Hoops Rumors Originals

Although NBA teams are limited to 15 players (plus a pair of two-way players) during the regular season, each club can carry up to 20 players during the offseason. Teams don’t have to cut down their rosters from 20 until the day before the regular season.

Players on two-way contracts count toward the 20-man offseason limit, so a club can’t sign 20 players to standard NBA contracts, then add another two more on two-way deals. If a team has filled both of its two-way contract slots, it’s limited to 18 players on standard contracts.

The most common approach for a team building its offseason roster is to carry about 14 players on guaranteed contracts with one or two more on two-way deals and then about three to five on training camp contracts.

This is the route the Lakers are currently taking, for instance. Los Angeles has 14 players on guaranteed deals, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Zach Norvell Jr. on two-way contracts, and three more players – Aric Holman, Jordan Caroline, and Devontae Cacok – on training camp deals, leaving one spot open on the club’s 20-man offseason roster.

A team can also carry more than 15 guaranteed salaries at this point if it wants to. Based on reported contract data, I don’t believe any team is currently carrying more than 15 players on fully guaranteed deals, but the Grizzlies have 15 players with full guarantees and two more with partial guarantees. Before the regular season begins, Memphis will have to either trade or waive at least two of those players, though there’s no rush to do so right away.

Teams with G League affiliates are more likely to use up all 20 of their offseason roster slots than teams without them. The Lakers may end up designating players like Holman, Caroline, and Cacok as affiliate players, sending them to the South Bay Lakers and awarding them an Exhibit 10 bonus if they stick with L.A.’s NBAGL squad. A team like the Nuggets, without a G League affiliate, can’t offer that same bonus.

Once a few more deals around the NBA are officially completed, we’ll be posting our list of roster counts for all 30 teams, which we’ll keep up to date throughout the offseason and the 2019/20 season. Until then, you can read more about NBA roster limits in our glossary entry on the subject.

Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving have chosen their new teams. Big-name trade candidates like Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook have been moved. Virtually every NBA team has used up all its cap room. In other words, there aren’t many major storylines from the 2019 offseason that still need to be resolved.

Still, as we prepare to enter the second month of the 2019/20 league year, there are a handful of subplots around the league that remain ongoing. Although August typically isn’t jam-packed with signings and trades, there still could be plenty of teams looking to tweak their rosters before training camps get underway in September.

Here are five offseason storylines that are still worth watching now that much of the summer fun is over:

1. Will the Thunder find a taker for Chris Paul?

After facing skepticism that they’d be able to get anything of value in return for Westbrook’s four-year, $171MM contract, the Thunder managed to score a pair of first-round picks (and two pick swaps) from Houston for the former MVP. The only problem? They had to take on Paul’s contract, which is even less team-friendly than Westbrook’s.

Despite some rumors and speculation that the Thunder might flip Paul to a team like the Heat, Pistons, or Timberwolves, it seems no trade talks gained traction. The last we heard, Oklahoma City is preparing to start the season with Paul on its roster. Still, CP3 almost certainly doesn’t have a long-term future in OKC, so it’s probably just a matter of time until trade rumors begin swirling around him again.

2. Will Andre Iguodala be traded or bought out by the Grizzlies?

Paul isn’t the only notable veteran on the trade block. The Grizzlies are said to be shopping Iguodala, hoping to flip him for positive value after acquiring him – along with a future first-round pick – in a salary-dump deal.

The Mavericks, Rockets, Clippers, and Nuggets are among the teams that have been linked to Iguodala, but all four clubs face roadblocks. Memphis wants to get rid of Iguodala’s $17MM+ salary without taking back a ton of money, which is problematic for teams like the Rockets and Clippers, who are right up against the tax line. The Mavs and Nuggets have a slightly easier path, but neither appears willing to part with a first-round pick for the former Finals MVP.

We’ll see which side blinks first as the Grizzlies look to maximize one of their veteran assets. Presumably, at some point, they’ll be willing to accept the best offer they can get rather than simply buying out Iguodala. But if a buyout happens, other teams – such as the Lakers – could enter the mix as potential suitors.

