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NBA Teams That Still Have Open Roster Spots

March 6th, 2024 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed on Tuesday, 17 players that had been on two-way contracts received promotions to standard deals between last month’s trade deadline and Monday’s two-way signing deadline.

However, even though those 17 players filled standard roster spots around the NBA and no team currently has an open two-way slot, there are still several openings on 15-man rosters across the league.

[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]

Here’s a rundown of the teams that still have at least one standard roster spot available, along with some brief observations on how they might fill those openings:

Teams with two open roster spots

Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers

Teams are permitted to dip below 14 players on standard contracts for up to 14 days at a time. Currently, there are three teams taking advantage of that rule: the Timberwolves, Knicks, and Sixers.

There’s no real urgency for any of these clubs to sign a player in the short term — Philadelphia doesn’t have to re-add a 14th man until March 15, while New York’s and Minnesota’s deadlines are March 16 and 17, respectively.

Still, I’m not sure any of the three will wait that long to make a move. The Sixers and Knicks have a crowded injury list and could use some additional depth, while the Timberwolves have already reportedly reached an agreement on a 10-day deal with T.J. Warren — it just hasn’t been officially finalized yet.

[Note: Warren officially signed with the Wolves shortly after the publication of this story.]

Philadelphia could still use another frontcourt body with Joel Embiid on the shelf. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Taj Gibson eventually makes his way back to the Knicks, though he’s under contract with Detroit for the next 10 days. Marcus Morris was linked to Minnesota last month, though it remains unclear whether a union for the two sides remains in play.

Teams with one open roster spot

Boston Celtics
Detroit Pistons
- Note: The Pistons’ 14th man (Gibson) is on a 10-day contract.
Golden State Warriors
Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz

There’s no timeline for any of these teams to fill their 15th open roster spot. I’d expect the Pistons and Jazz to be a little more proactive about making a move though, since they’re both well below the luxury tax line and could potentially benefit from taking a look at some young players on 10-day deals for developmental purposes down the stretch.

The Celtics, Warriors, and Suns are all well above the tax threshold and aren’t in desperate need for depth pieces at the moment, so they’ll probably be patient when it comes to adding a 15th man.

Neemias Queta (Celtics) and Saben Lee (Suns) are candidates to be promoted from two-way contracts near the end of the season. The Warriors already elevated their most obvious candidate for a promotion (Lester Quinones), so it’s unclear what they may have in mind for their final roster move. Given how deep they are, it’s unlikely anyone the Dubs add would play at all in the postseason.

Teams whose 15th man is on a 10-day contract

Cleveland Cavaliers
New Orleans Pelicans
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards

The Cavaliers will open up a roster spot on Thursday when Sharife Cooper‘s 10-day contract expires. The Wizards (R.J. Hampton) and Pelicans (Izaiah Brockington) will follow suit next Wednesday, with the Raptors (Jahmi’us Ramsey) opening up their 15th roster spot next Thursday.

Each of those four players would be eligible for a second 10-day deal with his respective team. However, all four clubs seem to be rotating players in and out of that slot, so it’s possible that the Cavs, Pelicans, Raptors, and Wizards all finish the season with a different 15th man.

Toronto and Washington won’t make the playoffs and will likely eventually settle on a prospect who can be signed to a team-friendly multiyear contract. The Cavs and Pelicans could ultimately go the same route, though they’ll want to fully scour the buyout market in case there’s a veteran who could help in the postseason.

Green Wary Of Finishing Career On Low Note

March 5th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Draymond Green wants to finish his career on a positive note, which is why he’s continuing to go through therapy even after his league-imposed suspension ended, he told Howard Beck of The Ringer. “I’m far closer to the end than I am the beginning,” Green said. “Do you want the end to look like complete s–t? Or do you want the end to look closer to how it looked in the beginning? Do you want to leave gracefully? Or do you want to leave like a f–ing a–hole? Do you want your legacy to be a guy who couldn’t contain himself, a guy who couldn’t finish the job? Or do you want your legacy to be a guy who did it his way, yes, but did it the right way? I think that’s what it boils down to.”

