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Traded Second Round Picks For 2024 NBA Draft

August 20th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each NBA team’s second round pick for 2024, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first round picks for 2024 can be found right here.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its second round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2025 if it doesn’t change hands in 2024.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2024 second-round pick:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics: Traded to Mavericks.
  • Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Grizzlies or Rockets (55-58 protection).
    • If this pick lands in the top 54, the Grizzlies will receive the most favorable of the Warriors’ and Nets’ 2024 second round picks and the Rockets will receive the least favorable; if this pick lands between 55-58, the Nets would keep it and their obligation to Memphis or Houston would be extinguished.
  • New York Knicks: Traded to Pistons.
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Own pick.
  • Toronto Raptors: Traded to Pacers or Clippers.
    • Details at bottom of page.

Central

  • Chicago Bulls: Traded to Sixers, Pacers, or Warriors.
    • The Sixers will receive the most favorable of the Bulls’ and Pelicans’ 2024 second round picks; the Pacers will receive the least favorable of the two. The Pacers may subsequently flip their pick to the Warriors (details at bottom of page).
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Knicks, Clippers, Pacers, or Warriors.
    • Details at bottom of page.
  • Detroit Pistons: Traded to Raptors.
  • Indiana Pacers: Traded swap rights to Clippers.
    • Details at bottom of page.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Pacers or Warriors.
    • Details at bottom of page.

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Trail Blazers.
  • Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Trail Blazers or Nuggets.
    • The Trail Blazers will receive the most favorable of the Hornets’ and Timberwolves’ 2024 second round picks; the Nuggets will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • Miami Heat: Possibly traded to Hawks or Knicks.
    • The Hawks would receive this pick if it lands between 51-55; the Knicks would receive it if it lands between 56-58; the Heat would keep it if it lands in the top 50. If the Heat keep the pick, their obligations to the Hawks and Knicks would be extinguished.
  • Orlando Magic: Own pick.
  • Washington Wizards: Traded to Jazz or Timberwolves.
    • The Jazz will receive the most favorable of the Wizards’ and Grizzlies’ 2024 second round picks; the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets: Traded to Suns.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Trail Blazers or Nuggets.
    • The Trail Blazers will receive the most favorable of the Timberwolves’ and Hornets’ 2024 second round picks; the Nuggets will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Traded to Grizzlies.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bucks.
  • Utah Jazz: Traded to Knicks, Clippers, Pacers, or Warriors.
    • Details at bottom of page.

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors: Traded to Grizzlies, Rockets or Cavaliers.
    • If this pick lands in the top 55, the Grizzlies will receive the most favorable of the Warriors’ and Nets’ 2024 second round picks and the Rockets will receive the least favorable; if this pick lands between 56-58, the Cavaliers would receive it. The Warriors’ obligation to the team that doesn’t receive the pick will be extinguished.
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Lakers.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Spurs.
  • Phoenix Suns: Traded to Wizards.
  • Sacramento Kings: Own pick.

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Celtics.
  • Houston Rockets: Traded to Hornets.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Jazz or Timberwolves.
    • The Jazz will receive the most favorable of the Grizzlies’ and Wizards’ 2024 second round picks; the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Traded to Sixers, Pacers, or Warriors.
    • The Sixers will receive the most favorable of the Bulls’ and Pelicans’ 2024 second round picks; the Pacers will receive the least favorable of the two. The Pacers may subsequently flip their pick to the Warriors (details at bottom of page).
  • San Antonio Spurs: Possibly traded to Suns or Celtics.
    • The Suns would receive this pick if it lands between 50-54; the Celtics would receive it if it lands between 55-58; the Spurs would keep it if it lands in the top 49. If the Spurs keep the pick, their obligations to the Suns and Celtics would be extinguished.

Here are the details on how the Raptors‘, Cavaliers‘, Pacers‘, and Jazz‘s second round picks will be distributed:

The Knicks will receive the most favorable of:

  1. The Jazz’s 2024 second round pick.
  2. The Cavaliers’ 2024 second round pick.

The Pacers will receive the most favorable of:

  1. The Raptors’ 2024 second round pick.
  2. The most favorable of the Pacers’ 2024 second round pick and the Jazz/Cavaliers 2024 second round pick that the Knicks didn’t acquire.

