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2023/24 NBA Two-Way Contract Conversions

November 3rd, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

At Hoops Rumors, we track virtually every kind of transaction, including free agent signings, trades, contract extensions, and many more. One form of roster move that has become increasingly common in recent years is the two-way conversion, involving a player either being converted from an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, or from a two-way deal to the standard roster.

We’re going to track all of the two-way conversions (either to or from the standard roster) in 2023/24 in the space below.

Let’s dive in…

Exhibit 10 contracts to two-way contracts:

When a player signs a contract during the offseason that includes Exhibit 10 language, he gives his new team the ability to unilaterally convert his deal into a two-way contract. The deadline to convert such a deal is the day before the season begins — this year that was Monday, October 23.

A player who signs a training camp contract that doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language could still sign a two-way deal with his club as long as his camp contract doesn’t include a guarantee exceeding $75K. However, he’d have to clear waivers before inking that new two-way contract.

Here are the players who had their Exhibit 10 contracts converted into two-way deals in 2023/24:

The majority of these players were invited to training camp on Exhibit 10 contracts and ultimately earned two-way slots based on their performances in camp and the preseason.

No additional names will be added to this list for the rest of the 2023/24 season, since players can’t be converted to two-way deals after the regular season begins.

Two-way contracts to standard contracts:

A player who is on a two-way contract can have his deal unilaterally converted a one-year, minimum-salary contract by his team (or a two-year, minimum-salary contract if the player’s two-way deal covers two years, but this is rare).

Generally though, the team’s preference is to negotiate a longer-term contract with the player in order to avoid having him reach free agency at season’s end.

When converting a player from a two-way contract to the standard roster, the team can use cap room or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to negotiate a deal of up to four years; the room exception for a deal up to three years; or the taxpayer mid-level exception, bi-annual exception, or minimum salary exception for a two-year deal.

The player must agree to any deal that is worth more than the minimum or exceeds the number of years left on his two-way pact.

Here are the players who have been converted from two-way deals to standard contracts so far in 2023/24, along with the terms of their new contracts, in chronological order:

  • E.J. Liddell (Pelicans): Three years, minimum salary (story). First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • Dru Smith (Heat): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year partially guaranteed ($425K). Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Dylan Windler (Knicks): One year, minimum salary (story). Non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Skylar Mays (Trail Blazers): One year, minimum salary (story). Partially guaranteed ($850K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Joshua Primo (Clippers): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed ($1MM). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Vince Williams (Grizzlies): Four years, $9,144,340 (story). First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • GG Jackson (Grizzlies): Four years, $8,511,167 (story). First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Keon Ellis (Kings): Three years, $5,105,710 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Third-year team option. Signed using room exception.
  • Lindy Waters III (Thunder): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Craig Porter Jr. (Cavaliers): Four years, $8,019,739 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed ($1MM). Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Duop Reath (Trail Blazers): Three years, $6,221,677 (story). First two years guaranteed. Third-year non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Pelicans): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Lester Quinones (Warriors): One year, minimum salary (story). Fully guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception (straight conversion).
  • Stanley Umude (Pistons): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Onuralp Bitim (Bulls): Three years, $4,613,534 (story). First year guaranteed. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Trent Forrest (Hawks): One year, minimum salary (story). Fully guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception (straight conversion).
  • Eugene Omoruyi (Wizards): Two years, $3,096,970 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Jalen Wilson (Nets): Three years, $4,963,534 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed ($75K). Third-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Javon Freeman-Liberty (Raptors): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed ($100K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Dominick Barlow (Spurs): One year, minimum salary (story). Fully guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception (straight conversion).
  • A.J. Lawson (Mavericks): Four years, $7,912,032 (story). First year guaranteed. Second, third, and fourth years non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Kendall Brown (Pacers): Three years, $5,522,280 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Third-year team option. Signed using room exception.
  • Luka Garza (Timberwolves): One year, minimum salary (story). Fully guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception (straight conversion).
  • Jeff Dowtin (Sixers): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Jared Butler (Wizards): Three years, $5,828,471 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Third-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Neemias Queta (Celtics): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Ricky Council (Sixers): Four years, $7,384,092 (story). First year guaranteed. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Matt Ryan (Pelicans): Three years, $6,078,471 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Third-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • Usman Garuba (Warriors): One year, minimum salary (story). Fully guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception (straight conversion).

Players on two-way contracts can be converted to standard deals until the last day of the regular season, so this list won’t be considered complete until mid-April.

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Recap Of 2024/25 Rookie Scale Option Decisions

November 1st, 2023 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Decisions on rookie scale options for the 2024/25 season were due on Tuesday — any team that wanted to exercise a third- or fourth-year option on a player for next season was required to do so by October 31.

As is typically the case, a huge majority of those options were picked up. Even for top picks, who are paid higher salaries due to the NBA’s rookie scale, those third- and fourth-year options are relatively team-friendly. So unless a player has fallen well short of his team’s expectations, it generally makes sense to lock in his salary for the following season at this point.

However, not every player with a 2024/25 team option had it exercised by Tuesday’s deadline. A player who had his option declined will now be on track to reach unrestricted free agency during the summer of 2024, assuming he’s not waived before then. At the end of the season, his team won’t be able to offer them a starting salary that exceed the value of his declined option.

Listed below are the players who had their options turned down, followed by the players whose options were exercised. If a player had his option picked up, his ’24/25 salary is now guaranteed and he won’t be eligible for free agency until at least 2025.

Declined options:

Note: Players marked with an asterisk (*) were waived.

Bouknight was the only player who was retained while his team declined his 2024/25 rookie scale option.

Even though Bouknight was the 11th overall pick in 2021, the option decision didn’t come as a surprise. The 23-year-old’s option salary was well above the veteran’s minimum, and injuries, legal issues, and on-court struggles have all diminished his stock since he entered the NBA. It wouldn’t be a shock if he’s cut before the end of the season, though the Hornets appear willing for now to wait out his recovery from meniscus surgery.

