Nuggets’ Bruce Brown Declining 2023/24 Player Option

Brown is considered likely to receive an offer in the neighborhood of the full mid-level ($12MM) from another team, but spoke after the Nuggets' championship about his desire to remain in Denver, telling reporters that "money isn't everything." If he's willing to accept a below-market salary in 2023/24, he could sign another one-plus-one deal, then opt out again in 2024 and sign a more lucrative, longer-term contract with the Nuggets once they hold his Early Bird rights. … Because Brown signed with the Nuggets just one year ago, the team only holds his Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer up to about $7.8MM, a 20% raise on his previous $6.5MM salary.

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Vezenkov, Suns, Dunleavy, Lakers

Leroux suggests that owner Steve Ballmer could try to re-sign Westbrook with an unspoken understanding that he'll get a bigger deal next summer when the team will have his Early Bird rights. … The Clippers would prefer to keep Westbrook, but without his Bird rights, they're limited to an offer of 120% of the veteran's minimum.

Bruce Brown: “I Want To Stay” With Nuggets

Bobby Portis took this route in Milwaukee after winning a title with the Bucks, accepting a below-market deal in 2021 and then inking a four-year, $48.6MM contract in 2022 once the team had his Early Bird rights. … If he turns down that option, Denver would only hold his Non-Bird rights and would be limited to offering him a starting salary of $7.8MM -- that figure represents a 20% raise off his current $6.5MM salary.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Denver Nuggets

And as we noted at the time, there's a precedent for a player with Non-Bird rights accepting a below-market deal from a team he won a title with, then getting a raise on a long-term deal the following year when he has Early Bird rights. … The Nuggets will hold his Non-Bird rights, allowing them to offer up to 120% of his $6.48MM salary from this past season.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Miami Heat

The Heat will have Bird rights on Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, who started the entire playoffs. … They have the types of salaries (two of Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson) to match Beal's huge contract -- he's owed nearly $208MM over the next four seasons, including $46.7MM in '23/24.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Lakers

The simplest - and seemingly most likely - path for the team this offseason would be to play it relatively safe: Negotiate new long-term contracts with Reaves and Hachimura or match any offer sheets they sign, even if it's a back-loaded Arenas Provision offer for Reaves; re-sign Russell to a shorter-term deal; use the mid-level exception to re-sign Schroder (who will only have Non-Bird rights) and/or add another player; and keep an eye out for supplemental pieces in free agency who could be willing to sign minimum-salary contracts to play in L.A. … If the Lakers were to guarantee Vanderbilt's modest salary for 2023/24, issue a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Austin Reaves, and divest themselves of the rest of their non-guaranteed contracts (including declining options and renouncing free agent cap holds), they could create nearly $28MM in cap room.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Golden State Warriors

Draymond Green ($27,586,224): Bird rights… His overall numbers in '22/23 look pretty similar to his career averages, but the major leg injuries he suffered (a torn ACL and a torn Achilles) that caused him to miss two seasons have sapped some of his athleticism, and he isn't nearly the defender he once was.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: New York Knicks

Josh Hart ($12,960,000): Bird rights… Thibodeau and the Knicks clearly value the former MVP's influence in the locker room and on the bench, having opted to keep him on the roster all season rather than buying him out after the trade deadline.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

If Harden declines the option, the Sixers will be left with a $46.9MM cap hold and will have his Bird rights, giving them the ability to go over the cap to re-sign him while offering more money than a rival team can. … Harden is clearly past his MVP peak, but he still had a strong year, averaging 20-plus points per game for the 11th straight season while leading the league in assists (10.7) and posting a career-best assist-to-turnover ratio.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Phoenix Suns

I don't have a great sense of what the team might do with Ish Wainright's minimum-salary team option, and having Non-Bird rights on Damion Lee, Josh Okogie, Terrence Ross and T.J. … Injuries to Ayton and Paul played a factor in another second-round exit, this time at the hands of the Nuggets, who were clearly the better team when Devin Booker wasn't completely unstoppable.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Sacramento Kings

They exclusively control his NBA rights and can negotiate a deal with him after next month's draft -- he remains under contract with his current club, Olympiacos, but has buyout language in that deal. … The Kings can create nearly $24MM in cap room if they renounce all their cap holds, keep their first-round pick (No.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Clippers

Xavier Moon: Early Bird rights… The club would lose any form of Bird rights on Gordon if he's cut, potentially ending the relationship unless he's willing to accept a minimum-salary deal, which seems unlikely.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Milwaukee Bucks

Still, the Heat were clearly the better, more composed team when it mattered most.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves have said they want to retain him, and they have his Bird rights, but I wonder if he'll look for an opportunity for more minutes elsewhere in his first foray into free agency. … Kessler, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and nearly doubled Gobert's block total (173 vs.

“Several” Cap Space Teams To Show Interest In Austin Reaves?

only has Reaves' Early Bird rights, so his max from a rival team would be a back-loaded deal worth approximately $100MM+ over four years.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers

Ed Davis ($1,989,698 cap hold): Early Bird rights… In fact, the Cavs don't currently have any future tradable first-round picks due to the Mitchell deal, though they technically could give up swap rights in 2024.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Brooklyn Nets

But Brooklyn doesn't control its own first-round pick for any of the four years from 2024-27 -- the Rockets will receive the Nets' unprotected pick in 2024 and 2026 and have swap rights in '25 and '27.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Chicago Bulls

Andre Drummond ($3,360,000): Non-Bird rights… With nearly $112MM committed to just six players, and a couple of $3.4MM player options (Andre Drummond and Derrick Jones Jr.), becoming a cap room team doesn’t make sense.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Orlando Magic

The Magic have his Bird rights, so they won’t have to earmark cap room or an exception to re-sign him, assuming they want him back. … If they really wanted to, the Magic could create nearly $60MM in cap room this summer if they choose not to guarantee any of their own salaries and renounce all of their free agents and cap holds (aside from the lottery picks).

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Washington Wizards

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: New Orleans Pelicans

They also own the Lakers' 2024 first-rounder (unprotected, with the option to defer it to 2025), the Bucks' unprotected 2027 pick, and swap rights with Milwaukee in 2024 and 2026. … While the Pelicans' early-season success was encouraging, their reversal of fortunes once Williamson went down was a reminder that they don't have enough talent to consistently win without him and that they can't rely on him to stay on the court -- he has played more than 29 games just once in his first four NBA seasons.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Dallas Mavericks

They also said they wanted to bring back Brunson last year (Cuban talked about having his Bird rights and being able to offer more money than a rival team), so those comments offer no guarantees. … Dallas was highly criticized throughout the season for opting against re-signing Jalen Brunson, who has publicly said he would have agreed to an extension ($55.6MM over four years) in '21/22 had the Mavs offered it prior to or early in the season.

Western Notes: Lakers, Reaves, Curry, Miller

The Lakers hold his Early Bird rights and are limited to an $11.4MM offer in the first year of a new contract, but they can match an offer sheet.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder

That approach was on display last June when the Thunder traded three protected future first-rounders for the rights to the No.

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Toronto Raptors

Fred VanVleet ($22,824,074): Bird rights… The individuals were better than the sum of the parts though, and a thin, inconsistent bench that lost Otto Porter to a foot injury early in the season didn't help matters.