Hoops Rumors Originals

2023 NBA Draft Dates, Deadlines To Watch

We’re still nearly three months away from NBA draft day, but before we get to June 22, there are several other important dates and deadlines on the calendar. Here are some of those dates and deadlines worth keeping an eye on:


April 23 (11:59 pm ET): Deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft

College players and international early entrants have until the end of the day on April 23 to submit their names into the 2023 NBA draft pool. They can withdraw their names later if they decide they’re not quite ready to go pro, though if college players want to maintain their NCAA eligibility, they can’t hire an agent who’s not certified by the NCAA.

Once the early entrant list is set, NBA teams can begin conducting or attending workouts for those players.

May 13-14: NBA G League Elite Camp

In 2019, the Elite Camp – having recently been revamped by the NBA – consisted of 40 veteran G League invitees participating in the first half of the event, followed by 40 top draft-eligible players (who weren’t invited to the actual combine) taking part in the second half.

After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elite Camp returned in 2021, but only featured 40 draft-eligible prospects, without the G League players. That format carried over to 2022, with 44 prospects in attendance, and will presumably be in effect in 2023 as well.

May 15-21: NBA draft combine

This week-long event, which takes place annually in Chicago, allows NBA teams to get a first-hand look at many of the year’s top draft-eligible players.

The combine is often particularly important for early entrants who have yet to decide whether or not to stay in the draft. The feedback they get at the combine could go a long way toward dictating whether they keep their names in the draft or return to school for another year.

May 16: NBA draft lottery

The 2023 draft lottery will be the fifth one that uses the new format, which was introduced in 2019. With the lottery odds flattened out, the NBA’s worst team has a 14% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, as opposed to the 25% chance it had prior to ’19.

The new system has generated some excitement during the past four draft lotteries — seven of the 16 teams that have claimed top-four picks since 2019 entered the night without a top-six spot in the lottery standings.

Still, it has been a few years since we saw any real long shots become big winners on lottery night. The Pelicans and Grizzlies moved up from seventh and eighth in the lottery standings in 2019 to claim the top two picks, but one of the NBA’s worst three teams has been awarded the No. 1 spot in each of the last three lotteries. Could we be due for a few surprises in 2023?

May 31 (11:59 pm ET): NCAA early entrant withdrawal deadline

College underclassmen – and seniors who are eligible to play for more one season – who want to retain their NCAA eligibility will have to withdraw their names from the draft pool by May 31. NBA rules call for a later withdrawal deadline, but the NCAA has its own set of rules that say the deadline is 10 days after the combine ends.

An early entrant could technically wait until after May 31 to withdraw from the draft and could still retain his NBA draft eligibility for a future year. However, he would forfeit his amateur status in that scenario, making him ineligible to return to his NCAA squad. College players who want to play overseas for a year or two before entering the NBA draft could take this route.

June 12 (5:00 pm ET): NBA early entrant withdrawal deadline

This is the NBA’s final deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the draft pool and retain their draft eligibility for a future year.

By this point, we generally know whether or not a college player decided to keep his name in the draft, but this is an important deadline for international players, who aren’t subject to the same restrictions as college players. We’ll likely hear about several international early entrants withdrawing from the draft during the days leading up to June 12.

June 22: NBA draft day

The most exciting few weeks of the NBA offseason unofficially get underway on draft day, which is often when several of the first major trades of the summer are completed and when we get a sense of which direction certain teams are heading.

It’s also worth noting that the hours and days after the draft ends will be hugely important for many of this year’s draft-eligible prospects — a ton of players who aren’t selected with one of the 58 picks in the draft will reach agreements shortly thereafter to play for an NBA team’s Summer League squad, to attend training camp with a club, or to sign a two-way contract.

2023 NBA Draft Early Entrants List

Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2023 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Sunday, April 23 to make that decision official.

Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on May 31 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, is on June 12 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2023 draft will take place on June 22.

Beginning in 2021, the annual list of “early” entrants has become even bigger than usual because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of either declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.

Last year, 283 prospects initially declared as early entrants, with 149 of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. We’re expecting those totals to end up in the same neighborhood this time around.

We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.

The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Last updated 6-13-23 (6:28pm CT)


College Underclassmen

Remaining in draft:

  1. Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (sophomore)
  2. Amari Bailey, G, UCLA (freshman)
  3. Emoni Bates, G/F, Eastern Michigan (sophomore)
  4. Charles Bediako, C, Alabama (sophomore)
  5. Anthony Black, G, Arkansas (freshman)
  6. Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan (sophomore)
  7. Jaylen Clark, G, UCLA (junior)
  8. Noah Clowney, F, Alabama (freshman)
  9. Ricky Council IV, G, Arkansas (junior)
  10. Gradey Dick, G, Kansas (freshman)
  11. Alex Fudge, F, Florida (sophomore)
  12. Keyonte George, G, Baylor (freshman)
  13. Wendell Green, G, Auburn (junior)
  14. Mouhamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (sophomore)
  15. Jordan Hawkins, G, Connecticut (sophomore)
  16. Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF (freshman)
  17. Jalen Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana (freshman)
  18. Jett Howard, G, Michigan (freshman)
  19. Andre Jackson, G, UConn (junior)
  20. Gregory Jackson II, F, South Carolina (freshman)
  21. Colby Jones, G, Xavier (junior)
  22. Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine (sophomore)
  23. Dereck Lively II, C, Duke (freshman)
  24. Chris Livingston, F, Kentucky (freshman)
  25. Brandon Miller, F, Alabama (freshman)
  26. Mike Miles, G, TCU (junior)
  27. Kris Murray, F, Iowa (junior)
  28. Julian Phillips, F, Tennessee (freshman)
  29. Brandin Podziemski, G, Santa Clara (sophomore)
  30. Justin Powell, G, Washington State (junior)
  31. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette (junior)
  32. Adama Sanogo, F/C, UConn (junior)
  33. Brice Sensabaugh, F, Ohio State (freshman)
  34. Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas (freshman)
  35. Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (sophomore)
  36. Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (junior)
  37. Azuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona (junior)
  38. Jarace Walker, F, Houston (freshman)
  39. Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  40. Jordan Walsh, F, Arkansas (freshman)
  41. Dariq Whitehead, G/F, Duke (freshman)
  42. Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova (freshman)
  43. Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (junior)
  44. Tyrese Wineglass, G, Southwestern Adventist (TX) (junior)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools. The schools listed below are from 2022/23.