The other five players in this group were waived between the start of the 2023/24 league year in July and the beginning of the regular season — all but Jones have since found new homes on two-way deals, with Johnson reportedly set to officially sign a two-way contract with Brooklyn this week.

Like Bouknight, Jones didn’t establish himself as a rotation player in his first two NBA seasons, having been leapfrogged in the frontcourt rotation by Mark Williams in 2022/23. There also appeared to be some concerns about his maturity and mindset after he made a series of unusual social media posts this offseason — Jones wasn’t with the Hornets for training camp even before the team opted to waive him.

Of the four players Charlotte selected in the 2021 draft, only second-rounder JT Thor looks like a good bet to stick with the club beyond 2023/24.

Meanwhile, although they ended up being waived by the Thunder and Grizzlies following trades, Garuba, Christopher, and Washington were all former Rockets first-rounders. Houston selected seven players in the first rounds of the 2021 and 2022 drafts, then used cap room to bring in several veteran free agents this summer, creating a roster crunch. The young players who hadn’t already established themselves as core pieces didn’t survive that crunch.

Exercised options:

Fourth year:

Note: These players will become eligible for rookie scale extensions in July of 2024. If they’re not extended, they’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.

Joshua Primo, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 draft, was waived by the Spurs in October 2022, so his 2024/25 option (worth $5,982,725) was declined at that time.

Third year:

Note: Teams will have to make fourth-year option decisions for 2025/26 on these players by October 31, 2024.

For a team-by-team breakdown of this year’s rookie scale option decisions for the 2024/25 season, along with full stories on each decision, you can check out our tracker.

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Rookie Scale Option Decisions Due On Tuesday

October 29th, 2023 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s transaction wire has been relatively quiet since the regular season got underway on Tuesday, but we can still expect one last flurry of moves in October. The deadline for teams to exercise their 2024/25 team options on rookie scale contracts arrives on Tuesday (October 31), and several of those decisions have yet to be reported or announced.

Unlike player or team options on veteran contracts, third- and fourth-year options on rookie scale contracts for former first-round picks must be exercised a year in advance. For instance, when the Hawks picked up Jalen Johnson‘s fourth-year option last Sunday, they were locking in his salary for the 2024/25 season — his ’23/24 salary became guaranteed last October when the team exercised his third-year option.

As our tracker shows, a number of teams still have to pick up or turn down options for players who were first-round picks in 2021 and 2022. Some of those option decisions are no-brainers — the Pistons haven’t yet exercised Cade Cunningham‘s $13.94MM option for 2024/25, but there’s no doubt they’ll do so.

Other decisions are less cut-and-dried. For example, the Hornets must decide whether they want to pick up James Bouknight‘s $6.06MM third-year option for ’24/25. Given that Bouknight has yet to secure a regular rotation spot and has had some legal troubles in the past, it’s far from a given that Charlotte will want to lock in that cap hit.

Here’s the list of option decisions that have yet to be officially made:

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Note: These four options will reportedly be exercised, but haven’t been officially picked up yet.

Los Angeles Clippers

Milwaukee Bucks

New York Knicks

Note: This option will reportedly be exercised, but hasn’t been officially picked up yet.

Philadelphia 76ers

Washington Wizards

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Key In-Season NBA Dates, Deadlines For 2023/24

October 27th, 2023 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2023/24 NBA season underway, our calendar of important 2023 preseason dates and deadlines can be retired in favor of a list of the key in-season dates for the ’23/24 campaign.

Here’s a breakdown of the deadlines and events that will influence player movement for the next several months across the NBA:

October 28

  • NBA G League draft.

October 30

  • NBA G League training camps open.

October 31

November 3

  • NBA in-season tournament begins.

November 10

  • NBA G League Showcase Cup begins.

December 1

  • Priority order for waiver claims is now based on 2023/24 record, rather than 2022/23 record. Teams with the worst records receive the highest waiver priority.

December 7

  • NBA in-season tournament semifinals.

December 9

  • NBA in-season tournament finals.

December 15

December 19-22

  • NBA G League Winter Showcase and Showcase Cup championship.

December 27

  • NBA G League regular season begins.

January 5

January 7

  • Last day to waive non-guaranteed NBA contracts (including two-way contracts) before they become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Salaries officially guarantee on January 10 if players haven’t cleared waivers before that date.

January 15

February 1

  • Former first-round picks who were stashed overseas may sign rookie scale NBA contracts for the 2024/25 season.

February 8

  • Trade deadline (2:00pm CT).

February 9

February 16-18

  • All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

February 29

March 1

  • Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.
  • Last day for a restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet.

March 4

March 11

March 30

  • NBA G League regular season ends.

April 2

  • NBA G League playoffs begin.

April 11

  • Last day to waive a player on an expiring contract or a player with an option for 2024/25 (4:00pm CT).

April 14

  • Last day of the NBA regular season.
  • Last day players can sign contracts for 2023/24.
  • Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
  • Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.

April 15

  • Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).

April 16-19

  • NBA play-in tournament.

April 20

  • NBA playoffs begin.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.

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Community Shootaround: Finals, MVP, Rookie Of The Year Predictions

October 24th, 2023 at 11:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With opening night of the 2023/24 NBA season in the rearview, we at Hoops Rumors decided it was high time to delve into some predictions for how the rest of the year will unfold.

The East’s top two teams by record last year, the Celtics and Bucks, underwent some drastic personnel changes this summer, and have emerged as the two early favorites in Las Vegas. Boston’s new additions are top-lined by ex-Milwaukee All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday and floor-stretching center Kristaps Porzingis, while the Bucks added superstar point guard Damian Lillard alongside perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The reigning champion Nuggets remain the class of the Western Conference, boasting perhaps the most lethal offensive tandem in the league with superstar center Nikola Jokic and sharpshooting guard Jamal Murray.

