Hoops Rumors Originals

Greg Whittington Eyeing NBA Deal

Free agent Greg Whittington is eyeing an NBA deal after spending the past three years overseas, he told Hoops Rumors in a phone interview.

Whittington, a 6-foot-9 forward, is expected to join the league for the 2020/21 season following impressive stints in Turkey and Israel over the past two years. Multiple contenders have expressed interest in his services, according to his agent, Jerry Dianis.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment. We worked hard to get here,” Whittington said. “We’ve received interest from multiple teams, but we have one on our list that could be the one. I’m just trying to keep my focus and keep working hard. Whatever we do in free agency, I just want to bring that championship-level attitude to a team, help them win and keep working.”

For Whittington, 27, a return to the NBA would mark his first stint in America since helping the Sioux Falls Skyforce — G League affiliate of the Heat — win a championship during the 2015/16 season. This past year, he posted averages of 12.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 14 EuroCup contests with Galatasaray, shooting an impressive 52.8% from 3-point range. He also received both forward of the year and All-EuroCup All-Imports Team honors.

The season before, he averaged a respectable 18.4 points per game in Israel, shooting 41.5% from deep while leading the country in rebounding (9.6 per contest). His consistent play has intrigued NBA teams as free agency nears.

“Greg’s performed in the brightest of lights and received top-of-the-line accolades this past year,” Dianis said. “Because of his versatility — a 6-foot-9, jumbo wing that could play on both sides of the ball — he’s ready to contribute to an NBA roster today.

“Greg’s a flat-out hooper. There’s not much on the basketball court he can’t do.”

Whittington spent the offseason working on his strength, three-point shooting and ball-handling, he said, and will enter unrestricted free agency without any buyout provisions. The veteran forward turned down offers from multiple overseas teams during the summer, formally declaring his intentions for the NBA.

“During my time overseas, I learned that the culture changes everywhere in life,” Whittington said. “And then, on the court, you have to be focused and bring it every night. You figure out quickly that some leagues are just as tough as being in the NBA — they don’t have a three-second violation, for example. Everybody’s (in the paint) helping. 

“I’ve matured by learning how to sharpen up my moves, be quicker and not take too much time. Getting to your spot before the defense could help, because they’re already there to help (overseas). So I learned that you have to be one or two steps ahead of the defense at every moment.”

Whittington is expected to take the next step in his basketball journey during free agency. He went undrafted back in 2015 after spending two seasons at Georgetown, later joining the Heat for Summer League and attending training camp with the team that fall. In addition to Turkey, he’s also held stints in Australia, Sioux Falls, Japan and Israel, carrying what he’s learned throughout every stop in his career.

Free agency is set to open on Friday at 5:00pm CT, with players allowed to sign their respective contracts starting Sunday at 11:01am. The 2020/21 regular season will tip-off on December 22.

Top 50 NBA Free Agents Of 2020

The NBA’s free agent period will tip off on Friday evening at 5:00 pm central time, with deals permitted to be officially consummated as of Sunday at 11:01 am CT.

Listed below are our top 50 free agents for the 2020/21 NBA season. The players on this list are on track to become free agents tonight.

Our rankings take into account both a player’s short-term and long-term value. If we were to consider solely a player’s worth for the 2020/21 season, a veteran like Goran Dragic would likely place higher, while younger free agents with upside, such as Dragic’s teammate Derrick Jones, might be ranked a little lower.

In addition to the players listed below, there are plenty of other notable free agents available this summer. You can check out our breakdowns of free agents by position/type and by team for the full picture.

Here are our top 50 free agents of 2020:


1. Anthony Davis, F/C, Lakers
There’s no mystery about where this year’s top free agent will sign. After winning a title during his first year in Los Angeles, Davis opted out of his contract, but only so that he can ink a new contract with the Lakers that increases his salary and potentially locks him in for multiple years.

2. Brandon Ingram, F, Pelicans (RFA)
Besides Davis, Ingram is the only 2020 All-Star eligible for free agency this offseason. And like Davis, he’s unlikely to go anywhere. The Pelicans have the right to match any offer sheet Ingram signs, and will certainly bring him back after a breakout season in which he averaged a career-best 23.8 PPG.

3. Fred VanVleet, G, Raptors
VanVleet has only started 82 games in his NBA career, but has emerged as one of the most popular free agents of 2020. That’s partly due to a lack of star power on this year’s market, but also because of the impressive step forward he has taken since the 2019 postseason. He established new career highs in several categories in 2019/20, including PPG (17.6) and APG (6.6).

4. Gordon Hayward, F, Celtics
At one point, Hayward looked like a lock to exercise his $34.2MM player option for 2020/21. The fact that he turned down that option suggests he’s pretty confident he’ll land a lucrative long-term deal on the open market, either from Boston or another team. We’ll trust his confidence. If Hayward doesn’t sign a three- or four-year contract with an overall guarantee that doubles – or even triples – the amount of his option, I’d be surprised.

5. Danilo Gallinari, F, Thunder
Gallinari has battled injuries at times during his 12-year NBA career, but has been relatively healthy and very productive during the last couple seasons. A 41.8% shooter from beyond the arc over the last two years, the 32-year-old will appeal to teams looking for a frontcourt player who can stretch the floor without being a major defensive liability.

