Offseason In Review

2019 Offseason In Review: Miami Heat

October 8th, 2019 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Miami Heat.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Jimmy Butler: Four year, maximum salary ($140.79MM). Fourth-year player option. 15% trade kicker. Acquired via sign-and-trade.
- Udonis Haslem: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- None
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Kyle Alexander: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Daryl Macon: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Jeremiah Martin: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Mychal Mulder: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Davon Reed: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Chris Silva: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired No. 44 pick in 2019 draft (used to select Bol Bol) from the Hawks in exchange for the Heat’s 2024 second-round pick (protected 31-50 and 56-60) and cash ($1.88MM).
Acquired either the Nuggets’ or Sixers’ second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) and cash ($1.2MM) from the Nuggets in exchange for the draft rights to Bol Bol (No. 44 pick).
Acquired the draft rights to KZ Okpala (No. 32 pick) in a three-team trade with the Pacers and Suns in exchange for the Heat’s 2022 second-round pick, the Heat’s 2025 second-round pick, and the Heat’s 2026 second-round pick (all sent to Pacers).
Acquired Jimmy Butler (sign-and-trade), Meyers Leonard, and cash ($110K) in a four-team trade with the Sixers, Trail Blazers, and Clippers in exchange for Josh Richardson (to Sixers), Hassan Whiteside (to Blazers), and the Heat’s 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected; to Clippers).

Draft picks:

1-13: Tyler Herro — Signed to rookie contract.
2-32: KZ Okpala — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.

Departing players:

Ryan Anderson (waived)
Yante Maten (waived)
Josh Richardson
Dwyane Wade (retired)
Hassan Whiteside

Other offseason news:

Signed head coach Erik Spoeltra to four-year extension.
Exercised 2020/21 rookie scale option on Bam Adebayo.
Assistant coach Juwan Howard left for Michigan.
Named Eric Glass head coach of Sioux Falls Skyforce (G League affiliate).

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $134.44MM in guaranteed salary.
Hard-capped (within approximately $1MM of hard cap).
$8.36MM of mid-level exception still available (used $898K on KZ Okpala).
Full bi-annual exception ($3.62MM) still available.
- Note: Due to hard cap, Heat would have to reduce salary elsewhere in order to use full MLE and/or BAE.
$6.27MM traded player exception available (expires 2/6/20).

Story of the summer:

Entering the 2019 offseason, the Heat’s ability to make a competitive bid for any of the summer’s top free agents looked extremely limited. Not only was team salary well above the projected cap, but there was no guarantee the club would even be able to stay below the tax line. Going after a maximum-salary free agent seemed like a pipe dream.

Well, that was the perception from outside the organization at least. Within the front office, Pat Riley and his management team weren’t about to let a few cap limitations get in the way of pursuing a star.

Riley and the Heat made good on that plan, acquiring Jimmy Butler in a sign-and-trade deal with the Sixers that didn’t require the team to create cap room. Still, while Miami’s creative approach to landing an impact player is laudable, it’s also worth noting how many sacrifices the team had to make to get it done.

The sign-and-trade deal for Butler didn’t just include the Sixers — two other teams had to get involved too in order to meet salary-matching requirements, and the Heat had to part with promising youngster Josh Richardson and a future first-round pick in the process. Plus, as a result of acquiring a player via sign-and-trade, Miami is now hard-capped for the rest of the 2019/20 league year, all but eliminating the possibility of adding a 15th man to the opening-night roster or making any additional trades that involve taking on excess salary.

If Miami had the cap room to sign Butler outright, none of those steps would have been necessary. But, as a result of pricey contracts handed out to Goran Dragic, James Johnson, Dion Waiters, and Hassan Whiteside (dealt to Portland in the Butler sign-and-trade), the team didn’t have the flexibility to create a max-salary slot under the cap. And now its flexibility for the rest of the season will be hampered to an even greater degree.

For the Heat though, that trade-off was a necessary evil. They believe Butler was worth both the investment ($140MM+) and the cap machinations necessary to bring him aboard. Now that he’s under contract for the next four years, Miami will have the opportunity to continue building around him once those undesirable contracts start to expire.

Key offseason losses:

The Heat only lost five players this offeason, and two of them – Ryan Anderson and Yante Maten – didn’t have particularly lengthy or memorable stays in Miami. The other three are worth singling out, however.

This isn’t the first time Dwyane Wade has departed from the Heat. He also left during the 2016 offseason to sign with Chicago before eventually returning during the 2017/18 season. The future Hall-of-Famer’s departure feels a little more definitive this time around though, since he has formally retired as a player.

Wade retires as the Heat’s all-time leader in games played, points, assists, steals, and several other key categories, and in many cases, no one came close to his numbers. Wade’s 21,556 points, for instance, more than double the total of runner-up Alonzo Mourning (9,459).

The 13-time All-Star will be remembered more fondly in South Beach for his role on the Heat’s championship teams in 2006, 2012, and 2013 than he will for his final season and a half with the organization, but it will still be an adjustment to watch a Wade-less Heat team going forward.

Richardson and Whiteside, meanwhile, left the Heat as part of the Butler sign-and-trade. The team was reluctant to include Richardson in trade offers for Butler last fall, but seemingly became more inclined to move him after a 2018/19 season in which his efficiency stats took a hit as he assumed more play-making responsibilities — his .412 FG% and .357 3PT% were noticeable steps down from his 2017/18 marks (.451 FG%, .378 3PT%).

As for Whiteside, the big man is an exceptional rebounder and shot blocker, but had seen his minutes cut back in recent years, a trend that was likely to continue as Bam Adebayo took on more responsibilities. It made sense to move him rather than risk him once again expressing frustration with his reduced playing time.

Key offseason additions:

We’ve already devoted a few paragraphs to the acquisition of Butler, but it’s worth reiterating what a good fit he can be in Miami. The Heat are known across the league for a culture built on a relentless work ethic and a commitment to conditioning, traits that are right up Butler’s alley.

The standout swingman can match up with opponents’ top wing scorer on the defensive side of the ball and – as he showed in last year’s playoff series vs. Toronto – he’s more than capable of generating offense too. While he may not be a top-five or top-10 player in the NBA, his ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor should help increase Miami’s ceiling this season.

Butler wasn’t the only notable addition for the Heat this summer. The team has been raving this fall about rookie shooting guard Tyler Herro, the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft. Of the nine players who averaged at least 3.4 three-point attempts per game for the Heat last season, five left the team during the season or in the summer, so Herro’s ability to let it fly from outside and space the floor for teammates will be valuable, even if other aspects of his game take a little longer to come around.

Meyers Leonard, who was acquired from Portland in the Butler sign-and-trade, also enters the mix at center this season, though it’s unclear how big a role he’ll play. Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk should receive most of the available minutes at the five, but Leonard could potentially play alongside one of them in certain lineups. He’d also be leaned on more heavily if Olynyk’s ankle injury continues to bother him into the regular season.

Outlook for 2019/20:

The Heat have essentially been a .500 team in recent years, winning between 39 and 44 games in each of the last three seasons and missing the playoffs in two of those seasons. Adding Butler should put the team in better position to surpass that 44-win mark and more comfortably earn a postseason spot in 2019/20, but that’s hardly a lock.

Due to the cap machinations required to make the Butler acquisition work, the Heat may not have the flexibility necessary to make significant adjustments or upgrades to the current roster, or to add needed reinforcements if they’re hit hard by the injury bug.

It would be a slight upset if Miami misses the playoffs altogether, but either way, this roster still seems to be at least a move or two away from becoming a legit contender in the East.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Minnesota Timberwolves

October 7th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Jake Layman: Three years, $11.28MM. Acquired via sign-and-trade using trade exception.
- Noah Vonleh: One year, $2MM. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Naz Reid: Four years, minimum salary. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Initially signed two-way contract, then converted to standard contract using mid-level exception.
- Jordan Bell: One year, minimum salary.
Two-way contracts:
- Jordan McLaughlin
- Kelan Martin
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Jordan Murphy: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Lindell Wigginton: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Jarrett Culver (No. 6 pick) from the Suns in exchange for Dario Saric and the draft rights to Cameron Johnson (No. 11 pick).
Acquired Jake Layman (sign-and-trade) from the Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to Bojan Dubljevic.
Acquired Treveon Graham, Shabazz Napier, and cash ($3.6MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to Lior Eliyahu.

Draft picks:

1-6: Jarrett Culver — Signed to rookie contract.
2-43: Jaylen Nowell — Signed to four-year, $6.63MM contract. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.

Waiver claims:

Tyrone Wallace (from Clippers). One year, minimum salary ($1,588,231). Non-guaranteed. Claimed using minimum salary exception.