If the Pacers don’t receive the Raptors’ 2024 second round pick, the Clippers will receive it and the Pacers will end up with the other two picks. If the Pacers do receive the Raptors’ 2024 second round pick, the Clippers will receive the most favorable of the two remaining picks and the Pacers will receive the least favorable.

From there, the Pacers will send the least favorable of the following picks to the Warriors:

  1. The least favorable pick of the two they receive based on the guidelines outlined above.
  2. The least favorable of the Bulls’ and Pelicans’ picks.
  3. The Bucks’ pick.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

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Only Two NBA Teams Control Their Own 2024 Second-Round Picks

August 20th, 2023 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

As we noted earlier this week when we took a closer look at the 30 trades that have been completed so far during the NBA offseason, second-round picks have become a more popular form of currency than ever, with 54 second-rounders (50 unprotected) included in summer deals.

It’s perhaps no surprise then that nearly every NBA team has either traded away its 2024 second-round pick or could lose it or swap it if certain conditions are met.

The Magic and Kings are currently the only two NBA teams that fully control their own second-round picks in 2024.

The Sixers also haven’t traded away their own ’24 second-rounder, but will have to forfeit it as a result of an NBA investigation into free agency gun-jumping last year.

Of those two clubs that have unconditional control of their second-round picks in next year’s draft, Orlando is the only one that has never traded that 2024 second-rounder at any time. Sacramento sent its ’24 second-round selection to Detroit in a 2021 deal for Delon Wright, then reacquired it a year later in the trade that sent Marvin Bagley III to the Pistons.

Of the NBA’s 27 other teams outside of Detroit, Sacramento, and Philadelphia, a total of 22 will definitely send their second-round picks to another team next June, having traded them without protections or swap rights.

The Nets will, in all likelihood, join that group. They’d keep their own second-round pick if it ends up between Nos. 56 and 59, but if it’s in the top 55, it will be sent to Houston.

The Heat and Spurs, meanwhile, have traded away their 2024 second-round picks with protection. Miami will keep its second-rounder if it’s in the top 50, but would otherwise have to send it to Atlanta or New York. San Antonio will hang onto its ’24 second-rounder if it’s in the top 49, but would otherwise have to send it to Phoenix or Boston.

Given the expectations for those two teams in 2023/24, the Spurs appear far more likely than the Heat to hang onto their own pick.

Finally, the Pelicans and Pacers have given up swap rights to their second-round picks, but will still control a second-rounder, even if it’s not their own. New Orleans will receive the least favorable of its own ’24 second-rounder and Chicago’s pick. Indiana will end up with the least favorable of its own selection, Cleveland’s second-rounder, Utah’s second-rounder.

We’ll publish a full post this afternoon breaking down all the details on 2024’s traded second-round picks.

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Decisions On 2024/25 Rookie Scale Team Options

August 20th, 2023 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

While decisions on player and team options for veteran NBA contracts are typically due in June, the deadline to exercise third- and fourth-year team options for players on rookie scale contracts arrives each fall. This year’s deadline for teams to pick up rookie scale options is October 31, 2023.

All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by Oct. 31 are already under contract for the 2023/24 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to lock in those players’ contracts beyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2024/25 campaign.

For players who signed their rookie scale contracts in 2021 and have already been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2024/25. For players who just signed their rookie deals last year and only have one season of NBA experience under their belts, teams will already be faced with a decision on third-year options for ’24/25.

In many cases, these decisions aren’t difficult ones. Rookie scale salaries are affordable enough that it usually makes sense to exercise most of these team options, even if a player isn’t a key cog on the roster. And for those players who do have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if the Kings will consider turning down their option on Keegan Murray, for instance.

Still, we’ll wait for a trusted reporter, the NBA, a player (or his agent), or a team itself to confirm that an option is indeed being exercised or declined, and we’ll track that news in this space.

Listed below are all the rookie scale decisions for 2024/25 team options that clubs must make by Oct. 31. This list will be updated through the deadline as teams’ decisions are reported and announced. The salary figures listed here reflect the cap hits for each team.