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2020 NBA Offseason Trades

As we did with last year’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2019/20, Hoops Rumors will be keeping track of all of the trades made this offseason, right up until the start of the 2020/21 season, updating this post with each transaction.

Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been traded multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. If a trade has not yet been formally finalized, it will be listed in italics.

For our full story on each trade, click on the date above it. For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks. We’ll continue to update this list with the latest specific details on picks and other compensation, as they’re reported.

Here’s the full list of the NBA’s 2020 offseason trades:


December 8

  • Sixers acquire Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson, and Vincent Poirier.
  • Thunder acquire Al Horford, the draft rights to Theo Maledon (No. 34 pick), the Sixers’ 2025 first-round pick (top-six protected), the draft rights to Vasilije Micic.
    • Note: If the Sixers’ 2025 first-round pick isn’t conveyed in 2025, 2026, or 2027, the Thunder will instead receive the Sixers’ 2027 second-round pick and cash ($2MM).

December 2

November 29

  • Hornets acquire Gordon Hayward (sign-and-trade), the Celtics’ 2023 second-round pick, and the Celtics’ 2024 second-round pick.
  • Celtics acquire the Hornets’ 2022 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

November 27

November 27

  • Cavaliers acquire Rayjon Tucker and the Jazz’s 2027 second-round pick.
  • Jazz acquire cash ($2MM).

November 27

November 25

November 25

  • Rockets acquire the draft rights to KJ Martin (No. 52 pick).
  • Kings acquire the Lakers’ 2021 second-round pick and cash ($1MM).

November 24

  • Hawks acquire Danilo Gallinari (sign-and-trade) and cash ($750K).
  • Thunder acquire the Hawks’ 2025 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

November 24

November 24

  • Pistons acquire Trevor Ariza, the draft rights to Isaiah Stewart (No. 16 pick), a future Rockets second-round pick, and cash ($4.6MM)
  • Rockets acquire Christian Wood (sign-and-trade), the Pistons’ 2021 first-round pick (top-16 protected) and the Lakers’ 2021 second-round pick.

November 24

  • Bucks acquire Jrue Holiday and the draft rights to Sam Merrill (No. 60 pick; from Pelicans).
  • Pelicans acquire Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Bucks’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), and the right to swap first-round picks with the Bucks in 2024 and 2026.
  • Thunder acquire George Hill, Darius MillerKenrich Williams (sign-and-trade), Josh Gray (sign-and-trade), Zylan Cheatham (sign-and-trade), the Nuggets’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected), the Wizards’ 2023 second-round pick (from Pelicans), and the Hornets’ 2024 second-round pick (from Pelicans).
  • Nuggets acquire the draft rights to RJ Hampton (No. 24 pick; from Bucks).

November 23

  • Cavaliers acquire the Bucks’ 2025 second-round pick.
  • Bucks acquire the draft rights to Ilkan Karaman.
  • Note: The protections on the Bucks’ 2022 first-round pick owed to the Cavaliers have been removed as part of this trade. That pick is now unprotected.

November 23

November 23

November 23

  • Knicks acquire Ed Davis, the Jazz’s 2023 second-round pick, and either the Jazz’s or Cavaliers’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable)
  • Jazz acquire cash ($110K).

November 22

November 22

  • Pistons acquire Tony Bradley and the draft rights to Saben Lee (No. 38 pick).
  • Jazz acquire cash ($250K).

November 22

  • Warriors acquire Kelly Oubre.
  • Thunder acquire the Warriors’ 2021 first-round pick (top-20 protected) and the Nuggets’ 2021 second-round pick.
  • Note: If the Warriors’ pick doesn’t convey in 2021, the Thunder will instead receive the Timberwolves’ 2021 second-round pick.

November 22

November 20

  • Trail Blazers acquire Enes Kanter and cash ($1MM; from Grizzlies).
  • Grizzlies acquire Mario Hezonja and the draft rights to Desmond Bane (No. 30 pick).
  • Celtics acquire the Grizzlies’ 2025 second-round pick and either the Rockets’ 2023 second-round pick or the lesser of the Mavericks’ and Grizzlies’ 2023 second-round picks (whichever is more favorable).

November 20

November 20

November 20

November 19

  • Clippers acquire the draft rights to Daniel Oturu (No. 33 pick).
  • Timberwolves acquire the Pistons’ 2023 second-round pick and the draft rights to Mathias Lessort.

November 19

  • Nets acquire Landry Shamet, Bruce Brown, and the draft rights to Reggie Perry (No. 57 pick).
  • Clippers acquire Luke Kennard, Justin Patton, the draft rights to Jay Scrubb (No. 55 pick), the Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick (from Pistons), the Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick, the Pistons’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Pistons’ 2026 second-round pick.
  • Pistons acquire Dzanan Musa, Rodney McGruder, the draft rights to Saddiq Bey (No. 19 pick), the draft rights to Jaylen Hands, the Raptors’ 2021 second-round pick (from Nets), and cash (from Clippers).

November 19

  • Thunder acquire Vincent Poirier and cash ($1MM).
  • Celtics acquire the Thunder’s 2021 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

November 19

November 19

  • Grizzlies acquire the draft rights to Xavier Tillman (No. 35 pick).
  • Kings acquire the draft rights to Robert Woodard (No. 40 pick) and either the Bulls’ or Pistons’ 2022 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

November 19

  • Jazz acquire the draft rights to Elijah Hughes (No. 39 pick).
  • Pelicans acquire the Jazz’s 2022 second-round pick.

November 19

  • Hornets acquire the draft rights to Nick Richards (No. 42 pick).
  • Pelicans acquire the Hornets’ 2024 second-round pick.

November 19

November 19

November 18

  • Bucks acquire the No. 45 pick in the 2020 draft.
  • Magic acquire the Pacers’ second-round pick in either 2022, 2023, or 2024 and the Bucks’ 2026 second-round pick.
  • Note: The Magic will acquire the Pacers’ second-round pick one year after the Pacers send a second-rounder to the Nets. That pick owed to the Nets has 45-60 protection in 2021, 45-60 protection in 2022, and is unprotected in 2023.

November 17

  • Knicks acquire the No. 23 pick in the 2020 draft and the draft rights to Ante Tomic.
  • Jazz acquire the No. 27 pick in the 2020 draft and the No. 38 pick in the 2020 draft.

November 16

Community Shootaround: LaMelo Ball

Lonzo Ball was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. Will his younger brother LaMelo Ball one-up his older brother and get taken with the top pick on Wednesday?

Ball’s status among NBA executives and scouts is one of more intriguing aspects of this draft. Some draft experts believe Ball will be taken with the No. 1 pick. Others think Ball, despite his reputation as the premier point guard prospect, might drop out of top three slots.

Ball worked out for the Timberwolves on Wednesday, then gave the next two teams in the draft order — the Warriors and Hornets — a closer look on Thursday. Interestingly, the Pistons — who hold the No. 7 pick — were also invited. Ball has also met with the Bulls, who sit at the No. 4 spot.

Detroit would have to trade up to snare Ball and it’s unclear whether they have enough trade capital to make that move. The Pistons don’t own any extra future first-rounders and their best young trade pieces would presumably be Luke Kennard, who missed most of last season with a back injury, and Sekou Doumbouya, who had a spotty rookie year.

Another recent report suggested the Thunder might have some interest in Ball. They don’t own a pick higher than No. 25 in this draft but have plenty of future first-rounders, courtesy of the Paul George deal last year.

If the Timberwolves pick Ball, it would signal that they believe a Ball-D’Angelo Russell backcourt could work. The Warriors, with Stephen Curry, would seemingly be less interested in drafting a point guard. It would make more sense for either the Hornets or Pistons to take Ball, though Charlotte owes Terry Rozier a hefty salary over the next two seasons.

That leads us to our question of the day: Which team will end up selecting or trading for LaMelo Ball in Wednesday’s draft?

Please provide your input in our comments section. We look forward to what you have to say.

2020 NBA Head Coaching Carousel Recap

With some NBA team owners hit hard by the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic this year, there was some speculation earlier in 2020 that clubs may be less inclined to make head coaching changes.

Firing a head coach before his contract expires means remaining on the hook for the rest of the money owed to him while simultaneously starting to pay a new hire too. The expectation was that some teams may give their coaches one more year in the interest of saving some money.

While it’s possible that a couple teams took that approach, many didn’t. Nine of the NBA’s 30 teams – nearly a third – have made coaching changes since the league went on hiatus in March, turning 2020 into one of the biggest periods of coaching turnover in recent memory.

Here’s a recap of which teams have named new permanent head coaches over the last several months:


Brooklyn Nets

  • Hired: Steve Nash (story)
  • Replaced: Jacque Vaughn (interim)
  • Contract details: Four-year deal (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Vaughn, Jason Kidd, Tyronn Lue, Jeff Van Gundy, Ime Udoka, Gregg Popovich

Nash will be the third coach of 2020 in Brooklyn, taking over for Vaughn, who replaced Kenny Atkinson in March.

Following Atkinson’s dismissal, there was a belief that the Nets were seeking a more accomplished veteran coach to lead a roster headed by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. In Nash, Brooklyn didn’t exactly get a head coach with a lengthy résumé — the former two-time MVP has no previous coaching experience, even as an assistant.

However, Nash has a good relationship with Durant after spending time as a Warriors consultant, and the Nets’ hope is that the former point guard’s accomplishments as a player will help earn him the respect of the rest of the team’s veterans. Nash is considered a good communication and relationship-builder who will get help on the X’s and O’s from an experienced staff that includes his former head coach, Mike D’Antoni.


Chicago Bulls

  • Hired: Billy Donovan (story)
  • Replaced: Jim Boylen (story)
  • Contract details: Four-year deal (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Ime Udoka, Kenny Atkinson, Wes Unseld Jr., Darvin Ham, Stephen Silas, David Vanterpool, Jamahl Mosley, Dan Craig

When a team with a head coach on the hot seat hires a new president of basketball operations, it’s a safe bet a change is around the corner. That was the case in Chicago, as new Bulls executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley relieved Boylen of his duties, then hired Donovan five-and-a-half weeks later.

Chicago considered a wide range of candidates, most of them current assistant coaches, but the front office reportedly “aggressively pursued” Donovan once he became available, believing he was the best candidate on the market and the right fit to lead the Bulls’ promising young roster.


Houston Rockets

  • Hired: Stephen Silas (story)
  • Replaced: Mike D’Antoni (story)
  • Contract details: Four-year deal (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Jeff Van Gundy, John Lucas, Kenny Atkinson, David Vanterpool, Wes Unseld Jr., Tyronn Lue

D’Antoni wasn’t fired by the Rockets, but his time in Houston appeared to have run in its course, and the two sides went their separate ways when his contract expired at the end of the 2019/20 season.

The Rockets underwent some additional leadership changes during their coaching search when longtime general manager Daryl Morey stepped down from his position, leaving newly-promoted GM Rafael Stone to wrap up the process and finalize a hire.

Having narrowed their finalists to Silas, Van Gundy, and Lucas, the Rockets opted for the first-timer over the candidates with previous head coaching experience, though Lucas was retained as an assistant. With Morey no longer at the helm and his two stars expressing concern about the franchise’s direction, Silas will be under some pressure to navigate rough waters during his first few months in Houston.


Indiana Pacers

  • Hired: Nate Bjorkgren (story)
  • Replaced: Nate McMillan (story)
  • Contract details: Multiyear deal; exact terms not known (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Chris Finch, Mike D’Antoni, Chauncey Billups, Dan Craig, Chris Quinn, David Vanterpool, Jacque Vaughn, Nate Tibbetts, Becky Hammon, Will Hardy, Jamahl Mosley, Stephen Silas, Darvin Ham, Charles Lee, Ime Udoka, Pat Delany, Mike Brown, Dave Joerger

McMillan had done a pretty good job with the Pacers during the last few regular seasons, but the team never made it past the first round during that time, having been swept out of the playoffs in three of the last four years. There were also reportedly some complaints from players about McMillan’s coaching style.

After conducting a very wide-ranging search, Indiana landed on an under-the-radar candidate in Bjorkgren, who doesn’t have any previous NBA head coaching experience. The former Raptors assistant reportedly sold the Pacers on his ability to connect with players, as well as history of “innovation, adaptability and winning” as a G League head coach and NBA assistant.


Los Angeles Clippers

  • Hired: Tyronn Lue (story)
  • Replaced: Doc Rivers (story)
  • Contract details: Five-year deal (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Mike Brown, Sam Cassell, Wes Unseld Jr., Darvin Ham, Jeff Van Gundy

Even after the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead in the second round of the postseason against Denver, it didn’t seem likely that the team would replace Rivers, who admirably helped guide the franchise through the post-Donald Sterling era. However, team owner Steve Ballmer and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank ultimately decided that a new voice was necessary.

That new voice will be a familiar one for Clippers players, as Lue spent the 2019/20 season as an assistant on Rivers’ staff. The thinking is that Lue got a first-hand look at what the club did wrong this past year and has his own ideas about how to address those issues going forward. We’ll see if that bet pays off.


New Orleans Pelicans

  • Hired: Stan Van Gundy (story)
  • Replaced: Alvin Gentry (story)
  • Contract details: Four-year deal (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Mike D’Antoni, Tyronn Lue, Kenny Atkinson, Jacque Vaughn

A disappointing showing during the summer restart – despite a soft schedule – sealed Gentry’s fate and prompted head of basketball operations David Griffin to launch his first coaching search since joining the Pelicans.

The team decided to hire Van Gundy, who was only willing to leave his broadcasting role for the right opportunity, and believes the New Orleans job is that opportunity. SVG’s last stint in Detroit didn’t go that well, but that was largely due to his personnel decisions as the team’s president of basketball ops. Those decisions weren’t taken into account by the Pelicans, who are enthusiastic about Van Gundy’s winning track record as a coach and his ability to teach a young roster.


New York Knicks

  • Hired: Tom Thibodeau (story)
  • Replaced: Mike Miller (interim)
  • Contract details: Five-year deal (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Miller, Kenny Atkinson, Mike Woodson, Ime Udoka, Pat Delany, Chris Fleming, Will Hardy, Jamahl Mosley, Mike Brown, Jason Kidd

The first team to complete its head coaching search, the Knicks had a leg up on most of the other clubs on this list because they didn’t participate in the NBA’s summer restart. That gave them a chance to take Thibodeau off the market before some contenders’ jobs opened up.

Thibodeau, who has a connection to new president of basketball operations Leon Rose through Rose’s old job at Creative Artists Agency, was always considered the Knicks’ preferred option, though the club conducted a thorough search. The rebuilding Knicks will present an even bigger challenge than Thibodeau’s teams in Chicago and Minnesota did, so it’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts his coaching style.


Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Hired: Mark Daigneault (story)
  • Replaced: Billy Donovan (story)
  • Contract details: Not known
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: David Vanterpool, Will Hardy, Will Weaver, Brian Keefe, Charles Lee, Adrian Griffin

With the Thunder considered likely to shift into rebuilding mode in the near future, Donovan wasn’t overly interested in returning and it made more sense for the team to look to more of a developmental specialist.

Oklahoma City found its new coach in-house, making Daigneault the first NBA head coach who previously coached his new team’s G League affiliate. An assistant on Donovan’s staff last season, Daigneault already has relationships with young building blocks like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, and Darius Bazley. He’ll get a chance to grow into his role on the sidelines as they grow into bigger on-court roles of their own.


Philadelphia 76ers

  • Hired: Doc Rivers (story)
  • Replaced: Brett Brown (story)
  • Contract details: Five-year deal (link)
  • Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Tyronn Lue, Mike D’Antoni, Ime Udoka, Dave Joerger, Darvin Ham, Mike Brown

Brown kept his job a year ago following a disappointing second-round exit from the postseason, but after an up-and-down season that saw the Sixers quickly dispatched in the first round of this year’s playoffs, the team wasted no time in letting him go.

