Hoops Rumors Originals

2022/23 NBA Two-Way Contract Conversions

At Hoops Rumors, we track virtually every kind of transaction, including free agent signings, trades, contract extensions, waiver claims, and many more. One form of roster move that has become increasingly common in recent years is the two-way conversion, involving a player either being converted from an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, or from a two-way deal to the standard roster.

We’re going to track all of the two-way conversions (either to or from the standard roster) in 2022/23 in the space below.

Let’s dive in…


Exhibit 10 contracts to two-way contracts:

When a player signs a contract during the offseason that includes Exhibit 10 language, he gives his new team the ability to unilaterally convert his deal into a two-way contract. The deadline to convert such a deal is the day before the season begins — this year that was Monday, October 17.

A player who signs a training camp contract that doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language could still sign a two-way deal with his club as long as his camp contract doesn’t include a guarantee exceeding $50K. However, he’d have to clear waivers before inking that new two-way contract.

Here are the players who had their Exhibit 10 contracts converted into two-way deals in 2022/23:

Most of these players were invited to training camp on Exhibit 10 contracts and ultimately earned two-way slots based on their performances in camp and the preseason. However, there are a few exceptions.

Butler had his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal early in October, then was waived by the Pelicans at the end of the preseason. It’s possible New Orleans was still negotiating with second-rounder E.J. Liddell at that point and only decided to cut Butler after Liddell agreed to accept a two-year, two-way contract.

Days was in camp with the Heat, but was waived by Miami and claimed by the Rockets, who converted his Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal.

Fernando’s conversion from an Exhibit 10 to a two-way was completed for procedural reasons. Doing so allowed the Rockets to negotiate a new standard contract with Fernando (as detailed below) without having to waive him.


Two-way contracts to standard contracts:

A player who is on a two-way contract can have his deal unilaterally converted a one-year, minimum-salary contract by his team (or a two-year, minimum-salary contract if the player’s two-way deal covers two years, but this is rare).

Generally though, the team’s preference is to negotiate a longer-term contract with the player in order to avoid having him reach free agency at season’s end.

When converting a player from a two-way contract to the standard roster, the team can use cap room or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to negotiate a deal of up to four years; the taxpayer mid-level exception for a deal up to three years; or the room exception, bi-annual exception, or minimum salary exception for a two-year deal.

The player must agree to any deal that is worth more than the minimum or exceeds the number of years left on his two-way pact.

Here are the players who have been converted from two-way deals to standard contracts this year, along with the terms of their new contracts, in chronological order:

  • Jericho Sims (Knicks): Three years, $5,660,082 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed ($600K). Third-year team option.
  • Bruno Fernando (Rockets): Four years, $10,869,564 (story). First year guaranteed. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
  • Darius Days (Heat): One year, minimum salary (story). Non-guaranteed. Exhibit 10.
    • Note: Days was subsequently waived by the Heat and claimed by the Rockets, who converted him back to a two-way contract (as noted above).
  • Eugene Omoruyi (Thunder): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year non-guaranteed team option.
  • Charles Bassey (Spurs): Four years, $10,200,000 (story). First two years guaranteed. Third and fourth years non-guaranteed.
  • Admiral Schofield (Magic): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year team option.
  • Trevor Keels (Knicks): 10-day contract (story).
  • Ish Wainright (Suns): Two years, $2,402,747 (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year team option.
  • Jordan Goodwin (Wizards): Three years, $4,920,240 (story). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed. Third-year partially guaranteed team option.
  • Bryce McGowens (Hornets): Four years, $7,002,014 (story). First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
  • Lindy Waters (Thunder): Two years, $3,855,792 (story). First year guaranteed. Second-year team option.
  • Sandro Mamukelashvili (Spurs): One year, minimum salary (story).
  • Carlik Jones (Bulls): Three years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second and third years non-guaranteed.
  • DaQuan Jeffries (Knicks): 10-day contract (story).
  • Anthony Lamb (Warriors): One year, minimum salary (story).
  • David Duke (Nets): One year, minimum salary (story).
  • Kobi Simmons (Hornets): Two years, minimum salary (story). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed.
  • Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Grizzlies): Four years, $6,927,014 (story). First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year non-guaranteed team option.