Here are the NBA’s rookie scale team option decisions for 2024/25 salaries:

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

  • None

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

  • None

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

  • None

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

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2024 NBA Free Agents By Team

August 19th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2024 free agents by team is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2023/24 season. Restricted free agents are marked with (RFA).

This list will continue to be updated throughout the 2024 offseason, so be sure to use it and our list of 2024 free agents by position/type as points of reference.

Both lists can be found anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Updated 9-19-24 (7:39pm CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  1. Wesley Matthews

Boston Celtics

  1. Oshae Brissett

Brooklyn Nets

  1. Jacob Gilyard
  2. Dennis Smith Jr.

Charlotte Hornets

  • None

Chicago Bulls

  • None

Read more

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Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

August 19th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

If you enjoy Hoops Rumors on your smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications. For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting. You can read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
  • Customer service. If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download it now!
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Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Offseason FA Signings

August 19th, 2023 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

After getting your thoughts on Friday on the best and worst trades of the NBA offseason, we’re shifting our focus today to the best and worst of this summer’s free agent signings.

While 14 free agents signed contract worth at least $50MM in total base salary this offseason, only one – point guard Fred VanVleet – received a maximum-salary contract. And VanVleet’s deal with the Rockets only includes two guaranteed years. He’ll make about $83.7MM in guaranteed money before Houston has to decide on a $44.9MM team option in 2025/26.

Here are the 13 other deals worth more than $50MM:

  • Jerami Grant (Trail Blazers): Five years, $160MM. Includes a fifth-year player option.
  • Kyrie Irving (Mavericks): Three years, $120MM. Includes a third-year player option and an additional $6MM in unlikely incentives.
  • Draymond Green (Warriors): Four years, $100MM. Includes a fourth-year player option.
  • Khris Middleton (Bucks): Three years, $95MM. Includes a third-year player option and an additional $7MM in unlikely incentives.
  • Cameron Johnson (Nets): Four years, $94.5MM. Includes an additional $13.5MM in unlikely incentives.
  • Kyle Kuzma (Wizards): Four years, $90MM. Includes an additional $12.2MM in unlikely incentives.
  • Dillon Brooks (Rockets): Four years, $86MM. Includes an additional $4MM in unlikely incentives.
  • Jakob Poeltl (Raptors): Four years, $78MM. Includes an additional $2MM in unlikely incentives.
  • Max Strus (Cavaliers): Four years, $62.3MM.
  • Herbert Jones (Pelicans): Four years, $53.8MM.
  • Austin Reaves (Lakers): Four years, $53.8MM. Includes a fourth-year player option.
  • Rui Hachimura (Lakers): Four years, $51MM.

While big-money contracts have the most potential to pay off or backfire in a major way, there were several notable deals signed below that threshold, as our tracker shows.

Brook Lopez (Bucks), Donte DiVincenzo (Knicks), Coby White (Bulls), Matisse Thybulle (Trail Blazers), Gabe Vincent (Lakers), Caris LeVert (Cavaliers), and Dennis Schröder (Raptors) were among the players who received eight-figure annual salaries and at least two guaranteed years.

Bruce Brown (Pacers) received a massive $22MM salary for 2023/24, but it’s his only guaranteed seasons — his $23MM cap hit for the following year is a team option.

Ayo Dosunmu (Bulls), Jevon Carter (Bulls), Reggie Jackson (Nuggets), Shake Milton (Timberwolves), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Timberwolves), Jalen McDaniels (Raptors), Russell Westbrook (Clippers), and Mason Plumlee (Clippers) were some of the players who signed for between $4-7MM annually.

Eric Gordon (Suns), Derrick Rose (Grizzlies), Josh Richardson (Heat), Torrey Craig (Bulls), Patrick Beverley (Sixers), Malik Beasley (Bucks), Dario Saric (Warriors), and Cory Joseph (Warriors) were among the veterans who accepted minimum-salary deals.

