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2023 NBA Free Agency: Day 2 Recap

The NBA’s free agent market remained active on Saturday after a busy Friday, but the most significant headlines of the day involved players who were already under contract.

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard made the day’s biggest news by submitting a long-awaited trade request to the team. Lillard is reportedly focused on landing with the Heat, but Portland will survey the market, and there are questions about whether Miami will the assets to get a deal done without involving a third team.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s two most lucrative contract agreements were extensions rather than free agents deals. The Hornets and guard LaMelo Ball reached an agreement on a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension, while Kings center Domantas Sabonis agreed to a renegotiation and extension that will add four years and $195MM in new money to his deal.

Listed below are the rest of the highlights from around the NBA on Saturday.


Free agent agreements

Most of these deals aren’t yet official, so the reported terms could change — or agreements could fall through altogether. Generally speaking though, teams and players are on track to finalize these agreements sometime after the moratorium ends on July 6.

[RELATED: 2023 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

Note: Some of these salary figures may include options, incentives, or non-guaranteed money.

  1. Dillon Brooks, Rockets agree to four-year, $80MM contract (sign-and-trade).
  2. Max Strus, Cavaliers agree to four-year, $63MM contract (sign-and-trade).
  3. Austin Reaves, Lakers agree to four-year, $53.8MM contract.
  4. Donte DiVincenzo, Knicks agree to four-year, $50MM contract.
  5. Brook Lopez, Bucks agree to two-year, $48MM contract.
  6. D’Angelo Russell, Lakers agree to two-year, $37MM contract.
  7. Jock Landale, Rockets agree to four-year, $32MM contract.
  8. Moritz Wagner, Magic agree to two-year, $16MM contract.
  9. Dwight Powell, Mavericks agree to three-year, $12MM contract.
  10. Jalen McDaniels, Raptors agree to two-year, $9.3MM contract.
  11. Russell Westbrook, Clippers agree to two-year, $7.9MM contract.
  12. Jeff Green, Rockets agree to one-year, $6MM contract.
  13. Ty Jerome, Cavaliers agree to two-year, $5MM contract.
  14. Thomas Bryant, Heat agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  15. Jaxson Hayes, Lakers agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  16. Patrick Beverley, Sixers agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
  17. Dante Exum, Mavericks agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
  18. Alex Len, Kings agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
  19. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Spurs agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
  20. Jack White, Thunder agree to two-year contract.
  21. Jae Crowder, Bucks agree to one-year contract.
  22. Dennis Smith Jr., Nets agree to one-year contract.
  23. Heat sign Orlando Robinson to minimum-salary contract.

Trades

  1. Knicks agree to trade Obi Toppin to Pacers for two second-round picks.
  2. Rockets agree to trade Kenyon Martin Jr. to Clippers for two second-round picks.
  3. Rockets agree to trade Usman Garuba, TyTy Washington, two second-round picks, and cash to the Hawks for the draft rights to Alpha Kaba.
  4. Spurs to acquire Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and a second-round pick; Heat to acquire a second-round pick in the Max Strus sign-and-trade agreement with the Cavaliers.
  5. Rockets to acquire Dillon Brooks in a sign-and-trade agreement that includes Josh Christopher going to the Grizzlies and Patty Mills going from the Nets to an unknown team. There will be more details to come on this one.
  6. Jazz agree to trade Damian Jones to Cavaliers.

Other notable deals

  1. Vasilije Micic, Thunder agree to three-year, $23.5MM contract.
  2. Sasha Vezenkov, Kings agree to three-year, $20MM contract.
  3. Several first-round picks signed their rookie scale contracts, including No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs.

Previously:

NBA Maximum Salaries For 2023/24

Now that the NBA has set its salary cap for the 2023/24 league year at $136,021,000, we have a clear idea of what maximum-salary contracts will look like for the coming season.

Listed below are the maximum-salary contracts for players signing contracts that start in 2023/24.

The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous team can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player signing with a new team.

These figures will apply to a number of players who signed maximum-salary contract extensions that will go into effect in 2023/24: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and Darius Garland. They’ll also apply to anyone who signs a maximum-salary contract with his own team as a free agent in ’23/24, though there likely won’t be anyone who fits that bill.

