Hoops Rumors Originals

Super-Max Candidates To Watch In 2023/24

September 14th, 2023 at 7:30am CST by Luke Adams

Note: This is an updated version of an article that was sent exclusively to our Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers in June. Click here for more information on Trade Rumors Front Office.

The NBA’s Designated Veteran rule, as we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, allows players to qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap before they gain the required NBA service time.

Typically, a player is ineligible to receive a maximum contract that starts at 35% of the cap until he has at least 10 years of experience, but the Designated Veteran rule gives a player with between seven and nine years of experience the opportunity to do so if he meets certain performance criteria. This has become colloquially known as signing a “super-max” deal.

The performance criteria are as follows (only one of the following must be true):

The player was named to an All-NBA team and/or was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
The player was named the NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.

Since the NBA introduced the concept of the Designated Veteran contract in 2017, 12 players have signed them across seven offseasons. Celtics wing Jaylen Brown became the latest player to join that group this summer when he signed a five-year super-max deal that could become the NBA’s first $300MM contract.

Brown will be the only player who signs such a contract this offseason, but it’s worth taking a peek down the road to see which players are the best candidates to join the list of super-max recipients in 2024 and 2025.

We can start by penciling in another Celtic, Jayson Tatum, for 2024. Although he doesn’t yet have enough years of NBA service to sign a Designated Veteran extension, Tatum met the performance criteria in the spring by earning his second consecutive All-NBA berth.

That means that even if he doesn’t make an All-NBA team in 2024, he’ll have received an All-NBA nod in two of the previous three seasons when he meets the service time criteria next summer, making him super-max eligible. It seems likely the Celtics will offer him a Designated Veteran extension at that time.

Here are some other candidates to watch during the 2023/24 season:

2024

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
Pascal Siakam (Raptors)

Because a player become ineligible for a Designated Veteran extension if he’s traded after his first four years in the NBA, prime candidates like Donovan Mitchell and Domantas Sabonis won’t be able to qualify. Still, there’s an intriguing group of candidates in play for next summer.

Ingram, Murray, and Siakam, members of the 2016 draft class, would have become super-max eligible if they had made an All-NBA team this year. They’ll get another chance in 2024.

Ingram averaged a career-best 24.7 points and 5.8 assists per night in 2022/23, but injuries limited him to just 45 games. While he’s not one of the best 15 players in the NBA, it’s not impossible to imagine the 26-year-old earning an All-NBA spot if he stays healthy and helps lead the Pelicans to a top-four seed in the West. He’s probably a long shot, but we can’t rule him out entirely.

Murray was making his way back from an ACL tear last season, which meant he was subject to load management and wasn’t necessarily at his best from day one. But his postseason performance – 26.1 points per game on .473/.396/.926 shooting en route to a championship – served as a reminder that he has All-NBA upside.

Siakam made the All-NBA Second Team in 2020 and the Third Team in 2022 and received some votes in 2023. However, he still needs one more All-NBA nod in 2024 to become eligible for a Designated Veteran deal. He’ll be a candidate to watch as long as he remains in Toronto for the 2023/24 season. A trade – which would make him ineligible – still looms as a possibility.

Adebayo and Fox are 2017 draftees with just six years of NBA experience, which means that Fox didn’t meet the Designated Veteran performance criteria by earning All-NBA honors in May — he’ll need to do it again in 2024 to qualify for a super-max deal. His performance this past year showed that he’s capable of it.

Adebayo’s path to an All-NBA berth is complicated by the fact that the All-NBA teams will become positionless beginning in 2024. That means voters won’t necessarily have to choose three centers, which may reduce his odds of making the cut.

Still, the field of All-NBA candidates may be more wide open than usual in 2024, since the league is also requiring players to appear in at least 65 games in order to be eligible for one of the 15 spots. That means a player who misses a few weeks with an injury might be out of the running. If Ingram, Murray, Siakam, Fox, and Abebayo can stay healthy and play at least 65 times, their All-NBA odds will increase.

It’s worth noting too that being named Defensive Player of the Year is another way to qualify for a super-max. Adebayo has finished in the top five in voting for that award in each of the last four seasons and is a legitimate candidate to win it at some point.

2025

Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)

Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jackson were drafted in 2018 and have just five years of NBA experience, so they’re still two years away from having the service time required for a Designated Veteran contract — none of them would be able to sign a super-max extension until 2025. However, they all have an opportunity to meet the performance criteria in 2024.

Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander made up the All-NBA First Team backcourt in 2023, so if they make an All-NBA team again next year, they’ll have done so in at least two of the three years leading up to the 2025 offseason.

As for Jackson, he missed out on All-NBA honors in 2023, but was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. It’s a tall order, but if he can win a second DPOY award in either of the next two seasons, he’ll make himself eligible to sign a super-max contract in 2025.

The rookie scale extension recipients

LaMelo Ball (Hornets)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)

Ball, Edwards, and Haliburton have all signed five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extensions this offseason that project to start at 25% of the 2024/25 cap. If we assume the cap will rise by the maximum allowable 10%, those deals would be worth just shy of $217MM.

However, all three extensions include Rose Rule language. This is another form of the super-max — we can call it the “mini” super-max, paradoxical as that may sound. Unlike a player who signs a Designated Veteran contract, which starts at 35% of the cap instead of 30%, a player who meets the Rose Rule criteria can receive a starting salary worth 30% of the cap rather than 25%.

The performance criteria for a Rose Rule salary increase are essentially the exact same as for a Designated Veteran bump, but must be achieved by the end of the player’s four-year rookie contract. That means Ball, Edwards, and Haliburton would have to make the All-NBA team in 2024 in order to increase the projected value of their respective extensions to $260MM over five years — an All-NBA berth in 2025 or 2026 would be too late.

Each of these three players has an All-Star berth under his belt, so making the leap to All-NBA certainly isn’t inconceivable. Edwards may be the best bet of the three to qualify for the mini super-max, but if Ball and Haliburton can lead their teams to playoff spots, they’d certainly have a case.

Teams Limited To Minimum Salary Contract Offers

September 13th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There won’t be many free agents who sign for more than the veteran’s minimum between now and the end of the NBA’s regular season. The majority of the players whose markets exceeded the minimum came off the board pretty quickly in July, and teams aren’t looking to spend big on the players who are still available.

Still, that doesn’t mean every signing for the next seven months will be of the minimum-salary variety. In certain cases – especially on the buyout market in February – being able to offer a couple million dollars more than the minimum could be the difference between a team landing a free agent and missing out on him.

With that in mind, it’s worth checking in on which teams don’t currently have the ability to offer more than the minimum. By our count, about a third of the NBA is in this boat, though some of those clubs could generate some spending flexibility by making cost-cutting trades.

Here’s a breakdown of the teams currently limited to minimum-salary contract offers for free agents:

Teams above the second tax apron:

Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns

Beginning this offseason, the NBA added a second tax “apron” and introduced new restrictions for the teams whose salaries exceed that apron. In 2023/24, the second apron is set at $182,794,000 ($17.5MM above the tax line) — it will increase along with the cap in future years.

In addition to being prohibited from using the standard mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception, teams whose salaries are above the second apron aren’t permitted to make use of the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $5MM. The Warriors, Clippers, Heat, and Suns all fall into that group and therefore don’t have any cap exceptions available to use on free agents besides the minimum exception.

Teams very close to the second tax apron:

Boston Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks

The Celtics and Bucks may be able to start the season with team salaries below the second apron, but from a practical standpoint, it will be extremely difficult for them to make use of the taxpayer mid-level exception, which would hard-cap them at that second apron.

Milwaukee, in particular, has several contract bonuses to account for and would find its team salary well above the second tax apron if certain players earn those unlikely incentives. Boston has slightly more cap flexibility, but will still almost certainly be limited to minimum-salary offers for the rest of 2023/24, barring a cost-cutting move.

Over-the-cap teams that have used all their cap exceptions:

Denver Nuggets
Oklahoma City Thunder
Toronto Raptors

The Nuggets are the only team this season to use the taxpayer mid-level exception. It’s the lone cap exception available to them in free agency, since their team salary is above the first apron, so they can’t offer more than the minimum to free agents.

The Thunder, meanwhile, used their entire room exception, while the Raptors used their non-taxpayer mid-level exception and bi-annual exception. Both teams are now over the cap and only have the minimum salary exception left to sign a free agent outright (a sign-and-trade remains possible, but is unlikely at this stage of the offseason).

Over-the-cap teams whose remaining exception money is less than the two-year veteran’s minimum:

Los Angeles Lakers
Sacramento Kings

The Lakers have $1,905,000 remaining on their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, while the Kings have $1,381,536 left on their room exception. Both figures fall short of the full-season minimum salary for a two-year veteran ($2,019,706), so neither club could offer more than the minimum to a veteran free agent at this time.

However, that leftover exception money isn’t useless. Los Angeles and Sacramento could each offer more than the minimum to a rookie free agent, for instance. And their remaining exception money won’t begin prorating downward until after the trade deadline. So if L.A. wants to sign a veteran free agent in December, it could use its MLE to offer more than the player’s prorated minimum salary at that point.

Hoops Rumors’ Lists, Trackers, Features

September 12th, 2023 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to passing along news, rumors, and analysis on a daily basis, Hoops Rumors provides a number of additional features and resources that can be found anytime on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.

Since those links are easy to overlook and aren’t readily accessible to our app users, we want to periodically highlight a number of our lists, trackers, and other features.

For instance, our lists of current free agents by position/type and by team are constantly updated, as are our lists of 2024 free agents by position/type and by team and our list of 2025 free agents.

We have a number of features related to NBA trades, including a roundup of this offseason’s deals, a recap of the trade exceptions currently available to teams, lists of the players who can’t be traded until December 15 or January 15, and details on which players can veto trades in 2023/24.

We have info on how teams are using mid-level and bi-annual exceptions in 2023/24, as well as which clubs are hard-capped and which have open roster spots. Our two-way contract tracker and contract extension tracker provide information on many of the deals signed this summer, while our list of non-guaranteed contracts by team helps provide a more complete picture of each team’s roster.

We’ve got details on how much this season’s maximum salaries, minimum salaries, and mid-level/bi-annual exceptions are worth, as well as more details on the key cap figures for the 2023/24 season.

The Hoops Rumors Glossary provides in-depth explanations on many concepts related to the salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement, presented in the simplest possible terms. We’re working on updating the glossary based on the changes made in the most recent CBA.

Many of our features and trackers are cyclical and will be reintroduced as the year goes on. For example, during draft season, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the early entrants for the 2024 NBA draft.

Be sure to check out the sidebar on our desktop site or our Features page for all of our current resources.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

The NBA Teams Best Positioned To Make Waiver Claims

September 12th, 2023 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

In order to claim a player off waivers, an NBA team must be able to fit the player’s current-year salary into either cap room, a traded player exception, or – if the player is in the final year of his contract – a disabled player exception.

This rule doesn’t apply if the waived player is on a one- or two-year minimum-salary contract. In that case, any team can claim him using the minimum salary exception.

Waiver claims aren’t particularly common in the NBA, and claims involving players earning more than the minimum salary are even less frequent. Still, it’s worth knowing which teams have the most flexibility to make waiver claims in case an intriguing player on a reasonable contract hits the wire.

On Monday, for instance, the Spurs waived veteran point guard Cameron Payne, who is on an expiring $6.5MM deal. Payne has played well in Phoenix over the last four seasons, averaging 9.8 points and 4.2 assists in 20.2 minutes per game across 174 appearances, with a .434/.384/.833 shooting line. That’s pretty solid production for the price.

In all likelihood, Payne will pass through waivers unclaimed and sign for less than $6.5MM with a new team, but there will be teams around the NBA that at least consider making a claim. The Grizzlies should be one of them, in the view of John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), who notes that Memphis could use another point guard and has a trade exception large enough for the team to take on Payne’s salary without getting too close to the tax line.

Memphis is one of nine teams with the ability to claim Payne off waivers. Here’s the full list, along with the value of their biggest trade exception (unless otherwise noted):

Atlanta Hawks: $23,019,560
Brooklyn Nets: $19,928,571
Washington Wizards: $12,354,400
Chicago Bulls: $10,232,559
- Note: This is the amount of the Bulls’ disabled player exception, not a trade exception, so the team could only use it to claim a player on an expiring contract.
Miami Heat: $9,450,000
Portland Trail Blazers: $8,300,000
Indiana Pacers: $7,493,593
- Note: This is the maximum amount of cap room the Pacers could create by renouncing the cap holds for their remaining free agents.
Memphis Grizzlies: $7,492,540
New York Knicks: $6,803,012

Many of these teams wouldn’t have interest in a point guard like Payne and wouldn’t necessarily be in position to add another $6.5MM in salary to their books. Claiming Payne would put the Bulls into luxury tax territory, for instance. These are simply the clubs capable of placing a claim if they so choose.