Andrew Wiggins Reports Back To Warriors

March 5th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Andrew Wiggins has rejoined the Warriors after missing the past four games due to family matter, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN, who tweeted a video of Wiggins at practice.

Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic first reported that Wiggins was flying into the Bay Area and reporting to the team on Tuesday after tending to a personal family matter.

Golden State is back in action on Wednesday at home vs. the Bucks, and Wiggins is expected to be active for that game, head coach Steve Kerr said today (Twitter link via Andrews). He’ll likely be reinserted into the starting lineup, though he may be on a minutes restriction.

Moses Moody played well as a starting forward in Wiggins’ absence, but he’s in danger of falling out of the club’s crowded rotation again with the former No. 1 overall pick set to return. Moody averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds on .500/.400/.500 shooting in his four starts, three of which were Warriors wins. The one loss was an ugly one — the Dubs were blown out by 52 points on Sunday in Boston.

Wiggins missed the final 25 games of the 2022/23 season due to personal reasons, returning just before the postseason began.

Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra Named Coaches Of The Month

March 4th, 2024 at 10:32pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra were named the NBA’s Coaches of the Month for the month of February, the league announced (Twitter link).

Kerr led the Warriors to an 11-3 record in February, with victories over the Suns and Lakers highlighting the month. February saw Klay Thompson take on a reserve role and flourish, as well as young players helping guide Golden State back into the playoff picture. Golden State is 32-28 and ninth in the West, 2.5 games behind the Kings for No. 6 in the conference and avoiding the play-in.

The Heat went 8-3 in February behind Spoelstra’s leadership, and they’ve lost just once since the All-Star break. Even with players in and out of the lineup, the Heat have gotten impressive contributions from about everyone in the rotation. Their month featured big wins over the Bucks, Magic and Sixers. Miami defeated the Bucks by 26 points without Jimmy Butler in the lineup on Feb. 13.

The other nominees for Coach of the Month in the West were Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, Minnesota’s Chris Finch, L.A.’s Darvin Ham, Dallas’s Jason Kidd and Denver’s Michael Malone (Twitter link). Meanwhile, in the East, Cleveland’s J.B. Bickerstaff, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley were nominated.

Pacific Notes: Moody, Kings, Nurkic, Stoudemire

March 4th, 2024 at 1:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Moses Moody‘s strong defense on Jalen Brunson was one of the keys to the Warriors‘ victory over the Knicks in New York on Thursday, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The 21-year-old wing has experienced inconsistent playing time throughout his first three NBA seasons, but he had an unusually grounded take on the way his role has fluctuated to this point in his career.

“It’s real life,” Moody said. “Different things happen. You gotta be able to keep your head, control your emotions. All my friends are in that space where they’re leaving college, trying to figure out life. Everybody’s going through different adversities. Who am I to think I should have an easy road to whatever I want? It’s just kind of how it goes.”

The 14th pick of the 2021 draft, Moody will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason. He’s currently starting in place of Andrew Wiggins, who is away from the team for personal reasons.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Prior to Friday’s overtime victory over the Wolves in Minnesota, the Kings held a players-only meeting that lasted about 35 minutes, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. It was the first time the team held such a meeting since Mike Brown became head coach in 2022/23. “We had a team meeting to talk about (how) we have to take this s–t seriously because we got 23 games left now,” Malik Monk said after Friday’s game. “The coaches are going to say what they’re going to say, but we’re out they’re playing. We knew we had to come together and outwork somebody.” Monk finished with a season-high 39 points, including 35 after halftime, and Brown was “thrilled” that the players took accountability for their up-and-down play, Biderman adds.
Suns center Jusuf Nurkic pulled down a career-high 31 rebounds on Sunday vs. Oklahoma City — the most in an NBA game in 13 years and a new franchise record for Phoenix — but he wasn’t in a celebratory mood after the loss, according to a report from ESPN.com. “I don’t know, man, I’m just trying to do my role the best I can. But it’s kind of really messed up when you have 13 offensive rebounds and 16 shots then zero free throws,” Nurkic said. “As hard as I work, and I feel like [I’m] getting fouled as [much as] anybody in the league. And I’m not here saying — we lost the game, it is what it is — [but] it’s just, it’s not really common sense. At least one [free throw]. [To] not even have one? But I know it happens. I ain’t the first one, and I ain’t going to be the last, either, unfortunately.”
On Saturday, former Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire — one of the most electrifying dunkers in league history — was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports passes along several quotes from the occasion.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Beal, Gordon, Lue, James

