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Checking In On Roster Situations Around The NBA

October 22nd, 2023 at 5:30am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the majority of the NBA teams made their roster cuts on Saturday and didn’t wait until Monday’s deadline to set their regular season rosters.

Making those moves on Saturday will ensure the players on non-guaranteed contracts clear waivers on Monday, before the regular season begins. If a team had waited until Monday to waive a player on a non-guaranteed deal, he wouldn’t clear waivers until Wednesday, and the team would be on the hook for two days’ worth of his salary.

After Saturday’s flurry of roster moves, here’s where things stand around the NBA…

Teams whose rosters are within the regular season limits

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 24 have rosters that comply with the league’s regular season roster limits, which state that clubs can’t carry more than 15 players on standard contracts or three on two-way contracts.

The following 11 teams are right at the limit, carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-ways:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Orlando Magic
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz

Just because these rosters look ready for the regular season doesn’t mean they’re fully locked in. In fact, it would be a surprise if at least one of these teams doesn’t make a minor tweak before Monday’s regular season roster deadline. That could be as simple as swapping out one two-way player for another.

The following eight teams are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-ways:

  • Boston Celtics
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Miami Heat
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings

Several of these teams have luxury tax concerns and will open the season with an open roster spot to keep their projected tax bill in check, though that’s not the case for all of them. The Kings are well clear of the tax, for instance, and could comfortably make a roster addition if they want to.

We’ve covered 19 teams so far. That leaves five more who are within the regular season limits. Those teams are as follows:

  • Brooklyn Nets: 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
  • Detroit Pistons: 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
  • Golden State Warriors: 13 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: 14 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
  • New York Knicks: 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Nets have two players on non-guaranteed contracts, but neither one (Trendon Watford or Harry Giles) has an Exhibit 10 contract, so they can’t be converted to a two-way contract. Brooklyn could hang onto one or both of Watford and Giles and fill its two-way opening with another player, if it so chooses.

The Pistons have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Stanley Umude on an Exhibit 10 contract. He appears likely to make the team, but it’s unclear if he’ll remain on the 15-man roster or be converted to a two-way deal. Either way, Detroit would remain one player away from the 18-man limit and could make one more addition before the season begins.

The Warriors reportedly intend to open the regular season with just 13 players on standard contracts, but they’ll only be able to avoid carrying a 14th man for a brief period. League rules require them to get up to 14 players within two weeks.

The Pelicans, who are at risk of being taxpayers for the first time in franchise history, almost certainly won’t add a 15th standard contract, but two-way players don’t count against the salary cap, so I’d expect the team to keep an eye out for someone to fill that spot. New Orleans had five players in camp on Exhibit 10 contracts, but opted to waive all of them on Saturday rather than converting one to a two-way deal.

The Knicks shuffled a handful of players back and forth between the 15-man roster and their two-way slots on Saturday, but they may not be done yet. A two-way contract slot remains open, and they don’t necessarily have to carry all three of their non-guaranteed players (Dylan Windler, Ryan Arcidiacono, and DaQuan Jeffries) on standard contracts into the regular season, though Arcidiacono and Jeffries aren’t eligible to be converted to two-way deals and Windler was just promoted from one.

Teams that still have moves to make before Monday’s deadline

The following teams haven’t yet made their necessary cuts to get within the regular season roster limits:

Houston Rockets: 17 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

Houston has 16 players with full or partial guarantees and will have to trade or waive one of them by Monday’s deadline. Boban Marjanovic, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Victor Oladipo are among the potential odd men out.

The Rockets’ 17th player on a standard contract is Jeenathan Williams, whose deal includes Exhibit 10 language. It would be unusual for the team to keep Williams through Saturday’s waiver deadline if the plan wasn’t for him to be converted to a two-way contract. For that to happen, Houston would have to waive one of its current two-way players (Trevor Hudgins, Darius Days, or Jermaine Samuels) to open up a spot.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 16 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

The Thunder won’t be waiving Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe, who have non-guaranteed contracts, so they can afford to take their roster decision to Sunday or Monday without it costing them any additional money.

Jack White, whose minimum-salary contract features a $600K partial guarantee, looks like the player most at risk of being cut. Davis Bertans and Aleksej Pokusevski are potential dark-horse release candidates, while a trade remains possible too.

Philadelphia 76ers: 16 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

Filip Petrusev only has a partial guarantee and Danny Green is on a non-guaranteed deal, but I suspect the Sixers may end up setting their regular season roster by trading or releasing a player whose salary is fully guaranteed.

Montrezl Harrell, who is expected to miss the season due to a torn ACL, is one player who could be cut. Furkan Korkmaz may be another, after he fell out of the rotation and requested a trade last season. Of course, a James Harden trade could shake up the roster more significantly, but that seems unlikely to happen in the next two days after not materializing for nearly four months.

Phoenix Suns: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Suns have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, with Jordan Goodwin‘s deal partially guaranteed. While Phoenix may have a different move in mind, Keon Johnson looks to me like the obvious candidate to be waived. When the Suns acquired Johnson along with Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Grayson Allen in its three-way deal with Portland and Milwaukee, the former Tennessee standout was viewed as the least likely of the four to actually play a role for the team.

San Antonio Spurs: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

With 15 players on guaranteed contracts and Charles Bediako on an Exhibit 10 contract, San Antonio’s final preseason move looks pretty clear, barring a last-minute surprise. If they convert Bediako to a two-way deal, the Spurs will be ready for the regular season.

Washington Wizards: 17 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

All 17 Wizards on standard contracts have fully guaranteed salaries and can’t be converted to a two-way deal, so two of them will have to be traded or released.

Veterans on expiring contracts like Delon Wright, Mike Muscala, and Danilo Gallinari are trade candidates, but if the Wizards are forced to make cuts, I expect Xavier Cooks to be in more danger. He didn’t play much in the preseason and wasn’t especially impactful when he did see the floor — he’s also not owed guaranteed money beyond 2023/24.

Two vets on minimum-salary contracts, Anthony Gill and Taj Gibson, dealt with injuries in the preseason and don’t project to have substantial roles on this Wizards team. While the organization seems to value their presence in the locker room, we’ll see if the roster crunch forces one of them out in favor of a younger player with more upside, like Patrick Baldwin.

Hoops Rumors’ roster resources

We consistently maintain and update a number of lists and trackers that are designed to help you keep tabs on NBA rosters. They’re all up to date following Saturday’s cuts.

Those resources, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site or on the “Features” page within our mobile menu, include the following:

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Sixers Sign, Waive Jared Brownridge

October 21st, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have signed and subsequently waived guard Jared Brownridge, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

We can safely assume that Brownridge, who has been playing for the Delaware Blue Coats since the 2017/18 season, received an Exhibit 10 contract that will ensure he receives a bonus (worth up to $75K) as long as he spends at least 60 days with Philadelphia’s G League team again in 2023/24.

After averaging double-digit points per game for four straight NBAGL seasons, Brownridge had his role cut back last season and finished the year with 6.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .363/.374/.700 shooting in 28 games (18.8 MPG). He saw limited action (7.0 MPG) in four postseason games during the Blue Coats’ championship run.

Brownridge was previously signed-and-waived by the 76ers to get him an Exhibit 10 bonus in 2019 and 2021.

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Sixers Convert Javonte Smart To Two-Way Contract

October 21st, 2023 at 12:18pm CST by Tristan Tucker

12:18pm: The move is official, the Sixers confirmed in a press release.

10:16am: The Sixers are converting guard Javonte Smart to a two-way contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Smart was on an Exhibit 10 deal but, after impressing in the preseason, is having his contract converted.

Smart, 24, played with both the Bucks and the Heat on two-way contracts after going undrafted out of LSU in 2021. In 17 career games (one start), he has averaged 3.0 points. Smart has seen much more playing time in the G League over the past two seasons, putting up 16.9 points and 3.6 assists per night while shooting 33.9% from downtown (7.4 attempts) in 57 career regular season G League outings.

In four games with Philadelphia in the preseason, Smart averaged 4.5 points and 1.5 assists in 8.3 minutes, hitting 66.7% of his three-point shots.

The 76ers opened up a two-way contract spot on Friday when they waived Ricky Council IV, clearing the way for Smart’s conversion. No other roster moves are necessary to convert Smart, who joins Terquavion Smith and Azuolas Tubelis as the team’s two-way players.

The Sixers still have more work to be done with their roster, with 16 players signed to standard contracts. Filip Petrusev and Danny Green don’t have fully guaranteed salaries, but Montrezl Harrell could also be cut, considering he’s likely to be out for the season.

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And-Ones: Zagars, Media Rights, October Deadlines, More

October 21st, 2023 at 8:11am CST by Tristan Tucker

Latvian guard Arturs Zagars is out for at least five months due to a knee injury, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reports (Twitter link). As detailed in a piece from Eurohoops, Zagars suffered the injury on October 14 while playing in Lithuania’s top league.

Zagars received NBA interest through the summer following a standout FIBA World Cup performance for Latvia. The 23-year-old guard averaged 12.4 points, 7.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game and set a tournament record with 17 assists in his team’s final contest. He ultimately wound up signing a three-year deal with Turkey’s Fenerbahce in September and they loaned him to the BC Wolves of Lithuania, with whom he suffered the injury.

As confirmed by Eurohoops and Urbonas, Zagars suffered an MCL injury and will undergo surgery and continue rehab in Istanbul under Fenerbahce’s medical staff.

