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NBA Teams With Fewest Players On Guaranteed Contracts

August 23rd, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As of Wednesday, 11 of the NBA’s 30 teams are carrying at least 15 players on guaranteed contracts and are unlikely to have many additional offseason acquisitions in store. Another 11 teams are carrying either 13 or 14 players on guaranteed deals.

As our roster counts page shows, that leaves eight clubs carrying 12 or fewer players on fully guaranteed deals. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all eight of those teams will sign free agents to guaranteed contracts before the regular season begins, but it’s worth checking in on them to take a closer look at their roster situations.

Boston Celtics

The only team with just 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Celtics are also carrying Dalano Banton and Luke Kornet on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Banton and Kornet seem like good bets to make the 15-man regular season roster, but Boston would still have to add a 14th man for opening night.

Based on recent reports, it sounds like the Celtics are eyeing forwards and wings for that 14th spot, with T.J. Warren, Lamar Stevens, and Louis King among the free agents working out for the club.

Charlotte Hornets

Although they only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Hornets have no shortage of candidates for their final two or three roster spots. P.J. Washington is a restricted free agent and still seems more likely to return than to head elsewhere — he would take the 13th slot.

Charlotte also has Frank Ntilikina, Kobi Simmons, and JT Thor on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed salaries, with Theo Maledon still a two-way restricted free agent. So even if No. 31 overall pick James Nnaji becomes a draft-and-stash player and doesn’t sign an NBA contract immediately, the Hornets have plenty of options to fill out their roster without making outside additions.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have 12 guaranteed contracts on their books, with Sam Merrill on a non-guaranteed minimum deal as their 13th man. Cleveland is a safe bet to make at least one more free agent addition — the club is said to be on the lookout for solid veteran depth, without a specific position in mind. The Cavs will likely wait out the market and see which of the top remaining free agents are willing to accept minimum-salary offers.

Houston Rockets

Although the Rockets only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, Aaron Holiday – whose partial guarantee exceeds $1MM – will likely make the roster as a 13th man. Houston still has a good deal of room to maneuver below the luxury tax line and could easily add two more players without any financial concerns.

Perhaps one of the team’s four Exhibit 10 players or three two-way players will earn a promotion with a strong preseason, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on the Rockets to see if they have one more move up their sleeves in free agency or on the trade market.

Miami Heat

The Heat have a full 21-man offseason roster, but only 12 of those players have guaranteed standard contracts.

Orlando Robinson, who has a small partial guarantee, should make the 15-man roster, and two-way player Jamal Cain is a candidate to be converted to a standard deal, but Miami has more ambitious targets in mind. If the Heat make a trade for Damian Lillard, they’ll likely send out more players than they take back and could fill out their roster with veteran free agents.

New York Knicks

Even with Jericho Sims‘ salary for 2023/24 now fully guaranteed, the Knicks have just 12 players on guaranteed contracts. Isaiah Roby, DaQuan Jeffries, and Duane Washington are in the mix for 15-man roster spots on their non-guaranteed deals.

New York also has a pair of two-way players – Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler – with multiple years of NBA experience, so they may be candidates for promotions. The Knicks are likely keeping their options open for possible Evan Fournier trades too, recognizing that they could potentially use his pseudo-expiring $18.9MM contract to take back two or three players in a trade.

Portland Trail Blazers

Like the Heat, the Trail Blazers are in a bit of a holding pattern while they wait to see how the Lillard situation plays out. For now, they have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, with Moses Brown on a partially guaranteed deal. But if they end up acquiring, say, three players in exchange for Lillard, their projected 15-man roster will fill up in a hurry.

Utah Jazz

Of all the teams listed in this article, the Jazz may have the fewest roster decisions to make before the season. In addition to their 12 players on guaranteed salaries, they’re carrying Kris Dunn, Omer Yurtseven, and Luka Samanic on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contracts. Utah may simply hang onto those three players and set its 15-man regular season roster without any further tweaks.

Central Notes: Rubio, Washington, Cunningham, Thompson

August 14th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ricky Rubio‘s decision to take time away from basketball and focus on his mental health leaves the Cavaliers with an uncertain situation at backup point guard, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a mailbag column. Rubio didn’t offer any indication of how long he might be inactive, so there’s no way of knowing if he’ll be available when training camp opens in seven weeks or when the season starts in late October.

There’s no urgency for Cleveland to make a roster move, Fedor adds. The Cavs signed free agent Ty Jerome in the belief that he can handle a larger role than he had with Golden State, and Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and two-way player Craig Porter Jr. are all capable of running the offense for short stretches. Fedor points out that there aren’t any strong options remaining in free agency, but Kendrick Nunn, Michael Carter-Williams, George Hill, Ish Smith, and D.J. Augustin are among the players still available.

General manager Mike Gansey scheduled a trip to Malaga, Spain, this summer to visit with Rubio and watch the Spanish World Cup team in action, according to Fedor. However, Rubio left training camp before Gansey arrived, so he devoted the trip to scouting instead.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers have expressed interest in P.J. Washington and may be “lurking” as his standoff with the Hornets continues, Fedor adds. He notes that Cleveland was able to take advantage of a similar situation in a sign-and-trade with Lauri Markkanen two years ago by offering a contract beyond what the Bulls were willing to pay. Fedor states that Rubio and Dean Wade would be enough to match salary if Washington would accept about $15MM per year, but he’s not sure if that and a few second-round picks would satisfy Charlotte.
Cade Cunningham is the only untouchable player on the Pistons‘ roster, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes in his annual evaluation of the team’s most valuable assets. Even though he missed most of last season after shin surgery, Cunningham is still viewed around the league as a potential superstar, according to Edwards. Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and rookie Ausar Thompson follow Cunningham on Edwards’ list.
Overtime Elite general manager Gerald Wilkins believes Thompson has a bright NBA future, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Wilkins offered a glowing recommendation to Jarrett Jack, a new member of the Pistons‘ coaching staff under Monty Williams. “He would ask me things like what are his strengths, what are his weaknesses, how can I get him the ball,” Wilkins said. “I would just tell him, ‘Just put him on the floor. Just put him in the game. They are basketball players, Ausar and Amen. They’re basketball players. You put him on the floor and a lot of good things are going to happen.’”

Repairs For Cavaliers' Arena Approved

August 11th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers’ arena, now called the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, will be getting $24.4MM in publicly funded repairs, according to Lucas Daprile of the Cleveland Plain Dealer in a subscriber-only story. However, the exact source of those funds remains a mystery.

Cavs’ Bickerstaff Talks Strus, Niang, Mitchell, More

August 8th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Cleveland’s 51-31 record in 2022/23 was the best mark for a Cavaliers team without LeBron James since 1992/93 and resulted in the franchise’s first playoff berth since James’ most recent departure in 2018. Unfortunately for the Cavs, their postseason run was short-lived, as the Knicks quickly dispatched them in a one-sided first-round series.

Speaking to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff admitted that the playoff loss “took some time to process.” But now that he’s a few months removed from it, Bickerstaff is more willing to focus on the Cavaliers’ regular season success and to find silver linings in their early postseason exit.

“I think when you sit back, look at the regular season – and I think the regular season was a test that was passed – and then you get to the playoffs where things ramp up a notch, it was the greatest learning experience our guys could have had, that I could have had,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s the opportunity to be in a position you have never been in before and a responsibility that you’ve never had before. Nothing worth having has ever come easy to anybody.

“At the end of the day, you sit back and look at it and the season was successful. The experience our young guys gained in the playoffs is only going to make them better. That’s the reality of it. We get caught up in the emotion of it all in the moment because we are all so competitive. But in reality, we’re not above the process either. There are steps that just can’t be skipped.”

As Bickerstaff notes, many of the Cavaliers’ core players – such as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland – are still young and were experiencing a playoff environment for the first time. He believes they learned important lessons during that five-game series and will benefit from the experience going forward.

Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s interview with Bickerstaff:

On how adding Max Strus and Georges Niang as free agents will impact the Cavaliers’ playing style in 2023/24:

“I don’t want to give away too much. But the spacing on the floor becomes different. The attention that goes to those two guys because of Georges’ career 40% 3-point shooting and Max Strus’ ability to make shots off the move, defenses have to make different decisions now than they had to last year. Those are different dynamics that we added.

“Our offense can improve and be more dynamic and difficult to guard — even though we were a top-10 offense in the regular season. You learn from the playoffs about how to become more difficult to guard in that setting. I think there is a more dynamic nature that we can have offensively. Those are things I’m studying now and we will implement this coming season.”

On Donovan Mitchell‘s potential long-term future in Cleveland:

“He was with us in Las Vegas and stayed longer than most. He worked out with the guys and went to dinners. … There were conversations we had with him during free agency about trying to get the people we needed in here. There were conversations he had with the guys we were able to bring in.

“All those things tell you that Donovan is all in. If a guy is not attentive to free agency and how we are going to get better as a team, if he is not attentive to his teammates over the summer, if he is not attentive to working on the individual things that may make him uncomfortable but also are best for the team moving forward, to me that would be a guy who is not engaged. I have seen the opposite. I have seen a guy who is all in.”

On whether he’s feeling pressure to live up to increased expectations in 2023/24:

“Pressure from what? I think the funny thing for us coaches when it comes to pressure is you want to have a good team and you want expectations. If you have a team with no expectations, as a coach, competitor, and player, that is ultimately not the job you’re looking for. The word pressure is kind of comical, to be honest with you, because you have a good team and that’s what you want.

“… Pressure isn’t a word that coaches really think about because it’s our job to continue to get better. I think we have done that here. From where we started with this team to where we are now, there is no way to say we haven’t done the job building this the right way. Look at the environment. Look at individual development. Look at team development. There are no holes. Our job is to continue to do what we’ve already done but also continue to get better. That’s what we want.”

Central Notes: Mitchell, Rubio, Cunningham, P. Williams

August 6th, 2023 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Donovan Mitchell is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but there’s no indication that he and the Cavaliers intend to seriously discuss a new deal, and that shouldn’t be a cause for concern in Cleveland, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a recent NBA Today appearance (YouTube link).

“Maybe if the Cavs had won the championship last year, maybe Donovan would extend, but I don’t think under any (other) circumstances he was ever considering extending this season, and I think the Cavs knew that when they traded for him,” Windhorst said. “I think the pressure point comes a year from now, when he’s got one year left on his contract. … The Cavs have another year to see where their team is at and where Donovan sees that the Cavs are at.”

Mitchell actually has three seasons left on his current contract, but the final year is a player option, so he can reach free agency as early as 2025. That means he’ll essentially be entering a contract year next summer, which is why Windhorst refers to it as a “pressure point.” The Cavs’ performance – and Mitchell’s own play – in 2023/24 could go a long way toward determining whether the star guard is willing to sign a long-term extension with the team a year from now.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Although Ricky Rubio made his announcement about putting his career on hold for mental health reasons through the Spanish Basketball Federation, the Cavaliers were aware the news was coming and are “fully supportive” of the veteran point guard, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It remains to be seen whether or not Rubio will be available for the Cavs when the NBA season begins this fall.
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been the standout player on the U.S. Select Team that has been competing against Team USA’s World Cup squad this week in Las Vegas and has beaten it in multiple scrimmages so far, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While Cunningham’s play in those scrimmages is encouraging for the Pistons and their fans, the former No. 1 pick says he’s simply happy to be back to 100% after a leg injury limited him to 12 games in 2022/23. “I feel healthy again,” Cunningham said. “My leg isn’t a problem for me right now. So I think that’s the biggest difference, just that I can just play freely and not think about my body too much.”
Given Cunningham’s strong play in Vegas, it’s fair to wonder whether he should be a part of Team USA’s actual World Cup roster instead of the Select Team. A previous report indicated that the Pistons guard was invited to join the World Cup team, which Joe Vardon of The Athletic confirms. According to Vardon, Cunningham explained this week that a desire to manage his workload this summer ahead of his NBA return was the “deciding factor” in turning down that invitation.
While it’s unclear if former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams has shown enough in his first three NBA seasons to warrant a rookie scale extension from the Bulls this offseason, teammate DeMar DeRozan remains a big believer in Williams’ potential, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times details.

Community Shootaround: Cavaliers’ Offseason

August 5th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers made a major splash last summer, trading for star guard Donovan Mitchell after an impressive turnaround in 2021/22. Mitchell made his first All-NBA appearance in ’22/23 following an excellent all-around year, but Cleveland — which went 51-31 during the regular season and entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 4 seed — had an early postseason exit, falling to the Knicks in a rather lopsided first-round series.

In addition to experience, the Cavaliers needed to find more shooting, depth and perhaps most importantly a good fit at small forward entering ’23/24. The team prioritized re-signing free agent swignman Caris LeVert as well, giving him a two-year, $32MM contract.

As an over-the-cap team, the Cavs didn’t have a ton of money to spend on free agents this offseason, and they only held one pick in June’s draft — 49th overall — which they used on former Eastern Michigan wing Emoni Bates, later signing him to a two-way contract. They also quickly reached an agreement to sign undrafted guard Craig Porter Jr. to a two-way deal and filled their third two-way slot by re-signing Isaiah Mobley.

In free agency, the Cavaliers took advantage of the new CBA’s more lenient salary-matching rules for non-taxpaying teams to give former Heat wing Max Strus more money than he previously would have been eligible for based on the outgoing salaries involved in the sign-and-trade to land him. They also gave forward Georges Niang a significant chunk of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception and used a portion of their bi-annual exception on guard Ty Jerome.

As our roster count shows, the Cavs still have a couple of standard roster spots open, but will almost certainly only add one more player to their main roster due to their proximity to the luxury tax. All three two-way slots are filled, as previously mentioned. Eventually, they’ll add some players on Exhibit 10 training camp deals to fill out their G League team.

Here’s a more condensed rundown of their offseason moves:

Roster additions:

Strus (four-year, $62.3MM contract via sign-and-trade)
Niang (three-year, $26MM deal)
Jerome (two-year, $5MM deal)
Damian Jones (via trade for cash)
Bates
Porter
Pete Nance (Exhibit 10 deal; not official)

Subtractions:

Cedi Osman (traded to Spurs in Strus deal)
Lamar Stevens (same as Osman, except Stevens was released before his contract became guaranteed and is currently an unrestricted free agent; he’s ineligible to re-sign with Cleveland)
Dylan Windler (joined Knicks on two-way deal)
Robin Lopez (signed with Bucks)
Raul Neto (signed with Turkish club Fenerbahce)

Danny Green and Mamadi Diakite (two-way) remain unrestricted free agents.

It’s worth noting that Ricky Rubio, who returned to action last season following a torn ACL, recently announced that he was taking a break from basketball to focus on his mental health. It’s unclear how that will affect the veteran guard’s status entering next season.

We want to know what you think. Did the Cavs improve this summer? Will they advance past the first round of the playoffs in 2023/24, assuming they make it in? Head to the comments and share your thoughts on Cleveland’s offseason.

Ricky Rubio Pausing Career To Focus On Mental Health

August 5th, 2023 at 10:11am CST by Tristan Tucker

Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio, the MVP of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, won’t be participating in the 2023 World Cup this summer, announcing in a statement through the Spanish Basketball Federation (Twitter link) that he’s taking a break from basketball to focus on his mental health.