Three Western Conference hopefuls who won playoff series last year — the Suns, Lakers, and Warriors — all underwent significant alterations to their own rosters in the hopes of toppling jumbo-sized Denver.

Phoenix offloaded two starters in Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, and brought in three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal, veteran big man Jusuf Nurkic, and some fresh depth to complement incumbent All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Paul was eventually re-routed to Golden State, where his veteran presence could help stabilize the turnover-prone Warriors. The Lakers made several tactical below-the-radar signings as they look to build on their surprise Western Conference Finals berth last spring.

Competitive Eastern Conference clubs like the Heat, Knicks, Sixers and Cavaliers seem to be a move or two away from true title contention. The Clippers certainly think they’re still contenders, but given their aging and injury-prone roster, the rest of the basketball world is dubious. Elsewhere in the West, young clubs like the Kings and Thunder hope to take a leap. The Grizzlies, who will be without their best player for the first 25 games of the year and have a frontcourt beset by long-term injuries, face an uphill battle to remain among the conference’s elite teams. When everyone’s available, they certainly have the talent to compete with anyone.

On the MVP front, the usual suspects like Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry seem likely to have an opportunity to add even more hardware to their collections (each has two apiece). Reigning MVP Joel Embiid‘s candidacy for a repeat performance may depend on how Philadelphia performs in its conference. Booker’s traction in this conversation may likewise hinge on how his new-look Suns mesh, though early signs are quite encouraging. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have a chance to nab their first such honor. All-NBA Heat swingman Jimmy Butler always seems to miss too much time to earn major consideration, but there’s no question he remains one of the league’s top talents.

The 2024 Rookie of the Year race is looking to be one of the most exciting in a while, fronted by two unique big men and a dynamite scoring guard. Superhuman Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, and lanky Oklahoma City big Chet Holmgren, the second pick in 2022 who has yet to make his regular season NBA debut, have already impressed in the preseason. Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson looks to have the green light to score at will on a youth-oriented Portland roster.

Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Rockets guard Amen Thompson, and Pistons forward Ausar Thompson all are angling for a shot at that hardware, too. One caveat: Amen will be dealing with a crowded backcourt in Houston, and may not get as much run as the others.

We want to know what you think. Which clubs will face off in the 2024 Finals? And who will win? Who will earn this year’s MVP award? And which rookie in this starry class will rise above the rest, at least this year? 

Take to the comments below with your thoughts!

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Trade Breakdown: Bradley Beal To The Suns

October 24th, 2023 at 5:07pm CST by Rory Maher

This is the second entry in our series breaking down the significant trades of the 2023 offseason. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a three-team blockbuster between the Suns, Wizards and Pacers…

On June 24:

  • The Suns acquired Bradley Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd.
  • The Wizards acquired Chris Paul; Landry Shamet; the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick); the Suns’ second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2030; first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030; and cash ($4.6MM; from Suns).
  • The Pacers acquired the draft rights to Jarace Walker (No. 8 pick), the Suns’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Wizards’ 2029 second-round pick.

Notes:

  • We won’t be covering the Wizards/Pacers part of this trade because it’s pretty straightforward: Washington gave up a couple second-rounders (one from Phoenix) to move up one spot in the draft, while Indiana got the player it wanted plus a couple assets.
  • The Wizards will have the ability to swap their own first-round pick with the Suns’ first-rounder in 2024, 2026, and 2030. In 2028, the Wizards will have the ability to swap their own first-round pick with whichever one the Suns control (it could be the Suns’ own, the Nets’ first-rounder, or the Sixers’ first-rounder).
  • The Wizards generated two traded player exceptions in the deal ($5,379,250 and $300,000 for Beal and Goodwin, respectively).
  • Todd was later traded from Phoenix to Memphis and then waived by the Grizzlies.

The Wizards’ perspective:

Bradley Beal is the sixth-highest paid player in the league, only trailing former MVP winners Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic. He will make $207.74MM over the next four seasons, including a $57MM+ player option in 2026/27.

The cost of Beal’s contract on its own would have made it difficult to recoup significantly positive value for the three-time All-Star, in part because he has appeared in just 90 of a possible 164 games over the past two seasons due to a variety of injuries. And for all his offensive skill, Beal has never been a great defender.

Complicating matters further for the Wizards was the fact that Beal is the only player in the entire NBA – and only the 10th in league history – to have a full no-trade clause. That gave Beal an enormous amount of power to choose not only his next destination, but the outgoing pieces that he would be traded for, since he could (and still can) veto any trade for whatever reason he wants.

It’s easy to say now (a lot of people were saying it at the time as well) that the Wizards should have extracted maximum value for Beal by trading him a few years ago, instead of waiting, keeping him, and giving him a pricey new contract with an inexplicable no-trade clause. But that isn’t what happened, and you can only play the cards you’re dealt.

I used that idiom in particular because new front office executives Michael Winger (president) and Will Dawkins (general manager) did not sign Beal. They just inherited his contract when they took over the basketball operations department.

Over the past five seasons, with Beal as the face of the franchise following major injuries to John Wall, the Wizards have gone 161-229, a 41.3 winning percentage. They posted a losing record each season, including going 35-47 the past two campaigns.

Obviously, not all of that is on Beal. He has been a very good player when healthy, despite his defensive shortcomings. But not good enough on his own to lift Washington into relevance.

The Wizards have been just mediocre enough to hurt their odds of landing a top draft pick while also being bad enough to always be in the lottery. Clearly, they needed a change of direction, and that had to start with moving Beal, who had been with Washington for all 11 of his NBA seasons.

I’m still a little surprised the Wizards got as much as they did from the Suns, even if it doesn’t look like an impressive haul at first glance. For example, the 2024 first-round pick swap is essentially worthless; there’s virtually no chance that Phoenix will be worse than Washington in ‘23/24.

