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Hoops Rumors Glossary: No-Trade Clause

July 26th, 2023 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s not uncommon in many major professional sports for a player to negotiate a contract that includes a no-trade clause, which prohibits him from being traded – either at all or to certain specific teams – without his consent. However, no-trade clauses are extremely rare in the NBA.

When the Wizards signed Bradley Beal to a new contract in 2022 that included a no-trade clause, Beal became just the 10th player in NBA history to receive that perk.

In order to qualify for a no-trade clause, a player must meet the following criteria:

  • He must be signing a free agent contract, not an extension.
  • He must have at least eight seasons of NBA experience.
  • He must have spent at least four seasons with the team he’s signing with.

This last point is the most malleable of the three. In order to qualify for a no-trade clause, a player doesn’t necessary need to have spent the past four consecutive seasons with his team — he just needs to have spent at least four seasons with that team at some point.

For example, if LeBron James were to become a free agent next summer and decided to sign with the Heat, he could negotiate a no-trade clause into his new contract, since he spent four years in Miami from 2010-14.

Additionally, a partial season can be counted as one of those four seasons a player needs to spend with a team in order to qualify for a no-trade clause. For instance, if Jordan Clarkson had become a free agent this offseason, he would’ve been eligible to negotiate a no-trade clause with the Jazz, who traded for him during the 2019/20 season. Clarkson has only been in Utah for three full years and part of a fourth season, but that’s enough to meet the criteria.

Still, those three requirements are enough to eliminate a no-trade clause as an option for many players. One prominent recent example is Jaylen Brown. Although Brown has spent more than four years with the Celtics, he has only been in the NBA for seven seasons and is signing an extension rather than a free agent contract, so a no-trade clause wasn’t available to him.

A player who has a no-trade clause in his contract and consents to a trade retains the right to veto a trade when he joins his new team. So Beal’s no-trade clause remains in effect now that he’s a member of the Suns.

Although explicit no-trade clauses are rare, there are a couple other scenarios in which a player can receive an implicit no-trade clause, meaning his consent is still required in order to trade him.

First, a player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract, or a two-year deal with an option year, is given no-trade protection for the rest of that league year — or until his second-year option is exercised.

Heat forward Kevin Love and Suns wing Josh Okogie are among the players who will fall into this group in 2023/24.

Here are a few more notes related to these criteria:

  • A player who meets these criteria and still decides to consent to a trade will lose his Bird or Early Bird rights at the end of the season and will instead be deemed to have Non-Bird rights.
  • Although those criteria don’t apply to players on two-way contracts, they do apply to players who accept standard (ie. non two-way) one-year qualifying offers as restricted free agents. So Hornets forward Miles Bridges will have the right to veto a trade in ’23/24.
  • The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows a player who re-signs with his former team on a one-year contract (or two-year deal with an option) to waive his ability to veto a trade. A handful of players have done so this offseason, including Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell and Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson. They’re eligible to be traded without their approval in 2023/24.

Second, a player who signs an offer sheet as a restricted free agent and has that offer matched by his previous team has the ability to veto a trade for a full calendar year. That means Trail Blazers swingman Matisse Thybulle and Sixers big man Paul Reed will have de facto no-trade protection until next July.

While explicit no-trade clauses in the NBA are rare, these criteria that give players veto rights for a year at a time aren’t uncommon at all, and often end up applying to non-stars, giving them a little control over their own professional futures.

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.

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NBA Teams Facing Potential Fall Roster Crunches

July 26th, 2023 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

With two months to go until NBA teams report to training camps, there’s no need for a club to have its 21-man offseason roster – let alone its 15-man standard roster for the regular season – set in stone at this point.

Still, many rosters around the league are clearly taking shape, with several teams carrying 14 or 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and seemingly unlikely to make any more major changes this offseason.

There are also a handful of teams carrying more than 15 standard contracts who will have to trade or waive at least one or two of those players before the regular season begins in order to adhere to the NBA’s regular season roster limit.

