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International Rumor Round-Up: Jones, Pokusevski, S. Lee, More

August 14th, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

While we don’t cover international basketball comprehensively at Hoops Rumors, items involving current or former NBA players – or future NBA prospects – are always of interest to us, so we’ve been keeping an eye on the European, Asian, and Australian rumor mills this offseason as we monitor where NBA free agents are landing.

Generally, we wait until a team officially announces a signing to write up a story on it, since some international outlets are more reliable than others, and specific details in a non-English report can sometimes be lost in translation.

However, we wanted to pass along some updates today on possible deals involving some NBA veterans that have yet to be formally announced. Let’s dive in…

Damian Jones

A veteran NBA center with nearly 300 total games and a couple championships under his belt, Jones spent last season with the Cavaliers. The 29-year-old played sparingly in Cleveland, averaging 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.9 minutes per contest across 39 appearances off the bench.

After rumors surfaced about a month into the NBA’s free agent period that Turkish club Fenerbahce may be interested in Jones, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reported that the big man was actually signing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the Chinese Basketball Association.

This story was a tricky one, since Carchia deleted his tweet reporting the deal after Sportando published a story about it. Zhejiang also doesn’t appear to maintain an up-to-date website or social media presence outside of China, so we couldn’t just wait for a formal announcement.

We reached out to Jones’ representatives at CAA Sports and to Carchia to seek clarity on his situation, and while the center’s agency didn’t respond, Carchia told Hoops Rumors that his reporting hasn’t changed despite the deleted tweet. As such, we’re assuming for now that Jones is headed to China for the 2024/25 season.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Pokusevski, a lanky Serbian forward, is a former first-round pick who showed flashes of real promise during his rookie contract. However, injuries derailed his development and he slid down the Thunder’s depth chart in the past year or two as Oklahoma City continued to add more young talent. He signed with the Hornets in February after being waived by OKC, but was later cut by Charlotte too in July, making him an unrestricted free agent.

A report from Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr (Twitter link) in mid-July indicated that Pokusevski was close to reaching a deal to join KK Partizan, a Serbian team based in Belgrade. The international outlet Sport Klub followed up earlier this week by reporting that the two sides had reached an agreement (hat tip to Eurohoops), while TeleSport suggested that the 22-year-old is signing a three-year deal (hat tip to Sportando).

Based on the sheer number of separate outlets reporting this deal, we trust that the info is accurate, but with Partizan set to fully reveal its 2024/25 roster on August 19 (Twitter link), we’ll likely wait until they make it official next Monday to write up a full story on it.

Saben Lee

Lee, 25, finished each of the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Suns, appearing in 24 games for Phoenix last season. However, the 6’2″ guard now has four years of NBA service, making him ineligible for another two-way, which may have been a factor in his inability to find an NBA deal he liked this offseason.

Tolis Kotzias of SDNA.gr (Twitter link) reported in early August that Lee was close to signing with Manisa Buyuksehir Belediyespor, a Turkish team.

It still seems as if that’s the plan for Lee — there have been no reports since then suggesting otherwise. But Manisa hasn’t mentioned Lee at all on its website, Twitter, or Instagram, so our assumption for now is that the deal isn’t yet official.

Usman Garuba

A former first-round pick who spent a couple seasons in Houston, Garuba spent most of the 2023/24 season on a two-way deal with Golden State. He only appeared in six games for the Warriors, but was converted to a standard contract at the end of the season because the team had an open roster spot to fill. It was just a rest-of-season deal, so he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Reporting all the way back in May stated that Garuba was expected to sign with Real Madrid in Spain this offseason, but he responded by saying he had yet to make a decision. In mid-July, Spanish reporter Carlos Sanchez Blas (Twitter links) said that Garuba had a long-term deal in place with Madrid, and this time the big man didn’t deny it.

However, even as they’ve announced other roster moves – including the signing of Serge Ibaka – Real Madrid hasn’t confirmed the signing of Garuba on its website or social media. This is another one we expect to happen sooner or later, but we’ve been waiting on formal word from the club.