The 76ers appeared to be zeroing in on Lue or D’Antoni, but when Rivers parted ways with the Clippers, Philadelphia changed direction and aggressively pursued him, reaching a deal just three days later. Rivers, who is widely respected by NBA players, will get the opportunity to see if he can make the most of the Joel Embiid/Ben Simmons pairing in 2020/21 and beyond.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2020 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Lakers

Hoops Rumors is previewing the 2020 offseason for all 30 NBA teams. We’re looking at the key questions facing each club, as well as the roster decisions they’ll have to make this fall. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Lakers.


Salary Cap Outlook

Five Lakers starters or rotation players hold options for 2020/21, while multiple others are free agents. As a result, it’s a little tricky to pin down where team salary will land. We can start with accounting for the team’s five guaranteed contracts and the cap hold for its first-round pick — those total about $70MM. A new max salary for Anthony Davis will come in at $32.7MM, so we can safely assume the Lakers will operate as an over-the-cap club.

If the Lakers need to give Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Rajon Rondo sizeable raises, team salary could approach the tax line, in which case the club would be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.72MM). But if Los Angeles is willing to let a free agent or two go – or gets them back on team-friendly deals – then the full MLE ($9.26MM) and bi-annual exception ($3.62MM) could be in play.

Our full salary cap preview for the Lakers can be found right here.


Roster Decisions To Watch

Options:

  • Anthony Davis, player option: $28,751,774
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, player option: $8,543,746
    • Note: Caldwell-Pope will reportedly decline his option.
  • Avery Bradley, player option: $5,005,350
  • JaVale McGee, player option: $4,200,000
  • Rajon Rondo, player option: $2,692,991

Non-Guaranteed Contracts:

  • Quinn Cook ($3,000,000)
    • Note: Partially guaranteed for $1MM.

Two-Way Contracts:

Free Agents:


2020 Draft Assets

First Round:

  • No. 28 overall pick

Second Round:

  • None

While the Lakers retained their own first-round pick, their second-rounder (No. 58) belongs to the Sixers. L.A. originally sent that pick to Orlando last June in a deal for Talen Horton-Tucker; the Magic flipped it to Philadelphia at the trade deadline for James Ennis.


Three Key Offseason Questions

1. What will Anthony Davis‘ new contract look like?

A year ago, there was plenty of drama entering free agency about where top free agents like Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant would ultimately land. For Davis, this year’s No. 1 free agent, that drama is essentially nonexistent — he forced a trade to the Lakers from New Orleans a year ago, then won a title with his new club this fall. Why would he leave?

Still, it won’t simply be a matter of exercising his player option to stick around. If he opts out, Davis can comfortably exceed the $28.75MM he’d earn by opting in. As such, he has already signaled his intention to turn down that option.

On his new deal with the Lakers, Davis will earn a maximum salary of $32.74MM in 2020/21, but the length and structure of that contract are still question marks. Although the seven-time All-Star could lock in nearly $190MM in guaranteed money by signing a five-year contract with L.A., I suspect he’ll avoid that option, preferring to maintain some flexibility over the next couple years — not so he can eventually leave the Lakers, but so he can maximize his earnings going forward.

Signing a two-year contract that has a player option in year two would line up Davis’ contract with LeBron James‘. It would also secure him an 8% raise for 2021/22, when the cap may increase by as little as 3%. That’s a realistic and potentially favorable option for AD.

The other most viable option would be a three-year pact with a third-year player option. That would ensure that when Davis gets the chance to opt out in 2022, he’ll have 10 years of NBA experience under his belt, meaning he’ll be eligible to receive a starting salary worth 35% of the cap. Even if the cap only increases by 3% annually for the next two years, that would put Davis in line to sign a five-year contract that starts at $40.5MM in 2022/23 and has a total value of $235MM.

Davis’ decision will ultimately come down to his priorities. Signing a one-plus-one contract and going year to year puts him in the best position to maximize his earnings and his flexibility, but it also means potentially dealing with free agency every year. If he doesn’t want to bother with that, a two-plus-one deal might be the move. If he really doesn’t want to be distracted by impending free agency anytime soon, a five-year pact is possible, but I think that’s probably a long shot.

2. Can the Lakers bring back all their key free agents while using their mid-level to add another productive player?

The Lakers are a lock to re-sign Davis, but what about the role players who came up big during the team’s championship run, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Rajon Rondo? Both veteran guards are expected to turn down their player options in search of new deals, and they’ll definitely be in line for raises after taking up just over $10MM in cap space in 2019/20.

It’s hard to pin down exactly how much KCP’s and Rondo’s next contracts will be worth. I don’t expect major bidding wars on too many free agents this fall, but rival teams might want to put pressure on the defending champions by making aggressive offers for the Lakers’ most important free agents.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks estimates a starting salary in the $12-14MM range for Caldwell-Pope and $4-6MM for Rondo, so let’s project it takes about $20MM to bring both players back.

Even if we assume the Lakers waive-and-stretch Quinn Cook and don’t use their first-round pick, that still puts team salary above $120MM for just eight players, and doesn’t account for the possibility that JaVale McGee ($4.2MM) and Avery Bradley ($5MM) will both exercise their player options. It also doesn’t include salaries for Dwight Howard or Markieff Morris, who will both be free agents too.