A player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players.

In the charts below, the “6 years or less” column details the maximum contracts for players like Morant, Williamson, and Garland, as well as what a free agent like Miles Bridges is eligible for; the “7-9 years” column applies to free agents like Fred VanVleet and to players who qualified for a Rose Rule rookie scale extension, though no one did this year; and the “10+ years” column applies to the league’s most experienced vets, like James, or those who qualified for the super-max, such as Jokic and Embiid.

Here are the maximum salary figures for 2023/24:


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

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2023/24 $34,005,250 $40,806,300 $47,607,350
2024/25 $36,725,670 $44,070,804 $51,415,938
2025/26 $39,446,090 $47,335,308 $55,224,526
2026/27 $42,166,510 $50,599,512 $59,033,114
2027/28 $44,886,930 $53,864,316 $62,841,702
Total $197,230,450 $236,676,540 $276,122,630

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

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2023/24 $34,005,250 $40,806,300 $47,607,350
2024/25 $35,705,513 $42,846,615 $49,987,718
2025/26 $37,405,775 $44,886,930 $52,368,085
2026/27 $39,106,038 $46,927,245 $54,748,453
Total $146,222,575 $175,467,090 $204,711,605

It’s worth noting that none of the maximum-salary figures listed above will apply to extension-eligible players whose new contracts will start in 2024/25.

This group includes players like Tyrese Haliburton and Desmond Bane, who agreed to maximum-salary extensions with the Pacers and Grizzlies, respectively. It also includes players who signed maxextensions in previous years that will begin in ’24/25, such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker.

The exact value of those players’ contracts will depend on where the cap lands for 2024/25, which won’t be officially announced until next June.

Values Of 2023/24 Mid-Level, Bi-Annual Exceptions

The salary cap for the 2023/24 NBA league year has officially been set, with the league announcing that the cap will be $136,021,000, a 10% increase on last year’s number.

Under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the values of the mid-level, room, and bi-annual exceptions are tied to the percentage that the salary cap shifts in a given year. Because the cap figure for 2023/24 increased by 10%, the values of the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions increase by the same amount.

There are a few more wrinkles involved in the calculation of this year’s figures. As part of the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the non-taxpayer mid-level exception is receiving a one-time 7.5% increase in addition to the usual 10% bump, while the room exception has been increased by 30% (plus the usual 10%).

The taxpayer mid-level exception is headed in the other direction, dipping to a flat $5MM this season after being worth approximately $6.48MM last season. It will resume increasing at the same rate as the cap going forward.

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


Mid-Level Exception (Non-Taxpayer):

Year Salary
2023/24 $12,405,000
2024/25 $13,025,250
2025/26 $13,645,500
2026/27 $14,265,750
Total $53,341,500

The non-taxpayer mid-level exception is the primary tool available for over-the-cap teams to add free agents. As long as a team hasn’t dipped below the cap to use cap space and doesn’t go over the first tax apron ($172,346,000) at all, it can use this MLE, which runs for up to four years with 5% annual raises.


Mid-Level Exception (Taxpayer):

Year Salary
2023/24 $5,000,000
2024/25 $5,250,000
Total $10,250,000

Besides being worth less, this exception will now only allow for signings of up to two years instead of three, as a result of the new CBA. The goal was to reduce the ability of taxpaying teams to continue adding talent.

This exception is essentially available to teams who expect their total salaries to fall between the first tax apron and the second apron ($182,794,000). It’s not available to teams above the second tax apron, so a team that does use it becomes hard-capped at that second apron. A team that uses more than $5MM of its mid-level exception will be hard-capped at the first apron.

The taxpayer MLE can be used to sign a player for up to two years, with a 5% raise for the second season.


Room Exception:

Year Salary
2023/24 $7,723,000
2024/25 $8,109,150
2025/26 $8,495,300
Total $24,327,450

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

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


Bi-Annual Exception:

Year Salary
2023/24 $4,516,000
2024/25 $4,741,800
Total $9,257,800

The bi-annual exception, as its name suggests, is only available to teams once every two years. Of the NBA’s 30 clubs, only two – the Sixers and Heatused it in 2022/23, so they won’t have access to it in ’23/24. The league’s other 28 teams could all theoretically use it this season.