Rudy Gay

A 17-year NBA veteran, Gay hasn’t been in the league since being waived by the Warriors last October and will turn 38 years old this Saturday. Still, the 6’8″ forward doesn’t appear prepared to call it a career.

Just a few days into the NBA’s July free agent period, Kotzias of SDNA (Twitter link) reported that Gay was on track to sign with the Greek team Peristeri BC, barring an unexpected development. But subsequent reporting from Spanish outlet Piratas Del Basket (hat tip to TrendBasket) indicated that Gay was actually in advanced talks with Leyma Basquet Coruna in Spain.

It doesn’t appear Gay finalized an agreement with either team, since Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews tweeted in early August that the veteran was also drawing interest from Italian club Pistoia Basket.

Our working assumption is that Gay doesn’t have a deal in place with any team in Europe yet, though it certainly sounds like that could change before the 2024/25 season tips off.

NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Brooklyn Nets

August 14th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Brooklyn Nets.

Free agent signings

Nic Claxton: Four years, $97,000,000. Includes $3,000,000 in incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.
Shake Milton: Three years, $9,162,405. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Signed using Non-Bird rights and acquired via sign-and-trade from Knicks.
Keon Johnson: Two years, minimum salary ($4,512,814). First year partially guaranteed ($250,000). Second-year team option. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
Trendon Watford: One year, $2,726,603. Accepted qualifying offer.

Trades

Reacquired their own 2026 first-round pick and control of their own 2025 first-round pick (negating the Rockets’ right to swap either their own 2025 first-rounder or the Thunder’s 2025 first-rounder for Brooklyn’s pick) from the Rockets in exchange for the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick, either the Mavericks’ or the Suns’ 2029 first-round pick (whichever is more favorable), swap rights for the Suns’ 2025 first-round pick, and swap rights for either the Mavericks’ or Suns’ 2029 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
Acquired Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton (sign-and-trade), Mamadi Diakite, the Knicks’ 2025 first-round pick, the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected), the Knicks’ 2027 first-round pick, the Knicks’ 2029 first-round pick, the Knicks’ 2031 first-round pick, swap rights for the Knicks’ 2028 first-round pick, and the Nets’ own 2025 second-round pick from the Knicks in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop, the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet, and either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Magic’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
Acquired Ziaire Williams and the Mavericks’ 2030 second-round pick from the Grizzlies in exchange for Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic.

Draft picks

None

Two-way signings

None

Departed/unsigned free agents

Jacob Gilyard (unsigned)
Dennis Smith Jr. (unsigned)
Lonnie Walker (unsigned)

Salary cap situation

Operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
Carrying approximately $167.6MM in salary.
Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
Full mid-level, bi-annual exceptions available.
Five traded player exceptions available (largest worth $23,300,000).

The offseason so far

The Nets attempted to remain competitive after trading away James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving in 2022 and 2023, but after closing the 2022/23 season on a 13-17 run, then posting a 32-50 record in ’23/24, the club had no way to meaningfully improve this summer, with no picks in this year’s draft and no cap room available. Rather than risk getting stuck in the middle for the next several years, management decided to take a step back and go into full rebuilding mode.

That meant trading three-and-D standout Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn’s most valuable player. Perhaps even more importantly, it meant reacquiring control of the Nets’ own 2025 and 2026 draft picks — the club had previously traded swap rights in 2025 and its unprotected 2026 pick to Houston, but paid a steep price (two future Suns first-rounders and two swaps) to get them back.

Without control of those picks, bottoming out in the next year or two wouldn’t have benefited the Nets at all, but now the club is in position to secure a high lottery pick in a loaded 2025 draft.

Brooklyn did make one major investment this offseason, re-signing starting center Nic Claxton to a four-year, $97MM contract. Despite not being in win-now mode, retaining Claxton made sense for the Nets, who didn’t want to lose a promising young player for nothing and could probably trade the big man down the road for positive value. Claxton’s still just 25 years old though, so he could very well be part of the next contending team in Brooklyn.

