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NBA Roster, Contract Deadlines To Watch In October

October 4th, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

After a couple quiet months around the NBA, October is full of important deadlines for roster and contract decisions. Here’s our round-up of the dates to keep an eye on this month:

Regular season roster decisions

The 2023/24 regular season tips off on Tuesday, October 24, which means teams must set their rosters for the season by 4:00 pm Central time on Monday, October 23. To be in accordance with regular season roster limits, a team must be carrying no more than 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

While teams have until Oct. 23 to set their their regular season rosters, many clubs will make their final cuts on or before Saturday, October 21. That’s the final day that a team can waive a player on a non-guaranteed contract and avoid paying any of his salary.

Because a player gets paid for the time he spends on waivers, a player who is cut on Monday, Oct. 23 wouldn’t clear waivers until Wednesday, Oct. 25, the second day of the regular season. That means that even if his contract is non-guaranteed, he’d earn two days’ worth of his salary.

Teams who intend to waive players with partially or fully guaranteed salaries are in better position to wait until the Monday before the regular season begins. For instance, if the Hornets decide to cut Frank Ntilikina, who has a $200K partial guarantee, it wouldn’t matter if they do so on October 21 or 23 — he’d receive his $200K either way.

However, if the Hornets want to waive Edmond Sumner, whose salary is entirely non-guaranteed, they’d likely do so on the Saturday. Waiting until the Monday would mean paying him $26,973 (2/174ths of his $2,346,614 salary).

Two-way contract conversions

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can have his deal converted into a two-way contract, but only up until Monday, October 23, the day before the regular season begins.

If a player on an Exhibit 10 contract remains on his team’s roster through that Monday without being converted to a two-way, his Exhibit 10 deal would become a standard non-guaranteed contract.

Since most players on Exhibit 10 contracts will be waived on or before October 21, it’s worth keeping tabs on which of them hang onto their roster spots through that Saturday — those players will be good bets to have their deals converted into two-ways or perhaps even to claim a 15-man roster spot.

Contract extensions

The deadline for a player to sign a rookie scale extension is Monday, October 23 at 5:00 pm Central time.

As of today, six of the 27 players who were eligible for a rookie scale extension entering the offseason have signed one, leaving 21 players who still may be seeking new deals that would keep them off the 2024 free agent market.

Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, Mavericks wing Josh Green, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, and Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu are a few of the notable rookie scale extension candidates to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

As for veteran extension candidates, a player who is extension-eligible and who is in the final year of his current contract can sign an extension at any time before or after the regular season begins, all the way up until June 30, 2024.

However, a player who is eligible for a veteran extension but who is not in a contract year will only be eligible to sign a new deal up until Monday, October 23.

For instance, Warriors swingman Klay Thompson will remain eligible to sign a veteran extension even after the regular season begins, since he’s in the last year of his current contract. But Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has two guaranteed years left, plus a 2025/26 player option, can only sign an extension up until Oct. 23. After that, he’ll become ineligible to sign a new deal until next summer.

Salary guarantee dates

The league-wide salary guarantee date to watch is January 7, 2024. A player on a non-guaranteed contract who isn’t waived by that date and doesn’t clear waivers before January 10 will have his 2023/24 salary become fully guaranteed.

However, certain players have contracts that call for them to receive partial or full guarantees on earlier dates. Our list of early salary guarantee dates shows which players fall into that boat up until the start of the regular season, starting with Raptors guard Jeff Dowtin on Saturday, October 21.

Rookie scale team option decisions

A team that wants to exercise its 2024/25 third- or fourth-year option on a player on a rookie contract must do so on or before Tuesday, October 31.

As our tracker shows, the Heat and Magic have already made their option decisions, while the Celtics, Mavericks, and Lakers don’t have any to make. But the NBA’s other 25 teams will have to pick up or turn down those rookie scale team options for ’24/25 in the coming weeks.

A team that retains a player without exercising his 2024/25 option would put the player on track for unrestricted free agency next offseason. At that point, his team wouldn’t be able to offer him a salary higher than what his option would have been worth, though rival suitors could offer more than that.

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Sixers Notes: Harden, Colorado, Harrell, Harris

October 4th, 2023 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Although James Harden may be in attendance this week for training camp, it’s unclear what the Sixers can expect from him, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said in an NBA Today YouTube segment that the star guard may simply intend to put more pressure on the club in the hopes of forcing a change of scenery.

“James Harden wants a trade. He wants to make the 76ers uncomfortable, so uncomfortable, ultimately, that they don’t think that they’re going to get the best out of him, and that they’ll make a trade,” Wojnarowski said. “The Sixers, on the other hand, they want to wait this out and hope they get the best James Harden, the best version of him sooner than later.”

As Wojnarowski explains, the Sixers don’t believe there’s a deal for Harden out there that will maintain or improve their chances of contending for a championship, so hanging onto the former MVP and attempting to reconcile may be the path with the highest upside.

“The difference between the Harden situation and the Ben Simmons situation a couple years ago (is) there were a lot of possible deals out there for Ben Simmons,” Wojnarowski said. “So you would measure them, you would look at them, what they could get. Teams in both conferences had interest in Ben Simmons. This is different. There’s not widespread interest in James Harden.”

Wojnarowski refers to the Clippers as the “most motivated” team to land Harden, given that they want to contend for a title this season and could use a play-making guard, but reiterates that they don’t want to bid against themselves. As for other potential suitors, Woj notes that the Knicks talked to the Sixers earlier in the process, but says New York isn’t particularly enthusiastic to pursue what might be a one-year rental of Harden.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirms that Harden arrived in Colorado on Tuesday night, as expected. However, the 34-year-old remains angry at Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and has “zero intentions of rejoining this group in earnest” even after reporting to camp, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Within the same Athletic story, Amick explores the team’s motivation for holding its training camp in Colorado, noting that practicing in altitude was one factor head coach Nick Nurse considered. Getting out from under the spotlight in Philadelphia was another. “Taking the team away, and the old (idea of), ‘Let’s get out and get away and bond and spend some time together,’ that’s still a real thing,” Nurse said. “It’s still a real thing. And as you mentioned, and if I’m being honest with you, yes, I thought that getting away from the media a little bit, and from all of this, could help us so we can focus on basketball.”
Injured big man Montrezl Harrell, who is recovering from surgery on the torn ACL in his right knee, isn’t with the Sixers in training camp and is expected to remain away from the team while going through the rehab process, tweets Pompey.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris spoke to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports about Harden’s situation, his early impressions of Nurse, and how several Sixers players on expiring contracts (including himself) will focus on team goals this season.
With the Harden saga still unresolved and the 76ers’ rivals in Boston and Milwaukee loading up ahead of the 2023/24 season, Pompey suggests in an article for The Philadelphia Inquirer that it’s fair to wonder if the club’s title window has closed.

Magic Exercise 2024/25 Options On Wagner, Suggs, Banchero

October 4th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have exercised a series of rookie scale team options, guaranteeing the 2024/25 salaries for forward Franz Wagner, guard Jalen Suggs and forward Paolo Banchero, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

All three players already had guaranteed salaries for the upcoming season (2023/24). Now they’re locked for in at least one more season beyond that.

Wagner’s and Suggs’ fourth-year options for 2024/25 are worth $7,007,092 and $9,188,385, respectively. Both players will now be eligible for rookie scale extensions next offseason. As for Banchero, he’ll earn $12,160,800 in ’24/25 now that his third-year option has been picked up. Orlando will have to exercise his fourth-year option for ’25/26 next fall.

Wagner averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 32.6 minutes per night across 80 appearances in his second NBA season. The 22-year-old forward, who posted a strong shooting line of .485/.361/.842 in 2022/23, helped lead Germany to a World Cup gold medal this summer.

Suggs, the fifth overall pick in 2021, has had a couple up-and-down seasons since going pro, shooting just .387/.271/.752 with averages of 10.8 PPG, 3.6 APG, and 3.3 RPG in 101 total NBA games (25.3 MPG). However, Orlando remains confident enough in his growth to commit to him beyond the coming season.

As for Banchero, the rising star is coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign in which he averaged a team-high 20.0 PPG to go along with 6.9 RPG and 3.7 APG on .427/.298/.738 shooting in 72 games (33.8 MPG). He’ll be looking to improve his shooting efficiency in year two and has spoken about wanting to become an All-Star.

The full list of rookie scale team option decisions, which are due October 31, can be found right here.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Hampton, Banchero, Ewing, Hornets

October 4th, 2023 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts in training camp, but they haven’t been inclined to add another veteran to their roster because they want to get a good look at their non-guaranteed camp invitees, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

As Jackson outlines, the Heat have a strong track record of finding diamonds in the rough and believe they’ll increase their odds of identifying another potential contributor if they’re focused on giving those young players an opportunity this fall, without another vet “cluttering the equation.”

