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Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Playoffs

July 19th, 2022 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The play-in tournament, which has been adopted as an every-season fixture, means that only 10 of 30 NBA teams won’t get at least a taste of the postseason from year to year.

Last season, the Knicks, Wizards, Pacers, Pistons and Magic were the five Eastern Conference teams who failed to qualify.

All of those teams, via some combination of the draft, free agency and trades, have made numerous roster moves this summer in an effort to improve their stock.

Let’s take a quick look at each of those clubs’ major moves, focusing on acquisitions beyond re-signing their own free agents:

  • Knicks – They made a big splash by dumping salary in order to sign one of the top free agents on the board, Mavs guard Jalen Brunson. They also upgraded their frontcourt by nabbing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Of course, they are considered the favorites to acquire Donovan Mitchell if Utah deals the All-Star guard.
  • Wizards – They were intent on upgrading their point guard position and did so by trading for Monte Morris from Denver and signing free agent Delon Wright. Small forward Will Barton was also acquired from the Nuggets. They also added high-scoring guard Johnny Davis with their lottery pick.
  • Pacers – The went all-out to sign All-Star caliber center Deandre Ayton and came up short, as the Suns matched their offer sheet. They did add a very promising wing, Bennedict Mathurin, in the lottery. They also added guard Andrew Nembhard with the first pick of the second round. Guard Aaron Nesmith and center Daniel Theis were acquired in the trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston.
  • Pistons – Thanks to a draft-night swap, Detroit ended up with two lottery selections. The Pistons selected point guard Jaden Ivey with their own pick to pair up in the backcourt with last year’s No. 1 overall selection, Cade Cunningham. A three-way trade gave them the rights to center Jalen Duren. They also added guard Alec Burks and big man Nerlens Noel via the Knicks’ salary-dumping maneuvers.
  • Magic – Other then re-signing Mohamed Bamba and Gary Harris, the Magic have been relatively quiet on the free agent market. However, they had the No. 1 overall selection in a loaded lottery and used it on Duke forward Paolo Banchero, giving them a dynamic forward combo alongside last year’s lottery pick, Franz Wagner.

That brings us to our question of the day: Which Eastern Conference team that failed to reach the postseason this spring – Knicks, Wizards, Pacers, Pistons, Magic – has the best chance to qualify for next year’s playoffs?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

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How Teams Are Using 2022/23 Mid-Level Exceptions

July 19th, 2022 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to receiving approximately $123.7MM in cap room and being allowed to surpass that threshold in order to sign players using Bird Rights or the minimum salary exception, each NBA team also receives a mid-level exception. The value of this exception varies depending on a club’s total team salary.

A team that goes under the cap to use its available cap room, for instance, receives only a modest form of the MLE known as the room exception. An over-the-cap team receives the full mid-level exception, unless that team is also over the tax apron, in which case it gets a taxpayer version of the MLE that falls in between the full MLE and the room exception. We detailed the exact values of each form of mid-level exception earlier this offseason, but here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Room exception: Can be used for contracts up to two years, with a starting salary worth up to $5,401,000.
  • Taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to three years, with a starting salary worth up to $6,479,000.
  • Full/non-taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to four years, with a starting salary worth up to $10,490,000.
    • Note: Though its name suggests otherwise, using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception doesn’t mean a team can’t or won’t be above the tax line ($150,267,000) at season’s end; it simply means the team’s total salary can’t surpass the tax “apron” ($156,983,000).

Now that most of the NBA’s teams have used up their cap space, it’s worth keeping an eye on which teams still have part or all of their mid-level exceptions available, which we’ll do in the space below.

This list will be kept up to date throughout the 2022/23 league year, with new MLE deals added once those signings are officially completed and we confirm the contract details.

Note: As of January 10, the value of the exceptions below will begin to prorate downward.

Here’s where things currently stand:

Mid-Level Exception:

Non-taxpayer: $10,490,000
Taxpayer: $6,479,000

Atlanta Hawks

  • Used: $0

Boston Celtics

  • Used: $6,479,000 (Danilo Gallinari)
  • Note: Limited to taxpayer mid-level exception.

Brooklyn Nets

  • Used: $0
  • Note: Limited to taxpayer mid-level exception.

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

  • Used: $6,479,000 (Bruce Brown)
  • Note: Limited to taxpayer mid-level exception.

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

  • Used: $6,479,000 (John Wall)
  • Note: Limited to taxpayer mid-level exception.

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Used: $6,479,000 (Lonnie Walker)
  • Note: Limited to taxpayer mid-level exception.

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

  • Used: $6,479,000 (Joe Ingles)
  • Note: Limited to taxpayer mid-level exception.

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

  • Used: $0

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

  • Used: $474,851 (Ish Wainright)
  • Note: Limited to taxpayer mid-level exception.