Here are some of the teams who will be facing possible roster crunches in the coming months:

Oklahoma City Thunder

(20 standard contracts)

The Thunder have been a willing trade partner for teams looking to dump unwanted contracts this offseason, and it has resulted in Oklahoma City becoming the first club to reach its full 21-man roster limit (its 21st player, Keyontae Johnson, is on a two-way contract).

Of the Thunder’s 20 players on standard deals, at least 17 have guaranteed salaries for 2023/24. That group doesn’t include Jack White, whose full contract details have yet to be reported, or Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, both of whom are on non-guaranteed contracts after playing well in rotation roles in ’22/23.

If the Thunder intend to keep White, Joe, and Wiggins into the regular season, they’ll have to trade or waive five players on guaranteed salaries. The players recently acquired in those salary-dump deals – including Victor Oladipo, Davis Bertans, TyTy Washington, and Usman Garuba – would probably be most at risk. Of the Thunder’s returning players, Tre Mann and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl are among those whose roster spots may not be fully secure.

Memphis Grizzlies

(17 standard contracts)

Like the Thunder, the Grizzlies took on some unwanted contracts in offseason trades in order to acquire other assets.

The two players Memphis received in those deals – Josh Christopher and Isaiah Todd – are the most likely odd men out for the 15-man regular season roster, since none of Memphis’ other 15 players are obvious trade or release candidates.

San Antonio Spurs

(17 standard contracts)

The Spurs actually only have 16 players on standard contracts for the time being, but are reportedly bringing back Sandro Mamukelashvili on a one-year deal. He has yet to officially re-sign and the exact details of his contract are unclear.

Assuming San Antonio plans to have Mamukelashvili on its 15-man regular season roster, the team will need to trade or waive two other players before opening night. That number could grow if the Spurs want to sign Dominick Barlow or Sidy Cissoko to a standard contract, but they do have two-way slots available for both.

Cameron Payne, Cedi Osman, Reggie Bullock, Devonte’ Graham, and Khem Birch are a few of the veterans on expiring or pseusdo-expiring contracts who probably aren’t in the Spurs’ long-term plans. But some of those guys would be useful contributors on the court this season and might have a little trade value, so San Antonio might not be done dealing.

Washington Wizards

(16 standard contracts)

The Wizards have a new front office in place for this season, so some of the reserves on expiring contracts who were brought in by the old regime could be candidates to be traded or waived. That group includes Delon Wright, whose name has come up in trade rumors this summer, Xavier Cooks, whose multiyear deal is only guaranteed for 2023/24, and Anthony Gill.

The new regime has also acquired a few players this offseason who may have been traded for financial or salary-matching reasons more than for how they fit into the Wizards’ plans going forward. Of those players, Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala are on expiring contracts, while Patrick Baldwin and Landry Shamet aren’t currently owed guaranteed money beyond 2023/24 (Ryan Rollins has a $600K partial guarantee in ’24/25).

It wouldn’t shock me if the Wizards end up moving off multiple players on the current roster and making another addition or two before the regular season begins.

Others to watch

The Hawks are currently carrying 16 players on standard contracts, but only 15 are guaranteed, making Vit Krejci and his non-guaranteed salary the probable odd man out. Atlanta also reportedly remains active in trade talks, which could further shake up the roster.

The Hornets only have 12 players on guaranteed salaries, but they also have a pair (JT Thor and Kobi Simmons) on non-guaranteed deals, plus a pair of restricted free agents (P.J. Washington and Theo Maledon) and a No. 31 overall pick (James Nnaji) who remain unsigned. Charlotte can comfortably manage the 15-man limit, especially if Nnaji spends the season overseas, but may have to deal with a minor roster crunch if Washington and Maledon both return.