A total of 10 other teams have the ability to claim non-minimum players off waivers, but wouldn’t be able to take on Payne specifically:

Phoenix Suns: $6,500,000
- Note: The Suns’ trade exception is technically large enough to take on Payne, but they’re ineligible to claim him after trading him to San Antonio.
Boston Celtics: $6,202,500
Orlando Magic: $5,056,771
- Note: This is the maximum amount of cap room the Magic could create by renouncing the cap holds for their remaining free agents.
Dallas Mavericks: $4,953,980
Minnesota Timberwolves: $3,688,117
Los Angeles Lakers: $2,700,000
Philadelphia 76ers: $2,448,846
Golden State Warriors: $2,337,720
Denver Nuggets: $2,201,520
Charlotte Hornets: $1,930,681

Even though the Hornets‘ largest trade exception is less than the minimum salary for a two-year veteran ($2,019,706), it could still come in handy for claiming certain younger players on non-minimum deals.

For example, if the Thunder – facing a roster crunch – were to waive Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who is earning $1.9MM in the third year of a four-year contract, Charlotte would be able to claim him using its trade exception. A club with only the minimum salary exception available wouldn’t be in position to place a claim on Robinson-Earl.

Here are the 11 teams without a TPE, DPE, or cap room available to claim a player earning more than the minimum:

Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Milwaukee Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Toronto Raptors
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz

Community Shootaround: 2024 U.S. Olympic Roster

September 9th, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two losses this week in World Cup competition offered another reminder that USA Basketball isn’t as far ahead of the rest of the world as it used to be.

The Americans couldn’t overcome a huge early deficit on Sunday against Lithuania as bigger and stronger opponents continue to cause problems for the U.S. team. After blowing out Italy on Tuesday in the start of the elimination round, the same issues emerged on Friday against Germany, which held on for a two-point victory that sent Team USA into the bronze-medal game.

It might be easy to dismiss the losses as a result of not having its best players participating, but that’s true for a lot of nations with the Olympics looming in 2024. Only two All-NBA players took part in the World Cup — Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and neither represented the U.S.

The stakes will be much higher in Paris next summer, as Olympic gold medals are considered the greatest prize in international basketball. Few of the 12 players who made up the World Cup team may get Olympic invitations, as the USA will have its traditional collection of All-Stars to pick from. But with opening ceremonies only about 10 months away, it’s not too early to think about who should be there.

With Steve Kerr serving as head coach, Warriors star Stephen Curry will be an obvious target. Curry hasn’t played in an international tournament since the FIBA World Championship in 2010, but the NBA’s best-ever three-point shooter would be a perfect weapon in the international game.

Kerr may also push for Klay Thompson, who’s also a deadly shooter but hasn’t been as effective since missing two full seasons with injuries. Draymond Green, who was part of the gold medal winners in the last Olympics, provides versatility and aggressive defense in the frontcourt, but he’ll turn 34 next year.

Age is an issue for several traditional USA Basketball standouts. LeBron James will turn 39 in December, and although he still plays at a high level, it may be tough for him to commit to an Olympic schedule if the Lakers make another long playoff run. The same goes for Kevin Durant, the leading scorer for the 2021 gold medalists, who will celebrate his 35th birthday this month.

Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard and Bam Adebayo are the most obvious candidates to return from the last Olympic team, and Zach LaVine and Jrue Holiday should get consideration as well. That provides plenty of wing scoring, but leaves the U.S. at risk of being undersized.

Joel Embiid would solve the center problem if he commits to the U.S., but he also has French citizenship and France may be aggressive in its pursuit after failing to advance past pool play at the World Cup. Anthony Davis might be the best option if the U.S. can’t land Embiid.

Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves have all impressed in World Cup play and may be asked back for the Olympics. Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Paul George and Ja Morant are current All-Stars who might receive consideration, along with anyone who has a breakout performance in the upcoming season.

We want to get your opinion. If you were putting together USA Basketball’s Olympic roster for 2024, who would make up the core of your team? Please leave your answer in the space below.

Teams With 13 Standard Contracts; Logical Fits To Fill Out Rosters

September 9th, 2023 at 12:13pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Teams are inching toward the start of training camp at the end of September and, as we noted, there are several teams with full offseason rosters of 21 players. However, on the other side of things, there are three teams with only 13 players on standard contracts.

CBA rules state that teams cannot have fewer than 14 players on a standard roster for more than 28 total days during the course of the entire season, or for two consecutive weeks. That means teams can dip to 13 or fewer players on standard deals temporarily, but are mandated to keep at least 14 players for the majority of the season.

Based on those guidelines, these teams are likely to make moves before the start of the season to get up to at least 14 players on standard deals.

It is important to note that there are other teams could dip below 14 players on the standard roster before the season begins. For example, the Celtics currently have 14 players signed to standard deals but three, including the recently signed Svi Mykhailiuk, are owed little to no guaranteed money. The Heat and Rockets are among the other teams who could have standard roster openings in the future, as both clubs have several players signed to Exhibit 10 deals ahead of training camp.

Let’s take a look at the three teams who have two or more openings on their 15-man roster and who could logically fill those spots.

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have 16 total players signed to deals — 13 on standard deals and three on two-way contracts. Sam Merrill, one of their 13 players, is signed to a deal that is fully non-guaranteed. The Cavs are a bit difficult to predict, though they had rumored interest in signing P.J. Washington before he re-signed with Charlotte.

The Cavs could either convert a player to a standard contract, such as Isaiah Mobley, or could be looking for veteran scoring off the bench. If the latter is the case, Kelly Oubre could be a natural fit in a bench role on a one-year prove-it deal. Rudy Gay is another name who may hold appeal as a veteran presence off the bench. Javonte Green or T.J. Warren also make some sense as bench options.

Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers are almost certainly waiting on clarity from Damian Lillard‘s trade request before proceeding with their roster. The Blazers have 13 players signed to standard deals, though Moses Brown is guaranteed for only $250K, so it’s feasible they end up having to fill out more of their roster. It makes sense for Portland to maintain this flexibility, as they’d almost certainly have to take in more players than they send out in any deal involving Lillard.

If a Lillard trade doesn’t happen before the season, the Blazers could look to sign younger pieces who fit their timeline. Portland could also consider bringing back some players who had flashes over the past two seasons, such as Justise Winslow or Skylar Mays, the latter of whom impressed on a 10-day deal with the Blazers last year.

Warriors

The Warriors have two open standard roster spots and a pair of two-way openings. It’s no secret that Golden State is seeking size, and they were reportedly in on bringing JaVale McGee back before he signed with Sacramento.

Golden State invited a handful of players to work out last month, including now-Brooklyn Net Harry Giles. Juan Toscano-Anderson was a participant at that workout, and could provide depth in the power rotation. Bismack Biyombo is one option at center. The Warriors could opt to bring back JaMychal Green. Outside of that, converting Lester Quinones from his two-way deal is anotehr potential path for Golden State.

Community Shootaround: Nuggets’ Offseason

September 8th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets had a dominant playoff run in 2022/23, going 16-4 to claim their first NBA championship. Led by the brilliance of two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, who averaged a remarkable 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 block on .548/.461/.799 shooting over 20 postseason games, Denver will look to defend its title in ’23/24.

A hallmark of the Nuggets’ success last season was strong team chemistry on both ends of the court, with role players sacrificing individual numbers for the betterment of the team. But Denver used an eight-man rotation during the playoffs, and two of those players — Bruce Brown and Jeff Green — joined new teams in free agency, signing with the Pacers and Rockets, respectively.

That’s why I was a little bit surprised to see an ESPN panel predict the Nuggets to be pretty heavy favorites to go back-to-back in ’23/24.

As the team’s sixth man, Brown played a major role for the Nuggets, with his two-way versatility coming through in key moments. The 27-year-old received far more money from Indiana than the Nuggets could have given him because they only had his Non-Bird rights, so it’s not like they did something wrong. He just got (handsomely) rewarded for his strong play.

Green was a key voice in the locker room and averaged 17.2 minutes per night in the playoffs, but he’s 37 years old and will carry a $9.6MM cap hit for the Rockets this season. That’s a pretty penny for someone at the tail end of their career. Again, understandable why he wasn’t retained, even if he will be missed.

The Nuggets didn’t re-sign veteran guard Ish Smith, who remains a free agent, while Thomas Bryant signed with the Heat. And unfortunately, forward Vlatko Cancar tore his ACL playing for Slovenia at the World Cup, so he’s likely out for the season.