Outside of locking up Claxton, the Nets’ offseason moves have either been minor transactions or have been focused on the future. In exchange for Bridges, Brooklyn received five first-round picks (four unprotected) and a pick swap from their cross-town rivals in New York, further replenishing a stash of draft assets that was depleted a few years ago when the Nets first traded for Harden. The Nets have loaded up since then by flipping Harden and moving Durant, Irving, and now Bridges.

While regaining control of their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from Houston was more important, it’s worth noting that the Nets also reacquired their 2025 second-rounder from the Knicks in the Bridges deal. If Brooklyn is among the NBA’s worst teams in 2024/25, that could be a top-35 selection.

Up next

The Nets have reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with a handful of free agents, most notably former lottery pick Killian Hayes. Villanova’s Mark Armstrong and Division II guard KJ Jones also reportedly agreed to sign with Brooklyn.

Even after those deals are officially finalized, the team will have a pair of openings on its 21-man offseason roster, but the squad already features 15 players on standard contracts, including 13 on guaranteed salaries. While Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson don’t have full guarantees, they appear more likely than not to make the regular season roster, which may be essentially set.

That projected 15-man roster could still undergo some changes if the Nets make another trade or two before the regular season begins. There has been no indication that anything is close, but talks could pick up again as training camps near, and Brooklyn has no shortage of veteran trade candidates — Ben Simmons, Dennis Schröder, and Bojan Bogdanovic are all on expiring contracts and may not have long-term futures with the franchise, though wings Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson would have more value on the trade market.

The Nets also have a pair of players eligible for rookie scale extensions, with former first-rounders Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe entering the final year of their rookie deals. I expect the front office to explore deals with both players. However, Brooklyn will be wary of overpaying either player ahead of restricted free agency, since Thomas has been a somewhat one-dimensional scorer (albeit a talented one) and Sharpe is a reserve who has never averaged more than 15.1 minutes per game in a season.

Trail Blazers Sign Henri Drell To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 14th, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

11:30am: It’s an Exhibit 10 deal for Drell, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report confirms (via Twitter).

7:19am: The Trail Blazers have signed free agent forward Henri Drell to a one-year, non-guaranteed training camp contract, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

Drell, 24, is a 6’9″ Estonian wing who spent several years playing overseas before joining the Windy City Bulls in the G League in January 2022. His play for Chicago’s G League affiliate across parts of three seasons eventually earned him a shot at the NBA level — he signed a two-way contract with the Bulls last December and spent the rest of the season with the club, though he logged just 30 total minutes across four NBA appearances.

Drell had his most productive G League season in 2023/24, averaging 14.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 32.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .435/.309/.757, across 42 Showcase Cup and regular season outings. However, the Bulls opted not to tender him a qualifying offer in June, so he became an unrestricted free agent, though he did play for Chicago in the Las Vegas Summer League last month.

The Trail Blazers now have 19 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed standard deals, Dalano Banton and Devonte’ Graham on non-guaranteed contracts, and Justin Minaya and Bryce McGowens on two-way pacts. Yongxi Cui is also expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the club.

It’s unclear if Drell’s deal includes Exhibit 10 language. If it does, he could be a candidate to have his deal converted to a two-way contract before the regular season begins.

Theo Maledon Signs With ASVEL

August 14th, 2024 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Theo Maledon is returning to his home country for the 2024/25 season, having reunited with ASVEL on a one-year deal, according to an announcement from the French club.

The 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Maledon has appeared in 177 total NBA games over the past four seasons, spending time with the Thunder, Hornets, and Suns. He posted career averages of 7.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per contest, with a subpar shooting line of .372/.310/.793.

Maledon, 23, began the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with Charlotte. He was waived in December and was claimed by Phoenix at that time, but the Suns later cut him in March, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Maledon began his basketball career with ASVEL in 2017, playing first for the junior team and later being promoted to the senior club. He won a French League championship in 2019 and was named the LNB Pro A Best Young Player for that season.