Ideally, the Lakers would like to be able to use the full, non-taxpayer mid-level exception. It’s worth $9.3MM, which should be enough to bring in a valuable rotation piece this fall, since only a small handful of clubs have cap room. But L.A.’s team salary would be hard-capped at $138.9MM if the organization uses more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level ($5.7MM), so that doesn’t leave a whole lot of breathing room.

Still, there are ways the Lakers may be able to create enough flexibility to use the full MLE. If McGee or Bradley opts out, that would help. Jettisoning one of Caldwell-Pope or Rondo would too, though that’s not an ideal solution. The Lakers could also shed some salary in a trade, perhaps by moving Danny Green‘s expiring $15MM+ contract, but that may be a trade chip better used in a swap for an impact player rather than in a salary-dump deal.

The Lakers’ best hope of bringing back most of their key free agents while maintaining enough flexibility to bring in another good player with the MLE is that veterans are willing to take a bit of a discount to contend for another title in L.A.

If, for instance, Caldwell-Pope and Rondo only cost a combined $15MM and Howard is willing to sign another minimum-salary deal, that extra bit of flexibility could make a big difference for the Lakers. And if there’s a useful veteran out there willing to play for the taxpayer MLE rather than the full $9.3MM, that’d be a bonus, since the hard cap would be of no concern.

The Lakers’ free agency puzzle will be a tricky one to solve, especially since Howard and Morris only have Non-Bird rights, preventing the team from giving them much of a raise. But if one or two things break right for the franchise, the other pieces could fall into place in short order.

3. Could a trade package of Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, and the No. 28 pick bring back an impact player?

Given the construction of the Lakers’ roster, Green, Kuzma, and their first-round pick are probably the team’s most expendable pieces in a potential trade. Green and Kuzma are on expiring deals, and Kuzma wasn’t a particularly great fit alongside fellow power forwards James and Davis. Plus, a title-contending team probably doesn’t need to add a late-first-round rookie who would have a hard time cracking the rotation.

On the surface, it looks like a pretty appealing package for a potential trade partner. Green is a reliable three-and-D wing who has won multiple championships and has knocked down 40% of his career three-pointers. Kuzma is a 25-year-old who averaged 16.0 PPG in his first three NBA seasons and will cost just $3.6MM in 2020/21. And every NBA team would welcome a first-round pick that can be used to control a young player on an affordable contract for the next four years.

Still, there’s reason to believe the package wouldn’t be as valuable as the Lakers might hope. Green is now 33 years old and has struggled with his outside shot in each of the last two postseasons, forcing the Raptors and the Lakers to cut back his minutes in the 2019 and 2020 Finals. He’s also the sort of player who would primarily appeal to a playoff team, and it’s probably safe to assume not many of those teams would be looking to send an impact player to L.A.

As for Kuzma, he put up nice scoring numbers on the Lakers’ lottery-bound teams in his first two seasons, but had more trouble carving out a role in 2019/20. He’s not a good enough shooter (.308 3PT% over the last two seasons) to reliably space the floor, and he’s not a particularly strong defender either. He’s also headed for restricted free agency in 2021, meaning a team that acquires him would be responsible for giving him a significant raise a year from now.

The No. 28 pick, meanwhile, is a useful asset, given the relatively strong depth of this year’s draft class. But that late in the first round, it’s probably unreasonable to expect that pick to turn into anything more than a solid role player.

It’s not a package that would get the Lakers’ foot in the door for a player like Jrue Holiday, but it might be enough for a distressed asset. I think the Pacers would probably want more for Victor Oladipo, but if they’re genuinely concerned about his health and his impact on Indiana’s locker room, they could do worse than Green, Kuzma, and a first-rounder.

The Green/Kuzma duo has also been mentioned as the start of a package for Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, which would be interesting. DeRozan, a Los Angeles native, would give the Lakers some scoring punch beyond LeBron and AD, and there’s enough defensive talent on the roster to cover up his shortcomings on that end of the floor. If San Antonio is pivoting to a rebuild, reuniting with Green while acquiring Kuzma and a first-rounder would be a decent return for DeRozan’s expiring deal, though L.A. would have to include a little more salary for matching purposes.

Green and Kuzma each played regular roles for this year’s championship team, and the Lakers have exhibited a knack for getting value late in the first round of drafts, so if they hang onto their assets, they’ll be fine. But if they make a move on the trade market, it’s a good bet that some or all of those pieces will be part of a deal.

Information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Shootaround: Spurs’ Offseason Plans

While some NBA teams’ offseason checklists are fairly straightforward, there are a handful of clubs that could realistically go in any number of directions with their rosters in the next couple weeks.

The Spurs are one of those clubs. After seeing their streak of postseason appearances snapped this summer, San Antonio will have to decide what to do with veterans like DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Gay, all of whom will be on pricey expiring contracts in 2020/21, assuming DeRozan exercises his player option.

San Antonio’s books are nearly entirely clear of veteran contracts beyond 2021, and the team has a promising young core of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson, and Luka Samanic to build around. If the front office decides to accelerate the rebuilding process, it could do so by moving some of those veterans.

The Spurs don’t typically make blockbuster trades unless their hand is forced (as in the case of Kawhi Leonard two summers ago). A typical offseason in San Antonio would probably involve hanging onto their veterans, perhaps extending DeRozan and re-signing restricted free agent Jakob Poeltl, and betting on internal improvement to help the club return to playoff contention.