While the Heat want to give their young players every chance to stand out in camp and the preseason, they also haven’t ruled out the idea of signing a free agent if none of their camp invitees emerges and claims a regular season roster spot. As Jackson observes, the list of unsigned players includes accomplished veterans like Blake Griffin, T.J. Warren, and Terrence Ross, as well as several former members of the Heat, including Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic, and Justise Winslow.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

R.J. Hampton was determined to join the Heat this offseason and began working out at Miami’s Kaseya Center alongside Heat players without any guarantee that he would be invited to training camp, according to Jackson. “It was Miami or nothing for me,” Hampton said on Monday. “I’ve been down here, off and on, since the beginning of August. It was almost like [the Heat saying], ‘Come here, do what you do, work hard. We’ll make decisions and talk to your agency and see what happens.'”
After earning Rookie of the Year honors during his first NBA season, Magic forward Paolo Banchero has his sights set higher in year two, as he tells Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Asked by Beede what a successful season would look like, Banchero replied, “A successful season for Paolo Banchero looks like making the playoffs, being an All-Star and winning the in-season tournament.”
Patrick Ewing, an assistant coach in Charlotte from 2013-17, has rejoined the Hornets as a coaching consultant, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). The former star center was out of the NBA for the last several seasons as he coached at Georgetown, but the Hoyas parted ways with him earlier this year.
The 2023/24 season is a make-or-break one for the Hornets, according to Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer, who points out that the new ownership team of Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin didn’t make major changes when they took over the franchise earlier this year, but will likely show less patience if the club spends another year in the lottery.

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Collins, Sochan, Vassell, Johnson

October 3rd, 2023 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Wembanyama will receive an overwhelming amount of attention during his rookie season with the Spurs. He doesn’t believe it will be a major distraction for his teammates, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez writes.

“They know I don’t care about it (the attention),” Wembanyama said. “I’m here to make sacrifices for them and I think when it’s needed, they’re also going to make sacrifices for me. And they know it’s different. They know it’s going to happen. Of course, there’s going to be a lot of attention, but it’s at the end of the day when everything is done and we’re at practice and I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK, what do we do to get this thing better?’ So it’s really stuff we don’t care about. It’s basketball first.”

We have more from the Spurs:

Center Zach Collins marveled after Wembanyama’s first day of camp how the rookie can dunk from odd angles, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News writes. “He does a lot of stuff you don’t really see too often,” Collins said. “The way he can dunk the ball, he is so close to the rim and it looks so easy for him. And he is doing it from weird angles and his body is contorted in certain ways, but his arm still gets to the rim. … It’s a weapon we haven’t had before.”
Jeremy Sochan spent most of his rookie year playing power forward but he can play any position, Gregg Popovich told Kelly Iko of The Athletic and other media members. “He can play one through four,” Popovich said. “And depending on circumstances — who we’re playing, injuries — I could see him going to the five and us playing small. He’s like a utility infielder in baseball; maybe they don’t have that anymore. The sky’s the limit for him. He’s so competitive. He handles the ball. He’s one of our best passers. He’s really important in creating pace for us, that up-tempo style that we did so much better with last year. Very, very fun to watch.”
Devin Vassell‘s five-year rookie scale extension has an unusual structure, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Vassell will make $29,347,826 in 2024/25 and $27MM in each of the next two seasons. He’ll get $24,692,174 in 2027/28, when a potential Wembanyama extension could kick in, and $27MM in the final year of the contract. The deal also includes $11MM in unlikely bonuses.
Collins, Wembanyama and Vassell seem like locks for the starting five. Tre Jones is the logical choice at point guard, so if Sochan gets the other lineup spot, that would leave last year’s leading scorer — Keldon Johnson — on the bench, McDonald notes.

Central Notes: Cavaliers, Thompson, Pacers, Vucevic

October 3rd, 2023 at 9:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have taken note of the blockbuster additions made by Milwaukee and Boston. They remain firm in their belief that they’re ready to join the Eastern Conference’s elite, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveleland Plain Dealer.

“I feel like we’re right there,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I think obviously with Milwaukee adding Damian Lillard, who is one of the best guards to play this game, on top of having Giannis, who is one of the best players, it makes it tougher for sure. And then adding Jrue Holiday to an already stacked Celtics team makes it tougher. But at the end of the day, we have high hopes. We continue to have high goals and a high ceiling.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Could the Pistons insert lottery pick Ausar Thompson into the starting lineup ahead of several veteran options? It’s a possibility, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. The wing’s defensive prowess and willingness to do the little things has impressed his teammates. “He plays winning basketball,” Cade Cunningham said. “He plays super hard. He connects the floor very well. His play-making ability is something I feel like should be talked about more. He’s a willing passer. He’s able to read the floor really well. Obviously, the way he gets after it on the defensive end is what’s going to make him a huge impact on Day 1.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle says it’s time for the franchise to “take competitive steps,” Akeem Glaspie of the Indianapolis Star relays. “We anticipate a highly, highly competitive camp,” Carlisle said. “We’ve spent two solid years in a true development mode. We’re going to keep an eye on development, but we’re looking to take competitive steps. We had a meeting with the guys last night, we told them to expect it to be hard and to embrace it being hard. For us to make strides, we’re going to have to do a lot of the little things. We’re gonna have to do it in the margins, we’re gonna have to be very, very together like we were last year.”
Nikola Vucevic had discussions with coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls front office regarding his offensive role prior to his decision to sign an extension, he told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Yeah, there was a lot of discussions about that,’’ Vucevic said. “That was a big thing for me. A lot of stuff we talked about was more with Billy because he’s the head coach and he’s the one that makes those decisions. But it was finding ways to utilize me more. Not so much only for me shooting the ball and scoring but using my play-making ability to help the team in different ways.’’

Northwest Notes: Murray, Nuggets, Brogdon, Blazers, Wolves

October 3rd, 2023 at 8:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is eligible for a contract extension, but it doesn’t sound as if he plans to sign a new deal before the regular season begins.

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes in a subscriber-only story, Murray told reporters on Monday that “we haven’t had that conversation yet.” General manager Calvin Booth said that the organization is in frequent contact with Murray’s agent Jeff Schwartz, and the impression he has gotten is that they’d “rather play it out.”

Murray is one of a handful of players who would become eligible for a far more lucrative super-max extension if he has an All-NBA season in 2023/24. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone believes the guard is capable of that sort of year.

“My challenge for Jamal is to show that you can do what you did in 20 playoff games,” Malone said, per Durando. “Because what Jamal did in the playoffs was ridiculous. … Now the challenge is, OK, you did it 20 games. You showed the world what you’re capable of. I want Jamal Murray to be an All-Star. I want Jamal Murray to be an All-NBA player. And to do that, what’s he have to do? He’s got to do it in October. He’s got to do it in November. He can’t do the slow start. The guys that are on top of their game, they bring it every single night.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

The Nuggets are optimistic about their chances of winning a second consecutive title in 2024, as stars Murray and Nikola Jokic said at media day on Monday. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN has the story and the quotes.
Sources who spoke to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believe the Trail Blazers are open to moving veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon but are happy to hang onto him into the season if no good opportunities arise. With that in mind, Vecenie explores what the market for Brogdon might look like.
Jason Quick of The Athletic shares some of his takeaways from the Trail Blazers‘ media day, including the fact that the club is bullish about its new frontcourt duo of Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams. “We — by far — have the most athletic two fives as a combo in the league,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “And teams will understand that when they play against us, on both sides of the floor. … We are going to put a lot of pressure on the paint on the offensive end, and defensively, we will protect the rim. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The Timberwolves had the NBA’s 10th-best defensive rating last season and ranked 23rd in offensive rating. This fall, they’re leaning into that defense-first identity rather than focusing more on offense, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “It has to be (defense first). It absolutely has to be,” head coach Chris Finch said. “I say that just because we have the personnel to do that and be that, on and off the ball and at the rim.”

Wizards Notes: Jones, Gallinari, Poole, First Practice

October 3rd, 2023 at 7:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyus Jones was acquired by the Wizards as part of the three-team blockbuster that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Washington. The point guard is already bringing a calming presence to the young team, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes.

“He’s essentially a coach on the floor,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said.

Jones will take over as a starting point guard after serving as a backup for a majority of his career.

“This is what you strive for. You always want more, right? If you’re not striving and working towards more responsibilities, I feel like you’re in the wrong profession,” he said. “So, this is what I’ve been working for, going into year nine, for eight seasons now. But, at the same time, the work’s just getting started now. (There’s) more responsibility, more pressure — all those things.”

We have more on the Wizards:

With Daniel Gafford out two-to-four weeks due to an elbow sprain, veteran forward Danilo Gallinari is willing to play center in his absence, Robbins tweets. “Whatever needs to be out on the court, whatever position I need to play, I just want to play basketball. So any position is good,” Gallinari said.
Jordan Poole doesn’t want to dwell on the past, particularly the incident last training camp with the Warriors when he was punched by teammate Draymond Green, he told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. “We in the era where people feel the need to express themselves. I don’t need that. I quite frankly don’t care,” he said. “I really only care about hooping. All the extra stuff? It’s going to come — no matter how cool or how chill of a person you are, they’ll find something to talk about.”
Unseld was pleased how the team looked in its first practice on Tuesday, Robbins tweets. “I thought the energy was terrific. That’s been great carryover for us kind of through the open runs. We’ve seen those guys get after it,” he said.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Green, Jackson-Davis, Sabonis

October 3rd, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

As last season ended, Lakers superstar LeBron James hinted he would consider retiring. With training camp opening this week, James struck a much different tone, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes.

James says he’s ready for another run at a championship. “I feel like I got a lot more in the tank to give,” he said.

However, he’s not ready to commit to playing beyond this season. He holds a $51.4MM option for the 2024/25 season.

“I don’t know what the end of this road looks like, or at the end of the season. I have no idea,” he said.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

While some people look at the Warriors’ roster and conclude they need more beef up front, Draymond Green has a different take, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “They said we didn’t have enough size in 2022, and we won,” Green said. “I’ve been told I wasn’t the right size forever, and I’ve won. … I can show you where we didn’t have enough size and we won. In saying that, I’m not totally against having another big.” Golden State doesn’t have a traditional center to back up Kevon Looney.
Late second-round pick Trayce Jackson-Davis knows what he must do to get playing time in his rookie year with the Warriors, Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays. “I’m going to screen for some of the best shooters in the world, and I’m going to get rebounds,” the forward out of Indiana University said. “I’m going to try to be a lob threat, and I’m going to try to bring energy.”
Kings star big man Domantas Sabonis says his thumb is fully healed and didn’t require surgery, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. Sabonis suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb last season and played through the injury.

New York Notes: Simmons, Claxton, Brunson, Quickley

October 3rd, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben Simmons spent the offseason trying to show Nets coach Jacque Vaughn and his staff that he’s physically and mentally ready to be the team’s point guard, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports writes. Simmons believes he can regain the All-Star form he displayed in Philadelphia before things went sour.

“Show him that I want to play at this level and be the point guard and do these things,” Simmons said, adding “I think that comes with, we speak about it, is grace. When you put that work in, you really get grace from the surrounding people. Your teammates, your coaches and staff.”

We have more from the New York teams:

Nets big man Nic Claxton believes his hopes for the Defensive Player of the Year award ended last season when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were dealt, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I went from being top three in the Defensive Player of the Year to an end of the season, nothing at all. KD and Kyrie, when they left, it’s like my name just fell off the map. It makes my blood boil,” Claxton said with a laugh. “I was robbed of [an All-]Defensive team [spot], not even saying Defensive Player of the Year. It definitely is motivating. It’s an even bigger chip on my shoulder, and I’m ready to be there for my team to prove to everybody, proving myself who I am as a defender and as a player in this league.”
The Knicks didn’t add any star power so improvement will generally have to come from within, Jalen Brunson told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “It’s pretty much the same group, but we’ve got to continue to find ways to get better,” Brunson said. “It may be the little things, little mental edges, just concentration on the little things. Just our chemistry is going to get a lot better from knowing each other for a year now.”
One of the big questions looming over the Knicks in training camp is whether they’ll reach a rookie scale extension agreement with Immanuel Quickley. The reserve guard brushed aside questions about it on media day on Monday, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Whatever happens, happens because it’s all up to my agent and the Knicks at that point,” he said, adding “I feel like I can be better. I feel like I can be a lot better. I feel like there’s a lot of untapped potential that I have in my game. And I’m going to do everything I can, like I’ve always done, to reach that.” A recent report indicated there’s optimism an agreement will be reached.

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