Over half of the NBA's 30 teams face some sort of hard cap for the rest of the 2024/25 league year. A total of 14 clubs are hard-capped at the first tax apron ($178,132,000) as a result of moves they made on the trade market or in free agency, while three more are hard-capped at the second tax apron ($188,931,000).
Those teams won't be permitted to surpass their respective hard caps for any reason for the rest of '24/25, and it's entirely possible - likely, actually - that more clubs will join them on that list as they finalize in-season signings and trades in the coming months. Just a couple weeks ago, the Grizzlies became the 17th team to get hard-capped when they used a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Scotty Pippen Jr.
[RELATED: How NBA Teams Become Hard-Capped]
However, in most cases, a hard cap doesn't actually serve as a material obstacle for a team. For instance, the Hornets are currently hard-capped at the first apron, but their team salary for apron purposes is more than $16MM below that threshold.
While the Hornets could take on some additional salary in a pre-deadline trade, it's extremely hard to imagine a scenario in which they surpass the luxury tax line ($170,814,000), let alone approach their $178MM+ hard cap. Certainly, Charlotte's front office should be aware of that hard cap over the course of the season, but it shouldn't be a front-of-mind concern that would prevent the team from pulling the trigger on any moves it realistically wants to make.
Not every team can afford to approach its hard cap like the Hornets though. For a handful of clubs, the hard cap will be a day-to-day consideration that affects a team's ability to sign a free agent, make a trade, or even carry a full 15-man roster.
Let's take a closer look at which teams have to be most aware of their hard caps over the course of the 2024/25 league year.
A Grant Williams foul on Celtics star Jayson Tatum resulted in an ejection for the former Boston forward on Friday night (video link via NBA.com). Teammate Jaylen Brown took offense to the foul – ruled a flagrant two – and approached Williams after the hit, questioning his motives, according to The Athletic’s Jay King.
“It was for sure intentional,” Brown said. “What are we talking about here? Did y’all see the same play that I’m seeing? He hit him like it was a football play, like (former NFL linebacker) Ray Lewis coming across the middle or something. It is what it is. Grant knows better than that.”
Williams said he was trying to make a play on the ball and that the collision looked worse than it actually was. The Hornets forward said “if [Tatum] had prepared and actually turned his head to the left,” it wouldn’t have looked as gnarly.
“It was just a hard foul,” Williams said. “And we play them again tomorrow. It’s nothing crazy or beyond the means. We all know JT’s my guy, so nothing intentional.”
Celtics players weren’t so sure. Both Brown and Derrick White chided Williams for the play after the game. While the Hornets forward called Tatum one of his closest friends in the league, Brown made it clear there was nothing friendly about Williams’ play.
“Actions speak loud,” Brown said. “So it is what it is. We got the win, we’ll move on, but there’s no place in the game for that. I thought JT and him was friends. I guess not.”
Williams jokingly said after the game that he was preparing to have his former Celtics teammates over to his house after the game, but that they probably wouldn’t take him up on the offer anymore. Friday’s game served as a reunion for more than Williams. Former Celtic Kemba Walker is on Charlotte’s coaching staff, while Hornets head coach Charles Lee served as Joe Mazzulla‘s assistant last year.
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The Heat are fluctuating between a nine- and 10-man rotation to start the season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duncan Robinson and Thomas Bryant have been the biggest fixtures in the second unit. Beyond those three, Haywood Highsmith, Alec Burks and two-way player Dru Smith are next up in the rotation, with their playing time varying from game to game.
Smith, in particular, stood out in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks. Even before the game was out of reach, he played over Highsmith and Burks (who each received DNPs). Smith recorded two points, four rebounds and three blocks in 16 minutes.
“I thought he was really good in the first half,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Smith playing over Highsmith and Burks. “Some of that defensive pressure and the spark, that kind of shifted momentum and that made those minutes, not just Dru but that second unit. But that didn’t necessarily happen in the second half with that unit.”
Smith played among the second unit often in the preseason. His role may change when Josh Richardson is healthy for the Heat, but they’ve also clearly been impressed by the guard, who has spent most of his professional career in their development system since going undrafted in 2021. He’s a candidate to be converted to a standard deal at some point in the season.
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While searching for a new head coach this offseason, the Cavaliers sent out a request for all candidates to come prepared with an outline for Evan Mobley‘s future, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Now-head coach Kenny Atkinson presented a plan for how Mobley could continue building his relationship with Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt and space the floor despite not being a traditional shooter, like Draymond Green in Golden State.
“[Atkinson]’s just empowering me, like, ‘You gotta go and attack. Look to score for us,’” Mobley said. “And he does that with everybody. If someone is open on the wing and they pass up a shot, shoot it. That’s his whole philosophy.”
