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The Rockets’ Path To Max-Salary Cap Room In 2025

August 23rd, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

It hasn't been all that common in recent years for would-be contenders to carry significant cap room into free agency, but the Sixers and - to a lesser extent - the Thunder showed this year that it can still pay off in a big way.

Philadelphia plotted for over a year to maximize its cap room for the 2024 offseason, putting off a contract extension for Tyrese Maxey in order to generate extra spending power by keeping his modest cap hold on the books and then going over the cap to re-sign him. That approach put the 76ers in position to sign Paul George, arguably the top unrestricted free agent on the market, to a four-year, maximum-salary contract and then to use their remaining cap room to sign complementary players like Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond.

Oklahoma City, meanwhile, didn't have maximum-salary room available and didn't go big-game hunting at the very top of this year's free agent class, but the Thunder used their space to give Isaiah Hartenstein a front-loaded contract starting at $30MM, outbidding the Knicks to land either the best or second-best center available (depending on how you feel about Nic Claxton).

At this point, there are hardly any teams that project to operate under the cap in 2025, and many of the clubs that could have cap room - such as the Nets and Wizards - are still very much in the retooling stage.

There's one potential exception though. The Rockets finished last season with a 41-41 record and appear poised to take another step forward this season as their young core (which now includes No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard) continues to grow. Houston also has the ability to create maximum-salary cap space next offseason.

However, the Rockets' path to maximum-salary room isn't quite as clean as the Sixers' was, and may require shedding one or two starter-caliber players. Let's take a closer look at the team's potential path to max space.

Houston currently has just two players with guaranteed salaries for the 2025/26 season, but that total could increase to seven once the team picks up several rookie scale options for '25/26 by the October 31 deadline. Here are the details:

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International Notes: McLemore, Thornwell, Musa, Dragic

August 23rd, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Rory Maher

Free agent guard Ben McLemore, who played nine NBA seasons from 2013-2022, has signed with Turkish club Yukatel Merkezefendi, the team announced (via Twitter). The 31-year-old former lottery pick spent last season with AEK Athens (Greece) and CB Breogan (Spain).

McLemore was arrested and jailed in Oregon in April and faces multiple felony sexual assault charges. The charges, which include first-degree rape, stem from an alleged incident in 2021, when McLemore was a member of the Trail Blazers.

Here are a few more international notes:

Former NBA wing Sindarius Thornwell has signed a one-year contract with Zastal Zielona Gora, the Polish team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link). As Dario Skerletic of Sportando notes, Thornwell spent last season in Russia playing for Avtodor Saratov. A former second-round pick (48th overall in 2017), Thornwell played four NBA seasons with the Clippers, Pelicans and Magic, last suiting up for Orlando during the 2020/21 season.
Real Madrid star Dzanan Musa is discussing a contract extension with the Spanish powerhouse, he told Emela Burdzovic of Klix.ba. The former Nets guard/forward said he hasn’t ruled out a potential NBA return, but he’s not focused on that possibility right now. “Talks for a new contract are underway, but that does not mean I have other plans,” Musa said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “Of course, there is a possibility of returning to the United States, but I do not want to talk about it. I am very happy at Real, and I hope that with a good offer, I can stay at Real for many years.” Still just 25 years old, Musa was the 29th pick of the 2018 draft.
The Slovenian basketball federation has retired Goran Dragic‘s No. 3 jersey ahead of his farewell game on Saturday, relays Askounis of Eurohoops. “Words and actions are not enough to express gratitude and respect for such a great player as Goran Dragic,” noted KZS president Matej Erjavec. “His extraordinary career, his approach to wearing the jersey of the Slovenian national team, and his success on the court speak for themselves. Goran Dragic deserves to be honored for everything he has done for Slovenian basketball.” Dragic helped lead Slovenia to a EuroBasket title in 2017, claiming MVP honors in the process.

Nets’ Cam Thomas Talks Offseason, Role, Doubters, Accolades

August 22nd, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas enjoyed a breakout year in what was otherwise a 2023/24 season to forget for Brooklyn and its fans. With Mikal Bridges now off to the neighboring Knicks, Thomas spoke to Curtis Rowser III of SLAM about how he’s preparing to build on his impressive run this year.

“I just want to keep working on everything,” Thomas said. “Last summer, I tried to put more emphasis on catch-and-shoot shooting, and I think I was way up in the league percentage-wise on catch-and-shoot [this past season]. So, just continue to work on that and fine-tuning the skills I had coming into the league, like my off-the-dribble stuff and finishing around the basket, [while] still improving on catch-and-shoot, trying to have the best percentage in the league.”