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

Room Exception:

Available: $5,401,000

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

  • Used: $0

New York Knicks

San Antonio Spurs

  • Used: $0
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Trade Breakdown: Nuggets/Wizards Swap

July 19th, 2022 at 8:48am CST by Rory Maher

This is the third in our series breaking down the major trades of the 2022 offseason. As opposed to giving out grades, this series will explore why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dig into a pair of transactions made by the Nuggets, including a four-player deal with the Wizards…

One of the advantages of exploring trades a few weeks after they occur is that you have the benefit of hindsight and a clearer view of a team’s big-picture focus. The Nuggets went into the offseason with the goal of improving their perimeter size, athleticism, defense and depth, so let’s take a look at some of the moves they’ve made to accomplish their intended goal.

First, the Nuggets traded JaMychal Green to the Thunder. Green had been a solid player for the past handful of seasons, but his three-point shooting cratered in his second year with Denver, dropping to 26.6% – a full 10% below his career rate of 36.6% – and with the impending return of Michael Porter Jr., plus Zeke Nnaji, Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green already at the forward spots, JaMychal became an expendable piece.

The Nuggets accomplished a few different things with the deal: they moved off Green’s mid-sized contract and created a roster spot; acquired the 30th pick (used to select Peyton Watson) and a couple of future second-rounders (2023 and 2024); and created a $8.2MM traded player exception (the amount of Green’s 2022/23 salary).

The Thunder used some of their cap space to essentially punt the last pick of the first round to 2027 (top-five protected from 2027-29) in the hope that Denver’s pick will be of greater value than the last pick of the first round in 2022. Green is unlikely to ever play for the Thunder, so it’s possible they could get a second-round pick of their own if they move him, but would probably have to take on an unwanted contract in the process.

In the draft, the Nuggets selected Christian Braun with their own first-rounder (21st), an experienced, athletic wing who helped Kansas win the NCAA tournament in 2021/22. Head coach Michael Malone has praised Braun, implying that he might have a regular role as a rookie.

As previously noted, the 30th pick was used on Watson, another athletic wing with good size (6’8″). Watson was a McDonald’s All-American in high school yet rarely saw on-court action during his freshman season at UCLA, but obviously the Nuggets were high on him and he showed flashes of upside during Summer League.

Those moves essentially served as a preamble to Denver’s major trade with Washington, sending Monte Morris and Will Barton to the Wizards in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.

In a vacuum, without thinking about roster construction, it seems like the Nuggets might have been able to get more in return for two players who started last season. So why didn’t they?

A key aspect of this trade are the salaries involved. Morris is under contract at a reasonable rate – $9.1MM in ‘22/23, $9.8MM in ‘23/24 – while Barton is on an expiring deal worth $14.4MM.

Caldwell-Pope was recently extended for two seasons (with a player option in year two) after the Nuggets indicated at the time of the deal that they wanted to keep him around. For the upcoming season, he’ll make $14MM, while Smith is on expiring $4.7MM deal.

The Nuggets project to be a taxpayer next season, so shedding about $4.77MM in salary in the deal was certainly a factor, especially for a team that could be facing the repeater tax (and stiffer penalties) in subsequent seasons.

Morris is one of the top backup point guards in the league and capably served as a low-end starter last season. But with Jamal Murray projected to return to the lineup in the fall and Bones Hyland emerging as a rotation piece as a rookie, the backcourt – particularly for the smaller guard spot – was looking pretty crowded. That’s not to say the Nuggets didn’t value Morris – far from it. But the Wizards needed a point guard, and they got a good one in Morris.

Barton had been with Denver for eight years, making him the team’s longest-tenured player. While his production looked solid on paper – he averaged 14.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.9 APG on .438/.365/.803 shooting in 71 games (32.1 MPG) last season – a series of injuries have sapped his athleticism, and he’s a subpar defender with questionable shot selection.

Caldwell-Pope was the primary target for the Nuggets, as evidenced by his recent extension. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective on offense, has developed into a very good spot-up shooter, and is a solid defender. He should be a very nice complementary piece and will take over some of the defensive assignments that were perhaps given to Gordon too often last season.

The Nuggets surely haven’t forgotten battling against Caldwell-Pope in the Western Conference Finals a couple of seasons ago, and they’ve said they value his championship experience and defense. KCP was the third-best player when the Lakers won the title in 2020, bringing a new element to a Denver squad that aspires to reach those same heights in ‘22/23.

The veteran backup Smith, who will break a league record by playing for his 13th NBA team once he appears in a game for Denver, will likely serve as a backup to Murray and Hyland. However, since the Nuggets plan to ease Murray back into action, there’s a real chance Smith could get regular minutes in the upcoming season, so he wasn’t just a throw-in piece.

Based on the return the Nuggets received, it appears that Barton’s contract was viewed as a negative asset by opposing teams. Morris was the main trade chip here, but he wasn’t projected to start next season and could reasonably be viewed as a luxury rather than a necessity, particularly since Caldwell-Pope is the best defender of the group and a cleaner fit for Denver’s starting lineup.

During free agency, Denver’s biggest signing was adding Bruce Brown via the taxpayer mid-level exception. The 25-year-old is the type of player who doesn’t need the ball on offense and can switch onto virtually anyone defensively, making him an ideal fit for a team that has been looking to upgrade its defense. He’s a solid rebounder and passer and very strong for his size – he also reportedly had offers for more money, but chose the Nuggets due to fit.