Departing players:

Jerryd Bayless
Mitch Creek
Luol Deng
Taj Gibson
Tyus Jones
Cameron Reynolds (waived)
Derrick Rose
Dario Saric
Jared Terrell (two-way)
Anthony Tolliver
C.J. Williams (two-way)

Other offseason news:

Hired Gersson Rosas as president of basketball operations.
Named Ryan Saunders permanent head coach.
Hired Sachin Gupta as executive VP of basketball operations.
Hired Gianluca Pascucci as assistant GM; hired Joe Branch as assistant GM; promoted Emmanuel Rohan to assistant GM.
Hired David Vanterpool as lead assistant coach.
Hired Pablo Prigioni as assistant coach; hired Bryan Gates as assistant coach.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $124.76MM in guaranteed salary.
Hard-capped.
$4.96MM of mid-level exception still available (used $4.3MM on Noah Vonleh, Jaylen Nowell, and Naz Reid).
Full bi-annual exception ($3.62MM) still available.
$822K traded player exception available (expires 11/12/19).

Story of the summer:

When Gersson Rosas was hired as the Timberwolves’ new president of basketball operations this spring, there was speculation that it could be a more eventful offseason than expected in Minnesota. After all, Rosas was a longtime lieutenant of Rockets GM Daryl Morey, and Morey has never hesitated to swing for the fences on the trade market. By all accounts, Rosas was prepared to bring that same aggressiveness to his new position.

Fans and observers expecting fireworks were in for a letdown, however, as the Wolves didn’t end up having a wild summer after all. The team’s biggest free agent investment was a three-year deal worth less than $4MM annually for relatively unknown forward Jake Layman. On top of that, high-priced trade candidates like Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, and Gorgui Dieng all stayed put.

Still, the absence of blockbuster moves wasn’t for lack of trying. The Wolves met with D’Angelo Russell at the start of free agency and reportedly believed they had a real chance to land him in a sign-and-trade deal before he pivoted and decided to head to Golden State instead.

Plus, the Wolves’ draft-night deal for Jarrett Culver showed the kind of gamble Rosas is willing to take in the right situation. The team gave up Dario Saric – who was entering a contract year – for the right to move up from No. 11 to No. 6 for Culver, a potential two-way standout on the wing.

While Rosas and Minnesota’s new management group may not have made a huge splash immediately, there will be more opportunities to do so, especially when pricey contracts for Teague and Dieng expire in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

For now, the Wolves will rely on further improvement from young players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Okogie, and Wiggins, along with steady contributions from veterans like Robert Covington and Teague as they look to fight their way back to the playoffs. But if Rosas delivers on his reputation, this roster could look much different within a year or two.

Key offseason losses:

As if often the case for teams with new heads of basketball operations, the Timberwolves didn’t make much of an effort to re-sign their free agents this summer. Veterans like Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, and Luol Deng were Tom Thibodeau favorites who didn’t fit into the team’s retooling process. While Deng didn’t play much, Gibson was a regular starter and a veteran leader, and Rose enjoyed an impressive bounce-back season in 2018/19.

In addition to Gibson, the Wolves parted ways with two more power forwards, letting Anthony Tolliver walk in free agency and trading Saric to Phoenix. Saric was one of the players acquired by Minnesota in last year’s Jimmy Butler blockbuster, but Rosas apparently didn’t view him as part of the organization’s long-term plans.

Among the other players not in the Wolves’ future plans? Tyus Jones, who had been the team’s primary backup at point guard over the last four years. With Thibodeau and Rose gone and Teague seemingly on the trade block, it looked like Jones might get a chance to take on an increased role, but Minnesota opted not to match the three-year, $26MM+ offer sheet he signed with Memphis.

It was an interesting decision, since the club remains somewhat thin at the point and Jones could theoretically have been a decent trade asset at that price. But Rosas’ group opted to maximize the Wolves’ cap flexibility going forward by not locking themselves into that three-year deal.

Key offseason additions:

The Timberwolves’ decision to move up five spots to draft Culver reflects how much they like the former Texas Tech standout. While there were rumors that Minnesota was looking to trade up to secure a point guard like Darius Garland and Coby White, Culver is more of a shooting guard or small forward, though he’s capable of guarding a number of positions on the perimeter.

After making just 30.4% of his three-point attempts in his final college season, Culver will have to improve his outside shot to develop into a reliable three-and-D wing, but he’s capable of generating shots for himself and others.

Minnesota’s other offseason additions were primarily role players. In the frontcourt, Layman, Noah Vonleh, and Jordan Bell signed as free agents and should all get the opportunity to earn regular roles. Layman and Bell opened the summer as restricted free agents, but the Warriors pulled Bell’s qualifying offer and the Trail Blazers were willing to sign-and-trade Layman for essentially nothing, clearing the way for Minnesota to add both players without a fight.

At point guard, the Wolves added Shabazz Napier and Tyrone Wallace via trade and waiver claim, respectively. Given the roster crunch in Minnesota, Wallace and his non-guaranteed contract may not end up on the regular season roster, which would put Napier in position to be Teague’s primary backup at the point.

Outlook for 2019/20:

After putting a merciful end to their playoff drought in the spring of 2018, the Timberwolves’ 2018/19 season was doomed from the start by Butler’s trade demand and the lengths he went to make sure the franchise met that demand.

Without Butler on the roster, Minnesota’s ceiling is limited, but there’s still some intriguing talent on this roster. Towns is one of the NBA’s best big men, a healthy Covington would give the Wolves a two-way threat they desperately missed last season, and Wiggins’ upside remains tantalizing if he can ever put it all together.

It may not be enough to make a serious run at a playoff spot, but with Rosas and Ryan Saunders running the show in Minnesota, the attitude in the locker room at least seems to be more positive than it was a year ago. Bigger changes are ahead for the Wolves as Rosas begins to put his stamp on the organization.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Washington Wizards

October 6th, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Thomas Bryant: Three years, $25MM. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Ish Smith: Two years, $12MM. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Justin Robinson: Three years, minimum salary. First year partially guaranteed ($250K). Second and third years non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Isaiah Thomas: One year, minimum salary.
Two-way contracts:
- Garrison Mathews
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Justin Anderson: One year, minimum salary.
- Phil Booth: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Chris Chiozza: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Michael Cobbins: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).
- Kellen Dunham: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).

Trades:

Acquired Jonathon Simmons and the draft rights to Admiral Schofield (No. 42 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for cash ($2MM).
- Note: Simmons was later waived.
Acquired C.J. Miles from the Grizzlies in exchange for Dwight Howard.
Acquired Davis Bertans in a three-team trade with the Spurs and Nets in exchange for the draft rights to Aaron White (to Nets).
Acquired Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones , and the Lakers’ 2022 second-round pick in a three-team trade with the Lakers and Pelicans in exchange for cash ($1.1MM; to Pelicans).
Acquired either the Bulls’ or Grizzlies’ 2020 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the right to swap the Lakers’ 2022 second-round pick for either the Bulls’ or Pistons’ 2022 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), and the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with protections removed from the Bulls in exchange for Tomas Satoransky (sign-and-trade).
- Note: The Wizards had acquired the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with 31-36 protection in a previous trade.

Draft picks:

1-9: Rui Hachimura — Signed to rookie contract.
2-42: Admiral Schofield — Signed to three-year, $4.3MM contract. Third year partially guaranteed ($300K). Signed using mid-level exception.

Departing players:

Trevor Ariza
Sam Dekker
Jeff Green
Dwight Howard
Jabari Parker (declined team option)
Tarik Phillip (waived)
Bobby Portis
Chasson Randle
Devin Robinson (two-way)
Tomas Satoransky

Other offseason news:

Named Tommy Sheppard permanent general manager.
Hired Sashi Brown as chief planning and operations officer.
Hired Rod Thorn as senior advisor.
Hired Antawn Jamison as director of pro personnel.
Hired Johnny Rogers as VP of pro personnel.
Made changes to Scott Brooks‘ coaching staff.
Offered contract extension to Bradley Beal.
Applied for disabled player exception for John Wall (not yet approved).
Isaiah Thomas to miss start of season due to thumb surgery.
Ian Mahinmi to miss start of season due to Achilles strain.
C.J. Miles underwent foot surgery.
Troy Brown suffered calf strain.
Exercised 2020/21 rookie scale options on Troy Brown, Moritz Wagner.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $126.1MM in guaranteed salary.
Hard-capped.
$1.36MM of mid-level exception still available (used $7.9MM on Ish Smith, Admiral Schofield, and Justin Robinson).
Full bi-annual exception ($3.62MM) still available.
Six traded player exceptions available; largest TPE ($5MM) expires 7/7/20.

Story of the summer:

None of the NBA’s new heads of basketball operations had things easy this summer, but new Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard was arguably thrust into the toughest situation of any of them.

After years of being unable to break through in the postseason behind their Bradley Beal/John Wall backcourt duo, the Wizards would have been justified in blowing things up this offseason and launching an all-out rebuild. Beal was coming off a career year and his trade value would have been at an all-time high if Sheppard had opted to make him available.