The Cavaliers have big plans for Mobley, including turning him into more of an offensive hub. The team wants him to score more in transition and believes he’ll be even more of a passing threat if teams think he’s looking to score at all times.
Atkinson’s vision is paying off in the early going for Mobley, who spent the offseason building bulk and muscle, according to Katz. He’s bringing up the ball at a career-high rate and his 18.3 points per game would also be a career high if it holds through the season.
“[Mobley] more so has a more a ‘f— you’ attitude this year,” teammate Tristan Thompson said. “I think this summer was good for him developing. Like, he knows he’s that guy. I think sometimes you gotta have that arrogant confidence in yourself. Before, he was kinda playing timid. … But now it’s more like, he knows he’s a f—ing problem.”
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Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley spoke in more detail this week about the left wrist injury he has dealt with for the last few years, admitting that it prevented him from golfing over the summer after he fell on the wrist last season and aggravated an old ligament issue, per Jerry Zgoda of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Still, Conley has gotten used to playing through the injury and plans to continue doing so.
“When I’m 50, I’ll get surgery, not right now,” he said. “The surgery is a little bit complex and I’ve been playing with it for years, so I feel like I’ll just finish it.”
Entering Friday’s bout with Denver, Conley was shooting just 22.6% from the field through Minnesota’s first four games this season, including 27.3% on three-pointers. While the wrist issue may be a factor in the veteran’s shooting struggles, the sample size is small and he’s confident those numbers will improve once he gets through an early-season adjustment period.
“I’m just trying to work back the strength of it,” Conley said. “That’s the biggest thing. The pain and stuff is gone. But there are some times when I’ll shoot it and think, ‘Ah, that’s good,’ and it’ll be like two feet short. So you’re just trying to gauge the differences and work through that as the season goes forward.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
In the wake of his retirement as a player, six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin is said to be drawing significant interest not from NBA teams but from the league’s new television partners. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Griffin is in talks with Amazon Prime Video about a role as an analyst on their NBA coverage, with NBC and ESPN also believed to be interested in the former Clippers star.
Amazon and NBC aren’t currently airing NBA games, but will begin to do so in 2025/26, when the league’s new media rights deal takes effect, and will need to fill out their broadcast teams with both game and studio analysts. One source suggests to McCarthy that Griffin, who has an engaging personality and tried his hand at stand-up comedy during his playing days, is a candidate to become “the face” of Amazon’s NBA coverage.
Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post recently reported that veteran play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle, who calls NBA games for TNT and YES Network, is in serious talks to join Amazon for its NBA coverage. Mike Tirico and Ian’s son Noah Eagle are expected to be the top two play-by-play broadcasters for NBC’s NBA coverage, per Glasspiegel.
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Sixers star center Joel Embiid, who has missed the first four games of the season and has been ruled out for Saturday’s tilt vs. Memphis due to “left knee injury management,” told reporters on Friday that his goal is to make sure he feels fully comfortable on his surgically repaired knee before making his season debut, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports writes.
“I want to be at my best. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m afraid if I do this I might do something or whatever,” Embiid said. “I mentioned it since the last surgery, I mentioned it so many times, it was probably the toughest mentally. I think mentally I’m just dealing with getting that trust back. In the past, it was just easy. But for some reason, this one is just like, mentally, trusting yourself and trusting your body. And I think that’s really what I’m doing.
“I’m almost there,” he continued. “And then with the team, we’re on the same page. I listen to them, they listen to me, and see how everything reacts. Been doing pretty good, going up and down five-on-five, and today was a great session with the whole team.”
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link), Embiid experienced some “minor swelling” in his left knee during the preseason, which is one reason why the Sixers have taken a cautious approach with him this fall.
The former MVP has been scrimmaging for a few days, but Friday’s practice represented a big step forward because it was a live-action five-on-five session with teammates, rather than 76ers staffers.
While it sounds as if Embiid’s absence might not extend much further beyond Saturday’s contest, he was reluctant to name a specific target date for his return, as Neubeck relays.
“It’s unpredictable,” the big man said. “You can have good days, you can have bad days, so I think it’d be kind of foolish for me to sit there and be like, ‘Oh, I’m playing on Tuesday,’ when you don’t know. I played today and it reacts, you’re still getting back into game shape, still getting back to yourself.
“You need to feel 100%, because I think over the years, I’ve done a lot and I’ve put myself at risk for the team, which I’m going to continue to do. But right now is the time to make sure everything is great, which is trending that way. It’s pretty good right now, everybody’s trending the right way, and so we can go on and have a long season and a great couple of years.”
Embiid has faced criticism from some corners for his ongoing absence this fall, with Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer writing multiple columns accusing the 30-year-old of a lack of professionalism and ripping the Sixers for their lack of transparency.