We want to know what you think. Which teams got the best values in free agency this summer? Which players and agents did the best for themselves, relative to you expectations heading into the offseason?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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Four Candidates To Be Promoted From Camp Contracts

August 19th, 2023 at 9:10am CST by Tristan Tucker

Although the NBA added an additional two-way contract for every team for the 2023/24 season, teams haven’t been quick to sign players to such contracts. Only 11 of the league’s 30 teams have three players signed to two-way deals and several haven’t begun adding players to Exhibit 10 contracts.

The start of training camp is still several weeks away, so teams have plenty of time to add players to two-way and Exhibit 10 deals. However, many teams use training camp as an audition of sorts for players to earn two-way or even standard contract spots. Not earning a spot isn’t the end of the line for these players. If players signed to camp deals are waived before the ’23/24 starts, they’ll could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with their club’s G League affiliate.

Here are four players who have a chance to be promoted from their current Exhibit 10 contracts and onto a team’s two-way slot or standard deal.

Landers Nolley II

The Pelicans did well after the draft to reach agreements to add players on camp contracts. Nolley, Tevian Jones, Liam Robbins and Trey Jemison make up New Orleans’ reported camp deals. Any one of those players could end up on a list such as this as some of the more accomplished collegiate players who went undrafted in the 2023 draft.

Of course, Nolley may not end up on the Pels’ final camp roster, but if his reported deal is finalized, he makes perfect sense as a developmental piece for New Orleans. Nolley is a protoypical 3-and-D player, having averaged 16.8 points last season for Cincinnati while shooting 41.7% from deep.

Nolley played for New Orleans’ Summer League team this year, averaging 8.0 points and shooting 50% from deep on 4.0 attempts across five games. At 6’7″, Nolley is a good bet to at least stick around the NBA’s radar for a few seasons. The Pelicans have two open two-way contract spots, with Dereon Seabron occupying the other.

Matthew Mayer

Mayer impressed with the Rockets in Summer League, averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in four appearances. His showing earned him an Exhibit 10 deal with Houston, who has plenty of remaining flexibility on its training camp roster despite having three players signed to two-way deals.

Like Nolley, Mayer fits what teams look for in terms of positional archeypes, and Mayer’s ability to stretch the floor at 6’9″ is likely to be a coveted as a developmental piece. Mayer hit 33% of his 6.2 3-point attempts in college last year with Illinois and 43.5% of his 5.8 attempts from downtown in Summer League.

The Rockets have Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins signed to two-way contracts at the moment, two players who impressed en route to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers’ 2022/23 G League Finals appearance. Additionally, Jermaine Samuels currently occupies the Rockets’ third two-way roster spot. However, the Rockets have two open standard spots and could move players around, which would give Mayer a realistic shot at making their roster.

Duane Washington Jr.

Of the four players listed here, Washington is the one with the most NBA experience to his name. He has 79 NBA appearances and 10 starts to his name before his third season in the league. Washington has been on both two-way and standard contracts across his two years, playing with Indiana and Phoenix before ending up with the Knicks. Washington has averaged 9.1 points on 37.1% shooting from deep for his career.

It’s a bit surprising that Washington hasn’t caught on with a roster for the long haul with his extensive game experience and impressive counting stats. The Knicks signed Washington to a two-way deal in February but he never made an appearance with them. During the team’s roster shuffling this offseason, New York waived Washington from his two-way pact before re-adding him on a camp deal.

However, the Knicks have three players signed to two-way deals already, Nathan Knight, Dylan Windler and Jaylen Martin, the latter of which is signed for two years. It’s not impossible that New York waives or signs one of those players to their 15-man roster, but it will be an uphill battle for Washington to make New York’s roster. Look for other teams to either claim Washington or sign him at a later date.

Cole Swider

A Heat player was bound to end up on this list given their resume of turning camp guys, like Max Strus once was, into rotation NBA players. The Heat signed a bevy of players to camp contracts last week, including Justin Champagnie and Alondes Williams, two players with NBA experience, but Swider seems the most likely to make the jump to Miami’s season roster.

Swider wasn’t the most prolific collegiate player and didn’t appear on many public big boards, so it was a bit surprising to see him ink a two-year, two-way deal with the Lakers last year. However, he answered any questions in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 15.9 points and hitting 43.6% of his 7.6 deep-ball attempts in the regular season. Despite this, the Lakers waived Swider earlier this offseason.

