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Checking In On NBA’s Open Roster Spots

March 10th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Several of the NBA teams that had open roster spots following the trade deadline have since filled them, either with free agent signings, such as DeMarcus Cousins (Nuggets) and DeAndre Jordan (Sixers), or with promoted two-way players, like Caleb Martin (Heat) and Daishen Nix (Rockets).

However, there are still a number of clubs around the league with openings available, either on their standard 15-man roster or among their two-way contract slots.

Here, with the help of our roster counts page, is a look at the teams that have open roster spots as of March 10:

Teams with open 15-man roster spots:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics (2) *
Charlotte Hornets *
Cleveland Cavaliers *
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans *
Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors *
Utah Jazz

* The teams marked with an asterisk each technically have full rosters as of today, but are carrying at least one player on a 10-day contract. We’re considering those roster spots “open” because those 10-day deals will soon expire.

Despite a series of signings since last month’s trade deadline, there are still 12 NBA teams that aren’t carrying 15 players on full-season standard contracts. However, four of those clubs have filled their open roster spot(s) with 10-day signings, and a fifth will join that group when the Cavaliers complete their reported 10-day deal with Moses Brown.

The Celtics are one team to watch here. When the second 10-day contracts for Malik Fitts and Kelan Martin expire next Monday night, Boston will either have to sign at least one of them to a rest-of-season contract or add another player within the next two weeks in order to get back to the league-mandated minimum of 14 players on standard deals.

Teams with open two-way spots:

Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings

Following the trade deadline, five teams had open two-way contract slots. Four of those teams have since filled them — the Suns are the only holdout, having not carried a second two-way player since they released Chandler Hutchison in early January.

The Rockets have had an open two-way slot since they promoted Nix to the 15-man roster nearly a month ago, while the Kings‘ opening has existed since they waived Louis King on February 17.

Lopez Traveling With Team, Practices Going Well

March 9th, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Brook Lopez will travel with the team for the upcoming West Coast road trip. Lopez was cleared for full contact five-on-five practices last Friday. “We’ll just continue to evaluate and see how he’s doing with the 5-on-5 and he’s making good progress and just hope that continues,” Budenholzer said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Lopez has played just one game this season after suffering a bulging disc in his lower back which required surgery, but it appears he’s getting close to returning for the defending champs.

Jrue Holiday Has Emerged As Leader For Bucks

March 9th, 2022 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

After trying to “blend in” during his first year in Milwaukee in 2020/21, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has gotten more comfortable and taken on more of a leadership role this season, says Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The more the more we hear his voice, the better,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said of Holiday.

And-Ones: MVP Race, Fenway Sports Group, 2022 Draft

March 7th, 2022 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 MVP race is one for the ages, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who contends that we “aren’t talking about it nearly enough.” As Hollinger outlines, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sixers center Joel Embiid are each in the midst of a historic season and would be a clear MVP frontrunner if it weren’t for the presence of the other two.

If the season ended today, Hollinger notes, Jokic (32.3) and Antetokounmpo (32.0) would have the two highest single-season PERs in NBA history, while Embiid’s (31.0) would also make the top 10. Hollinger says he’d pick Jokic for MVP if forced to decide right now, but with over a month left in the season, there’s still plenty of time for Antetokounmpo and Embiid to strengthen their cases.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Gerry Cardinale, a shareholder in Fenway Sports Group, says that adding an NBA franchise is “a real top priority” for the massive Boston-based firm, as Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe writes. The FSG conglomerate already owns MLB’s Boston Red Sox, the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Premier League’s Liverpool FC.
Wake Forest guard Alondes Williams, Kansas guard Christian Braun, and Colorado State forward David Roddy are among the best bets to further improve their draft stock with strong performances to finish out the NCAA season, says Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Wasserman also singles out four other prospects who are candidates to rise up draft boards in the coming weeks.
Touching on several stories from around the NBA in his latest article for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor makes a case for why the Knicks should lean more heavily on their young players, breaks down what Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans have brought to the Mavericks, and praises the work the Rockets have done developing their rookies this season. O’Connor also argues that the NBA should tweak its playoff format to allow top seeds to pick their first-round opponents.

