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NBA Teams With Most Roster Continuity, Turnover Entering 2024/25

October 25th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Roster continuity is typically viewed as a positive trait for NBA teams. It's not uncommon for players to express appreciation for the opportunity to spend multiple seasons getting comfortable with the same teammates rather than having to deal with significant personnel changes from year to year.

Still, it's roster turnover - rather than continuity - that draws the most headlines during the NBA offseason and generates the most hype entering the fall. That's why we spent way more time talking about teams like the Knicks and Sixers in the weeks and months leading up to opening night than we did discussing the Cavaliers, who added exactly one new player (rookie Jaylon Tyson) to the standard roster they carried into the end of last season.

There's no set formula to NBA success -- carrying over a significant number of players from last year's team doesn’t necessarily give a club a leg up entering a new season. But continuity was a signifier of success in 2023/24.

Of the seven teams who carried over at least 13 players (including two-ways) from their end-of-season rosters in 2022/23 to the start of the '23/24 season, five improved their records and a sixth equaled its win total from the previous season. The Grizzlies were the only exception, and they were hurt far more by injuries than they were by a lack of roster changes.

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Injury Notes: Wiseman, Jackson, Ball, Jackson, Eason, Hornets

October 25th, 2024 at 6:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers center James Wiseman underwent successful surgery on Thursday night to repair his torn left Achilles tendon, as Shams Charania of ESPN first reported (via Twitter). While Achilles tears are typically season-ending injuries, Indiana is still determining Wiseman’s recovery timeline, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, and head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Friday that Wiseman hasn’t been ruled out for the season yet.

“This was terrible luck,” Carlisle said in discussing the injury. “Great kid who had an amazing summer of preparation, really good preseason. Training camp was also really good. It’s just one of those things. Just a very odd circumstance. Very unlucky.”

The Pacers’ other backup center, Isaiah Jackson, missed Wednesday’s regular season opener due to a right groin strain, but he has been cleared to suit up for Friday’s game in New York, Dopirak writes in a separate story for The Indy Star. Still, with Wiseman seemingly unlikely to play again this season, Carlisle didn’t rule out the possibility of adding another center to the roster.

“I would think that our people are getting a few phone calls today from agents and stuff like that,” Carlisle said. “I’ve not been focusing on that. The good news for us is Isaiah Jackson will be back and available. That’s very good news. We will just right now focus on the guys we have on the roster that are ready to go and come out with guns blazing. That’s what you gotta do in this situation.”

The Pacers have an open 15-man roster spot, and while they don’t have a ton of breathing room below the luxury tax line, they could add a free agent big man on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract and stay out of tax territory while maintaining the flexibility to waive that player before the league-wide salary guarantee date.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Lonzo Ball‘s limit of 16 minutes per game is going to remain in place “for some time,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. But the veteran point guard came away from his regular season debut on Wednesday feeling fine and will play in Saturday’s home opener vs. Oklahoma City after sitting out the first end of Chicago’s back-to-back in Milwaukee on Friday, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). Wednesday represented Ball’s first regular season action since January 2022 due to multiple knee surgeries.
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. won’t play on Friday vs. Houston, having been ruled out due to his left hamstring strain (Twitter link). The team was said to be targeting this weekend for Jackson’s return, so we’ll see if he’s able to make his season debut on Saturday at home vs. Orlando.
After describing Steven Adams‘ availability as “game-to-game” as he returns from knee surgery that cost him the entire 2023/24 season, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said forward Tari Eason is in a similar boat, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Eason, who missed most of last season due to leg surgery, was active on Wednesday and isn’t on the injury report for Friday’s game vs. Memphis, but may not suit up for the second end of Houston’s back-to-back set on Saturday in San Antonio (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).
Josh Green (left Achilles soreness) and Tidjane Salaun (left finger sprain) have been upgraded to available for the Hornets‘ game in Atlanta on Friday. Neither player has made his Hornets regular season debut, but both could see action tonight.

Trade Rumors: Kuminga, Nets, Sixers, Murphy, Springer, Tucker

October 25th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Kuminga was believed to be seeking a maximum-salary or near-max contract ahead of Monday’s rookie scale extension deadline, which is why he and the Warriors didn’t agree to terms on a deal, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said today on the B/R App. However, Fischer believes Golden State will be comfortable paying Kuminga big money if he shows this season that his impressive stretch from January to March was no fluke and continues to take strides toward stardom.

