwent an MRI to ensure the injury was not more serious. He’s averaging 8.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 BPG.
Heat wing Max Strus has been diagnosed with a sprained left knee, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald reports. An MRI on the knee returned negative results. Strus is expected to miss at least two weeks, but is relieved it wasn’t more serious after tearing his ACL in the same knee in December 2019. “There was a lot of anxiety. It was tough to sleep the night before,” he said. “But the training staff did a great job of getting me in as soon as they could to get the MRI. As soon as I heard those results, it was just a breath of fresh air.”

Nets’ Claxton Out At Least One Week

November 1st, 2021 at 5:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets big man Nicolas Claxton is expected to miss at least another week of action, according to Chris Milholen of NetsDaily.com.

Claxton has a non-COVID-related illness which has sidelined him for the last three games.

“Nic is going to be out a little bit. He’s not feeling well,” coach Steve Nash said. “Nothing to be concerned with but I don’t think he’s going to be back in the next week or 10 days. Just an illness, but it’s nothing major or nothing we’re overly concerned with. It’s just a little more severe illness than we thought initially and I think he’ll miss a little more time.”

Claxton, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, has struggled with his conditioning throughout the preseason and during the early portion of the regular season, Milholen notes. Claxton has appeared in four games, including three starts, averaging 6.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 19.0 MPG. He provides some youthful legs, energy and shot-blocking to Brooklyn’s frontcourt.

Rockets Exercise 2022/23 Option On Kevin Porter Jr.

November 1st, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Rockets have picked up the fourth-year option on Kevin Porter Jr.‘s rookie scale contract, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The option covers the 2022/23 NBA season.

The 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Porter spent his rookie year in Cleveland, then was traded to Houston early in the 2020/21 season due to the Cavs’ concerns about his attitude, stemming in part from a locker room incident.

Porter has been a nice fit with the Rockets, averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 3.9 RPG in 32 games (31.7 MPG) so far with his new team. The franchise envisions Porter and Jalen Green as its backcourt of the future, as well as its present — both players are currently starters in Houston.

Porter’s 2022/23 option will pay him $3,217,631. He’ll now be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension during the 2022 offseason. If he and the Rockets don’t work out a new deal at that time, the next step would be restricted free agency in 2023.

It appears all the decisions on 2022/23 rookie scale options are now in, ahead of today’s deadline. We’ll be publishing a recap later tonight of all those decisions, but you can also view them here.

James Wiseman Cleared For Full Practices

November 1st, 2021 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors center James Wiseman, who is recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee, has been cleared to participate in full team practices, the club announced today (via Twitter).

It’s an encouraging step for the Warriors and for Wiseman, who may also spend some time practicing and playing with the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz before he returns to action for Golden State.

According to head coach Steve Kerr, Wiseman participated in every part of the club’s practice today except for the live scrimmage (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area). Kerr told reporters he isn’t sure when Wiseman will participate in full scrimmages.

Wiseman sustained his knee injury in April and missed the last 19 games of his rookie year. Before going down, he averaged 11.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 39 games (21.4 MPG).

Golden State decided to throw Wiseman into the deep end in his first NBA season, having him start 27 games in the middle. While Wiseman’s development will remain a priority in 2021/22, the Warriors are probably less likely to ask the young center to play a key rotation role until he shows he’s capable of being a consistent positive contributor to a playoff roster.

Rudy Gobert, Jimmy Butler Named Players Of The Week

November 1st, 2021 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz center Rudy Gobert and Heat swingman Jimmy Butler have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week in the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).

During the week of October 25-31, Gobert helped lead the Jazz to a 3-1 record, averaging 16.3 PPG, 15.5 RPG, and 2.3 BPG with a .778 FG% in his four games (31.1 MPG).

Butler’s Heat won all four of their games during the last week, beating the Magic, Nets, Hornets, and Grizzlies by an average of 17.8 points. Butler led the way with 28.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 3.3 SPG on .586/.400/.933 shooting in 34.2 MPG.

Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell was among the other Western Conference nominees, along with Anthony Davis (Lakers), Russell Westbrook, and Luka Doncic (Mavericks). Butler beat out fellow Eastern Conference nominees RJ Barrett (Knicks), DeMar DeRozan (Bulls), Kevin Durant (Nets), Darius Garland (Cavaliers), Montrezl Harrell (Wizards), and teammate Bam Adebayo.

Zion Williamson Out At Least 2-3 More Weeks

November 1st, 2021 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans head coach Willie Green provided a health update on Zion Williamson today, telling reporters that doctors are encouraged by the latest scans on the forward’s foot (Twitter link via Andrew Lopez of ESPN).

According to Green, Williamson is participating in 5-on-0 workouts and has shown the ability to cut, but hasn’t yet been cleared for 5-on-5 work. The plan is for the former No. 1 overall pick to undergo more scans in about two or three weeks in the hopes of clearing him to participate fully in practice and determine a timeline for his return (Twitter link via William Guillory of The Athletic).

When Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin first revealed on Media Day last month that Williamson had undergone surgery on his foot in the offseason, he conveyed optimism that the 21-year-old would be ready to go by the regular season. However, prior to opening night, Griffin walked those comments back, suggesting that he hadn’t meant the start of the regular season.

Even if Williamson is cleared to return to action in three weeks, which is an optimistic timeline, he’d miss about 12 more games for a Pelicans team that has started the season with a 1-6 record. New Orleans has playoff aspirations this season, but the club hasn’t looked good on either end of the court with the former No. 1 overall pick out of the lineup and risks digging a deeper hole for itself in the coming weeks.

Green also said today that Brandon Ingram, who is dealing with a right hip contusion, is still sore and is considered day-to-day (Twitter link via Guillory).

Kevin Love Enters Protocols, Expected To Miss Several Games

November 1st, 2021 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and is expected to miss several games, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether Love has tested positive for COVID-19.

Love, 33, is the Cavaliers’ highest-paid player, but is coming off the bench and averaging a career-low 20.7 minutes per game through seven contests this season. He’s contributing 9.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG, but has struggled with his shot so far, making just 35.5% of his field goal attempts, including 20.8% from beyond the arc.

With Love unavailable, the Cavs may lean more heavily on backup forwards Cedi Osman and Dean Wade over the next few games.

Cleveland will visit Charlotte on Monday, host the Blazers on Wednesday, and play in Toronto on Friday.

Celtics Exercising 2022/23 Options On Nesmith, Pritchard

November 1st, 2021 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are picking up their team options for 2022/23 on swingman Aaron Nesmith and guard Payton Pritchard, a league source tells Brian Robb of MassLive.com. The moves had been expected. Boston also exercised its ’22/23 options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford, as we relayed earlier today.

The 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Nesmith averaged 4.7 PPG and 2.8 RPG with a .370 3PT% in 46 games (14.5 MPG) as a rookie. He’s off to a slow start this season, having missed his first 10 field goal attempts in three games, but the Celtics have seen enough from the 22-year-old to feel comfortable guaranteeing his $3,804,360 salary for ’22/23.

Pritchard, who was selected 12 spots after Nesmith at No. 26 in the 2020 draft, had a bigger role as a rookie, putting up 7.7 PPG and 2.4 RPG on .440/.411/.889 shooting in 66 games (19.2 MPG). He remains a part of Boston’s backcourt rotation and is under contract at a bargain rate — $2,137,440 this season and $2,239,200 in ’22/23.

We’re tracking all of the 2022/23 rookie scale option decisions right here.

Year: 2024

Declined options:

Exercised options: