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Key In-Season NBA Dates, Deadlines For 2025/26

October 24th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2025/26 NBA season underway, our calendar of important 2025 preseason dates and deadlines can be retired in favor of a list of the key in-season dates for the ’25/26 campaign.

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

October 25

  • NBA G League draft.

October 27

  • NBA G League training camps open.

October 31

November 7

  • NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins.

November 28

  • Emirates NBA Cup group play concludes.

December 1

  • Priority order for waiver claims is now based on 2025/26 record, rather than 2024/25 record. Teams with the worst records receive the highest waiver priority.

December 9-10

  • Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals.

December 13

  • Emirates NBA Cup semifinals.

December 15

December 16

  • Emirates NBA Cup final.

December 19-22

  • NBA G League Winter Showcase and Tip-Off Tournament 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 2026/27 season.

February 5

  • Trade deadline (2:00 pm CT).

February 6

February 13-15

  • All-Star weekend in Los Angeles (Intuit Dome).

February 28

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 10

March 28

  • NBA G League regular season ends.

March 31

  • NBA G League playoffs begin.

April 9

  • Last day to waive a player on an expiring contract or a player with an option for 2026/27 (4:00 pm CT).

April 12

  • Last day of the NBA regular season.
  • Last day players can sign contracts for 2025/26.
  • Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
  • Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.

April 13

  • Playoff rosters set (2:00 pm CT).

April 14-17

  • NBA play-in tournament.

April 18

  • NBA playoffs begin.

There are currently six teams ineligible to sign a free agent to fill the 15th spot on their roster due to their proximity to a hard cap. These are the dates when those clubs will have enough breathing room below their respective hard caps to add a 15th man:

  • November 11: Golden State Warriors
  • January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
  • January 8: Houston Rockets
  • January 9: Orlando Magic
  • January 18: Los Angeles Lakers
  • April 2: New York Knicks

These dates are accurate as of October 24 (this story’s date of publication), but are subject to change if these clubs make in-season roster moves that increase or decrease their respective team salaries.

Information from NBA.com was used in the creation of this post.

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NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

October 22nd, 2025 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals once the regular season begins, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Roster Counts]

Of those 540 potential roster spots, 522 are currently occupied to open the 2025/26 season, leaving 18 open roster spots around the NBA across 17 teams. Here’s the full breakdown of those 18 openings around the league:

One open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot

  • Cleveland Cavaliers

The only team operating above the second tax apron, the Cavaliers are likely in no hurry to fill the 15th spot on their standard roster, which would cost them exponentially more in tax penalties beyond the player’s salary. Cleveland also has the ability to make changes involving its 14th roster spot at some point if it wants to — Thomas Bryant minimum-salary contract is fully non-guaranteed, so he’d only be owed a prorated portion of his salary if he’s waived at some point on or before January 7.

While two-way players don’t count against the salary cap, they still earn modest salaries (half the rookie minimum), so it’s possible the Cavs will look to save a little money on the league’s priciest roster by holding their third two-way slot open for the time being. A team that has an open standard roster spot is also limited to 90 overall active games for its two-way players instead of 50 apiece, so the Cavs probably aren’t looking to use up many of those games early in the season if they can help it.

One open standard roster spot

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Miami Heat
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Toronto Raptors

Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Suns, and Raptors are all over the tax line, while the Heat don’t have much breathing room below it.

Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but won’t do so yet. Several of them – Golden State, Houston, both L.A. teams, New York, and Orlando – actually can’t do so yet, since they’re operating so close to their respective hard caps.

The Hawks have room under the tax line for a 15th man, but of all the teams in this group, the Pistons could be the best bet to fill their open roster spot sooner rather than later. They’re well more than $20MM below the tax line, so there are no concerns related to finances or spending flexibility. Still, given that Jaden Ivey is the only player on the roster dealing with more than a day-to-day injury right now, there’s no urgency to bring in a 15th man immediately.

One open two-way slot

  • Brooklyn Nets

In the past, a team without a G League affiliate of its own might be slow to fill its two-way contract slots, but all 30 NBA clubs now have affiliates in the NBAGL, so outside of thriftiness, there’s no real excuse not to carry a full complement of two-way players once the G League season begins in the coming weeks.

That’s especially true for the Nets, whose team salary is the lowest in the league entering the season. With so many rookies on the team’s standard roster, a third two-way player might not see any action at the NBA level anytime soon, but it would still make sense for Brooklyn to bring in another young prospect to develop in the G League.

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2025 NBA Rookie Scale Extension Recap

October 21st, 2025 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s annual deadline for rookie scale contract extensions passed on Monday, officially bringing the extension period for 2022 first-round picks to an end.

While there was a slight dip in rookie scale extensions this season after a streak of 11 or more for four consecutive years seasons, the drop-off wasn’t significant — nine players still signed new deals prior to Monday’s 5:00 pm Central time deadline.

It was the seventh straight year in which at least nine players completed rookie scale extensions. That didn’t happen at all between 2015-18. Since 2019, however, the total by year has been as follows:

Here’s a breakdown of the nine rookie scale extensions signed before this year’s deadline, sorted by total value.

Note: Projected values for maximum-salary extensions are based on a $166MM salary cap for 2026/27. If the cap comes in lower or higher than that, those max extensions would change in value, since they’re determined by a percentage of the cap.

  • Paolo Banchero (Magic): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $240,700,000. Projected value can increase to $288,840,000 if Banchero makes an All-NBA team or is named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. Includes fifth-year player option. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jalen Williams (Thunder): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $240,700,000. Projected value can increase to $250,328,000 if Williams makes the All-NBA third team; $259,956,000 if Williams makes the All-NBA second team; or $288,840,000 if Williams makes the All-NBA first team or is named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Chet Holmgren (Thunder): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $240,700,000. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Keegan Murray (Kings): Five years, $140,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Christian Braun (Nuggets): Five years, $125,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets): Five years, $122,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Dyson Daniels (Hawks): Four years, $100,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers): Four years, $90,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Nikola Jovic (Heat): Four years, $62,400,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.

As is typically the case, the maximum-salary deals were completed relatively early in the offseason, with Banchero, Williams, and Holmgren all signing within the first two weeks of July.

It came as no surprise that any of those three players signed maximum-salary contracts, but it was notable that the Thunder were able to avoid including Rose Rule language in their deal with Holmgren, which will start at 25% of the cap even if he earns award recognition in 2025/26. Williams, meanwhile, will only get up to 30% of the cap with a first-team All-NBA, MVP, or Defensive Player of the Year season. If he repeats last year’s feat and makes the All-NBA third team, his deal would start at a more manageable 26% of the cap.

Besides those three extensions, there was one more deal completed at the start of free agency, with Smith coming to terms with the Rockets very early in the offseason. That $122MM agreement was a significant commitment to a player who didn’t take a major step forward in his third NBA season, but it’s the kind of investment that could look savvy down the road, given that the former No. 3 overall pick is still just 22 years old.

The other five extensions were completed in October, including three coming in on Monday. Those contracts ranged from $15.6MM annually for Jovic to $28MM per year for Murray. Braun and Daniels each got $25MM per season, with Sharpe’s new deal coming in at $22.5MM annually.

While none of those contracts looks like a massive overpay to me, I’d be most comfortable with the investments in Braun and Daniels, given that they’ve already shown the ability to be impactful starting-caliber players. Sharpe, Jovic, and Murray all have the upside to make good on their respective extensions (and then some), but those long-term agreements are more about what their teams think they can become than what they’ve done so far.

A total of 22 players entered the offseason eligible for rookie scale extensions. Nine signed extensions and one – Blake Wesley – was waived, so there are 12 players who didn’t reach agreements and will be entering contract years.

Here’s that list of those players, who are now eligible to become restricted free agents during the 2026 offseason, assuming they finish out their current deals:

A few players in this group – like Branham, Dieng, and Terry – never looked like serious extension candidates and will need to make their case this season that they’re worthy of qualifying offers in 2026 free agency.

However, there are several intriguing names on this list, including a few who still have a shot to earn $25MM+ annually on their next contracts if they play well in 2025/26.

Duren, Eason, and Kessler look to me like the safest bets for nice paydays in 2026, but Ivey and Williams are good candidates too if they have relatively healthy seasons, while Mathurin and Watson are well positioned to improve their stock in increased roles.

Several notable players who reached restricted free agency in 2025 after not signing extensions last October had a tough go of it this summer, with a couple (Cam Thomas and Quentin Grimes) settling for their qualifying offers. But with more cap room available around the league next offseason, there should be more opportunities for agents to regain some leverage in the process by wielding the threat of offer sheets.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that there were eight players selected in the first round of the 2022 draft who weren’t eligible at all for rookie scale extensions entering this offseason, for various reasons. Those players are as follows:

Of these six players, only LaRavia is currently on a standard NBA contract — he had a nice third season for Memphis and Sacramento after having his option turned down and parlayed that success into a two-year, $12MM deal with the Lakers.

Baldwin, Beauchamp, Davis, Moore, Roddy, and Washington were all recently waived from Exhibit 10 contracts and appear likely to open the season in the G League, while Griffin stepped away from basketball in 2024.

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2025/26 NBA Over/Unders: Recap

October 21st, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been examining projections for all 30 NBA teams for the 2025/26 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 Thunder (62.5) all the way through to the Jazz (18.5).

Here are the full results of those votes:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Boston Celtics (42.5 wins): Over (52.7%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (42.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (37.5 wins): Over (50.2%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Over (54.4%)

Central

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
  • Detroit Pistons (46.5 wins): Over (60.5%)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (42.5 wins): Over (74.4%)
  • Indiana Pacers (37.5 wins): Over (50.1%)
  • Chicago Bulls (32.5 wins): Over (60.8%)

Southeast

  • Orlando Magic (51.5 wins): Over (52.8%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (47.5 wins): Over (54.9%)
  • Miami Heat (37.5 wins): Over (54.4%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (27.5 wins): Over (50.6%)
  • Washington Wizards (21.5 wins): Under (62.4%)

Western Conference

Northwest

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (62.5 wins): Over (62.9%)
  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (72.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (49.5 wins): Over (58.7%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (34.5 wins): Over (57.1%)
  • Utah Jazz (18.5 wins): Over (55.3%)

Pacific

  • Los Angeles Clippers (48.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Under (52.1%)
  • Golden State Warriors (46.5 wins): Over (68.3%)
  • Sacramento Kings (34.5 wins): Over (55.1%)
  • Phoenix Suns (31.5 wins): Under (56.8%)

Southwest

  • Houston Rockets (52.5 wins): Over (55.5%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (44.5 wins): Over (57.6%)
  • Dallas Mavericks (41.5 wins): Over (71.8%)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (39.5 wins): Under (61.3%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (30.5 wins): Under (54.9%)

It’s pretty common for our poll respondents to pick more overs than unders, with optimism high in most NBA cities following an offseason of change. But we took it to a new extreme this year, going over on 23 teams and under on just seven.

Technically, it’s not impossible for 23 teams to beat their projected win totals. If 20 teams go over by one win and one team goes under by 20 wins, it all evens out. It’s very much a long shot, of course, but you never know.

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

  1. Milwaukee Bucks (42.5 wins): 74.4%
  2. Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): 72.1%
  3. Dallas Mavericks (41.5 wins): 71.8%
  4. Golden State Warriors (46.5 wins): 68.3%
  5. New York Knicks (53.5 wins): 63.2%

Because we published our polls over the span of a few weeks, there has been some heavy betting action on some of these numbers ahead of the start of the season, pushing the projections in one direction or the other. The “over” has been especially popular for the top four teams on this list, with the Bucks’ and Nuggets’ projected win totals increasing by one apiece in some sportsbooks, while the Warriors’ has risen to 48.5 wins.

I like all five of these bets, though there’s some significant health-related risk for the Mavericks, who are already without Kyrie Irving and who will have to lean heavily on oft-injured Anthony Davis this season. I could also see the Knicks taking some time to adjust to the changes new head coach Mike Brown is implementing and falling short of 54 wins.

But I think the Bucks, Nuggets, and Warriors are good candidates to go over this season as long as they can avoid major injuries.

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

  1. Washington Wizards (21.5 wins): 62.4%
  2. Memphis Grizzlies (39.5 wins): 61.3%
  3. Los Angeles Clippers (48.5 wins): 58.7%
  4. Philadelphia 76ers (42.5 wins): 58.7%
  5. Phoenix Suns (31.5 wins): 56.8%

It’s not uncommon for projected cellar-dwellers like the Wizards to fall short of their projected win totals, since they typically go out of their way to put themselves in position to rack up losses after the trade deadline. Washington will only keep its 2026 first-round pick if it lands within the top eight, so the front office will be motivated to finish near the bottom of the NBA standings.

The injuries are already racking up for the Grizzlies, though stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are trending toward being available for opening night. Memphis’ success this season could hinge in large part on how many games that duo plays together.

Our voters aren’t buying a Sixers bounce-back after an injury-plagued 2024/25 campaign, and aren’t bullish on the new-look Suns following the offseason exits of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Fair enough.

The one that surprised me most was the Clippers — I think they have more than enough depth to get to 49 wins in the regular season, even if they have to deal with some injuries. They won 50 games a year ago even though Kawhi Leonard only played in 37.

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

  1. Indiana Pacers (37.5 wins): Over (50.1%)
  2. Toronto Raptors (37.5 wins): Over (50.2%)
  3. Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Under (52.1%)
  4. Boston Celtics (42.5 wins): Over (52.7%)
  5. Orlando Magic (51.5 wins): Over (52.8%)

The Pacers and Celtics are two of the toughest teams to forecast for the 2025/26 season. Neither team will be as good as usual while Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum recover from Achilles tears, and they lost other key contributors over the summer too — Myles Turner for Indiana, and a handful of players, including Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis, for Boston. But both franchises have a strong culture, a good head coach, and a smart front office, so it’s hard to say just how significantly those losses will impact them.

As close as the Raptors’ and Lakers’ votes were, I think both ended up on the right side of the 50/50 divide — Toronto’s projected win total has risen to 39.5 since we published our poll, while the Lakers has dipped to 46.5, largely due to LeBron James‘ health concerns.

As for the Magic, they haven’t won 52 or more games in a season in 15 years, so I understand why nearly half of our voters were reluctant to go over. But if they have better health luck than last year, there’s certainly enough talent on the roster to get there.

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 20th, 2025 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

We’re one day away from the start of the NBA’s 2025/26 regular season, making Monday the last day of the 2025 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 22 players entered the offseason eligible for rookie scale extensions.

Six of those players – Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray, and Nikola Jovic -have already signed new deals, a seventh (Shaedon Sharpe) has agreed to an extension that will be officially completed today, and an eighth (Blake Wesley) was waived earlier in the offseason.

That leaves the following 14 players eligible to sign rookie scale extensions on Monday:

The majority of these guys won’t sign new deals until the 2026 offseason, when they’re eligible for restricted free agency. But it would be a surprise if at least one or two more players from this list don’t finalize rookie scale extensions today.

Braun, Daniels, Duren, Eason, Ivey, Kessler, Mathurin, and Williams are among the notable names in this group, but finding a price point that works for them and their respective teams will be a challenge in some cases.

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 Heat as an example. Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, and Norman Powell are all eligible for veteran extensions right now, but Herro still has two guaranteed years left on his contract. That means his extension eligibility window will close after Monday and won’t reopen until next July, whereas Rozier and Powell, who are on expiring contracts, could sign extensions anytime between now and June 30, 2026.

An extension-eligible veteran who has a player option for 2026/27 – such as Wiggins – could still sign a new deal later in the ’25/26 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 ’26/27 league year, since it would turn his contract into a multiyear deal, not an expiring one. This rule also applies to team options.

Here are the players who have a Monday deadline to sign a veteran extension if they want to lock in a new deal before next July:

While Jokic is the most worthy candidate for an extension in this group, word broke early in the offseason that he’s not expected to sign this year because he would qualify for more years and more money if he waits until 2026.

Outside of Jokic, the best candidates for new deals might be Herro and Nesmith, but there’s no guarantee that anyone from this group will extend today, since they’ll all have at least one more eligibility window down the road.

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

Regular Season Rosters

Nearly every NBA team finalized its 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 there will could very well be some additional roster shuffling today as teams tweak their back-end roster spots or fill two-way openings, only one team – the Bucks – absolutely has to make a move. Milwaukee appears likely to waive 2024 second-round pick Tyler Smith in order to set its regular season roster.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Roster Counts]

The two other teams that made it through Saturday with more than 15 players on standard contracts – the Nets and Wizards – got down to 15 by making cuts on Sunday.

The Bucks’ roster move is 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, but there are no real candidates left after Ron Harper Jr., Caleb Houstan, Moussa Cisse, Jahmyl Telfort, Jahmir Young, Johnny Juzang, Chris Youngblood, and Colin Castleton were all converted within the past few days.

The only player still on an Exhibit 10 deal who is eligible for a two-way contract is Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara, and the expectation is that he’ll make New York’s regular season roster in order to ensure the team’s salary remains below its hard cap.

It remains possible that a player on an Exhibit 10 contract who was cut on Saturday could be claimed off waivers and immediately converted to a two-way deal later today.

Finally, Monday is the last day for a free agent to be signed-and-traded during the 2025/26 league year. However, there have been no indications that any sign-and-trades are in the works.

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Checking In On Roster Situations Around The NBA

October 19th, 2025 at 7:57am 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.

Completing 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, 27 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 10 teams are right at the limit, carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-ways:

  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Utah Jazz

Just because these rosters look ready for the regular season doesn’t necessarily mean they’re fully locked in. It wouldn’t be be a surprise if one or more of these teams makes a minor tweak before Monday’s regular season roster deadline. That could be as simple as swapping out one two-way player for another. It could also involve the standard roster.

For instance, maybe the Pacers decide that carrying one more point guard is more important than having four centers and decide to place a waiver claim on Jared Butler while waiving Tony Bradley and his non-guaranteed contract. I’m not saying that will happen or even that Indiana is considering that move — it’s just an example of what’s still possible before Monday’s deadline.

The following 15 teams are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-ways:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angles Lakers
  • Miami Heat
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Toronto Raptors

Several of these teams are right up against a hard cap and don’t have the ability to add a 15th man to their standard rosters at this point. That’s the situation for the Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Knicks, and Magic.

Many others are operating in luxury tax territory or right near the tax line and will want to keep that 15th spot open for now in order to either keep their projected tax bill in check or maintain some financial flexibility.

That’s not the case for all of these teams though. The Pistons are well clear of the tax, for instance, and could comfortably make a roster addition if they want to.

Two more teams are within the regular season limits. Those teams are as follows:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers: 14 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Cavaliers and Trail Blazers both carried over one two-way player from last season (Nae’Qwan Tomlin for Cleveland; Sidy Cissoko for Portland) and signed a new two-way player on July 1 (Luke Travers and Caleb Love, respectively). Since then, both teams have had one two-way slot available, but I expect they’ll fill those openings sooner rather than later, given that there are no cap savings generated by keeping a two-way slot open.

It’s worth noting that players on Exhibit 10 contracts who were waived on Friday or Saturday could be claimed off waivers and immediately converted to two-way deals before Monday’s roster deadline.

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

That leaves three NBA teams that have yet to make the necessary moves to get within the regular season roster limits. Let’s run through them one by one…

Brooklyn Nets: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Nets are currently carrying 14 players on fully guaranteed salaries, with Jalen Wilson on a deal with a small partial guarantee ($88,075) and Tyrese Martin on a non-guaranteed contract.

There are a few things to keep in mind here. For one, neither Wilson nor Martin can be directly converted to a two-way contract, since neither is on an Exhibit 10 deal. So if Brooklyn intends to fill that two-way slot before the season begins, it will have to be via waiver claim or a free agent signing.

More importantly, the Nets are operating just $190K over the NBA’s minimum salary floor and absolutely want to be above that threshold when the regular season begins, since falling short would mean forfeiting their share of the end-of-season luxury tax payment. Waiving either Wilson or Martin would result in Brooklyn’s salary falling below the salary floor, since most or all of their minimum salaries would come off the team’s books.

Barring a Sunday or Monday trade, there are two solutions for the Nets here: Either they waive someone with a guaranteed contract or they cut one of Wilson or Martin and guarantee most or all of his 2025/26 salary on his way out. I think the latter scenario is probably more likely, since there aren’t many obvious release candidates among Brooklyn’s 14 players with guaranteed salaries, but we’ll see what the team decides. The decision is due by 4:00 pm Central time on Monday.

Milwaukee Bucks: 16 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

After deciding that Amir Coffey and his non-guaranteed contract would make the team, the Bucks were in position to put off their final roster move until Monday, since they’ll be cutting a player with a full or partially guaranteed salary — whichever player is the odd man out will get his money, regardless of which day he’s waived, so Milwaukee couldn’t create any cap savings by making that move a couple days before the roster deadline.

As we noted when we discussed the Bucks’ decision to retain Coffey on Saturday, it looks like Tyler Smith (guaranteed $1,955,377 salary) and Andre Jackson Jr. ($800K partial guarantee) are the two players who are most in danger of being cut. It’s possible that the club could trade or waive another player instead, but I’d be surprised if Milwaukee’s final preseason roster move involves anyone besides Smith or Jackson.

Neither one was great in the preseason, but Jackson was a little better and has shown more than Smith at the NBA level to this point in their respective careers. Retaining Smith would be the financially advantageous move, since waiving Jackson would reduce the team’s salary by about $1.42MM, but the Bucks aren’t close to the tax line and can afford to eat Smith’s full salary if they decide he’s not part of their future. I wouldn’t be surprised if they take that path.

Washington Wizards: 16 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

The Wizards are another team expected to cut a player with a guaranteed salary, which is why they can wait until Monday to make their last roster move. The only one of their 16 players with a non-guaranteed contract is Justin Champagnie, who was effective in a rotation role last season.

A trade is still possible, but a cut is more likely. And in that scenario, 2024 first-round pick Dillon Jones looks to me like the probable odd man out. He didn’t do much during his first NBA season in Oklahoma City, and the offseason trade that sent him to Washington was more about the second-round pick the Wizards got along with him than about Jones himself. He also wasn’t great in the preseason.

If the Wizards go in a different direction, it’s worth keeping an eye on former Spur Malaki Branham, who was acquired in exchange for Kelly Olynyk along with Blake Wesley and a second-round pick. Washington already waived Wesley and I haven’t gotten the sense that the club views Branham as a crucial part of its roster going forward.

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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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Golden State Warriors

October 17th, 2025 at 6:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Golden State Warriors.

Free agent signings

  • Jonathan Kuminga: Two years, $46,800,000. Second-year team option. Trade kicker (15%). Re-signed using Bird rights. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Al Horford: Two years, $11,654,250. Second-year player option. Trade kicker (15%). Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • De’Anthony Melton: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year player option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Gary Payton II: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Seth Curry: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 9). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • LJ Cryer: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Marques Bolden: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Bolden has since been waived.
  • Ja’Vier Francis: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Francis has since been waived.
  • Taevion Kinsey: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Kinsey has since been waived.
  • Chance McMillian: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: McMillian has since been waived.
  • Jacksen Moni: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Moni has since been waived.

Trades

  • Acquired the draft rights to Alex Toohey (No. 52 pick; from Suns) and the draft rights to Jahmai Mashack (No. 59 pick; from Rockets) in a seven-team trade in exchange for the draft rights to Koby Brea (No. 41 pick; to Suns).
  • Acquired the draft rights to Will Richard (No. 56 pick) from the Grizzlies in exchange for the draft rights to Jahmai Mashack (No. 59 pick), the Warriors’ 2032 second-round pick (top-50 protected), and the draft rights to Justinian Jessup.

Draft picks

  • 2-52: Alex Toohey
    • Signed to two-way contract.
  • 2-56: Will Richard
    • Signed to four-year, $8,685,386 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.

Two-way signings

  • Pat Spencer
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
  • Alex Toohey
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Note: The Warriors carried over Jackson Rowe on a two-way contract from 2024/25.

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $205.3MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $207,824,000.
  • Two traded player exceptions frozen (largest worth $8,780,488).

The offseason so far

When we talk about what an NBA team did in the offseason, we usually refer to their “summer” moves. However, that’s a misnomer for the 2025 Warriors. As RealGM’s transaction log shows, after officially finalizing a pair of trades on July 6 that they’d agreed upon during June’s draft, Golden State didn’t complete another transaction until September 29 — the team officially signed 10 players that day (three of them were immediately waived).

Obviously, Golden State’s front office wasn’t just taking a two-and-a-half month vacation. Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency was the reason for delay. The standoff between Kuminga and the Warriors became one of the offseason’s biggest stories after the first wave of free agency wrapped up in early July and ultimately took nearly three months to resolve, with the forward taking his decision almost right up to the October 1 deadline to accept a qualifying offer.

Technically, there was no rule preventing the Warriors from filling out the rest of their roster before they figured out what would happen with Kuminga. But that approach didn’t make sense for Golden State for a couple reasons.

For one, the Warriors were exploring the possibility of a sign-and-trade, discussing potential deals with the Suns and Kings. It didn’t sound like they ever gained any real traction with Phoenix, and Sacramento’s various offers – centered around draft assets plus either Malik Monk or the duo of Devin Carter and Dario Saric – didn’t hold much appeal either. But if either of those division rivals had increased their bid for Kuminga and made Golden State seriously consider a sign-and-trade, the team didn’t want to have the rest of its signings already locked in, since that could have resulted in significant roster imbalance.

More importantly, determining whether Kuminga would be back and how much he would be paid in 2025/26 dictated what the Warriors would be able to do with those other roster spots from a financial perspective. Kuminga accepting his $8MM qualifying offer would’ve resulted in a whole lot more cap flexibility than if he’d signed one of the team’s more lucrative multiyear proposals.

Conversely, if the Warriors had hard-capped themselves early in the offseason by, say, using the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Al Horford, they would’ve risked another team giving Kuminga an offer sheet that they wouldn’t have been able to match without shedding salary. No team besides the Nets had cap room for most of the summer, and Brooklyn showed little to no interest in Kuminga, but as we saw with the Bucks and their Damian Lillard/Myles Turner moves, a team that wants to create cap space badly enough can typically find a way to do it.

So even though we knew for most of the summer what most of the Warriors’ roster moves would look like, those moves weren’t finalized until the fall. At that point, Kuminga accepted a two-year, $46.8MM deal that includes a second-year team option, no trade veto rights, and a 15% trade kicker; Horford received a two-year contract worth the full taxpayer mid-level exception with a second-year player option and a 15% trade kicker; De’Anthony Melton got a two-year, minimum-salary contract; Gary Payton II signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal; and second-round pick Will Richard received a rookie minimum salary on his four-year contract.

Horford, who will turn 40 next June, is one of the NBA’s oldest players, while Melton is still making his way back from the torn ACL that ended his 2024/25 season after just six games. But as long as they’re healthy, both players are excellent fits for this Warriors roster.

Horford is a savvy, smart defender who is capable of stretching the floor from the five spot. Melton can do a little bit of everything, and his versatile defense makes him an intriguing backcourt partner for Stephen Curry. In a very limited sample of 47 minutes before Melton’s ACL tear last season, lineups that included that Melton/Curry duo had a +38.4 net rating.

The big question is what happens with Kuminga. While it was a relief when his three-month free agency eventually came to an end, a two-year deal that includes a second-year option doesn’t exactly lock in his long-term future. Rather than making a decision on how the former lottery pick fits into their long-term plans, the Warriors simply postponed that decision for at least a few more months.

Kuminga will become trade-eligible on January 15 and it feels like there’s a very real chance he’s moved at some point during the three-week window between that date and the trade deadline — especially if Steve Kerr and his coaching staff continue to have trouble finding a consistent role for the 23-year-old that mutually benefits him and the team.

Up next

Seth Curry, who is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract, has spent the preseason on the same roster as his superstar brother for the first time since he entered the league in 2013. However, the Warriors don’t have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to keep the younger Curry brother on their regular season roster — at least not yet. As of mid-November, Golden State would be able to fit a prorated minimum-salary contract under that hard cap and could reunite the Curry brothers.

While it does sounds like the plan is to bring Seth back at some point, the Warriors may not do so immediately once they’re eligible to next month, since it would leave them with essentially no wiggle room below the second apron for the rest of 2025/26. I expect Seth to be a Warrior by season’s end, but the team could end up carrying a 14-man roster for at least a couple months.

Jackson Rowe, Pat Spencer, and Alex Toohey currently occupy Golden State’s two-way slots, but I wouldn’t be shocked if LJ Cryer, who is on an Exhibit 10 contract and has played well in the preseason, is converted to a two-way deal by Monday’s deadline. Rowe could be the odd man out, given that he was a holdover from last season and has had a very limited role this fall.

Finally, although Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis are currently eligible for veteran contract extensions, I’d be somewhat surprised if either player gets a new deal in the coming days. The Warriors barely have any money on their 2027/28 cap and would presumably prefer to maintain that flexibility for the time being. If Green or Jackson-Davis signs an extension at this point, it would probably have to be a short-term deal that includes little to no guaranteed money beyond ’26/27. The team would probably be happy to wait until 2026 to get serious about those negotiations.

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Why Most Teams Will Finalize Roster Cuts On Saturday

October 17th, 2025 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have until Monday night (Oct. 20) to officially set their rosters for the 2025/26 regular season. However, a majority of NBA teams will likely have their rosters ready to go on Saturday, with far more roster cuts expected today and tomorrow than on Sunday or Monday.

Why is that? Well, releasing a player on Saturday will ensure he clears waivers on Monday, before the regular season gets underway.

Players who are cut during the season are also paid for each day they spend on waivers, so a player who hits waivers on Sunday and doesn’t clear until the first day of the season on Tuesday would technically earn one day’s worth of pay, even if his contract isn’t guaranteed. A player released on Monday would spend two regular season days on waivers.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Roster Counts]

For players with partial or full guarantees, spending the first day or two of the regular season on waivers doesn’t really matter, since they’re getting their full 2025/26 salary (or their partial guarantees) no matter when they’re released. But if a team waits until Monday to cut a player with a non-guaranteed salary, that team will be on the hook for two days’ worth of dead money for the player.

Two days’ worth of dead money won’t exactly break the bank — it would range from about $15K to $42K for a minimum-salary player. Still, most teams already know which players are in and which are out, so there’s no need to take the decision down to the wire on Monday. They’ll make those cuts sooner rather than later to avoid adding extra cap charges to their books for ’25/26. Even that small amount of savings could be important for teams who are right around the tax line or up against a hard cap.

While many teams will make their cuts on Saturday, a handful of clubs can afford to wait an extra day or two if they want to, since they’ll be waiving (or trading) players who have full or partial guarantees.

The Wizards, for instance, have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Justin Champagnie on a non-guaranteed deal, so unless they can find a trade involving one of those 16 players, they’ll need to waive one of them.

