Hoops Rumors Originals

Community Shootaround: Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers were one of the teams I was most interested in following entering the 2022/23 season. Perhaps most importantly, I was curious to see how Damian Lillard would perform after the first lengthy injury absence of his career following abdominal surgery last season.

Lillard has been as brilliant as ever offensively, averaging 29.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 7.1 APG on .455/.366/.898 shooting, including a career-best .638 true shooting percentage, through 32 games (35.6 MPG). So, no worries there.

As we noted when we checked in on the Blazers at the end of August, the new front office, led by general manager Joe Cronin, reshaped the roster around Lillard through a series of trades, acquiring Josh Hart, Jerami Grant and Justise Winslow. The team also added Gary Payton II in free agency, re-signed Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic, and selected Shaedon Sharpe No. 7 overall in June’s draft.

Portland got off to a terrific start, going 9-3 over its first 12 games. Unfortunately, it turns out that hot start wasn’t sustainable, as the Blazers have gone 12-20 since. They currently sit with a 21-23 record, the No. 11 seed in the West (they are 16-16 when Lillard plays).

Payton has missed most of the season with injury, as has Nassir Little, who recently returned from a fractured hip. Winslow is currently sidelined with an ankle sprain. The team’s bench depth has definitely been tested, even though the starters have been quite healthy overall.

Sharpe has been up and down, which is to be expected for a 19-year-old rookie who didn’t play at all in college. Grant has been very good, posting a career-best .621 TS% while playing solid defense.

Hart was great in 13 games (32.1 MPG) with Portland last season, averaging 19.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.3 APG and 1.2 SPG on .503/.373/.772 shooting, including a career-high 6.4 3-point attempts per contest. However, as John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, Hart has been a very reluctant shooter in ’22/23, averaging just 2.0 3PA despite playing a heavy workload (a career-high 34.2 MPG through 42 games).

Even with notable offensive weapons around him, it’s odd to see a player coming off his best individual season pass up shots like Hart has this season — he’s averaging just 7.1 FGA and 9.5 PPG. Complicating matters further is his unique contract and the team’s future cap outlook, Hollinger notes.

The Blazers want to re-sign or extend Grant, which is understandable. But Hart is almost certain to decline his non-guaranteed $12.96MM player option for next season in search of a longer deal. Keeping both while staying under the luxury tax might be impossible, according to Hollinger, who wonders if Portland would be better off dealing Hart at the deadline while they can still get value for him.

The 27-year-old is a solid defender, excellent rebounder and smart passer, plus he’s a vocal leader who plays with plenty of energy and effort. He will have positive value if Portland does move him.

The last thing I was interested in monitoring with Portland was the backcourt fit of Lillard and Simons, two scoring guards with poor defense. The results haven’t been great — the Blazers rank 11th in offense, but 22nd in defense. It’s hard to envision that changing as long as they’re together.

I actually like both players a lot individually, so this isn’t as critical as it might seem; I just think they’re a poor fit. I could easily see Simons thriving as the lead guard in Portland or another location — he averaged 29.0 PPG and 5.9 APG on .462/.419/.940 shooting in 10 games without Lillard.

The Blazers seem intent on being as competitive as possible this season. They’re only 2.5 games back of the Mavericks, the West’s No. 5 seed, and they could definitely end up there if things go right. But do they have what it takes to win a playoff series if they make it? Anything beyond that seems unlikely, even with Lillard playing at such a high level.

We want to know what you think.Where will the Trail Blazers finish in the standings this season? Can they make noise in the playoffs, if they make it? Should they move Hart while they can still get value for him, or hold off and try to re-sign him, even if it means going into the luxury tax? There are a lot of questions for this team, but not many easy answers.

Checking In On 10-Day Contracts

NBA teams gained the ability to sign players to 10-day contracts on January 5, which was 13 days ago. As a result, a few of the first 10-day deals signed this season have already expired.

Of the three players whose 10-day contracts have expired, only one – Joe Wieskamp of the Raptors – has received a second 10-day commitment. His new 10-day deal will run through next Thursday (January 26).

Lakers guard Sterling Brown had his 10-day deal expire on Sunday night and wasn’t re-signed by Los Angeles before the team took the floor on Monday, which is an indication that L.A. is exploring other options for that roster spot. Meyers Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins recently worked out for the Lakers and may be candidates to become the club’s 15th man for at least 10 days.

Spurs big man Gorgui Dieng saw his 10-day contract expire on Tuesday night following the team’s win over Brooklyn. Dieng was only on the court for a total of 74 seconds during his 10-day deal, but he has spent most of the season out of San Antonio’s rotation and the team has seemed happy to keep him around, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he receives another 10-day offer from the Spurs. It may not happen for another day or two though, since Dieng would only be available for four games instead of five if he re-signs before Thursday.