However, the Wizards’ other All-Star guard was on the opposite end of the trade-value spectrum — a torn Achilles will likely sideline Wall for most or all of 2019/20, the first season of his monster four-year, $171MM contract extension.

In order to move Wall without surrendering multiple positive assets, Washington likely would’ve had to tie him to Beal, which would’ve taken some potential trade partners off the table due to the sheer amount of money involved (the duo has a combined cap charge of over $65MM). It also would’ve seriously limited the return the Wizards could have realistically sought for their healthy star.

Ultimately, Sheppard opted to hang onto both players, which isn’t an unreasonable approach. Beal still has two years left on his contract, so the Wizards still have plenty of time to change course if they decide to move on or if Beal asks to be dealt. Wall, meanwhile, will always be tough to move on his current contract but could rebuild his value to some extent if he returns from his Achilles injury and shows he can still be a reliable on-court performer.

While Sheppard’s approach is understandable, it’s certainly not without risk. If Beal eventually requests a trade and that request goes public, it would negatively impact the Wizards’ leverage. And there’s no guarantee that Wall ever comes close to recapturing his old form.

For now, the franchise remains somewhat in limbo. A playoff berth is hard to envision, but the roster also doesn’t feature a ton of young talent with star upside to develop.

Key offseason losses:

The Wizards’ roster overhaul this summer included the departures of several one-and-done players. Trevor Ariza, Jabari Parker, and Bobby Portis all arrived in midseason trades and initially looked like candidates to be re-signed, but Sheppard didn’t appear to seriously consider bringing any of them back.

Dwight Howard and Jeff Green were free agent signees in 2018 who won’t return this year. Injuries limited Howard to just nine games during his lone season in D.C. before he was traded to Memphis. Green was productive as a Wizard, but opted to sign with a team closer to contention once he reached the open market.

Tomas Satoransky was perhaps the most notable offseason loss for the Wizards. The underrated guard provided stability at the point over the last two years when Wall missed time with injuries, and was a nice fit next to Beal since he didn’t always need the ball in his hands. With Wall on the shelf and Satoransky gone in 2019/20, point guard may be an area of concern in Washington.

Key offseason additions:

Not many mock drafts had Rui Hachimura coming off the board as high as No. 9, but the Wizards were happy to get him at that spot and are in position to provide him with consistent minutes right away. Hachimura, who projects to be a dynamic scorer, still has work to do on his defense and his outside shot, but he may be the closest thing the Wizards have to foundational long-term piece outside of Beal.

Having lost Satoransky, the Wizards addressed the point guard position by signing Ish Smith and Isaiah Thomas in free agency. Smith is reliable enough, though he fits in better as a backup playing primarily against second units. It will be interesting to see how he holds up as a full-time starter in D.C.

Of course, a healthy Thomas could force his way into the starting lineup if he looks anything like his old self, but we’re getting further and further removed from the All-Star version of IT we saw from 2015-17. He has been limited to just 44 games over the last two years and will still be recovering from thumb surgery when the season starts. Anything Washington gets from him this year should be considered a bonus.

Acquiring Davis Bertans in a trade with the Spurs for essentially nothing was a steal for the Wizards, who will rely on the young power forward for some much-needed outside shooting in the frontcourt. Bertans has made over 40% of his career three-point attempts, including 42.9% last season.

Finally, the Wizards sneaked into the Anthony Davis blockbuster between the Lakers and Pelicans by taking on a trio of young players – Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Jemerrio Jones – from L.A. While it would probably be foolhardy to count on all of them to become regular contributors, the Wizards only gave up a small amount of cash in the deal, so they’d be coming out ahead even if just one of the three develops into a solid rotation player.

Outlook for 2019/20:

The Wizards didn’t have a bad offseason, but with Wall injured and taking up $38MM+ of the team’s cap room, the new management group just didn’t have the cap flexibility to add the pieces necessary to make Washington a strong postseason contender in 2019/20.

Still, this will be a big year for the organization. If the team exceeds expectations, makes a couple savvy trades, or just generally shows that it’s on the right track, it could go a long way toward convincing Beal he should stick around long-term, which seems to be the Wizards’ preference. If things go south, it probably won’t be long before the club shops Beal and goes all-in on a rebuild, which could be a long, painful process.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Memphis Grizzlies

October 4th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Jonas Valanciunas: Three years, $45MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Tyus Jones: Three years, $26.45MM. Signed using mid-level exception. Timberwolves didn’t match offer sheet.
- Marko Guduric: Two years, $5.38MM. Signed using bi-annual exception.
Two-way contracts:
- John Konchar
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Matt Mooney: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, the draft rights to Darius Bazley (No. 23 pick), and the Jazz’s 2020 first-round pick (1-7 and 15-30 protected) from the Jazz in exchange for Mike Conley.
Acquired Dwight Howard from the Wizards in exchange for C.J. Miles.
- Note: Howard was later bought out.
Acquired the draft rights to Brandon Clarke (No. 21 pick) from the Thunder in exchange for the draft rights to Darius Bazley (No. 23 pick) and the Grizzlies’ 2024 second-round pick.
Acquired Andre Iguodala, the Warriors’ 2024 first-round pick (top-four protected), and cash ($2MM) from the Warriors in exchange for Julian Washburn (two-way).
Acquired Josh Jackson, De’Anthony Melton, the Suns’ 2020 second-round pick, and the Suns’ 2021 second-round pick (protected 36-60) from the Suns in exchange for Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter.
Acquired Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill from the Hawks in exchange for Chandler Parsons.
Acquired the draft rights to Satnam Singh, the Trail Blazers’ 2021 second-round pick, and either the Mavericks’ or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable) from the Mavericks in exchange for Delon Wright (sign-and-trade).

Draft picks:

1-2: Ja Morant — Signed to rookie contract.
1-21: Brandon Clarke — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Avery Bradley (waived)
Jevon Carter
Mike Conley
Tyler Dorsey
Justin Holiday
C.J. Miles
Joakim Noah
Chandler Parsons
Julian Washburn (two-way)
Delon Wright
Tyler Zeller

Other offseason news:

Fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach.
Hired Brad Jones, Niele Ivey, and other assistant coaches; Jones will be lead assistant.
Re-assigned head of basketball operations Chris Wallace to scouting department.
Promoted Jason Wexler to president of basketball/business operations; promoted Zach Kleiman to executive VP of basketball operations.
Hired Rich Cho as VP of basketball strategy and Glen Grunwald as senior advisor.
Promoted Tayshaun Prince to VP of basketball affairs.
Andre Iguodala not reporting to camp.
Josh Jackson entered diversion program to settle misdemeanor charge; will start season in G League.
De’Anthony Melton to miss 4-8 weeks due to stress reaction in back.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $124.05MM in guaranteed salary.
Hard-capped.
$998K of bi-annual exception still available (used $2.63MM on Marko Guduric).
Seven traded player exceptions available; largest TPE ($4.74MM) expires 7/8/20.

Story of the summer:

It was the end of an era in Memphis in more ways than one in 2019. The Grizzlies completed a massive overhaul of their front office and coaching staff in the spring, ensuring that longtime decision-makers like Chris Wallace and John Hollinger were no longer calling the shots. In their place, Jason Wexler and Zach Kleiman are running the show, with help from veteran basketball executives like Rich Cho and Glen Grunwald.

The Grizzlies’ new-look management group completed a series of roster changes that Wallace’s group started earlier in the year. After trading Marc Gasol at last year’s deadline, Memphis sent Mike Conley to Utah this summer, fully severing ties with the squad that earned seven consecutive playoff berths from 2011-17. The longest-tenured Grizzlies players are now 2017 draftees Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks.

With long-term franchise cornerstones Gasol and Conley no longer in the picture, the Grizzlies are betting on Jaren Jackson Jr. and this year’s No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant as the new foundational pieces in Memphis. Both players are still just 20 years old, so the franchise will take a patient approach in building around them, and that patience was on display this offseason.

In addition to trading Conley, the Grizzlies also gained assets by taking on unwanted contracts belonging to Andre Iguodala and Josh Jackson, and by agreeing to sign-and-trade restricted free agent Delon Wright to Dallas. In total, those deals netted Memphis three first-round picks and several more second-rounders, setting the organization’s rebuild on the right track.

It’s still very early in the process, so it’s not clear yet how the Grizzlies’ current pieces will fit together or what other opportunities will arise as they wait for JJJ and Morant to develop into impact players. But the 2019 offseason represented a promising start to that process.

Key offseason losses:

Conley spent the first dozen years of his NBA career in Memphis, and was one of the league’s most productive – and underrated – point guards during that time. No 12-year veteran with zero All-Star appearances on his résumé has been more valuable than Conley since 2007, and 2018/19 was arguably his best year yet, as he established a new career-high in points per game (21.1), while also contributing 6.4 APG, a .364 3PT%, and strong leadership to a team entering a transition phase.

You could make the case that Morant, the Grizzlies’ new point guard of the future, would have benefited greatly from spending a year or two playing behind and alongside Conley, but it made sense that Memphis’ new management group wanted to cash in on the 31-year-old’s increased trade value this summer.

Besides Conley, the Grizzlies will be without a few other regular rotation players in 2019/20. Wright, Avery Bradley, Justin Holiday, C.J. Miles, and Joakim Noah all moved on after spending part of last season in Memphis. And, notably, the Chandler Parsons era came to an end.

The fondness that Grizzlies fans feel when they recall Conley’s tenure almost certainly won’t be extended to Parsons, who signed a maximum-salary contract with the franchise in 2016 and then appeared in just 95 games over the next three years. Health problems plagued Parsons throughout his time in Memphis, keeping him out of action more often than not and limiting his effectiveness when he was able to play — he averaged just 7.2 PPG on 39.3% shooting over the last three seasons.

Key offseason additions:

There were three players in the 2019 draft class widely considered to be in a top tier of their own, and the Grizzlies got one of those three when they selected Morant with the No. 2 overall pick. Zion Williamson would have been a more electric addition to the roster, and RJ Barrett wouldn’t have been a bad consolation prize, but you could make a strong case that Morant is the best possible partner for Jaren Jackson, the team’s 2018 lottery pick. The Grizzlies hope to see Morant and Jackson breaking down defenses in the pick and roll for years to come.

Since Morant may not be ready to shoulder a massive load at point guard out of the gate, the Grizzlies went out and added a young veteran to fortify the depth chart. Tyus Jones, who signed the lone offer sheet of 2019’s free agent period, only has four years of experience under his belt, but the 23-year-old could become the de facto “veteran” leader in the backcourt.

The Grizzlies also surrendered a future second-round pick to move up a couple spots in the first round and snag Brandon Clarke, a former Gonzaga forward who slipped a little on draft night. Clarke isn’t necessarily viewed as the kind of foundational building block that Morant and Jackson are, but if he delivers on his potential, he can become a long-term fixture in the rotation sooner rather than later.

Most of the rest of the Grizzlies’ offseason additions were rolls of the dice on young projects whose stocks have slipped a little (Josh Jackson, De’Anthony Melton, and Grayson Allen) or acquisitions of solid veterans who will find themselves on the trade block (Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill).

Outlook for 2019/20:

The Grizzlies aren’t as far along in their rebuilding process as teams like the Bulls, Suns, and Hawks, who will look to improve their records this season. In Memphis, the new front office remains in asset-gathering mode and has no illusions about competing for a playoff spot right away.

After winning 33 games last season, the Grizzlies likely won’t approach that total again in 2019/20. In fact, a bottom-five finish is a good bet. But if Morant and JJJ are improving and Memphis is in position to add another top young prospect to its core in the draft next spring, the plan will be on the right track.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Atlanta Hawks

October 2nd, 2019 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Jabari Parker: Two years, $13MM. Second-year player option. Signed using cap room.
- Vince Carter: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using cap room.
Two-way contracts:
- Charlie Brown Jr.
- Brandon Goodwin
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Armoni Brooks: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Marcus Derrickson: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Tahjere McCall: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Ray Spalding: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired the Heat’s 2024 second-round pick (protected 31-50 and 56-60) and cash ($1.88MM) from the Heat in exchange for the No. 44 pick in 2019 draft (used to select Bol Bol).
Acquired the Warriors’ 2024 second-round pick and cash ($1.3MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the No. 41 pick in 2019 draft (used to select Eric Paschall).
Acquired Evan Turner from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Kent Bazemore.
Acquired Allen Crabbe, the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), and the Nets’ 2020 first-round pick (top-14 protected) from the Nets in exchange for Taurean Prince and the Hawks’ 2021 second-round pick.
Acquired Solomon Hill, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), and the Pelicans’ 2023 second-round pick (31-45 protected) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 pick), the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), the draft rights to Marcos Louzada Silva (No. 35 pick), and the Cavaliers’ 2020 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
- Note: The Cavaliers’ protected 2020 first-rounder will become two second-round picks (2021 and 2022) if it’s not conveyed in 2020.
Acquired the draft rights to Bruno Fernando (No. 34 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), the Hawks’ 2020 second-round pick (56-60 protected), and either the Hawks’, Hornets’, or Nets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
Acquired Chandler Parsons from the Grizzlies in exchange for Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill.
Acquired Damian Jones and the Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick from the Warriors in exchange for Omari Spellman.

Draft picks:

1-4: De’Andre Hunter — Signed to rookie contract.
1-10: Cam Reddish — Signed to rookie contract.
2-34: Bruno Fernando — Signed to three-year, $4.7MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using cap room.

Departing players:

Jaylen Adams (waived)
Justin Anderson
Kent Bazemore
Deyonta Davis (waived)
Dewayne Dedmon
Isaac Humphries
Miles Plumlee
Alex Poythress (two-way)
Taurean Prince
Omari Spellman

Other offseason news:

Extended GM Travis Schlenk, promoted him to president of basketball operations.
Relocated NBAGL affiliate from Erie; rebranded as College Park Skyhawks.
Chandler Parsons underwent Regenokine treatment on knees.
Allen Crabbe arrested on DUI charge.
Lost assistant GM Jeff Peterson to Nets.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; still under the cap (approximately $5.3MM in room).
Carrying approximately $103.8MM in guaranteed salary.
Full room exception ($4.77MM) still available.

Story of the summer:

Since Travis Schlenk arrived in Atlanta as the Hawks’ new head of basketball operations in 2017, the franchise has been in asset accumulation mode. That approach has meant adding young talent in the draft while primarily using the club’s available cap room to take on unwanted contracts and acquire even more draft picks.

Schlenk and the Hawks’ front office essentially continued down that path this summer. The team’s acquisition of Allen Crabbe was a classic salary-dump deal that netted extra first-round picks in both 2019 and 2020 — all Atlanta had to give up was a 2021 second-round pick, a player who apparently wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans (Taurean Prince), and 2019 cap room.

The Hawks were also quiet in free agency once again, waiting out the first wave of blockbuster deals and making only modest investments once the dust settled. It all points to a team that knows its rebuild is an ongoing process.

On the other hand, we saw this offseason that the Hawks are willing to start consolidating their assets for the right deal. The blockbuster trade they made with the Pelicans on draft night saw them absorb an unwanted contract (Solomon Hill‘s) and surrender the Nos. 8, 17, and 35 picks from this year’s draft. The target? De’Andre Hunter, whom Atlanta traded up to No. 4 to snag.

Hunter is just 21 years old and has yet to make his NBA debut, so he isn’t the sort of player who will turn Atlanta into a contender right away. But the deal foreshadowed the pivot that should be around the corner for the Hawks, who may not be in rebuilding mode for much longer. The next time Schlenk decides to consolidate his assets in a major trade, he may be targeting a veteran star who can help make the team a legit contender.

Key offseason losses:

The Hawks’ roster underwent some major turnover this summer, which can be attributed in large part to the eight trades the team completed. Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince, and Omari Spellman were among the players traded away by Atlanta.

Bazemore, a veteran three-and-D wing, was entering a contract year and was coming off a down season. Prince, who played a similar role for the Hawks, had a strong season in 2018/19 but was also in the final year of his deal — having been drafted by the previous regime in Atlanta, he probably wouldn’t have received a lucrative second contract from the current group. As for Spellman, I was a little surprised to see the Hawks move on from the 2018 first-round pick after a rookie season in which the big man showed some outside shooting touch.

The Hawks’ most notable departing player may have been Dewayne Dedmon, who left via free agency rather than in a trade. The veteran center had been quietly effective during his two seasons in Atlanta, and established new career highs in a handful of categories in 2018/19, including PPG (10.8), 3PT% (.382), BPG (1.1), and SPG (1.1). His presence in the middle will be missed.

Key offseason additions:

Of all the newly-added players on the Hawks’ roster, Hunter is the one most likely to spend the next 10 years in Atlanta. Already this fall, Hawks coaches and Hunter’s new teammates have been heaping praise on the youngster, who won an NCAA championship in his final year at Virginia and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

With building blocks Trae Young, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter already in place, Hunter should fit nicely into the club’s long-term plan as a versatile combo forward who can knock down three-pointers and lock down opposing scorers.

Of course, Hunter wasn’t the only prospect the Hawks selected in the 2019 lottery — Cam Reddish, the 10th overall pick, also joins the mix. It was an up-and-down freshman year at Duke for Reddish, who is one of the NBA’s youngest and rawest players, but his upside is tantalizing, and the Hawks can afford to take it slow with him.

Atlanta also figures to things slow with rookie center Bruno Fernando, the team’s final draft pick of 2019, who may develop into a reliable backup at the five, but figures to slot in behind Alex Len and Damian Jones on the depth chart out of the gate.

Speaking of Jones, he was one of several veterans on expiring contracts brought in by Atlanta in the team’s various trades this summer. Besides Jones, the Hawks also acquired Chandler Parsons, Evan Turner, and Crabbe. All of them – with the possible exception of Parsons – should play, but it’s hard to picture any becoming long-term fixtures in Atlanta. Jones may have the best chance if he stays healthy and impresses. At age 24, he has been limited to just 49 total NBA games due to injuries.

Finally, the Hawks also signed Jabari Parker to a two-year, $13MM contract which features a second-year player option. It was a somewhat surprising move for a team that seemed to be prioritizing 2020 cap flexibility. It also represented the biggest salary commitment Schlenk has made to a veteran free agent since he arrived in 2017.

After Atlanta struggled on defense last season, head coach Lloyd Pierce has stated that he wants to see “consistency” on that end of the floor in 2019/20, and Parker has never been a particularly strong defender. The former No. 2 overall pick does possess the sort of play-making ability that could alleviate some pressure on Young on offense, but it will be interesting to see how he fits in on Atlanta’s young roster.

Outlook for 2019/20:

The Hawks took a small step forward in 2018/19 by bumping their win total from 24 to 29. I’d expect that number to creep slightly higher this season as Young, Collins, and Huerter improve, but I’d be surprised if Atlanta is ready to make the leap to playoff team quite yet.

Hunter and Reddish were the club’s most notable offseason additions, and while they represent promising long-term pieces, they’re unlikely to have a massive on-court impact as rookies. Meanwhile, none of the incoming veterans project to be more than role players on this year’s squad.

This is a team on the rise and it should be an exciting one to watch, but my guess is that the Hawks are still a year or two away from making serious noise in the East.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: New Orleans Pelicans

September 28th, 2019 at 9:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- J.J. Redick: Two years, $26.5MM. Signed using cap room.
- Darius Miller: Two years, $14.25MM. Second year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Nicolo Melli: Two years, $8MM. Signed using room exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Zylan Cheatham
- Josh Gray
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Jalen Adams: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Javon Bess: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Kavell Bigby-Williams: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired the Warriors’ 2021 second-round pick, the Warriors’ 2023 second-round pick, and cash ($1MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to Alen Smailagic (No. 39 pick).
Acquired Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the Lakers’ 2021 first-round pick (9-30 protected; unprotected in 2022), the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick (unprotected), the right to swap 2023 first-round picks with the Lakers, and cash ($1.1MM from Wizards; $1MM from Lakers) in a three-team trade with the Lakers and Wizards in exchange for Anthony Davis (to Lakers).
- Note: The Pelicans will have the option to defer the 2024 first-round pick to 2025.
Acquired the draft rights to Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 pick), the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), the draft rights to Marcos Louzada Silva (No. 35 pick), and the Cavaliers’ 2020 first-round pick (top-10 protected) from the Hawks in exchange for Solomon Hill, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), and the Pelicans’ 2023 second-round pick (31-45 protected).
- Note: The Cavaliers’ protected 2020 first-rounder will become two second-round picks (2021 and 2022) if it’s not conveyed in 2020.
Acquired Derrick Favors from the Jazz in exchange for the Warriors’ 2021 second-round pick and the Warriors’ 2023 second-round pick.

Draft picks:

1-1: Zion Williamson — Signed to rookie contract.
1-8: Jaxson Hayes — Signed to rookie contract.
1-17: Nickeil Alexander-Walker — Signed to rookie contract.
2-35: Marcos Louzada Silva — Will play overseas (Australia).

Departing players:

Dairis Bertans (waived)
Trevon Bluiett (two-way)
Ian Clark
Anthony Davis
Cheick Diallo
Solomon Hill
Stanley Johnson
Elfrid Payton
Julius Randle
Christian Wood (waived)

Other offseason news:

Hired David Griffin as executive VP of basketball operations.
Hired Trajan Langdon as general manager.
Hired Swin Cash as VP of basketball operations and team development.
Exercised 2020/21 option on head coach Alvin Gentry.
Hired Jeff Bzdelik as lead defensive assistant coach to replace Darren Erman.
Darius Miller suffered ruptured Achilles; team awarded disabled player exception.
Nicolo Melli underwent knee surgery.
Established new G League team (Erie BayHawks).
Hired Greivis Vasquez as associated head coach of Erie BayHawks.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; now over the cap.
Carrying approximately $114.76MM in guaranteed salary.
$664K of room exception still available ($4.1MM used on Nicolo Melli).
$3.625MM disabled player exception available (expires on 3/10/2020).

Story of the summer:

It’s rare that an NBA team is able to transition from one franchise player to a new one as cleanly as the Pelicans did this offseason.

Okay, maybe “clean” isn’t the right adjective to describe a saga that began with Anthony Davis publicly issuing a midseason trade request that torpedoed New Orleans’ 2018/19 season and mired the club in second-half turmoil. That was actually kind of a mess.

But things looked significantly less messy after the Pelicans landed the No. 1 overall pick at the draft lottery in May, putting them in position to select Zion Williamson, the most hyped prospect to enter the NBA since… well, maybe Davis himself.

The Pelicans later turned the page on the Davis era by trading the big man to the Lakers, and despite the fact that they had little leverage to send him anywhere except his preferred destination, the Pels made out pretty well in the deal, acquiring multiple young players and future first-round picks.

As AD exited the frame and Zion entered, the Pelicans also underwent an important transition in the front office, where David Griffin was hired as the team’s new head of basketball operations. For years, the Pels had essentially been overseen by the New Orleans Saints’ management team, giving them the feel of a junior varsity squad. But Griffin’s arrival signaled an important changing of the guard.

Besides bringing a championship pedigree to the Pelicans, Griffin brought something more important: a focus on building an infrastructure and a culture. Whether that means overhauling the medical staff, building up the team’s analytics department, or addressing any other holes that had been left unfilled in the past, Griffin prioritized building that sustainable infrastructure from day one.

Williamson will be the face of the franchise for years to come, but if Griffin’s work is successful, this could also be remembered as the summer that the Pelicans moved out from the Saints’ shadow and began building a winning culture of their own.

Key offseason losses:

The end of Davis’ tenure in New Orleans was ugly, but the impact of losing him can’t be overstated. It was just a year earlier that he showed the kind of impact he was capable of having on the organization when he helped lead the Pelicans to the second round of the postseason even after DeMarcus Cousins went down with a season-ending injury.

Davis, who has earned six consecutive All-Star berths and three All-NBA nods, was the Pelicans’ best offensive player and rebounder, as well as their defensive anchor. Replicating his production will be a tall order for any two of the players left in New Orleans’ frontcourt, let alone one.

The Pelicans took another hit up front with the loss of Julius Randle, who opted out of an option with New Orleans to sign a three-year contract with the Knicks. The former No. 7 overall pick enjoyed a career year in 2018/19, with 21.4 PPG and 8.7 RPG, though he has never been an elite defender.

Elfrid Payton will join Randle on the Knicks this season after a disappointing single season with the Pelicans in which he was limited to just 42 games due to injuries. Payton filled the box score when he played (10.6 PPG, 7.6 APG, and 5.2 RPG), but the club’s net rating was better when he sat than when he played.

Injury-plagued veteran Solomon Hill, end-of-season standout Christian Wood, young project Cheick Diallo, and rotation players Ian Clark and Stanley Johnson are among the other departing Pelicans.

Key offseason additions:

Unless something goes wrong, Williamson should ultimately be the most impactful addition of the offseason for the Pelicans. The club may handle Zion with kid gloves in his rookie season after some minor injury issues during the spring and summer, but given his immense talent and exceptional athleticism, he’s capable of having a major on-court impact right away.

The same probably can’t be said for the Pelicans’ other first-round picks. I wouldn’t expect Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Jaxson Hayes to play huge roles immediately – they may each spend some time with the team’s new G League affiliate in Erie – but their long-term potential is intriguing.

Speaking of intriguing, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball may no longer be viewed with the same kind of excitement as they were when they were drafted second overall in 2016 and 2017, respectively, but both players have flashed star potential and are still very young.

Staying healthy will be the top priority for Ingram and Ball. A change of scenery may do both of them good as well — on the Lakers, they were expected to turn the franchise around during its rebuilding years, then to help LeBron James transform the club into an overnight contender. In New Orleans, they’ll be out of the spotlight and overshadowed by Zion, which will take off some of the pressure.

Besides all their incoming young talent, the Pelicans made a couple key veteran additions this offseason, signing J.J. Redick in free agency and acquiring Derrick Favors in a trade. I like both moves a lot — Redick will provide much-needed floor spacing and takes on even more importance now that fellow sharpshooter Darius Miller will miss the season with a torn Achilles. Favors, meanwhile, was an awkward fit beside Rudy Gobert in Utah, but could thrive as New Orleans’ starting center.

Shooting guard Josh Hart, who also came over in the AD trade, and power forward Nicolo Melli, a European import, also join a new-look Pelicans roster and will have a chance to compete for regular rotation roles.

Outlook for 2019/20:

The Pelicans’ youth and lack of continuity may limit their ability to get off to a strong start and legitimately contend for the postseason. But this team shouldn’t be overlooked. Jrue Holiday is one of the NBA’s best two-way guards, Williamson can be an impact player immediately, and the roster features an intriguing mix of breakout candidates (Ingram and Ball) and reliable veteran role players (Redick and Favors).

Exceeding expectations and competing for a No. 8 seed is a possibility, but even if the Pelicans are firmly in the lottery, the team’s talented young prospects should give fans hope for a bright future, which wasn’t easy to envision down the stretch of the 2018/19 season.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls

September 26th, 2019 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Thaddeus Young: Three years, $40.64MM. Third year non-guaranteed. Signed using cap room.
- Tomas Satoransky: Three years, $30MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($5MM). Acquired via sign-and-trade using cap room.
- Ryan Arcidiacono: Three years, $9MM. Third-year team option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Luke Kornet: Two years, $4.5MM. Signed using room exception.
- Shaquille Harrison: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($175K). Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Adam Mokoka
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Perrion Callandret: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Milton Doyle: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
  - Note: Deal has been reported but is not yet official.
- Simisola Shittu: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
  - Note: Deal has been reported but is not yet official.
- Justin Simon: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired Tomas Satoransky in a sign-and-trade from the Wizards in exchange for either the Bulls’ or Grizzlies’ 2020 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the right to swap the Lakers’ 2022 second-round pick for either the Bulls’ or Pistons’ 2022 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), and the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with protections removed.
- Note: The Wizards had acquired the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with 31-36 protection in a previous trade.

Draft picks:

1-7: Coby White — Signed to rookie contract.
2-38: Daniel Gafford — Signed to four-year, minimum-salary contract. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using cap room.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Signed head coach Jim Boylen to contract extension.
Hired Chris Fleming as lead assistant coach.
Hired Roy Rogers as assistant coach.
Received permission to remove Omer Asik‘s cap hit from their books.
Wendell Carter underwent core muscle surgery.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; now over the cap.
Carrying approximately $112.31MM in guaranteed salary.
Hard-capped.
$2.52MM of room exception still available ($2.25MM used on Luke Kornet).

Story of the summer:

The Bulls have been in rebuilding mode since trading Jimmy Butler to Minnesota during the 2017 offseason. Chicago won 27 games in 2017/18 and just 22 games last season, reflecting both the team’s ongoing youth movement and a struggle to keep its roster healthy.

While the Bulls aren’t yet ready to go head-to-head with the Eastern Conference’s heavyweights, they entered the 2019 offseason looking to take real steps toward contention. After all, Otto Porter is entering his seventh NBA season, Zach LaVine is entering his sixth season, and Lauri Markkanen will be in his third year. With several of their cornerstone pieces in or nearing their respective primes, the Bulls believe it’s time to win a few more games.

That goal was evident based on Chicago’s approach to free agency. After using the No. 7 overall pick to select point guard Coby White, the team wasn’t content to hand him the keys to the offense, going out and acquiring veteran point guard Tomas Satoransky in a sign-and-trade with the Wizards to add some stability to the backcourt.

The Bulls took a similar approach up front. With veteran center Robin Lopez departing in free agency, the franchise could’ve leaned on its frontcourt duo of Markkanen and Wendell Carter. While those two big men should see plenty of important minutes in 2019/20, Chicago also brought in free agent power forward Thaddeus Young, a reliable veteran who has appeared in 51 playoff contests over the course of his 12-year career.

Outside of Young, Porter (31 playoff games) and Satoransky (16), no other Bull has played in more than one postseason series, so adding vets with that sort of experience was crucial for a club with playoff aspirations.

Key offseason losses:

Wayne Selden and Antonio Blakeney saw regular minutes for the Bulls during the 2018/19 season, but their departures won’t have a huge impact on the team’s rotation. Denzel Valentine will be back to help fill minutes at shooting guard this season behind LaVine, and the club has so many points guards on its roster that I expect we’ll see them sharing the court at times, reducing the need for twos like Selden and Blakeney.

The most noticeable loss in Chicago’s locker room may be Lopez, who has been the team’s veteran leader during its rebuild over the last couple years. The 31-year-old wasn’t putting up huge numbers or playing big minutes (he averaged 9.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 21.7 MPG last season), but his understanding of the game and ability to do the little things made him a good mentor for the likes of Markkanen and Carter.

Key offseason additions:

The Bulls’ signing of Jabari Parker during the 2018 offseason was questionable at the time and looked worse as the season progressed. While the team was at least able to use Parker’s expiring contract to acquire Porter from the Wizards, the front office appears to have learned its lesson based on the way it approached free agency this time around.

Rather than focusing on one-dimensional contributors like Parker, the Bulls zeroed in on veterans with more versatile skill sets. Young’s combination of size and agility allows him to guard multiple positions, and he won’t hurt you on offense either — he hasn’t averaged fewer than 11 points per game since his rookie season and he knocks down the occasional three-pointer.

As for Satoransky, he got the chance to play more in Washington over the last two years with John Wall sidelined and showed off impressive efficiency, posting a .501 FG% and .422 3PT% since the start of the 2017/18 season. While his counting stats don’t jump off the page, Satoransky was an important glue guy for the Wizards, who had a +0.7 net rating when he played last season and a -6.4 rating when he sat.

Unlike last year’s big free agent addition, neither Young nor Satoransky needs a ton of touches on offense, meaning their presence shouldn’t stand in the way of having LaVine and Markkanen take on the primary scoring responsibilities.

The Bulls’ other notable addition this summer was No. 7 overall draft pick White, who was widely viewed as the third-best point guard in the draft. The former UNC standout isn’t an elite distributor, so it will be interesting to see what he looks like sharing the backcourt with another shoot-first guard like LaVine. And with so many point guards on the roster (Kris Dunn, Shaquille Harrison, and Ryan Arcidiacono join White and Satoransky), it remains to be seen how many minutes he’ll get. Still, after failing to develop Dunn into the sort of impact player they hoped he’d become, the Bulls will be especially invested in getting it right with White.

Outlook for 2019/20:

I don’t mind what Chicago did in the offseason, and this Bulls roster certainly looks better than the one that only managed to win 22 games last season. Still, the franchise’s upside will ultimately be dictated on what it gets from its up-and-coming young players. The team knows what it can reasonably expect from vets like Young and Satoransky, but the improvements made by players like LaVine, Markkanen, and Carter will be the wild cards.

If the Bulls stay healthier this year than they have in recent years and at least one or two of those young players takes a major step forward, it’s not crazy to envision a scenario where the club sneaks into the postseason. At the very least, the Bulls should remain in the hunt for the playoffs a little longer this time around than they did a year ago, when a 5-20 start had them out of contention well before Christmas.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Dallas Mavericks

September 20th, 2019 at 9:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Kristaps Porzingis: Five years, maximum salary ($158.25MM). Fifth-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Maxi Kleber: Four years, $34MM. Includes incentives. Fourth year not fully guaranteed. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Seth Curry: Four years, $32MM. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Delon Wright: Three years, $27MM. Includes incentives. Acquired via sign-and-trade using trade exception.
- Dorian Finney-Smith: Three years, $12MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Boban Marjanovic: Two years, $7MM. Signed using bi-annual exception.
- J.J. Barea: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using Bird rights.
Two-way contracts:
- Antonius Cleveland
- Josh Reaves
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Yudai Baba: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Dakota Mathias: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Isaiah Roby (No. 45 pick), the Jazz’s 2020 second-round pick, and the Trail Blazers’ 2021 second-round pick from the Pistons in exchange for the draft rights to Deividas Sirvydis (No. 37 pick).
Acquired Delon Wright in a sign-and-trade from the Grizzlies in exchange for the draft rights to Satnam Singh, the Trail Blazers’ 2021 second-round pick, and either the Mavericks’ or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable).

Draft picks:

2-45: Isaiah Roby — Signed to four-year, $6.73MM contract. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.

Waiver claims:

Aric Holman (from Lakers). One year, minimum salary contract (Exhibit 10). Claimed using minimum salary exception.

Contract extensions:

Dwight Powell: Three years, $33.24MM. Starts in 2020/21; runs through 2022/23.

Departing players:

Kostas Antetokounmpo (two-way; waived)
Trey Burke
Devin Harris
Daryl Macon (two-way; waived)
Salah Mejri
Dirk Nowitzki (retired)

Other offseason news:

Hired Jason Terry as assistant GM of Texas Legends.
Mark Cuban fined $50K for leaking information from NBA’s Board of Governors meeting.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $120.39MM in salary.
Hard-capped.
$297K of mid-level exception still available ($8.96MM used on Seth Curry and Isaiah Roby).
$123K of bi-annual exception still available ($3.5MM used on Boban Marjanovic).
$11.83MM traded player exception available (expires 2/7/20).

Story of the summer:

The 2019 offeason was similar to most other recent offseasons in Dallas for one key reason: The Mavericks entered free agency armed with enough cap room to sign a maximum-salary player, but struck out on their top target(s).

Nikola Vucevic and Al Horford were among the players cited as possible options for the Mavericks. But it was Horford’s decision to opt out and become a free agent in the first place that actually indirectly cost the team its presumed No. 1 target. With Horford and Kyrie Irving leaving Boston, the Celtics suddenly had the cap flexibility to box out the Mavs in the Kemba Walker sweepstakes. Team owner Mark Cuban acknowledged in mid-July that his team had been eyeing Walker and had to “adjust” when the C’s snatched him up.

Still, while there was nothing new about the Mavs missing out on their preferred veteran star in free agency, there was one important difference this time around — the franchise had already acquired a potential cornerstone in a trade earlier in the year. And since Kristaps Porzingis was a restricted free agent, Dallas had no problem locking him up to a five-year, maximum-salary contract.

While the Mavs certainly would’ve liked to add a veteran All-Star like Walker to the mix to form a Big Three with up-and-coming stars Porzingis and Luka Doncic, they’ll have more opportunities to go that route. Doncic won’t get a huge raise until 2022, and the club should have major cap flexibility again in 2021. By that time, perhaps the allure of joining Porzingis and Doncic will strengthen the Mavs’ position in free agency, allowing them to secure the big fish that has eluded them in recent years.

Key offseason losses:

He was far from an elite player during the final year of his career in 2018/19, but Dirk Nowitzki retired this spring as far and away the best Maverick in franchise history. After spending 21 seasons in Dallas, Nowitzki is the team’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, three-pointers, blocks, and way too many other categories to list.

Mark Cuban and the Mavs’ front office probably regrets not being able to build a more effective roster around Nowitzki during the final years of his career. After winning a title in 2011, Dirk only made four more playoff appearances and didn’t make it out of the first round in any of them.

Even if it wasn’t a storybook ending for Nowitzki in Dallas, the 21-year union between the Mavs and the German was a bigger success than an NBA team and player could realistically expect. The 41-year-old retires after having established a new record for most seasons spent with a single team, and it seems inevitable that he’ll get involved with the Mavs’ front office or ownership group at some point.

None of the Mavericks’ other departures were nearly as notable as Dirk’s, but Salah Mejri was a solid backup big man, and Trey Burke and Devin Harris played regular minutes in the backcourt. While Harris remains unsigned and could theoretically still return to Dallas, the team already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts.

Key offseason additions:

Many of the Mavericks’ free agent deals this summer were with their own free agents — Porzingis, Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith, and J.J. Barea all re-upped with Dallas on new contracts. However, the club also brought in a handful of role players who should complement Doncic and Porzingis and solidify the rotation.

Seth Curry, signed using the mid-level exception, enjoyed a breakout season in Dallas in 2016/17, when he averaged 12.8 PPG with a .425 3PT%. A leg injury sidelined Curry for his final season with the Mavs, and he spent the 2018/19 campaign in Portland, but he’s back in Dallas now on a four-year contract that will pay him $32MM.

The Mavs attempted the fourth-most three-pointers in the NBA last season, but ranked 27th in three-point percentage. Their percentage dipped even further after the All-Star break without Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews in the lineup. It made sense then that two of the club’s top targets in free agency were Curry and Danny Green, both of whom ranked in the top three in 3PT% in 2018/19. The Mavs couldn’t land Green, but Curry will be asked to let it fly and provided much-needed floor spacing this season.

Because they remained over the cap, the Mavs held onto the $21MM+ trade exception they generated in last season’s Barnes deal, and used part of that exception to acquire Delon Wright in a sign-and-trade. Wright, who frequently played alongside another point guard during his three and a half years in Toronto, should have no problem sharing the court with Doncic and sharing play-making responsibilities with the second-year star.

In the middle, the Mavs opted to replace Mejri with Boban Marjanovic, a big man capable of looking like the most dominant player on the court in certain matchups and being run off the floor in others. Like Mejri, he probably won’t be asked to play more than 10-15 minutes per game, and there may be nights when he sees less than that.

Outlook for 2019/20:

It’s a new era for the Mavericks in Dallas as the club prepares for life without Nowitzki. While the 14-time All-Star will certainly be missed, the Mavs appear to have identified a pair of players capable of headlining the new era of Dallas basketball, and it will be fascinating to see how Doncic and Porzingis mesh this season.

If the two rising stars stay healthy and make the sort of strides we expect, the Mavs could enter the playoff mix in the Western Conference sooner than we expect. The safer bet is that the duo remains at least a year away from making any real noise in the West, but this is a team on the rise. After three straight seasons of 49+ losses, the Mavs will be expecting to take a step forward in 2019/20.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Cleveland Cavaliers

September 17th, 2019 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- None
Two-way contracts:
- Dean Wade
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Marques Bolden: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Daniel Hamilton: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- J.P. Macura: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Jarell Martin: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Alex Robinson: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Sindarius Thornwell: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Malik Newman: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).
- Levi Randolph: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Kevin Porter Jr. (No. 30 pick) from the Pistons in exchange for the Jazz’s 2020 second-round pick, the Trail Blazers’ 2021 second-round pick, the Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick, the Heat’s 2024 second-round pick (top-55 protected), and cash ($5MM).

Draft picks:

1-5: Darius Garland — Signed to rookie contract.
1-26: Dylan Windler — Signed to rookie contract.
1-30: Kevin Porter Jr. — Signed to rookie contract (worth less than 120% of the rookie scale).

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Parted ways with head coach Larry Drew.
Hired John Beilein as head coach.
Hired J.B. Bickerstaff as associate head coach.
Hired Lindsay Gottlieb as assistant coach.
Team owner Dan Gilbert hospitalized with stroke symptoms.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $129.77MM in salary.
Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,718,000) still available.
- Note: The Cavaliers are below the tax apron ($138.93MM) and could theoretically use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and/or bi-annual exception, but wouldn’t be able to use those exceptions in full while staying below the apron.

Story of the summer:

LeBron James hasn’t suited up for the Cavaliers since June of 2018, but the franchise remains very much in transition mode following his departure. Most of the team’s expensive contracts for veteran players who were acquired to play alongside James won’t expire until after the 2019/20 season, meaning they were still clogging the cap this summer.

With all those contracts on the books, the Cavs had little flexibility to do anything in free agency. And since most of those vets on expiring deals don’t have positive trade value, the club also didn’t have much leverage to get anything done on the trade market.

As such, the Cavs had essentially completed their offseason work by the end of draft night. The team hired a new head coach in the spring, then added three first-round prospects at the draft. One of those three first-rounders – Kevin Porter Jr. – was acquired in Cleveland’s only trade in the offseason, and the cap-strapped club didn’t sign a single veteran free agent to a guaranteed contract.

While the Cavs may have liked to make a few more moves and accelerate their rebuild a little, their cap situation necessitated patience. The organization will be in a better position to be more active at this year’s trade deadline or in the 2020 offseason.

Key offseason losses:

None of the departing Cavaliers players were core pieces. Channing Frye and J.R. Smith were key contributors during the team’s NBA Finals years, but neither player saw much action last season, though Frye at least was still a positive presence in the locker room.

Marquese Chriss and Nik Stauskas, two former lottery picks, arrived in midseason trades and got a chance to make an impression in the Cavs’ rotation. Stauskas played well enough to earn a roster spot on a contender (Portland). However, Chriss struggled and has seemingly generated little interest on the free agent market this summer, just three years after he was drafted eighth overall. He remains unsigned.

David Nwaba is the other notable departure for the Cavs. The young swingman played some solid two-way ball in Cleveland last season, but he wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans. Despite the fact that he was eligible for restricted free agency, the Cavs did him a favor by declining to tender him a qualifying offer, allowing him to sign outright with the Nets.

Key offseason additions:

Having failed to secure a top-four pick in this year’s draft lottery, the Cavaliers missed out on the very best prospects in the 2019 rookie class, including Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and RJ Barrett. With the No. 5 overall selection, Cleveland nabbed Darius Garland, the second point guard drafted in the top 10 by the team in the last two years.