The Heat two key sharpshooters this offseason in Strus and Gabe Vincent, while Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, three of the team’s best shooters, have been involved in heavy speculation regarding a potential Damian Lillard trade. In any case, Miami could help replenish its stash of 3-point shooters by keeping Swider around on either a two-way or standard deal. The Heat already have three players signed to two-way deals, but they have just 13 players on standard contracts and have the flexibility to keep Swider around if they choose.

Of course, other players not listed here will likely be promoted at some point onto a team’s active roster. Additionally, players not yet signed to a team’s camp contract could also end up on a two-way or standard deal. This is just speculation, but I believe players like David Duke Jr., Trevor Keels, Louis King, Tyrese Martin, Skylar Mays and Xavier Moon, to name a few, did enough either last season in the G League or during Summer League to earn a look from a team on a camp deal.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contract

August 18th, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

A new addition in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the two-way contract is a tool that allows a team to carry extra players beyond the 15 on its standard regular season roster. Players on two-way contracts are eligible to spend up to the entire season in the G League or up to a certain number of games at the NBA level, and can be transferred back and forth between the NBA and NBAGL throughout the season.

The rules for two-way contracts have undergone some major changes since the concept was introduced back in 2017, with the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to some of those tweaks. The league loosened certain restrictions and allowed two-way players to be more available to teams that needed extra bodies during the pandemic — many of those changes have stuck and were ratified in the 2023 CBA.

Given those changes, our glossary entry on the two-way contract is due for an update, so let’s dive in and answer some frequently asked questions about the two-way deal…

Who is eligible to sign a two-way contract?

A player with fewer than four years of NBA experience can sign a two-way contract with a team. Because a player is credited with a year of service on the last day of a league year (ie. June 30), a player with three years of experience is eligible to sign a two-way contract at any time during his fourth NBA season. For instance, a player who is waived halfway through his fourth NBA season is still deemed to have three years of service and could sign a rest-of-season two-way contract.

As part of the 2023 CBA, the league and the players’ union agreed to implement what is informally known as the “Harry Giles rule.” Giles has been on an NBA roster for four seasons, but missed the entirety of his 2017/18 rookie year due to an injury, so he has only actually played in an NBA regular season game in three separate seasons.

The new rule will allow Giles – and any other player who has four years of NBA service but missed one or more of those seasons due to an injury – to sign a two-way contract, assuming the player meets the following criteria:

  1. He has four years of NBA experience (ie. a player with five years of experience who missed two full seasons due to injuries would not be eligible).
  2. He didn’t appear in any regular season or playoff games during his injury year.
  3. During his injury year, he was on a team’s roster for the entire regular season.
  4. He is signing a one-year two-way contract.

Dylan Windler is another example of a player who qualified for a two-way contract in 2023/24, having met the above criteria during his first four NBA seasons. That’s why he was permitted to sign a two-way deal with the Knicks.

How many years can a two-way contract cover?

A two-way contract can be for either one or two years, and can’t include a team or player option.

Although two-way contracts can be for up to two years, a player who has three years of NBA experience can’t sign such a deal, since he’d have four years of service after the first season. As such, two-way contracts for players with three years of experience are limited to one year.

A player also can’t spend more than three total seasons on two-way contracts with the same team. For example, a player who signed two-way deals with a club during his first two NBA seasons couldn’t then agree to a two-year two-way contract with the same team.

How much are players paid on a two-way contract?

The default salary for a full one-year, two-way contract is half of the rookie minimum salary. For example, since the 2023/24 rookie minimum is $1,119,563, the two-way salary is $559,782. No performance bonuses can be included in a two-way agreement.

That two-way salary becomes prorated if a player signs his contract after the regular season has began. Since the 2023/24 regular season is 174 days long, if a player were to sign a two-way deal with 120 days left in the season, his salary would be $386,057 — that’s 120/174ths of $559,782.

A two-way deal signed before the regular season begins can be partially guaranteed for up to the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus amount for that year. In 2023/24, that amount – also known as the maximum two-way protection amount – is $75K.