  1. Jaden Akins, G, Michigan State (sophomore)
  2. Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (sophomore)
  3. Will Baker, C, Nevada (junior)
  4. TJ Bamba, G, Washington State (junior)
  5. Josh Bannan, F, Montana (junior)
  6. Reece Beekman, G, Virginia (junior)
  7. Adem Bona, C, UCLA (freshman)
  8. Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor (junior)
  9. Johni Broome, F, Auburn (junior)
  10. Lamont Butler, G, San Diego State (junior)
  11. Wesley Cardet Jr., G, Chicago State (sophomore)
  12. Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn (junior)
  13. Frankie Collins, G, Arizona State (sophomore)
  14. LJ Cryer, G, Baylor (junior)
  15. Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado (junior)
  16. Clarence Daniels II, F, New Hampshire (junior)
  17. Davonte Davis, G, Arkansas (junior)
  18. Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic (junior)
  19. Jordan Dingle, G, Penn (junior)
  20. Zach Edey, C, Purdue (junior)
  21. Enrique Freeman, F, Akron (junior)
  22. Eric Gaines, G, UAB (junior)
  23. PJ Hall, F/C, Clemson (junior)
  24. Jacksun Hamilton, F, Wisconsin-Parkside (sophomore)
  25. Rayshon Harrison, G, Grand Canyon (junior)
  26. Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois (junior)
  27. Blake Hinson, G, Pittsburgh (junior)
  28. A.J. Hoggard, G, Michigan State (junior)
  29. DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (sophomore)
  30. Tyrese Hunter, G, Texas (sophomore)
  31. Jordan Ivy-Curry, G, Pacific (junior)
  32. Sion James, G, Tulane (junior)
  33. Meechie Johnson Jr., G, South Carolina (junior)
  34. Dillon Jones, G/F, Weber State (junior)
  35. Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (junior)
  36. Arthur Kaluma, F, Creighton (sophomore)
  37. Miles Kelly, G, Georgia Tech (sophomore)
  38. Bobi Klintman, F, Wake Forest (freshman)
  39. Bol Kuir, C, San Diego (freshman)
  40. Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (junior)
  41. Tyrin Lawrence, G, Vanderbilt (junior)
  42. Tramon Mark, G, Houston (sophomore)
  43. Alijah Martin, G, Florida Atlantic (junior)
  44. Judah Mintz, G, Syracuse (freshman)
  45. Isaiah Miranda, F/C, NC State (freshman)
  46. Dillon Mitchell, F, Texas (freshman)
  47. Jelanie Morgan, G/F, Lesley (MA) (freshman)
  48. Matthew Murrell, G, Ole Miss (junior)
  49. Grant Nelson, F, North Dakota State (junior)
  50. Jordan Nesbitt, G/F, Hampton (sophomore)
  51. Toby Okani, G/F, Illinois-Chicago (junior)
  52. Norchad Omier, F, Miami (junior)
  53. Clifford Omoruyi, C, Rutgers (junior)
  54. Nijel Pack, G, Miami (FL) (junior)
  55. Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU (sophomore)
  56. Jeremy Roach, G, Duke (junior)
  57. Mark Sears, G, Alabama (junior)
  58. Mike Sharavjamts, F, Dayton (freshman)
  59. Jamal Shead, G, Houston (junior)
  60. Mady Traore, F, New Mexico State (freshman)
  61. Steele Venters, G, Eastern Washington (junior)
  62. Damjan Vukcevic, F, Los Angeles Trade Tech (freshman)

College Seniors

Remaining in draft:

  1. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, F, Memphis
  2. Damezi Anderson, F, Detroit
  3. Chase Audige, G, Northwestern
  4. Grant Basile, F, Virginia Tech
  5. Manny Bates, F, Butler
  6. Damion Baugh, G, TCU
  7. Kobe Brown, F, Missouri
  8. Toumani Camara, F, Dayton
  9. Tyger Campbell, G, UCLA
  10. Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis
  11. Alou Dillon, F, Purdue-Northwest
  12. Tosan Evbuomwan, F, Princeton
  13. Adam Flagler, G, Baylor
  14. Armaan Franklin, G, Virginia
  15. Myron Gardner, G/F, Little Rock
  16. De’Vion Harmon, G, Texas Tech
  17. Joey Hauser, F, Michigan State
  18. Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana
  19. Jaime Jaquez, G, UCLA
  20. Keyontae Johnson, F, Kansas State
  21. Jackson Kenyon, F, Miami (OH)
  22. Seth Lundy, F, Penn State
  23. Demetrius Mims, G, Gannon (PA)
  24. Omari Moore, F, San Jose State
  25. Landers Nolley, G/F, Cincinnati
  26. Jack Nunge, F/C, Xavier
  27. Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul
  28. Uros Plavsic, C, Tennessee
  29. Terry Roberts, G, Georgia
  30. Marcus Sasser, G, Houston
  31. Ben Sheppard, G, Belmont
  32. Grant Sherfield, G, Oklahoma
  33. Dontrell Shuler, G, Cal State San Bernardino
  34. Malachi Smith, G, Gonzaga
  35. Justice Sueing, F, Ohio State
  36. Drew Timme, F/C, Gonzaga
  37. Jacob Toppin, F, Kentucky
  38. Oscar Tshiebwe, F/C, Kentucky
  39. Tyler Willoughby, G, Voorhees (SC)
  40. Isaiah Wong, G, Miami

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools. The schools listed below are from 2022/23.

  1. T.J. Bickerstaff, F, Boston College
  2. Keylan Boone, G/F, Pacific
  3. Jordan Brown, F/C, Louisiana
  4. Boo Buie, G, Northwestern
  5. Tyler Burton, F, Richmond
  6. Branden Carlson, F/C, Utah
  7. Kevin Cross, F, Tulane
  8. RayJ Dennis, G, Toledo
  9. Marcus Domask, F, Southern Illinois
  10. El Ellis, G, Louisville
  11. Jaylen Forbes, G, Tulane
  12. Joseph Girard, G, Syracuse
  13. Hakim Hart, G, Maryland
  14. Jalen Hill, F, Oklahoma
  15. Ithiel Horton, G, UCF
  16. Josiah-Jordan James, G/F, Tennessee
  17. Keshad Johnson, F, San Diego State
  18. Jaedon Ledee, F, San Diego State
  19. Madison McCall, G, Lesley (MA)
  20. Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas
  21. Emanuel Miller, F, TCU
  22. Rayquawndis Mitchell, G, Kansas City
  23. Casey Morsell, G, NC State
  24. Paul Mulcahy, G, Rutgers
  25. Tristen Newton, G, UConn
  26. Olivier Nkamhoua, F, Tennessee
  27. Elijah Pepper, G, UC-Davis
  28. Rob Perry, G, Murray State
  29. Jordan Phillips, G/F, Detroit Mercy
  30. Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College
  31. Zyon Pullin, G, UC-Riverside
  32. Jahvon Quinerly, G, Alabama
  33. Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky
  34. Luis Rodriguez, G, UNLV
  35. Cormac Ryan, G, Notre Dame
  36. Terrence Shannon Jr., G, Illinois
  37. Jamarion Sharp, C, Western Kentucky
  38. Tolu Smith, F, Mississippi State
  39. Isaiah Stevens, G, Colorado State
  40. Russel Tchewa, C, South Florida
  41. Tyler Thomas, G, Hofstra
  42. Keisei Tominaga, G, Nebraska
  43. Nae’Qwan Tomlin, F, Kansas State
  44. Cameron Tyson, G, Seattle
  45. Connor Vanover, C, Oral Roberts
  46. Qudus Wahab, C, Georgetown
  47. Anton Watson, F, Gonzaga
  48. Jaylin Williams, F, Auburn

International players

Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.

Remaining in draft:

  1. Bilal Coulibaly, F, France (born 2004)
  2. Nadir Hifi, G/F, France (born 2002)
  3. James Nnaji, C, Spain (born 2004)
  4. Rayan Rupert, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
  5. Marcio Santos, F/C, Brazil (born 2002)
  6. Enzo Shahrvin, F, France (born 2003)
  7. Tristan Vukcevic, F/C, Serbia (born 2003)
  8. Victor Wembanyama, C, France (born 2004)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