However, multiple NBA reporters are suggesting that the Spurs may have something bigger in mind this fall. Within his mock draft on Tuesday, John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote of “unusually large plumes of smoke” coming out of San Antonio for a team that is “normally church-mouse quiet.”

Today, draft analyst and former agent Matt Babcock tweeted that there’s a “growing sense” in league circles that the Spurs are up to “something big.” Keith Smith of RealGM (Twitter link) has also heard from multiple teams that the Spurs are “up to something” and that they’re talking to more people than usual.

It’s hard to know yet whether all of this smoke means there will be any fire next week — or what exactly San Antonio might have up its sleeve. A trade involving Aldridge or DeRozan would be the most obvious way for the club to make a splash, and there has been a little Aldridge chatter, at least. A deal involving one of the younger players shouldn’t be ruled out either, if the Spurs aren’t sold on all of them being long-term building blocks.

It’s also worth noting that the Spurs hold a lottery pick (No. 11) for the first time in over two decades. The last time San Antonio drafted a player in the lottery was in 1997, when the team used the top pick on Tim Duncan. The last time the franchise made a draft-night trade to acquire a prospect picked in the top half of the first round was in 2011 for Leonard.

It’s probably safe to say this year’s selection won’t become a Duncan or Leonard, but if San Antonio has zeroed in on a specific 2020 prospect, the organization is in far better position than usual to land that player, even if it means trade up a few spots.

What do you think? Do you expect a fairly quiet offseason in San Antonio or do you think the Spurs could make some noise this month? If you’re expecting bigger moves, what do you suspect the team has in mind?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

NBA Minimum Salaries For 2020/21

Most NBA clubs will enter this year’s free agent period without any cap room, but each of the league’s 30 franchises will be on common ground in one respect: No team will be ineligible to sign a player to a minimum salary contract.

Teams with cap room available will have a little more flexibility to sign players to longer-term minimum salary contracts, but over-the-cap clubs will still be able to use the minimum salary exception to add as many players as roster limits allow, for contracts of up to two years. Unlike other exceptions, such as the mid-level or the bi-annual, the minimum salary exception can be used multiple times.

[RELATED: Values of 2020/21 mid-level, bi-annual exceptions]

Undrafted free agents and late second-round picks are often recipients of minimum salary contracts, but there are plenty of veterans who end up settling for the minimum too. Because a player’s minimum salary is determined by how much NBA experience he has, many veterans will earn more than twice as much money as a rookie will in 2020/21 on a minimum salary contract.

Listed below are 2020/21’s minimum salary figures, sorted by years of NBA experience. If a player spent any time on an NBA club’s active regular season roster in a given season, he earned one year of experience. So any player with zero years of experience has not yet made his NBA debut.

These figures are the same as in 2019/20, since the NBA has artificially set its ’20/21 salary cap to match last season’s.

Here’s the full breakdown:

Years of Experience Salary
0 $898,310
1 $1,445,697
2 $1,620,564
3 $1,678,854
4 $1,737,145
5 $1,882,867
6 $2,028,594
7 $2,174,318
8 $2,320,044
9 $2,331,593
10+ $2,564,753

Because the NBA doesn’t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger players, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of experience to one-year, minimum salary contracts. Those deals will only count against the cap – and against a team’s bank balance – for $1,620,564, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience.

For instance, if Courtney Lee – who has 12 years of NBA experience – signs a one-year, minimum salary contract with a new team, that team would only be charged $1,620,564 for Lee’s contract. He’d earn $2,564,753, but the NBA would make up the difference. This only applies to one-year contracts, rather than multiyear deals.

If a player signs a minimum salary contract after the regular season begins, he’ll earn a pro-rated portion of the amount listed above. Those figures also only apply to players who are signing new contracts in 2020/21. Players who are in the second, third, or fourth year of a minimum salary deal will be earning a slightly different predetermined amount.

For instance, a player like Raptors guard Terence Davis, who has one year of NBA experience, will be earning a $1,517,981 salary in the second year of his contract, exceeding the $1,445,697 he’d receive if he were signing a new minimum deal this fall. More details on multiyear minimum contracts can be found at RealGM.

Values Of 2020/21 Mid-Level, Bi-Annual Exceptions

The salary cap for the 2020/21 NBA league year has officially been set, with the league announcing that the cap will be $109,140,000 — the same as it was in ’19/20.

Under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the values of the mid-level, room, and bi-annual exceptions are tied to the percentage that the salary cap shifts in a given year. Because the cap figure for 2020/21 doesn’t represent an increase or decrease, the values of the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions won’t increase or decrease either.

Listed below are the maximum annual and total values of each of these exceptions, along with a brief explanation of how they work and which teams will have access to them.


Mid-Level Exception (Non-Taxpayer):

Year Salary
2020/21 $9,258,000
2021/22 $9,720,900
2022/23 $10,183,800
2023/24 $10,646,700
Total $39,809,400

The non-taxpayer mid-level exception is the primary tool available for over-the-cap teams to add free agents. As long as a team hasn’t dipped below the cap to use cap space and doesn’t go over the tax apron ($138,928,000) at all, it can use this MLE, which runs for up to four years with 5% annual raises.