A team and player can negotiate to have up to half of his two-way salary become guaranteed at the start of the regular season. If the two sides agree to those terms, the player would receive half his two-way salary assuming he’s not waived on or before the first day of the regular season. Each player’s full two-way salary would become guaranteed if he remains under contract through January 7, and each two-way deal signed after that date is immediately guaranteed.

How do two-way contracts work for the teams signing them?

While a player who signs a G League contract to play for a team’s NBAGL affiliate remains an NBA free agent and can be signed away by any other team, a club that signs a player to a two-way deal has the player’s exclusive rights for the life of the contract. He can’t be poached by a rival team.

A team gets up to three roster slots for two-way contracts, and doesn’t need to use salary cap room or a cap exception to finalize those deals. They don’t count against a club’s salary cap.

However, there are some limitations facing teams when they sign two-way contracts. For one, if a club wants to sign a player on an overseas roster to a two-way contract, the NBA team is not allowed to pay that player’s international buyout. Additionally, NBA teams can’t sign players to two-way contracts after March 4 of each season.

How many games can a player on a two-way contract play for his NBA team?

If a player is on a two-way contract, he can be active for no more than 50 regular season games, or a prorated portion of 50 games, if he signs after the regular season begins.

For the purposes of determining the maximum active games for a two-way player who signs after the start of the regular season, the number of days left in the season are divided by the total number of days in the season, then multiplied by 50 and rounded to the nearest whole number.

A team isn’t permitted to have a two-way player active for more than 90 “under-15” games in a season. An “under-15” is any game in which the team is carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, and a team is credited with an “under-15” game toward the 90-game limit for each two-way player who is active.

For instance, if a team with 14 players on standard contracts had all three of its two-way players active for its first 30 games of the season, it would reach its 90-game limit. In order to free up those two-way players to be active for 20 more games apiece, the club would have to sign a 15th player to a standard contract.

If a team wants to keep its two-way player on the NBA roster for more than 50 regular season games, it has to convert the player’s two-way deal into a standard NBA contract, after which he’d no longer count as a two-way player.

Additionally, a player on a two-way contract must have his deal converted to a standard NBA contract in order to participate in the postseason. A player on a two-way deal isn’t playoff-eligible.

How do two-way conversions work?

There are two types of two-way conversions:

1. A player being converted from an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can only be converted to a two-way deal up until the day before the regular season begins.

The player must have an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract in order to be converted to a two-way deal. A player on a non-guaranteed training camp contract that only includes Exhibit 9 (not Exhibit 10) language cannot be directly be converted to a two-way deal and would be have to be waived and then re-signed if the team wants to make him a two-way player.

A player can be waived from a standard contract and re-signed to a two-way deal as long as he meets the service time criteria and isn’t already owed more than the two-way protection amount ($75K in 2023/24) from his team.

For example, although Dalano Banton only has two years of NBA experience, the Celtics wouldn’t be able to waive him and re-sign him to a two-way contract because his deal with the team includes a $200K partial guarantee.

2. A player being converted from a two-way contract to a standard contract

A player on a two-way contract can be converted without his consent. In that scenario, he would receive the minimum salary for the remaining term of his contract. A player on a one-year two-way contract would get a one-year, minimum-salary standard contract, while a player with two years left on his two-way deal would get a two-year, minimum-salary standard contract.

Alternately, the team and player could negotiate new terms that include more than one or two years and/or more than the minimum salary. In this scenario, the club would have to use either cap room or a cap exception to accommodate the terms of the deal. For instance, when the Pelicans negotiated a standard contract with two-way player E.J. Liddell earlier this offseason, they used a portion of their mid-level exception to give him three years.

In a situation where a two-way contract is converted to a regular NBA deal, the typical 15-man roster rules would apply to that player. He could be assigned back to the G League, but he’d continue to earn an NBA salary, since he’d no longer be a two-way player.

Can players on two-way contracts be traded?

Players on two-way contracts can be included in trades. However, they can’t be dealt within 30 days of being signed, and their salaries don’t generate trade exceptions for NBA teams.

In actuality, trades involving players on two-way contracts hardly ever occur. It has only happened twice to date. Johnathan Motley was traded from the Mavericks to the Clippers in 2018 and Julian Washburn was traded from the Grizzlies to the Warriors in 2019.