Since teams can only sign a player to two standard 10-day contracts in a season, the Raptors will have to decide next week whether to commit to Wieskamp for the rest of the season or let him walk. I’d guess the team will choose the latter path, at least for now — it wouldn’t make sense for Toronto to compromise its roster flexibility by filling its 15th spot with a guaranteed contract before the trade deadline arrives.

Brown would only be able to sign one more 10-day contract this season with the Lakers, while Dieng could do the same with the Spurs, though both players are free to sign two 10-day deals with any other team.

Three more 10-day contracts will expire later this week. PJ Dozier‘s deal with the Kings ends after tonight’s game, while Friday will mark the 10th day under contract for both Derrick Favors (with the Hawks) and Saben Lee (Suns).

Dozier has only seen garbage-time action for Sacramento and Favors has yet to take the court for Atlanta, but Lee is playing rotation minutes for an injury-ravaged Phoenix squad. He has averaged 10.0 points and 3.0 assists in 19.0 minutes per game in three appearances with the Suns, making him a strong candidate to spend at least 10 more days with the team beyond Friday.

Be sure to use our 10-day contract tracker and our roster counts page to keep tabs on the active 10-day contracts.

Community Shootaround: Coach Of The Year Contenders

Now that we’re a little more than halfway through the 2022/23 season, some contenders have emerged for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award. According to BetOnline.ag, Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla is the betting favorite at +175, followed by Nets coach Jacque Vaughn at +400.

Four other head coaches are tied at +650: Taylor Jenkins of the Grizzlies, Michael Malone of the Nuggets, Mike Brown of the Kings and Willie Green of the Pelicans. The next closest on the list is Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff at +1400, and everyone else is at +2000 or higher.

Last season, Monty Williams won the award after leading the Suns to the best regular season record in the league (64-18, eight wins better than second-place Memphis). Jenkins was the runner-up, followed by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

The Celtics entered the offseason as a title favorite after reaching the Finals last season, but the organization was thrown into disarray when coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the season. Despite Mazzulla being the youngest head coach in the league and only having an interim tag, Boston hasn’t skipped a beat under its new leader, as the team currently has the best record in the NBA at 32-13. He certainly deserves credit for staying even-keeled under tumultuous circumstances.

Similarly, the Nets had a ton of drama in the offseason and started out 2-5 before parting ways with former coach Steve Nash. Vaughn helped right the ship, with Brooklyn going 25-10 since he was promoted. We’ll see how the Nets do without Kevin Durant (they’re 0-2 so far), but clearly the team has taken Vaughn’s messaging to heart.

The Nuggets are the No. 1 seed in the West, and Malone has seamlessly integrated offseason additions Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown. The returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have been a little less smooth, which is to be expected after major injuries. Still, it’s hard to argue with their place in the standings.

The Grizzlies have had key players miss significant time, including Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, and they lost two rotation players from last season (Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton) and replaced them with rookies, but they’re still tied with Denver at 30-13. Pretty easy to make a case for Jenkins here.

Green has guided the Pelicans to a 26-18 record, the No. 3 seed in the West, despite missing star Brandon Ingram for most of the season. Zion Williamson is now sidelined as well, yet New Orleans keeps grinding out victories with its impressive depth.

The Kings are the West’s No. 5 seed at 24-18 in Brown’s first season at the helm, and could break their 16-year playoff drought, which is an NBA record. The turnaround has been impressive, as Sacramento went just 30-52 last season.

Who do you think will win the Coach of the Year award? Will Mazzulla keep the Celtics at the top of the standings and win as an interim coach? Head to the comments and let us know what you think.

Trade Candidate Watch: Popular Forward Targets

Leading up to the February 9 trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA. We’re starting today with a handful of popular targets who share positional overlap.


John Collins, F, Hawks

Collins is only 25 years old, but he’s been in trade rumors for at least three years now. He’s a good player, he just doesn’t fit very well on Atlanta’s roster anymore.

The reason his scoring has declined so precipitously – from 21.6 PPG in 2019/20 to 13.1 PPG in ’22/23 – is because the team no longer caters to his strengths. The Hawks rarely run plays for him, which makes it seem like he’s less effective. I don’t believe that’s the case.

Collins’ best attribute as a player is that he’s an excellent dive man on pick-and-rolls, where he’s adept at both setting and slipping screens and is a terrific lob finisher. The problem is that’s basically all centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu do on offense besides getting offensive rebounds, so their strengths are somewhat redundant on that end, and Collins doesn’t have the size or strength to play center full time on defense.

He has been a solid shooter in the past – 37.6% from deep on 2.5 attempts per night over his first five seasons – but is only converting 22.8% this season. That seems more like an anomaly than a worrisome trend.