“The Warriors will be happy to pay Jonathan Kuminga that top dollar if that sample size is stretched out over the entire course of the 2024/25 season,” Fischer said.

Still, Fischer noted that Kuminga isn’t necessarily a lock to remain with the Warriors long-term and suggested two potential suitors worth keeping an eye on for the fourth-year forward (video clip).

One is no surprise: Brooklyn is currently the only team projected to have maximum-salary cap room and Fischer says Kuminga has “come up” in past trade talks between the Nets and Warriors. The Nets aren’t necessarily specifically targeting the 22-year-old, Fischer clarifies, but their cap situation makes them a potential threat when Kuminga reaches restricted free agency, especially since general manager Sean Marks has shown a willingness in the past to sign RFAs to lucrative offer sheets.

The other team worth watching, according to Fischer, is the Sixers, who would only have a chance to acquire Kuminga on the trade market. Philadelphia has conveyed a willingness to give up draft capital to add another impact player, Fischer explains, and could use KJ Martin‘s pseudo-expiring contract as a salary-matching piece.

That sort of deal may not appeal to the Warriors, and acquiring Kuminga and then paying him in free agency would result in a massive payroll in 2025/26 and beyond for the 76ers, who already have three players on maximum-salary contracts. But Fischer suggests Philadelphia has “a lot of willingness” to go deep into luxury tax territory for the right opportunity to “cement (their) title window.”

Here are a few more trade notes and rumors from around the league:

According to Fischer, Trey Murphy was another player believed to be on the Nets‘ and Sixers‘ radars as a potential free agent and trade target, respectively, but he’s off the table after signing a four-year, $112MM extension with the Pelicans.
After identifying Celtics guard Jaden Springer as a trade candidate last week, Fischer reiterated that point in his rumor round-up on Friday, noting that moving Springer at or before the February trade deadline would create tax savings for Boston and would open up a roster spot for Lonnie Walker or another player. Fischer added that the Celtics recently called a number of teams to gauge Springer’s trade value.
The Sixers, Heat, Bucks, and Suns are among the teams that have spoken to P.J. Tucker‘s representation about a possible trade, sources tell Kelly Iko and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). As we relayed on Thursday, the Clippers have granted Tucker’s agent Andre Buck permission to talk to potential trade partners to try to find his client a new home, but the veteran forward’s $11.54MM cap hit will make it difficult to find a deal that works for L.A.

Raptors Push Back Bruno Fernando’s Guarantee Date

October 25th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that Bruno Fernando signed with the Raptors in August initially included language stating that it would become fully guaranteed if the big man wasn’t waived on or before the first day of the regular season.

However, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links), the Raptors and Fernando agreed to amend his one-year deal when he made the opening-night roster. Rather than becoming guaranteed, the contract will remain non-guaranteed until the league-wide salary guarantee deadline in January.

If the terms of the deal had remained unchanged, Fernando would have locked in a $2,425,403 salary, while Toronto would have been on the hook for his full $2,087,519 cap hit.

Instead, the 26-year-old will earn $13,939 for every day he’s on the roster, with his full salary and cap hit becoming guaranteed if he remains under contract through at least January 7.

The Raptors had some leverage, since they could have waived Fernando if he hadn’t agreed to amend his contract, leaving him without even a partial guarantee. Now the team will have some flexibility in the first half with that 15th roster spot.

This sort of agreement is nothing new for Fernando, who began the offseason with Atlanta on a deal that called for his 2024/25 salary to become guaranteed if he wasn’t waived by June 29. He and the Hawks reached an agreement to move that date back to July 10, then pushed it back again to August 1. Atlanta waived him on July 30.

Fernando served as Jakob Poeltl‘s primary backup center in the first game of Toronto’s season on Wednesday, recording six points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

As our list of early salary guarantee dates shows, Fernando was the only player on a contract that called for his salary to become fully guaranteed if he made a regular season roster. However, Dalano Banton (Trail Blazers), Keon Johnson (Nets), and Jalen Wilson (Nets) had deals assuring them of partial guarantees for remaining under contract through opening night.

We’ll give it another day or two before updating our tracker to see if any reports trickle in indicating that one or more of those players amended their contracts like Fernando did, but for now our assumption is that Banton, Johnson, and Wilson locked in their respective partial guarantees.

