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Trade Breakdown: Royce O’Neale To Nets

July 21st, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Rory Maher

This is the fifth installment 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 deal just before free agency opened between the Nets and Jazz…

In a deal that got lost in the shuffle amid other major NBA news — namely Kevin Durant requesting a trade out of Brooklyn — the Nets acquired Royce O’Neale from the Jazz in exchange for either the Nets‘, Rockets’, or Sixers’ 2023 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

The Nets used an $11.3MM traded player exception to take on O’Neale’s salary without having to send any back in return.

The Nets’ perspective:

Why would the Nets give up a first-round pick for a player who has averaged fewer than seven points per game (6.9 PPG) since he became a full-time starter three years ago?

While it’s true that O’Neale isn’t much of a scorer, he brings plenty of other qualities to the table that make him an attractive role player for a team trying to win right now. He scores very efficiently when he does take shots (which is admittedly pretty rare), posting a .446/.384/.803 slash line over the last three seasons, good for a 59.6% true shooting percentage.

He generally makes good decisions when he has the ball, posting a 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last three years, well above-average for a forward, and he’s always willing to make the extra pass for a better look. O’Neale also finds creative ways to be effective on offense, like setting unexpected, bone-crushing back-screens and then slipping to the rim for layups.

O’Neale is a solid rebounder, pulling down 5.7 boards in 30.6 MPG over that same time period. He also has an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time, which is something that doesn’t show up in statistics but is noticeable if you’re specifically tracking a player’s movements.

Much of O’Neale’s value for the Jazz was tied into his willingness to do the dirty work. He was frequently tasked with defending the opposing team’s best non-center, and while his results in that area were mixed, it’s hard not to admire his determination.

O’Neale has been an extremely durable player since 2018, only missing seven total games over the last four seasons, which must have been an attractive attribute for the Nets, given all the games their key players have missed the past few years. He’s also on a reasonable contract, earning $9.2MM in 2022/23, with his $9.5MM salary for ’23/24 partially guaranteed for $2.5MM.

The 29-year-old’s NBA success is a testament to his self-awareness – O’Neale knows exactly who he is as a player, and he doesn’t try to do things he’s not capable of, as he told Brian Lewis of The New York Post a couple of weeks ago.

“(I’ll help) any way I can,” he said. “Just try to be the guy I’ve been doing, not be anyone I’m not. But I know what got me here and what’s going to keep me being here, so just learning any way I can and doing what I got to do offensively and defensively.”

Having said all that, out of all the trades made this offseason, I found this to be the most perplexing one, at least from Brooklyn’s side of things.

Watching O’Neale get repeatedly roasted by Jalen Brunson in Utah’s first-round loss to Dallas made it clear that his defense has fallen off a bit. It’s not like O’Neale was ever a lockdown defender to begin with, either. He’s an undersized forward at 6’4″ and isn’t the NBA’s quickest player, but he uses his length (6’9″ wingspan) and strength (226 pounds) well to do his best to deter opponents.

What he lacked in physical attributes O’Neale always made up for with determined effort and toughness. He rarely had much help on the perimeter, as Utah’s defenses were always anchored by the interior presence of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

What makes this deal especially confusing to me is the Nets already had a better all-around player in Bruce Brown and reportedly didn’t even make him an offer in free agency – he joined the Nuggets via the taxpayer mid-level exception. O’Neale, on the other hand, is older than Brown and will make more money than him over the next couple of seasons, although Brown’s deal is fully guaranteed in ’23/24 and O’Neale’s isn’t.

While O’Neale is a much more proven shooter than Brown and has more experience playing the two forward spots, Brown is more athletic with a strong, stout build, so it’s not like he’d be a liability defending up a position or two – he did it a lot last season as is.

Maybe the Nets like O’Neale’s veteran presence and think he can help turn around the team’s culture, which general manager Sean Marks has said would be a point of emphasis going forward. They certainly must have been drawn to his playoff experience, even if the Jazz failed to advance past the second round during O’Neale’s tenure.

I still believe O’Neale is a solid player on a fair contract with bounce-back potential, and a likely late first-round pick in 2023 doesn’t do anything in the present for a team that’s trying to win the championship, so in that sense it’s an easily digestible win-now move. I’m just not sure that a player coming off a down season in the area that he’s built his reputation (defense) on was a worthwhile gamble with that asset – we’ll see how it plays out next season.