It’s clear that it would be in both parties’ best interests if he was moved to a new team. There are two main complications.

Including his player option in ‘25/26, Collins will earn $102MM over the next four years – not unreasonable, but not exactly easy to move either. His best fit would be alongside a center who can protect the paint and shoot from outside, but that’s a small list. Keep an eye on the Pacers and Jazz, two teams that don’t have long-term cap concerns.

Bojan Bogdanovic, F, Pistons

Most players find their efficiency diminished with an increased offensive role — being targeted by opposing teams’ game plans makes scoring more difficult. Not so with Bogdanovic, who is averaging career highs in points (21.2), assists (2.8), and free throw attempts (5.2) per game, as well as true shooting percentage (.629), in his first year with Detroit.

Bogdanovic can score from all over the court and his contract is reasonable ($39MM over two years following this season), but he turns 34 in April, is a below-average rebounder (3.6 per game), and is best suited to defending bigger forwards. The Pistons are said to be looking for an unprotected first-round pick for the veteran, and he has a long list of teams interested in his services.

I highly doubt that asking price will be met unless it’s from a team outside the lottery or a pick years down the line. I understand why they’re maintaining that position right now – not many sellers have emerged yet and he’s one of the top players available. But I think that will change ahead of the deadline, and the Pistons will have to decide whether to take the best offer available or just hold onto him.

Jae Crowder, F, Suns

Crowder has been a solid role player for a long time, mostly due to his toughness, defense and ability to make quick reads on offense. He’s 32 now and definitely best suited to play power forward, as he struggles staying in front of quicker players, but there’s a reason his teams consistently make the playoffs.

His ability to space the floor is a bit overrated – he’s more of a willing shooter than a good one, converting 34.6% of his career looks behind the arc, including 33.9% in the playoffs. That said, he’s good enough that you can’t just leave him open, especially if he gets hot.

Crowder’s season-long holdout with the Suns is one of the strangest NBA situations I’ve seen in my years following the league. He’s on a $10.2MM expiring contract, so you’d think he would be incentivized to play to maximize his future earnings, yet he’s done the opposite.

There has to be more to the story here, but whatever the reason is, it hasn’t helped his value or the Suns’ ability to move him. Who knows what type of shape he’ll be in when he returns? Whichever team acquires him will be taking a risk if it gives up assets.

The Suns’ ownership situation also complicates matters — outgoing suspended owner Robert Sarver reportedly has to sign off on a potential deal, even though the team is being bought by Mat Ishbia. The Bucks and Hawks have been the two teams most consistently linked to Crowder.

Jarred Vanderbilt, F, Jazz

The No. 41 overall pick of the 2018 draft, Vanderbilt has worked his way up from the bottom – he barely played at all his first two seasons (28 total games and 115 minutes), but he’s turned himself into a valuable role player on competitive teams.

Vanderbilt’s playing style is the most unique out of the players on this list. He’s the closest to what some might call a “traditional” power forward — an energizer who is a very strong rebounder, but is still rounding out his game in other areas.

He has expanded his game with Utah, attempting more threes (1.0 per game at 32.6%), more than doubling his assists (from 1.3 to 2.8) and improving his free throw percentage (a career-high 69.8%). Interestingly, although his offensive game has improved, I think his defense has actually declined a little – he was always prone to some over-aggressive fouls, and the team’s defense is certainly worse, but he hasn’t looked as solid on that end to my eyes.

That said, Vanderbilt won’t turn 24 until April, is still improving, and he’s on a very team-friendly contract ($4.3MM this season, and his $4.6MM deal for next season is only guaranteed for $300K). The Jazz are said to be looking for a first-round pick for Vanderbilt. There haven’t been any rumors regarding protections on the potential pick, but I think there’s a good chance he gets moved in the next few weeks.

21 More NBA Players Become Trade-Eligible

Today is Sunday, January 15, which means that nearly two dozen players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is worth more than the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Sunday:

(* Players marked with an asterisk have the ability to veto trades.)

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt. That group includes Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, who becomes trade-eligible on Monday, Bucks swingman Pat Connaughton (trade-eligible on Wednesday), and Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (trade-eligible on Friday).

There are also several players who won’t become trade-eligible before this season’s February 9 deadline, including Lakers star LeBron James. Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception

Relying on the trade machine at ESPN.com is probably the simplest way for NBA fans to verify whether or not a trade will work under league rules, but it’s a worthwhile exercise to examine and understand the primary tool in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement that determines a trade’s viability — the traded player exception.

Teams with the cap room necessary to make a trade work don’t need to abide by traded player exception rules. However, if a team makes a deal that will leave its total salary more than $100K above the salary cap, the club can use a traded player exception to ensure the trade is legal under CBA guidelines.