ASVEL, which also competes in the EuroLeague, had a strong season domestically in 2023/24, posting a 25-9 regular season record before losing to Paris Basketball in the semifinals of the LNB playoffs. However, the team struggled in EuroLeague play, finishing 17th out of 18 teams with a 9-25 mark. The hope is that Maledon can help them be more competitive in 2024/25.

“I am convinced that Theo has not yet reached his full potential, and he will have the opportunity to show it this season in an environment that he knows perfectly,” ASVEL coach Pierric Poupet said as part of a larger statement.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Pagliuca, Young, Murray

August 13th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers’ roster has one glaring absence — a traditional power forward. KJ Martin is the only power forward listed on Philadelphia’s roster, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, and he’s 6’6”.

The Sixers have a roster opening and there are a number of power forward options. They have some interest in reuniting with Marcus Morris Sr. and are also considering Davis Bertans, as Pompey previously reported.

However, a number of other Eastern Conference elites — including the Celtics and Knicks — thrived in the regular season and playoffs with lineups that didn’t include traditional power forwards. With that in mind, the Sixers could employ Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr or Caleb Martin at that spot, Pompey suggests.

We have more Eastern Conference news:

Celtics manager general partner Steve Pagliuca is also co-owner of Atalanta, an Italian Serie A soccer team. Atalanta prevailed in the Europa League this season, giving Pagliuca two championships to celebrate. “I don’t know if it’ll ever happen again,” Pagliuca told James Horncastle of The Athletic. “I just have to be grateful that I was able to be a part of that with all the great people at the Celtics and all the great people at Atalanta.”
Trae Young said it was disappointing his partnership with Dejounte Murray on the Hawks didn’t produce the desired results, he told the Sixers’ George on his latest Podcast P broadcast (Youtube link). “It’s tough cause we wanted to win. We’re not the first duo that couldn’t work and we’re not going to be the last,” Young said of his two seasons with Murray. The Hawks dealt Murray to the Pelicans for a package that included forward Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks.
In case you missed it, there’s only one team in the NBA that currently has cap room — the Pistons. Get the details here.

Team USA Notes: Curry, LeBron, Durant, Haliburton, Banchero

August 13th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Could some of the gold-medal winners from Team USA pair up in the future on an NBA team? Sam Amick of The Athletic explores that topic, noting that superstar-laden teams are sometimes born out of their bonding experiences with USA Basketball.

A LeBron James–Stephen Curry pairing seems unlikely now that LeBron’s son is on the Lakers roster and Curry would like to finish his career with the Warriors. Could Golden State eventually wind up with Durant-Curry reunion or a Devin Booker–Curry backcourt? Suns owner Mat Ishbia has squashed talk of trading his stars but Amick speculates that could change if Phoenix flops in the postseason again.

We have more USA Basketball-related news:

If Kevin Durant wants to play for Team USA in Los Angeles, team officials would like to have him back, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (hat tip to Zach Bachar of Bleacher Report). “I would not rule out KD playing, and I talked with Team USA officials, and they would give him a provisional yes right now,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective. Durant has already set the Olympic record with four gold medals in men’s basketball. Durant, who averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in Paris off the bench, will be 39 in 2028.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton hopes to retain his spot on Team USA in future Olympics, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. He informed managing director Grant Hill that he’d welcome an invite to the Los Angeles Games. “I’ve told Grant — I’ve said it many times — I want to represent USA Basketball for as long as I can,” Haliburton said. He was essentially the 12th man on this year’s squad, averaging 8.8 minutes in three appearances. He was dealing with a minor leg injury during the tournament.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero, a member of USA’s last World Cup team, was under serious consideration for the Paris Olympics, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. He’s a player Hill wants to feature in future Olympics. In the same piece, Vardon speculates which players from this year’s gold medal squad might be back for 2028.

Western Notes: Durant, Holmgren, Williams, Wolves, Grizzlies

August 13th, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant admits that retirement has crossed his mind, the Suns superstar revealed on the latest episode of TV One’s “Raising Fame” (hat tip to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic).