  1. Miguel Allen, F, Spain (born 2003)
  2. Idrissa Ba, C, France (born 2002)
  3. Elian Benitez, G, France (born 2003)
  4. William Beugre-Kassi, G/F, France (born 2004)
  5. Mihailo Boskovic, F, Serbia (born 2002)
  6. Michael Caicedo, F, Spain (born 2003)
  7. Sasa Ciani, F, Croatia (born 2003)
  8. Carlin Davison, F, New Zealand (born 2003)
  9. Thijs De Ridder, F, Belgium (born 2003)
  10. Ege Demir, F/C, Turkey (born 2004)
  11. Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
  12. Ruben Dominguez, G, Spain (born 2003)
  13. Quinn Ellis, G, Italy (born 2003)
  14. Juan Fernandez, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
  15. Clement Frisch, F, France (born 2002)
  16. Sananda Fru, F, Germany (born 2003)
  17. Gloire Goma, G, Spain (born 2003)
  18. Hassane Gueye, F, France (born 2003)
  19. Ondrej Hanzlik, F, Spain (born 2002)
  20. Tomislav Ivisic, C, Montenegro (born 2003)
  21. Zvonimir Ivisic, C, Montenegro (born 2003)
  22. Ilias Kamardine, G, France (born 2003)
  23. Konstantin Kostadinov, F, Spain (born 2003)
  24. Oleksandr Kovliar, G, Estonia (born 2002)
  25. Liutauras Lelevicius, G, Lithuania (born 2003)
  26. Gilad Levy, C, Israel (born 2002)
  27. Ruben Lopez, F, Spain (born 2002)
  28. Assemian Moulare, G, France (born 2003)
  29. Ousmane N’Diaye, C, Spain (born 2004)
  30. David Okwera, F, Australia (born 2002)
  31. Daniel Onwenu, G, Brazil (born 2002)
  32. Romain Parmentelot, G, France (born 2004)
  33. Ivan Perasovic, F, Croatia (born 2002)
  34. Mantas Rubstavicius, G, Lithuania (born 2002)
  35. Musa Sagnia, F/C, Spain (born 2003)
  36. Birahima Sylla, G, France (born 2003)
  37. Dez Andras Tanoh, G, Hungary (born 2002)
  38. Hugo Toom, F, Estonia (born 2002)
  39. Armel Traore, F, France (born 2003)
  40. Ricards Vanags, G/F, Latvia (born 2002)

Other notable draft-eligible early entrants

Remaining in draft:

  1. Scoot Henderson, G, G League Ignite (born 2004)
  2. Leonard Miller, F, G League Ignite (born 2003)
  3. Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite (born 2003)
  4. Ausar Thompson, G/F, Overtime Elite (born 2003)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

  1. Gael Bonilla, F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2003)
  2. Djordjije Jovanovic, G/F, Ontario Clippers (born 2003)

Information from RookieScale.com was used in the creation of this post.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Chicago Bulls

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Bulls players.


Coby White, G

  • 2022/23: $7.4MM
  • 2023/24: RFA
  • Stock: Up

White is a tricky player to gauge because he’s playing fewer minutes and taking fewer shots, so on the surface his numbers look worse. If you actually watch him play though, it’s clear that he has improved in meaningful ways.

For example, when he entered the league he was basically a low-efficiency gunner who didn’t provide a whole lot else. His ball-handling, decision-making and defense have all improved, and he has a much better feel for making plays within the flow of the game.

White, who was recently praised by head coach Billy Donovan, has seen his name has pop up in trade rumors the past couple seasons, but the fact that the Bulls held onto him through the deadline leads me to believe they’ll give him a $7,744,600 qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.

Lonzo Ball might miss all of next season following a third left knee surgery, making guard depth a priority. White just turned 23 years old last month – I think they’ll bring him back.

Nikola Vucevic, C

  • 2022/23: $22MM
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Neutral

Vucevic’s counting stats in 2022/23 (17.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.3 APG) are virtually identical to last year’s (17.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.2 APG), but he’s scoring much more efficiently, mostly due to a career-high 58.7% on twos — he’s averaging about the same amount of points on 1.8 fewer shot attempts per game.

The veteran center has always been a quality defensive rebounder, but he is limited in other aspects defensively, particularly when it comes to protecting the paint – among centers who contest five-plus shots at the rim, he allows opponents to shoot 67.9% on those looks, which is the second-worst mark in the league, according to NBA.com. Chicago’s offense has been better when Vucevic is playing, but the team’s defense is significantly worse.

It’s hard to see Vucevic getting much more than his current $22MM salary from the Bulls or any other team. That said, he’s more or less the same player he was when he signed the deal, just four years older, and obviously the Bulls value him, otherwise they wouldn’t have traded for him a couple years ago. Maybe a short-term deal at a similar price could be in play – he will remain extension-eligible until June 30.

Patrick Beverley, G

  • 2022/23: $13MM + prorated minimum
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Down

Beverley’s free agency situation is strange. On one hand, the Bulls have gone 10-5 with him in the starting lineup – a very good mark, particularly for a team that has been wildly inconsistent in 2022/23.

He is an above average rebounder for a player his size (he’s 6’1″), pulling down 5.9 boards in 28 minutes thus far with the Bulls, though that seems unsustainable (it would match his career high from ’16/17). He has also done a very good job taking care of the ball, recording a 4.07-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with Chicago.

So why is Beverley’s stock down? He is only shooting 34% from deep in ‘22/23 – 31.5% with Chicago thus far – after shooting 34.3% last season. His career rate is 37.4%, but it’s a little concerning that he’s been below average two years in a row, because he isn’t much of a scoring threat otherwise (he’s averaging 6.3 points per game, his lowest total since his rookie year in ‘12/13).

Three other factors are working against him. One, he’s on his fifth team in under a year, having been traded three times before reaching a buyout agreement with Orlando. Second, he’ll turn 35 years old this summer, so it’s hard to see him getting more than a one- or two-year contract.

Finally, he lost his Bird rights when he was bought out, so the Bulls will be limited in what they can offer him – they could give him a 120% raise on his current minimum salary, which would be around $3.1MM, but otherwise they would have to dip into one of their exceptions (mid-level or bi-annual) to give him more than the minimum. I suspect they’ll pursue a younger target with the MLE.

Long story short, there’s no realistic way the Bulls can offer him anything close to the combined $13.8MM he made this season, and I definitely don’t see another team approaching that figure.

Javonte Green, F

  • 2022/23: Minimum salary
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Neutral

If you had asked me earlier this season about Green’s stock, I would have said he was owed a raise on his minimum-salary contract – the Bulls have been better with him on the court each of the past two seasons. He brings a much-needed infusion of energy, toughness, and defensive versatility to a team that has been oddly apathetic at times.

The main reason his stock is neutral instead of up is his knee injury, which he has been slow to recover from. He underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure in January, and it was initially reported that he was expected to miss about a month. Instead, he was out for about two-and-a-half months, and after playing two games last week, he’s on the shelf again.

Donovan said on Sunday that Green has been dealing with discomfort the day after playing, which is troubling. Green punches above his weight due to his explosive athleticism, but he’s only 6’4″ – hopefully this injury doesn’t affect that part of his game, because he’s a limited offensive player. Here’s to hoping he makes a full recovery.

Community Shootaround: Defensive Player Of The Year

According to betting site BetOnline.ag, Bucks center Brook Lopez and Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. are in a two-man race for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Interestingly, when I considered doing a Community Shootaround on this topic a few weeks ago, Jackson was a pretty strong favorite with Lopez the runner-up, but those odds have flipped — Lopez is currently the leading candidate at minus-225, followed by Jackson at plus-175. The only other two players listed are Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo (plus-2500) and Heat center Bam Adebayo (plus-3300), but they’re considered long shots with the regular season nearing its conclusion.

Both Lopez and Jackson have compelling cases. Lopez anchors the NBA’s top defense, which is the primary reason the Bucks have the best record in the league. With Lopez on the court, the Bucks have a 106.3 defensive rating, and they’re 4.1 points per 100 possessions worse defensively when he’s not playing.

It’s been a remarkable year for the 34-year-old, who is averaging a career-high 2.5 blocks per game (second in the league) and has only missed two games. According to NBA.com‘s data, he has contested more shots than any player in the league by a significant margin, with opponents shooting 4.5% worse than expected on those attempts. Among players who have contested at least five shots per game at the rim, opponents are shooting just 50% against Lopez, which ranks second in the league, per NBA.com.

Jackson has played 15 fewer games than Lopez following offseason foot surgery, and has played fewer minutes in those games (28.1 MPG compared to 30.6 for Lopez). Barring injury, there’s no way for him to make up ground in those areas. He has only contested 13.8 shots per game versus Lopez’s 22.9.

That said, there’s a strong argument to be made that Jackson has been more impactful in the time he has been on the court, even if he’s played nearly 600 fewer minutes to this point. The Grizzlies hold the league’s third-best defense. With Jackson on the court, the Grizzlies have a 105.7 defensive rating, and they’re 5.7 points worse defensively when he’s off the court.