There are two different types of traded player exceptions used in NBA deals. One applies to simultaneous trades, while the other applies to non-simultaneous deals.

In a simultaneous trade, a team can send out one or more players and can acquire more salary than it gives up. In a non-simultaneous trade, only a single player can be dealt, and the team has a year to take back the equivalent of that player’s salary, plus $100K.

Let’s look into each scenario in greater detail….


Simultaneous:

In a simultaneous trade, different rules applies to taxpaying and non-taxpaying clubs. A non-taxpaying team can trade one or more players and take back….

  1. 175% of the outgoing salary (plus $100K), for any amount up to $6,533,333.
  2. The outgoing salary plus $5MM, for any amount between $6,533,333 and $19,600,000.
  3. 125% of the outgoing salary (plus $100K), for any amount above $19,600,000.

Here’s a recent example of these rules in effect:

Last July, the Kings traded Justin Holiday and Maurice Harkless to the Hawks in exchange for Kevin Huerter.

Holiday is earning $6,292,440 in 2022/23, so if Sacramento had traded him on his own, the team could have taken back $11,111,770 (175% of his salary, plus $100K). However, that wouldn’t have been enough to cover Huerter’s salary of $14,508,929.

By adding Harkless and his $4,564,980 cap hit to their trade package, the Kings sent out a total of $10,857,420. The second rule listed above applies to that figure, meaning Sacramento was able to take back the outgoing amount plus an extra $5MM, for $15,857,420 in total — that was enough to cover Huerter’s salary, making the trade legal.

For taxpaying teams, the traded player exception rules for a simultaneous trade are simpler, albeit more restrictive. A taxpaying club can send out one or more players and take back 125% of the outgoing salary, plus $100K, no matter how much – or how little – outgoing salary is involved.

This rule was applied last August, when the Lakers sent Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Jazz in exchange for Patrick Beverley.

Because Horton-Tucker’s 2022/23 cap hit is $10,260,000, the Lakers would have been able to take back up to $12,925,000 in salary by trading him on his own. That’s 125% of his salary, plus $100K. But Beverley is earning $13,000,000 this season, so Los Angeles had to add a little more salary to its package to make the deal legal.

Johnson’s minimum-salary cap hit of $2,351,521 easily got the Lakers there — adding that figure to Horton-Tucker’s contract resulted in $12,611,521 of outgoing salary, so L.A. could have taken back as much as $15,864,401. Again, that’s 125% of the outgoing amount, plus $100K.

In simultaneous transactions, the traded player exception is used to instantly complete the deal, leaving no lingering loose ends. This form of the traded player exception isn’t what we’re talking about if we say a team “has a trade exception” available to use. Those outstanding trade exceptions come as a result of non-simultaneous deals.


Non-simultaneous:

In non-simultaneous deals, a team can trade away a single player without immediately taking salary back in return. The team then has up to one year in which it can acquire one or more players whose combined salaries amount to no more than the traded player’s salary (plus $100K).

For instance, when the Jazz sent Royce O’Neale to the Nets in exchange for a first-round pick last offseason, that was a non-simultaneous trade from Utah’s perspective, allowing the team to create a traded player exception worth O’Neale’s salary ($8,800,000).

The Jazz subsequently had a year to use that exception to acquire one or more players whose salaries total up to $8,900,000 (O’Neale’s salary, plus $100K). They’ve already made excellent use of it, absorbing Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, and Saben Lee into the exception, leaving just $202K left over. Trade exceptions expire after a year if they haven’t been used in full.

The Nets, meanwhile, were able to acquire O’Neale without sending out any salary despite being a taxpaying team because of a previous non-simultaneous trade they’d made involving James Harden, which had left them with a trade exception worth more than $11MM.


Putting the two together:

When evaluating an NBA trade, it’s worth remembering that two teams can view the deal entirely differently and that they’re allowed to divide a single trade into multiple parts to maximize their flexibility. For example, one team could consider a trade simultaneous, while the other team breaks the transaction down into two separate trades, one simultaneous and one non-simultaneous.

Let’s take a look at a recent real-life example, examining the eight-player September trade between the Rockets and Thunder.