“As I get older in the league and the league is getting younger, I tend to think about retirement more,” the Suns forward said. “… Should I stop thinking about it? What is that? But it creeps in my mind for sure.”

Durant, 35, remains one of the league’s most productive players — he averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last season. He has also battled his share of injuries in recent years, though he was durable enough to start 75 regular-season games for the Suns in the 2023/24 season. Durant is entering the third year of his four-year, $194.2MM contract.

Durant has been in the league since 2007, when he was the second overall pick of the draft.

We have more from the Western Conference:

With the Olympics still fresh on everyone’s mind, will a couple of Thunder players represent Team USA in 2028? Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman explores that question in his latest mailbag. Lorenzi speculates that Chet Holmgren has a strong chance to be on that 12-man U.S. roster, noting that his skill set translates well to the international game. He’s a shot-blocker and rim protector who stretches out defenses with his range at the offensive end. Jalen Williams could also be in the mix as a combo wing if his game continues to develop as expected.
The Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Lynx have agreed to a multiyear corporate sponsorship deal with Sezzle Inc., which includes a jersey patch sponsorship, according to Nick Williams of the Star Tribune. Terms of the sponsorship deal were not disclosed but those sponsorship deals around the league are expected to average $10MM for the upcoming season. The Wolves, according to Williams, are expected to earn near the average via their sponsorship.
The Grizzlies, who were overwhelmed by injuries to key players last season, didn’t do much this offseason beyond drafting two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey to fill their void in the middle and re-signing Luke Kennard on a one-year deal. They also hired six new assistant coaches. Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal gives the front office high marks for its approach to this offseason.

Traded First-Round Picks For 2025 NBA Draft

August 13th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2025 NBA draft is still over 10 months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first-round picks for ’25, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first-round pick for 2025, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2026 if it doesn’t change hands in 2025.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2025 first-round pick:

Note: Teams marked with an asterisk (*) have traded away their 2026 first-round pick (either unprotected or with protection) and can’t freely trade away their 2025 first-rounder due to the Stepien Rule.

Atlantic

Boston Celtics: Own pick.
Brooklyn Nets: Own pick.
New York Knicks: Traded to Nets (unprotected).
Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Thunder (top-six protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Sixers would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected).
Toronto Raptors: Own pick.

Central

Chicago Bulls: Traded to Spurs (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Bulls would instead owe the Spurs their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).
Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Jazz (unprotected).
Detroit Pistons: Traded to Timberwolves (top-13 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would instead owe the Knicks their 2026 first-round pick (top-11 protected).
Indiana Pacers (*): Own pick.
Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Nets (top-four protected) or Pelicans (5-30 protected).
- The Bucks’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive this pick will be extinguished.

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Spurs (unprotected).
Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Spurs (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets would instead send the Spurs their 2026 and 2027 second-round picks.
Miami Heat: Traded to Thunder (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Heat would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).
Orlando Magic: Own pick.
Washington Wizards: Traded to Knicks (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Wizards would instead owe the Knicks their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).

Northwest

Denver Nuggets: Traded to Magic (top-five protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Nuggets would instead owe the Magic their 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected).
Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Jazz (unprotected).
Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick. If the Rockets receive the Thunder’s pick, they would have the right to swap it to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Trail Blazers would instead owe the Bulls their 2026 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
Utah Jazz: Traded to Thunder (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).

Pacific

Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
Los Angeles Clippers (*): Traded swap rights to Thunder.
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick.
Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Hawks (unprotected).
Phoenix Suns: Traded to Nets or Rockets (unprotected).
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick; the Rockets have the right to swap whichever pick they end up with to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
Sacramento Kings: Traded to Hawks (top-12 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Kings would instead owe the Hawks their 2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected).

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks: Own pick.
Houston Rockets (*): Traded swap rights to Thunder (top-10 protected).
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick; the Rockets have the right to swap whichever pick they end up with to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

League Announces 2024 NBA Cup Schedule

August 13th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After previously announcing the dates and groups for its second annual in-season tournament, the NBA today revealed the schedule for the group play portion of the event. The group play stage of the tournament, which is now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, will begin on November 12 and run through December 3.