Still, the Suns literally gave up every movable draft pick they controlled at the time, plus Paul, Shamet and cash.

Paul’s pseudo-expiring contract was later traded to Golden State for Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin, Ryan Rollins, a heavily protected 2030 first-round pick, a 2027 second-rounder and cash. We’ll dig deeper into that trade in a future article, but obviously it’s directly tied to this one, since Paul was the primary salary-matching piece for Beal.

In total: Poole, Baldwin, Rollins, Shamet, a top-20 protected first-rounder, four first-round swaps, seven second-round picks (one was sent to Indiana) and cash for Beal.

How Poole performs will ultimately go a long way to determining how valuable the return is, at least in the short term. He’s six years younger than Beal (24 vs. 30), will make $123MM+ over the next four years (instead of $207MM+) and doesn’t have a no-trade clause.

The 2030 pick swap has a chance to be very valuable, but only if the Wizards are better than Phoenix. It’s so far in the future that speculating about the possibility feels borderline pointless, though it’s worth noting that Kevin Durant will be 42 at that point.

Shamet is a decent player on a pseudo-expiring mid-sized contract — he’ll earn a guaranteed $10.25MM this season, but the final two years of his rookie scale extension are non-guaranteed. The 26-year-old has shot 38.8% from three-point range over his five-year career, which is valuable. When he’s on, he can make threes in bunches.

However, he doesn’t offer a whole lot else. It’s hard to say if he’ll be in Washington’s plans going forward, but his contract could be useful for trade purposes if he’s not.

Simply put, the Wizards needed to get younger, focus on player development, and rid themselves of Beal’s contract, which is arguably one of the worst deals in the NBA due to the no-trade clause — particularly for a team in no-man’s land. Washington accomplished all of those things, even if rebuilding is much easier in theory than it is practice.

The Suns’ perspective:

Clearly, new owner Mat Ishbia doesn’t care about spending money — the Suns added to their payroll (and luxury tax payment) by making this deal, both now and going forward. He just wants to win.

Beal doesn’t need to be the face of the Suns. He doesn’t need to be the team’s best – or even second-best – player. The Suns just need him to be an immediate upgrade over 38-year-old Paul, who was a key reason Phoenix reached the Finals in 2021 and had the league’s best record in ‘22.

The Suns were reportedly thinking about waiving Paul before they traded him in the package for Beal. While the future Hall of Famer was still effective last season, he has clearly lost a step on both ends, and remains a perennial injury concern. Turning a player you were contemplating cutting — plus other assets that may or may not be valuable — into an All-Star caliber player closer to his prime was a gamble worth taking for Phoenix.

It may seem like I’m not particularly high on Beal based on how I described things from Washington’s perspective. I certainly don’t think he’s the sixth-best player in the league, but that’s not really how contracts work.

Beal has had an interesting career trajectory. Early on he was primarily known as a jump shooter who would occasionally dabble in secondary play-making and driving. He wasn’t a great finisher in the paint and took far too many long twos, which hurt his efficiency.

For example, while Beal shot an impressive 39.7% from deep over his first four seasons, he only converted 44.0% of his twos and didn’t get to the line much, only posting a 52.1% true shooting percentage (for context, league average over that span was about 53.8%).

As with many talented scorers, Beal improved upon his weaknesses and became a much more dangerous and well-rounded offensive player from 2016 on, averaging 25.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals with a 58.1 TS%. He posted above league average scoring efficiency in six of those seven seasons.

Interestingly, his three-point percentage has actually dropped pretty significantly over the past five seasons, which included his two 30-plus points per game campaigns from 2019-21. He has only converted 34.7% from long range over that span, and he has attempted progressively fewer threes as well.

Part of that is actually by design, and it’s also what makes Beal such a dangerous offensive player. He’s still treated like a sharpshooter who is chased off the line while coming off screens, but now he leverages that threat to get into the paint, make plays, draw fouls, and take short range jumpers, which he is very efficient at converting.

There isn’t really a great way to guard a player like Beal one-on-one. He’s a smooth ball-handler who uses hesitation dribbles to gain an advantage, and he’s adept at playing off the ball. He’s also a solid play-maker and passer, though he can be turnover prone at times.

The fact that Beal has been a No. 1 option for several years and is now a second or third option while still playing at basically the same level is kind of ridiculous. If Durant, Devin Booker and Beal are healthy, the Suns’ offense is going to be outrageously good, and it should be even better in the playoffs because of how versatile their stars are.

Another benefit for the Suns is if Booker or Durant are injured, they can just increase Beal’s usage and run more plays for him. He isn’t quite at the same level of either of those two, but he’s still a top-tier offensive player.

Goodwin shouldn’t be overlooked as part of this trade either. He was quite effective as a reserve last season for the Wizards. While he isn’t a great shooter, he’s an outstanding rebounder for his size (he’s 6’3” and averaged 6.7 rebounds per 36 minutes), is a solid play-maker who takes care of the ball, and is a terrific defender. He’s also on a bargain contract, another huge plus.

It’s very difficult to get quality production from minimum-salary free agents, and the Suns had arguably the best offseason in the NBA as far as that goes. I thought Eric Gordon, Drew Eubanks, Keita Bates-Diop and Yuta Watanabe all could have gotten at least the bi-annual exception or part of the mid-level exception. Phoenix also re-signed Josh Okogie at near the minimum — he got a slight raise using his non-Bird rights.

Some writers/analysts have questions about the Suns’ depth, but I actually think they have one of the deeper rosters in the league. They have plenty of solid players capable of complementing their star trio, and if a role player is having an off night, they can just insert another player in his spot.

The Suns completely overhauled their roster, plus they have a new coach, so you could argue chemistry will be an issue, particularly early on. But I don’t think there’s any doubt that they have a more talented and well-rounded team entering 2023/24 compared to the squad that ended ‘22/23.

While Ross, Biyombo and Warren are all seasoned veterans, they remain free agents with the season starting today. Bazley signed a non-guaranteed deal with Brooklyn this summer but didn’t make the team. Wainright is now on a two-way deal with Portland after Phoenix waived him.

The biggest question mark for me with Phoenix isn’t depth, it’s health. Beal, Durant and Booker have all missed a significant chunk of time in recent seasons, and the Suns need all of them to be healthy in the playoffs (both Paul and Ayton were injured in the second round against Denver last season). Nurkic – a less critical piece of the puzzle — has also missed a ton of action over the past four seasons, but we’ll get more into that in a future article.

The fact that Beal (lower back) may not be available for Tuesday’s season opener against Golden State has to be a little discouraging, even if the team is likely just being cautious.

If things go really south in the next few years for whatever reason, worst-case scenario, the Suns could always trade Durant and/or Booker and retool the roster. If that were to occur, Beal would probably be happy to waive his no-trade clause again and be moved as well.

Still, there are lots of reasons for optimism for Phoenix. New head coach Frank Vogel has a well-deserved reputation as being a strong defensive coach, and there’s plenty of talent on that end for the Suns. If Beal can just be average or a little below, which is doable, they should be more than fine as far as that goes.

The Suns are on the short list of contenders this season. If they win, it would be their first championship in franchise history. Reshaping their roster on the fly was impressive, and a worthwhile risk – we’ll see if it pays off.

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2023 NBA Rookie Scale Extension Recap

October 24th, 2023 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s annual deadline for rookie scale contract extensions passed on Monday, officially bringing the extension period for 2020 first-round picks to an end. In total, 14 players eligible for rookie scale extensions signed new contracts this year, blowing away the previous record (11), which was set in 2021 and matched in 2022.

We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in rookie scale extensions in recent years, with at least 10 such deals completed in each of the last four offseasons. Prior to 2020, the last time as many as 10 rookie scale extensions were signed in a single league year was back in 2006, when players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were signing their second NBA contracts.

Here’s a breakdown of the 14 rookie scale extensions signed before this year’s deadline, sorted by total value. In cases where we haven’t yet seen the official contract terms for the extension, we’re basing our figures on the latest reports and will update these numbers as necessary. These deals will go into effect beginning in 2024/25.

Note: Projected values for maximum-salary extensions are based on a 10% annual salary cap increase in 2024. If the cap doesn’t increase by that much, those max extensions won’t be worth as much, since they’re based on a percentage of the cap.

  • LaMelo Ball (Hornets): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $216,953,495. Projected value can increase to $260,344,194 if Ball meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $216,953,495. Projected value can increase to $260,344,194 if Edwards meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $216,953,495. Projected value can increase to $260,344,194 if Haliburton meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Desmond Bane (Grizzlies): Five years, $197,230,450 (story). Includes $8,669,550 in incentives. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Devin Vassell (Spurs): Five years, $135,000,000 (story). Includes $11,000,000 in incentives. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Jaden McDaniels (Timberwolves): Five years, $131,000,000 (story). Includes $5,000,000 in incentives. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Onyeka Okongwu (Hawks): Four years, $62,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Isaiah Stewart (Pistons): Four years, $60,000,000 (story). Includes $4,000,000 in incentives. Includes fourth-year team option. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Deni Avdija (Wizards): Four years, $55,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Josh Green (Mavericks): Three years, $41,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Cole Anthony (Magic): Three years, $39,100,000 (story). Includes third-year team option. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Aaron Nesmith (Pacers): Three years, $33,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Zeke Nnaji (Nuggets): Four years, $32,000,001 (story). Includes fourth-year player option. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Payton Pritchard (Celtics): Four years, $30,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.

A few of these extensions were no-brainers — there was never any doubt that Edwards was going to get maximum-salary offer from the Timberwolves as early as possible, for instance.

After Edwards, Ball, Haliburton, and Bane agreed to terms early in the offseason, a total of 10 more players eventually reached deals of their own, with the contracts for Vassell and McDaniels occupying the next tier below the first four mega-deals. The Spurs sharpshooter and Timberwolves forward will have annual salaries in the range of $26-27MM, which are far above the mid-level but still well below the projected maximum.

The other eight rookie scale extensions signed this year range in average annual value from $7.5MM to $15.5MM, with a handful hovering right around the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. There were a few surprises in the bunch — I would’ve viewed Avdija, Nesmith, and Nnaji as unlikely extension candidates, but their teams decided to lock them up rather than take their chances in restricted free agency a year from now.

In the case of both Nnaji and Pritchard, their team’s cap situation going forward may have played a part. The Nuggets and Celtics could both be above the second tax apron in 2024/25, which would place extreme limitations on their ability to bring in new role players via trade or free agency — that’s probably one reason why they opted to extend an in-house role player now.

Of these deals, Green’s was one that came in lower than I anticipated. Given his three-and-D potential, I thought the Mavericks might have to go up to at least $15-17MM per year over four seasons to lock him up and figured he’d want to exceed Grant Williams‘ four-year, $53MM deal with Dallas. Green’s annual salary ($13.67MM) will come in a little higher than Williams’, but I didn’t expect the Mavs to be able to get that deal done with such a relatively modest overall commitment.

For the first time ever, more than half of the players who were eligible for rookie scale extensions signed them. With 14 players signing extensions, that left 13 players who were eligible for a new deal and didn’t get one.

Here’s that list of those players, who are now eligible to become restricted free agents during the 2024 offseason, assuming they finish their current contracts:

Maxey is the most noteworthy extension candidate not to sign a new deal, but that didn’t come as a surprise — we’ve known since June that the Sixers didn’t intend to extend him this offseason, preferring to maximize their 2024 cap room. Maxey will have a cap hold of approximately $13MM as a restricted free agent next summer, rather than a first-year extension salary that almost certainly would’ve been $20MM+ higher than that.