The Clippers, like the Hawks, have 15 players on guaranteed salaries and a 16th (Jason Preston) on a non-guaranteed deal. Los Angeles pushed back Preston’s guarantee date, which suggests the team may be open to hanging onto him if a roster spot becomes available (perhaps in multi-player James Harden trade?).

The Trail Blazers and Sixers are worth monitoring, since they would likely take back more players than they send out in any trade involving Damian Lillard or Harden. For now though, both teams have plenty of roster space — Portland has 13 players on standard contracts (12 fully guaranteed), while Philadelphia has 14 (13 fully guaranteed).

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Exhibit 10 Contract

July 25th, 2023 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

After the NBA’s biggest-name free agents come off the board, many teams shift their focus to filling out their training camp rosters. Teams can only carry 15 players on NBA contracts (plus three on two-way deals) during the regular season, but their maximum roster size increases to 21 players in the offseason, allowing clubs to bring a few extra players to camp to audition for a place on the regular season roster or a spot on the team’s G League affiliate.

Many of those players will sign a contract with an Exhibit 10 clause. Introduced in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, Exhibit 10 contracts are one-year deals worth the minimum salary. They don’t come with any compensation protection, but can include an optional bonus worth as little as $5K and – in 2023/24 – as much as $75K.

Let’s say an undrafted rookie signs an Exhibit 10 contract with the Jazz that includes a $75K bonus. He attends camp with the Jazz, but is waived before the regular season begins, with Utah designating him an affiliate player in order to retain his G League rights. In that scenario, if the rookie elects to play in the G League for the Salt Lake City Stars and remains with the club for 60 days, he’d be entitled to his full $75K bonus.

The player wouldn’t receive that bonus if he opts to sign with a team overseas after being waived by the Jazz. Essentially, the Exhibit 10 bonus serves as an incentive for players to stick with their team’s G League affiliate — they must spend at least 60 days with the NBAGL club in order to get their bonus.

There’s another scenario in which that undrafted rookie who signs an Exhibit 10 deal with the Jazz would receive his $75K. Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way contracts before the regular season begins, so if Utah opted to do that, the $75K bonus would turn into a salary guarantee for the player. As soon as his contract becomes a two-way deal, he’s entitled to that bonus, even if the Jazz waive him a week later.

The maximum Exhibit 10 bonus will increase in future seasons at the same rate as the NBA salary cap. For instance, if the cap rises by 10% in 2024/25, the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus would rise by 10% too, from $75,000 to $82,500.

Only teams with a G League affiliate can include an Exhibit 10 bonus in a contract. In 2023/24, the Trail Blazers will become the 29th NBA team with its own affiliate, leaving only the Suns on the outside looking in (they’re aiming to get an NBAGL team in place by ’24/25). Phoenix could technically sign players to Exhibit 10 deals, but wouldn’t be able to include bonus money.

Exhibit 10 contracts don’t count against a team’s salary cap during the offseason. However, they would begin to count against the cap if a team decides to keep a player on an Exhibit 10 contract into the regular season, essentially converting his deal to a standard one-year, minimum-salary deal.

Although they’re not technically required to, virtually every Exhibit 10 contract also contains an Exhibit 9 clause, which provides a team protections when a player on a non-guaranteed training camp contract suffers an injury. If a team wants to sign a player to a deal that includes both an Exhibit 9 and Exhibit 10 clause, it must already be carrying at least 14 players on standard contracts.

Here are a few more notes relating to Exhibit 10 contracts:

  • A team can’t carry more than six Exhibit 10 contracts at a time.
  • An Exhibit 10 contract can only be converted to a two-way deal before the regular season begins.
  • An Exhibit 10 contract that gets converted to a two-way deal can subsequently be converted into a standard NBA contract.
  • An Exhibit 10 bonus earned by a player who ends up in the G League or on a two-way contract isn’t counted toward the NBA team’s total salary.

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 2018 and 2019.

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Community Shootaround: Rockets Or Spurs?

