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Community Shootaround: Magic Backcourt

September 4th, 2023 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie of the Year award winner Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could be one of the league’s top forward combinations for years to come. Wendell Carter Jrr. has a stranglehold on the starting center job.

The mystery for the Magic is how their backcourt will shake out. They’re loaded with high draft picks at the guard positions and coach Jamahl Mosley will have some tough decisions regarding his rotation, particularly at the point.

Markelle Fultz is the favorite to be the starter at the point. He appeared in 60 regular season games last season and started them all, averaging 14.0 points and 5.7 assists per night.

Cole Anthony saw extensive playing time, mostly off the bench. He averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists in 60 games during his third NBA season.

The Magic invested the sixth pick in a loaded draft on Arkansas’ Anthony Black. The one-and-done college player averaged 12.8 points and 3.9 assists — along with 2.1 steals — for the Razorbacks last season. It stands to reason that Black will get some immediate playing time, given his draft status.

Then there’s Jalen Suggs, the No. 5 pick of the 2021 draft. Suggs had a stellar college career at Gonzaga but his first two NBA seasons haven’t been memorable. He’s been nagged by injuries, though he still started 19 of the 53 games he played last season. Suggs averaged 9.9 PPG and 2.9 APG and will be entering a pivotal season in his NBA career. He’ll come to training camp with plenty to prove and perhaps a chip on his shoulder.

Orlando also invested a lottery pick this summer on Jett Howard. He played one season at Michigan for his father, Juwan Howard, and ran the point for the Wolverines. He averaged 14.2 points in his lone college campaign.

Gary Harris remains the likely starter at shooting guard but it’s not a given. Harris has been a steady, if unspectacular, performer during his NBA career. He started 42 of 48 games last season but only averaged 8.3 points.

Another Michigan product, Caleb Houstan, could be a bigger factor in his second NBA season. Houstan was a high second-round pick in 2022 and made 51 appearances off the bench.

Veteran Joe Ingles, a free agent acquisition, is likely to back up at the forward spots but he could play some minutes at the off-guard spot.

A couple of natural point guards could share the court, but it’s quite a puzzle for Mosley.

That brings us to our topic of the day: How do you think the Magic’s backcourt will shake out? Who will start and who will be the main reserves?

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

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Only One Team Has Used Its Entire Non-Taxpayer MLE In 2023/24

September 4th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

There are three forms of the mid-level exception: the room exception, the full/non-taxpayer MLE, and the taxpayer MLE. All three have different values and can be used to sign players to contracts of different lengths.

Our focus today is specifically on the non-taxpayer version of the mid-level exception, which is a bit of a misnomer. Though its name suggests otherwise, using the non-taxpayer MLE doesn’t mean a team can’t or won’t be above the tax line ($165,294,000) at seasons end; it simply means the team’s total salary can’t surpass the first tax “apron” ($172,346,000).

As our Luke Adams previously detailed, the non-taxpayer MLE is the primary tool for over-the-cap teams to sign free agents. It runs for up to four years with 5% annual raises and a starting salary worth up to $12,405,000.

Interestingly, while many teams have used a portion of the non-taxpayer MLE, only the Raptors have gone through the entire $12,405,000 this summer — they used it to sign veteran guard Dennis Schröder to a two-year deal in free agency. Schröder is currently competing at the 2023 World Cup, leading Germany to an unblemished 5-0 record and a berth in the quarterfinals.

The Knicks (Donte DiVincenzo), Lakers (Gabe Vincent), Timberwolves (Shake Milton and Nickeil Alexander-Walker) and Cavaliers (Georges Niang) have all used a major portion of the MLE. They’re all unlikely to use the remaining amount they control due to the relatively modest amounts they have available, as well as their luxury tax situations.

The same is true of the Bulls, who are right at the tax line and used $6.2MM of their MLE to sign Jevon Carter. The Pelicans only used $1.8MM of their MLE (on E.J. Liddell), but they’re projected to be over the tax at the moment, so they’re unlikely to use more of the MLE unless they make a major salary-shedding trade.

The Mavericks (Dante Exum and Seth Curry) have used $7MM of their MLE, and they technically have enough breathing room below the tax to use more of it. However, their roster is nearly full, so it’s unclear if they actually will.