Quickley, Bey, and Williams are among the other notable extension candidates who didn’t get new deals and could be targets for lucrative offer sheets in July of 2024. Achiuwa, Okoro, Pokusevski, and Toppin are a few of the players who could set themselves up for nice paydays next offseason if they take a step forward in 2023/24.

The rest of these players in this group – Flynn, Hayes, Lewis, Okeke, and Wiseman – never looked like serious extension candidates and will need to make their case this season that they’re worthy of qualifying offers in 2024 free agency.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that there were four players selected in the first round of the 2020 draft who weren’t eligible at all for rookie scale extensions entering this offseason, for various reasons. Those players are as follows:

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2023/24 NBA Over/Unders: Recap

October 24th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

In the weeks leading up to the regular season, we’ve been examining projections for all 30 NBA teams for the 2023/24 season, publishing polls asking how many games each club will win. With the help of lines from professional oddsmakers, we’ve had you vote on whether each team will go over or under a given win total, from the Celtics (55.5) all the way through to the Wizards (24.5).

Here are the full results of those votes:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics (55.5 wins): Over (67.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (48.5 wins): Under (54.9%)
  • New York Knicks (45.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (37.5 wins): Over (53.1%)
  • Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Over (56.9%)

Central

  • Milwaukee Bucks (54.5 wins): Over (76.9%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (50.5 wins): Under (52.0%)
  • Indiana Pacers (38.5 wins): Over (64.1%)
  • Chicago Bulls (37.5 wins): Under (61.9%)
  • Detroit Pistons (27.5 wins): Over (53.8%)

Southeast

  • Miami Heat (46.5 wins): Under (59.0%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (42.5 wins): Under (61.1%)
  • Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): Over (60.7%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (31.5 wins): Under (65.8%)
  • Washington Wizards (24.5 wins): Over (53.3%)

Western Conference

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (52.0%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (44.5 wins): Over (53.1%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (44.5 wins): Under (53.6%)
  • Utah Jazz (35.5 wins): Over (55.5%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (28.5 wins): Under (50.9%)

Pacific

  • Phoenix Suns (52.5 wins): Under (52.6%)
  • Golden State Warriors (48.5 wins): Over (52.7%)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (47.5 wins): Over (57.2%)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (46.5 wins): Under (64.6%)
  • Sacramento Kings (44.5 wins): Over (71.3%)

Southwest

  • Memphis Grizzlies (46.5 wins): Under (52.1%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): Under (60.8%)
  • Dallas Mavericks (44.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Houston Rockets (31.5 wins): Over (59.2%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (28.5 wins): Over (54.4%)

In total, our poll respondents favored 17 overs and 13 unders.

That’s a pretty typical divide, even though the combined projected wins of all 30 teams add up to 1,256 (there will be 1,230 games won this season). It’s easier at this time of the year to be bullish on a team’s offseason upgrades and envision a best-case scenario than it will be a few weeks into the regular season.

These were the five “over” bets that received the largest vote shares:

  1. Milwaukee Bucks (54.5 wins): 76.9%
  2. Sacramento Kings (44.5 wins): 71.3%
  3. Boston Celtics (55.5 wins): 67.6%
  4. Indiana Pacers (38.5 wins): 64.1%
  5. Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): 60.7%

A vote share of over three-quarters for the Bucks’ over is pretty remarkable, given that their 54.5 projected wins represent this season’s second-highest total (the Celtics are No. 1, with 55.5).

While I certainly understand the enthusiasm for the addition of Damian Lillard to an already strong roster led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, it can sometimes take teams a little time to adjust to major changes like that one, and the Bucks will be prioritizing the playoffs over the regular season. It’ll be interesting to see how many wins they rack up.

In addition to being high on the top teams in the East – Milwaukee and Boston – our poll respondents don’t expect Sacramento to take much of a step back after winning 48 games last season for the first time since 2004/05. They’re also optimistic about the opportunity for two lottery teams in the East – Indiana and Orlando – to take a step forward in 2023/24.

Here are the five “under” bets that received the largest vote shares:

  1. Charlotte Hornets (31.5 wins): 65.8%
  2. Los Angeles Clippers (46.5 wins): 64.6%
  3. Chicago Bulls (37.5 wins): 61.9%
  4. Atlanta Hawks (42.5 wins): 61.1%
  5. New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): 60.8%

In theory, with Miles Bridges back on the roster and LaMelo Ball healthy again, the Hornets are poised for a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign that saw them drop from 43 wins to 27. But Bridges is already in legal trouble again and our readers clearly aren’t confident enough in the rest of Charlotte’s roster to expect much from them.

The injury histories of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Zion Williamson, and Brandon Ingram are presumably a major factor in our poll respondents’ pessimism about the Clippers and Pelicans. And while our readers are enthusiastic about Indiana and Orlando, they’re cooler on two other middle-of-the-pack Eastern Conference playoff contenders in Chicago and Atlanta.

Here are the five picks that were closest to 50/50:

  1. Dallas Mavericks (44.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  2. Portland Trail Blazers (28.5 wins): Under (50.9%)
  3. Cleveland Cavaliers (50.5 wins): Under (52.0%)
  4. Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (52.0%)
  5. Memphis Grizzlies (46.5 wins): Under (52.1%)

The Mavericks spiraled following the acquisition of Kyrie Irving last season, even though he played well alongside Luka Doncic. Our poll respondents are almost exactly split on whether those late-season struggles will carry over to this season or whether Dallas will bounce back.

I’m not surprised to see the Trail Blazers show up here — following the Lillard trade, they’re clearly in retooling mode, but there’s also a decent amount of talent on the roster, including Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons, and a rookie who could make an immediate impact, Scoot Henderson. There are a wide range of realistic outcomes for their season.