Lopez ranks second in blocks per game because he trails Jackson, who is averaging 3.0 while leading the league in block percentage. He’s also averaging 1.0 steal compared to 0.5 for Lopez, so Jackson easily clears in steals plus blocks (4.0 vs 3.0).

Opponents are shooting 4.7% worse than expected with Jackson as the nearest defender, and they are only shooting 46.4% at the rim against him — that’s the best mark for a full-time player since 2013/14, according to NBA.com.

We want to know what you think. Who should win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022/23? Head to the comments to weigh in with your thoughts!

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Gilbert Arenas Provision

Gilbert Arenas hasn’t played in the NBA since 2012, but his legacy lives on in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The NBA introduced the Gilbert Arenas provision in the 2005 CBA as a way to help teams retain their restricted free agents who aren’t coming off standard rookie scale contracts. While Arenas isn’t specifically named in the CBA, the rule colloquially known as the Arenas provision stems from his own restricted free agency in 2003.

At the time, the Warriors only had Early Bird rights on Arenas, who signed an offer sheet with the Wizards starting at about $8.5MM. Because Golden State didn’t have $8.5MM in cap room and could only offer Arenas a first-year salary of about $4.9MM using the Early Bird exception, the Warriors were unable to match the offer sheet and lost Arenas to Washington.

Introduced to help avoid similar instances of teams losing promising young free agents, the Arenas provision limits the first-year salary that rival suitors can offer restricted free agents who have only been in the league for one or two years.

The starting salary for an offer sheet can’t exceed the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which allows the player’s original team to use either the mid-level exception or the Early Bird exception to match it. Otherwise, a team without the necessary cap space would be powerless to keep its player, like the Warriors were with Arenas.

An offer sheet from another team can still have an average annual salary that exceeds the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, however. The annual raises are limited to 5% between years one and two and 4.5% between years three and four, but a team can include a significant raise between the second and third years of the offer.

As long as the first two years of a team’s offer sheet are for the highest salary possible, the offer is fully guaranteed, and there are no incentives included, the third-year salary of the offer sheet can be worth up to what the player’s third-year maximum salary would have been if not for the Arenas restrictions.

Based on a projected $136,021,000 salary cap for 2023/24, here’s the maximum offer sheet a first- or second-year RFA could receive this coming summer:

Year Salary Comment
2023/24 $12,405,000 Value of non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception.
2024/25 $13,025,250 5% raise on first-year salary.
2025/26 $37,405,638 Maximum third-year salary for a player with 1-2 years in NBA.
2026/27 $39,088,892 4.5% raise on third-year salary.
Total $101,924,780 Average annual salary of $25,481,195.

It’s important to note that in order to make the sort of offer outlined above, a team must have enough cap room to accommodate the average annual value of the contract. Because if the offer sheet isn’t matched, the player’s new club will spread the cap hits equally across all four years (ie. $25.48MM per season).

In other words, a team with $26MM in cap space could extend this offer sheet to a first- or second-year RFA. But a team with only $20MM in cap space would have to reduce the third- and fourth-year salaries in its offer sheet to get the overall average salary of the offer down to $20MM per year, despite being able to comfortably accommodate the first-year salary.


The application of the Arenas provision is infrequent, since first- and second-year players who reach free agency rarely warrant such lucrative contract offers. First-round picks sign four-year rookie deals when they enter the NBA, so the Arenas provision generally applies to second-round picks or undrafted free agents whose first NBA contracts were only for one or two years.

The Arenas provision hasn’t been used at all in recent years. Based on our data, it was last relevant during the 2016 offseason, when multiple teams made use of the Arenas provision as they attempted to pry restricted free agents from rival teams.

One notable example from that summer was Tyler Johnson‘s restricted free agency with Miami. The Heat had Early Bird rights on Johnson, who had only been in the NBA for two seasons. The Nets attempted to pry him away with an aggressive offer sheet that featured salaries of $5,628,000, $5,881,260, $19,245,370, and $19,245,370. It wasn’t the maximum that Brooklyn could have offered Johnson, but the massive third-year raise was a tough pill for Miami to swallow.

Overall, the deal was worth $50MM for four years. If the Heat had declined to match it, the Nets would have flattened out those annual cap hits to $12.5MM per year, the average annual value of the deal. However, due to the Arenas provision, Miami was able to match Brooklyn’s offer sheet with the Early Bird exception, even though the Heat wouldn’t have been able to directly offer Johnson a four-year, $50MM contract using the Early Bird exception.

When a team matches an Arenas-provision offer sheet, it also has the option of flattening those cap charges. However, that option is only available if the team has the cap room necessary to accommodate the average annual value of the deal. Otherwise, the club has to keep the unbalanced cap charges on its books. In the case of Johnson, the Heat didn’t have enough cap room to spread out the cap hits, so they were forced to carry those exorbitant cap charges in years three and four.

When Johnson’s cap hit for the Heat jumped from $5,881,260 to $19,245,370 in 2018/19, it became an albatross — the team eventually sent him to Phoenix in a salary-dump deal at the 2019 deadline.


This coming offseason, the best candidate for an Arenas-provision offer sheet is Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who has emerged as an important rotation player for the club during its push for a playoff spot.

If the Lakers negotiate with Reaves directly, they’d be limited to offering him a little over $50MM on a four-year deal using the Early Bird exception. However, a rival team with the necessary cap room could offer him up to nearly $102MM, as detailed above.

A four-year, $102MM deal seems awfully ambitious for Reaves, but it’s possible that a rival suitor could test the Lakers’ limits by using the Arenas provision to put an offer sheet of $60MM or more on the table for the young guard. If Los Angeles matched such an offer, the contract would look the same in the first two years as the one L.A. could offer, but would include larger salaries in years three and four.

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Raptors guard Dalano Banton, and Heat center Omer Yurtseven are among the other players who will become eligible for restricted free agency this offseason with just two years of NBA experience under their belts and would be subject to the Arenas provision.


Finally, just because a club is given the opportunity to use the Arenas provision to keep its restricted free agent doesn’t mean that club will necessarily have the means. Here are a few situations in which the Arenas provision would not help a team keep its restricted free agent:

  • If a team only has the taxpayer mid-level exception or room exception available, it would be unable to match an offer sheet for a Non-Bird free agent if the starting salary exceeds the taxpayer mid-level, room exception, and/or Non-Bird exception amount.
  • A team would be unable to match an offer sheet exceeding the Non-Bird exception for a Non-Bird free agent if that team has used its mid-level exception on another player. The club could use Early Bird rights to match if those rights are available, however.
  • If the player is a Non-Bird or Early Bird free agent with three years of NBA experience, the Arenas provision would not apply — only players with one or two years in the league are eligible.
  • If the player is eligible for restricted free agency but doesn’t receive a qualifying offer, the Arenas provision would not apply.

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 past years by Luke Adams and Chuck Myron.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Southeast Division

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Southeast players.


Kristaps Porzingis, F/C, Wizards

  • 2022/23: $33.8MM
  • 2023/24: $36MM player option
  • Stock: Up

I think Porzingis has been the Wizards’ best player this season. You could interpret that as a backhanded compliment since they aren’t very good, but I don’t mean it to be — he’s having a career year.

Through 62 games (32.6 MPG) in 2022/23, the 27-year-old is averaging 23.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.9 SPG and 1.5 BPG on .492/.375/.849 shooting. The points, assists and steals per game represent career highs, and he’s scoring more efficiently than ever, recording career bests in FG%, 2PT% (.556), free throw attempts (6.5 per game), free throws made (5.5) and true shooting percentage (.621).

Porzingis is also playing solid defense, with opponents shooting just 56% at the rim against him, per NBA.com‘s data — a strong mark. He has generally been an active deterrent, and it’s tough to shoot over someone 7’3″.