The Hawks, Nets, Hornets, Grizzlies, Trail Blazers and Wizards haven’t used any of their non-taxpayer MLEs. Some are more likely to use it than others, but it’s technically still available.

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Community Shootaround: Team USA

September 3rd, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Team USA appeared to be cruising along in the FIBA World Cup. Then came Lithuania.

A 110-104 loss on Sunday didn’t knock Team USA out of the tournament but it made the favorites look quite vulnerable. Team USA’s athleticism couldn’t overcome Lithuania’s size and power. The U.S. was outrebounded by 16 and got outscored 17-2 on second-chance points.

A slow start — which has been characteristic of this group — was another issue. Team USA trailed 31-12 after the first quarter and never recovered.

As the final score would indicate, Team USA’s defense was shredded by the star-less Lithuanians. While Lithuania has some familiar faces, including Jonas Valanciunas and Ignas Brazdeikis, it was alarming to see the United States team allow 52.8% shooting overall and 56% on threes. Lithuania had nine players score at least nine points.

The biggest concern coming into the tournament for Team USA was a general lack of size. Jaren Jackson Jr., who has spent most of his NBA career as a power forward, has been starting at center. He quickly got into foul trouble on Sunday and coach Steve Kerr had even smaller options when he went to his bench. The only true center on the roster, Walker Kessler, played six minutes.

Even so, with the likes of Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Austin Reaves and Tyrese Haliburton, you’d expect Team USA to overcome its size issues.

There’s no more margin for error with the quarterfinals against Italy looming on Tuesday. If Team USA advances, it would face Germany or Latvia in the semifinals.

On the other side of the bracket, the quarterfinal matches include Lithuania vs. Serbia and Canada vs. Slovenia.

That leads us to today’s topic: Do you feel Team USA will prevail in the World Cup despite Sunday’s loss? If not, which team is your pick to win it?

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

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Poison Pill Provision

September 3rd, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The poison pill provision isn’t technically a term defined in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, the concept of a “poison pill” has colloquially come to refer to a pair of NBA concepts.

The first of those concepts relates to the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which we’ve explained in a separate glossary entry. When a team uses the Arenas provision to sign a restricted free agent with one or two years of NBA experience to an offer sheet, that team can include a massive third-year raise that’s often referred to as a “poison pill,” since it makes it more difficult for the original team to match the offer.

The second meaning of the “poison poll” is the one that has become more common – and more frequently relevant – in recent years. It relates to players who have recently signed rookie scale extensions.

The “poison pill provision” applies when a team extends a player’s rookie scale contract, then trades him before the extension officially takes effect. It’s a rare situation, but it features its own set of rules, since extensions following rookie contracts often create a large gap between a player’s current and future salaries.

For salary-matching purposes, if a player is traded between the time his rookie contract is extended and the following July 1 (when that extension takes effect), the player’s incoming value for the receiving team is the average of his current-year salary and the annual salary in each year of his extension.

His current team, on the other hand, simply treats his current-year salary as the outgoing figure for matching purposes.

Let’s use Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley as an example. Quickley is an extension candidate and could also be a trade candidate if the right opportunity arises for New York. He’s set to earn $4,171,548 in 2023/24, the final year of his rookie scale contract.

Any extension Quickley signs before the season begins would be significantly more lucrative than his current-year salary. To illustrate our point, let’s assume he and the Knicks agree to a four-year, $110MM rookie scale extension that would begin in ’24/25.

If the Knicks decide after signing Quickley to that extension that they want to trade him, the poison pill provision would complicate their efforts.

From New York’s perspective, Quickley’s current-year cap hit ($4,171,548) would represent his outgoing salary for matching purposes. However, any team acquiring Quickley would have to view his incoming value as $22,834,310 — that’s the annual average of the five years and $114,171,548 he has left when accounting for both his current contract and his (hypothetical) new extension.

As we explain in our glossary entry on the traded player exception, NBA rules dictate that over-the-cap teams must send and receive approximately the same amount of salary in any trade. So applying the poison pill provision to a player like Quickley and creating a difference of nearly $19MM between how two trade partners account for him would make salary-matching far more difficult than usual.

The poison pill provision is one key reason why the Knicks are unlikely to extend Quickley unless they’re fairly certain they won’t use him in a blockbuster deal before the 2024 trade deadline. Without an extension in place, his current-year salary of $4,171,548 would be both his outgoing and incoming cap hit for matching purposes.