February 29th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed that Klay Thompson initially balked at the prospect of being the team’s sixth man, he told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. Thompson yelled at Kerr and some members of the staff during a meeting prior to the All-Star break before later returning to apologize.

“It was not an easy conversation,” Kerr said. “This is maybe the hardest part about getting further away from our prime. It’s just, after 12 years [of Thompson starting], it wasn’t easy. And still moving forward, it’s not going to be easy. But I told him, ‘If you really embrace it, you can help your team win.'”

Thompson said the All-Star break helped ease his mind over the coaching staff’s plan.

“It was having a complete reset, a huge mental reset. It helped so much,” he said.

Thompson stated in an interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick that his new role wouldn’t play into his decision during free agency this summer. Thompson, who is eligible for a four-year extension, remains open to a shorter-term deal, according to Andrews.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns had three late scratches on Thursday against Houston, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Bradley Beal missed his fifth straight game due to left hamstring injury management. Eric Gordon sat out with left groin soreness. They were listed as questionable on Wednesday. Nassir Little didn’t suit up due to left knee inflammation after not being on the initial injury report.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had a health scare when he was coaching Cleveland due to stress and poor eating and sleeping habits. He’s learned from that experience and has a much healthier diet and exercise plan, he told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “I’ve been working out. Eating better. I still have my moments. [I’m] eating less. It’s been good,” Lue said. “(Strength and conditioning coach Daniel Shapiro) has done a good job of staying on me because I can stray away. I’m just doing 20 to 30 minutes per day … Now I’m about 208 [pounds]. Back [in Cleveland] I was 241. I can’t believe I got that big.”
LeBron James sparked the biggest fourth-quarter comeback of his career against the Clippers on Wednesday in the two teams’ final matchup as cohabitants of Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers rallied from 21 points down with the aid of three three-pointers early in the fourth from James, who finished with 34 points. “It’s just a zone, and you can’t really describe it,” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “You wish you could stay in it forever, but obviously it checks out once the game ends. But during it, you don’t feel anything. It’s just like a superpower feel.“

Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Suns, S. Lee, Fox, Huerter, Reddish

February 29th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins will miss his second straight game on Thursday vs. New York due to personal reasons, with Anthony Slater of The Athletic describing the absence as a “family matter.” It’s unclear when Wiggins will return to the lineup, though head coach Steve Kerr said the team expects him back at some point.

“Don’t know,” Kerr said of a return timeline. “We’ll obviously respect Andrew’s wishes for this to remain private. Personal reasons.”

As Slater notes, Wiggins missed the final 25 games of the 2022/23 season due to personal reasons, returning just before the postseason began.

Here are a few more notes from the Pacific Division:

The Suns have an open roster spot. Veterans Mike Muscala (Pistons) and Patty Mills (Hawks) were recently waived by their former clubs, with Muscala reaching a buyout agreement. Would Phoenix be interested in either of those players? John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 says the answer is no (Twitter links). The Suns are much more likely to convert Saben Lee‘s two-way contract to a standard deal, according to Gambadoro, who says (via Twitter) the odds of that happening are “very high.” It’s worth noting that Lee, who was the 38th pick of the 2020 draft, is in his fourth NBA season — he will not be eligible for two-way contracts in 2024/25 and beyond.
After building an early lead on Wednesday against the Nuggets, the Kings wound up being blown out in Denver without star point guard De’Aaron Fox, writes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. Fox, who sustained a left knee contusion in Monday’s loss to Miami, went through the team’s shootaround yesterday morning and his pregame shooting routine prior to being ruled out, which seemingly indicates the injury is relatively minor.
According to Biderman, guard Kevin Huerter was frustrated with his lack of playing time following Wednesday’s game, in which he played just 18 minutes. “I don’t know if I could put my finger on one (thing),” Huerter said of the Kings being outscored by 35 points over the second and third quarters. “I wish I was out there to help us more though.” Huerter declined to expand on those comments, but Biderman points out that the 25-year-old is playing a career-low 25.2 minutes per game and briefly lost his starting job in December before reclaiming it.
After missing the previous 14 games with a right ankle sprain, Lakers wing Cam Reddish returned to action in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers, per Khobi Price of The Southern Califnornia News Group. The former lottery pick played 20 minutes and supplanted second-year guard/forward Max Christie in the rotation, Price adds.