Rudy Gobert Signs Three-Year Extension With Timberwolves

October 25th, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 25: Gobert’s extension with the Timberwolves is now official, the team announced today in a press release.

Gobert was permitted to sign the contract after the regular season began because it’s a veteran extension and he declined his 2025/26 player option as part of the agreement.

The deal begins at $35MM in 2025/26 and increases to $36.5MM in ’26/27, with a $38MM player option for ’27/28, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links), who adds that Gobert’s trade kicker is worth 7.5%.

OCTOBER 22: The Timberwolves and center Rudy Gobert have agreed to a three-year, $110MM contract extension, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets.

The move comes on the heels of Minnesota trading away Gobert’s frontcourt partner, Karl-Anthony Towns, this offseason at the start of Towns’ max extension, which created more long-term cap flexibility for the club.

Gobert, 32, is scheduled to make $43,827,587 this season on his current deal. He had a $46,655,173 option for the 2025/26 season, which he’ll decline and replace with a smaller number in order to lock in two additional years beyond that.

The new extension will include a player option for 2027/28, as well as a trade kicker, Charania adds (Twitter link).

Minnesota will get some cap relief with Gobert declining that 2025/26 option, giving the team more flexibility to make moves next offseason. Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the team’s other main frontcourt players, could become free agents if they decline their own ’25/26 player options next summer.

Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, having won the award for a fourth time this past spring. After a rocky first season with the organization following the blockbuster deal between Minnesota and Utah, Gobert settled in last season and played an integral role on a team which reached the Western Conference Finals.

Gobert is also one of the more durable players in the league by current standards. He hasn’t appeared in fewer than 66 regular season games since the 2018/19 season.

Last season, he made 76 starts and averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per night. He also started 15 postseason games, averaging 12.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG.

The Wolves had a +8.0 net rating during the regular season when Gobert was on the court, compared to a +3.0 mark when he sat. During the playoffs, that gap increased to +9.8 in the center’s minutes and -6.3 when he on the bench.

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Paul, Sochan, Castle

October 25th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Playing extended minutes for the first time since the Olympics, Victor Wembanyama admitted conditioning was a factor in Thursday’s loss at Dallas, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. The Spurs were careful with their star big man during the preseason, limiting him to about 40 combined minutes in two games. Coach Gregg Popovich gave him a breather less than five minutes into Thursday’s contest.

“Some moments felt great,” Wembanyama said. “A little hard conditioning-wise at first, of course [as] I expected. But I think we had some good basketball moments and some really bad ones.”

Wembanyama struggled with his shooting, scoring 17 points while going 5-of-18 from the field and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. But veteran point guard Chris Paul was encouraged that San Antonio only trailed by two points and halftime and was able to remain competitive against the defending Western Conference champions without having Wembanyama at his best.

“I love the fight we showed,” he said. “There are no moral victories, but we played against a team that went to the Finals. So, there’s a continuity they have. For me, not knowing what to expect in the preseason is one thing. The regular season is another thing. But I’m honestly so excited about the spurts that I’ve seen and what I know our team is capable of.”

There’s more on the Spurs:

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd doesn’t mind seeing Paul getting close to him for second place on the career assists list, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Kidd believes the new partnership with Wembanyama will make it easier for Paul to eclipse his total. “When you have a target like Victor, he shouldn’t be thinking about my spot,” Kidd said, “but maybe John (Stockton)‘s.”
Back at forward after last season’s ill-fated point guard experiment, Jeremy Sochan tied for the team lead with 18 points, McDonald adds. Sochan appears more relaxed now that he’s locked into his natural position. “You grow up every year, you learn some things,” he said. “My situations a little different than last year. It’s just me playing with energy, playing hard, trying to be everywhere.”
Popovich was happy with the competitive fire shown by lottery pick Stephon Castle, whose first NBA action included time guarding Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Popovich warned Castle about the challenge prior to the game. “I said, ‘You know, basically you’re a sophomore in college,’” Popovich told reporters. “‘At some point in the game, you’re going to guard the possible MVP of the NBA.’ It kind of hit him. It’s a little different.”

Sixers Notes: Drummond, Embiid, George, Nurse, Lowry, Yabusele

October 25th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Andre Drummond knew he wouldn’t be the full-time starter when he signed with the Sixers this summer, but figured there would be plenty of chances to start given Joel Embiid‘s injury history and the need to have him ready for the playoffs. The first opportunity came Wednesday, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Drummond didn’t find out until Tuesday that Embiid would be sitting out the game, and he responded with 10 points and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes.