The Nuggets also promoted Davon Reed, another strong defender who shot 43% from deep while on a two-way contract last season, to a minimum-salary deal. The other free agency moves were re-signing Vlatko Cancar, a restricted free agent who hasn’t seen much action during his three seasons, and signing DeAndre Jordan to a minimum deal. I didn’t love the Jordan signing, but for the sake of Nuggets fans, maybe he won’t play much.

So far this offseason, the Nuggets have essentially replaced JaMychal Green, Morris, Barton, Facundo Campazzo, Bryn Forbes, Austin Rivers, and DeMarcus Cousins with Caldwell-Pope, Smith, Braun, Watson, Brown, Reed (now playoff-eligible), and Jordan. I would definitely say they’ve accomplished their goal of improving the team’s perimeter size, athleticism, defense and depth.

The Wizards, meanwhile, entered the offseason intent on re-signing Bradley Beal and bolstering the backcourt around him, particularly at point guard.

Their first move came in the draft, when they selected Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis with their lottery pick (10th overall). It’s unclear how much playing time Davis will receive as a rookie, but some evaluators viewed him as a combo guard who could bring some much-needed toughness to D.C.

Then came the deal with the Nuggets. As previously mentioned, in a vacuum, based on production both last year and over the previous seasons, it’s hard to not view this trade as a win for the Wizards.

Morris was the clear target, a 27-year-old point guard who averaged averaged 12.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 4.4 APG on .484/.395/.869 shooting in 75 games (29.9 MPG). On top of his solid shooting efficiency, Morris is one of the best in the league at taking care of the ball, with a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.77:1.

According to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, the Nuggets received more than 20 calls inquiring about Morris, so he was clearly in-demand around the league.

The Wizards also got a buy-low candidate in Barton, who had similar offensive production to Caldwell-Pope and will provide depth on the wing. Both players are familiar with head coach Wes Unseld Jr., who used to be an assistant with the Nuggets.

The next major domino fell when the team re-signed Beal to a five-year, $251MM maximum-salary deal that includes a no-trade clause – a rarity in the NBA.

The Wizards also signed Delon Wright to a two-year, $16MM deal in free agency to further bolster the point guard position. Like Morris, Wright is a sometimes reluctant shooter despite solid averages (.453/.354/.799 career split), but he does a good job taking care of the ball.

Wright possesses excellent size at 6’5” and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and making good decisions. I also personally rate him as one of the best point guard defenders in the league, which made him an attractive option for several teams in free agency. He recently said he joined the Wizards due to a chance at an expanded role.

Morris, Barton and Wright all have multiple seasons of playoff experience under their belts, which must have been attractive to a Wizards team that has missed out on the postseason in three of the last four seasons.

So far this offseason, the Wizards have swapped out Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Caldwell-Pope and Smith for Davis, Morris, Barton and Wright. Like the Nuggets, I would say the Wizards have also accomplished their goal of improving their backcourt rotation and depth, particularly at point guard.

Essentially, I view the Nuggets/Wizards swap as a win for both teams and as a deal that contributed to clear upgrades in the clubs’ respective areas of emphasis.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Minimum Salary Exception

July 19th, 2022 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

The minimum salary exception is something of a last resort for capped-out teams looking to add players, as well as for players seeking NBA contracts, but it’s one of the most commonly used cap exceptions.

As its name suggests, the minimum salary exception allows an over-the-cap team to sign a player to a minimum-salary deal. A contract signed using the minimum salary exception can be a one- or two-year deal, but can’t cover more than two seasons.

Teams can use the exception multiple times in a league year, giving clubs that have used all of their cap room and other exceptions an avenue to fill out their rosters. The exception also accommodates teams’ acquisitions of minimum-salary players via trade, as players signed via the minimum salary exception don’t count as incoming salary for salary-matching purposes.

Players are entitled to varying minimum salaries based on how long they’ve been in the NBA. In 2022/23, a player with no prior NBA experience is eligible for a $1,017,781 minimum salary, while a player with 10 or more years of experience is eligible for $2,905,851.

[RELATED: NBA Minimum Salaries For 2022/23]

During the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the minimum salary is adjusted each season to reflect the year-to-year salary cap change. If the cap increases by 5%, so will minimum salaries. If the cap doesn’t change from one season to the next, neither will minimum salaries.

There’s a wide disparity between the minimum salary for rookies and for long-tenured players, with a minimum-salary veteran of 10+ seasons earning nearly three times as much as a rookie making the minimum next season. The NBA doesn’t want those pricier deals to discourage clubs from signing veterans, however, so the league reimburses teams for a portion of a minimum-salary player’s cost if he has three or more years of experience, as long as the contract is a one-year deal.

For example, when the Nuggets signed 14-year veteran DeAndre Jordan to a one-year pact for 2022/23 using the minimum salary exception, he locked in a salary of $2,905,851, but the team’s cap hit is just $1,836,090, equivalent to the minimum salary for a player with two years of NBA experience. The league will reimburse the Nuggets for the difference between Jordan’s salary and cap hit ($1,069,761).