The biggest question mark surrounding Porzingis has always been his health, as he could surpass the 70-game mark for just the second time in his career this season. Maybe something in the three-year, $105MM range could be within reach – I’d be hesitant to go out four or five years.

Kevin Love, F/C, Heat

  • 2022/23: $28.9MM + $3.1MM
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Down

Love was the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2021/22 after putting up 13.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.2 APG on .430/.392/.838 shooting in 72 games (22.5 MPG) for Cleveland. He had a solid start this season, averaging 11.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 2.6 APG on .425/.409/.861 shooting in 15 games (21.3 MPG).

Unfortunately, he sustained a thumb injury that impacted his outside shooting – a huge reason why he had been an effective bench piece. Over the following 26 games (19.3 MP), he averaged just 6.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 1.4 APG on .364/.308/.926 shooting. The Cavs subsequently pulled him from the rotation, but he still wanted a chance to play, so the two sides reached a buyout agreement, with Love catching on with the Heat.

In 14 games (21.4 MPG) with Miami, he’s averaging 7.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 2.0 APG on .383/.286/.850 shooting. Love has always been a very good defensive rebounder, and he is a terrific outlet passer. However, he is an overall poor defensive player, he’ll be 35 years old before next season begins, and he has a lengthy injury history.

It’s hard to envision him getting more than a one-year contract in the offseason, and I’d be very surprised if it’s for more than the taxpayer mid-level exception (projected to be $7MM).

Max Strus, G/F, Heat

  • 2022/23: Minimum salary
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Down

Strus is already a success story as an undrafted free agent who originally caught on with Boston and then Chicago on two-way deals before tearing his ACL in December 2019. He worked his way back through the G League and caught on with Miami before ‘20/21, inking another two-way deal.

He impressed the Heat enough to earn a two-year, minimum-salary contract, and had a terrific season in ‘21/22, averaging 10.6 PPG and 3.0 RPG while shooting 41% from deep on high volume in 68 games (23.3 MPG). Strus was so important that he was starting for the Heat in the playoffs as they came very close to making it back to the Finals.

As with Love, Strus started the season well, averaging 15.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .460/.378/.864 shooting 15 games (33 MPG). He has been in a prolonged shooting slump for much of the rest of the season though, averaging 10.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.3 APG on .387/.328/.892 shooting over the past 57 games (27.9 MPG).

Strus isn’t a great defender, but he’s not a liability. The main reason he plays is to make timely cuts and space the floor. He’s shooting just 34% from three this season.

He’s only 26, so I have no doubt that he will get a multiyear contract and a raise on his minimum salary. But his stock is definitely down compared to last year.

Moritz Wagner, F/C, Magic

  • 2022/23: Minimum salary
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

Part of the reason Orlando was comfortable trading Mohamed Bamba at the deadline is that he had been supplanted in the rotation by Wagner, a fifth-year big man who played his college ball at Michigan. Wagner missed the first 18 games of the season while recovering from a foot injury, but has played well since he returned.

A talented, energetic and decisive scorer, Wagner is averaging a career-high 11.1 PPG along with 4.7 RPG on .496/.310/.844 shooting in 51 games (20.2 MPG). He has played well as a fill-in starter, averaging 14.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .525/.339/.869 shooting in 17 games (26.7 MPG).

At 6’11” and 245 pounds, Wagner has an interesting blend of ball skills and footwork for a center. He’s quite effective at using pump fakes to drive and spin his way to the basket, frequently drawing fouls. He’s converting 62.8% of his twos and 84.4% of his 3.4 free throw attempts per game, which is why his true shooting percentage is well above average (62.8%) even though he’s only shooting 31% from deep.

The 25-year-old has outplayed his minimum-salary deal, and the Magic have his Bird rights if they want to bring him back. Wagner is not a rim protector and he’s just an OK rebounder. Perhaps something in the range of $5-8MM per season could be within reach.

Kelly Oubre, G/F, Hornets

  • 2022/23: $12.6MM
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Neutral

Oubre brings prototypical size on the wing at 6’7″ with an enormous 7’2″ wingspan. He’s an excellent athlete and excels in the open court.

Through 48 games (32.2 MPG), the 27-year-old is averaging a career-high 20.3 PPG along with 5.2 RPG and 1.4 SPG. He missed a good chunk of time after undergoing hand surgery in January.

The scoring looks nice, but it’s paired with below average efficiency, as Oubre has posted a .431/.319/.760 slash line for a 53.4 TS%. He has also recorded just 54 assists against 819 field goal attempts in ‘22/23, a remarkably low percentage. That isn’t an aberration – he’s only averaged 1.0 APG in 527 career games (25.8 MPG).

As a free agent in 2021, Oubre signed a two-year, $24.6MM contract with the Hornets, with the second year only guaranteed at $5MM. He has spoken multiple times about wanting to remain in Charlotte. I find it hard to believe he’ll get much more than he’s currently making on a short-term deal, but he hasn’t hurt his value either.

Trade Breakdown: James Wiseman To The Pistons (Four-Team Deal)

This is the 10th entry in our series breaking down the significant trades of the 2022/23 season. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into the most controversial trade of the deadline, a four-team deal between the Pistons, Warriors, Trail Blazers and Hawks.


Trade details

On February 9:

  • The Hawks acquired Saddiq Bey.
  • The Pistons acquired James Wiseman.
  • The Warriors acquired Gary Payton II, the Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick, and the Hawks’ 2028 second-round pick.
  • The Trail Blazers acquired Kevin Knox, either the Hawks’ or Nets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Hawks), the Hawks’ 2024 second-round pick, the Hawks’ 2025 second-round pick (protected 41-60), the Grizzlies’ 2026 second-round pick (top-42 protected; from Warriors), and the Warriors’ 2028 second-round pick.
  • Notes: The Hawks previously traded their 2024 second-round pick to the Trail Blazers with top-55 protection. Those protections were removed as part of this deal. This trade technically wasn’t finalized until February 12, which we’ll cover below.

The Pistons’ perspective:

Wiseman was reportedly atop Detroit’s draft board in 2020, when he was selected No. 2 overall by Golden State. The Pistons wouldn’t have traded for him if they didn’t believe in his talent and potential.

Interestingly, Wiseman is the second former No. 2 overall pick that general manager Troy Weaver has traded for in the past two years, joining Marvin Bagley III. They have several similarities, including being left-handed big men who have struggled with inconsistency and injuries since entering the NBA.

Wiseman was something of a mystery prospect, as he only played three college games at Memphis before being ruled ineligible. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the truncated offseason, he didn’t have a full training camp entering his rookie season, which certainly wasn’t ideal for a player who already was lacking in high-level experience.

He showed some flashes of upside in 2020/21, averaging 11.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 0.9 BPG while shooting 51.9% from the floor and 62.8% from the free throw line in 39 games (27 starts, 21.4 MPG). He also shot 31.6% from three-point range on one attempt per night.

Unfortunately, he sustained a torn meniscus in his right knee that required surgery in April 2021. Wiseman had a lengthy recovery process, which included multiple setbacks and a second surgery – an arthroscopic procedure – in December 2021. He ultimately missed the entire ‘21/22 season.

Prior to the trade, Wiseman had appeared in just 60 NBA contests. In 21 games (12.5 MPG) this season with the Warriors, he averaged 6.9 PPG and 3.5 RPG while shooting 62.8% from the field and 68.4% from the line.

Wiseman, who turns 22 at the end of the month, needed more reps. Weaver said as much after the trade. There’s a lot of pressure on top draft picks like Wiseman, but he’s still early in the learning process, as head coach Dwane Casey noted earlier this month. It’s not something that can be rushed.

The Warriors didn’t have time to be patient with Wiseman. They won the title without him contributing last season, and he was struggling when he played for them in ’22/23. The Pistons are in the midst of a rebuild and can afford to be patient, at least in the short term.