Of course, extending Quickley now would make him easier to trade in the 2024 offseason than if he were a restricted free agent. For instance, signing Tyler Herro to a rookie scale extension prior to the 2022/23 season made it extremely difficult for the Heat to trade him during the season, but makes him a prime candidate to be included in a Damian Lillard trade now — that may not have been the case if Miami had let him reach restricted free agency.

Trades involving a player who recently signed a rookie scale extension are already pretty infrequent. After all, those players are generally young, and a player who signed an extension is promising enough to have warranted a long-term investment. Those aren’t players that teams often trade. The poison poll provision further disincentivizes a deal involving one of those recently extended players by complicating salary-matching rules, making those trades that much more rare.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years.

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Longest-Tenured NBA Head Coaches

September 2nd, 2023 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been an eventful year on the NBA’s coaching carousel. Within the last 12 months, nearly a third of the NBA’s teams (nine of 30) have made head coaching changes.

Those changes impacted four of the eight longest-tenured coaches in the NBA. Mike Budenholzer (Bucks), Dwane Casey (Pistons) and Nick Nurse (Raptors) were among just seven head coaches who had been employed by their respective teams since 2018 (or earlier), but all three were dismissed – or, in Casey’s case, transitioned to a new role – at the end of the 2022/23 season. Monty Williams, who had been with the Suns since the spring of 2019, was also among the coaches let go in the last year.

Given the turnover in the head coaching ranks, it’s time we update our list sorting the NBA’s 30 head coaches by when they were hired. Here’s the current breakdown of the league’s longest-tenured head coaches by team:

  1. Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
  2. Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
  3. Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 2014
  4. Michael Malone, Nuggets: June 2015
  5. Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies: June 2019
  6. J.B. Bickerstaff, Cavaliers: February 2020
  7. Tom Thibodeau, Knicks: July 2020
  8. Billy Donovan, Bulls: September 2020
  9. Tyronn Lue, Clippers: October 2020
  10. Mark Daigneault, Thunder: November 2020
  11. Chris Finch, Timberwolves: February 2021
  12. Rick Carlisle, Pacers: June 24, 2021
  13. Chauncey Billups, Trail Blazers: June 27, 2021
  14. Jason Kidd, Mavericks: June 28, 2021
  15. Jamahl Mosley, Magic: July 11, 2021
  16. Wes Unseld Jr., Wizards: July 17, 2021
  17. Willie Green, Pelicans: July 22, 2021
  18. Mike Brown, Kings: May 2022
  19. Darvin Ham, Lakers: June 3, 2022
  20. Steve Clifford, Hornets: June 24, 2022
  21. Will Hardy, Jazz: June 29, 2022
  22. Joe Mazzulla, Celtics: September 2022
    • Note: Mazzulla became the Celtics’ interim head coach in September 2022 and was named the permanent head coach in February 2023.
  23. Jacque Vaughn, Nets: November 2022
  24. Quin Snyder, Hawks: February 2023
  25. Ime Udoka, Rockets: April 2023
  26. Nick Nurse, Sixers: June 1, 2023
  27. Monty Williams, Pistons: June 2, 2023
  28. Adrian Griffin, Bucks: June 5, 2023
  29. Frank Vogel, Suns: June 6, 2023
  30. Darko Rajakovic, Raptors: June 13, 2023

While there are no surprises at the very top of this list, Jenkins’ spot in the top five reflects how short the typical tenure for an NBA head coach is — he has moved that high despite having coached the Grizzlies for only four seasons.

Similarly, 20 of the NBA’s 30 head coaches have only been employed by their current teams since 2021 and have no more than two full seasons under their belt.

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Poll: 2023 FIBA World Cup Quarterfinalists

September 1st, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined earlier today, four of the eight teams who will play in the quarterfinals of FIBA’s 2023 World Cup have been set. The United States, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Germany earned their spots in the knockout round with victories on Friday.

That leaves four spots up for grabs, to be determined in a series of win-or-go-home matchups on Sunday. We want to get your predictions on which teams will advance. Let’s dive in…

Italy vs. Puerto Rico

The Italians and Puerto Ricans entered the second round with 2-1 records and kept their quarterfinal hopes alive by upsetting Serbia and the Dominican Republic, respectively. Italy had previously lost to the Dominicans, while Puerto Rico fell to the Serbians in the first round.