Most salary cap exceptions can only be used once each season. For instance, when a team uses its full mid-level exception to sign one or more players, the club can no longer use that exception until the following season. Unlike the mid-level and other cap exceptions though, the minimum salary exception can be used any number of times in a single season.

The Suns, for example, have used the minimum salary exception to sign Bismack Biyombo, Damion Lee, Josh Okogie this season. They also used it to acquire Jock Landale in a trade, since he was entering the second year of a two-year, minimum-salary contract he signed in 2021.

While many exceptions begin to prorate on January 10, the minimum salary exception prorates from the first day of the regular season. If a season is 174 days long and a player signs a minimum-salary deal after 25 days have passed, he would only be paid for 149 days.

An extreme example of a prorated minimum salary occurred when the Nets converted Kessler Edwards to a minimum-salary contract on the final day of the 2022/23 season. Last year’s rookie minimum was $925,258, so Edwards received 1/174th of that amount: $5,318.

When a veteran player signs a one-year contract using the minimum salary exception midway through a season, his cap hit is prorated in the same way that his salary is.

For instance, when Goran Dragic signed with the Nets on February 22, 2022, there were 48 days left in the ’21/22 season. He earned a rest-of-season salary of $728,742 (48/174ths of his full-season minimum of $2,641,691), while his cap hit was $460,464 (48/174ths of $1,669,178, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience).

Finally, it’s worth noting that the minimum salary exception can be used to claim a player off waivers in the same way that it can be used to trade for a player. However, in both cases, a minimum-salary player can’t be acquired in a trade using the minimum salary exception if his contract is for more than two years or if his salary exceeded the minimum in any previous year of the contract.

For example, when the Thunder waived Isaiah Roby in early July, he was earning a minimum salary for 2022/23 ($1,930,681). But Roby was entering the fourth year of his contract and had earned more than the minimum in his first season of that deal ($1.5MM in ’19/20) — both of those factors made him ineligible to be claimed using the minimum salary exception, so the Spurs had to use cap room to place a claim on him.

Here are a few more notes on the minimum salary exception:

  • Players signed using the minimum salary exception are eligible for trade bonuses, but not incentive bonuses. A minimum-salary player with a trade bonus cannot be acquired in a trade using the minimum salary exception unless he waives that bonus.
  • When a minimum-salary player is traded during the season, any reimbursement from the NBA is split between his two teams. It’s prorated based on the number of days he spends with each club.
  • If a minimum-salary player with a non-guaranteed salary is waived before he exceeds the minimum for a two-year veteran, his team won’t be reimbursed for any portion of his salary.
  • Virtually every 10-day contract is for the minimum salary — often the minimum salary exception is the only way for clubs to accommodate any 10-day deals. The NBA also reimburses teams for a portion of the 10-day minimum salary for veterans with three or more years of experience.

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 and the Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years by Luke Adams and Chuck Myron.

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Poll: Where Will Kyrie Irving Start 2022/23 Season?

July 18th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

It appeared early in free agency as if some momentum was building toward a trade that sent Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, but there has been no indication recently that an agreement between the Lakers and Nets is close.

One report last week said that the vibe coming out of Brooklyn was that the Nets are comfortable entering training camp this fall with Irving and Kevin Durant still on their roster. Another report, citing a source close to Irving, suggested that Kyrie hadn’t asked to be traded since opting in for 2022/23 and has “every intention” of playing in Brooklyn next season.

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski didn’t rule out the possibility of Irving being traded to Los Angeles, but the language he used – referring to the talks as “not completely dead” – didn’t inspire a ton of confidence.

Additionally, as NetsDaily relays, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said on the most recent episode of his podcast that Irving seems to be increasingly accepting of the fact that he’s “overwhelmingly likely to be back in Brooklyn.”

The Lakers aren’t the only team that can make a trade for Irving, but they’re the only one that has been seriously and repeatedly linked to him this offseason. Teams like the Mavericks, Sixers, and Heat have been floated as potential suitors, but those scenarios have been shot down pretty quickly by local beat reporters. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype described Irving’s trade market last week as “Lakers or bust.”

If Irving doesn’t want to be in Brooklyn – and multiple reports this month have suggested he’s interested in joining the Lakers – his best strategy may be to report to camp without making any waves, rebuild his value after a lost 2021/22 season, and either hope for a trade at the 2023 deadline or simply sign elsewhere when he becomes a free agent next summer.

However, it’s unclear how patient Irving is willing to be. Reporting from several outlets in June indicated that he was seriously exploring other destinations and only opted into his contract with the Nets after it became clear that none of the teams on his wish list were prepared to make him a lucrative, long-term offer in free agency. If the team is able to find a suitable trade for his good friend Durant, Kyrie seems even less likely to happily stick around Brooklyn for another season.