“I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health,” Rubio said. “I want to thank all the support I have received from the FEB (Federación Española de Baloncesto) to understand my decision. Today #LaFamilia makes more sense than ever. Thank you. I ask to respect my privacy to be able to face these moments and to be able to give more information when the time is right.”

Rubio’s Spanish teammates Willy Hernangomez, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull were among those who took to social media to post messages in support of his decision, while Spain head coach Sergio Scariolo wrote in depth about Rubio.

“In La Familia, people have always come before results,” Scariolo said. “All my love and support to Ricky, and my admiration for his transparency and, through it, his ability once again to lead by example.”

The decision to release the news through the Spanish Basketball Federation – rather than the Cavaliers – suggests that, for now, Rubio’s hiatus will only affect the national team. But with no timeline specified for his return to basketball, there’s no guarantee he’ll be available this fall for Cleveland. Of course, Rubio’s mental well-being comes before basketball.

Rubio, 32, is a 12-year NBA veteran who has made 712 total appearances (614 starts) across the regular season and playoffs. The Spanish guard began his career as the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Timberwolves. He stayed in Spain for a couple more seasons before suiting up for Minnesota in 2011. After departing the Wolves, Rubio made stops in Utah and Phoenix before rejoining the Timberwolves in 2020/21. Following that season, Rubio was acquired by Cleveland via trade.

The veteran guard hasn’t yet played a full season with the Cavaliers. Rubio tore his ACL in December 2021 after appearing in 34 games for Cleveland and thus, wasn’t able to make his ’22/23 debut until January 2023.

Raul Neto Signs With Fenerbahce

August 5th, 2023 at 8:46am CST by Tristan Tucker

Free agent point guard Raul Neto is signing with Turkish club Fenerbahce after spending the last eight seasons in the NBA, according to an official release. Nearly two weeks after reports surfaced that he was working on signing with the club, Neto’s deal, a one-year pact with an option for the second year, is finalized.

Neto, a 31-year-old point guard from Brazil, averaged 3.3 points and 1.6 assists in 48 games with the Cavaliers last season after signing a one-year deal with the team in the summer of 2022. Neto’s role with Cleveland never expanded past third-string point guard and, as such, he played just 10.5 minutes per game, his lowest average since the 2016/17 season, his sophomore year in the NBA.

Neto began his career in Utah before playing in Philadelphia, but he never got a major role in either city. Before signing with Cleveland, Neto had an underrated stop in Washington. The veteran guard signed with the Wizards in 2020 and emerged as a key rotation piece for a competitive Washington team. In two seasons in D.C., he averaged 8.1 points and 2.7 assists, his highest average for any one franchise in the league. Neto became a playoff starter for the Wizards, starting in three of five of their games in the ’20/21 season and averaging 6.4 points in the playoffs.

Neto, the No. 47 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, has 464 games of NBA experience (102 starts) in the regular season and the playoffs. After being selected in that year’s draft by the Hawks, Neto’s rights were traded to the Jazz. Neto didn’t play with the Jazz until the ’15/16 season, in which he made 53 starts. After spending time with four NBA franchises, Neto is making the move back overseas. Neto played with Acunsa GBC of the Spanish ACB from 2011-14 and then with Spain’s UCAM Murcia CB in the ’14/15 season.

Neto is the latest signing by a Fenerbahce club with plenty of NBA connections. Fenerbahce recently signed Nate Sestina, who went to training camp with the Nets in 2020, and Georgios Papagiannis, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Yam Madar, a draft-and-stash piece by the Celtics who may come stateside in future seasons, is also playing for Fenerbahce in the upcoming season.