“It’s going to be a very fun year,” Drummond said. “I feel I got drafted again, like I’m the new kid on the block, and I get to showcase myself all over again.”

Drummond played a reserve role in Chicago the past two seasons and was one of the most productive backup big men in the league. He has experience playing behind Embiid, spending 49 games with Philadelphia during the 2021/22 season.

“We already know, once [Embiid] comes back, what type of offense we’re going to play,” Drummond said. “But we’ve got to have a difference between he and I when we’re out there, different styles of play. … Obviously, when [Embiid is] healthy, we need him the entire year. But being able to step up whenever he does have those moments of rest and needs to sit out, knowing that there won’t be any drop-off.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Embiid and Paul George will miss at least the first three games of the season, but coach Nick Nurse remains optimistic about their progress, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. They were limited participants in Thursday’s practice, although neither of them scrimmaged, which the team would prefer to see before clearing them to play. “I think they are improving and making strides,” Nurse said. “They were in all of the beginning basic stuff and some kind of live-ish drills. The half-court for a little bit as well. So it looked like they are progressing.”
Tonight will mark Nurse’s third trip to Toronto since taking over the Sixers, and he told Pompey that it’s still a special experience to return to the city where he coached for 10 years. “It’s probably one of the more interesting stops along the season for me, for sure,” Nurse said. “I’ve got to go try to figure out how to win a game.”
Toronto is also a significant spot for Kyle Lowry, who was one of the city’s most beloved players during his nine seasons with the Raptors. He told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) that it would mean “the world” to him to someday have his number retired in Toronto.
Guerschon Yabusele, who signed with Philadelphia this summer after spending five years overseas, doesn’t believe there’s a gigantic gap between the NBA and the EuroLeague, relays Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “It is too early to say because I have only played one game, but I always say that some of the best EuroLeague teams can compete with some NBA teams, for sure,” Yabusele said. “I am not saying the best teams [in the NBA]. … They are two different leagues. Being able to play for Real Madrid for three years and competing in those arenas against other teams and players, I gained a lot of experience. And feeling how it is on the court playing against tough teams helped a lot.”

Southeast Notes: J. Johnson, Suggs, Ball, Mann, Okongwu, Banchero, Miller

October 25th, 2024 at 12:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Johnson‘s five-year extension with the Hawks was one of the last deals to be announced on Monday because the paperwork reached the league office just minutes before the 5:00 pm Central deadline, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. In an article co-written with Tim Bontemps, Windhorst states that the two sides didn’t come to an agreement until after Jalen Suggs reached an extension with the Magic. Both teams slightly increased their offers to get the deals finalized, sources tell Windhorst.

He adds that Hawks officials were relieved to get Johnson to commit to a five-year arrangement with no player option. Johnson is coming off a breakthrough season in which he averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 56 games, and at 23 he’s viewed as one of the young cornerstones of the franchise.

Scouts and executives from rival teams were impressed that Atlanta and Orlando were able to sign their young stars to contracts that will become less burdensome over time, Bontemps adds. The salary cap is projected to increase by up to 10% each season, but Johnson’s deal will stay flat at $30MM for each of the next five years, while Suggs’ salary starts at $35MM next season and declines until it reaches $26.7MM in 2029/30.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is wearing strong ankle braces to help avoid the injury problems that have ended his last two seasons, Bontemps reveals in the same piece. Ball was impressive with 34 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in the season opener, and he got help from Tre Mann, who contributed 24 points off the bench and could be in line for a breakout season after being acquired from Oklahoma City in February. Sources tell Bontemps that Mann had offseason talks about a rookie scale extension with Charlotte, but wasn’t able to come to an agreement.
Center Onyeka Okongwu sparked the Hawks with 28 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in an opening night win over Brooklyn. He was happy to be able to play 28 minutes after missing time late last season with a toe injury and being used sparingly during the preseason, per Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. “That was my main concern, just coming into this season,” Okongwu said. “It was my conditioning. I was blessed to spend my summer getting right, but I felt really good out there and I’m just happy we got the win.”
Magic forward Paolo Banchero has released the first installment of this year’s Andscape diary with Marc J. Spears. Banchero talks about growing up in Seattle, the adjustment to Orlando, the playoff series with Cleveland, advice from Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic and a few other topics.
Brandon Miller will be reevaluated in a week after being forced out of Wednesday’s opener with a glute strain, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Head coach Charles Lee talked to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer about the challenge of replacing Miller.