Last year, the 6’4″ guard posted averages of 22.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.7 swipes per game, a massive rise all-around over his 2022/23 averages of 10.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.4 APG and 0.4 SPG. Thomas recorded a shooting line of .442/.364/.856 and finished seventh in Most Improved Player voting.

When it comes to building out his offense, the former LSU standout revealed that he has a specific output target.

“I had the biggest jump in points from my second year to my third year,” Thomas said. “I was at 22.5 [points per game], so I think trying to get into that 25 PPG range, upping the play-making and just trying to keep improving my all-around game. And hopefully, it leads to wins.”

Their full conversation is well worth reading in full. Here are some highlights:

Thomas appears comfortable with the prospect of assuming some of the additional scoring burden created by the departure of Bridges: “Just knowing that and embracing it. I’ve kind of been having those roles [as the leader of the team] ever since I was in high school and college. So, I’m not really worried about it. I’m just excited to get it going and to try to do it in the League. I’m not really worried about it at all; I’m just ready.”
Thomas insisted that he is putting his blinders on when it comes to critics and doubters. “I don’t really worry about the doubters because I’ve always had them,” he said. “Nobody really believed in my talent and scoring ability—even at Oak Hill, and even in college, and even in the league. So, I’m used to it. Now, it’s really just self-motivation. Even down to sliding in the draft all the way down to pick 27 [in the 2021 draft]. I still carry that chip on my shoulder. And even with the Nets, not playing consistently my first two years.”
When it comes to eventually earning possible All-Star or All-NBA accolades, Thomas appeared to be taking a wait-and-see approach. “Whatever happens, happens,” Thomas said. “If I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t. I just want to keep improving. As far as the team, the goal is to be better every day and try to win as many games as we can. Honestly, we don’t know what our team could look like going into next season.” Brooklyn has a young, raw roster, and seems likely to be lottery-bound in 2024/25, no matter how good Thomas is.

Dylan Windler Signs With NBL Team

August 22nd, 2024 at 9:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

9:10pm: Windler’s one-year contract with Perth is official, the team announced (Twitter link via Olgun Uluc of ESPN).

9:01pm: Free agent swingman Dylan Windler is signing with the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League, sources inform Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 27-year-old vet was selected with the No. 26 pick out of Belmont in 2019 by the Cavaliers. He spent his first three NBA seasons in Cleveland before playing for the Knicks, Lakers and Hawks in 2023/24.

Windler had been on a standard contract in New York (after starting out on a two-way deal), but was only signed to two-way agreements with Los Angeles and Atlanta, finishing the year on a two-way deal with the Hawks. However, he was no longer eligible to sign a two-way contract in 2024/25.

Over the course of his NBA career, the 6’6″ wing boasts averages of 3.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 dimes per game, with a shooting line of .425/.347/.800. The southpaw toggled between the NBA and the G League throughout the last four seasons.

In 29 career regular season G League appearances, Windler has averaged 13.0 points (on .462/.370/.653 shooting), 8.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per night. During his tenure in the G League, Windler played for the Canton/Cleveland Charge, the South Bay Lakers, and the Westchester Knicks.

Per Scotto, Windler is still the NBAGL record holder for the most rebounds pulled down over the course of a single game, with 33.

And-Ones: SLAM, 40 Under 40, Howard, Foster

August 22nd, 2024 at 7:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

SLAM founder Dennis Page and his now 30-year-old magazine earned the Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award as part of the James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year, reports Jason Jones of The Athletic.

The magazine was a major cultural force in the 1990s, and supplied a fresh, unique voice in the basketball media space. SLAM has sold over 300 million copies across its three decades of life thus far.

“We were really on the outside of the party looking in, and we just told people the party sucked,” Tony Gervino, the publication’s first editor-in-chief, said. “That’s why we were on the outside. We got into it, then we sort of roughed it up a bit.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

An exciting youth movement is afoot in the NBA. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic lists 40 contemporary coaches, front office executives, managers, and influencers who are under 40 years old and are among the most important or influential figures in the game.
A sexual assault lawsuit filed in Georgia against former eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard was dismissed by accuser Stephen Harper, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Harper received no money to relinquish the suit, Howard’s lawyer Justin Bailey told Holmes. The suit stemmed from a 2021 encounter, which Howard maintained was consensual.
Former Sixers and G League power forward Michael Foster Jr., now playing for Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico, will suit up for the G League United in a pair of exhibition matches against Serbian club Mega Basket next month, the G League has announced (via Twitter).