This version of the Italian national team isn’t as strong as some past groups, but it still features some NBA talent, past and present. Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio increased his World Cup scoring average to a team-high 20.0 PPG with 30 points on Friday, while former Pistons forward Gigi Datome and ex-Pelicans forward Nicolo Melli have also played key roles.

Puerto Rico’s roster also features some names that may be familiar to NBA fans, starting with former Celtics second-rounder Tremont Waters, who racked up 37 points on Friday and leads the team with 21.8 PPG through four games. Former Cavaliers forward John Holland is representing Puerto Rico too.

Brazil vs. Latvia

Brazil lost to Spain by 18 points in the first round, while Latvia was blown out by 26 points by Canada. However, Brazil defeated Canada on Friday while Latvia eked out Spain, keeping them in the quarterfinal hunt.

Brazil’s leading scorer through four games is former NBA first-round pick Bruno Caboclo, who is showing in international competition the upside that the Raptors saw when they selected him 20th overall in 2014. He has averaged 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game through four contests. Former Lakers guard Marcelo Huertas, former Bulls big man Cristiano Felicio, and Warriors draft-and-stash prospect Gui Santos are among the other notable players on Brazil’s roster.

Latvia is missing star big man Kristaps Porzingis, but has multiple impressive wins so far in the tournament, knocking off 2019 bronze medalists France in the first round before beating Spain on Friday. The Latvians have several talented shooters, starting with Thunder forward Davis Bertans, who is averaging 12.0 PPG. Former Nets forward Rodions Kurucs is among Latvia’s other key contributors.

Dominican Republic vs. Serbia

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns has been the leader of an upstart Dominican Republic team, averaging 24.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in four games. Joined by Warriors two-way guard Lester Quinones and former Clippers center Angel Delgado, Towns led the Dominicans to three first-round wins before they lost to Puerto Rico on Friday.

Unlike the Dominican Republic, which hasn’t won a game by more than seven points, the Serbians were dominant in round one, defeating Puerto Rico, South Sudan, and China by an average of over 30 points per game.

Without Nikola Jokic, the Serbians don’t have a star as impactful as Towns, but they do have a well-balanced roster that includes Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (18.0 PPG, 5.3 APG), Heat forward Nikola Jovic (14.0 PPG), and Nets draft-and-stash prospect Nikola Milutinov (13.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG).

Canada vs. Spain

Through the first round, Canada and Spain looked like two of the biggest threats to challenge Team USA for gold. But after disappointing showings on Friday, one of them won’t advance to the single-elimination round.

Prior to Friday’s four-point loss to Brazil, Canada had the best point differential of any team in the tournament (+111), as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.8 APG) led the way with his scoring and play-making. The Canadians will be hoping that Friday was just a blip on the radar and that a squad which also features RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Luguentz Dort, Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker bounces back on Sunday.

It certainly won’t be a cakewalk though. Spain is the defending World Cup champion and entered this year’s tournament as FIBA’s top-ranked team. The Spaniards are missing 2019 World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio, but Willy Hernangomez and Juancho Hernangomez have played well, and the club has gotten solid contributions from current and former NBAers like Santi Aldama, Usman Garuba, Rudy Fernandez, Victor Claver, and Alex Abrines.

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Teams With Full 21-Man Offseason Rosters

September 1st, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The offseason roster limit for NBA teams has historically been 20 players, but the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement raised that limit to 21 to account for the fact that each team’s total two-way contract slots have increased from two to three.

By the time training camps open at the start of October, we can expect most – if not all – of the NBA’s 30 teams to be carrying full 21-man rosters. There’s little downside to filling up the roster, as doing so gives teams more bodies in camp and more roster flexibility during the preseason.

[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]

For now though, only eight teams have maxed out their rosters. The other 22 clubs are carrying fewer than 21 players and will likely have more moves to make in the next month or so.

Here are the eight teams that currently have full 21-man offseason rosters:

Denver Nuggets

15 guaranteed, three Exhibit 10s, three two-ways

It’s still possible the Nuggets could make a change or two to their projected regular season squad, but right now their roster decisions appear pretty straightforward. Once the defending champions cut their three Exhibit 10 players, their roster will be set for opening night.

Memphis Grizzlies

17 guaranteed, one TBD, three two-ways

We still don’t know the details on Shaquille Harrison‘s new deal with the Grizzlies — I expect it’ll be non-guaranteed, but even if that’s the case, Memphis would have to trade or release two players on guaranteed deals in order to set their roster for the start of the regular season. Isaiah Todd and Josh Christopher are among those whose spots appear to be most in danger.

Miami Heat

12 guaranteed, one partially guaranteed, five Exhibit 10s, three two-ways

With the Damian Lillard sweepstakes unresolved, the Heat’s roster is still very much subject to major changes. But if no Lillard trade materializes, perhaps Miami will consider promoting one or two of their two-way players (including Jamal Cain) to the standard roster, allowing their Exhibit 10 players to compete for a two-way deal.

Milwaukee Bucks

15 guaranteed, three Exhibit 10s, three two-ways

Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported today (via Twitter) that newly signed forward Alex Antetokounmpo has already been waived. But that transaction hasn’t shown up in NBA.com’s log yet, and he’s still listed on the Bucks’ official roster, so we’re assuming the team is still carrying 21 players for now.

Of course, Antetokounmpo and his fellow Exhibit 10 signees will likely be cut sooner or later, but maybe there will be an opportunity for one of them to earn a conversion to a two-way deal with a strong preseason. Players like Lindell Wigginton, whose two-way deals carried over from 2022/23 to ’23/24, typically have less job security than those who have signed new contracts since July.

New York Knicks

12 guaranteed, three non-guaranteed, three Exhibit 10s, three two-ways

The Knicks may opt to shake things up a little before opening night. One of their 12 players on guaranteed contracts – Evan Fournier – is an obvious trade candidate, and none of their three players on non-guaranteed deals (Isaiah Roby, DaQuan Jeffries, Duane Washington) are locks to make the 15-man roster.

Oklahoma City Thunder

15 guaranteed, one partially guaranteed, two non-guaranteed, three two-ways

Setting the Thunder’s roster won’t be as simple as cutting the players without full guarantees. Two of those guys – Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe – were solid rotation players last season and another – Jack White – was newly signed in July. We took a closer look last week at where the Thunder’s roster crunch stands and which players might end up on the outside looking in.

Toronto Raptors

15 guaranteed, one non-guaranteed, two Exhibit 10s, three two-ways

Pascal Siakam has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, but if the Raptors don’t make a deal before the season starts, the only drama may be whether Jeff Dowtin (on a non-guaranteed deal) can play well enough to crack the 15-man opening night roster.

Dowtin would earn a $900K partial guarantee if he makes it to opening night. In that scenario, Malachi Flynn, Garrett Temple, or Otto Porter might be the odd man out.

Utah Jazz

12 guaranteed, two partially guaranteed, one non-guaranteed, three Exhibit 10s, three two-ways

If Romeo Langford had received a small partial guarantee or signed a standard non-guaranteed contract, I’d view him as a threat to earn a 15-man roster spot. However, the Exhibit 10 clause reported to be included in his deal suggests the Jazz aren’t counting on that and will be happy to stick with their 15 players on standard contracts, including the three guys without full guarantees (Kris Dunn, Omer Yurtseven, and Luka Samanic).

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Checking In On Unsigned 2023 Draft Picks

September 1st, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

When he signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies on Thursday, No. 45 pick overall pick GG Jackson became the 54th player selected in the 2023 draft to sign with his NBA team. Two of the 60 picks in this year’s draft were forfeited, which means there are just four players who have yet to sign NBA contracts.

As our tracker shows, those players are as follows:

  1. Charlotte Hornets: James Nnaji, C
  2. Washington Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic, F
  3. Indiana Pacers: Mojave King, G
  4. Memphis Grizzlies: Tarik Biberovic, G/F

It seems safe to assume we won’t see King and Biberovic in the NBA this season. Reports during or shortly after the draft indicated that they’ll be draft-and-stash prospects who will continue to hone their skills in international leagues while the Pacers and Grizzlies, respectively, control their NBA rights.

It’s possible that Nnaji and Vukcevic will take a similar path, but that has not yet been confirmed.

Speaking in July to Tony Canyameras of Mundo Deportivo (translation via Eurohoops), Nnaji said his expectation at that point was that he’d spend another season in Europe with FC Barcelona, but his future remained up in the air.