Players on two-way contracts can be converted to standard deals until the last day of the regular season, so we expect to add many more players to this second list in the coming months.

Trade Breakdown: Donovan Mitchell To Cavaliers

This is the 11th installment in our series breaking down the major trades of the 2022 offseason. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves they did. Let’s dive into a blockbuster deal between the Cavaliers and Jazz


On September 3, the Jazz shocked the NBA world by trading Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton (via sign-and-trade), No. 14 overall pick Ochai Agbaji, the Cavaliers’ unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavaliers in both 2026 and 2028.

Part of what made the trade with Cleveland so surprising is that nearly everyone – including Mitchell – expected him to be dealt to New York. I’m not interested in going into that hypothetical much since it didn’t happen, but I do think the Cavs were in a much better position than the Knicks to deal away significant assets.

The Cavaliers’ Perspective:

Over the past 25 years, Cleveland has made the playoffs one time without LeBron James – all the way back in 1998 under former head coach Mike Fratello. With James, the Cavs made nine postseason appearances in 11 seasons, including five trips to the NBA Finals and one championship in 2016 (the Cavs were the underdog in each of those matchups).

In those 11 seasons with James on the roster, the Cavs went 560-342 – a .621 winning percentage, or an average of almost 51 wins over an 82-game season. In the 14 seasons without James during that 25-year span, the Cavs went 420-735 – a .352 winning percentage, or an average of just under 29 wins in an 82-game season.

In the three years after James joined the Lakers in free agency in 2018, the Cavs were the worst team in the NBA, compiling a 60-159 record – a .274 winning percentage, equivalent to just over 22 wins in an 82-game season.

The reason I bring up the Cavaliers’ recent history is because they turned things around in 2021/22, finishing with a 44-38 record. Injuries derailed what had been a great start and they ultimately lost both of their games in the play-in tournament, missing out on the playoffs once again, but the season was still a resounding success.

In many ways, Cleveland’s situation entering the ’22/23 offseason mirrored Minnesota’s – both teams had been very bad without their superstars (Kevin Garnett for the Wolves), but showed a lot of promise last season. Both the Cavs and Wolves are in the midwest, feature talented young cores, and are not free agent destinations. Both were worried about the losing momentum they had gained from last season, so they made blockbuster trades with the Jazz.

The ability to acquire a 26-year-old three-time All-Star with three years remaining on his contract is extremely difficult to pull off, and the Cavs were able to land Mitchell without including any of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen, the team’s other core players. Mitchell holds a player option in ‘25/26, but he’s highly likely to turn it down considering the salary cap is expected to go up exponentially in 2025 with a new media rights deal.

Mitchell is not a perfect fit for the roster. At 6’1″, he’s the same height as Garland, leading to defensive concerns, particularly in the playoffs against top teams. Mitchell has been below average on that end the past few seasons, and was particular poor in ‘21/22.

During the ‘21/22 regular season, opponents shot 4% better than their expected field goal percentage with Mitchell as the closest defender, which ranked 245th out of 273 players who played at least 50 games, per NBA.com. During the playoffs, he was a complete disaster defensively, with opponents shooting 9.6% better than expected – a figure that would have ranked dead last in the NBA in seven of the last nine regular seasons.

Obviously, those figures need to improve. Relying on Mobley and Allen to cover up his mistakes is not an answer to that problem, just as it wasn’t with Rudy Gobert. Mitchell needs to hold himself accountable and play with much more effort on that end.

It’s important to note that defensive field goal percentage is only one statistic and Mitchell does some things well defensively, like forcing turnovers. Last season, he ranked 23rd in the league in deflections per game (2.4) and 11th in steals per game (1.5).

He certainly has the physical attributes to be at least an average defender, if not better, like he was his first couple of seasons. Despite his relative lack of height, Mitchell possesses a 6’10” wingspan and a strong 215-pound frame, and he’s a top-tier athlete. He has been a motivated and willing defender through three games with Cleveland; we’ll see if that continues.

Mitchell makes up for defensive concerns with his offensive skill. He is an elite shot creator who was the best offensive player on the league’s top-ranked regular season offense in ‘21/22.