It’s also worth noting that recent reports about the Nets’ willingness to open the season with Durant and Irving on their roster could simply be posturing, with Brooklyn trying to regain leverage in trade discussions. Even if a Kyrie trade isn’t imminent today, we still have over two months until training camps begin — that gives the Nets plenty of time to try to find an offer they like.

With all that in mind, we want to know what you think. Which team will Irving open the 2022/23 season with? Will he remain in Brooklyn or end up elsewhere? And if he’s still a Net this fall, how much longer will that last?

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

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NBA Teams With Hard Caps For 2022/23

July 18th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA salary cap is somewhat malleable, with various exceptions allowing every team to surpass the $123,655,000 threshold once their cap room is used up. In some cases, teams blow past not only the cap limit, but the luxury tax line of $150,267,000 as well — the Clippers and Warriors are among the clubs that project to have massive tax bills this season as a result of their spending.

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

When a club uses the bi-annual exception, acquires a player via sign-and-trade, or uses more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception (up to three years and/or $6,479,000), that club will face a hard cap for the remainder of the league year.

When a team becomes hard-capped, it cannot exceed the “tax apron” at any point during the rest of the league year. The tax apron for 2022/23 was set at $156,983,000.

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

Listed below are the hard-capped teams for the 2022/23 league year, along with how they created a hard cap.

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Minnesota Timberwolves

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

  • Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Malik Monk.

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

This list, which could continue to grow, will continue to be updated throughout the 2022/23 league year as necessary. It can be found anytime in the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” menu on our mobile site.

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Trade Breakdown: Jerami Grant To Trail Blazers

July 18th, 2022 at 8:41am CST by Rory Maher

This is the second in our series breaking down the major trades of the 2022 offseason. As opposed to giving out grades, this series will explore why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a pre-draft deal between the Trail Blazers and Pistons…

One of the most anticipated – and highly-rumored – trades of the offseason came to fruition when the Trail Blazers acquired Jerami Grant from the Pistons in exchange for Milwaukee’s 2025 first-rounder (top-four protected), a second-round pick swap (No. 46 for No. 36, used on draft-and-stash sharpshooter Gabriele Procida), and two future second-rounders (2025 and 2026).

Portland used its $21MM traded player exception (created by sending CJ McCollum to New Orleans) to accommodate Grant’s $20.96MM salary for 2022/23 without having to send any back. Grant is only under contract through next season, so he’s on an expiring deal.

There were rumors that the Trail Blazers might be willing to include their lottery pick (No. 7 overall, used to select Shaedon Sharpe) in a package for Grant, but that never made sense for a number of different reasons. Grant is a good player, no doubt, but he’s 28 years old, has never been an All-Star and only has one year left on his deal – I’m not trying to imply Grant can’t improve, but one year of team control vs. a mid-lottery pick with four years of control at a friendlier rate isn’t a particularly hard choice, especially since the latter has up to nine years of potential control due to restricted free agency.

So why did Portland deal away a future first-round pick, a second-round pick swap and two future seconds for Grant?

The Trail Blazers have been looking for forwards with good size and versatility to complement star Damian Lillard for several years. They’ve gone through several iterations of forwards since Lillard entered the league in 2012, with perhaps the most successful duo being Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless, two defensive-minded players who started when the team made the Western Conference Finals in 2019 (that’s not to say they were the “best,” but the team had the most success that season).

Like McCollum, Lillard is a below-average defensive player. Those limitations on defense made their on-court fit questionable, despite their good relationship and stellar offensive contributions. The Trail Blazers still have question marks at the second guard spot, as Anfernee Simons — who re-signed with the team for $100MM over four years as a restricted free agent — is also a defensive liability.

The club did add Gary Payton II in free agency for backcourt depth, and he’s one of the league’s top perimeter defenders. The Blazers also got Josh Hart in the McCollum trade, another solid defender and good rebounder, though he could start next season at small forward.

Which brings us back to Grant, who has proven to be a player capable of contributing on both ends of the court. He was a high-level “3-and-D” role player for the Thunder and Nuggets before signing a three-year, $60MM contract with Detroit, where he showed he was capable of packing more of an offensive punch.

Across two seasons with the Pistons from 2020-22, Grant averaged 20.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.1 BPG on .428/.353/.842 shooting in 101 games (33 MPG). While his field goal percentage wasn’t the greatest, keep in mind that he was Detroit’s leading scorer during his tenure, and got to the line (6.0 attempts per game) and converted his free throws at a good clip.

Admittedly, the fact that Grant averaged over 20+ PPG the past couple of seasons is less impressive considering the team struggled mightily during that time. He’s also not a great passer, but likely won’t be asked to do that much for Portland.

Having said that, if you actually watched him play for the Pistons, you would have seen that Grant was a three-level scorer who can create his own shot against a variety of defenses and did so with league-average efficiency (55.6% true shooting percentage). That’s no easy task when opposing teams have scouting reports specifically designed to prevent you from scoring.

The last time Lillard played with a 20-point scorer in the frontcourt was from 2012-15 (Lillard’s first three seasons) with LaMarcus Aldridge, but that was short-lived – Aldridge left for San Antonio in free agency in July of 2015. Grant likely won’t average 20+ PPG for Portland, but the fact that he’s talented enough to do so is a nice bonus.