“We have to see how everything goes. The circumstances depend on what happens in the Summer League. But for now, I would say yes,” Nnaji said of returning to Barcelona.

The Hornets currently only have 13 players on guaranteed salaries for 2023/24, so they’d have room on their roster to add Nnaji if they want to.

But Frank Ntilikina, who has a $200K partial guarantee, looks like a good bet to be the 14th man, while JT Thor (non-guaranteed contract) and Theo Maledon (two-way RFA) are candidates for the 15th spot. So Charlotte has options and may prefer to wait a year on the 19-year-old Nnaji, who could use another developmental season in Spain.

As for Vukcevic, Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr (Twitter link) reported in mid-August that there’s a “strong possibility” the 42nd overall pick will remain with overseas for 2023/24. He’s under contract with Partizan Belgrade, though there were rumors in July that the Serbian club was considering loaning him to Greek team Peristeri BC.

Like Nnaji, Vukcevic isn’t locked into a plan for next season yet, but it would make sense for the 20-year-old to spend at least one more season in Europe, despite his desire to come stateside right away. The Wizards currently have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, so their standard roster is already pretty crowded. And they wouldn’t be permitted to sign him to a two-way deal if they were to buy him out from Partizan.

We’ll wait for further clarity on the plans for Nnaji and Vukcevic, but it’s possible that Jackson’s deal with the Grizzlies will be the last contract signed by a 2023 NBA draft pick before the ’23/24 season begins.

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Checking In On Notable Remaining Free Agents

August 31st, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

The last standard restricted free agent on the market this summer, P.J. Washington officially re-signed with the Hornets on Tuesday. With Washington off the board, 47 of our top 50 free agents from the start of the offseason have now signed, including all of the top 24. However, there are still several notable players who continue to seek a new NBA home.

Big man Christian Wood, our No. 25 free agent, is one. We ranked Wood as high as we did due to his scoring and rebounding prowess — he has averaged 18.1 points in just 29.3 minutes per game across the last three seasons, grabbing 8.9 boards per night during that same stretch.

However, it sounds like concerns about Wood’s professionalism and defense have made teams wary about making him any kind of significant offer. A report in July suggested that there may be a disconnect between what Wood thinks his value is and what teams think his value is. If he were willing to accept a minimum-salary deal, he may already be on a roster.

Veteran forward Kelly Oubre came in at No. 27 on our free agent list after putting up a career-high 20.3 points per game in 48 appearances last season. But averaging 20 PPG isn’t the accomplishment it once was. Oubre was just one of 57 players who achieved that feat while appearing in at least 29 games. And of those 57 players, he ranked 53rd in EFG%, so it’s not like he was scoring particularly efficiently.

Oubre still has some value, but after earning at least $12MM in each of the last four seasons, he seems unlikely to approach that mark in 2023/24.

The only other unsigned player on our top-50 list is No. 43 Hamidou Diallo. I’m a fan of Diallo due to his athleticism, rebounding ability, defensive energy, and shot selection (he made 59.3% of his two-point attempts last season). But he has an unorthodox game and may not be a fit for many teams.

Here are some other free agents who didn’t make our top 50 but who will likely receive consideration from NBA teams before the season begins:

Guards

Kendrick Nunn played well down the stretch for Washington last season, knocking down 39.2% of his three-pointers in 31 games with the Wizards. Terence Davis and Jaylen Nowell are among the other available ball-handling guards who can score and shoot a little, though Nowell is coming off a down year in which his three-point rate plummeted from 39.4% to 28.9%.

George Hill, Ish Smith, Goran Dragic, and Austin Rivers could hold some appeal for teams looking to fill out their backcourt with a steady veteran. John Wall is also unsigned, though he has a different skill set than those other vets.

Trent Forrest and Theo Maledon are still restricted free agents, but seem likely to end up on two-way deals.

Wings

There aren’t many solid two-way wings left on the board. Danny Green once fit that bill, but at 36 years old, he’s no longer in his prime. Terrence Ross is certainly capable of playing a rotation role, but his outside shot comes and goes (he made just 29.2% in 2021/22) and he’s not an elite defender.

A team interested in adding a shooter might take a look at Svi Mykhailiuk (who has made 36.0% of his career three-point attempts), Will Barton (35.5%), Anthony Lamb (35.3%), two-way RFA Matt Ryan (37.1%), or Edmond Sumner (37.7% in his last two healthy seasons).

