Month: November 2024

Jacob Gilyard Expected To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Grizzlies

Rookie free agent guard Jacob Gilyard is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Grizzlies, agents Keith Glass and Luke Glass tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Gilyard, who went undrafted last month, spent his entire five-year college career at Richmond, averaging 13.3 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.9 SPG on .395/.360/.860 shooting in 37 games (38.5 MPG) in 2021/22.

Gilyard earned All-Atlantic 10 honors in four of his five college seasons, was named the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and became the all-time NCAA Division I leader in steals over the course of an impressive college career.

The 24-year-old suited up for the Warriors’ Summer League team at the California Classic earlier this month and then played for the Timberwolves in Las Vegas. He struggled with his shot, making just 5-of-18 field goal attempts (2-of-13 threes) across six games at the two events, but it appears the Grizzlies view him as a promising developmental project.

Memphis is facing a roster crunch and has already filled both its two-way contract slots, so Gilyard doesn’t have a clear path to a spot on the 17-man regular season roster. However, an Exhibit 10 deal would put him in line for a $50K bonus if he’s waived before the season and becomes an affiliate player for the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.

Clippers Waive Jay Scrubb

The Clippers have waived shooting guard Jay Scrubb, the team officially announced today. Scrubb will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

The 55th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Scrubb spent his first two professional seasons in Los Angeles with the Clippers, appearing in a total of 22 NBA games during that time. His 2021/22 season came to an early end when he went under the knife in February, undergoing surgery to repair the plantar plate in his right foot.

Although he didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Clippers when his two-way deal expired in June, Scrubb was re-signed to an Exhibit 10 contract. However, he spent less than three weeks back under contract with the team before being waived today.

If Scrubb doesn’t find a new home between now and the start of the season, he’ll be eligible to become an affiliate player for the Ontario Clippers, L.A.’s G League team. If he spends at least 60 days on Ontario’s roster, he’d receive a bonus of $50K.

The Clippers now have 17 players under contract.

Warriors Rumors: Green, Wiggins, Poole, Thompson

Signing all of Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Klay Thompson to lucrative contract extensions that lock them up long-term probably isn’t financially viable for the Warriors, according to Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.

As Slater and Thompson outline, extending Green, Wiggins, and Poole to deals that are worth a combined $90MM or so in 2023/24 would result in that season’s roster costing a projected $550MM+ when accounting for team salary and luxury tax penalties. Joe Lacob and Warriors ownership spent a record $362MM on the roster this past season, but Lacob has suggested that even $400MM+ may be too step a price for the organization to stomach, per The Athletic’s duo.

Removing even one of those three hypothetical extensions (worth approximately $27-30MM) from the Warriors’ books for 2023/24 would result in the projected cost of the roster decreasing by more than $200MM, due primarily to the tax savings, according to Slater and Thompson.

In other words, unless they can negotiate some very team-friendly deals, the Warriors may soon face a major decision on which one of their core players they’re most comfortable moving on from.

Here’s more from Slater and Thompson:

  • Draymond Green believes he has earned a four-year, maximum extension from the Warriors, sources tell The Athletic. Such a deal would begin in 2023/24 and would be worth about $138.7MM. However, there are no indications that Golden State plans to put that offer on the table for Green this offseason, even though he can reach unrestricted free agency next year if he turns down his ’23/24 player option.
  • Green wants to remain with the Warriors, but his contract situation will be worth keeping an eye on, according to Slater and Thompson, who suggest the former Defensive Player of the Year could be willing to explore other options to get the kind of contract he wants. Sources also tell The Athletic that Stephen Curry wouldn’t be happy if the club lost Green for financial reasons.
  • Andrew Wiggins may be the best candidate on the Warriors’ roster to sign an extension this offseason, but the club would want any deal to start well below Wiggins’ maximum, per Slater and Thompson. The duo believes Golden State would be interested in a contract starting in the $27MM range. Wiggins will earn $33.6MM in 2022/23 and is coming off his best season as a pro, so he’ll likely be seeking more than that.
  • New deals for Anfernee Simons (four years, $100MM) and Jalen Brunson (four years, $104MM) figure to be reference points for Jordan Poole and the Warriors as they explore an extension, Slater and Thompson observe.
  • Klay Thompson still has two guaranteed years left on his contract, so he’s probably the least likely of these four Warriors to sign an extension this year, according to Slater and Thompson, who say there’s no sense that Thompson is “clamoring” for a new deal.

Thunder Hiring Chip Engelland As Assistant Coach

The Thunder are hiring longtime Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland as an assistant on Mark Daigneault‘s staff, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Engelland has spent the last 17 years in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich after beginning his coaching career as a shooting consultant with the Pistons (1999-2000) and a player development coach with the Nuggets (2003-05).