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Theis, Marshall, Mavericks

August 22nd, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans are set to hold a voluntary mini-camp ahead of the official start of their team training camp, reports Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). New Orleans is expected to have all but one member of its roster present at the mini-camp, which will take place next week in California.

The club is looking to build on its postseason success last year. New Orleans finished with a 49-33 record, its best finish since 2008/09. The team fell in its first play-in tournament game to the Lakers, but managed to survive the Kings and secure the West’s No. 8 seed. The Pelicans were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the No. 1-seeded Thunder.

Team president David Griffin wasn’t going to take the defeat lying down. He traded to acquire former All-Star combo guard Dejounte Murray from the Hawks, and is hoping New Orleans can bolster its backcourt defense. The Pelicans lost starting center Jonas Valanciunas to free agency, and questions remain about the fate of star forward Brandon Ingram. Ingram’s fit alongside All-Star forward Zion Williamson has long been in question. Ingram has yet to work out a contract extension with New Orleans this summer.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Newly-signed Pelicans center Daniel Theis isn’t expected to join his teammates in California for the team’s voluntary mini-camp, tweets Guillory. The 6’8″ big man inked a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal to join New Orleans this summer. Across 60 games for the Pacers and Clippers in 2023/24, Theis posted averages of 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 blocks per night, with a shooting line of .532/.366/.760.
In a mailbag, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reflected on how new addition Naji Marshall may be able to offset the free agency departure of starting swingman Derrick Jones Jr., noting that Marshall is a stronger long-range shooter and a solid passer, but not quite as good a defender or lob target.
Elsewhere in the mailbag, Curtis says he sees the Mavericks’ three major roster acquisitions as overall improvements over role players Jones, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Josh Green. Beyond Marshall, Dallas added former Warriors All-Star wing Klay Thompson via sign-and-trade and obtained guard Quentin Grimes.

Javonte Green Signs With Pelicans

August 22nd, 2024 at 5:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

AUGUST 22: Green’s addition is now official, the Pelicans have announced (Twitter link).

AUGUST 20: The Pelicans are signing free agent Javonte Green, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 6’4″ wing with power forward versatility closed last season with the Bulls.

According to Charania, the deal is for one year. William Guillory of The Athletic adds that it will be a guaranteed minimum-salary contract (Twitter link). Since Green has five years of NBA service, his deal will pay him $2,425,403 while counting for $2,087,519 against the cap.

Green went undrafted in 2015 but caught on with the Celtics ahead of the 2019/20 season. He spent one-and-a-half years with Boston before being traded to the Bulls.

The Radford product was a key part of the 2021/22 Bulls, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 65 games (45 starts). He wasn’t re-signed by the team after his contract expired in 2023 but he eventually caught back on with the organization last season when he signed a pair of deals with the Bulls to close out the year.

In his nine games last season, Green averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. In 195 career games, he holds averages of 5.4 points and 3.1 boards while shooting a .541/.345/.754 line.

Once Green’s deal is official, the Pelicans will have a full 15-man roster of standard contract players, with 13 guaranteed salaries. All three of their two-way spots are also occupied.

With Jonas Valanciunas out of the fold, New Orleans added several bigs to their bench in Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic and Daniel Theis. While Green doesn’t have the same size as those players, he provides another strong rebounding presence (6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes).

Cavaliers Founder Nick Mileti Passes Away At Age 93

August 22nd, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers founder Nick Mileti passed away on Wednesday at the age of 93, the team announced in a press release.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers are saddened to learn of the passing of Nick Mileti, the beloved founder whose passion and vision ignited the spirit of Cavaliers basketball in our great city,” the club said in a statement. “A true pioneer in the world of sports, Nick was not just a leader; he was a dreamer who transformed that dream into reality for countless fans in Cleveland.

“Inducted into the inaugural class of the Cavaliers Wall of Honor in 2019, Nick’s legacy is forever etched in the history of our franchise. His journey began as a Cleveland-area lawyer, and in 1968, he took a bold step by purchasing the Cleveland Arena. Just two years later, he led a dedicated group that brought the Cavaliers to life, introducing our team to the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1970.

“Nick had a grand vision for the future of basketball in Cleveland, culminating in the construction of the Richfield Coliseum, which opened its doors in 1974 as the largest arena in the NBA. For 20 unforgettable years, the Coliseum was home to the Cavaliers, a place where memories were made, and dreams were realized.”

According to ESPN, Mileti remained a part of the Cavs’ ownership group until 1980. He also owned Cleveland’s MLB franchise, the Guardians (then known as the Indians), in the the 1970s.

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Mileti’s family and friends.

Suns Notes: Booker, Little, Durant

August 22nd, 2024 at 3:13pm CST by Rory Maher

He didn’t garner as much media attention as some of his teammates, but Devin Booker‘s excellent all-around play for Team USA at the Olympics is a useful point of reference for how the Suns could utilize him in 2024/25, writes Seerat Sohi of The Ringer.

As Sohi details, Booker was frequently utilized in an off-ball role early in his career, before the arrival of Chris Paul. While the 27-year-old developed as a play-maker during his time with Paul and the team found plenty of success — including making the NBA Finals in 2021 — the team’s offense became increasingly heliocentric. That trend continued in 2023/24 after Paul’s departure, with Booker often playing point guard.

With free agent addition Tyus Jones expected to start at point guard and orchestrate the offense, Booker’s off-ball play will be crucial if the team hopes to make the most of its collective talent, according to Sohi, who says playing off the ball more often could help the 27-year-old defensively as well.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Aside from the financial component, the Suns are waiving Nassir Little because he was unlikely to crack their rotation this season, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Phoenix will use the stretch provision on Little’s contract, reducing his cap hit over the next three seasons while instead paying him about $3.1MM annually over the next seven years. By releasing Little and fellow forward E.J. Liddell, the Suns will only have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, giving them more roster flexibility heading into the season, Bourguet notes.
Will star forward Kevin Durant return to Team USA for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? That’s obviously too many years away for a definitive answer, but Durant fueled speculation by writing “see yall (sic) in LA” on Twitter. The 14-time All-Star will be nearing his 40th birthday by the time the 2028 Olympic Games roll around.

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Kroenke, Roster, Caldwell-Pope

August 22nd, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Injuries were a significant factor in Jamal Murray‘s struggles in the 2024 postseason and during the Olympics in Paris this summer, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said on Wednesday, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“When you’re going against the best in the world, whether it’s in the NBA playoffs or in the Olympics, you’re gonna get (opponents’) best shot And if you’re not 100% and you know you want to be out there still, you’re gonna try to fight through it like Jamal is,” Kroenke said after participating in the Gardner Hendrick Pro-Am, part of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club.

“But I know he wasn’t 100%. I know getting him back there is a big step toward seeing the Jamal who was throwing up triple-doubles in the NBA Finals.”

As Durando writes, the Canadian guard was visibly slowed by a left calf strain during Denver’s second-round playoff loss to Minnesota. Kroenke said Murray has also been battling an ankle issue in addition to other ailments, though he didn’t specify when that particular injury occurred.

A report in late June indicated that the Nuggets and Murray were nearing an agreement on a four-year, $208.45MM maximum extension, but a deal has yet to be finalized. While Kroenke declined to go into specifics on when a contract might come to fruition, he remains confident in Murray’s abilities, Durando adds.

“Jamal’s a great player, one of the best in the NBA,” Kroenke said, “and however he felt personally that the Olympics were for him, just reading some of his quotes, I know he was frustrated a little bit. So I have no doubt that he’ll use that the right way for motivation going into the season.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets, courtesy of Durando (Twitter links):

According to Kroenke, Denver’s roster is “pretty set” for the 2024/25 season, though he acknowledged things can change quickly in the NBA. “Our eyes and ears are always open,” he said. “The new (CBA) rules are interesting, and how some of those trades work once you’re over the tax.” The Nuggets’ roster, which is currently at the offseason limit of 21 players, includes 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with all three of the team’s two-way slots filled.
The Nuggets’ president also touched on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s free agency, Durando notes. A key three-and-D player for Denver the past two seasons, Caldwell-Pope signed a three-year, $66MM deal with Orlando after declining his ’24/25 player option. Kroenke said that while the Nuggets made the veteran wing some offers, they were also leery of the second apron restrictions in the new CBA, emphasizing that maintaining the “flexibility to retain the guys we want to keep” in the future was a key factor in contract talks. Kroenke also expressed confidence in the team’s young players and their ability to take on expanded roles.
In case you missed it, the Nuggets are rumored to be interested in Hornets guard Vasilije Micic, one of Nikola Jokic‘s teammates on the Serbian national team. Serbia won the bronze medal at the Olympics.