Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

2022/23 NBA Waiver Claims

October 21st, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

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.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

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

October 21st, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

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.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Finals, MVP, Rookie Of Year Predictions

October 18th, 2022 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Teams With Most, Least Roster Continuity

October 18th, 2022 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

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.)

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

2022 NBA Rookie Scale Extension Recap

October 18th, 2022 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

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:

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Contract, Roster Deadlines Loom For NBA Teams

October 17th, 2022 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

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.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Extension Candidate: Grant Williams

October 17th, 2022 at 7:20am CST by Rory Maher

This is the sixth installment in our series examining players who are prime candidates for contract extensions. This series will explore the player’s strengths and weaknesses, and will evaluate what a fair deal between the player and his team might look like. We’re continuing today with a look at a power forward who had a breakout third season as a two-way contributor.

Rundown:

The No. 22 overall pick of the 2019 draft after three seasons at Tennessee, Grant Williams had a minor role as a rookie for a Celtics team that nearly reached the NBA Finals, ultimately falling to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. In 69 games (15.1 MPG), Williams averaged 3.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG on .412/.250/.722 shooting (.505 true shooting percentage).

In 2020/21, Williams’ second season, he made progress as a shooter, a very important aspect of his role for Boston. His averages – 4.7 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .437/.372/.588 shooting (.546 true) in 63 games (18.1 MPG) – were still fairly modest, but the 12.2% increase in three-point percentage was encouraging.

In year three, Williams emerged as a solid member of Boston’s rotation, averaging 7.8 PPG and 3.6 RPG on a sparkling .475/.411/.905 shooting slash line (.635 true) in 77 games (21 starts, 24.4 MPG).

He had an even bigger playoff role during the Celtics’ run to the Finals, averaging 8.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .433/.393/.808 shooting (.599 true) in 24 games (27.3 MPG).

Strengths:

At 6’6” and a listed weight of 236 pounds, Williams has a low center of gravity and is physically very strong (Michael Scotto of HoopsHype was told that Williams was 280 pounds in the playoffs and had dropped to 265 as of October 6). Anyone who watched him (mostly) hold his ground while defending Giannis Antetokounmpo in the post during their second-round series last season can attest to Williams’ strength.

Williams is a solid defender at power forward and can switch at times onto bigger wings and smaller centers. Opponents shot 1.2% worse than their expected field goal percentage in the ‘21/22 regular season with Williams as the closest defender and 4.5% worse than expected in the playoffs, per NBA.com – both above-average marks.

The 23-year-old has improved tremendously as an outside shooter over his three professional seasons, both in terms of volume and efficiency. Nearly 60% of Williams’ shots last season came from behind the arc, up from 45% as a rookie and 51% in year two. He doesn’t exactly look “natural” when he’s shooting, but the fact that he’s become so efficient is a testament to his work ethic and willingness to improve – those are more important factors than natural talent in my opinion, especially for a role player.

Since the Celtics rely so much on stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for offense, with ball movement the key to finding open looks when they’re inevitably faced with a help defender, the grand majority of Williams’ three-point looks came via catch-and-shoot last season. He converted 1.3 of those 3.1 attempts per game, good for 41.7%, per NBA.com. He also converted an impressive 46.8% of his corner threes in ‘21/22 – an important shot for floor spacing.

Williams isn’t known for his athleticism, but he has good timing for blocking shots — his 2.7% block percentage ranked in the 78th percentile last season, per DunksAndThrees.com. He can also do damage down low on the offensive end, though it was very low volume – he shot 68% at the rim in ‘21/22, which was 84th percentile.

Interestingly, Williams has shown a face-up game and the ability to attack defenders off the dribble a little bit via shot fakes during the preseason. We’ll see if that carries over to the regular season, but it’s an encouraging sign that he’s been working on his game and is self-aware enough to know that he needs to be a little more well-rounded offensively.

Improvement Areas:

While Williams generally does pretty well defending bigger players, he sometimes struggles to stay in front of shiftier guards due to his lack of length and quickness. He also can be susceptible to blow-bys when closing out on shooters due to his lack of foot speed.

Neither of those things are unusual for a power forward, but improving on them would help him stay on the court in more difficult matchups (the Warriors exploited both of those weaknesses rather mercilessly in the Finals, which is one reason why his minutes were reduced to 17.0 per game in that series after averaging 29.7 or more in the three previous rounds).

For a big man, Williams is a below-average rebounder, pulling down just 5.3 boards per 36 minutes last season. His relative lack of size and athleticism hurts in that aspect as well, even though he’s a willing contributor on the boards who chases after loose balls.