July 23rd, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets and Spurs finished on even terms last season. They tied for the worst record in the Western Conference at 22-60 apiece.

San Antonio’s plunge in the standings proved worthwhile in the long run as they landed the top pick in the draft. Generational talent Victor Wembanyama has instantly energized and revived the franchise and he’ll be the most closely watched rookie in many years.

The Spurs had one of the worst defenses in league history last season, as they gave up an average of 123.1 points and allowed opponents to shoot 50.7 percent. The 7’5”’ Wembanyama still needs to fill out physically but he’ll provide a fearsome shot-blocking and shot-altering presence. He’ll be developed by Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich.

San Antonio returns its starters at every other position, led by leading scorer Keldon Johnson (22 points per game). Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones fill out the rest of the lineup. The Spurs used their cap space to acquire a number of quality reserves in trades, including Cameron Payne, Reggie Bullock and Cedi Osman.

The Rockets slipped to the No. 4 in the draft and selected guard Amen Thompson. That didn’t stop them from making arguably the biggest splash on the free agent market, handing Fred VanVleet a three-year, $128.5MM contract. The former Raptors point man will become the floor leader, while controversial veteran Dillon Brooks also got a chunk of money in free agency to fortify the team’s small forward spot.

They join an otherwise young but intriguing roster, including Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun. Smith and rookie Cam Whitmore were two of the biggest standouts in the Summer League.

Houston also hired Ime Udoka as head coach and he’ll look to make the team more accountable on the defensive end. The Rockets had the second-to-worst defense in the West.

That leads us to our questions of the day: Which of the Texas teams that finished at the bottom of the Western Conference standings last season — the Spurs or Rockets — will win more games next season?

Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section. We look forward to your input.

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Poll: Damian Lillard’s Team On Opening Night

July 23rd, 2023 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

When Damian Lillard initially submitted his trade request to the Trail Blazers on July 1, there was a very brief period in which it looked like the bidding for the seven-time All-Star could be wide open.

Lillard had previously mentioned in an interview that Brooklyn and Miami would be among his preferred landing spots if he were ever to ask out of Portland. But surely plenty of other teams would be prepared to get involved for a superstar player with four years remaining on his contract. After all, potential suitors could be confident that the veteran guard wouldn’t just be a rental, and perhaps recognized that his reputation as a consummate professional made him unlikely to be a candidate for a holdout.

In the wake of that trade request though, reports quickly emerged indicating that Lillard’s wish list consisted of just one team: the Heat. His agent Aaron Goodwin eventually confirmed as much, making it clear that any non-Miami club that acquired his client would be getting an unhappy player.

The stance has limited the Blazers’ leverage and cooled the trade market for Dame, resulting in a multi-week stand-off that doesn’t seem on the verge of resolution. But with just over two months until training camps begin and about three months until the 2023/24 regular season tips off, there’s plenty of time for the Trail Blazers to work out a trade involving their longtime franchise player.

At this point, three scenarios are in play. The Blazers and Heat find common ground and make a deal sending Lillard to Miami; another suitor willing to roll the dice on Dame swoops in and acquires him; or the Blazers, unsatisfied with the offers they’re getting, keep Lillard on their roster indefinitely until those offers improve.

While a trade to the Heat may feel like a foregone conclusion, Lillard’s leverage to force his way to Miami is limited by his contract situation and his lack of no-trade clause. Holding out – either in Portland or with a non-Heat team – would cost him pay checks, and for a player on a super-max contract, those checks are sizable. That’s not a viable four-year plan, and despite his stance in the early stages of negotiations, Lillard doesn’t seem like the type of player who would stop playing basketball indefinitely until his demands are met.

Non-Heat suitors may be nervous about how Lillard would respond to being sent somewhere besides Miami, but they also won’t want to allow the Heat to become the odds-on title favorite by acquiring the Blazers star for 25 cents on the dollar. The Heat may not have to meet Portland’s asking price in full in order to land Lillard, but they’ll probably have to at least get in the ballpark.