As Wojnarowski writes, Engelland is widely viewed as the NBA’s top shooting coach and is thought to have had a significant impact on players like Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard during his time with the Spurs. He has a preexisting relationship with Thunder head of basketball operations Sam Presti, who previously worked in San Antonio’s front office.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweeted earlier this month that Engelland was leaving the Spurs “at the conclusion of his contract” — while Fischer’s report didn’t make it clear, it sounds as if Engelland’s contract expired this offseason, clearing a path for him to accept a new position in Oklahoma City.

The Spurs and Engelland, who has long been one of the NBA’s highest-paid assistants, couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal, Wojnarowski explains.

In his new role, Engelland will have the opportunity to work with a promising young Thunder core that includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, and Ousmane Dieng, among others.

2022/23 Non-Guaranteed Contracts By Team

As the NBA regular season approaches and teams reduce their rosters from the 20-player offseason limit to the 15-man regular season max, the best way to determine which players will survive preseason cuts is to consider their contracts. Players with guaranteed salaries for 2022/23 are far more likely to earn spots on 15-man rosters than players whose contracts aren’t fully guaranteed.

Keeping that in mind, we’re using the space below to keep tabs on the players on each NBA team who don’t have fully guaranteed contracts. The players listed here have non-guaranteed salaries, partially guaranteed salaries, or Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 contracts, which essentially function like non-guaranteed deals.

Unless otherwise noted, these players are on minimum-salary contracts. Some players on this list have partial guarantees, which we’ve also mentioned below.

Not all of these players will be waived before the regular season begins, so we’ll maintain this list for the next several months, up until January 10, 2023. That’s the day that all players still under contract will have their salaries fully guaranteed for the rest of the 2022/23 season.

Only players who have formally signed contracts are listed below, so if a player has reportedly reached an agreement with a team on a non-guaranteed deal, we’ll add him to our list when that deal becomes official.

Without further ado, here’s the full list of players without fully guaranteed salaries for 2022/23, broken down by team:


Updated 1-10-23 (1:22pm CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  • None

Boston Celtics

  • None

Brooklyn Nets

  • None

Charlotte Hornets

  • None

Chicago Bulls

  • None

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • None

Dallas Mavericks

  • None

Denver Nuggets

  • None

Detroit Pistons

  • None

Golden State Warriors

  • None

Houston Rockets

  • None

Indiana Pacers

  • None

Los Angeles Clippers

  • None

Los Angeles Lakers

  • None

Memphis Grizzlies

  • None

Miami Heat

  • None

Milwaukee Bucks

  • None

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • None

New Orleans Pelicans

  • None

New York Knicks

  • None

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • None

Orlando Magic

  • None

Philadelphia 76ers

  • None

Phoenix Suns

  • None

Portland Trail Blazers

  • None

Sacramento Kings

  • None

San Antonio Spurs

  • None

Toronto Raptors

  • None

Utah Jazz

  • None

Washington Wizards

  • None

Petr Cornelie Signs With Real Madrid

Former NBA second-round pick Petr Cornelie has signed a new contract with Real Madrid, the Spanish team announced in a press release. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

The 53rd overall pick in 2016, Cornelie remained overseas for several seasons after being drafted, playing for multiple teams in his home country of France. The veteran forward/center eventually signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets during the 2021 offseason and made his NBA debut last fall.

Cornelie, who turned 27 on Tuesday, appeared in 13 games for Denver, logging just 38 total minutes. He spent most of his first NBA season with the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League, where he put up 17.8 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on .497/.362/.688 shooting in 25 regular season appearances (33.2 MPG).

While Cornelie’s strong G League play could have earned him another look on an NBA roster at some point this season, he opted for the security of a spot on a Real Madrid team that competes in Spain’s top division (Liga ACB) and the EuroLeague. He figures to play a key role for the Spanish club, which also recently signed former NBA lottery pick Mario Hezonja.