Prior to his offensive emergence with Detroit, Grant was known as a highly versatile defensive player, capable of switching across multiple positions. He’s athletic, slides his feet well, and uses his length to deter shots. He was the Nuggets’ primary wing defender during the team’s run to the Conference Finals in 2020, frequently guarding LeBron James.

Grant is still more than capable of contributing on that end — he just wasn’t as focused on it the past couple of seasons. His primary weakness on the defensive end is that he’s a below-average rebounder, with a career mark of just 3.9 RPG in 26.0 MPG.

It’s also worth noting that Lillard and Grant have experience playing together, winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last Summer with Team USA. Lillard was effusive in his praise of the move a couple of weeks ago.

“I loved it. That was like the No. 1 thing I wanted to get done,” he said. “Jerami has been on winning teams in OKC and Denver. He brings something to the game that we haven’t had at that position.”

Lillard also recently signed a two-year extension with the Blazers, keeping him with the only franchise he’s ever known for the foreseeable future.

If Grant is such a solid two-way player, why did the Pistons deal him away?

Well, for starters, since Grant is 28 years old and in the midst of his prime, he fits much better on a team trying to make the playoffs again next season like the Blazers than he does with a team full of players on their rookie contracts.

As previously mentioned, Grant only has one year left on his deal, and does it really make sense for the Pistons to pay him when he’s going to be looking for a long-term contract at a higher rate than his current deal? No, not really.

Would there be benefits of keeping around a good veteran player? Sure. Part of the reason Grant signed with Detroit is because he had a good relationship with GM Troy Weaver during their time together in Oklahoma City, plus he was drawn by a bigger offensive role and the chance to play for an organization led by an African American coach (Dwane Casey) and GM.

However, having a player who is too good to not start impeding the minutes and development of your young players can be an awkward fit, particularly for a team focused on the future like Detroit. Grant was a desirable player for a number of teams, and he had good value, as evidenced by Detroit’s return package.

The Pistons later flipped the Bucks’ first-rounder in a draft-day deal with the Knicks to land the draft rights to Jalen Duren, the No. 13 pick, and Kemba Walker‘s expiring contract. At 18 years old, Duren is one of the youngest players in the draft class and is considered a rim-running center with a good amount of upside, particularly on defense. Walker is unlikely to play a game for Detroit, as he’s reportedly being bought out in order to become a free agent.

So in the end, the Pistons acquired a late-lottery pick in Duren, upgraded the No. 46 pick to No. 36, got a couple of future second-rounders, and freed up some cap space in exchange for a good player on an expiring deal who wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans. All in all, a very solid piece of business for Weaver.

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Checking In On Unsigned 2022 NBA Draft Picks

July 12th, 2022 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

As of Tuesday morning, 39 of the players drafted in 2022 have signed their first NBA contracts. That list includes all 30 first-rounders, along with nine second-rounders, as our tracker shows.

A total of 39 signed draftees would typically leave 21 unsigned. However, since two teams forfeited their second-round picks in 2022, only 58 players were drafted. And while Thunder second-rounder Jaylin Williams hasn’t officially signed his contract yet, he has reached an agreement with Oklahoma City, so it should be done soon.

On top of that, the following second-rounders are all considered highly likely to play in international leagues in 2022/23 rather than coming immediately to the NBA:

  1. Detroit Pistons: Gabriele Procida, G
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Khalifa Diop, C
  3. Denver Nuggets: Ismael Kamagate, C
  4. Minnesota Timberwolves: Matteo Spagnolo, G
  5. New Orleans Pelicans: Karlo Matkovic, F
  6. Washington Wizards: Yannick Nzosa, C
  7. Cleveland Cavaliers: Luke Travers, G/F
  8. Milwaukee Bucks: Hugo Besson, G

With Williams, the eight draft-and-stash prospects, and two forfeited picks accounted for, we’re down to 10 draftees whose contract situations for 2022/23 remain up in the air.

Those players are as follows:

  1. Indiana Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, G
  2. Toronto Raptors: Christian Koloko, F/C
  3. New Orleans Pelicans: E.J. Liddell, F
  4. Los Angeles Clippers: Moussa Diabate, F
  5. Golden State Warriors: Ryan Rollins, G
  6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Minott, F
  7. Indiana Pacers: Kendall Brown, F
  8. Atlanta Hawks: Tyrese Martin, F
  9. Golden State Warriors: Gui Santos, F
  10. Portland Trail Blazers: Jabari Walker, F

Players selected at the very top of the second round typically receive three- or four-year contracts and a spot on the team’s standard 15-man roster, so we should expect that for Nembhard and Koloko.

The Pacers currently have 17 players on standard deals, but Nik Stauskas, Juwan Morgan, and Malik Fitts were salary filler in the Malcolm Brogdon trade and aren’t locks to stick around. The team may wait until after it has made a decision on how to use its cap room before formally signing Nembhard.

As for the Raptors, they have 15 players on standard contracts, but Armoni Brooks and D.J. Wilson don’t have fully guaranteed contracts and neither is guaranteed a regular season roster spot, so there should be room for Koloko.

Once we get into the 40s, the roster situations start getting a little cloudier. The Pelicans, for instance, already have a full 15-man roster and would have to waive or trade someone to clear a spot for Liddell. They may try to sign him to a two-way contract instead — so far, they’ve only committed one two-way slot to Dereon Seabron.

Diabate is reportedly expected to sign a two-way deal with the Clippers, while Rollins is viewed as a good bet to claim a 15-man roster spot in Golden State, where the Warriors still have four openings — there has been no indication that Rollins’ leg injury changed that plan.

The Timberwolves still have three open 15-man slots and a pair of two-way openings, so they could go either way with Minott. The same is true of the Hawks and Martin. Both clubs have some of their mid-level exception available to go up to three or four years on NBA contracts for their respective second-rounders.

Brown, unlike Nembhard, may not have a clear path to a 15-man roster spot unless the Pacers make some significant moves, but Indiana has both of its two-way slots available.

Santos, the Warriors’ second pick in the second round, is considered likely to be stashed overseas, but that decision reportedly hasn’t been finalized yet.

Finally, the Trail Blazers have one opening on their 15-man roster and one available two-way slot. Given that Portland’s team salary is right around the luxury tax line, I’d expect the team to try to lock up Walker to a two-way deal and leave that final 15-man spot open to start the season.

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2022/23 NBA Roster Counts

July 11th, 2022 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Although NBA rosters are limited to 15 players during the regular season, teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players during the offseason. Expanded offseason rosters allow clubs to bring in players on contracts that aren’t fully guaranteed, giving those players a chance to earn a regular season roster spot or getting a closer look at them before sending them to their G League affiliate.

In addition to the usual 15-man rosters, NBA teams are permitted to carry two players on two-way contracts. Two-way deals essentially give clubs the NBA rights to two extra players, though they often spend much of the season in the G League rather than with the NBA team. While two-way players don’t count toward the 15-man regular season roster limit, they do count toward the 20-man offseason limit.

Over the course of the 2022/23 season, we’ll keep tabs on how many players are on each NBA team’s roster, breaking them down into a few groups. Here are the various categories you’ll find in our list:

  • Official: These players are officially under contract with a given team. The total number of players under contract is listed, with the number of players on fully guaranteed contracts noted in parentheses. So a team with 12 guaranteed contracts, one partially guaranteed contract, and two non-guaranteed deals will be listed as “15 (12).”
  • 10-day: These players are signed to 10-day contracts. The expiry dates of those contracts are noted in parentheses.
  • Two-way: These are players signed to two-way contracts. Unless otherwise noted, these deals are official. You can find a specific team’s two-way players right here.
  • Reported: These are players whose contract agreements have been reported but haven’t been made official. We’re expecting them to be finalized at some point, though it’s possible that some will fall through or were reported erroneously.
  • Total: A team’s total roster count, taking into account all of the above. In some cases, this number will exceed 17, since not all of the players in the categories above are officially under contract.

Here are the NBA’s roster counts for 2022/23, which we’ll continue to update through the rest of the offseason and regular season:

Updated 4-11-23 (11:35am CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Boston Celtics

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Brooklyn Nets

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Charlotte Hornets

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Chicago Bulls

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Dallas Mavericks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Denver Nuggets

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Detroit Pistons

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Golden State Warriors

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Houston Rockets

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Indiana Pacers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Los Angeles Clippers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Memphis Grizzlies

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Miami Heat

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Milwaukee Bucks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

New Orleans Pelicans

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

New York Knicks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Orlando Magic

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Phoenix Suns

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 1
  • Total: 16

Portland Trail Blazers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Sacramento Kings

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

San Antonio Spurs

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Toronto Raptors

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Utah Jazz

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Washington Wizards

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17
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Trade Breakdown: Christian Wood To Mavericks

July 11th, 2022 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Maher

This is the first in our series breaking down the major trades of the 2022 offseason. As opposed to giving out grades, this series will explore why the teams were motivated to make the moves. We’re starting with a pre-draft deal between the Mavericks and Rockets…

Most of the immediate reaction to the Rockets sending Christian Wood to the Mavericks in exchange for the 26th pick, Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss was surprise at Wood’s relatively low value, resulting a general sense that the Mavericks got a steal.

So why did the Rockets move Wood for a late first-rounder (the Rockets later flipped the pick for the 29th selection – used on TyTy Washington — and a couple of second-rounders from the Wolves) and four expiring contracts? After all, the talented big man averaged 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 block in 109 games (31.4 minutes) for Houston the past two seasons, posting a shooting line of .507/.384/.626.

The first part of the answer is easy: After finishing with the worst record in the league for the second straight season, Houston landed the third overall pick in the draft. The Rockets knew that one of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith (whom they ultimately selected) would be available at that spot, so they needed to move Wood to clear a minutes logjam in the frontcourt for the incoming rookie and second-year big man Alperen Sengun.