Eastern Notes: Garland, Adebayo, Love, Beauchamp

July 31st, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is using the team’s first-r0und playoff loss to New York as fuel for next season, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

“I’ve been watching a lot of film of it this summer. Just trying to find ways to improve for next year. But now we’ve seen the playoffs,” Garland said. “For a lot of guys, it was our first time in the playoffs, so just getting that playoff experience made us better I think and made us hungrier. Even though we had a good year, I think we can trend up another notch this year and see what’s to come.”

One thing that Garland believes is that the Cavs collectively have to be tougher and stronger in their next postseason appearance.

“We have to be more physical,” Garland said. “I think their physicality took a toll on us in that series. They beat us up. We now know how physical the game is in the playoffs and we know how fast the pace is and every possession matters. Just taking little bits and pieces of that series and trying to put it together for the regular season and then also carry that into the playoffs.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Bam Adebayo believes the Heat simply wore down during their long postseason run, he told Leonard Solms in an ESPN story. “I feel like we just came up short because we had [among the most] injuries in the 2022-23 season. [Through] all those ups and downs throughout the season… I feel like fatigue had a toll,” he said of the Finals loss to the Nuggets.
Kevin Love‘s role with the Heat could fluctuate next season, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. Love could start against bigger front lines with Caleb Martin starting against small-ball lineups, provided Martin isn’t dealt. Love could also see some action as the backup center. However, Winderman notes that coach Erik Spoelstra prefers continuity during the regular season.
Bucks guard MarJon Beauchamp had a memorable performance at the Crawsover Pro-Am event in his hometown of Seattle over the weekend, JR Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes. Beauchamp scored 83 points in a game at Seattle Pacific University to set an event scoring record. He’s expected to have an expanded role next season with the Bucks after playing 52 regular season games as a rookie.

Former Warriors Exec Bob Myers Likely To Get Job Offers

July 29th, 2023 at 9:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bob Myers indicated that he wanted some time away from the game when he stepped down as president of basketball operations and general manager of the Warriors, but fans should expect to hear his name mentioned in connection to any openings that arise in the next few months, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The most obvious team for Myers, according to Fischer, is the Clippers because of his longtime association with team consultant Jerry West and the working relationship they developed during their time together with Golden State. Myers spent more than a decade with the Warriors and helped to win four championships, so Fischer believes he’ll be among the first names that any team will call if it decides to shake up its front office.

Fischer identifies a few other former general managers who may be in line for a second chance, including ex-Utah GM Dennis Lindsey, who is currently working in the Mavericks‘ front office, Kings assistant GM Wes Wilcox, who has rebuilt his reputation after his experience in Atlanta, and former Orlando GM Rob Hennigan, who is VP of basketball operations with the Thunder.

Fischer passes along more information about rising stars in NBA front offices:

Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon was among the candidates to become the Wizards’ president of basketball operations and he’ll likely be considered for similar jobs in the future, Fischer writes. Raptors GM Bobby Webster, Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey and new Clippers GM Trent Redden all appear headed for team president roles someday, Fischer adds.
Jeff Peterson, the Nets‘ assistant GM, is considered one of the league’s best young executives, according to Fischer. Peterson interviewed for the Pistons’ GM slot in 2020, and Fischer hears that he’s viewed as one of the favorites to take over the Hornets if they decide to replace Mitch Kupchak, who’s in the final year of his contract. Pelicans assistant GM Bryson Graham could be first in line to replace Langdon if he leaves, but league sources tell Fischer that he might get an opportunity with another team before that happens.
Tayshaun Prince is a valuable member of the Grizzlies‘ front office and has received overtures about running other teams, according to Fischer. Among other former NBA players, Jameer Nelson has built a strong reputation in the Sixers‘ front office for his work with their G League affiliate, and Acie Law appears headed for a promotion with the Thunder after Will Dawkins was hired by the Wizards.
Fischer identifies CAA’s Austin Brown as an agent who might move into a front office role, noting that he was a candidate to run the Bulls in 2020. Fischer also singles out agents Jason Glushon and Todd Ramasar, along with Kirk Berger, a legal counsel with the players’ union.