3. Will Team USA win the 2019 World Cup with a depleted roster?

Unsurprisingly, Team USA’s original 20-man training camp roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup didn’t feature names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, but there still appeared to be plenty of star power in the group, with James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and Bradley Beal among the invitees.

Since that announcement though, all four of those stars have removed their names from World Cup consideration. So have Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Tobias Harris, CJ McCollum, Paul Millsap, Zion Williamson, and DeMar DeRozan.

There’s still plenty of talent on USA Basketball’s tentative roster, led by 2019 All-Stars Kemba Walker, Kyle Lowry, Khris Middleton. And Team USA will still be the odds-on favorite entering the event, which runs from August 31 to September 15. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen which players will make up the 12-man roster that represents America in China. Here are the candidates for now:

1. Kyle Lowry, G
2. Donovan Mitchell, G
3. Marcus Smart, G
4. Kemba Walker, G
5. Jaylen Brown, G/F
6. Khris Middleton, G/F
7. Harrison Barnes, F
8. Kyle Kuzma, F
9. Jayson Tatum, F
10. P.J. Tucker, F
11. Thaddeus Young, F
12. Julius Randle, F/C
13. Bam Adebayo, C
14. Andre Drummond, C
15. Brook Lopez, C
16. Mason Plumlee, C
17. Myles Turner, C

It’s also possible that a player from the 13-man Select Team (listed here) could be elevated to the World Cup roster.

4. Will noteworthy free agents like Shaun Livingston, Carmelo Anthony, and J.R. Smith find new homes?

Free agents flew off the board in a hurry on June 30 once teams and players were permitted to agree to deals. No big names are left on the board, but the list of remaining free agents includes a number of intriguing veterans.

Livingston and Smith have championships under their belt and could potentially play rotation roles for an NBA team if they decide to continue their careers. Anthony is a future Hall-of-Famer who may still have a little left in the tank.

Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert, Jonathon Simmons, Vince Carter, Thabo Sefolosha, Lance Stephenson, Kenneth Faried, Ryan Anderson, Nene, and Joakim Noah are among the other interesting veteran names still on the market.

5. Which players eligible for rookie scale extensions will sign them?

Former first-round picks who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookies contracts are eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason. Ben Simmons of the Sixers and Jamal Murray of the Nuggets have already signed max deals, but they won’t be the only players to get rookie scale extensions before opening night.

As our list of eligible players shows, there are several other worthy candidates. Will the Raptors be willing to cut into their massive amount of projected 2020 cap room by extending Pascal Siakam early? Are the Pacers ready to commit big money to Domantas Sabonis after extending Myles Turner a year ago? Will Buddy Hield sign a lucrative new long-term contract after leading the Kings in scoring in 2018/19?

Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Brandon Ingram (Pelicans), Caris LeVert (Nets), Dejounte Murray (Spurs), and Dario Saric (Suns) are a few of the other potential extension candidates worth watching.

Honorable mention: Will anything happen on the Bradley Beal front?

As we explained on Friday, there’s no reason – from a financial perspective – for Beal to accept the Wizards’ three-year, $112MM contract extension offer anytime soon, even if he wants to remain in D.C. long-term. He could secure more dollars and years by waiting until next summer — or even by waiting until free agency in 2021.

As such, the Wizards won’t panic over the fact that Beal isn’t signing an extension right now. And there’s no reason to believe that his role as the Wizards’ leader and go-to scorer will change anytime before opening night in October.

Still, Beal’s situation is one worth keeping an eye on. With two years left on his contract for a team that seems to be headed for a rebuild, Beal is widely viewed as the NBA star most likely to launch “pre-agency” by requesting a trade.

Until that happens, there’s no story here — but if Beal were to ask for a deal, his situation would immediately shoot to the top of this list of offseason storylines to monitor.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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NBA teams have spent record-setting amounts of money on free agents this summer, but many of the most lucrative contracts that have been signed within the last week weren’t free agent deals at all — they were contract extensions.

Extensions, of course, don’t involve adding a new player to the roster. By extending a contract, a team ensures that a current player will remain locked up for multiple years to come. Although a contract extension may not change the club’s outlook on the court, it can have a major impact on that team’s salary cap situation for the next several summers.