His three-point improvement definitely seems legitimate, but a lot of his value on offense is tied to converting his open looks to keep opposing defenses honest, and if he’s off that day he hasn’t provided much else on that end. And as good as his outside shooting was last season, his shot is pretty slow and deliberate, so he needs space to get it off. Adding a reliable pump fake and relocation dribble would help.

I was surprised to learn that Williams’ assist rate was an alarmingly low 6% last season, and his turnover rate was 12%, per DunksAndThrees. His overall assist-to-turnover ratio was only 1.25-to-1, which isn’t awful for a big man, but it’s certainly not good.

The reason those findings were surprising is because Williams has displayed soft touch as a passer and can make plays for others in the limited opportunities he’s given. His handle is a little loose sometimes, but I still expected both figures to be better than they were in ‘21/22.

Conclusion:

Three-and-D players always have value, especially when they can guard multiple positions. In Williams’ case, that’s the three frontcourt spots. As long as he can keep making 40% of his three-pointers, there’s no doubt that he’s going to get paid, it’s just a matter of how much.

It’s difficult to find players to compare Williams to because of his unique build and skill set. Perhaps the closest comps you can find for Williams currently are Jae Crowder and P.J. Tucker, a couple of short, stocky power forwards who provide versatile defense, energy, toughness, and some outside shooting. Both of those players received three-year deals at the non-taxpayer mid-level exception in recent years – for ‘22/23, that would max out at four years and $45,107,000.

Williams is worth more than that, even if he wasn’t a starter on a very good team like those two veterans were last season. For one, he won’t turn 24 years old until November 30, while Crowder is 32 and Tucker is 37. If they were Williams’ age, they would’ve landed bigger paydays.

Secondly, Williams has shown more potential as a finisher and a shooter than his elder counterparts. His .635 true shooting percentage in ‘21/22 was a higher mark than Crowder (.613 in ‘16/17) or Tucker (.593 last season) has ever posted.

Multiple reports have indicated Williams is seeking a deal in the $14-16MM range annually, and Boston has thus far been reluctant to go that high. It seems like the reason for that is more because the Celtics are a taxpaying team that already has multiple players signed to lucrative long-term contracts rather than not valuing Williams.

I can see both sides of the argument here. Paying a bench player who only averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in ‘21/22 at least $14MM per season seems like a lot. On the other hand, the skill set he provides is coveted around the league, and replacing him would be very difficult due to financial constraints.

If the two sides are unable to reach an extension, Williams would become a restricted free agent next summer. Boston would have the leverage in that scenario because they can match any offer, and it’s rare for rival teams to sign role players to offer sheets since it ties up cap room for multiple days.

If a theoretical new deal still isn’t signed at that point, Williams could accept his qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency in 2024, but he’d potentially lose money in the short-term because the QO would almost certainly be less than the first year of an extension. That might be his best bet for landing a big payday from an opposing team.

Having said that, there’s no indication Williams wants to leave the Celtics, nor that they want to lose him. With Robert Williams injured to start the season, and Danilo Gallinari out for the year with a torn ACL, Grant Williams should have an opportunity for a larger role, and if he puts up big numbers on a title contender, he could substantially increase his value.

Ultimately, I think the low end of his rumored asking price (four years, $56MM) is pretty fair for an extension. It’s a little more than I’d prefer to pay him if I were running the Celtics, but it’s not unreasonable since the salary cap is expected to continually rise over the duration of the deal. If the two sides don’t reach a deal today, it will be interesting to monitor Williams’ performance during the ‘22/23 season to see if he can increase his value even further.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Checking In On Roster Situations Around The NBA

October 16th, 2022 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the majority of the NBA teams made their roster cuts on Saturday and didn’t wait until Monday’s deadline to set their regular season rosters.

Making those moves on Saturday will ensure the players on non-guaranteed contracts clear waivers on Monday, before the regular season begins. If a team had waited until Monday to waive a player on a non-guaranteed deal, he wouldn’t clear waivers until Wednesday, and the team would be on the hook for two days’ worth of his salary.

After yesterday’s flurry of roster moves, here’s where things stand around the NBA…

Teams whose rosters are within the regular season limits

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 26 have rosters that comply with the league’s regular season roster limits, which state that clubs can’t carry more than 15 players on standard contracts or two on two-way contracts.

The following 16 teams are right at the limit, carrying 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-ways:

  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Just because these rosters look ready for the regular season doesn’t mean they’re fully locked in. In fact, it would be a surprise if at least one or two of these teams don’t make minor tweaks before Monday’s regular season roster deadline. That could be as simple as swapping out one two-way player for another.