Still, even if a team didn’t use its BAE in ’22/23, that club doesn’t necessarily have access to it for the coming year. As is the case with the non-taxpayer MLE, this exception disappears once a team goes under the cap to use room. It’s also not available to teams over the first tax apron — using the BAE creates a hard cap at that apron.

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

NBA 2023 Free Agency: Day 1 Recap

It was a very busy first day of NBA free agency on Friday. By our count, a total of 39 free agents have agreed to new deals since the negotiating period officially began at 5:00 pm CT, while two more players agreed to maximum-salary extensions.

There was some action on the trade market too, with one deal officially finalized on Friday and three more agreed upon.

Listed below are all the free agent agreements, contract extensions, trades, and other notable news items from the first day of free agency.


Free agent agreements

These deals aren’t yet official, so the reported terms could change — or agreements could fall through altogether. Generally speaking though, teams and players are on track to finalize these agreements sometime after the moratorium ends on July 6.

Note: Some of these salary figures may include options, incentives, or non-guaranteed money.

  1. Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers agree to five-year, $160MM contract.
  2. Fred VanVleet, Rockets agree to three-year, $128.5MM contract (maximum salary)
  3. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks agree to three-year, $126MM contract.
  4. Cameron Johnson, Nets agree to four-year, $108MM contract.
  5. Khris Middleton, Bucks agree to three-year, $102MM contract.
  6. Kyle Kuzma, Wizards agree to four-year, $102MM contract.
  7. Draymond Green, Warriors agree to four-year, $100MM contract.
  8. Jakob Poeltl, Raptors agree to four-year, $80MM contract.
  9. Herbert Jones, Pelicans agree to four-year, $53.8MM contract.
  10. Rui Hachimura, Lakers agree to three-year, $51MM contract.
  11. Bruce Brown, Pacers agree to two-year, $45MM contract.
  12. Coby White, Bulls agree to three-year, $33MM contract.
  13. Gabe Vincent, Lakers agree to three-year, $33MM contract.
  14. Caris LeVert, Cavaliers agree to two-year, $32MM contract.
  15. Georges Niang, Cavaliers agree to three-year, $26MM contract.
  16. Dennis Schröder, Raptors agree to two-year, $25.4MM contract.
  17. Joe Ingles, Magic agree to two-year, $22MM contract.
  18. Tre Jones, Spurs agree to two-year, $20MM contract.
  19. Jevon Carter, Bulls agree to three-year, $19MM contract.
  20. Trey Lyles, Kings agree to two-year, $16MM contract.
  21. Julian Champagnie, Spurs agree to four-year, $12MM contract.
  22. Reggie Jackson, Nuggets agree to two-year, $10.25MM contract.
  23. Shake Milton, Timberwolves agree to two-year, $10MM contract.
  24. Seth Curry, Mavericks agree to two-year, $9.3MM contract.
  25. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Timberwolves agree to two-year, $9MM contract.
  26. Troy Brown, Timberwolves agree to two-year, $8MM contract.
  27. Kevin Love, Heat agree to two-year, $7.6MM contract.
  28. Taurean Prince, Lakers agree to one-year, $4.5MM contract.
  29. Keita Bates-Diop, Suns agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  30. Oshae Brissett, Celtics agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  31. Cam Reddish, Lakers agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  32. Derrick Rose, Grizzlies agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  33. Josh Richardson, Heat agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  34. Drew Eubanks, Suns agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  35. Chimezie Metu, Suns agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
  36. Yuta Watanabe, Suns agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
  37. Damion Lee, Suns agree to two-year contract.
  38. DeAndre Jordan, Nuggets agree to contract.
  39. Josh Okogie, Suns agree to contract.

Contract extensions

  1. Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers agree to five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension with Rose Rule language.
  2. Desmond Bane, Grizzlies agree to five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension.
  3. Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics expected to finalize two-year, $60MM extension.