Knicks Notes: DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Randle, Injuries

February 28th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves were a serious suitor for Donte DiVincenzo and had a real chance to sign him when he reached free agency last summer, league sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic. DiVincenzo, who was also weighing “significant” offers from a few other teams in addition to the Knicks, reached out to former Warriors teammate Stephen Curry to ask his advice, according to Katz.

As Katz writes, DiVincenzo was leaning toward the Knicks and Curry helped him finalize that decision, confirming that New York would be a good fit for his skill set.

“Just looking at the depth chart and the role he could play, what they needed,” Curry said. “They were already a playoff team, starting to trend in the right direction. Then (there is) his familiarity with their players from college. That made it so he’d have the opportunity to go in and do exactly what he did for us. He’s a smart, high-IQ basketball player who plays defense.”

DiVincenzo, who said he would’ve liked to stay in Golden State if the Warriors had been in position to make a competitive offer, appreciated Curry’s input.

“I’m a grown man. I make my own decisions, but to have somebody of that stature to almost voice the opinion that I’m thinking — it makes you feel good about the decision you’re making, rather than if he says something way out of left field and you kind of start to question things,” DiVincenzo said. “… He reinforced what I was thinking about New York.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Ian Begley of SNY.tv checks in on several Knicks injuries, exploring where things stand for OG Anunoby (elbow), Julius Randle (shoulder), Jalen Brunson (neck), and Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles). Begley thinks Anunoby will likely return to the court before Randle, barring setbacks, and suggests that mid-March is viewed as a realistic target for Anunoby.
Despite being hit hard by the injury bug in recent weeks, the Knicks aren’t griping about their bad luck, Josh Hart said on Tuesday after the team lost for the sixth time in its last eight games. “We’re not going to complain about injuries. … Whenever you go through adversity, you got two choices,” Hart said, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “You got the first one to kind of face it head on. And don’t complain, just work. And then you have the other one that’s just go into a ball and complain and cry about it. So I don’t think that’s what anyone in this locker room is doing.”
There are two ways for the Knicks to silence the speculation about the possibility of a trade for a superstar, according to Andrew Crane of The New York Post (subscription required), who says the club could either make a trade for a star or continue to win without needing one. As Crane notes, if the Knicks can get healthy by the playoffs, the group that flashed its potential following the Anunoby addition in January – and has since added two more solid role players in Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks – will get a chance to show what it’s capable of this spring.
As we detailed in a separate story this afternoon, the Knicks’ protest of their February 12 loss was formally denied by the NBA, as expected.

Warriors Notes: Paul, Wiggins, Moody, Rotation, Curry, Kerr

February 28th, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

Playing on Tuesday for the first time since January 5 after recovering from a left hand fracture, Chris Paul helped lead the Warriors to a victory in Washington, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. In 22 minutes off the bench, Paul contributed nine points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals. The Warriors, who won the game by 11 points, outscored the Wizards by 17 during Paul’s time on the floor.

“All season long, he’s been such a high performer,” head coach Steve Kerr said after the win. “All of our best lineups, he’s in.”

As Slater notes, the Warriors initially expected to finally have their full rotation available on Tuesday, but Andrew Wiggins missed the game for personal reasons. Kerr, who didn’t offer any specifics on when Wiggins might rejoin the team, inserted Moses Moody into the starting lineup in his place. Although Moody had been out of the rotation, Kerr didn’t want to alter his new second unit, which now features Paul playing alongside Klay Thompson.