Rockets Notes: Green, Sengun, Thompson, Sheppard, Adams

October 25th, 2024 at 11:46am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets‘ decision to give contract extensions to Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun was made after two of their future targets in free agency came off the market this summer, Brian Windhorst of ESPN states in an article co-written with Tim Bontemps. When the Cavaliers‘ Donovan Mitchell and the Celtics‘ Derrick White both reached extensions with their teams, Houston’s front office began to abandon its plan to save cap room for the 2025 free agency sweepstakes, sources tell Windhorst.

The new priority became working out extensions with Green and Sengun before Monday’s deadline, and both agreed to unique deals that are below the maximum they could have received. Green’s three-year extension starts at $33.3MM next season, and Windhorst hears that it could be combined with draft assets as the basis for a superstar trade next summer.

Sources also tell Windhorst that the Rockets have informed rival teams they don’t plan to make a major deal during the season, but they could be much more active once the offseason arrives.

Other executives around the league complimented the Rockets for convincing Sengun to accept a below-max deal, according to Bontemps, even though they had to give him a player option in the fifth year.

There’s more from Houston;

Coach Ime Udoka’s preference to play at a faster pace may require more minutes for Amen Thompson, observes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The lack of fast-break opportunities was among the things that bothered Udoka about Wednesday’s season-opening loss to Charlotte. “We didn’t get stops,” he said. “We didn’t get out and run. Just as poorly as we played in transition, offensive rebounding was the same thing. Nineteen in the first half and only two second-chance points in the second. Dominated us on the glass there.” Iko points out that Thompson was part of five of the team’s six fastest two-man combinations last season.
Lottery pick Reed Sheppard is quickly adapting to life in the NBA, per Brian Barefield of Rockets Wire. Sheppard has a clearly defined role on a team that needs to improve its outside shooting. “It is easy when everyone knows how to play basketball the right way,” he said. “We have been playing with each other for a couple of months now, so being able to get in the gym every day and continue to get to know each other by learning more offense and defense with each other. We are just figuring out how each other plays, and it has been really fun. I feel like our chemistry gets better every day.”
Steven Adams was a game-time decision on Wednesday, but he has already been ruled out of Friday’s contest against Memphis due to a calf strain and recovery from the knee injury that forced him to miss all of last season, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Dejounte Murray To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hand Fracture

October 25th, 2024 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The fractured left hand that Dejounte Murray suffered in his Pelicans debut on Wednesday night will keep him out of action for four to six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Murray underwent successful surgery on the hand, Charania adds.

Murray injured his hand at some point in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ victory over Chicago, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press. He didn’t talk to reporters after the game, but CJ McCollum said Murray indicated during the game that the hand was bothering him.

“He looked at me and said his hand didn’t feel right,” McCollum said. “He just continued to play. … He battled through, he played and played well considering those circumstances.”

Despite the injury, Murray was giving the Pelicans the kind of steady backcourt presence they were seeking when they acquired him in an offseason trade with Atlanta. He had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while turning the ball over just once.

While Murray is sidelined, more ball-handling duties are expected to be given to Zion Williamson, who frequently ran the offense last season, writes Christian Clark of NOLA. McCollum and Brandon Ingram will also see more time in that role.

“I hate it for Dejounte and our group,” coach Willie Green said. “We are kind of just getting started, just getting going. But at the same time, we understand that in this league and in life, you’re going to face adversity. The good thing about it is it’s not a long-term injury that will keep him out for a whole season.”

There’s also a financial component to Murray’s injury, Clark adds. His contract includes approximately $1.9MM in incentives that are tied to him playing at least 65 games, so they won’t be available if he misses more than 17.

New Orleans is operating slightly above the luxury tax line, so Murray’s incentives will be very important in determining whether it’s headed toward being a taxpaying team. The Pelicans would only be in the tax by about $850K if Murray doesn’t achieve any of his bonuses, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Clark points out that the Pelicans are one of two NBA franchises that have never paid the tax, so the team figures to explore cost-cutting moves whether or not Murray is able to return in time to reach the 65-game threshold. He will miss 15 games if he’s able to come back exactly four weeks from today.