Unless they plan to cut Champagnie, which seems unlikely given his contributions last season, waiting until Sunday or Monday to make that roster move won’t affect the Wizards’ cap outlook at all — the other 15 players on standard contracts are assured of receiving their full-season salaries regardless of whether they’re waived on Saturday or Monday — or whether they spend the entire season under contract.

Additionally, teams whose final roster moves won’t involve placing a player on waivers can afford to wait until Monday to complete those moves.

For example, the Thunder currently have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, two on two-way contracts, and four on Exhibit 10 deals. While we don’t know exactly what the team’s plan is, Oklahoma City could cut three of those Exhibit 10 players on Saturday, then convert the other one to a two-way contract on Monday in order to set its roster for the regular season.

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2025/26 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division

October 15th, 2025 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2025/26 NBA regular season just around the corner, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including BetMGM and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2024/25, our voters went 13-17 on their over/under picks. Can we top that in ’25/26?

We’ll wrap up our series today with the Southwest Division…

Houston Rockets

San Antonio Spurs

Dallas Mavericks

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Boston Celtics (42.5 wins): Over (52.7%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (42.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (37.5 wins): Over (50.2%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Over (54.4%)

Central

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
  • Detroit Pistons (46.5 wins): Over (60.5%)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (42.5 wins): Over (74.4%)
  • Indiana Pacers (37.5 wins): Over (50.1%)
  • Chicago Bulls (32.5 wins): Over (60.8%)

Southeast

  • Orlando Magic (51.5 wins): Over (52.8%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (47.5 wins): Over (54.9%)
  • Miami Heat (37.5 wins): Over (54.4%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (27.5 wins): Over (50.6%)
  • Washington Wizards (21.5 wins): Under (62.4%)

Northwest

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (62.5 wins): Over (62.9%)
  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (72.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (49.5 wins): Over (58.7%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (34.5 wins): Over (57.1%)
  • Utah Jazz (18.5 wins): Over (55.3%)

Pacific

  • Los Angeles Clippers (48.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Under (52.1%)
  • Golden State Warriors (46.5 wins): Over (68.3%)
  • Sacramento Kings (34.5 wins): Over (55.1%)
  • Phoenix Suns (31.5 wins): Under (56.8%)
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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Brooklyn Nets

October 14th, 2025 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Brooklyn Nets.

Free agent signings

  • Day’Ron Sharpe: Two years, $12,500,000. Second-year team option. Re-signed using cap room. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Ziaire Williams: Two years, $12,500,000. Second-year team option. Re-signed using cap room. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Cam Thomas: One year, $5,993,172. Re-signed using Bird rights. Accepted qualifying offer.
  • Fanbo Zeng: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Yuri Collins: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($85K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Collins has since been waived.
  • D’Andre Davis: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($85K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Davis has since been waived.
  • David Muoka: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($85K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Muoka has since been waived.
  • Terry Roberts: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($25K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Tre Scott: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($45K). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

  • Acquired either the Clippers’ 2026 second-round pick or the most favorable of the Celtics’, Pacers’, and Heat’s 2026 second-round picks (whichever is least favorable; from Rockets) and the Celtics’ 2030 second-round pick (from Rockets) in a seven-team trade in exchange for the draft rights to Adou Thiero (No. 36 pick; to Lakers).
  • Acquired Terance Mann (from Hawks) and the draft rights to Drake Powell (No. 22 pick; from Hawks) in a three-team trade in exchange for cash ($1.1MM; to Celtics).
  • Acquired Michael Porter Jr. and the Nuggets’ 2032 first-round pick from the Nuggets in exchange for Cameron Johnson.
  • Acquired Haywood Highsmith and the Heat’s 2032 second-round pick from the Heat in exchange for the Nets’ 2026 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
  • Acquired Kobe Bufkin from the Hawks in exchange for cash ($110K).

Draft picks

  • 1-8: Egor Demin
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $31,340,681).
  • 1-19: Nolan Traore
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $18,463,882).
  • 1-22: Drake Powell
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $16,723,991).
  • 1-26: Ben Saraf
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,806,815).
  • 1-27: Danny Wolf
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,384,199).

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

Salary cap situation

  • Operating below the cap ($154.6MM).
  • Carrying approximately $141.2MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $207,824,000.
  • Approximately $13.4MM in cap room available.
  • Full room exception ($8,781,000) available.

The offseason so far

The Nets ostensibly went into full rebuilding mode during the 2024 offseason. They traded away Mikal Bridges and entered that fall projected by oddsmakers to be the NBA’s worst team. But apparently no one told Jordi Fernandez that Brooklyn was supposed to be quite that bad. The new head coach led the Nets to nine wins in their first 19 games, getting nearly halfway to the team’s projected over/under win total (19.5) before November was over.

The Nets lost a little steam after that solid start, especially once reliable veterans like Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith were traded away. But they remained competitive all season long, winning six of seven games during one stretch right before the All-Star break and finishing the year with a 26-56 record. It was bad, but not bad enough to earn a pick in the top half of the lottery. While the Nets entered June armed with four picks in the first round of the 2025 draft, none of those picks would be higher than their own selection at No. 8.

As the only team holding that many first-round picks and the only team with significant cap room available this offseason, it seemed obvious what sort of approach the still-rebuilding Nets would take to the summer. The general expectation was that they’d probably make a couple of their first-round picks while looking to roll at least one or two of them over to a future year, and that they’d use their cap room to take on unwanted contracts and continue stockpiling future draft assets in trades.

Half of that equation played out as expected. The Nets didn’t sign a single outside free agent to a guaranteed contract, instead using their cap space to take on salary in trades.

They acquired Terance Mann (owed $47MM over the next three seasons) from Atlanta along with a first-round pick. They swapped Cameron Johnson (two years and $44.1MM left) for Michael Porter Jr. (two years, $79.1MM) while getting a future unprotected future first-rounder from Denver in the process. And they took on Haywood Highsmith‘s expiring $5.6MM contract along with a future second-round pick in order to help get the Heat out of the tax.

While it won’t necessarily be easy to flip any of those players for positive value down the road, all three have proven to be solid rotation vets in the past and could absolutely rebuild their value in the wake of a down year (in Mann’s case) or an injury (for Porter and Highsmith). I wouldn’t be shocked if the Nets end up being able to extract a second-round pick in exchange for Highsmith a few months from now, for instance, after getting one simply to acquire him over the summer. The years left on Mann’s contract and Porter’s sizable cap hits will make it more difficult to acquire positive assets for them later this season or in a future year, but it’s not impossible.

The Nets’ use of their cap room offered no surprises, but their approach to the draft absolutely did. The first-round selection they acquired from Atlanta along with Mann was this year’s 22nd overall pick, giving Brooklyn a total of five first-rounders. And while they did reportedly explore trade options with several of those picks, the Nets ultimately kept all five of them, drafting Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf at Nos. 8, 19, 22, 26, and 27, respectively.

That approach to the draft was, quite literally, unprecedented — no team in NBA history had ever used five first-round picks in the same draft before. Clubs typically don’t like bringing in too many rookies at once since it’s not considered the best developmental situation for a young player, but the Nets are taking their chances and putting a lot of faith in Fernandez and his staff.

It’s also hard not to read the strategy as general manager Sean Marks‘ way of saying: “That top-five pick we weren’t quite bad enough to get in 2025? We’re getting it in 2026.”

There are still a few veterans on this roster, including the three aforementioned trade acquisitions (Mann, Porter, and Highsmith), as well as starting center Nic Claxton. But Brooklyn will likely be the NBA’s youngest team, and getting to 26 wins again with this group will be a tall order for Fernandez. That’s why it came as no great shock when team owner Joe Tsai spoke recently about a “good pick” in 2026 being a top priority for the Nets and strongly hinted that the club was preparing to lose enough to position itself well in the draft lottery.

While Brooklyn didn’t add any outside free agents this offseason, the club did bring back three of its own — Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams returned on matching two-year, $12.5MM contracts with second-year team options, while Cam Thomas accepted his $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.

The negotiations with that trio made two things clear: The Nets value the flexibility to potentially operate with significant cap room again next summer, and they don’t necessarily view any of those three players as long-term keepers. Because he signed his qualifying offer, Thomas has an implicit no-trade clause this season and can’t be moved without his approval, but Sharpe and Williams each waived his right to veto a trade, so either one – or both – could be on the move before February’s deadline.

Up next

The Nets have taken steps toward addressing their roster crunch by waiving Drew Timme, who was on a non-guaranteed contract, and Dariq Whitehead, a former first-round pick whose $3.26MM salary for 2025/26 was fully guaranteed.

Timme’s release came as no real surprise despite his strong finish last season — he has played almost exclusively in the G League since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023. Waiving Whitehead wasn’t quite as obvious, but injuries have derailed his NBA career so far, and the Nets are in position to eat some guaranteed salary due to their position relative to the cap (and the minimum salary floor).

Brooklyn still has one move to make in the coming days, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts, Jalen Wilson on a partially guaranteed deal, and Tyrese Martin on a non-guaranteed pact. Usually in this scenario, the decision would come down to Wilson or Martin for financial reasons, but it might actually make sense for the Nets to keep both players and waive someone with a guaranteed salary — doing so would allow them to remain above the minimum salary floor without needing to make any additional moves.

With Whitehead no longer on the roster though, there’s not an obvious release candidate among those 14 players with guaranteed deals. Eight of them were either just drafted or re-signed this summer; Mann and Porter have too much guaranteed money left on their contracts; and starting center Nic Claxton obviously isn’t going to be cut. That leaves Highsmith, Noah Clowney, and Kobe Bufkin.

Waiving any of those three players likely wouldn’t have a major impact on the rotation, but the Nets just traded for Bufkin without getting anything else in the deal, which suggests they probably want to take a longer look at him. I haven’t gotten the sense that the team is prepared to give up on Clowney. Highsmith, meanwhile could bring back positive value later in the season if he gets fully healthy after undergoing offseason knee surgery, as noted above.

We’ll see what the Nets do — if either Wilson or Martin ends up as the odd man out, I wonder if the team would guarantee that player’s salary while cutting him in order to avoid falling back below the minimum floor. Staying above that threshold is important because it assures Brooklyn will get its share of the end-of-season payout from the NBA’s taxpaying teams.

The Nets also have an open two-way slot alongside Tyson Etienne and E.J. Liddell. Camp invitee Fanbo Zeng looks to me like the best candidate to fill it, but Timme could also return on a two-way deal if he clears waivers.

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