How does free agency work for a player whose two-way contract is expiring?

Nearly every player completing a two-way contract is eligible for restricted free agency. If his team issues him a qualifying offer by 5:00 pm Eastern time on June 29, he becomes a restricted free agent; if his team declines to issue a qualifying offer by that deadline, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The qualifying offer for a player coming off a one-year two-way contract is equivalent to another one-year two-way contract, with a partial guarantee worth the maximum two-way protection amount ($75K in 2023/24).

However, the qualifying offer looks a little different for a player who has spent the last two seasons on the same two-way contract; who has spent the last two years on two-way deals with the same team; or who is no longer eligible for a two-way contract because he has four years of NBA experience.

The qualifying offer in that case would be for the player’s standard veteran minimum (based on his years of experience) and would be partially guaranteed for the standard/two-way QO protection amount ($90K in 2023/24).

The maximum two-way protection amount ($75K) and the standard/two-way QO protection amount ($90K) will increase at the same rate as the salary cap in 2024/25 and beyond. So if the cap rises by 10%, those figures will also rise by 10%.

A two-way player who is issued a qualifying offer has the same options as a standard restricted free agent. He can sign a standard offer sheet with another team, negotiate a new deal with his current team, or simply accept his QO.

An offer sheet with a rival suitor would have to be a standard deal, not another two-way contract. The same rules that would apply to a standard RFA’s offer sheet apply to one for a two-way player — for instance, it must cover at least two years, and players with only one or two years of experience are subject to the Gilbert Arenas provision.

A two-way player is ineligible to receive a qualifying offer only if he’s a former first-round pick whose third- or fourth-year rookie scale team option was declined.

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 and information from ESPN’s Bobby Marks was used in the creation of this post.

A previous version of this article was published in 2017.

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Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Offseason Trades

August 18th, 2023 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

As we explored in detail earlier this week, a total of 30 NBA trades have been made so far this offseason. Notable trade candidates such as Damian Lillard, James Harden, and Pascal Siakam haven’t gone anywhere, but a number of big names have been on the move.

Here’s a recap of some of the summer’s biggest trades:

Of the remaining 21 trades made since the end of the 2022/23 season, some may not exactly go down in NBA lore. For instance, the Clippers sending $2.1MM in cash to the Pistons for the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica is unlikely to have a significant impact on either franchise.

There are other under-the-radar deals that could have long-term ramifications though. Perhaps one of the many 2023 second-round draft picks traded in June will eventually emerge as a star. Perhaps relatively minor acquisitions like Chris Duarte (Kings) or Obi Toppin (Pacers) will turn out to be more important than anticipated. Maybe one of the lottery picks a team traded up for – like No. 7 pick Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards) or No. 10 pick Cason Wallace (Thunder) – will become a franchise cornerstone.

The full list of offseason trades can be found right here.

We want to know what you think. Which moves on the trade market did you like the most? Which did you like the least? Those won’t necessarily be two sides of the same deal, since it’s possible for certain trades to be win-win deals. Are there any you think should fall into that category?

Head to the comment section below and share your thoughts on the winners and losers of the offseason trade market so far!

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NBA Roster Situations To Watch

August 17th, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

NBA training camps are still several weeks away, but rosters for many teams are starting to take shape. Teams like the Pacers, for example, don’t have much work to do in the way of setting their regular season roster. Indiana already has 15 players signed to standard contracts and three more on two-way pacts. Other teams, however, have much more work left to be done.

For most teams, it’s simply a matter of deciding which players are attending an organization’s camp roster or are getting a two-way contract. The Suns, for example, have 15 players signed to standard deals (two of which are not fully guaranteed) but have one open two-way roster spot.

We previously took a look at some teams that are facing roster crunches in late July. Here are other teams who have roster battles worth monitoring and either have to, or seem likely to, make moves to their standard contracts, in the coming weeks:

Dallas Mavericks

While their roster does abide by offseason roster limits — 15 players signed to standard contracts (Derrick Jones Jr.‘s signing is not yet official but is included here) and three signed to two-way deals — the Mavericks still appear likely to make another roster move before the season.