Veteran forwards T.J. Warren and Rudy Gay can score, but don’t offer a ton of defensive resistance, and Gay’s best years are behind him — the 17-year veteran is 37 and is coming off his worst season as a pro (5.2 PPG on .380/.254/.857 shooting).

A club focused on bolstering its wing defense may like Lamar Stevens or Javonte Green. Although they don’t provide much offensive punch, they can bring energy off the bench.

Former top-10 picks like Kevin Knox, Jarrett Culver, Justise Winslow, and Stanley Johnson haven’t generated much buzz this offseason, but perhaps there are teams that believe they can extract value from those one-time prospects.

Bigs

There’s no shortage of veteran centers still available on the open market. Bismack Biyombo, Tristan Thompson, Boban Marjanovic, Derrick Favors, Serge Ibaka, and Gorgui Dieng are among the remaining free agents, and JaVale McGee is set to join them when he clears waivers on Thursday.

A team in the market for a less traditional big man might kick the tires on Blake Griffin or JaMychal Green, who had a modest bounce-back year for the Warriors last season after a forgettable 2021/22 campaign in Denver.

Former first-round pick Usman Garuba could hold some intrigue for a club looking for a developmental project rather than a player who could contribute right away. He’s still just 21 years old.

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Highest-Paid NBA Players By Team

August 30th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

On Tuesday, we listed the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2023/24 season. Although that list presented a clear picture of the highest earners for the current season, not every NBA team was represented. Six of the league’s 30 franchises – the Pistons, Pacers, Knicks, Magic, Spurs, and Jazz – didn’t have a single player in the top 50.

Our list of highest-paid players for 2023/24 also only provided a snapshot for this year. For example, Kyle Lowry, who cracked the top 50, will be well compensated for the coming season but is on an expiring contract and will almost certainly fall off that list next year.

Today, we’re shifting our focus to the highest-paid players by team. This will allow us to check in on the clubs that weren’t represented on our initial list, as well as identifying some of the league’s most lucrative multiyear commitments — we’ve included each club’s highest-paid player for the current season (by 2023/24 base salary) and its highest-paid player in total (by total guaranteed base salary, including player options).

Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks

  • 2023/24: Trae Young ($37,096,500)
  • Total: Trae Young (four years, $178,063,200)
    • Note: Young’s final year is a player option.

Boston Celtics

  • 2023/24: Kristaps Porzingis ($36,016,200)
  • Total: Jaylen Brown (six years, $33,5565,047)
    • Note: The projected value of Brown’s super-max extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25.

Brooklyn Nets

  • 2023/24: Ben Simmons ($37,893,408)
  • Total: Cameron Johnson (four years, $90,000,000)
    • Note: Johnson could earn another $18MM in incentives.

Charlotte Hornets

  • 2023/24: Gordon Hayward ($31,500,000)
  • Total: LaMelo Ball (six years, $227,854,130)

    • Note: The projected value of Ball’s maximum-salary extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25. His projected six-year earnings could increase to $271,244,829 if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024.

Chicago Bulls

  • 2023/24: Zach LaVine ($40,064,220)
  • Total: Zach LaVine (four years, $178,063,200)
    • Note: LaVine’s final year is a player option.

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • 2023/24: Darius Garland ($34,005,250)
  • Total: Darius Garland (five years, $197,230,450)

Dallas Mavericks

  • 2023/24: Luka Doncic ($40,064,220)
  • Total: Luka Doncic (four years, $178,063,200)
    • Note: Doncic’s final year is a player option.

Denver Nuggets

  • 2023/24: Nikola Jokic ($47,607,350)
  • Total: Nikola Jokic (five years, $276,122,630)

    • Note: Jokic’s final year is a player option.

Detroit Pistons

  • 2023/24: Bojan Bogdanovic ($20,000,000)
  • Total: Isaiah Stewart (four years, $50,266,713)

    • Note: Stewart could earn another $3MM in incentives and an additional $15MM (plus a potential $1MM in incentives) if his 2027/28 team option is exercised.

Golden State Warriors

  • 2023/24: Stephen Curry ($51,915,615)
  • Total: Stephen Curry (three years, $167,283,648)

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