From the Rockets’ perspective, the trade broke down as follows:

  • Traded David Nwaba ($5,022,000) for Maurice Harkless ($4,564,980) and Ty Jerome ($4,220,057).
    • This trade is a simultaneous one for the Rockets, who were a non-taxpaying team, making them eligible to take back up to 175% of Nwaba’s salary, plus $100K. That figure works out to $8,888,500; Harkless and Jerome combine to earn $8,785,037, making them a snug fit.
  • Traded Trey Burke ($3,423,750) and Sterling Brown ($3,000,000) for Derrick Favors ($10,183,800).
    • This is another simultaneous trade for the Rockets, who didn’t have an outgoing player earning enough on his own to match Favors’ $10MM+ cap hit. Adding Burke’s salary to Brown’s results in a total of $6,423,750, allowing Houston to take back up to $11,341,563 (175% of the outgoing salary, plus $100K). Favors’ salary fits.
  • Traded Marquese Chriss ($2,193,920) for Theo Maledon ($1,900,000).
    • This segment of the deal actually represents a non-simultaneous trade for the Rockets, since they’re only trading one player and they’re taking back less salary than they’re sending out. That allows them to create a traded player exception worth $293,920, the difference between Chriss’ salary and Maledon’s. That amount is too small for Houston to realistically find a use for it, but it’s still technically a trade exception the team will have at its disposal until next fall.

Here’s how it looked from the Thunder’s perspective:

  • Traded Maurice Harkless ($4,564,980) for David Nwaba ($5,022,000) and Sterling Brown ($3,000,000).
    • In a simultaneous trade of Harkless, the non-taxpaying Thunder were permitted to take back $8,088,715, which is 175% of his salary, plus $100K. That’s an ideal match for Nwaba and Brown, who are earning a combined $8,022,000.
  • Traded Theo Maledon ($1,900,000) for Trey Burke ($3,423,750).
    • This doesn’t look on the surface like a match, given that Burke’s salary is nearly double Maledon’s. But 175% of Maledon’s salary is $3,325,000. Add another $100K and you get $3,425,000, which covers Burke’s cap hit in a simultaneous trade by a grand total of $1,250.
  • Acquired Marquese Chriss ($2,193,920) using the minimum salary exception.
    • Players who are earning the minimum salary on a one-year or two-year contract can be taken in using the minimum salary exception, with no outgoing salary required. That was the case for Chriss, who was in the second season of a two-year, minimum-salary contract.
  • Generated traded player exceptions worth $10,183,800 and $4,220,057.
    • Because the Thunder needed only two outgoing salaries to account for all four incoming players, that leaves Derrick Favors and Ty Jerome as essentially being traded for “nothing.” As a result, Oklahoma City was able to create trade exceptions worth each of their outgoing salaries, treating the trades of Favors and Jerome as non-simultaneous.

More notes on traded player exceptions:

  • A team’s outgoing salary for matching purposes is the guaranteed salary rather than the total salary. For example, a player with a $2MM partial guarantee on a $10MM salary would only count for $2MM for salary-matching purposes for the team trading him (the team acquiring him would still have to account for him as $10MM in incoming salary). Between the end of a team’s season and June 30, the outgoing salary for a traded player is the lesser of his full current-season salary and his guaranteed salary for the next season. We have more details on this rule in a separate glossary entry.
  • When determining whether a team is over the cap or the luxury tax line for traded player exception purposes, the team’s total salary after the trade is the deciding factor.
  • Trade exceptions created in non-simultaneous trades can’t be combined with one another, with other exceptions, or with a player’s salary; they can’t be used to sign a free agent (except in a sign-and-trade); and they can’t be traded outright to another team.
  • The salary in a sign-and-trade can sometimes be subject to base year compensation rules. In that case, the player’s outgoing salary for trade purposes is either his previous salary or 50% of his new salary, whichever is greater. For instance, when the Cavaliers signed-and-traded Collin Sexton to the Jazz in the Donovan Mitchell blockbuster, Sexton’s incoming salary from Utah’s perspective was $16,500,000, but his outgoing salary from Cleveland’s perspective was just $8,250,000.
  • Teams that are under the cap before a trade and go over the cap as a result of the trade can’t create a trade exception as a result of that deal.
  • For salary-matching purposes, future draft picks or the draft rights to an unsigned player aren’t taken into consideration.

The traded player exception is one of the CBA’s more complicated tools and can make it challenging for over-the-cap teams to navigate the trade market. It’s undoubtedly simpler to use an online trade machine to determine whether a deal is legal, but examining the rules and figuring out exactly how a blockbuster trade breaks down can provide rewarding insight into an NBA club’s management of its cap.


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 2012, 2018, 2020, and 2021.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Atlantic 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 Atlantic players.


Fred VanVleet, G, Raptors

  • 2022/23: $21,250,000
  • 2023/24: $22,824,074 player option
  • Stock: Down

VanVleet was a deserving first-time All-Star last season, averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.6 steals on .419/.401/.874 (.572 true) shooting through 50 games. However, he struggled mightily after the break due to a lingering bone bruise in his right knee, appearing in just 15 games with averages of 16.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals on .343/.291/.872 (.479 true) shooting. He was clearly hampered in the playoffs as well, posting similar shooting percentages.