Trades

  1. Nets agree to trade Joe Harris and two future second-round picks to Pistons in exchange for cash.
  2. Wizards agree to trade Monte Morris to Pistons in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick.
  3. Heat agree to trade Victor Oladipo and draft compensation to the Thunder for a return that’s TBD.
  4. Pistons trade draft rights to Balsa Koprivica to Clippers in exchange for cash.
  5. Pacers nearing agreement to trade Chris Duarte to Kings for draft compensation.

Other notable headlines

  1. Clippers are James Harden‘s preferred destination as trade talks with Sixers begin.
  2. Sixers not expected to pursue rookie scale extension with Tyrese Maxey.
  3. Gary Trent Jr., Raptors nearing multiyear extension.
  4. Jordan Clarkson, Jazz engaged in extension discussions.
  5. Magic guarantee 2023/24 salaries for Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris.
  6. Trail Blazers waive Trendon Watford.

The first seven players on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents came off the board on Friday night, but there are still plenty of recognizable names on the market, including D’Angelo Russell, Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington, Austin Reaves, Brook Lopez, Max Strus, and Dillon Brooks.

The full list of available free agents can be found right here.

Hoops Rumors’ 2023 NBA Free Agent Tracker

With free agency officially underway and news of contract agreements breaking left and right, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this offseason. To this end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • Early in free agency, most of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect tentative agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be estimates or approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • A restricted free agent who signs an offer sheet won’t be included in the tracker right away. We’ll wait to hear whether the player’s original team will match or pass on that offer sheet before we update our tracker in order to avoid any confusion.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2023 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. On our mobile site, it can be found in our menu under “Free Agent Lists.”

The tracker will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

2023 NBA Free Agency Primer

The NBA’s 2023 free agency period officially begins on Friday at 5:00 pm central time. At that point, we can expect news of contract agreements to start pouring in, continuing well into the night.

By our count, 38 free agents agreed to deals on day one of free agency in 2022, with seven more players reaching agreements on extensions — we’ll see if that number is matched or exceeded later today.

Here are a few links to prepare you for one of the most exciting days on the NBA calendar:

Top 50 NBA Free Agents Of 2023

The NBA’s 2023 free agent period will tip off at 5:00 pm Central time on Friday, June 30. And while a handful of opt-ins (James Harden and Josh Hart) and extensions (Nikola Vucevic, Harrison Barnes, and Naz Reid) in recent days have taken some notable names off the market, there are still dozens of available players whose decisions will reshape NBA rosters this summer.

Listed below are our top 50 free agents for the 2023/24 NBA season.

Our rankings take into account both a player’s short-term and long-term value, and are essentially a reflection of what sort of contract we expect them to sign. If we were to consider solely a player’s worth for the 2023/24 season, veterans like Brook Lopez and Eric Gordon would place higher, while younger free agents with upside, such as Ayo Dosunmu or Paul Reed, would be ranked lower — or perhaps not at all.

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

Here are our top 50 free agents of 2023:


1. Kyrie Irving, G, Mavericks
There are red flags galore for Irving, whose availability has been compromised in recent years by both health issues and personal decisions. However, his career résumé on the court – including eight All-Star nods, a championship, and a scoring average of 27.1 PPG on .491/.395/.914 shooting over the last four seasons – is strong enough to earn him the top spot on this list. At age 31, Irving still has some prime years left, and as long as he’s available, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be among the NBA’s best scorers going forward. His reputation and his apparent lack of viable suitors may limit his leverage in negotiations with the Mavericks, but he’s one of the only players in this market capable of landing a deal worth $40MM+ per year.

2. Fred VanVleet, G, Raptors
VanVleet is coming off a down season, having made a career-worst 34.2% of his three-point attempts in 2022/23 as his defense also took a step back. But he’s still just 29 years old, so potential suitors may chalk his off year up to nagging injuries and bad luck rather than assuming it’s the beginning of a downward trend. VanVleet’s inability to finish around the rim is a concern, but when he’s at his best, he’s an excellent shooter (he had a .382 career 3PT% entering last season) who plays dogged defense and sets up his teammates (7.2 APG in 2022/23). He turned down an option worth nearly $23MM and could exceed $30MM on a multiyear deal.