We want to know what you think. How does this situation get resolved? What jersey will Lillard be wearing on opening night this fall? Or, at least, which roster will he be on when the regular season begins?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!

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2023/24 NBA Draft-And-Stash Signings

July 23rd, 2023 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent signees, trade acquisitions, and 2023 draftees have been the most common additions to NBA rosters in recent weeks. However, a small number of players come via the draft-and-stash route, as teams bring aboard players drafted in previous years.

First-round draftees from the last three years are limited to the 2023 rookie scale, though there are no players who will fit that bill this season.

Players who were previously selected in the second round of a draft – or who were first-round picks more than three years ago – are free to sign any type of contract via cap room or exceptions. The new second-round pick exception can be used to sign draft-and-stash players who were second-rounders.

Listed below are the draft-and-stash prospects who have signed so far in 2023/24, with contract details noted.

If and when more teams add draft-and-stash players, we’ll update this list, which can be found at anytime on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in the “Features” page in our mobile menu.

Vasilije Micic, G, Thunder

2014 draft (No. 52)
(story)

Originally drafted by Philadelphia, Micic had his NBA rights traded to Oklahoma City in 2020’s Al Horford/Danny Green deal.

As he developed into a star for Anadolu Efes in Turkey, earning EuroLeague MVP honors in 2021 and winning consecutive EuroLeague titles in 2021 and 2022, Micic seemed unlikely to find common ground with the rebuilding Thunder, given his desire to join an NBA playoff team. But OKC held onto his rights and – after earning a play-in spot in 2023 – was able to convince Micic to join an ascendant squad.

Contract:

  • Three years, $23,555,150.
  • First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option.
  • Signed using room exception.

Sasha Vezenkov, F, Kings

2017 draft (No. 57)
(story)

Originally drafted by the Nets, Vezenkov had his NBA rights traded to Cleveland in 2021’s multi-team James Harden blockbuster, then was flipped to Sacramento along with cash for a second-round pick in 2022.

Like Micic, Vezenkov didn’t initially seem eager to join a non-playoff team, but both he and the Kings took huge steps forward in 2022/23 — Vezenkov was named the EuroLeague MVP, while Sacramento made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. That made them a better match this offseason.

Contract:

  • Three years, $19,975,609.
  • First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option.
  • Signed using room exception.

Filip Petrusev, F/C, Sixers

2021 draft (No. 50)
(story)

After being drafted by the Sixers in 2021, Petrusev spent a year with Anadolu Efes in Turkey, then joined Crvena Zvezda in Serbia in 2022/23. Having won a EuroLeague title in 2022 and a Serbian League title in 2023, he was eager to test himself in the NBA, even if his pay and role will be modest.

Petrusev is part of a crowded frontcourt depth chart in Philadelphia, joining Paul Reed, Montrezl Harrell, and Mohamed Bamba behind Joel Embiid, and his minimum-salary deal is only partially guaranteed in year one.

[UPDATE: Petrusev has been traded twice, first to the Clippers and then to the Kings.]

Contract:

  • Two years, $3,011,420 (minimum salary).
  • First year partially guaranteed ($559,782). Second year non-guaranteed.
  • Signed using minimum salary exception.

Gui Santos, F, Warriors

2022 draft (No. 55)
(story)

Santos signed a G League contract after being drafted by the Warriors in 2022, spending the season with Santa Cruz while Golden State retained his NBA rights.

After opening the 2023/24 season with just 13 players on standard contracts, the Warriors had two weeks to add a 14th man to reach the required roster minimum and chose to make Santos that player. While he’s getting a promotion to Golden State’s standard roster, Santos only has a lightly guaranteed contract and will still likely spend plenty of time assigned to Santa Cruz.