In the offseason, he and the Raptors discussed a four-year, $114MM extension – the maximum amount they can offer based on his current contract. VanVleet felt he had outplayed his four-year, $85MM deal to that point, so he wanted to wait and see if he could get a more lucrative contract in 2023.

I definitely understand why VanVleet bet on himself. The former undrafted free agent has turned himself into a very good player through his hard work, tenacity and determination. He was also a major part of the Toronto’s title-winning team in 2019.

Unfortunately, things haven’t gone according VanVleet’s plan thus far in 2022/23. A significant portion of his offensive game is tied to his ability to space the floor, but he’s shooting just 32.9% from three, compared to his 37.5% career mark.

VanVleet turns 29 next month, is undersized, has played a ton of minutes the past few years, his point-of-attack defense isn’t what it once was, and he missed an average of just over 18 regular season games from 2018-22. VanVleet’s leadership and competitiveness are unquestioned, but there are a lot of red flags for potential suitors if he declines his player option, which seems likely.

T.J. Warren, F, Nets

  • 2022/23: $2,628,597
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

Warren is another player with an injury history, having appeared in just four games in the two seasons leading up to ‘22/23. While the length of those absences was abnormal, the 29-year-old has never appeared in more than 67 games in a season, averaging just under 55 games in his first six years, so durability has always been a concern.

As a free agent last summer, Warren wound up signing a “prove it” deal with the Nets for the veteran’s minimum, and it took him a while to return to action — he made his season debut on December 2. However, he has only missed one game since (the second of a back-to-back), and his production hasn’t disappointed.

Warren has always been a mid-range sniper, and this season is no different – he’s shooting 52% on those looks, which ranks in the 93rd percentile of all players, per DunksAndThrees.com. Through 17 games, he’s averaging 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists on .532/.353/.889 shooting in 20.4 minutes per contest.

As long as Warren stays healthy, there’s a very good chance he’ll get a big raise in free agency — his ability to score from all over the court is the most valuable trait in basketball.

Grant Williams, F, Celtics

  • 2022/23: $4,306,281
  • 2023/24: RFA
  • Stock: Up

Williams and the Celtics couldn’t agree on a rookie scale extension prior to the season, with the 24-year-old reportedly looking for more money than the cost-conscious Celtics were willing to offer. Betting on himself in restricted free agency has been a worthwhile gamble for Williams so far.

Although his averages of 9.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game are all career highs, those numbers don’t jump at you. But he’s a solid defender across the three frontcourt positions and is highly efficient, posting a .504/.404/.859 (.659 true) shooting line through 42 games (16 starts, 28.0 MPG).

If he maintains his top-tier efficiency, Williams might get more than he was reportedly seeking before the season, which was in the $14-16MM range annually.

Derrick Rose, G, Knicks

  • 2022/23: $14,520,730
  • 2023/24: $15,596,339 team option
  • Stock: Down

The former league MVP has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, but he’s actually been relatively healthy in ’22/23. The problem is, he just hasn’t been effective on the court, averaging career lows in minutes (12.9), points (5.8) and FG% (.394) through 26 games.

Long a favorite of head coach Tom Thibodeau, Rose has fallen out of the Knicks’ rotation. His $14.5MM contract has negative value on the trade market, and his team option for ’23/24 is essentially a lock to be declined at this point.

Unless there’s a dramatic turnaround, the 34-year-old is probably looking at a veteran’s minimum deal in the offseason. Considering his age and injury history, even that might not be a given.

Shake Milton, G, Sixers

  • 2022/23: $1,997,718
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

Milton is an interesting player. He’s a subpar defender who isn’t a great athlete by NBA standards, but he finds effective ways to work around those limitations.

He impressed as a fill-in starter when Tyrese Maxey and James Harden were injured, averaging 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists on .542/.425/.967 (.652 true) shooting in nine games (38.0 minutes). While those shooting percentages are an anomaly, given his career averages (.457/.361/.822 splits, including .557 true), Milton is a patient and crafty pick-and-roll play-maker who has plus size (6’5″, 205 pounds) for a combo guard.

The former 54th overall pick initially signed a two-way deal and then was converted to a standard four-year, $7MM contract back in 2019. He’s only 26 years old, and has certainly outperformed his current deal. Something in the $5-8MM per year range seems within reach.

2022/23 In-Season NBA Trades

As we did with 2022’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2021/22, we’ll be keeping track of all the NBA trades completed this season, updating this article with each transaction. This post can be found anytime throughout the season on our desktop sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in our mobile menu under “Features.”

Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been dealt multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. Trades listed in italics have been agreed upon but are not yet official. For more details on each trade, click the date above it.

For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks.