3. Jerami Grant, F, Trail Blazers
A big, versatile forward who can guard multiple positions on defense, Grant is also coming off the best offensive season of his career. In averaging 20.3 points per game and knocking down 40.1% of his threes, Grant combined the scoring prowess of his two seasons in Detroit with the shooting efficiency of his Oklahoma City and Denver years. He reportedly turned down a four-year extension worth nearly $113MM, which suggests he’s confident he can get either more money or a fifth year – or maybe both – as a free agent. There’s an expectation that he’ll be back with the Trail Blazers as long as they don’t pivot to a rebuild.

4. Khris Middleton, F, Bucks
One of the NBA’s most underappreciated players for years, Middleton averaged at least 20 points in four of five seasons and made three All-Star teams from 2017-22. Unfortunately, his contract year was a forgettable one, with Middleton limited to 33 games due to injuries as his scoring rate (15.1 PPG) and shooting percentages (.436 FG%, .315 3PT%) dipped significantly. The 31-year-old looked more like himself in five playoff games (23.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.2 APG, .465/.406/.867 shooting) and felt confident enough about his earning potential this summer to decline a player option worth more than $40MM. I don’t expect him to match that starting salary on a new deal, but if he ends up signing a long-term contract, the total value should be in the nine digits.

5. Cameron Johnson, F, Nets (RFA)
With rumors percolating that the Pistons are seriously considering a bid for Johnson, the Nets forward could be the beneficiary of a bidding war that pushes his next contract well beyond the four-year, $90MM deal that his teammate and “twin” Mikal Bridges received. At 27, Johnson is older than most players coming off a rookie scale contracts, but he has continued to improve in each of his four seasons in the league, increasing his scoring average every year and evolving into one of the NBA’s most reliable shooters (41.6% on threes over the last two seasons).

6. Draymond Green, F/C, Warriors
Green’s upcoming free agency reminds me a little of Al Horford hitting the market in 2019. Like the current iteration of Green, 2019 Horford was considered a major defensive asset but didn’t score much and had just turned 33. Four years ago, the Sixers swooped in with a four-year, $97MM offer to lure Horford away from the division-rival Celtics. Is there a team out there planning a similarly aggressive push for Green? For what it’s worth, Horford later admitted that he probably should’ve just re-signed in Boston, where he was most comfortable and where he eventually returned. I expect Green to avoid that same mistake and simply re-up with the Warriors.

7. Jakob Poeltl, C, Raptors
In a subpar free agent market for centers, Poeltl stands out as the top target for any team seeking a traditional big man. He doesn’t shoot three-pointers and isn’t as switchable as you’d want a modern center to be, but Poeltl is a talented rim protector and a solid pick-and-roll partner who can score around the basket — he’s also just 27 years old. It will likely take a long-term commitment of over $20MM annually to have a chance to pry him away from the Raptors, who gave up a first-round pick for him at February’s trade deadline.

8. Miles Bridges, F, Hornets (RFA)
It’s impossible to know exactly how the Hornets and the rest of the NBA will value Bridges, who sat out the entire 2022/23 season after facing a felony domestic violence charge. He agreed to a plea deal and was subsequently suspended by the NBA, who will require him to sit out the first 10 games of next season. Prior to that incident, Bridges was viewed as one of the top free agents of the 2022 class, having averaged 20.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 3.8 APG on 49.1% shooting in 80 games (35.5 MPG) in 2021/22. As valuable as Bridges can be on the court, the repugnant behavior he was accused of away from it should give suitors pause about inviting him to represent their franchise. A return to Charlotte is the most likely path for the RFA forward.

9. D’Angelo Russell, G, Lakers
Russell’s poor showing in the playoffs left a sour taste and has resulted in several rounds of rumors this offseason about possible point guard alternatives for the Lakers. But Russell’s value shouldn’t be understated. He was an extremely productive offensive player during the 2022/23 regular season, averaging 17.8 PPG and 6.2 APG with a .469/.396/.829 shooting line. The Lakers had a plus-12.2 net rating during D-Lo’s 526 minutes of action down the stretch, easily the best mark of anyone on the roster for the season. Russell, who is still just 27 years old, almost certainly won’t match the $31MM+ he earned in 2022/23, but given the price tags for starting point guards around the NBA, it’s hard to imagine him signing for less than about $20MM per year.

10. Kyle Kuzma, F, Wizards
Kuzma decided early in the 2022/23 season that he’d be declining his $13MM player option in order to seek a bigger payday in free agency. Given that he averaged a career-high 21.2 PPG to go along with 7.2 RPG and 3.7 APG, that was probably the right call. But with the Wizards in the process of rebuilding, Kuzma’s best bet for a big raise may be off the board. There are other teams with cap room and a need for a forward – the Pacers are one – so Kuzma should still do fine on the open market, but it no longer looks like Washington will be eager to overpay him to stick around.

Read more

2023 NBA Qualifying Offer Recap

Players eligible for restricted free agency don’t become restricted free agents by default. In order for a team to make a player a restricted free agent, it must extend a qualifying offer to him. The qualifying offer, which is essentially just a one-year contract offer, varies in amount depending on a player’s previous contract status.

A qualifying offer is designed to give a player’s current team the right of first refusal. Because the qualifying offer acts as the first formal contract offer a free agent receives, his team then has the option to match any offer sheet the player signs with another club. If a player doesn’t receive a qualifying offer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team — his previous club is given no formal opportunity to match.

You can read more about qualifying offers here.

Listed below are the details on which players did and didn’t receive qualifying offers this summer. Our list is based on various reports and team announcements leading up to the June 29 deadline, along with confirmation from RealGM’s official NBA transactions log.

It’s possible that one or two qualifying offers slipped through the cracks and will be reported later today before free agency officially gets underway — if so, we’ll update this list.

For now though, this is what the qualifying offer landscape looks like. The players who received QOs will be restricted free agents, while the players who didn’t will be unrestricted. We’ve updated our free agents lists by position and by team to reflect the changes.


Received qualifying offers:

Players on standard contracts:

Note: Qualifying offers marked with an asterisk (*) are based on a projected $136,021,000 salary cap and would increase or decrease if the cap comes in higher or lower than that.

Players on two-way contracts:

Note: Qualifying offers for two-way players are one-year, two-way contracts with a $50K guarantee unless otherwise indicated.


Did not receive qualifying offers:

Players on standard contracts:

Players on two-way contracts:

Note: Some of the players listed below may not have been eligible for a qualifying offer due to the limited time they spent on a two-way contract.

Extension Candidate: Jaden McDaniels

This is the first installment in our 2023 series examining players who are prime candidates for contract extensions. This series will explore the player’s strengths and weaknesses, and will evaluate what a fair deal between the player and his team might look like (McDaniels will be extension-eligible when the new league year kicks in at midnight ET on Friday night).


Rundown

The 28th overall pick of the 2020 draft after one up-and-down college season at Washington, Jaden McDaniels became a rotation player almost immediately as a rookie for the Timberwolves, appearing in 63 games (27 starts) with averages of 6.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 1.0 BPG on .447/.364/.600 shooting in 24.0 MPG.

His second NBA season saw signs of progress in some ways, but regression in others. That isn’t meant to be a criticism – it’s simply a reality for most young players.

For example, his offensive role increased in 2021/22, with McDaniels averaging 9.2 points and 4.2 boards in 70 games (31 starts, 25.8 MPG). He also bolstered his two-point (54.4% to 57.9%) and free throw percentages (60.0% to 80.3%). However, his three-point percentage dropped to 31.7%, which leveled out his efficiency gains in other areas, and his foul rate increased.

Minnesota was bullish on the young forward’s upside, so the team kept him out of the Rudy Gobert trade, reportedly giving up a couple extra first-round picks instead. While that deal certainly was not favorable for the Wolves overall (to put it mildly), retaining McDaniels is at least looking like the correct decision.

Former first round-picks who have both of their team options exercised become eligible for rookie scale extensions in the offseason after their third year, as is the case here. So ‘22/23 was an important season for McDaniels, particularly from a financial perspective.