Of course, this is all speculation, but Marc Stein at Substack reported that Dallas is likely to offload JaVale McGee before the start of the regular season. Such a move hasn’t happened yet, so it’s possible he may stick around. However, McGee didn’t pan out last year after signing a three-year, $17.2MM deal in 2022. With Dallas bringing in Richaun Holmes and Dereck Lively II this offseason, it appears there won’t be any playing time available for McGee anyway.

Miami Heat

Like the Mavericks, the Heat have a full offseason roster of 21 players signed to their team. Unlike the Mavericks, however, the Heat don’t follow the NBA’s rules for a regular season roster. Miami has just 13 players signed to standard deals, three two-way contract players and five others signed to training camp contracts.

As The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang notes, the Heat still need to add at least one standard contract player to its 15-man roster. Starting this season, teams can have fewer than 14 standard contract players for no more than 28 total days or 14 consecutive days at a time.

The Heat could always look to promote one of their two-way players, such as Jamal Cain, who reportedly sought a standard contract before re-upping his two-way pact with Miami. Cole Swider, who just signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Heat, is also reportedly going to be given a chance to compete for a standard deal. They could also look to add a player outside their system, like Christian Wood or Kelly Oubre.

Chiang also notes that the Heat could make changes to their two-way deals. Dru Smith and Jamaree Bouyea currently accompany Cain on two-way contracts. Barry Jackson reported that Summer League standout Chase Audige agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with another team (Twitter link), but it’s possible they look to bring him back on a two-way at a later time.

Toronto Raptors

Barring a Pascal Siakam trade, Toronto’s roster looks relatively set. However, a classic roster battle is set to take place between Jeff Dowtin and Garrett Temple. Dowtin spent last season with the Raptors, impressing in stints and averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 assists. The organization signed him to a non-guaranteed deal that becomes guaranteed for $900K if he’s included on the opening day roster.

Temple, a 13-year NBA veteran, signed with the Raptors this summer. Temple averaged 4.3 points across two seasons with the Pelicans. His one-year, minimum-salary deal is fully guaranteed.

There’s always a chance that the Raptors make an additional move outside of those two, but Dowtin and Temple appear to be the most likely to duke it out for a spot on the 15-man roster as of now.

Others

Several other NBA teams have standard roster moves yet to make. The Rockets, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics are among the teams who have 13 or fewer players signed to standard deals.

Houston signed several players to their training camp roster and could be auditioning some for standard spots. Jeenathan Williams, in particular, impressed in limited time with the Blazers last year after averaging 10.6 points in five games.

There’s tons of uncertainty left with the Blazers due to the situation with Damian Lillard. It appears as of now that Portland is keeping its options open in case the team takes in more players than it sends out in a Lillard deal. If Lillard isn’t traded before the season begins, players like Justise Winslow, Kevin Knox and Skylar Mays, who all spent time in Portland last year, could make some amount of sense.

Golden State has a number of different directions it could go in. There are seemingly no reports regarding what the team plans to do with Anthony Lamb, whom Steve Kerr played 19.3 minutes per game. Andre Iguodala hasn’t officially announced his retirement, so it’s technically possible he returns, though that seems unlikely at this point. Lester Quinones or another training camp player could impress enough to earn a standard spot. The Warriors also continue to work out several veterans, including Glenn Robinson III.

The Lakers’ interest in adding another big man to their roster, such as Wood, is no secret. It seems likely that the Lakers will go in this direction sometime before the season. Wood was recently reported to be waiting on a resolution on the Lillard situation before deciding his next steps.

Cleveland is a curious case. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that the Cavaliers could swoop in on P.J. Washington like they did with Lauri Markkanen two summers ago. It’s also possible they promote a two-way player to a standard deal or bring in a different veteran.

Stein reports the Celtics are interested in re-signing Blake Griffin, which would give Boston 14 players on standard deals. Griffin is Boston’s only remaining free agent after Mfiondu Kabengele signed in Greece.

As mentioned, there are also several teams who have more than 15 players signed to standard deals. The Clippers, Grizzlies, Wizards, Spurs and Thunder are among those teams.

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