When Wiggins returns, Golden State will have no shortage of rotation options, with Moody and Lester Quinones likely among those on the outside looking in. Slater suggests that Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Wiggins, Paul, and Thompson will all be candidates for closing lineups, with Dario Saric, Kevon Looney, and Trayce Jackson-Davis vying for minutes too.

“Steve said he’ll try to figure it out,” Paul said of potentially playing a reduced role in a crowded rotation. “Said sometimes he might mess it up. But we got a really good group of guys on this team, and we’ll need different things every night. But one thing about me, though, is I know who I am and what I’m capable of. Ain’t no question about that. I’ll always be ready. I think he knows that.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

While Paul figures to spend a little time playing alongside Curry, the plan is to have him on the court for all of the non-Curry minutes, according to Slater. The two-time MVP has shot just 31.5% from the field over the past three games, including 21.6% on three-pointers, so CP3’s return should allow the team to reduce his workload and have him play off the ball a bit more. “Steph has looked tired to me the last couple games,” Kerr said after Sunday’s loss to Denver, per Slater. “It makes sense. He did the All-Star Game stuff, not getting much of a break — three games in four nights. He looks a little tired. These stretches happen.”
Kerr said on Tuesday after officially finalizing his two-year contract extension that he felt “very comfortable” signing a relatively short-term deal, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. “We’re in a really unique situation where we have an era that’s winding down and another that’s coming,” Kerr said. “We’re trying to make them merge and make the most of that this year and next year … let’s keep it rolling for another couple of years and then reassess it.”
Asked during an appearance on the Club 520 podcast which of the Warriors’ four championship teams was his favorite, Green cited the 2021/22 squad, since it wasn’t viewed as a title favorite entering that postseason. “2022 wasn’t really a championship team (compared to) the championship teams I’ve been on,” Green said (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “After every series, me and Steph would be walking to do an interview after we won a series, and we’d walk and laugh like, ‘Yo, how are we winning these series right now?'”

Klay Thompson Wants To Re-Sign Despite Sixth Man Role

February 27th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Klay Thompson‘s new role as a sixth man will not make him less inclined to re-sign with the Warriors, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Thompson, who will be an unrestricted free agent in July if he doesn’t reach an extension agreement with Golden State, came off the bench for the fifth consecutive game on Tuesday.

“You’ve still got to examine all of your options, but I would love to be a Warrior for life,” Thompson said. “Whatever happens though, I’ve got a few more years to play this game, so I’m gonna enjoy every second. I realize that I see light at the end of the tunnel, (and) I’m not sure if I want to play until I’m 40, man. That sounds really exhausting.”

Thompson had a 35-point game against Utah the first time he came off the bench. He scored 23 first-half points against Denver in Golden State’s last game on Sunday and is averaging 18.1 points per night in his reserve role. Until this month, he hadn’t come off the bench since his rookie season.

While Thompson is adamant that moving a bench isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s uncertain whether Golden State’s ownership and front office are willing to go deeper into the luxury tax and above the tax aprons to retain him. Amick hears that Thompson has received no assurances from management that his desire to remain with the Warriors will be a shared priority this summer.

Coach Steve Kerr, who just signed a contract extension, said Thompson has handled his new role with class.

“He’s been great,” Kerr said. “His approach feels so much better than it was even a few weeks ago. This has been an emotional season for him. You guys know this. He’s been grappling with his mortality in some ways as an athlete. He knows how good he was six years ago, and he’s had a hard time reconciling everything after the injuries. The thing that we keep trying to convince him of is he’s still a hell of a player. But he’s at his best when he’s not pressing and he’s not stressed out (or) worried about trying to be the guy he was six years ago.”

His teammates are grateful for the way he’s accepted being a sixth man.

“We can’t win without him being good or without him being a key piece,” big man Kevon Looney said. “Whether that’s starting or off the bench, we’re not contending without him being special. We all care about him. We all want him to succeed. We all want him to be great. So when he’s not doing well or his energy’s not great, it kind of weighs on everybody else. He knows that.”