He has been outstanding in his first three games (38.0 MPG) with the Cavs, averaging 33.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.0 APG and 2.0 SPG on .493/.423/.875 shooting. Those numbers aren’t sustainable, but he’s been highly impressive nonetheless playing without Garland, who is currently dealing with an eye injury.

With an explosive first step and a large package of dribble-drive moves, Mitchell is extremely difficult to contain. Because he’s such a strong two-footed leaper, he only needs a sliver of space to get his jump shot off.

As a three-level scorer, Mitchell can put the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways: he can play with or without the ball, finish at the basket, draw contact, and is a very good shooter. From 2020-22, he averaged 26.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.3 SPG on .444/.368/.849 shooting.

Mitchell is an opportunist — if he sees an opening, he exploits it without hesitation. He’s nearly unstoppable if he gets a half step on his opponent due to his excellent body control and ability to change direction and speed on the fly, particularly favoring Euro-steps near the basket.

As Mitchell grew as a player, so to did Utah’s offensive rating, climbing each of his five seasons: from 16th to 14th to ninth to fourth to first. That is not a coincidence.

It’s true that the Jazz built their offensive system around Mitchell, surrounding him with strong screen-setters and shooters who could space the floor and move the ball intelligently. It’s reasonable to say Mitchell benefited from that, particularly the complementary play-makers.

It’s also reasonable to say that he’s a good enough offensive player to build your entire system around and be the top offense in the league during the regular season.


Unlike Gobert, whom I previously characterized as a floor-raiser due to his elite interior defense and rebounding, Mitchell is a ceiling-raiser due to his elite shot creation ability and high-level scoring. The Cavs are certainly hoping he can help take them to the next level.

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Community Shootaround: NBA’s Undefeated Teams

Just six days into the 2022/23 NBA regular season, only four teams remain undefeated.

Two of those teams are in the Eastern Conference, where the Celtics are 3-0 and the Bucks are 2-0. Both teams have picked up nice victories in the early going, with Boston defeating the Sixers in the opener and then beating the Heat on the road. The Bucks also beat the 76ers in their own season opener, picking up a win in Philadelphia last Thursday.

Still, the Celtics and Bucks were both expected to be title contenders coming into the season. They’re likely pleased to be off to good starts while missing key players (Robert Williams and Danilo Gallinari in Boston; Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton in Milwaukee), but their early success comes as no surprise.

In the West, on the other hand, you could’ve made very good money if you’d beat a week ago that the last two undefeated teams left standing would be the Trail Blazers (3-0) and Jazz (3-0).

Portland expected to be a playoff contender after revamping its roster in the offseason, most notably trading for veteran forward Jerami Grant. But the reviews on the Blazers’ summer moves were mixed, and most experts didn’t expect them to be better than a play-in team. So their start to the season – which includes road wins over the Kings and Lakers and a home victory over Phoenix – has come as a pleasant surprise.

It certainly hasn’t been more surprising, however, than what the Jazz have done in the first week of the season. After trading away Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell in the offseason, Utah was viewed as a prime contender in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, but the team opened its season with a home win over Denver and then picked up road victories in Minnesota and New Orleans.

Newly acquired forward Lauri Markkanen has looked like a star so far, leading the way with 24.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 3.7 APG through three games, while Jordan Clarkson (19.0 PPG) and Kelly Olynyk (16.3 PPG; .750 3PT%) have provided secondary scoring.

The Jazz’s 3-0 start was so unexpected that it prompted Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune to write an article headlined, “What in the world is happening with this 3-0 Utah Jazz team? How are they doing this?” Larsen’s hypothesis is that the Jazz have been doing all the little stuff right and making terrific decisions, especially on offense.

The sample size is small, but we want to know whether your feelings about any of the NBA’s four undefeated teams – especially the two in the West – have changed based on their play so far.

Are you any more confident in the Blazers’ chance of making the playoffs than you were a week ago? Could the Jazz actually make a play-in push, or will their hot start be short-lived (either due to regression or more trades)? If you had any doubts about the Celtics or Bucks, have they begun to put them to rest?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Detroit Pistons

After going 43-111 over the past two years, tied with the Magic for the second-worst record in the NBA over that span, the Pistons are one of the rebuilding teams hoping to take a step forward in 2022/23. General manager Troy Weaver has completely reshaped the roster since being hired on June 18, 2020, and the trade for Bojan Bogdanovic showed Detroit is serious about improving in both the short and long term.