Still, the incredibly effective starting lineup of Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. remains intact. The Nuggets will also have youngsters Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji back, assuming the roster stays as is. Braun, who was a rookie last season, was the eighth man in the playoff rotation, and will almost certainly have a bigger role in ’23/24.

Denver opted to re-sign veterans Reggie Jackson (two years, $10.25MM) and DeAndre Jordan (one year, veteran’s minimum) to guaranteed contracts. I didn’t love the fact that the Nuggets used their taxpayer mid-level exception on Jackson, but apparently they think he’s capable of more than he showed in ’22/23.

In other offseason moves, Denver signed veteran wing Justin Holiday, and drafted a trio of players — Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson — to round out the roster. Interestingly, while Strawther was the team’s lone first-round pick, both Pickett and Summer League standout Tyson have more guaranteed years (three) on their deals than the former Gonzaga wing does (two).

Denver’s offseason roster is full at the moment, with the aforementioned 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, as well as three players on Exhibit 10 deals. All three two-way slots are filled (by Collin Gillespie, Jay Huff and Braxton Key).

With limited financial flexibility, the Nuggets chose to prioritize continuity, player development and experienced college players just as much as NBA veterans. Will it pay off with another championship? Time will tell.

What did you think of Denver’s offseason? Does the team have enough depth to win another title in ’23/24? Head to the comments to share your thoughts.

Poll: Which Teams Will Win World Cup Medals?

September 8th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of World Cup games on Sunday will determine which nations leave the Philippines with medals. The long-awaited U.S. vs. Canada showdown is finally on tap, but that game will be for the bronze medal, not the gold. It’ll be Germany vs. Serbia for the gold, with the loser claiming the silver.

Germany vs. Serbia

Bogdan Bogdanovic has been Serbia’s best player in the World Cup, while Dennis Schröder, Daniel Theis, and the Wagner brothers (Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner) have led the way for Germany.

But both teams are getting important contributions from non-NBA players, including Olympiacos big man Nikola Milutinov (13.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG) for the Serbians and Bayern Munich guard Andreas Obst (10.9 PPG, .457 3PT%) for the Germans.

These are also two squads that have plenty of experience playing together in international competitions, and the chemistry they’ve built paid off in a big way in the semifinals, where they knocked off clubs that featured more NBA talent.

Germany is the only undefeated team in the World Cup and will benefit from the fact that the Serbians are missing superstar center Nikola Jokic. But Serbia only has one small blemish – a two-point upset loss to Italy – on its World Cup résumé and has otherwise looked dominant, winning six games by an average of 25.3 points per contest.

The oddsmakers expect a close one on Sunday, with Germany currently favored by a single point, per BetOnline.ag.

United States vs. Canada

Much has been made of Team USA’s lack of true star power – Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only All-NBA player on either roster in this matchup – but the club has had no problems putting the ball in the basket over the course of the World Cup, making an impressive 53.8% of its field goal attempts, including 40.4% of its three-pointers.

Defense and a lack of size has been the Achilles heel for the United States in this tournament. Despite the shorter (40-minute) FIBA games, the U.S. surrendered 110 points in its second-round loss to Lithuania, then 113 points in its semifinal loss to Germany.

Canada has the offensive firepower necessary to make the U.S. pay for a subpar defensive effort. Besides Gilgeous-Alexander, four other Canadians – RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker – are averaging double-digit points in the World Cup. And in Olynyk and Dwight Powell, Canada has a couple bigs capable of making life difficult for Team USA on the interior.

Still, the U.S. has a deeper, more talented roster overall than Canada, and more ways to win this game. The Americans are the frontrunners to win the bronze, with BetOnline.ag listing them as seven-point favorites on Sunday.

Poll: Who Will Win World Cup Semifinals?

September 7th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

The race for 2023 World Cup gold is down to just four teams, and they’ll all be in action in Friday’s semifinals, battling for the right to play in the championship game.

With less than 24 hours to go until the first of those semifinals tips off, let’s take a closer look at the matchups…

Canada vs. Serbia

Canada has had no shortage of NBA talent over the last two decades, but has finally put it all together in a World Cup, reaching its first ever semifinal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the main reason for the club’s success, leading the Canadians in categories across the board, including points (25.0), rebounds (7.2), assists (5.0), and steals (1.7) per game.