Here’s the full list of the trades completed during the 2022/23 NBA season:


February 9

February 9

  • Knicks acquire Josh Hart, the draft rights to Bojan Dubljevic (from Trail Blazers), and the draft rights to Daniel Diez (from Trail Blazers).
  • Trail Blazers acquire Matisse Thybulle, Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, the Knicks’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected), and the draft rights to Ante Tomic (from Knicks).
  • Sixers acquire Jalen McDaniels, the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick (from Hornets), and the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick.
  • Hornets acquire Svi Mykhailiuk, either the Hornets’, Hawks’, or Nets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Sixers), and either the Pelicans’ or Trail Blazers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Trail Blazers).
  • Note: The Hornets traded away their 2023 second-round pick in a prior deal.

February 9

  • Clippers acquire Eric Gordon, the Raptors’ 2024 second-round pick (from Grizzlies), either the Pacers’ 2024 second-round pick or the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Jazz’s 2024 second-round picks (whichever is most favorable; from Grizzlies), and the Grizzlies’ 2027 second-round pick.
  • Grizzlies acquire Luke Kennard and the right to swap a 2026 second-round pick (the most favorable of the Celtics’, Pacers’, and Heat’s picks) for the Clippers’ 2026 second-round pick.
  • Rockets acquire Danny Green, John Wall, and the right to swap the Bucks’ 2023 first-round pick for either the Clippers’ or Thunder’s 2023 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable; top-six protected; from Clippers).

February 9

  • Celtics acquire Mike Muscala.
  • Thunder acquire Justin Jackson, a 2023 second-round pick (details below), and the Celtics’ 2029 second-round pick.
  • Note: If the Rockets’ second-round pick lands at No. 31 or No. 32, the Thunder will receive either the Mavericks’, Heat’s, or Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable). If the Rockets’ pick lands anywhere else in the second round, the Thunder will receive either the Rockets’ or Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

February 9

  • Pelicans acquire Josh Richardson.
  • Spurs acquire Devonte’ Graham, either the Pelicans’ or Bulls’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), either the Pelicans’ or Trail Blazers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), the Pelicans’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Pelicans’ 2029 second-round pick.

February 9

  • Hawks acquire Saddiq Bey.
  • Pistons acquire James Wiseman.
  • Warriors acquire Gary Payton II, the Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick, and the Hawks’ 2028 second-round pick.
  • Trail Blazers acquire Kevin Knox, either the Hawks’, Nets’, or Hornets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), 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.
  • Note: 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.

February 9

February 9

February 9

  • Suns acquire Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren.
  • Nets acquire 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).
  • Bucks acquire Jae Crowder.
  • Pacers acquire Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, either the Bucks’ 2023 second-round pick or the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Warriors’ 2023 second-round picks (whichever is most favorable), 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.

February 9

February 9

February 9

  • Raptors acquire Jakob Poeltl.
  • Spurs acquire Khem Birch, the Raptors’ 2024 first-round pick (top-six protected), the Raptors’ 2023 second-round pick, and the Raptors’ 2025 second-round pick.

February 7

February 7

  • Spurs acquire Dewayne Dedmon and the Heat’s 2028 second-round pick.
  • Heat acquire cash ($110K).

February 6

January 23

  • Lakers acquire Rui Hachimura.
  • Wizards acquire Kendrick Nunn, the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick, either the Lakers’ or Wizards’ 2028 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Lakers’ 2029 second-round pick.
  • Note: The Lakers acquired the Wizards’ 2028 second-round pick in a prior trade.

January 5

  • Spurs acquire Noah Vonleh and cash ($1.5MM).
  • Celtics acquire the Spurs’ 2024 second-round pick (top-54 protected).

Free Agent Stock Watch: Pacific 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 Pacific players.


Russell Westbrook, G, Lakers

  • 2022/23: $47,063,478
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

There were concerns about whether Westbrook would accept a more limited role entering the 2022/23 season, given his combativeness and lack of accountability at the end last season’s disastrous campaign. He clearly didn’t respect former head coach Frank Vogel, despite the Lakers winning a title under Vogel in ’19/20.

The ’16/17 league MVP is on the downside of his career at 34 years old, and he’s certainly not going to approach his current salary on an annual basis in free agency. Moving to the bench also hasn’t helped him score more efficiently — his 49.3 true shooting percentage is his lowest mark in 13 years, and very close to a career low (48.9 as a rookie).

So why is his stock up?

His attitude, effort level and effectiveness on defense have changed dramatically under Darvin Ham. He’s also been less of a ball-hog and a more willing passer in ’22/23.

Before the season started, I thought he might be looking at a one-year deal in the $3-7MM range in free agency. Now, I think he could get something like a two-year deal for the standard mid-level exception ($23.3MM), although it is admittedly difficult to come up a list of suitors – his playing style is polarizing.