The starting lineup features several recent first-round picks, including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart (Bogdanovic is the fifth starter). The reserves include a couple more recent first-rounders in Killian Hayes and Jalen Duren, plus veterans Cory Joseph, Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox and Rodney McGruder.

Marvin Bagley III (knee), Alec Burks (wrist) and Nerlens Noel (foot) are currently sidelined with injuries, but second-year forward Isaiah Livers (hip) has been removed from the team’s injury report and could make his debut in Saturday’s game against the Pacers, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Pistons have gotten off to a 1-1 start thus far, with a close victory over Orlando and then a blowout loss to the Knicks. Ivey and Duren, both lottery picks this year (No. 5 and No. 13) have been surprisingly effective for rookies in the early going. Ivey has averaged 18.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 6.5 APG and 1.5 SPG on .519/.375/1.000 shooting (30.5 MPG), while Duren has put up 11.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 22 MPG.

There’s definitely talent on the roster, with Cunningham, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, headlining the group. Bogdanovic helps improve the team’s shooting, which has been a major weakness (the Pistons finished 29th in both two-point and three-point percentage last season).

Still, the East is stacked with strong teams, including (in no particular order) the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, Raptors, Hawks, Cavs, Heat, Nets and Bulls. I liked the Knicks’ free agent additions of Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein, and the Wizards should be better than last season’s 35-win campaign if they’re healthy, so it seems like the Pistons might have a difficult time finishing better than 12th in the standings unless there is major internal development.

In our over/unders last month, 51.6% of our voters predicted the Pistons to finish with more than 28.5 wins (they finished 23-59 in ’21/22).

That brings us to our question of the day. What’s a reasonable goal for the Pistons this season? Do you think they have a shot at the play-in tournament if things go well, or is it a year too early? Would an incremental step forward, like winning 30 or so games, be considered a success?

Head to the comments section and let us know what you think.

2022/23 NBA Waiver Claims

Waiver claims are something of a rarity in the NBA. In order to claim a player off waivers, a team generally must be able to fit the player’s entire salary into cap room, a traded player exception, or a disabled player exception.

Given those limitations, the players most frequently claimed on waivers are those on minimum-salary deals, since any club is eligible to place a claim on those players using the minimum salary exception.

Even then though, there are some caveats — the minimum salary exception can only be used to sign players for up to two years, so the same rules apply to waiver claims. If a player signed a three-year, minimum salary contract, he can’t be claimed using the minimum salary exception, even if he’s in the final year of his deal.

Taking into account all the rules that reduce the odds of a waiver claim – not to mention the limited roster spots available for NBA teams – it makes sense that nearly all of the players who get released ultimately clear waivers. The 2021/22 league year featured a total of just six waiver claims, for instance.

Despite how infrequent they are, we still want to track all the waiver claims that take place during the 2022/23 league year, since you never know which claim may end up being crucial, such as the Pistons‘ July 2019 claim of Christian Wood. Last season, the Lakers‘ claim of Avery Bradley and the Rockets‘ claim of Garrison Mathews were the most noteworthy.

We’ll track this year’s waiver claims in the space below, updating the list throughout the season to include the latest moves. Here’s the list:


  • Spurs claim Isaiah Roby from Thunder (July 5) (story)
    • The victim of a roster crunch in Oklahoma City, Roby was waived by the Thunder before his salary for 2022/23 could become guaranteed. However, the under-the-cap Spurs didn’t mind locking in Roby’s minimum salary and taking a flier on the young forward, who made the team’s opening night roster.
  • Rockets claim Darius Days from Heat (October 11) (story)
    • Days was initially on a two-way contract with the Heat, who preferred to give that spot to Jamal Cain. But since the Heat still wanted Days to play for their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, they converted the forward to an Exhibit 10 contract before waiving him. The Rockets didn’t let Days to get to Sioux Falls though — instead, they claimed him and converted him back to a two-way contract to open the season.
  • Heat claim D.J. Stewart Jr. from Mavericks (October 14) (story)
    • The Mavericks signed Stewart to an Exhibit 10 contract, but the Heat and their affiliate, the Skyforce, still held his G League rights. So when Dallas cut Stewart ahead of the regular season, Miami placed a claim on him to ensure that he would receive his $50K Exhibit 10 bonus if he reported back to Sioux Falls to start the season. The Heat waived him shortly thereafter.
  • Hawks claim Jared Rhoden from Trail Blazers (October 14) (story)
    • Like the Heat with Stewart, the Hawks claimed Rhoden for G League purposes. He had been on an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland, but the Trail Blazers are one of two NBA teams without a G League club of their own and had no plans to make him an affiliate player. Rhoden was waived by Atlanta shortly after being claimed, but the College Park Skyhawks – the team’s G League affiliate – selected him in the NBAGL draft.
  • Spurs claim Julian Champagnie from Sixers (February 16) (story)
    • After promoting Charles Bassey to their standard roster, the Spurs had an open two-way contract slot. Instead of bringing in a free agent, San Antonio filled that opening by placing a claim on former Sixers two-way player Champagnie, who had just been cut by Philadelphia to make room for Mac McClung.
  • Spurs claim Sandro Mamukelashvili from Bucks (March 3) (story)
    • The Spurs claimed Mamukelashvili, who had been on a two-way deal in Milwaukee, despite both of their two-way slots being full. By immediately converting Mamukelashvili to a standard, rest-of-season contract, San Antonio was able to claim him and move him to the 15-man roster, waiving Isaiah Roby to create room. If the Spurs had wanted to keep Mamukelashvili on his two-way deal or convert him to a contract that covered more than the rest of the season, they would have had to waive one of their two-way players to make the claim.

Key In-Season NBA Dates, Deadlines For 2022/23

With the 2022/23 NBA season underway, our calendar of important 2022 offseason dates and deadlines can be retired in favor of a list of the key in-season dates for the ’22/23 campaign. Here’s a breakdown of the deadlines and events that will influence player movement for the next several months across the NBA:


October 22

  • NBA G League draft.

October 24

  • NBA G League training camps open.

October 31

November 4

  • NBA G League Showcase Cup begins.

December 1

  • Priority order for waiver claims is now based on 2022/23 record, rather than 2021/22 record. Teams with the worst records receive the highest waiver priority.

December 15

December 19-22

  • NBA G League Winter Showcase and Showcase Cup championship.

December 27

  • NBA G League regular season begins.

January 5

January 7

  • Last day to waive non-guaranteed NBA contracts before they become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Salaries officially guarantee on January 10 if players haven’t cleared waivers before that date.

January 10

January 15

January 17

  • Last day to waive players on two-way contracts before their salaries become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Salaries officially guarantee on January 20 if players haven’t cleared waivers before that date.

February 1

  • Former first-round picks who were stashed overseas may sign rookie scale NBA contracts for the 2023/24 season.

February 9

  • Trade deadline (2:00pm CT).

February 17-19

  • All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.

February 28

March 1

  • Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.
  • Last day for a restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet.

March 10

March 25

  • NBA G League regular season ends.

March 28

  • NBA G League playoffs begin.

April 9

  • Last day of the NBA regular season.
  • Last day players can sign contracts for 2022/23.
  • Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
  • Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.

April 10

  • Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).

April 11-14

  • NBA play-in tournament.

April 15

  • NBA playoffs begin.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.

Community Shootaround: Finals, MVP, Rookie Of Year Predictions

Another NBA season is upon us and there’s certainly no way to tell how this one might play out.

There are a host of legitimate contenders in both conferences while very few teams can be dismissed as lottery-bound clubs.

The Celtics enter the season as the lukewarm betting favorite but even they have significant questions to answer, most notably whether an interim coach can lead them to the promised land. The Nets looked to be breaking apart during the offseason but with Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving suiting up after all, they’re going to be a force. The Heat, Bucks and Sixers also have enough talent to make a serious run for Eastern Conference supremacy and the Cavaliers, Raptors and Hawks could contend if everything falls into place.