The Sixers are one team to watch, since Michael Foster Jr. – who is on an Exhibit 10 contract – remains on the roster. It’s possible Philadelphia intends to convert him to a two-way deal on Sunday or Monday, which would mean the club would have to waive one of its current two-way players (Charlie Brown Jr. or Julian Champagnie).

The following seven teams are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and two on two-ways:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Miami Heat
  • Phoenix Suns

The majority of these teams have luxury tax concerns and will open the season with an open roster spot to keep their projected tax bill in check, though that’s not the case for all of them.

The Hornets are well clear of the tax, for instance, and could comfortably make a roster addition if they want to. They may also be leaving a spot open for Miles Bridges, though his NBA future is up in the air due to his legal situation.The Mavericks, meanwhile, are in the tax but are still expected to sign veteran guard Facundo Campazzo before the regular season begins.

We’ve covered 23 teams so far. That leaves three more who are in within the regular season limits. Those teams are as follows:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers: 14 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: 15 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: 14 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.

The Trail Blazers are right up against the tax line and will likely keep their 15th spot open to start the season, but the Cavaliers could add a 15th man if they so choose. All three teams could be keeping an eye on players who were waived in recent days as they mull how to fill their open two-way slots.

It’s worth mentioning that the Pelicans still haven’t signed second-round pick E.J. Liddell, who suffered a torn ACL during Summer League play. I suspect New Orleans wants Liddell to sign a G League contract and rehab with the Birmingham Squadron this season so that the team can use its second two-way slot on someone who can actually contribute on the court, but it remains possible that Liddell could fill that two-way opening.

Teams that still have moves to make before Monday’s deadline

The following teams haven’t yet made their necessary cuts to get within the regular season roster limits:

Detroit Pistons: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The final cut will be pretty simple for the Pistons. They still haven’t officially waived Kemba Walker, but they’re expected to do so before the start of the season. Because Walker’s salary is fully guaranteed, Detroit can afford to wait until Monday instead of waiving him on Saturday, since there will be no additional financial penalty.

Houston Rockets: 17 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.

The Rockets‘ final moves also looks pretty straightforward. Derrick Favors, who has a guaranteed salary, and Darius Days, who is on an Exhibit 10 contract, remain on the team’s roster for now. Favors will reportedly be waived on or before Monday. The deadline to convert players from Exhibit 10 deals to two-way contracts is Monday, so if Houston converts Days to a two-way today or tomorrow, the club will be set for the season.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 17 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Thunder will actually have to waive three players, not just two, because they’re also reportedly signing Isaiah Joe to their 15-man roster. David Nwaba is reportedly one of the players being cut, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the other two are also players the Thunder acquired from Houston last month: Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss.

San Antonio Spurs: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Spurs will have to waive one player to get to the 15-man limit. Keita Bates-Diop and Tre Jones don’t have fully guaranteed salaries, but the fact that San Antonio didn’t finalize its cuts on Saturday suggests that a player with a guaranteed contract will be the odd man out. Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News reported on Saturday that Joe Wieskamp and Romeo Langford are “on the bubble.”

Reported Exhibit 10 signings that never materialized

There are a handful of free agent contract agreements that were reported at some point during the offseason and, as far as we can tell, never actually materialized. Those agreements are as follows:

These players and teams could still technically finalize these deals on Sunday or Monday, but it’s also very possible they simply fell through for one reason or another. For instance, reporting in September indicated that Montero’s buyout from his Spanish team might be an issue.

We’re no longer assuming that these signings going to happen.

Hoops Rumors’ roster resources

We consistently maintain and update a number of lists and trackers that are designed to help you keep tabs on NBA rosters. They’re all up to date following Saturday’s cuts. Those resources, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site or on the “Features” page within our mobile menu, include the following:

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Why Most Teams Will Finalize Roster Cuts On Saturday

October 15th, 2022 at 7:19am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have until Monday night to officially set their rosters for the 2022/23 regular season. However, a majority of NBA teams will likely have their rosters ready to go on Saturday, with far more roster cuts expected today than on Sunday or Monday.

Why is that? Well, releasing a player today will ensure he clears waivers on Monday, before the regular season gets underway.

Players who are cut during the season are also paid for each day they spend on waivers, so a player who hits waivers on Sunday and doesn’t clear until the first day of the season on Tuesday would technically earn one day’s worth of pay, even if his salary isn’t guaranteed. A player released on Monday would spend two regular season days on waivers.