Central Notes: Jones Jr., Allen, Jackson, LaVine, Bagley

March 5th, 2022 at 8:21am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls were furious at the Bucks’ Grayson Allen after his hard foul against Alex Caruso in January resulted in Caruso fracturing his right wrist. Derrick Jones Jr. appeared to exact some revenge on Friday, though Jones claims his flagrant foul against Allen wasn’t intentional, ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes.

“I’m not a dirty player. Honestly, I talked to every ref that was there (Friday),” the Bulls forward said. “I didn’t think that was a flagrant. They said I hit him in his head. I didn’t even feel it. I just felt him bump my hip and fall. That’s all I felt.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Pistons reserve guard Frank Jackson missed Friday’s game with a bilateral lumbar spine spasm, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Jackson underwent an MRI, Sankofa adds (Twitter link). The Pistons hold a $3.15MM option on Jackson’s contract for next season. He has only appeared in one game since Feb. 11.
It would be surprising if Zach LaVine bolted the Bulls during free agency this offseason, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago opines. LaVine loves living in Chicago and playing for Billy Donovan. He has also repeatedly praised the front office for upgrading the roster, while the ownership group is committed to paying him.
Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III had a strong outing after missing three games due to a sprained ankle, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. Bagley, who will enter free agency this summer, had 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench and is thrilled he got traded to Detroit. “When I first got here, the energy was good,” he said. “You can feel it. You can feel how everybody’s connecting. On the road, team dinners, coming together. It’s a great feeling. I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Brook Lopez Cleared To Practice For Bucks

March 4th, 2022 at 7:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters, including Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that center Brook Lopez has been cleared to practice five-on-five with contact. It’s great news for both Lopez and the team, as he’s been sidelined indefinitely following back surgery to address a bulging disc in his lower back on December 2.

“He will now start having some scrimmage and contact and we’ll organize that,” Budenholzer said. “It’s another good, positive step for him on his return to play.”

As Owczarski relays, Budenholzer said that the team’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, will likely temporarily relocate from Oshkosh to Milwaukee in order for Lopez to get the practice reps he needs. Owczarski notes that the Herd are off from Sunday through Friday next week, which should allow Lopez a good opportunity for full contact work.

Lopez, 33, appeared in the Bucks’ season opener and has been out ever since. He played a key role in the team’s championship run last season, starting all 23 playoff games while averaging 13 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks on .548/.319/.860 shooting.

The Bucks have missed Lopez’s interior presence this season, especially on defense. They’ve dropped to 13th in defensive rating after ranking first, first and 10th the past three seasons.

Milwaukee’s coach also provided injury updates on George Hill and Pat Connaughton, per Owczarski. Hill has missed 12 straight games with neck soreness (including Friday against Chicago), but he’s getting close to a return. “I think we’re hopeful that he’ll play in the next week,” Budenholzer said.

Connaughton, meanwhile, is progressing in his rehab. He’s two-plus weeks removed from a fracture on his right hand, which is expected to keep him out at least four weeks. “I think more just following the timeline as expected is positive,” Budenholzer said, according to Owczarski. “He’s been able to kind of do a little bit more as the week has passed, but it’s still got a little ways to go.”

Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2021/22

March 4th, 2022 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 NBA season will be a record-setting one for luxury tax payments.

According to data from Albert Nahmad of HeatHoops.com and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype, the league’s previous single-year record for total luxury tax payments was $173.3MM, back in 2002/03.

This season, the Warriors‘ tax penalties alone will nearly match that league-wide record. And they’ll be joined by six other projected taxpayers whose combined end-of-season bills would eclipse the previous record even without Golden State’s help.

In the space below, we’ve done our best to ballpark the current tax bill for each of this season’s seven projected taxpayers. These numbers may end up looking slightly different after the season, since it can be tricky to pin down the precise amount of a tax bill during the season.

Earned and unearned incentives in certain players’ contracts can affect eventual tax payments, and not all of the criteria for those incentives are public. Even the incentives that are known may not have been decided yet — for instance, Nets guard Kyrie Irving will earn a $137,500 bonus if he makes at least 88.5% of his free throws this season. He’s currently at 91.9%, but has only had 62 attempts, so it remains possible his free throw rate will dip below 88.5%, costing him that bonus and reducing Brooklyn’s tax bill.