Rookie scale extensions are the most common form of contract extension, and Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray became the first two members of the 2016 draft class to sign those. However, they won’t be the last. There are many other players eligible for new deals up until the mid-October deadline, and it’s common for about four to eight players entering the final year of their respective rookie contracts to sign extensions.

[RELATED: Players eligible for rookie-scale extensions]

While they’ve historically been less common than rookie-scale extensions, veteran extensions are happening more frequently these days, with the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement expanding the rules for eligibility and creating some additional incentives for star players to sign new deals before they reach free agency. Seven players signed veteran extensions during the 2017/18 league year, and three more signed them in 2018/19.

Listed below are the players who have finalized contract extensions so far in the 2019/20 league year. This list, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site (or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu) will be kept up to date throughout the offseason — and throughout the ’19/20 regular season if any veteran players ink an extension at that point.

Veteran extensions:

• Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers): Four years, 35% maximum salary (story). Projected value of $196,000,000. Designated veteran extension. Starts in 2021/22.
• C.J. McCollum (Trail Blazers): Three years, $100,000,000 (story). Starts in 2021/22.
• Draymond Green (Warriors): Four years, $99,666,363 (story). Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2020/21.
• Eric Gordon (Rockets): Four years, $75,574,356 (story). Fourth year is non-guaranteed. Starts in 2020/21.
• Bradley Beal (Wizards): Two years, $71,764,428 (story). Includes 15% trade kicker, second-year player option. Starts in 2021/22.
• Royce O’Neale (Jazz): Four years, $36,000,000 (story). Fourth year is partially guaranteed. Starts in 2020/21.
• Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies): Three years, $35,000,000 (story). Starts in 2020/21.
• Dwight Powell (Mavericks): Three years, $33,240,375 (story). Starts in 2020/21.
• Cedi Osman (Cavaliers): Four years, $30,800,000 (story). Fourth year is non-guaranteed. Starts in 2020/21.
• Kyle Lowry (Raptors): One year, $30,000,000 (story). Includes $500K All-Star bonus. Starts in 2020/21.
• Andre Iguodala (Heat): Two years, $30,000,000 (story). Includes 7.5% trade kicker, second-year team option. Starts in 2020/21.
• Joe Ingles (Jazz): One year, $12,436,364 (story). Includes $1.2MM in incentives. Starts in 2021/22.

Rookie scale extensions:

• Ben Simmons (Sixers): Five years, 25% maximum salary (story). Projected value of $168,200,000. Starting salary can be worth up to 30% of the cap if Simmons earns All-NBA honors in 2020 (full details). Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2020/21.
• Jamal Murray (Nuggets): Five years, 25% maximum salary (story). Projected value of $168,200,000. Starting salary can be worth up to 30% of the cap if Murray earns All-NBA honors in 2020 (full details). Starts in 2020/21.
• Pascal Siakam (Raptors): Four years, 25% maximum salary (story). Projected value of $129,920,000. Starting salary can be worth between 28-30% of the cap if Siakam earns All-NBA or MVP honors in 2020 (full details). Starts in 2020/21.
• Jaylen Brown (Celtics): Four years, $103,000,000 (story). Includes $12MM in incentives. Starts in 2020/21.
• Buddy Hield (Kings): Four years, $86,000,000 (story). Includes $20MM in incentives (full details). Starts in 2020/21.
• Domantas Sabonis (Pacers): Four years, $74,900,000 (story). Includes $10.4MM in incentives. Starts in 2020/21.
• Dejounte Murray (Spurs): Four years, $64,000,000 (story). Includes $6MM in incentives (full details). Starts in 2020/21.
• Caris LeVert (Nets): Three years, $52,500,000 (story). Starts in 2020/21.
• Taurean Prince (Nets): Two years, $25,250,000 (story). Includes $3.7MM in incentives. Starts in 2020/21.

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:

• In our Community Shootaround posts, we asked which team should be considered the Western Conference favorite and what the future holds for ex-Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith.
• Luke Adams took a closer look at how teams used their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions this summer. He also detailed which free agents signed long-term contracts this month.