Nuggets Rumors

Northwest Notes: Filipowski, George, Collier, D. Jones, Doncic, Vezenkov, Blazers

November 18th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Tristan Tucker

Rookie center Kyle Filipowski‘s play continues to be one of the brightest spots of the Jazz‘s season so far, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. After claiming a starting role last week, Filipowski continues to pass test after test against some of the NBA’s best.

Filipowski is being targeted defensively in his rookie season, but he has responded admirably and recorded three steals against the Kings on Saturday.

“I guess that’s how it is for rookies, especially rookies that stand up to that sort of thing,” Filipowski said. “I gotta pull my big boy pants on, you know, and not back down from that challenge.”

The No. 32 pick in this year’s draft is averaging 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 55.2% from the field. In his past five games, including three starts, he has increased those averages to 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Keyonte George was benched in the second half of the Jazz‘s Sunday game against Los Angeles, Larsen writes in a separate story. Coach Will Hardy was clear about his reasoning after the game: “I wasn’t happy with Keyonte’s defense in the first half. Keyonte knows how much I believe in him, but sometimes you have to make changes in the moment to reinforce your point.” George played with the second unit and ended up playing the final 19 minutes of the game. He didn’t seem to be phased by the change after the game, Larsen writes. “Urgency levels should be at an all-time high no matter what — but we’re all humans,” George said. “I don’t know if you have a boss, but if they say you should take a break, when you come back you’re going to be on your Ps and Qs.” He’ll need to continue to improve on his decision-making, Larsen opines.
In George’s place, rookie guard Isaiah Collier started the second half and established career highs in minutes (26) and assists (8). Larsen writes in the same piece that Collier has been the Jazz‘s only true point guard and while he’s only getting to his own shot by beating the opposition in fast break situations (he’s shooting 11.1% from three), he’s helping the offense by taking care of the ball. “We know who our scorers are, we know where the ball needs to go,” Collier said. “Doing those little things, it definitely helped us int he second half.” The No. 29 overall pick in 2024 is averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.7 APG this year.
Thunder No. 26 overall pick Dillon Jones set career highs in points (12), minutes (15) and assists (3) on Sunday in a loss to Dallas. The Weber State product made all but one of his six shot attempts. Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had nothing but praise for the first-round rookie, according to the Thunder’s Nick Gallo (Twitter link). “He’s getting his feet work, getting more comfortable… He’s doing a great job,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s keeping his head. He’s getting better. That’s all you can ask for.“
The Nuggets were close to trading up for Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic in the 2018 draft, former Denver Post writer Mike Singer said on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “The Nuggets knew that Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic,” Singer, now an employee of the Nuggets, said. “And they had designs on pairing Nikola Jokic with Luka Doncic. On draft night in 2018, they tried. There was a call placed. There was a proposal and the Nuggets attempted to get the No. 2 pick for Gary Harris and two first round picks was what I was told. You can roll your eyes at that price tag, but look in retrospect. The Kings ended up taking Marvin Bagley with the No. 2 pick. I’m not saying this trade was imminent. All I’m saying is this trade was discussed and considered because the Nuggets knew Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic and they tried to exploit it.”
The Nuggets also previously tried to acquire Sasha Vezenkov in 2016, the former Kings forward said in a podcast, per a report from Eurohoops.net. “Jokic called me back in 2016, way before he became a three-time MVP,” Vezenkov said. “Back then, he wasn’t a superstar. He told me the Nuggets wanted me. They were signing European players. But I hesitated. I was an insecure 20-year-old. After playing in Europe, they lost interest. I don’t think about it a lot, but I often wonder what could have been.” Vezenkov made his NBA debut last year for Sacramento, but he was traded and then bought out in the offseason as he decided to head back overseas.
After a 45-point loss last week, the Trail Blazers restored good vibes by winning three in a row, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report writes. Shaedon Sharpe has 65 points in his last two games, rookie Donovan Clingan is standing out, and bench players like Dalano Banton have played well during the streak.