If the Cavs viewed Garland as the best player available, he was the right pick in that spot, but it’s not an ideal outcome for the Cavs that their first two lottery picks in the post-LeBron era – Garland and Collin Sexton – essentially play the same position. While Sexton sounds bullish on the duo’s chances to emulate the success of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in Portland, that may be an unrealistic goal. It will be interesting to see how the two young guards complement one another.

Cleveland completed its draft by selecting Dylan Windler at No. 26 and Porter at No. 30. Windler, who made 3.0 three-pointers per game at a 42.9% rate in his final season at Belmont, will add some outside shooting to the roster, while Porter is the sort of low-risk, high-upside prospect the Cavs can afford to gamble on at this point in their rebuild — especially since the former USC Trojan became the first player in years to accept a salary lower than 120% of his rookie scale amount.

New head coach John Beilein is the other important addition for the Cavaliers this offseason. Based on the candidates who interviewed to replace Larry Drew, it appeared the team was targeting an up-and-coming assistant in the mold of Lloyd Pierce or Taylor Jenkins. Instead, the 66-year-old Michigan head coach was the choice.

While he doesn’t necessarily fit the mold we envisioned, Beilein makes sense as the pick to lead the Cavs’ rebuild — he has spent the last several decades getting the most out of young college players at Michigan, West Virginia, Richmond, and a handful of other schools, establishing his bona fides as a developmental guru. He’ll look to do the same in Cleveland, working with the likes of Garland, Sexton, Cedi Osman, and Ante Zizic, among others.

Outlook for 2019/20:

With a 19-63 record, the Cavaliers were one of the NBA’s worst teams in 2018/19. Given how little their roster changed during the summer, there’s no reason to believe they won’t be firmly in the lottery once again in 2019/20.

If he’s healthy and isn’t traded before the deadline, Kevin Love could help Cleveland win a few more games, but this is a team that will be focused more on player development than its spot in the standings. The Cavs figure to have fewer veterans on their roster by the end of the season than they do today, and won’t be making the pivot to serious playoff contention for at least another year or two.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Phoenix Suns

September 16th, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Ricky Rubio: Three years, $51MM. Signed using cap room.
- Kelly Oubre: Two years, $30MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Frank Kaminsky: Two years, $9.77MM. Signed using room exception.
- Jalen Lecque: Four years, minimum salary. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using cap room.
- Cheick Diallo: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Jared Harper
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Haywood Highsmith: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
  - Note: Not yet official.
- David Kramer: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Tariq Owens: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired cash ($1.1MM) from the Pacers in a three-way trade in exchange for T.J. Warren (to Pacers) and the draft rights to KZ Okpala (No. 32 pick; to Heat).
Acquired Dario Saric and the draft rights to Cameron Johnson (No. 11 pick) from the Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to Jarrett Culver (No. 6 pick).
Acquired Aron Baynes and the draft rights to Ty Jerome (No. 24 pick) from the Celtics in exchange for the Bucks’ 2020 first-round pick (top-7 protected).
Acquired Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter from the Grizzlies in exchange for Josh Jackson, De’Anthony Melton, the Suns’ 2020 second-round pick, and the Suns’ 2021 second-round pick (protected 36-60).
- Note: Korver later waived.

Draft picks:

1-11: Cameron Johnson — Signed to rookie contract.
1-24: Ty Jerome — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Dragan Bender
Jamal Crawford
Troy Daniels
Jimmer Fredette (declined team option)
Richaun Holmes
Josh Jackson
George King (two-way)
De’Anthony Melton
Ray Spalding (declined team option)
T.J. Warren

Other offseason news:

Named James Jones permanent general manager
Hired Jeff Bower as senior VP of basketball operations.
Fired head coach Igor Kokoskov.
Hired Monty Williams as new head coach.
Hired Steve Blake, Willie Green, and several other assistant coaches.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; now over the cap.
Carrying approximately $120.86MM in salary.
No cap exceptions available.

Story of the summer:

After unexpectedly firing general manager Ryan McDonough just before the 2018/19 season got underway, the Suns didn’t name a permanent replacement until this past spring. James Jones, less than two years removed from appearing in the NBA Finals as a player, was placed in charge of Phoenix’s front office, with veteran executive Jeff Bower joining him in a key management role.

Although the Suns are in rebuilding mode, their offseason moves perhaps reflected the new front office’s belief that some veteran stability was necessary to complement its young prospects — and to help them develop.

It didn’t initially look like Phoenix would have any real cap room to work with in free agency, but the team managed to create a little flexibility by moving T.J. Warren and Josh Jackson – two players drafted by the previous regime – in separate trades. That newly-created room was enough to sign Ricky Rubio to a three-year, $51MM deal and to take on Aron Baynes‘ and Dario Saric‘s expiring contracts.

While Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker project to be the cornerstones of the Suns for years to come, they’ll need to some help to maximize their potential, and the front office identified those veterans as good candidates to move that process forward. Rubio will create easier shots for Phoenix’s young duo; Baynes will serve as a veteran mentor for Ayton; and Saric’s ability to stretch the floor will help open up space for both young stars to operate.

Key offseason losses:

The Suns haven’t made the postseason since 2010 and haven’t won more than 24 games in a season since the 2014/15 campaign. The miserable run has been protracted in part due to the club’s inconsistent hit rate on high draft picks, and the 2019 offseason saw Phoenix give up on two more of those recent lottery selections.

Dragan Bender – the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft – moved on in free agency after three underwhelming seasons with the Suns, while Jackson – 2017’s No. 4 overall pick – was jettisoned in a salary-dump trade. Both players are entering their age-22 seasons, so it’s fair to question whether Phoenix gave up on them too early. But neither player really showed enough on the court to inspire much optimism, and Jackson ran into legal trouble off the court.

The decision to dump Warren’s salary was a more surprising one. He’s under contract for the next three years at less than $12MM annually and is coming off two straight seasons in which he averaged more than 20 points per 36 minutes — he even added a reliable three-point shot to his game in 2018/19. If the Suns didn’t view him as a great fit, that’s fine. But giving up the No. 32 pick along with Warren just to get rid of him seemed like poor value.

The Suns lost role players Richaun Holmes and Troy Daniels in free agency too, and it seems safe to assume Jamal Crawford won’t be back either. Additionally, De’Anthony Melton, whom the club was reportedly high on a year ago, was sent to Memphis as part of the Jackson trade.

Key offseason additions:

The Suns had been in the market for a point guard since the fall of 2017, when they traded Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee, and finally found an answer at the position this summer when they locked up Rubio to a fully guaranteed three-year contract. The new backcourt duo will be a fascinating one to watch — Booker has often served as Phoenix’s de facto point guard over the last two years, but he should be playing off-ball more than ever in 2019/20, since Rubio is at his best with the ball in his hands.

Although it hasn’t been as high-profile as their search for a point guard, the Suns have also been seeking a reliable stretch four in recent years. Last year’s Ryan Anderson experiment was a disaster, but the team will hope for better results from Saric and Frank Kaminsky, two frontcourt players who have shot the ball well from outside (38.1% over the last two years for Saric; 37.3% for Kaminsky).

Saric and Kaminsky should help create more room for Ayton to go to work down low. Baynes, the other incoming veteran up front, appears in position to claim the backup center minutes that Holmes played last season.

The Suns also added a pair of prospects in the first round of this year’s draft, passing up a chance to select a prospect like Jarrett Culver or Coby White at No. 6 and instead trading down to No. 11, where they selected Cameron Johnson.

It was perhaps the most surprising pick of the first round — Johnson, who wasn’t one of 24 players invited to the green room, was among the oldest players in this year’s class and faced questions about the health of his hips. His shooting prowess (.457 3PT% as a senior) can’t be denied, but the pick looked like a bit of a reach at No. 11.

Ty Jerome, the 24th overall pick in the draft, will likely be brought along more slowly than Johnson and could see time with the G League’s Northern Arizona Suns in his rookie season.

Finally, one of the Suns’ most notable offseason additions was new head coach Monty Williams, who was a sought-after candidate this spring, choosing Phoenix over an opportunity with the Lakers. Williams, the team’s seventh head coach since the 2012/13 season began, will be tasked with getting the most out of up-and-coming youngsters like Booker, Ayton, and Mikal Bridges — and hopefully outlasting the many coaches that came before him this decade.

Outlook for 2019/20:

It’s probably a little too soon to expect the Suns to seriously contend for the playoffs, but it’s time for the franchise to take at least a modest step forward. Phoenix has lost between 58 and 63 games for four consecutive seasons, and Booker and Ayton are too good to remain mired at the bottom of the Western Conference standings for much longer.

The Suns’ front office and coaching staff may look at the Kings’ 2018/19 season as a model to emulate. After losing 49 or more games for 10 straight years, Sacramento posted a 39-43 record last season, with the team’s young players leading the charge. I don’t expect this year’s Suns to match that win total, but it’d be a good goal for a team that won’t realistically have championship aspirations.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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