The group play games will take place on four Tuesdays and three Fridays during the fall. The NBA put out its schedule by date and by team.

Each Tuesday will feature a nationally televised doubleheader on TNT, while ESPN will nationally broadcast doubleheaders on the Fridays. NBA TV will also air three tournament games on the afternoon of November 29 (Black Friday), prior to ESPN’s doubleheader.

The quarterfinals will take place on December 10 and 11, with the semifinals to follow on Dec. 14 and the final to be played on Dec. 17. The higher-seeded teams will host the quarterfinal matchups, while the semifinals and final will take place in Las Vegas.

The NBA Cup will tip off with a pair of nationally televised marquee matchups on November 12, with Paul George and the Sixers hosting the Knicks in Philadelphia, followed by Klay Thompson and the Mavericks visiting the Warriors in the Bay Area.

The Lakers, the champions of last year’s inaugural in-season tournament, will be featured in nationally televised games on Nov. 15 (at the Spurs), Nov. 26 (at the Suns), and Nov. 29 (vs. the Thunder).

The full NBA regular season schedule for 2024/25 will be announced on Thursday, according to the league.

Pistons Only Team With Cap Room Remaining

August 13th, 2024 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the Jazz have used up their cap room by renegotiating Lauri Markkanen‘s contract and completing a series of minor signings, only one NBA team is still operating under the cap: Detroit.

The Pistons currently have a team salary of $130,348,501, giving them $10,239,499 in space below the cap ($140,588,000). They could increase that figure to nearly $18MM by waiving Paul Reed‘s non-guaranteed $7,723,000 salary, though there’s no indication they plan to do so.

With 14 players on standard contracts, the Pistons have an opening on their projected 15-man regular season roster for 2024/25 and could – in theory – make an aggressive offer to a free agent using their remaining cap room. But the unrestricted free agents who remain unsigned will likely end up on minimum-salary deals or something very close to it, so Detroit is unlikely to make a $10MM offer to any of them.

The lone standard restricted free agent, forward Isaac Okoro, makes sense as a target, given his age, defensive pedigree, and familiarity with new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who coached him in Cleveland. But there haven’t been any hints that the Pistons are considering an offer sheet for Okoro, and they’d probably have to waive Reed to put together an offer strong enough to dissuade the Cavs from matching.

In all likelihood, the Pistons will simply hold their remaining cap space open for now, keeping an eye on the trade market for opportunities that could net them additional assets, like their previous deals for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Wendell Moore.

In past years, it wasn’t unusual for teams to hold significant chunks of cap room open into the regular season, knowing they could use that space at the trade deadline to accommodate salary-dump deals. But the new CBA requires teams to spend up to at least the minimum salary floor before opening night — if they don’t, they lose that cap room and make themselves ineligible to receive the end-of-season payout from taxpaying teams. That’s likely one reason why the league-wide cap room has dried up so early in the year.

The minimum salary floor is $126.5MM this season, so the Pistons have surpassed that threshold.

While the Pistons are the only team with cap room available, clubs operating over the cap and well below the luxury tax line still have a good deal of flexibility to take on extra salary in trades due to the more generous salary-matching rules in the current CBA.

Those rules allow teams below the first tax apron to take back up to 200% of their outgoing salary (plus $250K) for any amount up to $7.5MM; the outgoing salary plus $7.5MM for any amount between $7.5MM and $29MM; and 125% of the outgoing salary (plus $250K) for any amount above $29MM.

For instance, if the Jazz were to trade Jordan Clarkson and his $14,092,577 salary, they could take back up to $21,592,577 (Clarkson’s salary, plus $7.5MM). By comparison, if the Pistons were to trade Hardaway ($16,193,183), they could take back up to $26,682,682 using their leftover cap room. That cap room certainly gives Detroit more financial flexibility in trade talks, but not necessarily significantly more.

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