Nuggets Notes: Saric, Malone, Jokic, Watson

November 17th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After recently being pulled from the Nuggets‘ rotation, Dario Saric found himself in the starting lineup Friday night, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The move was made out of necessity because Nikola Jokic was absent for personal reasons, and Saric responded with nine points, eight rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes.

“He allowed us to play when we were organized like we usually play,” acting head coach David Adelman said. “Obviously, Nikola is an unworldly player, but Dario allows you to play in the pocket. He allows you to play off the elbow. … Early in the game, we had a nice flow because we were playing through him.”

Saric had expected to be a rotation fixture when he signed a two-year, $10.6MM contract with Denver over the summer. But a slow start for both him and the team forced coach Michael Malone to make changes. The Nuggets won five straight games and Malone was reluctant to tinker with the new lineup, but he assured Saric that he would eventually get a chance to earn regular playing time again.

“We talked about the situation, why was the decision made,” Saric said. “Obviously, the second unit wasn’t that good in that time, so he kind of made the decision that it would be me.”

There’s more on the Nuggets:

Malone missed Friday’s game because his daughter had a volleyball match in the state tournament, Durando states in a separate story. “From being a coach’s son and growing up around this, and the things you miss as a dad, really cool that he’s there,” Adelman told reporters. “That’s something you don’t want to miss. It’s one game (for the Nuggets). Whatever. That’s really important to her. It’s really important to their family. So I’m glad he’s there.”
Adelman refused to provide any details about the reasons for Jokic’s absence, Durando adds. “Things at home for somebody, that’s their business,” Adelman said, “and when he feels like he’s ready to come back, he’ll come back.” The three-time MVP will also miss today’s game against Memphis, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Jokic and his family are fine and there’s no cause for alarm, adds Katy Winge of Altitude TV (Twitter link).
Adelman experimented with a small-ball lineup that Malone introduced last week featuring 6’7″ Peyton Watson at center, Durando notes in the same piece. Although Watson reached double figures in scoring by halftime, the Nuggets had trouble getting rebounds with him in the middle.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Collins, Filipowski, Flagler

November 15th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has been ruled out for Friday’s game in New Orleans – Denver’s first NBA Cup matchup – for personal reasons, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes.

The Nuggets have a +11.3 net rating in Jokic’s 381 minutes on the court this season, compared to a -28.5 mark in the 109 minutes he hasn’t played. While that doesn’t bode particularly well for tonight’s contest, they’ll be facing a banged-up Pelicans squad that’s missing six rotation players, so it’s still a winnable game.

Zeke Nnaji, Dario Saric, and DeAndre Jordan are among the candidates to play frontcourt minutes in Jokic’s absence.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Although some of John Collins‘ numbers, including an identical 37.1% three-point rate, look similar to the ones he posted last season, the veteran big man looks more comfortable so far in his second season with the Jazz, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who points to Collins’ increased usage rate, improved assist rate, and better on/off numbers as positive signs. After deploying him as their starting center for much of last season, the Jazz are using Collins more as a power forward – primarily off the bench – this fall and the role seems to suit him better, says Larsen. Collins still probably still isn’t a positive trade asset, but his value is moving in the right direction, Larsen adds.
Jazz rookie Kyle Filipowski played well in his fourth career start on Thursday, registering 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and holding his own when switched on Luka Doncic, Larsen writes. Of the six players Utah has drafted over the past two seasons, Filipowski was the lowest pick (No. 32 overall in 2024), but he has looked like the promising prospect of the bunch so far this season, Larsen contends.
Former Baylor standout Adam Flagler, who has been in the Thunder‘s system since going pro in 2023, has logged just 25 total minutes across seven appearances at the NBA level since signing a two-way contract in February, but he continues to develop in the G League, where he has emerged as a leader this season for the Oklahoma City Blue, per Rylan Stiles of SI.com. “I have always been a guy that has led by example but wanting to be more vocal, especially for the team,” Flagler said. “Being here for a second year now, knowing what to expect is big for me to put guys in place and let them know they not out there by themselves.”