Wood is too good to not play, and having him come off the bench in place of rookie and a second-year player doesn’t make sense for either side – Wood would be unhappy, and you don’t get optimal value by not showcasing a player you’re looking to deal. Wood is also on expiring contract of his own ($14.3MM), turns 27 before the season, and wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans, so all of those things hurt Houston’s negotiating leverage.

It’s also fair to question, to some extent, how much impact Wood actually had on winning in his tenure with the Rockets, considering the team finished with the worst record in the league two years in a row. Obviously, not all of that is on him, yet last season the team had a better net rating when he was off the court (-8.4) than on it (-9.6).

Rockets GM Rafael Stone is smart. All NBA front offices are led by intelligent people. The rest of the league knew that Houston needed to clear minutes in the frontcourt, and considering Wood has outperformed his three-year, $41MM deal, whichever team acquired him also knew it would have to pay him handsomely to keep him around – Wood will be eligible to sign a contract extension worth up to $77MM over four years at the end of December, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported at the time of the trade.

Thus, his market value turned out to be the 26th pick and four expiring contracts that range between $2.2MM and $3.5MM. The expiring deals were key for the Rockets, because they project to have a ton of cap space in 2023, and Houston is a large market that could feasibly attract free agents with its young, talented core (the fact that Texas has no state income tax also helps a selling point).

I’m skeptical that any of Marjanovic, Burke, Brown or Chriss have positive value on the trade market, and there’s a good chance most of them won’t be on Houston’s roster before the regular season begins, which is why I refer to them collectively as expiring contracts. The team currently has 18 players on standard deals and that number needs to be cut to 15 by October. If any of those players remain on the roster, it will probably be due to their off-court impact as much as what they can do on the court, because the Rockets are in the midst of a rebuild and won’t be prioritizing minutes for veterans.

Still, clearing frontcourt playing time, not having to worry about paying Wood in the future, and acquiring a young player with the potential to be under team control for up to nine years (four years of rookie scale contract plus up to five more via extension or as a restricted free agent) were all appealing reasons to trade Wood, despite how productive he was for Houston.

The Mavericks’ motivation to make the deal was relatively straightforward. Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals last season and entered the offseason with a clear goal in mind of improving the frontcourt, and Wood instantly becomes the most dynamic pick-and-roll partner Luka Doncic has ever been paired with.

There’s no denying Wood is a talented player. Only nine players averaged at least 17 points and 10 rebounds last season: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valanciunas, Nikola Vucevic, Deandre Ayton, Bam Adebayo and Wood.

Out of all those MVP winners and All-Stars, Wood had the highest three-point percentage at 39%. He also shot 67% at the rim, which was in the 79th percentile of all players last season, per DunksAndThrees.com.

The Mavs struggled mightily with rebounding the ball last season. They finished 24th in the league in rebounding during the regular season and were significantly outrebounded in each postseason series they played: -7.1 rebounds per game vs. Utah, -7.7 vs. Phoenix and -11.4 vs. Golden State. Wood was in the 97th percentile for defensive rebounding percentage (30%) last season, per DunksAndThrees.

There are also multiple counterarguments that show the Rockets were a much better team when Wood was on the court than off during his tenure.

Despite the aforementioned net rating differential, Houston was 19-49 when he played last season and 1-13 when he didn’t, and 12-29 when he played in ‘20/21 vs. 5-24 when he didn’t. The Rockets were also substantially better when he was on the court (-4.0) in ’20/21 compared to off it (-10.5).

The four players the Mavs sent to the Rockets had minimal on-court value last season, and none were in the rotation in the playoffs. In addition to clearing four roster spots (five-for-one including the first-rounder), Dallas is essentially betting that Wood will outperform a player entering his rookie season, which is a pretty safe gamble.

The risks for the Mavericks stem from the fact that Wood is a poor defensive player, primarily played center with Houston and will reportedly be sliding down to power forward to accommodate new frontcourt partner JaVale McGee, and is on an expiring deal. Dallas will hold Wood’s Bird rights if the two sides are unable to reach an in-season extension, but he won’t come cheap. That factor shouldn’t be overlooked for a team that could face the repeater tax in ’23/24.

It’s unclear how pairing Wood and McGee together in the starting lineup will impact the team’s spacing, but it does seem like it might mitigate Wood’s effectiveness in the pick-and-roll to some extent. McGee figures to be a primary roll man considering Wood’s ability to shoot from distance, but Wood is capable of much more than being just a spot-up shooter.

That’s not to say they’ll always share the court together, and the Mavs will certainly be an improved rebounding team and have more rim protection, but Wood is a major downgrade compared to Maxi Kleber defensively, even if he’s a hugely more impactful offensive player.

Since he’s entering his age-27 season, Wood is theoretically entering his prime, which is a better fit for the Mavericks’ timeline, as they’re trying to be as competitive as possible for the foreseeable future. The fact that they lost a cost-controlled asset in the 26th pick does hurt from a long-term financial perspective, but Wood is virtually certain to make a bigger impact right now, making it a worthwhile risk.

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