Embiid, who said he’s doing what’s best for his body, pointed out that he has played through multiple injuries and come back early from others over the course of his career. He took exception to some of the criticism he has faced, calling out Hayes by name in his comments to reporters.
“When I see people saying, ‘He doesn’t want to play,'” Embiid said. “I’ve done way too much for this city and putting myself at risk for people to be saying that. I do think it’s bulls–t. Like that dude, Marcus whatever his name is, I’ve done way too much for this f—ing city to be treated like this. Done way too f—ing much. I wish I was as lucky as other ones, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not trying, and I’m not doing whatever it takes to be out there, which I’m going to be here pretty soon.”
Like Embiid, Sixers forward Paul George has missed the club’s first four games and will be unavailable on Saturday due to the bone bruise in his left knee. He’s also moving toward a return, telling reporters on Friday that he’s in the final stage of his rehab process.
“I think at this point, it’s more just cardio, getting the conditioning ready to go, so that when I do come back I’m not subject to any injuries because I’m fatigued and tired,” George said, per Neubeck. “I had really good two days of finally being on the court and practicing and running hard, being in live action, so the knee up to this point feels really good.”
Warriors guards Stephen Curry (left peroneal strain) and De’Anthony Melton (strained lower back) have been ruled out for Saturday’s contest against Houston, the team announced today (via Twitter), and Melton will remain sidelined for at least two games beyond that before being reevaluated a week from now.
However, the injury news from Golden State isn’t all bad. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Curry has been cleared to participate in parts of Friday night’s practice and will be reevaluated on Sunday, so it’s possible he could return to action as soon as Monday vs. Washington.
Additionally, forward Andrew Wiggins is on track to suit up on Saturday after missing two games due to a low back strain. He’ll be immediately reinserted into the starting lineup upon returning, according to head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Slater).
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
Just a week-and-a-half into the 2024/25 regular season, the injuries are piling up for the Grizzlies, who issued a press release on Friday (via Twitter) announcing updates on a handful of their players who have been affected by health issues this fall.
According to the team, swingman Desmond Bane (right oblique strain) and guard Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain) are both considered week-to-week after suffering injuries on Wednesday vs. Brooklyn.
While that’s a somewhat vague timeline, it sounds like the duo is at least expected to miss upcoming games against Philadelphia (on Saturday), Brooklyn (Monday), and the Lakers (Wednesday) and could be out well beyond that.
Second-year wing Vince Williams, who is recovering from a stress reaction in the upper portion of his left tibia, continues to make progress in his rehab process, but is still a little ways off from returning. According to the Grizzlies, Williams is on track to make it back to game action in about two-to-four weeks.
The club also provided an update on two-way guard Cam Spencer, the 53rd pick in this year’s draft. Originally diagnosed in September with a right ankle sprain, Spencer is also dealing with a talar stress reaction that he sustained at the same time, per the Grizzlies. The plan is to reevaluate the rookie in three weeks.
Memphis was the NBA’s most injury-plagued team last season, with Bane (42 games played) and Smart (20 games) among the key players who missed significant time due to various ailments. Star point guard Ja Morant also only played nine times between serving a 25-game suspension and going down with a season-ending shoulder injury.
There has been hope that a bounce-back year would be in the cards with better health luck, and that still could happen, but the season is off to an ominous start on the health front. In addition to the four players noted above, the Grizzlies are also missing forward GG Jackson, who is recovering from foot surgery.
Memphis may soon qualify for a hardship exception, which would allow the team to add an extra or player or two on top of the 15 currently on standard contracts.
A club qualifies for an extra short-term roster spot when it has at least four injured players who have missed three or more consecutive games and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks. Jackson and Spencer fit that bill, and Williams should too — if either Bane or Smart is expected to have a multi-week absence, the club could apply for a hardship exception after Monday’s game, which will be the third that Bane and Smart have missed.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is the headliner among the six players named by Sam Amick and John Hollinger of The Athletic as possible trade candidates to watch over the course of the 2024/25 season.
League sources tell Amick there was a “significant” gap between Kuminga and the Warriors when they discussed a possible rookie scale extension prior to the season, with Golden State’s offer topping out at around $30MM per year, while the fourth-year forward sought at least in the range of $35MM annually.
The two sides were unable to agree to an extension, putting Kuminga on track for restricted free agency in 2025. While he and the Warriors could finalize a new deal at that time, rival executives believe Golden State is “more willing than ever” to put the former No. 7 overall pick in a trade package, according to Amick, though he cautions the return would have to be significant.
Heat swingman Jimmy Butler is one name to keep an eye on, says Amick, citing league sources who say the Warriors registered some interest in the 35-year-old. Butler is extension-eligible and holds a player option for 2025/26, but reportedly plans to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:
