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NBA Teams With Full 20-Man Rosters

September 5th, 2019 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

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Could World Cup Affect Frank Ntilikina’s Future?

September 4th, 2019 at 9:58pm CST by clarkcrum

Generally speaking, the success of an NBA player during FIBA play has little bearing on that player’s ability to compete and prosper at the NBA level. As those in the know will readily opine, the games are different, with different rules and different styles of play.

But because NBA teams only have until October 31 to exercise their team options for first-round draft picks for the following season, the 2019 FIBA World Cup could be of the utmost importance for Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

As Bondy notes, the Knicks have to decide by Halloween whether or not to guarantee Ntilikina’s $6.18MM salary for the 2021/21 season, leaving little time for New York to assess the 21-year-old year old Frenchman in NBA action, as the season doesn’t start until October 22.

Should the Knicks not exercise the option, Ntilikina becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020, so assessing his play during the World Cup may be an avenue the Knicks’ explore while making a decision on the option.

Ntilikina has admittedly struggled to crack the Knicks’ rotation since being drafted several years ago, but it’s hard to imagine the Knicks letting him and his potential walk away next summer for nothing when the only cost for keeping him is a relatively minor cap hit at a time (summer of 2020) when there is such a dearth of talent in the free agency class.

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Thabeet To Continue Scrimmaging

September 1st, 2019 at 3:31pm CST by clarkcrum
  • After working out for the Knicks once already (link), former No, 2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet will continue to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages with the Knicks next week, reports Ian Begley of SportsNet New York. Begley adds that Thabeet will also work out a second time for the Bucks in about a week’s time.
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Taj Gibson Always Wanted To Play For The Knicks

September 1st, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks didn’t land their top targets in free agency, but the players they did sign are determined to turn things around in New York, Taj Gibson tells Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Camp is still a month away, but Gibson said many of the players have been training together and staying in touch through an email chain.

“Everybody’s in the group chat, everybody’s talking, everybody’s getting together to work out together,” Gibson said. “The eagerness in guys (has stood out), guys are committed, guys are going to let the work show for itself.”

A rebuilding situation may seem odd for Gibson, considering his veteran status and history of being with winning teams. The 34-year-old has made the playoffs eight times during his 10 NBA seasons, although he missed last year with the Timberwolves despite a typically solid season in which he averaged 10.8 PPG and 6.5 RPG in 70 games.

However, Gibson was born in Brooklyn and still feels a strong connection to the area.

“I just always had it in the back of my mind, it was always one of those places I wanted to go,” he said. “I wasn’t scared of the opportunity. I was waiting for the right opportunity (to come here). I just jumped on it. I know they’ve had a lot of tough years, but when you win games, the city loves you. I’m looking forward trying to compete and playing hard.”

Gibson was one of several free agents the Knicks signed to short-term deals after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were off the board. Although Gibson has a two-year, $20MM contract, the second season only carries a $1MM guarantee. Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington, Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock all received similar deals.

It’s a situation that could lead to massive turnover next summer, or perhaps even sooner as all the new players may be attractive to contenders at the trade deadline. For now, Gibson wants to enjoy the experience of playing in New York.

“It’s a dream come true and it’s a blessing, because I grew up a Knicks fan,” he said. “To be back home around my people, it’s amazing.”

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Carmelo Anthony Expected To Scrimmage With Knicks

August 29th, 2019 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

9:20am: A source tells Begley (Twitter link) not to read too much into Anthony’s presence at the Knicks’ scrimmage today, since the team already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts.

8:21am: Free agent forward Carmelo Anthony is expected to reconnect with his former team and participate in the Knicks‘ informal 5-on-5 scrimmages at Columbia University this morning, league sources tell Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link).

Those scrimmages are the same ones that former lottery pick Hasheem Thabeet is playing in, as we relayed on Wednesday. When Ian Begley of SNY.tv wrote about Thabeet’s participation, he suggested that the Knicks likely wouldn’t have invited the big man if they didn’t have at least some level of interest in him. It’s unclear if the same thinking applies to Anthony.

Although the Knicks discussed the possibility of signing Anthony earlier in the offseason, they reportedly only planned on pursuing him if they had landed two star free agents. When the club struck out on its top targets, its interest in a reunion with Carmelo apparently dwindled, but perhaps the door is still open a crack.

For now, it’s probably premature to draw any conclusions about Anthony’s participation in Knicks scrimmages. After all, he also worked out with Nets players earlier this month, and there’s no indication that Brooklyn has plans to sign him.

The 10-time All-Star declared several weeks ago that he hopes to get “another shot” from an NBA team.

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Hasheem Thabeet Working Out For Knicks

August 28th, 2019 at 8:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are the latest team to get an up-close look at former NBA center Hasheem Thabeet, tweets Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops. The organization verified its interest in Thabeet by tweeting out a photo this evening.

Thabeet had “impressive” workouts with the Nuggets in July and the Bucks earlier this month, Stinar adds. The big man will finish up with the Knicks this week and plans to visit Milwaukee again in September before training camps open.

The 32-year-old is best known for an unimpressive career after being taken with the second pick in the 2009 draft. He played for four teams in five seasons, but never topped his rookie averages of 3.1 points or 3.6 rebounds per game.

Thabeet played in Japan for part of last season and worked out for several NBA teams during All-Star Weekend. He is reportedly in much better shape and has been working to expand what he can do on offense.

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NBA Teams With Open Two-Way Contract Slots

August 28th, 2019 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Only a small handful of two-way players from 2018/19 had their contracts carried over to the 2019/20 season. A couple more of last year’s two-way players have signed new two-way deals. For the most part though, NBA teams have filled their two-way contract slots for the coming season with new faces, including several rookies who went undrafted in 2019.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]

At the moment, 44 of 60 league-wide two-way contract slots are occupied. A 45th appears set to be filled if and when the Knicks finalize their reported agreement with Kris Wilkes. That leaves just 15 two-way deals available across the NBA as training camps approach.

Some clubs may not fill these slots before camps get underway, preferring to sign players to non-guaranteed NBA contracts and then convert those deals to two-way pacts later, depending on how players perform in camp and in the preseason. By the time the 2019/20 regular season begins though, I don’t expect many two-way slots to still be open.

With the help of our two-way contract tracker, which lists all the players currently on two-way deals, here are the teams who can still offer two-way contracts without waiving anyone:

Two open slots:

  • Houston Rockets
  • Miami Heat
  • Toronto Raptors

One open slot:

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Denver Nuggets
  • New York Knicks
    • Note: The Knicks only have a slot available if their reported deal with Wilkes isn’t finalized.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Washington Wizards
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Atlantic Notes: English, Redick, Knicks

August 27th, 2019 at 8:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers are hosting a free agent mini-camp on Thursday and A.J. English is among the players expected to be in attendance, Nicola Lupo of Sportando tweets. The 6’3″ guard has spent time overseas since going undrafted out of Iona in the 2016 draft, playing last season for Lavrio B.C. in Greece.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Replacing J.J. Redick won’t be easy for the Sixers, Jack Winter of Basketball Insiders writes. Winter explains how the loss of Redick changes the team’s offensive identity.
  • The Knicks are bringing in Malcolm Delaney for a workout, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Delaney, a former Virginia Tech guard who spent two seasons with Atlanta from 2016-18, will participate in drills alongside current Knicks players.
  • Quinn Davis of Basketball Insiders makes a case for the Raptors remaining competitive in the post-Kawhi Leonard era. Toronto went 17-5 last year during the regular season without Leonard, though the team’s record in those games vs. playoff clubs was just 4-5.
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World Cup Updates: Lithuania, Joseph, Nigeria, France

August 27th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

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:

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