He responded with a career year, averaging 12.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .517/.398/.736 shooting in 79 games, all starts (30.6 MPG). He also posted a career-best 58.8% two-point percentage, with a major leap in his scoring efficiency (61.1% True Shooting percentage, vs. 55.2% and 55.3% in his previous two seasons).

Unfortunately, in the last game of the regular season with the Wolves vying for the postseason during the best individual stretch of basketball of his pro career, he punched a curtain that he didn’t realize had a cement wall behind it and broke his right hand. The fact that both McDaniels and Naz Reid (who just signed a three-year, $42MM extension) were injured for the play-in and playoffs right when they were peaking is an overlooked and promising aspect of the Wolves’ offseason, as there is reason to believe they’ll keep improving.

Strengths

At 6’9” with a 6’11” wingspan, McDaniels has elite length for a small forward. He’s a smooth, graceful athlete who is fast in the open court and quick on his feet in tight spaces, which is rare for a player his size.

He uses those tools to navigate screens, contest shots and cover ground on the less glamorous end of the court. McDaniels is one of top perimeter defenders in the NBA, as he received the 12th-most votes of any player for the ‘22/23 All-Defensive Teams, just missing out on the honor (I will never understand why there are two only two All-D teams and three All-NBA teams – more defensive players deserve to be recognized).

Despite having a thin frame, McDaniels is tenacious defensively and plays with an edge on both ends when he’s at his best. He doesn’t shy away from contact, especially if he has momentum.

McDaniels is an extremely versatile defender, with the ability to guard four positions – even five at times. He has strong instincts and is almost always tasked with defending the opposing teams’ best perimeter player. He’s elite on the ball, with excellent lateral footwork and recovering ability. McDaniels’ height allows him to see over the top of screens, and his length allows him to play a few feet off some of the point guards he’s tasked with defending, giving him extra space to maneuver. He’s also a strong weak-side rim protector and reacts well in “help the helper” scenarios.

McDaniels is a versatile offensive player, and a big part of his success in ‘22/23 wasn’t what you’d expect for someone who gets the generic “3-and-D” label – he actually attempted more twos and fewer threes.

I think the Wolves were placing McDaniels in a box a bit early in his career as far as only spotting up for threes at times. He showed throughout last season that he’s more effective – and keeps defenders more off balance – when he’s able to use other parts of his game as well.

Being a plus leaper with plus size makes him a natural lob threat. He has good timing when cutting to the basket, and is a good finisher at the rim. He can pump-fake and drive, handle the ball with both hands, initiate a fast break, run a bit of pick and roll, has a mid-range pull-up jumper, and shot nearly 40% from deep. McDaniels is more skilled than his scoring average might lead you to believe.

Granted, McDaniels’ offensive role was fairly modest for much of last season — he averaged just 8.6 shot attempts per game (55 games) leading up to the trade deadline. That number rose to 10.5 per game (23 healthy games) after the Wolves traded D’Angelo Russell (a score-first guard) for Mike Conley (a pass-first point guard) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in February.

Another big benefit for McDaniels is that he won’t turn 23 until the end of September, which means there’s theoretically plenty more time for improvement. He was a top-10 recruit entering college, so it’s not a new thing that he’s viewed as having considerable upside.

Weaknesses

While McDaniels is an all-around very strong defender, he’s a subpar rebounder for his position, pulling down just 3.9 boards in 30.6 minutes per game. His other weakness on that end is that he can be foul prone, which can be frustrating when paired with Karl-Anthony Towns’ own undisciplined fouls. That has been an issue in each of his three seasons.

A lack of weight and strength, combined with a high center of gravity, means McDaniels can be bullied off his spots at times. That works against him on both ends of the court, even if his speed and agility help make up for it to an extent. He’s definitely no pushover and doesn’t back down, but if you get into his chest, you can move him.

The 22-year-old’s decision-making can be a little dicey on both ends of the court. He’ll get caught in the air sometimes when going up for a shot, for example, and bites on occasional pump fakes. Cutting down on bad fouls would be a boon for his game. He doesn’t have great feel as a passer.