And-Ones: Wallace, Kalaitzakis, Vaccines, Diallo, Uthoff

Former NBA guard Tyrone Wallace has signed with Paris Basketball, according to a team press release. Wallace played six games with the Pelicans last season via a pair of 10-day deals. The 60th pick of the 2016 draft appeared in 92 games for the Clippers from 2017-19 and 14 more for the Hawks during the 2019/20 season.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Greek guard Georgios Kalaitzakis, a 2021 second-round pick who began last season in Milwaukee and ended it in Oklahoma City, is headed back overseas, having signed a two-year contract with Panathinaikos, the Greek club announced in a press release. Kalaitzakis saw major minutes for the Thunder in the season’s final week, averaging 17.5 PPG in four appearances (41.4 MPG) with the team.
  • The NBA will not have a vaccine mandate in place next season, according to a memo obtained by Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill (Twitter link). However, the league will “strongly suggest” that all personnel be up to date with vaccinations. Periodic testing of unvaccinated players could be allowed, pending discussions with the Players’ Association, Goodwill adds.
  • A number of prominent players didn’t see any action last season. What can be expected from them when they suit up next season? ESPN’s Insiders take a closer look at those players, including Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson, Jamal MurrayBen Simmons and John Wall.
  • Former NBA players Cheick Diallo and Jarrod Uthoff have agreed to join Kyoto Hannaryz in Japan next season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Diallo has 183 NBA games under his belt, including three with the Pistons last season. Uthoff has played 16 NBA games, including a combined seven with the Wizards and Grizzlies in 2019/20.

Community Shootaround: Jaylen Brown-Kevin Durant

The Celtics don’t have Kevin Durant on their roster. They’re already the favorite to win the NBA title next season, according to the Las Vegas bookmakers.

So should Boston trade Jaylen Brown and other players and assets for KD and become the prohibitive favorite for the championship?

Brown is the best player that any potential suitor is reportedly willing to give up to the Nets to make an all-out bid for glory. Brown, who is still under contract for multiple seasons, averaged 23.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 3.5 APG last season and, at 25, is just entering his prime.

The Celtics seemingly addressed their biggest need this summer with the acquisition of Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon. Boston didn’t have to surrender any significant rotation players in the process. The team also improved its forward depth by adding veteran Danilo Gallinari.

Let’s look at the flip side. If Jayson Tatum and Brown seem like an imposing duo, just imagine what Tatum and Durant could do alongside each other once they work out chemistry issues. KD may be 34 and moody but he’s as good as ever — he averaged just a shade under 30 PPG and a career-best 6.4 APG last season.

He’s got plenty left in the tank and the four-year contract extension he signed erases any possibility of him leaving after a year or two as a free agent, though there’s always the concern that he could request another trade.

That brings us to our question of the day: Should the Celtics give up Jaylen Brown and other significant players and assets to acquire Kevin Durant? Or should they keep Brown and take their chances at a championship run with the group they already have?

Please take to the comments section to address this topic. We look forward to your input.

Western Notes: Liddell, Jordan, Knight, Hardy

Pelicans rookie forward E.J. Liddell has undergone surgery to reconstruct the torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced in a press release. The surgery was performed Monday by Dr. Scott Montgomery and Liddell remains out indefinitely.

Liddell, a second-round pick out of Ohio State, suffered the injury during a Vegas Summer League contest.

The former Ohio State forward averaged 19.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 2.6 BPG over 33.2 MPG last season and was projected as a first-round pick. He remains unsigned and the Pelicans don’t currently have an opening on the 15-man roster, though they have a two-way slot available.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • Why did the Nuggets choose DeAndre Jordan as a backup big rather than re-signing DeMarcus Cousins? According to Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com, there were concerns about Cousins staying healthy for a full season. He battled calf and foot injuries after signing with Denver last season. The Nuggets also wanted more rim protection at backup center and a lob threat for Denver’s current group of guards.
  • Nathan Knight‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Timberwolves includes a $350K partial guarantee in year one and a $380,718 partial guarantee and team option in year two, Hoops Rumors has learned. Knight, who was on a two-way deal with Minnesota last season, signed a standard contract over the weekend. The 6’10” forward appeared in 37 NBA games last season.
  • New Jazz coach Will Hardy has spent a lot of his time this month getting acquainted with the players on the current roster, he told Tony Jones of The Athletic. “The conversations with the players, they have been great,” the former Celtics assistant said. “I’ve talked to all of our guys, and some in person. My expectation is to get to know each other as people before we get to know each other as co-workers. I want us to create and develop trust with each other. We want an environment of honesty with each other.”

Timberwolves Sign A.J. Lawson To Two-Way Contract

JULY 26: The Timberwolves have officially signed Lawson to his two-way deal, per NBA.com’s transactions log.


JULY 19: The Timberwolves are signing free agent wing A.J. Lawson to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Lawson excelled during the Las Vegas Summer League for the Mavericks, averaging 15.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG in five games.

Lawson, a 6’6” guard, was waived by the Hawks during training camp last fall. He then averaged 11.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 1.8 APG in 31.8 MPG for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, while appearing in 33 games.

Lawson went undrafted in 2021 despite putting up 16.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG with a .351 3PT% in 21 games (31.3 MPG) as a junior for South Carolina in 2020/21.

Both of Minnesota’s two-way slots are empty, though the team has a two-way qualifying offer out to Nathan Knight.