In the West, the championship runs through Golden State until someone knocks the Warriors from their perch. They have all of their top rotation players back, plus some young talent ready to contribute. The Clippers and Lakers have their dynamic duos, the Suns are only a year removed from a Finals appearance and the Timberwolves, with the addition of Rudy Gobert, are eager to join the elite. The same can be said for Grizzlies and Pelicans, while the Mavericks and healthier Nuggets are also knocking at the door.

Individually, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo know what it takes to win the Most Valuable Player award but Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid are actually the betting favorites to gain that distinction this season. Vets like Stephen Curry, Durant and LeBron James can’t easily be eliminated from that discussion.

The Rookie of the Year chase should also be spirited. Chet Holmgren won’t be able to compete due to injury but top pick Paolo Banchero and fellow top-five selections Jabari Smith, Keegan Murray and Jaden Ivey will have prominent roles on their teams. The sixth pick, Bennedict Mathurin, should also put up big numbers on a rebuilding team.

With all that mind, it’s time to make your picks: Which teams do you predict will represent their respective conferences in this season’s Finals? Who’s your top choice for the MVP award? And who do you believe will gain Rookie of the Year honors?

Please take to the comments section to give us your selections. We look forward to your input.

NBA Teams With Most, Least Roster Continuity

Over the last several months, dozens of NBA players have changed teams via free agency, dozens more have entered or exited the league, and a total of 31 trades have been made. After all that offseason activity, some teams will enter the 2022/23 season looking totally different than they did in the spring, while others will look pretty similar to last season’s squads.

Roster continuity is generally perceived as a sign of stability, but carrying over a significant number of players from last year’s team doesn’t necessarily give a club a leg up entering a new season.

Heading into the 2021/22 season, for instance, the Nuggets, Kings, Hawks, and Magic were the teams with the most roster continuity, and none of those clubs had a hugely successful season (Denver and Atlanta exited the playoffs quickly, while Sacramento and Orlando didn’t make it). On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Celtics were one of the teams with the most roster turnover during the 2021 offseason and made it within two wins of a championship this past spring.

Entering the 2022/23 campaign, the Bucks, Pelicans, and Magic are the three teams bringing back the most players from last year’s end-of-season rosters (including two-way players). All three clubs retained 14 players over the summer.

It’s the third straight year in which Orlando has ranked among the teams with the least roster turnover, which suggests the team remains high on its young core and doesn’t want to break it up. Milwaukee and New Orleans, meanwhile, are joined by the Clippers (13 returning players) as teams perhaps hoping that the return of an injured star (Khris Middleton, Zion Williamson, and Kawhi Leonard, respectively) will help propel them to a deeper postseason run in 2023.

The Jazz are, unsurprisingly, the team that experienced the most roster turnover, having launched a rebuilding process that saw them trade away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, among other veterans. They’re bringing back just five players.

The Lakers, who had a disaster of a year 2021/22 after bringing back just three players from the previous season’s roster, once again rank among the teams with the most roster turnover, having retained just six players from their end-of-season roster. We’ll see if this version of the new-look squad has more success than last year’s did.

Here’s the total number of returning players for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, from most to fewest:

  1. Milwaukee Bucks: 14
    New Orleans Pelicans: 14
    Orlando Magic: 14
  2. Chicago Bulls: 13
    Los Angeles Clippers: 13
    Miami Heat: 13
    New York Knicks: 13
  3. Charlotte Hornets: 12
    Phoenix Suns: 12 (*)
    Toronto Raptors: 12
  4. Brooklyn Nets: 11
    Dallas Mavericks: 11
    Houston Rockets: 11
    Memphis Grizzlies: 11
    Oklahoma City Thunder: 11
    Washington Wizards: 11
  5. Boston Celtics: 10
    Cleveland Cavaliers: 10
    Detroit Pistons: 10
    Golden State Warriors: 10
    Indiana Pacers: 10
    Philadelphia 76ers: 10
    Portland Trail Blazers: 10
    Sacramento Kings: 10
    San Antonio Spurs: 10
  6. Denver Nuggets: 9
    Minnesota Timberwolves: 9
  7. Atlanta Hawks: 7
  8. Los Angeles Lakers: 6
  9. Utah Jazz: 5

(* The Suns’ count includes Jae Crowder, since he technically remains on the roster, even though he’s away from the team.)

2022 NBA Rookie Scale Extension Recap

The NBA’s annual deadline for rookie scale contract extensions passed on Monday, officially bringing the extension period for 2019 first-round picks to an end. In total, 11 players eligible for rookie scale extensions signed new contracts this year, which matched a record set last year.

We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in rookie scale extensions in recent years, with at least 10 such deals completed in each of the last three offseasons. Prior to 2020, the last time as many as 10 rookie scale extensions were signed in a single league year was back in 2006, when players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were signing their second NBA contracts.


Here’s a breakdown of the 11 rookie scale extensions signed before this year’s deadline, sorted by total value. In cases where we haven’t yet seen the official contract terms for the extension, we’re basing our figures on the latest reports and will update these numbers as necessary. These deals will go into effect beginning in 2023/24:

  • Ja Morant (Grizzlies): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $194,300,000. Projected value can increase to $233,160,000 if Morant meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker.
  • Darius Garland (Cavaliers): Five year, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $194,300,000. Projected value can increase to $233,160,000 if Garland meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker.
  • Zion Williamson (Pelicans): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $194,300,000. Projected value can increase to $233,160,000 if Williamson meets Rose Rule criteria.
    • Note: Williamson’s salary guarantees in the final four years of the extension could be adjusted downward if he doesn’t meet certain games-played thresholds.
  • Jordan Poole (Warriors): Four years, $123,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $17MM in incentives.
  • Tyler Herro (Heat): Four years, $120,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $10MM in incentives.
  • RJ Barrett (Knicks): Four years, $107,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $13MM in incentives.
  • De’Andre Hunter (Hawks): Four years, $90,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $5MM in incentives.
  • Keldon Johnson (Spurs): Four years, $74,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $6MM in incentives.
  • Kevin Porter Jr. (Rockets): Four years, $63,440,000 (base value) (story). Only first year is fully guaranteed. Includes fourth-year team option and $19,032,000 in incentives.
  • Brandon Clarke (Grizzlies): Four years, $50,000,000 (base value) (story). Includes $2MM in incentives.
  • Nassir Little (Trail Blazers): Four years, $28,000,000 (story).

A couple of these extensions were no-brainers — there was never any doubt that Morant was going to get maximum-salary offer from the Grizzlies as early as possible, for instance.

Of the three maximum-salary deals, Williamson’s was the most interesting, given his injury history and the frequent speculation about his commitment to New Orleans. He and the Pelicans shut down that speculation by reaching a lucrative long-term agreement very early in July.

Interestingly, seven of this year’s eight non-max rookie scale extensions include incentives, giving the teams some level of protection if their newly extended youngsters don’t continue taking significant steps forward.

The Rockets‘ deal with Porter is the most extreme example of a high-variance, incentive-laden deal — as Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston tweets, team-based incentives can push the value of that contract beyond $20MM per year, but the base value is just $15.86MM annually, and only the first season is fully guaranteed.

Little’s new contract with the Trail Blazers is another fascinating agreement. We’ve seen Grayson Allen (2021) and Taurean Prince (2019) accept two-year rookie scale extensions in recent years that were worth less overall than Little’s $28MM deal, but Little’s $7MM average annual salary is the lowest for a rookie scale extension since Jeremy Lamb signed a three-year, $21MM deal in 2015.


With 11 players signing rookie scale extensions, that left 13 players who were eligible for a new deal and didn’t get one (a 14th, Ty Jerome, was waived by the Rockets during the offseason).

Here’s that list of those players, who are now eligible to become restricted free agents during the 2023 offseason, assuming they finish their current contracts:

For a second consecutive year, the most noteworthy extension candidate not to sign a new deal is a Sun. After not extending Deandre Ayton in 2021, Phoenix opted not to lock up Johnson before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Unlike Ayton, Johnson wasn’t seeking a maximum-salary contract, but his price tag could certainly increase substantially in the coming months as he enters the Suns‘ starting lineup in place of Jae Crowder.

Washington and Williams are among the other notable extension candidates who didn’t get new deals and could be targets for lucrative offer sheets in July of 2023. Hachimura, Hayes, Thybulle, and White are a few of the players who could set themselves up for nice paydays next offseason if they take a step forward in 2022/23.