McDaniels doesn’t always take advantage of mismatches. He’s capable of driving past slower players and shooting over smaller ones, but sometimes he can be passive.

It’s hard to know how legitimate his three-point shooting was in ‘22/23 because his percentages have been all over the place in his career despite fairly consistent attempts. Having a more balanced shot distribution was a positive for his game overall, no doubt, but I’m curious to see if he’ll keep making outside shots at a high level long term.

I could easily see McDaniels becoming a player who scores in the high teens offensively. I’m not sure he can get to 20-plus, though it’s certainly possible if things break the right way. He’s a good ball-handler for his size, but not a great one, and his shot comes and goes.

Conclusion

McDaniels is a young, talented two-way player who brings versatility all over the court. If you were building a wing player from scratch to play defense, he isn’t far off from what you’d be looking for. He has also been pretty durable thus far.

There’s no question that he is highly valued by both the Wolves and all the other 29 teams in the league. He might not be a household name, but he’s going to get a major payday. The question is, how much?

The sample size of McDaniels being a significant contributor to winning is one season. He was very good in that one season, but it’s still only one season. He’s going to get paid based on what he could become just as much as who he currently is. There’s always some risk in that proposition.

McDaniels’ floor in an extension is probably four years, $90MM. That’s what Mikal Bridges got a few years ago and what De’Andre Hunter received before last season started. I thought Hunter got overpaid based on his past results and injury problems, and I would take McDaniels over him in a trade without hesitation.

It’s actually challenging to find a player who compares to McDaniels because he’s only 22, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league at 6’9”, is a plus athlete, and has an interesting blend of offensive skills. He can’t create his own shot like the former No. 1 overall pick can, but I can see a little bit of Andrew Wiggins in his game. People thought Wiggins was underpaid when he got a four-year, $109MM extension last year.

Something in the middle of those two figures sounds about right to me for McDaniels. If he gets a four-year deal, I think he’s probably in line for around $100MM. The new CBA allows for five-year, non-max rookie scale extensions, and if he wants the extra year of security, I could see him getting about $125MM. $25MM annually is a lot for a role player, but he has a chance to be a special one and was already very good last season.

Community Shootaround: Porzingis To Celtics

For many teams, the biggest offseason move has yet to be made. Free agency is approaching and some big-name players could still be dealt.

In the Celtics’ case, the major acquisition this offseason has seemingly already taken place. The three-team deal for Kristaps Porzingis was a bold and risky move by a storied franchise seeking its first championship since 2008.

Porzingis changes the dynamic of the Celtics’ frontcourt. The oft-injured 7’3’’ big man played 65 games for the Wizards – his most since the 2016/17 season – and regained his All-Star form. He averaged a career-high 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks. He also drained 38.5% of his 3-point attempts.

Porzingis could play either power forward or center, depending upon how Joe Mazzulla wants to match up with the opposition. He might play alongside Robert Williams or Al Horford, assuming another trade isn’t made, with Jayson Tatum at small forward and Jaylen Brown at shooting guard in bigger lineups.

Alternatively, he could man the middle with Tatum and Brown playing the forward spots.

Of course, there was a price to pay for Porzingis. He opted into his $36MM contract and the Celtics are reportedly looking to sign him to extension.

That would give them three giants salary commitments with Porzingis, Tatum and Brown eating up significant cap space.

It’s unlikely Porzingis will match his offensive numbers from last season with Tatum and Brown in the lineup. However, he’ll give the Celtics a much more potent option compared to the aging Horford and defensive-minded Williams. He’ll also give the Celtics a lot more size defensively to combat Eastern Conference rivals Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Giving up Marcus Smart was a calculated risk just one season removed from being the Defensive Player of the Year. Smart’s toughness and leadership will be missed and the perimeter defense could suffer without him.

Derrick White figures to take a bigger role and they’ll have to hope Malcolm Brogdon’s elbow injury won’t require surgery. Payton Pritchard should also get the playing time he craves.

That brings us to our topic of the day: What do you think of the Celtics’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis? Will it make them the team to beat in the Eastern Conference or will they regret trading Marcus Smart for the oft-injured big man?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.