JaMychal Green, F/C, Warriors

  • 2022/23: $2,628,597

    • Note: Green is also earning $5,571,403 from his previous contract with the Thunder.
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Down

Taking into account his full salary following a buyout agreement with the Thunder, Green has earned between $7MM and $8.5MM in five of the past six seasons primarily due to his inside-outside game and ability to rebound at a solid clip.

However, the outside part of his game has been lacking the past two seasons. He shot just 26.6% from deep with the Nuggets in ‘21/22 and is at 26.5% through 28 games this season.

Green is still rebounding well, but he’s turning the ball over more, has always been fairly foul-prone, and will be 33 in June. If the poor outside shooting continues, he’s likely looking at another veteran’s minimum deal in a best-case scenario, because he’s not big enough (6’8″, 227 pounds) to protect the rim as a center and isn’t shooting well enough to be serviceable as a stretch four.

Harrison Barnes, F, Kings

  • 2022/23: $18,352,273
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Neutral

Barnes had a very slow start this season, averaging just 9.9 points on a .368/.167/.800 shooting line through nine games. Unsurprisingly, he has rebounded nicely by averaging 15.9 PPG on .505/.378/.818 shooting over the past 30 contests, with only four games below double-digit points.

The 31-year-old doesn’t excel in any one area, but he does a lot of things pretty well, and he also doesn’t have easily exploitable weaknesses. Those types of players tend to be even more valuable in the postseason than the regular season, so Barnes will have a long list of suitors if he reaches free agency.

Barnes is in the last year of a four-year, $85MM contract. Being on the wrong side of 30 hurts a little (he turns 31 in May), but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to land another deal at similar value.

Thomas Bryant, C, Lakers

  • 2022/23: $2,133,278
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

Bryant, 25, has been one of the league’s best bargains this season, producing at a high level offensively while pulling down 11.8 rebounds per 36 minutes on a veteran’s minimum deal. He plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, something the Lakers desperately needed.

Given his defensive limitations, I’m not sure you necessarily want him to be a full-time starter – having a solid foundation in the middle is really important. Still, he has shown that he’s over his ACL tear and will certainly command a raise as a free agent – something in the $7-12MM range annually should be within reach.

Dario Saric, F/C, Suns

  • 2022/23: $9,240,000
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Down

Saric’s current situation is somewhat reminiscent of Bryant’s last season — the reason Bryant got a “prove it” contract for the minimum is that he didn’t quite look fully recovered from his ACL tear. Unless he turns things around in the second half of ‘22/23, that’s likely what Saric will be facing in the offseason as well, because he’s struggled mightily to this point.

Having said that, he’s only 28, and his game isn’t predicated on athleticism, so there’s a chance he could be a nice buy-low candidate in free agency.

Remaining Mid-Level, Bi-Annual Exceptions Begin To Decline In Value

Besides being the day when non-guaranteed salaries officially become fully guaranteed, January 10 represents an important date on the NBA calendar for a second reason. It’s also the day when several cap exceptions begin to prorate downward for the rest of the season.

[RELATED: Key In-Season NBA Dates Deadlines For 2022/23]

The non-taxpayer mid-level exception, taxpayer mid-level exception, room exception, and bi-annual exception will all decline in value by 1/174th each day for the rest of the season, beginning today. Trade exceptions and disabled player exceptions will be unaffected.

Each team will be impacted slightly differently by the proration calculations. For instance, the Bulls had $7,290,000 left on their mid-level exception entering Tuesday. Their MLE value will decline by $41,897 per day (1/174th of $7,290,000) for each of the season’s remaining 90 days. By the last day of the season, even if they don’t use it to sign another player, the Bulls’ MLE would be only be worth in the neighborhood of $3.5MM.

A team like the Hornets, with their full $10,490,000 mid-level exception available, will see that exception’s value decline by over $60K per day, while the $691,731 left on the Timberwolves‘ MLE will dip by just $3,975 per day.

Teams’ mid-level and/or bi-annual exceptions will prorate downward daily by 1/174th of the amount left as of January 10, even if that club uses a portion of its exception between now and the end of the season. So if a team has $5MM left on its MLE today and uses $3MM to sign a player tomorrow, that team would still lose 1/174th of $5MM per day the rest of the way, not 1/174th of $2MM.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Proration]

These prorating exceptions shouldn’t have a major league-wide impact. However, if a team wants to offer a free agent more than the minimum salary or sign a player to a three- or four-year contract during the second half of the season, they’ll need to use some form of the MLE or BAE. As a result, teams will have to keep tabs on the ever-changing values of those exceptions.

For details on the portions of their mid-level and/or bi-annual exceptions teams have used so far this season, you can check out our trackers here and here.