At 7’0″ and 240 pounds with a 7’6″ wingspan, Wiseman has an inherent edge in two areas that can’t be taught: size and length. Those factors, combined with his plus leaping ability, make him a natural lob threat, and he has posted above average rebounding numbers with Detroit. He also has long strides and runs the floor well for a center.

Through 15 games (13 starts, 26.3 MPG) with Detroit, Wiseman is averaging 13.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 0.9 BPG while shooting 55.1% from the field and 68.8% from the line. He’s just 3-of-14 from deep.

It was a risky trade, to be sure. Bey had been a solid contributor for the Pistons and rarely missed games. But they’re in a position where they need to acquire star-level talent if they want to be competitive in the future, and they think Wiseman has the upside to reach that level.

The fit is a bit clunky and will be interesting to monitor going forward. The Pistons seem intent on running a two-big lineup, as they also have Isaiah Stewart (likely out for the season with a shoulder injury) and Jalen Duren, a couple of recent first-round picks. Wiseman, Bagley, Stewart and Duren will all have to improve in multiple areas for it to work.

That frontcourt will be even more crowded if Detroit wins the lottery again and drafts Victor Wembanyama. Still, that would be a good problem to have and would be one the team can figure out later if it happens.

Wiseman will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason. Given how rough around the edges he is, I would think the Pistons will wait on that decision until after ‘23/24, when he could be a restricted free agent if Detroit gives him a qualifying offer.

Ultimately, this trade was a home run swing on Wiseman’s talent. The Pistons had a long look at Bey, but they think Wiseman can be a real difference-maker while viewing Bey as having relatively less upside.

The Warriors’ perspective:

Did Golden State sell low on Wiseman? I don’t think so. Just because he was a top pick a few years ago doesn’t mean he’s still valued as such – if he was, the Warriors would have received more in return.

Golden State’s motion offense requires bigs who can set solid (sometimes illegal) screens and make quick decisions with the ball. Neither of those things are strengths of Wiseman’s at the moment.

The Warriors initially tried to cater to Wiseman as a rookie by clearing out the side and giving him isolation post-up touches. That’s never been their style though, and it totally disrupted the flow of their offense (he also was largely ineffective in those situations, often struggling with getting pushed off his spot, which is something he’s still working on).

After he returned from injury this season, they were using him the same way they’ve used their other centers over the years. He just wasn’t playing well.

Even more troubling than the poor offensive fit was how much he struggled defensively. Wiseman runs the floor well in the open court, but he doesn’t have good body control in tight spaces, especially when backpedaling.

Opponents are shooting 70.3% at the rim against Wiseman, which is the worst mark in the league among centers who contest at least four rim attempts per game, according to NBA.com‘s data. DunksAndThrees.com‘s defensive estimated plus-minus ranks him as the third-worst defender in the NBA. It’s really tough to have the backbone of your defense be that much of a negative.

It’s a small sample size (only 262 minutes), but Wiseman’s net rating with the Warriors in ’22/23 was minus-19.3, with the equivalent of the worst offense and defense in the league (he’s at minus-11.1 with the Pistons). Golden State was plus-2.3 in 2,403 minutes with him off the court.

It just wasn’t working for either side. Wiseman looked confused and was visibly losing confidence, and the Warriors had a healthy player making $9.6MM this season who was detrimental to the team’s success when he played.

Payton, meanwhile, was an excellent fit with the Warriors, helping them win their fourth title in eight seasons in ’21/22. A tremendous athlete, the 6’3″ Payton fit well as a pseudo-big man offensively, recording 55 dunks out of 212 made field goals last season, a remarkably high percentage for a guard.

The 30-year-old had a great understanding of the team’s schemes on both ends, with many of those dunks coming off scripted plays on slipped screens. When healthy, he is a top-tier defensive player often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.

The problem was, according to the Warriors’ doctors and Payton himself, he wasn’t healthy. He failed his physical, which held up this four-team deal for three days after the deadline, at which point Golden State ultimately decided to go through with it. He had just started against the Warriors night before the trade, so there’s no way they could’ve known he was going to be sidelined as long as he has.

Payton only played 15 games with the Trail Blazers after signing a three-year contract with them last summer. He was slow to recover from abdominal surgery, which is the same injury that was flagged on his physical. Owner Joe Lacob said Portland was “disingenuous” and broke an “honor code” by not disclosing the extent of Payton’s injury.

This is an unfortunate example of why it’s risky to make a deal at the last minute just before the deadline. If it had been made a few days earlier, the Warriors could have asked to amend the terms of the trade, but they didn’t have that option once the deadline passed.

It’s true the Warriors could have re-signed Payton in the offseason without giving anything up. But due to the way the repeater tax works, his $8.3MM contract would have added about $60MM to their already record-breaking luxury tax bill — an exorbitant amount for a role player.

This trade saved them money both this season and next, as Wiseman is scheduled to make $12.12MM next season in the final year of his rookie deal, while Payton will earn $8.72MM in ‘23/24.

Hopefully Payton is able to return and contribute to close the season, as he has been sidelined since the Warriors approved the deal. He’s an exciting player to watch and played a key role in last season’s title run.

The Trail Blazers’ perspective:

Was it a red flag that Portland was willing to trade Payton so soon after signing him? The Blazers need defensive help and he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league when active.

Still, I highly doubt there was anything nefarious going on. Differences of opinion happen all the time when it comes to medical issues, which is why players often seek out multiple doctors before undergoing surgery.

If it turns out the Blazers intentionally withheld information about Payton’s injury, then it would rightfully impact their reputation around the league and they might lose a second-round pick. I don’t see why they would risk that just to add a handful of second-rounders and move off Payton’s salary.

The Blazers created an $8.3MM traded player exception as part of the deal, which is what Payton makes this season. They will have until next February to use it.

Portland also added Knox, who makes $3MM this season. The former lottery pick is now on his fourth team in 14 months. His $3MM team option for next season is reasonable enough if the Blazers want to bring him back, but he’s only played 55 minutes in 10 games thus far with Portland.

The Hawks’ perspective:

This trade could be viewed in three parts for the Hawks. First, they sent out five second-rounders to acquire Bey (and Knox, who was then flipped to Portland).

Second, they created about $3MM in salary cap relief by making a four-player trade with Houston at the deadline, dealing away two second-rounders (via the Thunder) in the process. That allowed them to take on Bey’s salary while remaining under the luxury tax line.

Finally, they were able to absorb Bey’s $2.96MM contract with a trade exception they generated last summer when they moved Kevin Huerter to Sacramento.

If you want to look at it in total, they basically shuffled around some end-of-bench players and dealt away seven second-rounders to add Bey, a third-year forward.

You could certainly make the case that Bey was the best player involved in this deal at the time it was made, even if he isn’t a household name. He appeared in 204 of a possible 210 games with Detroit (30.0 MPG), averaging 14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.9 SPG on .400/.357/.843 shooting in two-plus seasons.

From watching him play with the Pistons, I always felt that Bey could really shoot, but he was forced to take difficult shots because they had a team full of young players trying to figure things out, and he was one of the only real threats from deep. I think that experience will make him better in the long run because it helped him develop his off-the-bounce game, and he’s a solid passer who very rarely turns it over. He’s below average on defense, but not a liability or anything.

Frankly, I’m not sure why the Warriors didn’t just take Bey in this deal. He may not have been familiar with the system, and he certainly isn’t nearly the defensive player that Payton is, but I thought they could use another forward instead of another guard, and he seemed like a good fit. He’s also much cheaper than Payton, earning $4.56MM next season in the final year of his rookie contract.

Either way, obviously the Hawks wanted him. Through 15 games (25.1 MPG) in a reduced role with Atlanta, Bey is averaging 10.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG on a strong .466/.456/.789 shooting line.

As with Wiseman, Bey was a first-round pick in 2020 (No. 19 overall) so he will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. The former Villanova product will turn 24 years old on the last day of the regular season (April 9).

Trade Breakdown: Kevin Durant To The Suns (Four-Team Deal)

This is the ninth entry in our series breaking down the significant trades of the 2022/23 season. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into the biggest blockbuster of the year, a four-team deal between the Suns, Nets, Bucks and Pacers.


Trade details

On February 9:

  • The Suns acquired Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren.
  • The Nets acquired Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, the Suns’ 2023 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), the right to swap first-round picks with the Suns in 2028, the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick, the Bucks’ 2029 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet (from Pacers).
  • The Bucks acquired Jae Crowder.
  • The Pacers acquired Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, a 2023 second-round pick (likely the Cavaliers’ second-rounder; from Bucks), the Bucks’ 2024 second-round pick, the Pacers’ 2025 second-round pick (from Bucks), and cash ($1.36MM; from Nets).
  • Note: The Bucks acquired the Pacers’ 2025 second-round pick in a prior trade.

The Suns’ perspective:

After posting a losing record for seven straight seasons – and missing the playoffs for 10 straight – the Suns had a remarkable turnaround in 2020/21, going 51-21 and reaching the NBA Finals, ultimately losing in six games to the Bucks. Last season, the Suns held the league’s top record at 64-18, but had a meltdown in their second-round loss to Dallas, getting blown out at home in Game 7.

Phoenix was reportedly high on Durant’s list of preferred destinations when he requested a trade this past offseason, but there were rumors of low-ball offers from rival teams and Brooklyn was said to be disinterested in obliging his request.

A few weeks later, there were questions about Deandre Ayton’s eagerness to be back in Phoenix after he signed a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet from the Pacers over the summer amid tensions with head coach Monty Williams. The Suns quickly matched, however, signaling they still valued the former first overall pick, even if his role sometimes fluctuates.

In mid-September, former owner Robert Sarver was suspended by the NBA for a year and fined $10MM for workplace misconduct, including racist and misogynistic comments, following a lengthy investigation. He subsequently decided to sell his controlling stake in the franchise to Mat Ishbia, which was finalized shortly before last month’s deadline.

Finally, right before training camp opened, Crowder said he wasn’t going to participate, as he was reportedly unhappy with Williams after being told he would come off the bench (he had started the previous two years). The Suns then made an announcement saying the two sides would work together to find Crowder a new team.

Despite all the turmoil, ‘22/23 started out pretty well, with Phoenix going 15-6 over its first 21 games. Unfortunately, Johnson tore his meniscus during that span, and Chris Paul was sidelined by a foot injury until early December. The Suns lost five straight shortly thereafter, with star guard Devin Booker going down with a groin injury in mid-December.

Obviously, Crowder being away while Johnson was hurt didn’t help. Torrey Craig did an admirable job filling in, as did Ish Wainright, who was promoted to a standard deal from a two-way contract last month. But ideally, neither player would be logging heavy minutes on a championship-caliber team.

Paul is 37 years old (38 in May), and he is not the same player he was when the Suns made the Finals a couple years ago. He’s still good, just not on the same level, particularly from a scoring standpoint. That’s a huge deal, because he was Phoenix’s second-best player during the previous two seasons.

The Suns reportedly offered up Paul in an effort to land Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn shortly before Durant made his own request. I don’t know if those rumors are true, but either way, CP3 stayed put.

By mid-January, the Suns were just 21-24, and the season was slipping away. They recovered well leading up to the trade deadline, going 9-2 over that span to sit with a 30-26 record prior to February 9. Still, the damage had been done. I don’t think the Suns make this trade – specifically the way the deal was structured – if they still believed they were a real championship contender without acquiring Durant.

Ishbia played a major role in the deal. Even before he was officially approved by the league’s Board of Governors, a report came out saying the Suns were willing to make win-now moves, and he talked about being aggressive just before the deadline. He was also quickly willing to sign off on the extra $40MM the deal cost the Suns in salaries and tax penalties, a stark departure from the previous ownership group.

A report from ESPN indicated that president of basketball operations James Jones wanted to negotiate the inclusion of Bridges or add protections to the first-round picks, but the Nets held firm in their demands. The Suns also may have had another deal lined up for Crowder, but he ultimately was included in this trade as well.

Durant is in the first season of a four-year, $194MM extension. Booker, Durant and Ayton are all under contract through at least ’25/26. If healthy, those three alone make up a very strong (and expensive) core. It remains to be seen how long Paul will be around – his $30.8MM contract for next season is guaranteed for $15.8MM, and it is fully non-guaranteed in ‘24/25.

Durant is one of the greatest players in NBA history. He is a former league MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA member and four-time scoring champion.

In 981 career regular season games (36.7 MPG), he has averaged 27.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .499/.384/.886 shooting. In 155 career playoff games (40.4 MPG), he has averaged 29.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.2 BPG on .476/.356/.866 shooting. He is the definition of a superstar.

Despite being 34 years old and tearing his Achilles tendon four years ago, he continues to play at an incredibly high level. In fact, when healthy, you could easily make a case for Durant being the best player in the league this season.

In 42 games (35.7 MPG), he has averaged 29.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.5 BPG on .566/.386/.931 shooting, good for an absurd .681 true shooting percentage. The FG%, FT% and TS% are all career highs. He is shooting 62.9% on twos, which is ridiculous considering the majority of his shots are mid-range jumpers.

Durant is also playing very motivated and strong defense in ‘22/23, which surprised me a bit because he had coasted on that end at times the past couple seasons. His teams have gone 29-13 this season when he has played, which is the equivalent of the second-best winning percentage (69.0%) in the league, only trailing the Bucks (71.8%).

Durant can do everything on the court at a high level. He’s 6’10” with a 7’5” wingspan, but he possesses guard-like skills, with elite shooting and excellent ball-handling. His passing has improved throughout his career, and when he tries, he is a top-tier defender. He is a matchup nightmare.

After playing in just four games from 2020-22 due to a couple of left foot surgeries, Warren finally returned to the court for the Nets in December, averaging 9.5 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .510/.333/.818 shooting in 26 games (18.8 MPG).

He clearly wasn’t at his best physically or from a production standpoint (he averaged a career-high 19.8 PPG on .536/.403/.819 shooting the season before getting injured), but he was still contributing off the bench. Warren has hardly played in his second stint with Phoenix, however, averaging just 6.4 MPG in eight games. He’s on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, so he might not be back next season.

A few weeks after the trade was completed, Ishbia claimed the move carried “no risk.” That, of course, isn’t true.

Durant has gone down with a sprained MCL a few seasons in a row. You could say that’s a fluke, since it has involved players falling into his knee. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s played 35, 55 and 42 games over the past three seasons after missing all of ‘19/20 with a torn Achilles.

His ankle sprain on a routine layup while warming up prior to his fourth game with Phoenix was concerning. I could very well be wrong, but to my eyes, it didn’t look like he slipped; it looked like his ankle just gave out and rolled.

Durant is in his 16th season, has made several long playoff runs, and has also played in the World Cup (once) and the Olympics (three times) for Team USA. He’s still incredible, but the tread on his tires are pretty worn.

Giving up Bridges and Johnson stings. They were key role players for Phoenix who both improved tremendously throughout their Suns tenures, which we’ll get into more shortly.

Anytime you give up an unprotected pick in a future season it’s a risk. The Suns gave up three beyond 2023 — four if you count the 2028 pick swap, which will only be exercised if Phoenix is worse than Brooklyn.

Those picks from 2027-29 in particular could be extremely valuable. Durant will be 37 when his contract expires after ’25/26. Will he still be playing at this level, and will the Suns want to keep him if he’s not?

The Suns knew the risks. But the West is seemingly up for grabs, and they had faltered in their quest to make it back to the Finals.

I can’t say adding Durant made Phoenix the favorite in the West, but he nearly carried the Nets to the Finals with both Irving and James Harden injured a couple years ago. If healthy, this team will be extremely dangerous.