On the other hand, I did like the Nets’ free agency moves of taking fliers on T.J. Warren and Edmond Sumner, both of whom missed all of last season while recovering from injuries, but are reportedly fully healthy. I also like the collection of young players the Nets have assembled with their recent draft picks, and Marks and the front office have consistently found talent in the rough, so maybe O’Neale will be another one, even if the circumstances are a lot different.

The Jazz’s perspective:

Utah’s reasoning for making the move was a lot easier to understand.

Plain and simple, the Jazz had topped out. Last year’s club disappointed on many levels. Utah was still a good team, don’t get me wrong – making the playoffs every season is no easy task, no matter how some might try to downplay it.

But the writing was on the wall. Being in the luxury tax with no draft equity and no real young players to build around sans Donovan Mitchell (who is on a maximum-salary contract and has his share of flaws) made the Jazz’s roster construction untenable.

You can only run things back so many times before everyone realizes that your window has closed. Perhaps that happened in 2021, when the Jazz posted an NBA-best 52-20 record in the regular season, only fall to the Clippers in the second round of the playoffs after blowing a 2-0 series lead and after Kawhi Leonard tore his ACL in Game 4 of the series (they also blew a 22-point halftime lead in Game 6, the series clincher).

That deflating series loss had a detrimental impact on the Jazz in multiple ways that carried over into last season, when they imploded late in games by blowing several large leads in fourth quarters. They had one of the best net ratings in the league – third overall – despite their solid but unspectacular record of 49-33, and when they were rolling, they were really good. But there was never a sense that things would turn things around after a midseason slump that was unfortunately caused, at least in part, by COVID-19 absences.

Which leads us back to trading O’Neale for a 2023 first-rounder. Change was inevitable for the Jazz. O’Neale being dealt just happened to be the first domino to topple.

NBA teams are always looking for “3-and-D” players that don’t need the ball to be effective to supplement star players. O’Neale fits that mold when he’s playing well.

President Danny Ainge is a notoriously difficult negotiator, but Utah’s asking price for O’Neale was obviously any type of first-round pick, perhaps for 2023, perhaps not, and Brooklyn met that asking price. Gaining a decent draft asset for a player coming off a down season defensively is definitely a good return for the Jazz.

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Thunder, Rockets Among Teams Facing Roster Crunch

July 20th, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re approximately three months away from the deadline for NBA teams to finalize their rosters for the 2022/23 regular season, so there’s no urgency for those clubs to get their 15-man squads in order anytime soon.

Still, there are already a small handful of teams that are carrying more than 15 players on guaranteed contracts for ’22/23. Sooner or later, those teams will have to trade or release one or more of those players in order to get down to the regular season limit.

[RELATED: 2022/23 NBA Roster Counts]

Here’s an early look at the teams that will have some decisions to make:

Teams with more than 15 guaranteed contracts:

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • 17 guaranteed contracts
  • 1 partially guaranteed contract

The Thunder will technically dip to 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts once JaMychal Green‘s reported buyout is completed, but that number will climb back to 17 once Mike Muscala officially re-signs with the team.

There are a number of directions Oklahoma City could go with its final roster spots, but at least three players (besides Green) will have to be traded or released. The best candidates appear to be Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Theo Maledon, Darius Bazley, and Vit Krejci (who has the lone partially guaranteed contract).

None of those five players is owed guaranteed money beyond this season — Favors, Jerome, and Bazley are on expiring contracts, while Maledon and Krejci have non-guaranteed salaries beyond 2022/23.

By reaching a buyout agreement with Green, the Thunder signaled they’re not necessarily prioritizing keeping bigger expiring deals around for potential trades later in the offseason or during the season, so Favors ($10.2MM), Bazley ($4.3MM), and Jerome ($4.2MM) certainly aren’t locks to make it to opening night.

Houston Rockets

  • 18 guaranteed contracts

The Rockets’ roster surplus is largely a result of the four-for-one trade they made with Dallas for Christian Wood. Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, and Boban Marjanovic came to Houston in that deal, but reports have suggested that at least two or three of those players probably won’t be on the team’s opening night roster.

Marjanovic is said to be the most likely of the four to remain in Houston. Trading or waiving the other three would get the Rockets down to the 15-man regular season limit.

The club could also explore other moves to pare down its roster count. Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr. are among the players who have frequently been mentioned as potential trade candidates.

Teams with more than 15 players on standard contracts:

Note: Exhibit 10 deals aren’t considered standard contracts for the purpose of this section.

Memphis Grizzlies

  • 15 guaranteed contracts
  • 1 partially guaranteed contract

Danny Green looks like the probable odd man out in Memphis. His $10MM salary is only partially guaranteed (for $6.96MM) and he’ll likely miss most or all of the 2022/23 season while he recovers from a torn ACL.

Still, I wouldn’t consider that a lock quite yet. Green could be a valuable piece in the postseason if he has recovered by then — and if his recovery does take longer than he anticipates, his $10MM expiring contract could still be a useful asset at the 2023 deadline. Perhaps the Grizzlies will find a small deal involving a player like Santi Aldama, Killian Tillie, or Xavier Tillman before the season begins in order to make room on the 15-man squad for Green.

Toronto Raptors

  • 12 guaranteed contracts
  • 4 partially guaranteed contracts
  • 1 unsigned second-round pick

While second-round picks are often signed to two-way contracts or stashed overseas, that rarely happens for a player selected as high as Christian Koloko was (No. 33). Those players usually receive at least a couple guaranteed seasons, and I’d expect the Raptors to take that route with Koloko.

If they do, that would leave four players on partially guaranteed contracts – Justin Champagnie, Dalano Banton, Armoni Brooks, and D.J. Wilson – vying for the final two roster spots. If the Raptors want to keep more than one of those players, or if they’d like to promote two-way RFA David Johnson to the 15-man roster, Svi Mykhailiuk could be a release candidate, despite having a guaranteed minimum salary.

Philadelphia 76ers

  • 12 guaranteed contracts (once James Harden re-signs)
  • 2 partially guaranteed contracts
  • 2 non-guaranteed contracts

The Sixers don’t have a major crunch, but after Harden re-signs, there will only be three roster spots available for four players without full guarantees.

One of those players is Trevelin Queen, who has a $330K partial guarantee and was just signed this offseason. Those factors will likely give him a leg up on a 15-man roster spot. Charles Bassey also has a small partial guarantee (about $75K), while Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed are on non-guaranteed contracts.

In order to keep all four players, the Sixers would have to make a trade or a cut to reduce their roster count. Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, and Shake Milton are among the players who have been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason.

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • 13 guaranteed contracts
  • 2 non-guaranteed contracts
  • 1 RFA

At this point in the offseason, restricted free agent guard Collin Sexton looks like a solid bet to end up back in Cleveland. If he returns to the Cavaliers, they’ll have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens on non-guaranteed deals.

If the Cavs want to keep both Wade and Stevens, Dylan Windler could be the odd man out. He’s on an expiring contract and has struggled to find a place in the rotation while battling injuries in his first three NBA seasons.

Detroit Pistons

  • 15 guaranteed contracts
  • 1 signing to come

The Pistons have yet to formally sign Kevin Knox — they’re likely waiting to determine if and how they’ll use their cap room, since Knox’s reported two-year, $6MM deal could fit into their room exception if it has to.

Knox would be Detroit’s 16th player on a guaranteed contract, but the fix looks pretty simple. Kemba Walker‘s reported buyout agreement with the Pistons isn’t yet official. Once Walker is bought out and Knox signs, the team will be back at 15 guaranteed contracts.

Orlando Magic

  • 15 guaranteed contracts
  • 1 non-guaranteed contract

Barring a surprise, Devin Cannady – the only player without a guaranteed contract – will likely be the casualty of Orlando’s roster crunch.

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How Teams Are Using 2022/23 Bi-Annual Exceptions

July 20th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

The bi-annual exception is one of the tools available to NBA teams who are over the cap, giving those clubs the flexibility to offer free agents more than the minimum salary. In 2022/23, the bi-annual exception is worth $4,105,000, and can be used to offer a deal worth up to $8,415,250 over two years.

However, the bi-annual exception isn’t available to every team. Clubs that go below the cap in order to use cap room lose access to the exception. Additionally, using the BAE imposes a hard cap of $156,983,000 (the tax apron) on a team. So if a club has surpassed the tax apron – or wants to retain the flexibility to do so – it can’t use the bi-annual exception.

Finally, as its name suggests, the bi-annual exception can’t be used by a team in consecutive years. In 2021/22, two teams used the BAE — the Mavericks (Sterling Brown) and Bulls (Tristan Thompson). As such, the exception isn’t available to those clubs during the 2022/23 league year. They’ll be able to use it again next summer.