The Cavaliers and Nuggets are expected to be very good teams, but there’s a difference in opinions over just how many wins that success will translate to. As for the Grizzlies, I imagine voters would more heavily favor their under if we held a vote again today, given Sunday’s news of Steven Adams‘ season-ending knee surgery.

What do you think of our picks in general? Are there any results above that you strongly disagree with? Did you make any over or under votes within the last couple weeks that you’re second-guessing now? Jump into our comment section below and weigh in with your thoughts!

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Contract, Roster Deadlines Loom For NBA Teams

October 23rd, 2023 at 6:56am CST by Luke Adams

We’re one day away from the start of the NBA’s 2023/24 regular season, making Monday the last day of the 2023 offseason. Today serves as the deadline for a number of contract- and roster-related decisions around the league. Here are the most important ones:

Rookie Scale Extensions

A total of 27 players entered the offseason eligible for rookie scale extensions.

Eight of those players – LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane, Devin Vassell, Isaiah Stewart, Zeke Nnaji, and Payton Pritchard – have already signed new deals, and a ninth (Deni Avdija) has agreed to an extension that will be officially completed today.

That leaves the following 18 players eligible to sign rookie scale extensions on Monday:

The majority of these guys won’t sign new deals until the 2024 offseason, when they’re eligible for restricted free agency. But it would be a surprise if at least a couple more players from this list don’t finalize rookie scale extensions today.

Bey, Green, McDaniels, Okongwu, and Quickley are some of the best candidates. Maxey would be in that group too, but it sounds like the Sixers will wait until 2024 to lock him up in order to maximize their cap flexibility next offseason.

The deadline for rookie scale extensions is at 5:00 pm Central time.

Certain Veteran Contract Extensions

A veteran player who signed his current contract at least two years ago (or three years ago if it was a five-year deal) is eligible to sign an extension. That means many veterans around the NBA are eligible to sign contract extensions today, but that number will significantly drop as of tomorrow.

Once the regular season begins, only veterans in the final year of their contracts can sign extensions — a player who has multiple years remaining is no longer extension-eligible until the following offseason.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Veteran Contract Extension]

Let’s use the Nets as an example. Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Royce O’Neale are all eligible for extensions right now, but Dinwiddie and O’Neale are on expiring deals while Simmons is not. That means Dinwiddie and O’Neale will be able to sign extensions anytime between now and June 30, 2024, but Simmons’ eligibility window will close after Monday and won’t reopen until next July.

An extension-eligible veteran who has a player option for 2024/25 could still sign a new deal later in the ’23/24 league year, but he’d have to eliminate that option to do so. Picking up the option would make him ineligible to complete an extension between Tuesday and the start of the ’24/25 league year, since it would turn his contract into a multiyear deal, not an expiring one.

With the help of information from Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link), here are the 21 players who have a Monday deadline to sign a veteran extension if they want to lock in a new deal before next July:

A few of these players won’t sign extensions this year because they would qualify for more years and more money if they wait until next offseason.

That group includes Adebayo, Fox, Ingram, and Murray, who each could qualify for a super-max extension with an All-NBA berth (or MVP or Defensive Player of the Year award) in 2023/24. It also includes Tatum, who has already met the performance criteria for a 2024 super-max deal, as well as Antetokounmpo and Mitchell.

The deadline for veteran extensions for players on non-expiring contracts is at 10:59 pm CT tonight.

Regular Season Rosters

Most teams around the NBA finalized their roster cuts on Saturday for financial reasons, as we explained over the weekend. However, today is the official deadline to reduce offseason rosters to the regular season limit of 15 players on standard contracts (plus three on two-way contracts).

While it’s certainly possible there will be some additional roster shuffling today as teams tweak their back-end roster spots or fill two-way openings, only five teams – the Rockets, Sixers, Suns, Spurs, and Wizards – absolutely have to make moves, as we detailed on Sunday.

The Suns are expected to waive Keon Johnson to set their regular season roster, while the Spurs seem likely to convert Charles Bediako‘s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal. Philadelphia has 16 players on standard contracts and will need to make just one cut, while multiple moves will be required for Houston and Washington, who still have 17 players on their standard rosters.

These roster moves are due by 4:00 pm CT.

The final day of the offseason is also the last day for teams to convert Exhibit 10 contracts into two-way deals. Daishen Nix, Justin Minaya, Javonte Smart, Cole Swider, Dexter Dennis, Greg Brown, Marques Bolden, Charlie Brown, Jacob Toppin, and Trevelin Queen were all converted in recent days.

It appears that there are just three remaining candidates to have their Exhibit 10 deals converted to two-ways: Stanley Umude (Pistons), Jeenathan Williams (Rockets), and Bediako (Spurs).

Detroit still has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so the club also has the option of leaving Umude in that spot, converting his Exhibit 10 deal to a minimum-salary standard contract rather than a two-way. As for the Rockets, all three of their two-way slots are full, so they’d have to waive either Trevor Hudgins, Darius Days, or Jermaine Samuels to convert Williams.

Finally, Monday is the last day for a free agent to be signed-and-traded. But there’s zero indication that any sign-and-trades are in the works.

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Checking In On Roster Situations Around The NBA

October 22nd, 2023 at 5:30am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the majority of the NBA teams made their roster cuts on Saturday and didn’t wait until Monday’s deadline to set their regular season rosters.

Making those moves on Saturday will ensure the players on non-guaranteed contracts clear waivers on Monday, before the regular season begins. If a team had waited until Monday to waive a player on a non-guaranteed deal, he wouldn’t clear waivers until Wednesday, and the team would be on the hook for two days’ worth of his salary.

After Saturday’s flurry of roster moves, here’s where things stand around the NBA…

Teams whose rosters are within the regular season limits

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 24 have rosters that comply with the league’s regular season roster limits, which state that clubs can’t carry more than 15 players on standard contracts or three on two-way contracts.