Western Notes: LeBron, Booker, Saric, Nnaji, Williams

November 14th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

A story seemingly as old as time, or at least since 2003: LeBron James is playing at an All-Star level. Just a little over a month from his 40th birthday, James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 45.9% on three-pointers.

Still, James continues to hint that retirement isn’t all that far off his radar. According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, James said he doesn’t expect to play much longer.

“It’s the mind,” James said of what will determine when he retires. “Wherever my mind is, is how the rest of my body is going to go, whatever the case may be. I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest. One year, two years, whatever the case may be. I said the other night that I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not. I’m not going to be that guy. I’m not going to be the guy disrespecting the game because I just want to be out on the floor.”

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The Suns are off to a 9-3 start, but Devin Booker‘s play has been up and down. He scored 31 points on Tuesday in a win but followed that up with just 18 points in a loss on Wednesday. Still, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes that there’s no reason to worry about Booker. He’s shooting just 43.4% from the field after connecting on 49.2% of his shots last season, but he’ll almost assuredly bounce back to his normal efficiency, Bourguet opines.
After playing in each of Denver’s first five games, Dario Saric is now out of the rotation. The Nuggets have won five straight games since benching Saric following a 2-3 start. Head coach Michael Malone confirmed the move, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando (Twitter link). “I don’t expect Dario to be walking around here with a smile and pom-poms like he loves this,” Malone said. “But to his credit, he’s been the ultimate teammate.“
On the other hand, Zeke Nnaji played only once in the first five games but has been part of the rotation during the Nuggets‘ five-game win streak. Malone addressed what Nnaji’s been bringing to the rotation, per Durando (Twitter link). “I think he’s been solid,” Malone said. “I think he’s going to continue to get an opportunity. He’s gotta go out there and just try to finish around the basket, knock down open threes. And most importantly obviously he’s gotta be the anchor of our defense if he’s playing backup five.“
The Thunder have been playing 6’5″ forward Jalen Williams at center while dealing with injuries to Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. Without their traditional big men, their small-ball lineups are causing havoc, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes. They forced 23 turnovers against New Orleans on Wednesday. Kenrich Williams also saw minutes at the five off the bench and will continue to be leaned on moving forward, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated writes.

Northwest Notes: Thunder, SGA, Jazz, Nuggets, Wolves

November 13th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

With Chet Holmgren sidelined until sometime in 2025 and Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams still not ready to return, expect the Thunder to fully lean into small-ball lineups, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The team has the roster flexibility to add a veteran center via free agency if it so chooses, but head coach Mark Daigneault seems to enjoy playing small, Lorenzi notes — now it has become a necessity rather than an option.

In their first game without Holmgren on Monday, the Thunder ran out a starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, making their point guard (Gilgeous-Alexander) the tallest player on the court at 6’6″. And the three reserves who saw the most minutes – Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Ajay Mitchell – were no more than 6’5″.

Still, the Thunder made those small lineups work and pulled out a victory over the Clippers, largely due to the heroics of Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a career-high 45 points, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. According to Thunder PR, the guard became the first player in NBA history to have at least 45 points, nine assists, five steals, and two blocks in a game. Gilgeous-Alexander won’t play like that every night, but he’s confident Oklahoma City can keep winning games despite missing its big men.

“We’ve been there before,” he said, per Youngmisuk. “We’ve won games playing small, and we can do it again.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Walker Kessler‘s absence on Tuesday due to right hip soreness highlighted the lack of quality defenders on the Jazz‘s roster, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who suggests that’s an area the team will need to address via player development or roster additions — or both. After giving up 120 points to Phoenix on Tuesday, Utah ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating (117.6) and dead last in net rating (-13.0).
The Nuggets got off to a shaky start this fall, but they’re on a roll as of late, riding a five-game win streak into Friday’s game in New Orleans. They’ve had to lean heavily on star center Nikola Jokic to pick up those victories — the three-time MVP is averaging 38.1 minutes per game, far exceeding his previous career high of 34.6 MPG. In a pair of stories for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando explores whether the Nuggets can keep winning while better managing Jokic’s playing time and considers whether it makes sense for the club to target a center on the trade market. For what it’s worth, Durando believes acquiring a shooter will be a greater priority for Denver than trading for a center.
Following an ugly 14-point Timberwolves loss to Portland on Tuesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic says Minnesota needs to recapture the edge and ferocity that characterized last season’s 56-win squad. This year’s Wolves have made things too easy for their opponents and are “opening doors they used to slam in people’s faces,” Krawczynski writes.