Contract:

  • Three years, $5,143,017 (minimum salary).
  • First year partially guaranteed ($75,000). Second and third years non-guaranteed. Third-year team option.
  • Signed using second-round exception.
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Checking In On Top Remaining Free Agents

July 22nd, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Rory Maher

While many of the NBA’s top free agents reach agreements on new contracts shortly after they become eligible to on June 30, plenty of interesting names are still available three-plus weeks into free agency, including a handful of players on our top-50 FA list for 2023.

Here are some noteworthy players who have yet to sign new deals (along with the teams they finished last season with):

Washington’s case is unique in that he’s a restricted free agent (all the others are unrestricted), and negotiations with Charlotte reportedly haven’t been very productive so far. However, almost no teams have cap room remaining, so if he were to join a new club this summer, it would almost certainly have to come via sign-and-trade.

Wood has been linked to the Lakers, Bulls, Heat and Cavaliers, while Oubre has drawn some interest from the Mavericks and Cavs. We haven’t seen many rumors about the other players listed above, though Jones has also been linked to the Mavs.

There’s also a group of players who didn’t start the summer as free agents, but saw their non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts waived this offseason and have yet to find new teams:

Veteran forward Rudy Gay is in his own category, as the Thunder waived his guaranteed $6.48MM contract to create roster space. OKC acquired him in order to add to its draft capital. He’ll clear waivers today.

Lastly, as is the case every summer, there are several longtime veterans who haven’t found new clubs. That group includes players like Blake Griffin, John Wall, Goran Dragic, Danny Green, Terrence Ross, Justise Winslow, T.J. Warren, George Hill, Will Barton, JaMychal Green, Gorgui Dieng, and Bismack Biyombo, among many others.

You can find our lists of current free agents by position and team right here.

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NBA Teams With Hard Caps For 2023/24

July 19th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA salary cap is somewhat malleable, with various exceptions allowing every team to surpass the $136,021,000 threshold once their cap room is used up. In some cases, teams blow past not only the cap limit, but the luxury tax line of $165,294,000 as well — the Clippers, Warriors, and Suns are among the clubs that project to have massive tax bills this season as a result of their spending.

The NBA doesn’t have a “hard cap” by default, which allows clubs like L.A., Golden State, and Phoenix to build a significant payroll without violating NBA rules. However, there are certain scenarios in which teams can be hard-capped.

The league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement has carried over the hard cap rules from the 2017 CBA while also expanding them, adding new scenarios in which teams can face hard caps and creating a second salary level that certain teams can’t exceed. These rules will continue to evolve in 2024/25, since they’re being implemented over the course of two years.

In 2023/24, the guidelines are as follows:

  1. A team becomes hard-capped at the first tax apron ($172,346,000) if it makes any of the following moves:
    • Acquires a player via sign-and-trade.
    • Uses the bi-annual exception.
    • Uses more than the taxpayer portion (up to two years, with a starting salary of $5MM) of the mid-level exception.
    • Takes back more than 110% of the salary it sends out in a trade (when over the cap).
  2. A team becomes hard-capped at the second tax apron ($182,794,000) if it uses any portion of the mid-level exception.

Over half of the NBA’s teams have been willing to hard-cap themselves so far in 2023/24. Some teams will have to be hyper-aware of that hard cap when they consider any roster move for the rest of the season, but for others it’s just a technicality that won’t affect their plans in any meaningful way.

Listed below are the hard-capped teams for the 2023/24 league year, along with how they created a hard cap. In some instances, a team made multiple moves that would have imposed a hard cap (ie. acquired a player via sign-and-trade and used the bi-annual exception) — only the first of those transactions is noted below.

Hard-capped at first tax apron

These teams will be prohibited from exceeding $172,346,000 in team salary.

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

  • Took back more than 110% of Terry Rozier‘s outgoing salary via trade.

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Detroit Pistons

  • Took back more than 110% of Isaiah Livers‘ outgoing salary via trade.

Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Took back more than 110% of Patty Mills‘ outgoing salary via trade.

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Took back more than 110% of Marcus Morris‘ outgoing salary via trade.

Portland Trail Blazers

San Antonio Spurs

  • Took back more than 110% of Doug McDermott‘s outgoing salary via trade.

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

  • Took back more than 110% of Ochai Agbaji‘s outgoing salary via trade.

Washington Wizards

Hard-capped at second tax apron

These teams will be prohibited from exceeding $182,794,000 in team salary.

Denver Nuggets

This list, which could continue to grow, will be updated throughout the 2023/24 league year as necessary. It can be found anytime in the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” menu on our mobile site.

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What’s Next For 2023 NBA Offseason

July 19th, 2023 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

The 2023 draft is over. Nearly all of this year’s notable free agents are off the board. And now Summer League is behind us too.

In the past, the next two months would have been dead quiet for the NBA, as players, coaches, and executives enjoyed some vacation time and prepared for training camps at the end of September.

The modern NBA has become a 12-month event though, so while the news cycle will be slower in the coming weeks than it was in late June and early July, there are still several big stories worth keeping an eye on. Here are some that we’ll be watching:

The Damian Lillard and James Harden trade markets

Lillard and Harden asked their respective teams to move them right around the start of free agency, but nearly three weeks later, it doesn’t appear that there’s been a whole lot of movement on either front.

Lillard is focused on ending up with the Heat, but Miami lacks the sort of rising young player who would appeal to Portland as the centerpiece of a package and can only currently offer two unencumbered first-round picks.

The Trail Blazers‘ ideal scenario is that another team makes an aggressive play for Lillard, betting that he won’t refuse to report to camp with four years left on his contract and a ton of money at stake. With a compelling alternative available, Portland could go back to Miami with more leverage to convince the Heat to put their very best offer on the table.

Harden, meanwhile, appears focused on ending up with the Clippers. But like the Heat, the Clips don’t necessarily have the sort of assets that would appeal to their would-be trade partner. And even if they did, finding a match between two teams with title aspirations is trickier than a contender making a deal with a rebuilding franchise.

The Sixers are seeking win-now pieces in any Harden deal, but are finding it difficult to extract a ton of value for a player on a pricey expiring contract (which can’t be extended) entering his age-34 season.

It’s still more likely than not that at least one – and maybe both – of Lillard and Harden are playing elsewhere this fall, but it might take some time for a deal to materialize. For what it’s worth, last year’s Donovan Mitchell blockbuster wasn’t agreed upon until the first day of September.

The other trade candidates

Lillard and Harden are the two big names, but plenty of other talented players continue to pop up in trade rumors deep into the offseason. Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has been linked to the Hawks, Pacers, and Magic. The Mavericks have reportedly been eyeing players like Hawks center Clint Capela and Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.

Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter, Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas, and Heat sharpshooter Tyler Herro are a few of the other players who could end up on new teams by the time the season begins.

Jaylen Brown‘s super-max negotiations

When superstars like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have become eligible in recent years for super-max contract extensions that start at 35% of the salary cap, the negotiations have been quick and painless. After all, for perennial MVP candidates, even super-max deals can turn out to be relative bargains.

But when a player like Brown gains super-max eligibility, as he did this spring by earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team, those extension negotiations are more challenging. Brown is the No. 2 option on the Celtics‘ roster behind Jayson Tatum. Is Boston really eager to give him what would be – for now, at least – the biggest contract in NBA history, worth upwards of $300MM over five years?

The Celtics are reportedly engaged in discussions with Brown on a super-max deal, but it sounds like it’s not as simple as giving him whatever he wants. While details about the gap between the two sides have been scarce, it’s possible Brown is seeking a fifth-year player option or a trade kicker and Boston is resisting. It’s also possible the Celtics aren’t willing to offer the full super-max amount in guaranteed money, preferring to include incentives that would give Brown the opportunity to max out his earnings if he or the team achieve certain benchmarks.