[RELATED: 2022/23 NBA Roster Counts]

For players with partial or full guarantees, spending the first day or two of the regular season on waivers doesn’t really matter, since they’re getting their full 2022/23 salary (or their partial guarantees) no matter when they’re released. But if a team waits until Monday to cut a player with a non-guaranteed salary, that team will be on the hook for two days’ worth of dead money for the player.

Two days’ worth of dead money won’t exactly break the bank — it would come in around $21K for most minimum-salary players. But a majority of teams already know which players are in and which are out, so there’s no need to take the decision down to the wire on Monday. They’ll make those cuts today and will avoid adding extra cap charges to their books for ’22/23. Even that small amount of savings could make a difference for teams who are right around the tax line or up against a hard cap.

While many teams will make their cuts today, a handful of clubs can afford to wait an extra day or two if they want to, since they’ll be waiving players who have full or partial guarantees.

The Thunder, for instance, have 17 players on fully guaranteed contracts and will need to reduce that number to 15. Waiting until Sunday or Monday to make their cuts won’t affect their cap outlook at all, since all 17 of those players will receive their full-season salaries either way.

Additionally, teams whose final roster moves won’t involve placing a player on waivers can afford to wait until Monday to finalize those moves.

For example, Marc Stein reported (via Twitter) on Friday night that Mavericks guard McKinley Wright is expected to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal, assuming the club doesn’t make a “late audible” and claim a player who was waived by another team. Dallas could wait until Monday to convert Wright’s contract, since he won’t have to pass through waivers.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

18 Players Still Eligible For Rookie Scale Extensions

October 7th, 2022 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

It has already been a relatively busy offseason for rookie scale contract extensions. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, and Pelicans forward Zion Williamson all signed five-year, maximum-salary extensions in July, and Spurs swingman Keldon Johnson, Knicks forward RJ Barrett, and Heat guard Tyler Herro have since inked their own deals below the max.

[RELATED: 2022/23 NBA Extension Tracker]

That’s six of 25 rookie scale extension candidates who already have new contracts in place for 2023/24 and beyond. A seventh 2019 first-rounder, guard Ty Jerome, was traded from Oklahoma City to Houston and was subsequently waived. That leaves 18 players still eligible to sign rookie scale extensions before this year’s deadline.

The deadline to sign a rookie scale extension in 2022 is October 17 – the day before the regular season tips off – at 5:00 pm CT. And even though several players from the 2019 draft class have already been extended, it’s a safe bet that more will follow. Last year, for instance, five players signed rookie scale extensions on deadline day.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the remaining extension-eligible players:

Top extension candidates

Every player in this group has shown enough to warrant a multiyear commitment and an eight-figure annual salary.

Poole and Williams played key roles for the two clubs that met in the NBA Finals in the spring, while Johnson did the same for a Suns team that came within two wins of a title in 2021.

Hunter and Washington have each made more than 130 career starts and displayed solid two-way value. Clarke has been a regular rotation piece for a Grizzlies squad that ranked second in the league in regular season wins last season.

Not all of these players will be extended by October 17, but I’d expect all six teams to at least attempt to negotiate extensions. Of the six, Poole has the best case to command a salary near the max (projected to be approximately $150MM across four years). Some other players in this group could get less than half that amount and still be doing well.

Wild cards

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see any of these six players sign an extension in the next 10 days, but there are some question marks to consider.

Have the Wizards seen enough from Hachimura, who has missed time in each of his three seasons due to injuries, to consider him a long-term piece?

Will the Blazers commit to Little based on what was essentially a seven-week run last season as a productive starter?

Are the Rockets confident that the character concerns that ended Porter’s stint in Cleveland are behind him?

Do the Sixers believe Thybulle’s defensive abilities make up for his offensive shortcomings?

Are Hayes and White high enough on the pecking order in New Orleans and Chicago, respectively, to warrant extensions?

Of these six, I view Little, Porter, and Thybulle as the most likely extension candidates.

Unlikely to be extended

Alexander-Walker, Langford, and Reddish were all traded during the 2021/22 season and didn’t establish themselves as must-extend players during their short stints with their new teams.

Bazley isn’t a lock to make the Thunder’s regular season roster, let alone sign a long-term extension, and Bitadze and Windler have played limited roles since entering the NBA, so it doesn’t make sense to extend them unless they’re willing to accept a bargain-basement price.

It’s too early to say that these players won’t remain with their current teams beyond 2023/24, but they’ll likely have to prove their value on the court this season before they sign new contracts.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts