- The Timberwolves want their G League affiliate in Iowa to mimic what the parent club is doing, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Iowa coach Sam Newman-Beck will employ similar systems, both a motion offense and switching defense, to what Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders is running with the Timberwolves. “We want the players when they’re coming to Iowa or going to Minnesota to feel like it’s the same playbook, that there’s no change,” Newman-Beck said.
The majority of the NBA players who are currently on non-guaranteed contracts won’t have their salaries for 2019/20 become fully guaranteed until January 10. That’s the league-wide salary guarantee date and the default deadline that applies to players who haven’t negotiated an earlier salary guarantee date.
Still, some players did negotiate an earlier trigger date, and the majority of those deadlines will arrive in October. At least a dozen players around the NBA are believed to have partial or full guarantees that will go into effect in October.
Now, it’s worth noting that salary guarantee dates are somewhat malleable. If the player’s camp agrees, a team can quietly move that deadline back, giving the club more time to make a decision on whether or not to fully invest in its player for the 2019/20 season. The player doesn’t necessarily have to agree, but he may be on board with postponing that deadline if the alternative is being waived and receiving none of his salary.
Most of our information related to salary guarantee dates is coming from the salary database at Basketball Insiders, and BI hasn’t published all the details on the latest signings from around the NBA yet. In other words, there could be a few more recently-signed players who have October salary guarantee dates.
For now though, these are the 12 players believed to have salary guarantee dates coming up next month:
Full guarantees:
- Ivan Rabb (Grizzlies): Partial guarantee of $371,758 increases to full guarantee of $1,618,520 salary if not waived by October 19.
- Chris Boucher (Raptors): Partial guarantee of $125,000 increases to full guarantee of $1,588,231 salary if not waived by first day of regular season.
- Malcolm Miller (Raptors): Partial guarantee of $150,000 increases to full guarantee of $1,588,231 salary if not waived by first day of regular season.
- Duncan Robinson (Heat): Partial guarantee of $1,000,000 increases to full guarantee of $1,416,852 salary if not waived by first day of regular season.
- Kenrich Williams (Pelicans): Partial guarantee of $200,000 increases to full guarantee of $1,416,852 salary if not waived by first day of regular season.
Partial guarantees:
Christian Wood (Pistons): $1,645,357 salary becomes partially guaranteed ($822,679) if not waived before first day of regular season.- Trey Burke (Sixers): Partial guarantee of $405,000 increases to $810,000 if not waived by first day of regular season (full salary is $2,028,594).
- Jordan McRae (Wizards): Partial guarantee of $400,000 increases to $600,000 if not waived by first day of regular season (full salary is $1,645,357).
- Dragan Bender (Bucks): Partial guarantee of $300,000 increases to $600,000 if not waived by first day of regular season (full salary is $1,678,854).
- Ben McLemore (Rockets): Partial guarantee of $50,000 increases to $500,000 if not waived by first day of regular season (full salary is $2,028,594).
- Kendrick Nunn (Heat): Partial guarantee of $150,000 increases to $450,000 if not waived by first day of regular season (full salary is $1,416,852).
- William Howard (Jazz): Partial guarantee of $50,000 increases to $250,000 if not waived by first day of regular season (full salary is $898,310).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Training camps are still several weeks away from opening, but a number of NBA teams have already reached their 20-player offseason roster limits, either officially or unofficially.
Offseason rosters are fairly fluid. Teams will often sign a player to an Exhibit 10 contract to ensure he’ll receive a bonus if he spends time with their G League affiliate, then waive him days later. So the clubs with full 20-man rosters now won’t necessarily bring those specific 20 players to training camp. Still, it appears that at least a handful of teams may be done making roster moves until camps open.
With the help of our roster count tracker, here’s a breakdown:
Officially full 20-man rosters:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Utah Jazz
While the Cavaliers are carrying 19 players on standard contracts and just one on a two-way deal, the six other teams listed here have an 18/2 split and probably won’t have their camp invitees compete for a two-way slot.
Still, a few roster decisions are likely in store for some teams on this list. The Grizzlies, for instance, are carrying 17 players with full or partial guarantees, and probably won’t still have Andre Iguodala on their roster by the time they set their 15-man regular season roster.
Unofficially full 20-man rosters:
- Charlotte Hornets
- Detroit Pistons
- Minnesota Timberwolves
Each of these three teams technically has 19 players under contract, with one roster spot still open. However, Kobi Simmons is expected to fill that final spot for the Hornets, Michael Beasley will do so for the Pistons, and Tyus Battle will be the Timberwolves‘ 20th man.
Very unofficially full 20-man rosters:
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
The Pelicans have 18 players under contract, but various post-draft reports in June indicated that they’d sign Jalen Adams, Aubrey Dawkins, and Javon Bess at some point. It’s possible one or more of those reports was erroneous, or the agreements fell apart. For now though, we’re assuming some combination of those players will fill out New Orleans’ 20-man roster.
The Knicks are in a similar boat, with 16 players officially signed and five other contract agreements reported. Deals with Kris Wilkes, V.J. King, and Amir Hinton were reported in June, while July and August reports indicated that New York would also sign Kenny Wooten and Lamar Peters. We’re still waiting to see if the team finalizes all those signings.
- The Timberwolves announced this week in a press release that Sam Newman-Beck will assume head coaching duties for their G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. Newman-Beck, who was an assistant for the Erie BayHawks last season, previously spent eight years (2010-18) in Minnesota as a coaching associate/video scouting director.
The Timberwolves have signed rookie free agent Lindell Wigginton to a contract, according to RealGM’s transactions log. RealGM classifies it as a one-year deal, so it figures to be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 pact.
[RELATED: What Teams Can Do With Exhibit 10 Contracts]
Wigginton, who was a sophomore at Iowa State in 2018/19, declared for the draft as an early entrant this spring after averaging 15.3 PPG with a .397 3PT% in two college seasons. After going undrafted, the 6’2″ Canadian guard caught on with the Raptors for Summer League play, averaging 7.4 PPG on 33.3% shooting in five games (15.0 MPG) in Las Vegas.
Having officially signed Wigginton, the Timberwolves now have 19 players under contract, including 15 players with guaranteed salaries and two more on two-way deals. Tyrone Wallace is the other player without a guaranteed contract.
A post-draft report in June indicated that the Wolves would also sign undrafted rookie Tyus Battle to an Exhibit 10 deal, so he could ultimately fill out the team’s 20-man offseason roster.
Wigginton likely won’t make Minnesota’s regular season roster, but he’d be a good fit for the Wolves’ G League affiliate, which is based on Iowa.
- The Timberwolves haven’t come close to trading Andrew Wiggins, mainly because they never received an offer that was worth serious consideration, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports. The Timberwolves are hoping he can come closer to realizing his potential, which would also boost his trade value. Getting Wiggins to make a bigger impact at both ends of the floor is also the best way for the team to become more of a factor in the Western Conference.
NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps a month away, many clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.
We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on a key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2019/20 regular season begins.
After focusing on the Atlantic, Southeast, and Central last week, we’re moving onto the Northwest today. Let’s dive in…
Denver Nuggets
Will Bol Bol sign a two-way contract?
A year ago, Bol was considered a potential 2019 lottery pick. This spring, he fell all the way to No. 44 in the draft due to health concerns. Now it’s not even clear if he’ll sign a standard NBA contract for his rookie season. No player drafted as high as 44th overall has signed a two-way deal as his first NBA contract, but that’s said to be the Nuggets‘ preference for the young center.
From the Nuggets’ perspective, slotting Bol into their two-way opening makes sense. As cap expert Albert Nahmad recently explained, keeping Bol on a two-way contract would allow the club to avoid moving precariously close to the tax line (certain players’ unlikely incentives could subsequently push Denver’s team salary beyond that threshold). It would also allow the organization to bring him along slowly, developing him and making sure he’s healthy in the G League before he’s eventually promoted to the NBA roster.
Of course, it makes sense that Bol would be reluctant to embrace such an arrangement, and he has some leverage if he wants to force the issue. In order to retain his rights, the Nuggets must offer a one-year rookie contract, and Bol could accept it, putting him on track for restricted free agency next summer.
Still, it might be in his best interest to accept Denver’s proposal and trust that the team will do right by him. Monte Morris and Torrey Craig started on two-way deals before they were promoted to the Nuggets’ 15-man roster and became key parts of the club’s rotation. Bol could be next to follow that path.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Does Gersson Rosas have any major moves in the works?
When Rosas took over as the Timberwolves‘ new head of basketball operations this spring, there was plenty of chatter about how his Rockets roots and his apprenticeship under Daryl Morey would make him inclined to swing for the fences more than most first-time general managers.
We haven’t seen much of that so far in Rosas’ first offseason in Minnesota, though it wasn’t for lack of trying — the Wolves reportedly made a serious push for D’Angelo Russell before the All-Star point guard opted to join the Warriors.
Not many blockbuster trades are completed during the preseason, but given Rosas’ reputation, he won’t be averse to exploring the market. Even though moving Andrew Wiggins‘ contract would be tough, the Wolves could theoretically make a big splash – like acquiring veteran point guard Chris Paul – without including Wiggins in the package.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Will the Thunder be able to find a taker for Chris Paul?
Speaking of Paul, the Thunder have been adamant that they’re willing to take a patient approach on the trade market and even start the season with the nine-time All-Star on their roster. Still, I imagine the rebuilding club would jump at the opportunity to send him to a contending team for the right offer.
Paul’s salary ($38.5MM) makes him the NBA’s second-highest-paid player for the 2019/20 season and will make it difficult for Oklahoma City to move him. Even if a suitor could comfortably match salaries, Paul’s two extra guaranteed years hurt his trade value, and the Thunder will be reluctant to attach any draft picks from their treasure trove to help grease the skids on a deal.
Various CBA restrictions for teams around the NBA will limit the market for Paul too. The Lakers would be a logical trade partner, but most of their roster can’t be traded until at least December 15. The Heat might typically have interest in an impact player like Paul, but they’re hard-capped and want their draft picks back from the Thunder.
The Thunder will revisit the CP3 trade market this fall, but finding a favorable deal won’t be easy.
Portland Trail Blazers
What is Jusuf Nurkic‘s recovery timetable?
A broken leg ended Nurkic’s 2018/19 season in March, and he’s not expected to be healthy to start the 2019/20 season. Beyond that, the Trail Blazers haven’t offered up many details on Nurkic’s recovery timetable.
In May, Blazers beat writer Jason Quick speculated that the veteran center might be ready to return to action just before the 2020 All-Star break, which would sideline him for more than half the season. Nurkic will certainly look to beat that timeline, but the Blazers should get a better idea this fall of whether or not that will be possible.
Portland traded for Hassan Whiteside and signed Pau Gasol this offseason, adding the pair of veterans to a center rotation that also figures to include up-and-coming youngster Zach Collins. Assuming decent health, that trio can comfortably hold the fort at the five until February, but Nurkic is still the most talented player of the bunch (for now, at least) and he’ll help solidify the club’s frontcourt when he returns.
Utah Jazz
How will the Jazz’s top players perform in the 2019 World Cup?
Several of Utah’s impact players are participating in the 2019 World Cup in China over the next couple weeks. However, unlike the Celtics – who have four players on Team USA – the Jazz have their players spread across several national teams. Donovan Mitchell is the only one on Team USA’s roster, with Rudy Gobert representing France and Joe Ingles playing for Australia.
While they may not have the same chemistry-building potential that the Celtics’ quartet does, Utah’s World Cup participants have a great opportunity to make an impression on an international stage and boost their stock heading into the 2019/20 season.
We’ve seen plenty of players over the last couple decades follow up strong World Cup or Olympic performances with breakout years for their NBA teams, and Mitchell in particular could be a prime candidate to follow that template. It’ll be worth keeping a close eye on him and the rest of Utah’s international representatives as they look to make deep runs in the FIBA tournament.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Lithuanian national team has announced its roster for the 2019 World Cup, according to Donatas Urbonas, who tweets that the 12-man squad will include Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas and Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt. Former Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas is also on the roster.
Lithuania is viewed as a contender to make a deep run in this year’s tournament, but it won’t have an easy path to even make it out of the first round. The Lithuanian national team is part of a group that also includes Australia, Canada, and Senegal — only two of those clubs will advance to the round of 16.
Here’s more on the 2019 World Cup, which will tip off in just four days in China:
- Speaking of Team Canada, head coach Nick Nurse said after the team’s exhibition loss to Team USA on Monday that he still expects Kings point guard Cory Joseph to join the squad in China for the World Cup itself (video link via Olgun Uluc of FOX Sports Australia). “As far as I know, he is,” Nurse said. “I exchanged a text with him a little earlier today and he said he was getting on a plane [on Tuesday]. He said he’d see me there.”
- Nigeria has set its 12-man roster for the World Cup, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Josh Okogie (Timberwolves), Al-Farouq Aminu (Magic), Chimezie Metu (Spurs), Ekpe Udoh, and Ike Diogu are among the current and former NBA players representing Nigeria.
- Team France’s 12-man roster for the 2019 World Cup features plenty of familiar NBA names too, including Rudy Gobert (Jazz), Nicolas Batum (Hornets), Evan Fournier (Magic), and Frank Ntilikina (Knicks). New Celtics center Vincent Poirier and former NBA players like Nando De Colo and Axel Toupane made the team as well.
- Venezuela’s national team also announced its 12-man World Cup roster.
- Without a “proven bailout option” to score crucial buckets in big moments, Team USA doesn’t have a significant margin of error in this year’s World Cup, opines ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Andrew Wiggins was a popular topic of conversation as new Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas made the rounds Thursday at the Minnesota State Fair, relays Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. Most of the questions concerned the uneven production that Wiggins has provided since signing a five-year max extension in 2017. Wiggins posted an 18.1/4.8/2.5 line last season, but shot a career worst 41.2% from the field and 33.9% from 3-point range.
Rosas understands fans’ frustrations, but pointed out that Wiggins has dealt with frequent coaching changes since coming to Minnesota in 2014. Still, Rosas wants to see more production from one of the cornerstones of the franchise.
“Andrew in particular with his talent and physical abilities, the potential he’s shows, we’ve got to get that on a more consistent basis,” Rosas said. “He’s focused on it as well. In order for us to have the success we want to have, he’s got to be a main contributor. He understands that, we understand that.”
There’s more out of Minnesota:
- The Wolves already have 15 players with guaranteed contracts, but they may be willing to add more before training camp starts, Rosas said in the same story. That means they could be stuck with dead money if they can’t work out a trade before rosters have to be finalized, but Rosas is willing to take that chance. “If we have to eat a contract, we’ll eat a contract,” he said. “But we want to create depth, competitiveness in camp and sometimes you end up eating or trading a contract you need to. At the end of the day you want to emphasize competition and a guy beats another guy out, we have the flexibility to do that.”
- Robert Covington and Jeff Teague, who both had their seasons cut short by injuries last year, are expected to be ready for training camp with no restrictions, Hine adds. Covington dealt with a bone bruise in his right knee that limited him to 22 games after he arrived in a November trade with the Sixers. He had an arthoscopic procedure performed on the knee in April. Teague was limited to 42 games because of fragments in his left ankle and had a debridement procedure after the season ended.
- Two offseason projections give the Wolves a good chance to bounce back from a disappointing season. FiveThirtyEight expects a 42-40 record with a 45% chance to make the playoffs, while ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus projects them for 39.5 wins and a 32% shot at the postseason.
The Heat won’t be in the market for any of the remaining free agents unless they trade someone from their current roster, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The hard cap that the team has been operating under since the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade has put a severe limit on its flexibility. Miami is already uncomfortably close to its $138.9MM limit.
That means potential additions such as Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony are off the table unless the Heat make another move to open space. They could release Kendrick Nunn, whose contract isn’t fully guaranteed, but Winderman considers that unlikely. If they decide to trade someone in exchange for a lesser salary, Winderman identifies Meyers Leonard, who will earn $11.3MM this season, as a possibility. He adds that they may try to move Goran Dragic by the deadline or save their next significant moves for next summer.
There’s more this morning from Miami:
- Second-round pick KZ Okpala wouldn’t object to spending time in the G League if it’s necessary to get consistent playing time, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson notes that a similar path worked for Josh Richardson, who played four games for Sioux Falls as a second-round pick in 2015. “I trust the staff and whatever they say is best,” Okpala said. “I believe in that and will go into it with a good foot forward.”
- Free agent guard Matt Mooney, who agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies last week, received the same offer from the Heat, Jackson notes in the same story. It’s a similar situation to Rayjon Tucker, who recently joined the Bucks, as both players worked out for Miami and were interested in two-way contracts. However, the Heat have decided to let players in training camp compete for two-way deals.
- Jackson rates the Heat’s potential interest in six players recently identified by former Hawks GM Wes Wilcox as among the most likely to be traded: Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Devin Booker. Miami’s interest in Beal is well known, and he would be at the top of the list if he becomes available. The Heat had discussions about Paul, but won’t make a deal unless they get their two first-round picks back from Oklahoma City. Jackson doesn’t believe Miami would want Love because of his age, contract and injury history, while Iguodala fits better on an immediate contender. However, Jackson sees Booker and Wiggins as possible targets in the future if the Heat can’t land another star in free agency.