With all those factors in mind, here’s a breakdown of how teams are using – or not using – their respective bi-annual exceptions in 2022/23:

Available Bi-Annual Exceptions:

Unused:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Houston Rockets
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Although all of these teams technically have the ability to use their bi-annual exceptions at some point in 2022/23, it’s more realistic for some than others. For instance, the Hawks still have their full mid-level exception available and are already right around the luxury tax line, so there’s virtually no chance they’ll end up using the BAE this season.

Used:

  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Miami Heat

Typically, about three or four teams in a given league year use the bi-annual exception, but Philadelphia was the only team to do so during the 2022 offseason. The Sixers took advantage of the ability to use their BAE after James Harden agreed to take a pay cut that will allow the team to stay under the hard cap.

The Heat, meanwhile, used their BAE to sign Love in February, so they only had the prorated portion left on the exception, which began to decrease in value on January 10.

Unavailable Bi-Annual Exceptions:

Went under cap:

  • Detroit Pistons
  • Indiana Pacers
  • New York Knicks
  • San Antonio Spurs

These four teams forfeited their right to the bi-annual exception when they went under the cap and used space this offseason.

Over (or near) tax apron:

  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Phoenix Suns

In theory, cost-cutting moves by these teams could put them in position to use their bi-annual exceptions. In actuality though, that possibility is remote, especially for teams like the Clippers, Warriors, and Nets, who are far over the tax apron.

Used last year:

  • Chicago Bulls
  • Dallas Mavericks

As noted in the intro, these are the two teams that used their bi-annual exceptions in 2021/22 and, as a result, won’t have them again until 2023/24.

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Trade Breakdown: De’Anthony Melton To Sixers

July 20th, 2022 at 7:49am CST by Rory Maher

This is the fourth entry 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 draft-day swap between the Sixers and Grizzlies…

On the night of the 2022 draft, the Sixers traded the No. 23 pick (David Roddy) and Danny Green to the Grizzlies in exchange for De’Anthony Melton. Unfortunately, Green suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during Philadelphia’s season-ending Game 6 loss to Miami in the second-round of last season’s playoffs, so he’s likely to miss a significant part of the 2022/23 season, if not the entire year.

The Sixers’ perspective:

Why were the Sixers motivated to trade their first-round pick for a bench player?

For starters, there’s a lot of variability with first-round picks, especially as you get down into the 20s. The likelihood of the No. 23 pick becoming an immediate contributor on a team with championship aspirations is pretty slim.

As an example, look no further than Philadelphia’s last couple first-round selections, who showcase the inherent risk involved in trading a first-rounder, as well as that aforementioned variability.

In 2020, the Sixers picked Tyrese Maxey at No. 21 overall. He had a decent rookie season, appearing in 60 games (15.3 MPG) with averages of 8.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 2.0 APG on .462/.301/.871 shooting. You could see his speed and ability to get to his shots, and his free throw percentage was encouraging, but it wasn’t exactly predictable what would happen with him last season.

In year two, Maxey exploded onto the scene as an emerging star, appearing in 75 games (74 starts, 35.3 MPG) with averages of 17.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 4.3 APG on .485/.427/.866 shooting. Maxey went from a trade chip to the Sixers reportedly viewing him as basically untouchable in the span of months, finishing sixth in the Most Improved Player Award race (I personally had him second behind Desmond Bane and had no qualms with anyone who thought he should’ve won).

By contrast, the Sixers selected Jaden Springer with the No. 28 pick in 2021. Springer appeared in just two regular season games as a rookie last season, spending the majority of the season in the G League with Philadelphia’s affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats (he also made five cameos in the postseason). In 20 regular season games with the Blue Coats, he averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.7 SPG on .470/.241/.651 shooting.

Springer, one of the youngest players in his draft class, is still just 19 years old (he turns 20 in September), but he looked rough around the edges in Summer League action and doesn’t seem close to contributing at the NBA level anytime soon. This isn’t a personal knock against Springer, it’s just an example of the roll of the dice that comes with drafting any player.

Melton, on the other hand, is a more proven commodity, and he was reportedly coveted by teams around the league. Now entering his fifth season, Melton is still only 24 years old, so it’s not like he’s a finished product by any means, but he’s shown he can be a productive player at the NBA level.

A big part of what made Melton such a hot commodity on the trade market is his defense. Although he stands just 6’2”, Melton has a 6’8” wingspan and is one of the better guard defenders in the NBA. I’m not a big fan of using advanced stats for measuring defensive impact, but they almost universally love Melton on that end of the court.

A very good athlete who plays with physicality, lots of energy, and a knack for the ball, Melton gets plenty of deflections (2.8 per game), steals (1.4) and blocks (0.5) for a guard. In fact, he was one of the league leaders at his position in all of those categories on a per-minute basis (he averaged 22.7 MPG last season).

He’s also an outstanding rebounder (4.5 RPG) who likes to push the pace in transition. Those are hugely beneficial attributes for a Sixers team that ranked 29th in rebounding and 25th in pace last season.

Melton should be an excellent complement next to Maxey or James Harden, or even both. Harden tends to play better defensively against bigger players, so allowing Melton, who is a far superior defender than either of his new backcourt mates, to defend the opposing team’s best guard sounds good on paper.

He’s an immediate and major upgrade over both Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz defensively, and a better offensive player than Matisse Thybulle. Those were Philadelphia’s three primary backup guards at the end of last season.

Melton will earn $8.25MM next season and his $8MM salary in 2023/24 is partially guaranteed at $1.5MM, so he’s on a reasonable contract and is eligible for an extension this offseason, though Philadelphia might want to take a wait-and-see approach before making that decision.

There are a few other things worth noting about Melton’s acquisition. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey actually drafted Melton with Houston back in 2018 prior to attaching him to Ryan Anderson in a salary dump move, so Morey has been familiar with the guard’s game dating back to his lone college season with USC.

Melton was basically treated as a non-shooter during his first couple of NBA seasons, making just 29.4% of his three-pointers in that time, but he has improved drastically in that area over the past two seasons, shooting 38.8% from deep on much higher volume. Being able to space the floor around Joel Embiid is vital for Philadelphia’s offensive flow and spacing, so while Melton can run hot and cold, he should get plenty of open looks.

Finally, Melton is a combo guard, and because Harden, Embiid and Maxey control the ball so much, the fact that Melton will be an ancillary player instead of a primary ball-handler is an added benefit. That’s not to say he’s bad at playing the point, it just isn’t his main strength.

The Grizzlies’ perspective:

If Melton is such a solid young player, why were the Grizzlies willing to deal him? Why not just keep him?

Memphis is one of the few teams in the league that has a luxury of riches at multiple positions, and backcourt depth is perhaps the team’s greatest strength. Led by starters Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies had Tyus Jones, Melton, John Konchar and Ziaire Williams vying for minutes at guard (Williams also spent a lot of time at forward last season and could open the season there due to Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s injury and Kyle Anderson‘s departure to Minnesota in free agency).

Melton’s strengths weren’t necessarily redundant among that group of players — he was the best defender of the guards — but moving him clears additional minutes for his former teammates. Jones re-signed with Memphis as an unrestricted free agent on a two-year, $30MM deal, and the Grizzlies later gave Konchar an extension (Williams was a rookie last season and still has three years left on his first NBA contract).

Melton also saw his role reduced and his offensive production decline significantly in two consecutive postseasons, averaging just 5.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.4 APG on .333/.266/.667 shooting in 15 career playoff games (16.9 MPG). That may have contributed to Memphis’ decision to move him.

Acquiring first-round picks isn’t easy, but GM Zach Kleiman has been consistently aggressive in dealing for them in his tenure, and he got an experienced college player in Roddy, a forward built like a linebacker (6’5″, 252 pounds) with a unique skill set. He had an excellent junior season for Colorado State, averaging 19.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .571/.438/.691 shooting in 31 games (32.9 MPG).

There’s no guarantee that Roddy will turn into the level of player that Melton is, but as I said, there was a minutes logjam in the backcourt, and Roddy’s contract will pay him just shy of $13MM over four years, compared to the $16.25MM ($9.75MM guaranteed) Melton will earn over the next two.

Both financially and as long-term upside swing, it was an understandable gamble. If Roddy makes the type of leap that Maxey was able to in his second year, it could look like a home run. Only time will tell.

As previously mentioned, the Grizzlies also acquired Green, though his future with the team is far less certain. One of the most reliable 3-and-D players in the league over the past decade, hopefully Green will be able to make an NBA return and eventually go out on his terms. At 35 years old, it’s hard to say how much he has left in the tank, but he has had a great career, winning three championships with the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers.

In the meantime, he’s a good veteran to have around for a young Memphis squad, and mid-size contracts like his $10MM expiring deal are always useful for trade purposes even if he doesn’t wind up making any on-court contributions this season.

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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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