Reports out of Boston have repeatedly expressed optimism that a deal will get done, and this early in the offseason, there’s no reason to believe that’s not the case — the deadline isn’t until the day before the regular season begins. But the longer the talks drag on, the more interesting it will be to see what the eventual deal looks like, assuming they agree to one.

The other extension candidates

Like Lillard and Harden on the trade market, Brown is the headliner to watch on the contract extension front. But he’s far from the only extension candidate to monitor in the coming weeks and months.

Some teams, like the two in Los Angeles, will face decisions on whether to recommit to their injury-prone veteran superstars on lucrative new extensions — Clippers forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and Lakers big man Anthony Davis are among the players who are either already extension-eligible or will be able to sign extensions before the season begins.

Other teams will have to decide whether to invest long-term in players who are entering the final year of their rookie contracts. Hawks forward Saddiq Bey, Mavericks wing Josh Green, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, and Spurs swingman Devin Vassell are among the most intriguing candidates for rookie scale extensions, though there are many more.

Filling out – and paring down – rosters

We should get some occasional spurts of major news during the next couple months, including resolution on top remaining free agents like Christian Wood and Hornets RFA forward P.J. Washington.

However, the day-to-day headlines will be more about under-the-radar moves, like minimum-salary signings, two-way deals, and Exhibit 10 agreements, as teams work on filling out their 21-man rosters in advance of training camp.

Certain clubs may actually have to pare down their rosters in the coming weeks in order to prepare for camp. The Thunder, for example, are currently carrying 20 players on standard contracts (18 guaranteed) and one on a two-way deal.

Technically, the Thunder don’t need to make any cuts until right before the regular season begins. But they’ll want to start clearing that logjam in advance of training camp so that they can replace some veterans who won’t be on their regular season roster with younger players who they expect to remain in the organization at the G League level. Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gay, Davis Bertans, Usman Garuba, and TyTy Washington are among the players recently acquired by Oklahoma City in salary-dump trades whose spots on the regular season roster are far from assured.

The Hawks, Clippers, Grizzlies, Spurs, and Wizards are also each carrying more than 15 players on standard contracts.

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12 Two-Way Restricted Free Agents Remain Unsigned

July 18th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

The action on the NBA’s free agent market has slowed since the start of July, but there are still many FAs seeking new deals, including a notable group of under-the-radar players whose situations will need to be resolved in the coming days, weeks, and months.

A total of 12 two-way restricted free agents are still available, as our up-to-date list shows. Those players are as follows:

That group doesn’t include a 13th player, Neemias Queta, who is also a restricted free agent after finishing last season on a two-way deal. Although he remains eligible to sign another two-way contract, Queta was ineligible for a two-way qualifying offer after having played on a two-way with the Kings for consecutive seasons — his QO is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small ($75K) partial guarantee.

For the rest of these players, their qualifying offer is simply another one-year, two-way deal, which limits their leverage to negotiate a more lucrative standard contract.

Some two-way RFAs have managed to earn standard deals this offseason. A.J. Green of the Bucks was one. Julian Champagnie of the Spurs was another. Ty Jerome (Warriors) and Jack White (Nuggets) received standard contract offers from the Cavaliers and Thunder, respectively, that their former teams were unwilling to match, so Golden State and Denver simply withdrew their respective qualifying offers, making Jerome and White unrestricted free agents.

Offer sheets for two-way restricted free agents essentially never happen though. And in general, unless a team has earmarked a 15-man roster spot for a two-way free agent, it’s an uphill battle for these players to earn offseason promotions.

As a result, the majority of the dozen restricted free agents listed above will likely end up accepting their qualifying offers and hoping that their play in 2023/24 forces their clubs to find 15-man roster spots for them later in the season.

Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on this group to see if any of them can do better than another two-way — and to see how long some of them might be willing to wait in the hope of earning that opportunity.

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