Mid-Level Exception (Taxpayer):

Year Salary
2020/21 $5,718,000
2021/22 $6,003,900
2022/23 $6,289,800
Total $18,011,700

If an over-the-cap team currently projects to be a taxpayer, or expects to move into tax territory later in the 2020/21 season, it will have access to this smaller mid-level exception for taxpaying teams.

If a team uses more than $5,718,000 of its mid-level exception, it is forbidden from surpassing the tax apron at any time during the league year. So even if a team isn’t above the apron when it uses its MLE, it might make sense to play it safe by avoiding using the full MLE and imposing a hard cap.

The taxpayer MLE can be used to sign a player for up to three years, with 5% annual raises.


Room Exception:

Year Salary
2020/21 $4,767,000
2021/22 $5,005,350
Total $9,772,350

Although this is also a mid-level exception of sorts, it’s colloquially known as the “room” exception, since it’s only available to teams that go below the cap and use their cap room.

If a club goes under the cap, it loses its full mid-level exception, but gets this smaller room exception, which allows the team to go over the cap to sign a player once the team has used up all its cap space. It can be used to sign players for up to two years, with a 5% raise for the second season.


Bi-Annual Exception:

Year Salary
2020/21 $3,623,000
2021/22 $3,804,150
Total $7,427,150

The bi-annual exception, as its name suggests, is only available to teams once every two years. Of the NBA’s 30 clubs, only four – the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pistons, and Raptorsused it in 2019/20, so they won’t have access to it in 2020/21. The league’s other 26 teams could theoretically use it this season.

Still, even if a team didn’t use its BAE in ’19/20, that club doesn’t necessarily have access to it for the coming year. As is the case with the non-taxpayer MLE, this exception disappears once a team goes under the cap. It’s also not available to teams over the tax apron — using the BAE creates a hard cap at the apron.

The BAE can be used to sign players for up to two years, with a 5% raise after year one.

Note: Be sure to check out our Hoops Rumors Glossary installments for more information on the mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception.

NBA Maximum Salaries For 2020/21

Now that the NBA has set its salary cap for the 2020/21 league year at $109,140,000, we have a clear idea of what maximum-salary contracts will look like for the coming season. Conveniently, with the cap unchanged from 2019/20, this year’s max deals will look a whole lot like last year’s.

We’ll likely soon be able to apply these numbers to contracts for free agents Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram. They’re also relevant for players who signed maximum-salary extensions in 2019 that will go into effect in ’20/21, such as Jamal Murray.

Listed below are the maximum-salary contracts for players signing contracts that start in 2020/21. The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous team can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player signing with a new team.

A player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players. In the charts below, the “6 years or less” column details the maximum contracts for players like Ingram and Murray; the “7-9 years” column applies to free agents like Davis; and the “10+ years” column applies to the league’s most experienced vets, none of whom are particularly strong candidates for max deals this fall.

Here are the maximum salary figures for 2020/21:


A player re-signing with his own team (8% annual raises, up to five years):

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2020/21 $27,285,000 $32,742,000 $38,199,000
2021/22 $29,467,800 $35,361,360 $41,254,920
2022/23 $31,650,600 $37,980,720 $44,310,840
2023/24 $33,833,400 $40,600,080 $47,366,760
2024/25 $36,016,200 $43,219,440 $50,422,680
Total $158,253,000 $189,903,600 $221,554,200

A player signing with a new team (5% annual raises, up to four years):

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2020/21 $27,285,000 $32,742,000 $38,199,000
2021/22 $28,649,250 $34,379,100 $40,108,950
2022/23 $30,013,500 $36,016,200 $42,018,900
2023/24 $31,377,750 $37,653,300 $43,928,850
Total $117,325,500 $140,790,600 $164,255,700

There’s also one last category of maximum salary worth outlining for 2020/21. Sixers guard/forward Ben Simmons and Raptors forward Pascal Siakam both signed rookie scale extensions last year that would have been worth the maximum allowable starting salary for players with their experience level (25% of the cap).

However, because Rose Rule language was written into each player’s contract, and both Simmons and Siakam made All-NBA teams in 2020, they’ll be eligible for a slightly higher starting salary worth 28% of the cap. It’s a sort of pseudo-max, since the two stars could technically have received up to 30% of the cap in 2020/21 if they’d made the All-NBA First Team.

Here’s what Simmons’ five-year deal and Siakam’s four-year pact will look like:


Year Ben Simmons Pascal Siakam
2020/21 $30,559,200 $30,559,200
2021/22 $33,003,936 $33,003,936
2022/23 $35,448,672 $35,448,672
2023/24 $37,893,408 $37,893,408
2024/25 $40,338,144
Total $177,243,360 $136,905,216

Finally, it’s worth noting that none of the maximum-salary figures listed above will apply to extension-eligible players whose new contracts would start in 2021/22.

This group includes players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is eligible for a super-max extension with the Bucks. It also includes veterans who have already signed maximum-salary extensions, like Damian Lillard with the Trail Blazers, and players who could sign rookie scale extensions in the coming weeks, such as Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Kings guard De’Aaron Fox.

Even if they sign new deals sooner rather than later, the exact value of their next contracts will depend on where the cap lands for ’21/22. The NBA has announced that the cap for next year could increase anywhere from 3-10% on this season’s figure, so there’s still a wide range of possible values for those future deals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.