It hasn’t just been the SGA Show though. RJ Barrett (14.7 PPG) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (10.0 PPG) been reliable secondary scoring options, Dillon Brooks and Luguentz Dort have played stifling defense, and Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell have allowed the Canadians to match up with bigger teams. Even without players like Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins, Trey Lyles, Shaedon Sharpe, and Cory Joseph, this is a very talented roster.

Serbia, meanwhile, is missing star center Nikola Jokic and point guard Vasilije Micic. In their absence though, Bogdan Bogdanovic has emerged as an effective leading man, averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per night.

Big man Nikola Milutinov, whose NBA draft rights are held by Brooklyn, has provided the Serbians with a consistent presence up front, averaging 13.2 PPG and 8.8 RPG. Current NBA players like Nikola Jovic (10.7 PPG) and Filip Petrusev (9.8 PPG) have chipped in too, as has former NBAer Marko Guduric (8.3 PPG, 3.8 APG).

Canada has more high-level NBA talent than Serbia and is currently listed as a 5.5-point favorite, per BetOnline.ag. But the Serbians have more experience playing together in international events, so this one could go either way.

United States vs. Germany

Even without its A Team, the United States is the heavy frontrunner to win the World Cup as the only squad in Manila made up entirely of NBA players. Team USA’s roster is deeper than any others at the World Cup, so head coach Steve Kerr has plenty of options if certain players are struggling.

Anthony Edwards (17.3 PPG) has been USA’s go-to scorer so far, but he had just three of the team’s 100 points in a blowout quarterfinal win over Italy, with Mikal Bridges, Tyrese Haliburton, Austin Reaves, Jalen Brunson, Brandon Ingram, and Paolo Banchero providing the necessary offense. While a total of nine Team USA players have averaged at least 16 minutes per night so far, none have played more than 23 MPG, as Kerr has taken advantage of the depth available to him.

Still, the U.S. isn’t unbeatable. The club lost to Lithuania in the second round of the World Cup and only narrowly defeated Germany in an exhibition game prior to the tournament.

The Germans are the only undefeated squad left at the World Cup, having been led by NBA players Dennis Schröder (18.0 PPG, 6.3 APG), Moritz Wagner (12.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG), and Daniel Theis (10.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG). Franz Wagner also made his return from an ankle injury in Wednesday’s quarterfinal and will be a key factor in Friday’s semifinal.

Like the U.S., Germany showed on Wednesday that it can win even when its top scorer has an off night. Schröder was just 4-of-26 from the field, but the Germans pulled out a two-point victory over a tough Latvian team.

Only Two Of Our Top 50 Free Agents Remain Unsigned

September 6th, 2023 at 10:03pm CST by Rory Maher

After big man Christian Wood officially signed with the Lakers on Wednesday, only two players on our list of 2023’s top 50 free agents remain unsigned: Kelly Oubre and Hamidou Diallo.

The 15th pick of the 2015 draft, Oubre has earned at least $12MM in each of the past four seasons. He averaged a career-high 20.3 points in 48 appearances with the Hornets last season while snatching 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

Oubre certainly has positive traits, with prototypical size for a guard/forward (6’7″ with a 7’2″ wingspan) and plus athleticism. However, he has struggled to score efficiently throughout his career, posting a subpar 53.4 true shooting percentage in 2022/23. He also averaged 17.1 shot attempts against 1.1 assists last season — an alarmingly poor ratio.

There haven’t been many rumors regarding potential suitors for Oubre, with the Cavaliers, Mavericks and Heat among the teams that have been mentioned, though all three can only make relatively modest financial offers.

There has been even less buzz for the No. 43 player on our list, former Pistons wing Diallo. Like Oubre, Diallo is a high-flying athlete who struggles at times with decision-making, and his role was cut back somewhat in 2022/23.

Diallo converted a career-high 57.3% from the field last season after basically abandoning the three-ball. He’s also a plus defender and rebounder who plays with a lot of energy, but his game is certainly unconventional for a wing.

Detroit renounced the 25-year-old’s cap hold to operate below the cap and use room, so a reunion is unlikely. It might be difficult for Diallo to match the $5.2MM he made each of the past two seasons at this point, given how much money has been spent and how few roster spots are available around the league.

Jaylen Nowell (Wolves), Kendrick Nunn (Wizards), Terence Davis (Kings) and Javonte Green (Bulls) are among the other free agents we considered for our top-50 list who remain unsigned.

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