The Nets’ perspective:

The Nets were literally an inch or two away from sending Milwaukee home in Game 7 of their second-round series in 2021, which saw the Bucks prevail in overtime after Durant’s foot was on the three-point line on a potential game-winning buzzer-beater. The Bucks went on to win the championship.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Stretch Provision

For NBA teams looking to open up cap room, simply waiving a player isn’t as effective as it is in the NFL, where salaries are often non-guaranteed and most or all of a player’s cap charge can frequently be wiped from a team’s books. Still, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement does feature a rule that allows teams to spread a player’s cap hit over multiple seasons. This is called the stretch provision.

The stretch provision ensures that any player waived with at least $250K in guaranteed salary remaining on his contract will have the payment schedule of that money spread across multiple years. That schedule is determined as follows:

  • If a player is waived between July 1 and August 31, his remaining salary is paid over twice the number of years remaining on his contract, plus one.
  • If a player is waived between September 1 and June 30, his current-year salary is paid on its normal schedule, with any subsequent years spread over twice the number of remaining years, plus one.
  • If a player in the final year of his contract is waived between September 1 and June 30, the stretch provision does not apply.

While the new payment schedule for a waived player is non-negotiable, teams get to decide whether or not to apply the stretch provision to that player’s cap charges as well. A team can stick to the original schedule for cap hit purposes, if it so chooses.

Rather than singling out a specific active player, we’ll use a hypothetical contract to create a clearer picture of what these rules look like. Let’s say there’s a player earning $19MM this season, $20MM in 2023/24, and $21MM in ’24/25 who has become a candidate to be waived.

Here’s what that contract would look like if it were waived without applying the stretch provision to the cap hits; if it were stretched before August 31; or if it were stretched after August 31:

Year Waived without stretching
Stretched by 8/31/23
Stretched after 8/31/23
2022/23 $19,000,000 $19,000,000 $19,000,000
2023/24 $20,000,000 $8,200,000 $20,000,000
2024/25 $21,000,000 $8,200,000 $7,000,000
2025/26 $8,200,000 $7,000,000
2026/27 $8,200,000 $7,000,000
2027/28 $8,200,000

Because this hypothetical player wasn’t waived and stretched before August 31, 2022, his salary for the current year can no longer be stretched. Stretching his contract last July or August would have resulted in cap hits of about $8.57MM spread across seven seasons (through 2028/29 and including ’22/23).

As this chart shows, it typically makes sense to waive and stretch a player’s contract in July or August if the team is looking to generate immediate cap flexibility for the current season and isn’t as concerned about the impact in future seasons. If this hypothetical player were stretched in July 2023, his team would trim nearly $12MM off its ’23/24 cap, but would remain on the hook for payments through 2028.

We saw a couple real-life examples of this philosophy at play last summer, when the Trail Blazers waived and stretched Eric Bledsoe and Didi Louzada and the Pacers waived and stretched Nik Stauskas, Juwan Morgan, and Malik Fitts.

Portland was looking to reduce its team salary for the current year in order to sneak below the luxury tax line, while Indiana wanted to carve out a little extra cap room in order to sign Deandre Ayton to a maximum-salary offer sheet.

In each of those cases, the club sought immediate cap relief. That wasn’t the case for the Spurs, who waived Danilo Gallinari last July and decided not to apply the stretch provision to his $13MM cap charge for 2022/23, since they had no specific use for that extra cap room. It made more sense for San Antonio to take the hit this season and keep Gallinari’s money off their future cap sheets.

There are a couple more key rules related to the stretch provision worth noting.

First, while the stretch provision regulates when money is paid out, it doesn’t prevent teams and players from negotiating a reduced salary as part of a buyout agreement.

For example, let’s say a player who has an $18MM expiring contract for 2023/24 agrees this July to give up $3MM in a buyout. As a result of that buyout agreement, his team could stretch his remaining salary and end up with cap hits of $5MM for three seasons (through ’25/26) rather than $6MM.

Second, non-guaranteed money isn’t subject to the stretch provision, since a team isn’t obligated to pay the non-guaranteed portion of a contract once it waives a player.

This rule can come in handy when a club decides to waive a player who has one or two non-guaranteed years tacked onto the end of his contract. For instance, when the Blazers waived Louzada last August, he had three years left on his deal, but only his 2022/23 salary of $1,876,222 was guaranteed — the $4,023,212 owed to him for the two seasons beyond this one was fully non-guaranteed.

That means that when they waived Louzada, the Blazers only owed him just $1,876,222 but were able to stretch that figure across seven seasons (twice the three years remaining on his contract, plus one). As a result, Portland will carry tiny $268,032 cap charges for Louzada on its books through the 2028/29 season.


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 version of this post were published in 2013 and 2017.

Community Shootaround: New Orleans Pelicans

After finishing last season strong without star forward Zion Williamson available, the Pelicans enjoyed the best of both worlds in the first half of 2022/23. Williamson appeared in 29 of New Orleans’ first 37 games and played at an All-Star level, while the team also performed well in the games he didn’t play, winning six of eight.

When Williamson went down with a right hamstring strain in early January, the Pelicans looked like they were still in pretty good shape. They’d gotten off to a 23-14 start and – with Brandon Ingram set to return later in the month from a toe injury – there was reason to believe they’d remain competitive even without Zion in the lineup.

That’s not how it’s played out, however. Since January 4, the Pelicans have gone just 10-23 and have cratered offensively, posting a 111.3 offensive rating — only the bottom four teams in the NBA’s standings (the Rockets, Pistons, Spurs, and Hornets) have been less productive offensively during that time. Prior to Williamson’s injury, New Orleans had the league’s eighth-best offensive rating (114.7).

With Williamson still sidelined, having suffered a setback in his rehab process, New Orleans’ months-long slump has caused the team to plummet from a top-three seed to potentially missing the play-in tournament entirely. Heading into Sunday’s games, the Pelicans’ 33-37 record places them 12th in the Western Conference, one game behind the No. 10 Jazz.

Friday’s contest in Houston was supposed to be the start of the softest part of the Pelicans’ rest-of-season schedule. A 4-0 run against the tanking Rockets (twice; on Friday and Sunday), Spurs (Tuesday), and Hornets (Thursday) would’ve helped right the ship in New Orleans and likely allowed the club to reclaim its place in the West’s top 10 entering the season’s home stretch.

Instead, the Pelicans dropped the first of those four favorable matchups, falling 114-112 in Houston.

New Orleans will have a chance to avenge that loss to the Rockets later today, but time is running out for the Pelicans to turn things around. Even if they capture a play-in berth, they don’t look like a great bet to earn a playoff spot, given how they’re playing as of late.

This was supposed to be the year that the Pelicans evolved from exciting young upstarts to genuine contenders — there were comparisons to the 2020/21 Suns, who made the NBA Finals a year after narrowly missing the postseason despite winning all eight games they played in the Disney World bubble. New Orleans followed that blueprint in the early part of the season, but have fallen apart without Williamson in the second half.

The Pelicans have continued to express optimism that the former No. 1 overall pick will return before the end of the season, but that’s hardly a lock. And whether or not he returns this spring, another injury-plagued year for Williamson has raised serious questions about how heavily New Orleans can rely on him going forward.

Williamson’s maximum-salary rookie scale extension will go into effect in 2023/24, so he’s ostensibly the cornerstone the franchise is building around, but he has made just 114 appearances since entering the NBA in 2019.

We want to get your thoughts on both the current and future versions of the Pelicans.

Will this year’s team earn a playoff spot, be eliminated in the play-in tournament, or miss out on the play-in altogether? If the Pels don’t start to climb back up the standings soon, does it even make sense to bring back Williamson this season?

And what about the seasons beyond this one? Do the Pelicans just have to hope for the best regarding Zion’s health or is it time to start getting more serious about potential contingency plans?

Take to the comment section below to let us know what you think!