The following 11 teams are right at the limit, carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-ways:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Orlando Magic
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz

Just because these rosters look ready for the regular season doesn’t mean they’re fully locked in. In fact, it would be a surprise if at least one of these teams doesn’t make a minor tweak before Monday’s regular season roster deadline. That could be as simple as swapping out one two-way player for another.

The following eight teams are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-ways:

  • Boston Celtics
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Miami Heat
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings

Several of these teams have luxury tax concerns and will open the season with an open roster spot to keep their projected tax bill in check, though that’s not the case for all of them. The Kings are well clear of the tax, for instance, and could comfortably make a roster addition if they want to.

We’ve covered 19 teams so far. That leaves five more who are within the regular season limits. Those teams are as follows:

  • Brooklyn Nets: 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
  • Detroit Pistons: 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
  • Golden State Warriors: 13 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: 14 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
  • New York Knicks: 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Nets have two players on non-guaranteed contracts, but neither one (Trendon Watford or Harry Giles) has an Exhibit 10 contract, so they can’t be converted to a two-way contract. Brooklyn could hang onto one or both of Watford and Giles and fill its two-way opening with another player, if it so chooses.

The Pistons have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Stanley Umude on an Exhibit 10 contract. He appears likely to make the team, but it’s unclear if he’ll remain on the 15-man roster or be converted to a two-way deal. Either way, Detroit would remain one player away from the 18-man limit and could make one more addition before the season begins.

The Warriors reportedly intend to open the regular season with just 13 players on standard contracts, but they’ll only be able to avoid carrying a 14th man for a brief period. League rules require them to get up to 14 players within two weeks.

The Pelicans, who are at risk of being taxpayers for the first time in franchise history, almost certainly won’t add a 15th standard contract, but two-way players don’t count against the salary cap, so I’d expect the team to keep an eye out for someone to fill that spot. New Orleans had five players in camp on Exhibit 10 contracts, but opted to waive all of them on Saturday rather than converting one to a two-way deal.

The Knicks shuffled a handful of players back and forth between the 15-man roster and their two-way slots on Saturday, but they may not be done yet. A two-way contract slot remains open, and they don’t necessarily have to carry all three of their non-guaranteed players (Dylan Windler, Ryan Arcidiacono, and DaQuan Jeffries) on standard contracts into the regular season, though Arcidiacono and Jeffries aren’t eligible to be converted to two-way deals and Windler was just promoted from one.

Teams that still have moves to make before Monday’s deadline

The following teams haven’t yet made their necessary cuts to get within the regular season roster limits:

Houston Rockets: 17 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

Houston has 16 players with full or partial guarantees and will have to trade or waive one of them by Monday’s deadline. Boban Marjanovic, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Victor Oladipo are among the potential odd men out.

The Rockets’ 17th player on a standard contract is Jeenathan Williams, whose deal includes Exhibit 10 language. It would be unusual for the team to keep Williams through Saturday’s waiver deadline if the plan wasn’t for him to be converted to a two-way contract. For that to happen, Houston would have to waive one of its current two-way players (Trevor Hudgins, Darius Days, or Jermaine Samuels) to open up a spot.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 16 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

The Thunder won’t be waiving Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe, who have non-guaranteed contracts, so they can afford to take their roster decision to Sunday or Monday without it costing them any additional money.

Jack White, whose minimum-salary contract features a $600K partial guarantee, looks like the player most at risk of being cut. Davis Bertans and Aleksej Pokusevski are potential dark-horse release candidates, while a trade remains possible too.

Philadelphia 76ers: 16 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

Filip Petrusev only has a partial guarantee and Danny Green is on a non-guaranteed deal, but I suspect the Sixers may end up setting their regular season roster by trading or releasing a player whose salary is fully guaranteed.

Montrezl Harrell, who is expected to miss the season due to a torn ACL, is one player who could be cut. Furkan Korkmaz may be another, after he fell out of the rotation and requested a trade last season. Of course, a James Harden trade could shake up the roster more significantly, but that seems unlikely to happen in the next two days after not materializing for nearly four months.

Phoenix Suns: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Suns have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, with Jordan Goodwin‘s deal partially guaranteed. While Phoenix may have a different move in mind, Keon Johnson looks to me like the obvious candidate to be waived. When the Suns acquired Johnson along with Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Grayson Allen in its three-way deal with Portland and Milwaukee, the former Tennessee standout was viewed as the least likely of the four to actually play a role for the team.

San Antonio Spurs: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

With 15 players on guaranteed contracts and Charles Bediako on an Exhibit 10 contract, San Antonio’s final preseason move looks pretty clear, barring a last-minute surprise. If they convert Bediako to a two-way deal, the Spurs will be ready for the regular season.

Washington Wizards: 17 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

All 17 Wizards on standard contracts have fully guaranteed salaries and can’t be converted to a two-way deal, so two of them will have to be traded or released.

Veterans on expiring contracts like Delon Wright, Mike Muscala, and Danilo Gallinari are trade candidates, but if the Wizards are forced to make cuts, I expect Xavier Cooks to be in more danger. He didn’t play much in the preseason and wasn’t especially impactful when he did see the floor — he’s also not owed guaranteed money beyond 2023/24.

Two vets on minimum-salary contracts, Anthony Gill and Taj Gibson, dealt with injuries in the preseason and don’t project to have substantial roles on this Wizards team. While the organization seems to value their presence in the locker room, we’ll see if the roster crunch forces one of them out in favor of a younger player with more upside, like Patrick Baldwin.

Hoops Rumors’ roster resources

We consistently maintain and update a number of lists and trackers that are designed to help you keep tabs on NBA rosters. They’re all up to date following Saturday’s cuts.

Those resources, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site or on the “Features” page within our mobile menu, include the following:

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