Additionally, even after the trade deadline, a team’s tax bill remains fluid due to possible forthcoming roster moves, suspensions, and a handful of other factors. The Sixers‘ projected tax bill just increased last night when they officially signed DeAndre Jordan to a rest-of-season contract.

With all that in mind, here are the current projected penalties for this season’s probable taxpayers, based on our math, along with salary data from Spotrac and Basketball Insiders:

Golden State Warriors: $170.3MM
Brooklyn Nets: $97.0MM
Los Angeles Clippers: $82.5MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $56.5MM
Los Angeles Lakers: $45.0MM
Utah Jazz: $18.8MM
Philadelphia 76ers: $13.9MM

In total, these seven teams project to owe a staggering $484MM in luxury tax payments.

Half of that total will be dispersed to the league’s non-taxpayers, which means that 23 teams should be in line to split a pot of about $242MM. That would work out to a payment of approximately $10.5MM for each of those 23 non-taxpayers.

These numbers make it more obvious why a team like the Celtics made a concerted effort to get out of luxury tax territory at the trade deadline. A tax bill of $2MM or so wouldn’t break the bank for Boston’s ownership group, but the C’s generated more than just $2MM in savings by ducking below the tax line — they’re now in line to be one of those 23 teams that receives a $10MM+ windfall.

It’s worth noting too that the Warriors are the only one of these seven projected taxpayers who will be subjected to “repeater” penalties this season, so it’s not as if those more punitive repeater penalties are fueling this year’s record-setting totals. Even without the repeater penalties, the Dubs would still owe approximately $131.1MM in taxes.

Carter, Bembry Making Defensive Impact For Bucks

March 3rd, 2022 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

After coming out of the trade deadline with three open roster spots, the Bucks filled two of them with former Nets, and both DeAndre’ Bembry and Jevon Carter have given Milwaukee a boost with their intensity and versatility on defense, says Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It’s fun, man,” Carter said after Monday’s game. “I was telling the guys … I haven’t played this hard in I don’t know how long. … Just being out there playing with a team that’s locked in defensively is just, for me, it’s just fun to be a part of, honestly. That’s really all I can say, I’m just having fun.”

Bucks' Season-Long Struggles Appear In Loss To Nets

February 27th, 2022 at 8:35pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bucks season-long struggles showed up against the Nets on Saturday, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Nehm believes the team’s third-quarter performances have been a major issue. Milwaukee lost the third quarter 43-34 and dropped the contest 126-123. “To be honest, man, sh–, they just kicked our butt in the third quarter,” Bobby Portis said. “They scored 43 points. I mean we scored enough just to keep it close, but I mean that’s been our kryptonite the whole year. I’m kind of just tired of talking about it, bro. I don’t know what we can do, what we’re going to do. … we’ve been talking about this since December, man, and in a couple of days, it’s gonna be March, so we gotta figure that out, and soon, man. The season’s about to be over.”

Tyreke Evans To Work Out For Bucks

February 26th, 2022 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Tyreke Evans will visit Milwaukee to work out for the Bucks in the coming days, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (video link).

Evans was recently reinstated by the NBA following a ban from the league that lasted nearly three full years. Evans, who was dismissed and disqualified from the league back in May of 2019 for violating the anti-drug program, became eligible last Friday to sign with any NBA team.

The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, Evans has 10 years of NBA experience under his belt, having played for the Kings, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Pacers. He last appeared in the league in 2018/19, averaging 10.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 69 games (20.3 MPG) for Indiana. It was a down year for the veteran, who posted a career-worst .389 FG%.

The Bucks came out of the trade deadline with three open spots on their 15-man roster and have since filled two of them, adding some help on the wing by signing DeAndre’ Bembry, then shoring up their backcourt depth by inking Jevon Carter to a rest-of-season deal. The team still has one last roster opening and could be in the market for another guard after trading Donte DiVincenzo at the deadline and watching Pat Connaughton go down with a hand injury.

Still, it’s unclear how serious Milwaukee’s interest in Evans is — it’s possible the Bucks just want to assess whether the 32-year-old is still in basketball shape to determine whether he should be among the options they consider for that 15th roster spot.

We also don’t know yet if any other teams are exhibiting interest in Evans. As our tracker shows, about half the league’s clubs have a roster spot available.