Nikola Jokic, Darius Garland Named Players Of The Week

November 11th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the NBA’s Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has won the award for the Eastern Conference, the league announced today (Twitter link).

Jokic led the Nuggets to a 4-0 record during the week of November 4-10, posting a ridiculous stat line of 29.5 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 14.5 assists per game. He had triple-doubles in all four games and registered a shooting line of .566/.500/.897 in wins over Toronto, Oklahoma City, Miami, and Dallas.

After a slow start, Denver is riding a five-game winning streak and holds a top-four spot in the West at 7-3. Jokic, meanwhile, has full-season averages of 29.7 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 11.7 APG as he makes a case for a fourth MVP award. He leads the league in both rebounds and assists per game.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, had another perfect week, with victories over the Bucks, Pelicans, Warriors, and Nets to push their overall record to 11-0. Garland, who is enjoying a bounce-back fall after an up-and-down 2023/24 season, led the way with 25.0 PPG and 7.3 APG on a scorching-hot .617/.576/.875 shooting line.

Garland is the second Cleveland guard to be named the East’s Player of the Week this season — Donovan Mitchell earned the honor last Monday.

Jokic beat out Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, and Norman Powell for the award in the West. In the East, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, Jayson Tatum, and Franz Wagner were the other nominees (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: Braun, R. Williams, Mitchell, K. Williams

November 10th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Rory Maher

Third-year wing Christian Braun is learning from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in his first season as a full-time Nuggets starter, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray, whose locker is next to Braun’s, often tells the 23-year-old to stay in attack mode.

“‘Keep shooting the ball. Keep being aggressive. Get up more attempts,’” Braun told The Post. “Constantly. When he’s hurt. When he’s not playing. He’s, before the game, telling me he wants me to do this. During the game, he sees this. He’ll point it out. … It’s not just shooting. He wants to challenge me. ‘Hey, I want you to pick this guy up full court.’”

Braun has been one of the bright spots of the early portion of the season in Denver, establishing new career highs in several categories (16.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on an elite .558/.500/.818 shooting line in 35.3 MPG) while being tasked with slowing down the opposing teams’ top perimeter scorer. He has also posted a positive plus/minus in each of the Nuggets’ nine games thus far.

Here are a few more notes from the Northwest Division:

In his first regular season game in a little over a year, Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams made an immediate impact, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link). Williams only played six games last season due to a serious knee injury, then was slowed by a hamstring strain in training camp. In Friday’s loss to Minnesota, the 27-year-old notched 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 17 minutes, only missing one field goal attempt and converting his first career three-pointer. “Defensively, he’s all over the place,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s vocal. He’s talking. His activity, Rebounds, blocked shots, he kind of does it all. He’s got a knack for it. And then on the other end, you never look at him as a three-point threat, but he stepped up and knocked that one down.”
Williams’ return was obviously a welcome sight, but it will also impact the Trail Blazers‘ rotation. Minnesota’s lineup features plenty of size, so Billups felt comfortable playing Williams alongside Deandre Ayton or Donovan Clingan. However, that won’t always be the case, Fentress writes. “There’ll be some nights that it doesn’t happen, that we won’t play that way based on matchups,” Billups said. “But some teams, they present opportunities for you to do so.”
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft, continues to impress in his rookie season, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. Mitchell, who has played in each of the Thunder’s nine games during their 8-1 start, recorded 12 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), two rebounds, and career highs of seven assists and three steals in Friday’s victory vs. Houston.
Thunder swingman Kenrich Williams, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue — the Thunder’s G League affiliate — for a practice on Saturday before being recalled, Stiles tweets.

Nuggets Notes: Watson, Braun, Strawther, Murray, Jokic

November 8th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While general manager Calvin Booth has taken some criticism during the past couple years for letting veteran role players get away in free agency and attempting to replace them with youngsters, several recent Nuggets first-round picks are making positive strides this fall, having come up big in the team’s two wins this week.

With starters Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon unavailable due to injuries, Denver has leaned on 2022 first-rounders Peyton Watson and Christian Braun and 2023 first-rounder Julian Strawther in closing lineups alongside Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. That five-man unit has a net rating of +41.7 in 18 minutes in the past two games, both of which the Nuggets won by two points.

“I’m saying to myself, ‘Holy s–t … I never envisioned this lineup being out there to close the game,'” head coach Michael Malone said after Monday’s victory over Toronto, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (subscription required). Malone went back to the same group in the fourth quarter two days later to help secure a win over the undefeated Thunder.

“Talk about the epitome of ‘Project Dynasty,'” Watson said after Monday’s win, before earning his first start of the season, logging 34 minutes, and making a game-saving block in Wednesday’s victory. “Obviously, me and CB came in together, and that’s my road dog, but also adding Julian to our young core, it meant a lot to us. That was just kind of a little preview of what’s to come for us.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

After missing three consecutive games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Murray is poised to make his return on Friday vs. Miami. Malone told reporters that he expects Murray to play as long as he has no setbacks during his pregame routine, tweets Benedetto.
Only five players in NBA history – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James – have won at least four MVP awards. Could Jokic join that exclusive club this season? Bennett Durando of The Denver Post considers that question, speaking to several Nuggets players who raved about their All-NBA teammate. Russell Westbrook referred to Jokic as “the best player on the planet,” DeAndre Jordan noted that the big man’s triple-doubles have become commonplace, and Braun pointed out that Jokic continues to expand his game. “It seems like he gets better every year,” Braun said. “I don’t know that — he definitely improved, but he can do whatever you need. So this year, he sees that we need to hit more threes. Seems like he’s taking more threes.” Through eight games, Jokic’s three-point percentage (51.4%) and three-point attempts per game (4.4) are career highs. He’s also leading the NBA in assists (11.0) and rebounds (13.5) per game while scoring a career-best 28.8 points per night.
In case you missed it, the Nuggets control one of the top 15 largest trade exceptions in the NBA, though their position relative to the luxury tax line may make them reluctant to use it to take on more salary during the season.

Northwest Notes: Caruso, Hendricks, George, Collins, Westbrook

November 7th, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Alex Caruso, acquired from Chicago in an offseason trade, has been a non-factor offensively for the Thunder through eight games. He’s averaging just 2.6 points and 2.5 assists while shooting 23.7% from the field. He’s also averaging just 4.8 shot attempts in 19.9 minutes.

Caruso, a defensive ace, isn’t worried about his limited contributions on offense.

“I just try to do whatever the team needs to win,” Caruso told The Oklahoman’s Joel Lorenzi. “The last couple years in Chicago, we had guys out. I was on the ball a little more as a lead guard, but here we got Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), we got Dub (Jalen Williams). Even Cason (Wallace)’s on the ball a little more. We got a lot of options. So for me, it’s just about figuring out how I help us win games. Right now, it’s not taking 10 shots a night.”

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Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks underwent surgery on his right leg on Wednesday, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake City Tribune tweets. He suffered a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle in the second half of Utah’s game at Dallas on Oct. 28. Hendricks’ injury occurred on a non-contact play as he was running into the offensive lane. Utah has not released a timetable for his return.
The Jazz recorded their first win of the season on Monday, thanks to Keyonte George‘s career night. The second-year guard had 33 points, nine assists and two turnovers in 39 minutes, Larsen notes. With Lauri Markkanen (back spasms) and Hendricks out, John Collins played exclusively at power forward and looked much more comfortable, making 12-of-17 shots for 28 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Collins failed to mesh well with Markkanen and Walker Kessler last season because he wasn’t as involved in screens and thus couldn’t take advantage of mismatches, Larsen adds.
Russell Westbrook has averaged 25 points, six rebounds and six assists in two Nuggets victories this week. Yet coach Michael Malone has high praise for another aspect of Westbrook’s game, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “I think defensively he’s been a rock star,” Malone said. “And what I love about Russell Westbrook: 17-year vet, leopards don’t change their spots, but he is trying so hard to be disciplined. He’s trying to do the things we’re asking him to do, and I appreciate that so much. Because a lot of times at 17 years in, you are who you are. But he cares, man. He is so invested in this team and what he’s bringing to this team, and he’s so hard on himself. I can coach a guy like Russell Westbrook any day.” Westbrook signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Denver during the summer — the deal includes a second-year player option.

Largest Trade Exceptions Available This Season

November 6th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Ahead of the NBA’s 2025 trade deadline, it’s worth keeping in mind which teams hold traded player exceptions that could come in handy to grease the wheels on an in-season deal.

As we explain in our glossary, a traded player exception allows a team to take on salary in a trade without sending out any salary in return. The amount of the exception (plus $250K for non-apron teams) is the amount of salary the team is permitted to take back without salary-matching – either in a single deal or in multiple trades – for one year.

For instance, a team with a $10MM trade exception could acquire a player earning $4MM and a second player earning $6MM without having to worry about sending out any outgoing salary.

In recent years, sizable traded player exceptions have served as wild cards that helped accommodate both pre-deadline and offseason deals. For example, after creating a $9.5MM trade exception when they sent Royce O’Neale to the Suns ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, the Nets used that TPE to acquire Ziaire Williams and a future draft pick in an offseason trade that allowed Memphis to shed some salary.

Many trade exceptions expire without being used, but as our tracker shows, there are several sizable ones available this season that could be useful when trade season begins in earnest.

Here are the 15 biggest trade exceptions around the NBA for now, along with their expiry dates in parentheses:

Atlanta Hawks: $25,266,266 (7/7/25)
Brooklyn Nets: $23,300,000 (7/7/25)
Chicago Bulls: $17,506,232 (7/8/25)
Dallas Mavericks: $16,193,183 (7/7/25)
Memphis Grizzlies: $12,600,000 (2/3/25)
Washington Wizards: $12,402,000 (2/10/25)
New Orleans Pelicans: $9,900,000 (7/7/25)
Minnesota Timberwolves: $8,780,488 (7/7/25)
Portland Trail Blazers: $6,875,000 (7/7/25)
Miami Heat: $6,477,319 (1/23/25)
Sacramento Kings: $6,341,464 (6/30/25)
Memphis Grizzlies: $6,133,005 (7/21/25)
Sacramento Kings: $5,893,768 (7/8/25)
New Orleans Pelicans: $5,722,116 (1/17/25)
Denver Nuggets: $5,250,000 (7/7/25)

A number of these trade exceptions are more likely to be used next offseason, when teams could have more cap flexibility, than during the current season, when so many clubs are within spitting distance of the luxury tax line or a hard cap.

For example, using even a small portion of that $25MM+ exception during the season would push the Hawks‘ team salary into tax territory, but with several contracts coming off their books next summer, they’d be in a better position to take on a big salary at that time.

The exceptions that expire before next offseason are the ones to watch more closely during the season. That $12MM+ Wizards TPE is especially intriguing, since Washington is one of the few teams with plenty of breathing room below the tax threshold. They could use nearly all of that exception at the deadline and still avoid becoming a taxpayer.

The two TPEs listed in italics can’t be used at all, since the Heat are currently operating over the first tax apron, while the Timberwolves are over the second apron. Apron teams are prohibited from using trade exceptions that were generated during the prior season (like Miami’s) or that were created by sending out a player via sign-and-trade (like Minnesota’s).

It’s worth noting that some of these exceptions may be used in a deal that could otherwise be completed using salary matching. For example, a team with a $12MM trade exception that swaps one $10MM player for another could use the exception to take on the incoming player and create a new $10MM exception using the outgoing player.

Given tax and apron considerations, we may see some deals along those lines during the season, since using a TPE in that manner would allow a team to essentially roll it over for another year.

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