The rest of these players in this group weren’t serious extension candidates. Some – including Langford and Windler – appear unlikely to receive qualifying offers next offseason to make them RFAs unless they show a lot more than they have in their first three NBA seasons.


Finally, it’s worth mentioning that there were five players selected in the first round of the 2019 draft who weren’t eligible at all for rookie scale extensions entering this offseason, for various reasons. Those players are as follows:

Contract, Roster Deadlines Loom For NBA Teams

We’re one day away from the start of the NBA’s 2022/23 regular season, making Monday the last day of the 2022 offseason. Today serves as the deadline for a number of contract- and roster-related decisions around the league. Here are the most important ones:


Rookie Scale Extensions

A total of 25 players entered the offseason eligible for rookie scale extensions. Eight of those players (Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Darius Garland, Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro, RJ Barrett, Keldon Johnson, and Brandon Clarke) have already signed new deals, while one (Ty Jerome) was waived. That leaves the following 16 players eligible to sign rookie scale extensions on Monday:

The majority of these guys won’t sign new deals until the 2023 offseason, when they’re eligible for restricted free agency. But it would be a surprise if at least a couple more players from this list don’t finalize rookie scale extensions today. Hunter, Johnson, Little, Porter, Thybulle, Washington, and Williams are some of the best candidates.

The deadline for rookie scale extensions is at 5:00pm central time.


Certain Veteran Contract Extensions

A veteran player who signed his current contract at least two years ago (or three years ago if it was a five-year deal) is eligible to sign an extension. That means many veterans around the NBA are eligible to sign contract extensions today, but that number will significantly drop as of tomorrow.

Once the regular season begins, only veterans in the final year of their contracts can sign extensions — a player who has multiple years remaining is no longer extension-eligible until the following offseason.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Veteran Contract Extension]

Let’s use the Nets as an example. Ben Simmons, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry are all eligible for extensions right now, but of those three players, only Curry is on an expiring deal.

Simmons is under contract through 2024/25, while Harris’ deal runs through 2023/24, so each of them could sign an extension today. However, starting on Tuesday, Simmons and Harris will be ineligible to sign an extension until July of 2023, with only Curry remaining extension-eligible during the season.

An extension-eligible veteran who has a player option for 2023/24 could still sign a new deal later in the ’22/23 league year, but he’d have to eliminate that option to do so. Picking up the option would make him ineligible to complete an extension between Tuesday and the start of the ’23/24 league year, since it would turn his contract into a multiyear deal, not an expiring one.

Klay Thompson, Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, and Jamal Murray are some of the notable players who are extension-eligible today, but won’t be as of Tuesday, since they have multiple years left on their contracts.

The deadline for veteran extensions for players on non-expiring contracts is at 10:59pm CT tonight.


Regular Season Rosters

Most teams around the NBA finalized their roster cuts on Saturday for financial reasons, as we explained over the weekend. However, today is the official deadline to reduce offseason rosters to the regular season limit of 15 players on standard contracts (plus two on two-way contracts).

While it’s certainly possible there will be some additional roster shuffling today as teams tweak their back-end roster spots or fill two-way openings, only four teams – the Pistons, Rockets, Thunder, and Spurs – absolutely have to make cuts, as we detailed on Sunday.

The Pistons and Rockets are expected to waive Kemba Walker and Derrick Favors, respectively, while the Thunder’s and Spurs’ cuts haven’t yet been reported. Oklahoma City will have to release three players (one will reportedly be David Nwaba); just one cut is required for San Antonio.


The final day of the offseason is also the last day for teams to convert Exhibit 10 contracts into two-way deals.

However, after Dru Smith, Olivier Sarr, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Ty Jerome, Anthony Lamb, McKinley Wright, Moses Brown, Luka Garza, Jordan Goodwin, and Michael Foster Jr. had their Exhibit 10 deals converted into two-ways within the last week, there’s just one candidate left for this maneuver: Rockets forward Darius Days. His deal is expected to be converted before today’s deadline.

Finally, Monday is the last day for a free agent to be signed-and-traded. But there’s no indication that any sign-and-trades are in the works.