There are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • ESPN and TNT are considering signing new media rights deals with the NBA that include fewer games per season, according to The Wall Street Journal (hat tip to RealGM). Such an agreement would allow the league’s two main broadcasting partners to continue working together at an affordable amount. It would also put the NBA in position to explore creating a packge of games for one or more streaming services, with both Amazon and Apple already expressing interest.
  • The NBA’s extension and roster cut-down deadlines are looming, and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (ESPN+ link) broke down every rookie extension and veteran extension candidate, as well as all remaining roster decisions ahead of the season. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley are the major rookie extension candidates to watch, Marks notes, though Maxey likely won’t get a new deal. Many of the veterans facing an October 23 deadline for a contract extension, such as the Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo, are also unlikely to extend because they can earn more money by waiting until the offseason.
  • In another piece exploring the NBA’s October deadlines, Danny Leroux of The Athletic further breaks down the upcoming dates to note. Leroux points out the deadline for decisions on third- and fourth-year team options on rookie contracts is also approaching on October 31.
  • With the tip of the NBA season just days away (October 24), Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype provided a team-by-team look at which players are the most likely to earn consideration for the league’s end-of-season awards. Raptors forward Scottie Barnes gunning for Most Improved Player and Kings guard Malik Monk in the running for Sixth Man of the Year are among Gozlan’s most intriguing picks. Interestingly, Gozlan believes the Pelicans‘ best chance at earning end-of-season recognition is if Zion Williamson enters the MVP conversation.
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Atlantic Notes: Barnes, O. Porter, Harden, Beverley, Celtics

October 21st, 2023 at 7:02am CST by Luke Adams

Third-year Raptors forward Scottie Barnes exited Friday’s preseason finale against the Wizards with a sprained right foot and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

The former Rookie of the Year appeared to roll his ankle/foot on a non-contact play, as Esfandiar Baraheni of SDPN relays (Twitter video link). However, after the game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic downplayed the injury, telling reporters that Barnes is “completely fine,” per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • After missing most of last season due to a foot injury, Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. returned to action on Friday, playing for the first time since November 14, notes Lewenberg (Twitter link). As Murphy tweets, Rajakovic is enthusiastic about Porter’s fit on the roster, but said the team will be “careful” about how it uses him following his extended layoff, prioritizing his long-term health.
  • Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) suggests that the Bulls and Heat could be potential trade partners for the Sixers if their James Harden negotiations with the Clippers remain at an impasse. However, Pompey isn’t citing any sources saying that Chicago or Miami is actually talking to Philadelphia, so it sounds more like speculation than anything solid. Harden remained away from the 76ers on Friday and missed the preseason finale due to what the club is calling a personal matter.
  • Patrick Beverley, who joined the Sixers as a free agent this summer, has taken on a familiar role of veteran leader and defensive spark-plug, Pompey writes in another article for The Inquirer. Beverley’s leadership has impressed his new head coach. “He’s putting in a tremendous amount of work pre- and post-practice,” Nick Nurse said. “He really, really does a good job of organizing, and that’s important. We need a veteran guy that can get us organized, settled down, and all those kinds of things and then he’s a got a little bit on the other end, too.”
  • In a mailbag for NBC Sports Boston, Chris Forsberg considers what the Celtics‘ regular season rotation might look like, evaluating which players beyond the team’s top eight might emerge as reliable contributors.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

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Sixers Waive Ricky Council, David Duke Jr.

October 20th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers have waived Ricky Council and David Duke Jr., the team announced on Friday night.

Council being cut is somewhat of a surprise. He was one of the top prospects who went undrafted this year following his junior season at Arkansas and quickly reached an agreement on a two-way contract with Philadelphia.

A two-way deal signed before the regular season begins can be partially guaranteed for up to the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus amount for that year. In 2023/24, that amount – also known as the maximum two-way protection amount – is $75K. Council received that partial guarantee.

Two-way contracts don’t count against the salary cap, and evidently the Sixers have other plans for the spot that Council held. The 6’6″ guard averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in five games (24.6 minutes) with the Sixers in Las Vegas Summer League action, though he didn’t shoot the ball well (.361/.100/.769 slash line). He also appeared in three preseason games, but didn’t play much (8.3 minutes per night).

As for Duke, who spent the past two seasons with the Nets, he’ll likely be headed to the Delaware Blue Coats — Philadelphia’s G league affiliate — to open ’23/24. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sixers, so he could receive a $75K bonus if he spends at least 60 days with Delaware.

The Sixers now have 19 players under contract, with one open two-way spot.

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Harden's Absence Wasn't Distraction

October 19th, 2023 at 10:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • James Harden missed practice for a second straight day on Thursday but coach Nick Nurse said it didn’t distract his Sixers teammates.  “I think the organization has made it clear what’s going on,” Nurse told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “They are working on stuff, as we say, day by day. We had a really good practice today. Very energetic, the guys that were here. And that’s what we are focused on.” Nurse said it’s “unlikely” Harden will play in the preseason finale on Friday even if he returns to the team by then.
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Sixers Hire Neil Olshey As Basketball Operations Consultant

October 19th, 2023 at 3:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Former Clippers and Trail Blazers executive Neil Olshey has been serving as a basketball operations consultant with the Sixers since early June, a team spokesperson tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

According to Neubeck, Olshey will report to general manager Elton Brand and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, with his contract being “open-ended.” For now, Olshey’s focus is on college scouting, but that could change over time, Neubeck notes.

“I am grateful to Daryl and Elton for this opportunity to consult for a storied franchise like the 76ers,” Olshey said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to support a strong front office and contribute to the overall success of the team in any way I can.”

Olshey, 58, worked his way up the Clippers organization prior to being named general manager in 2010. A couple years later, he was hired by the Blazers as their new GM, serving in that role until December 2021, when he was terminated following a month-long investigation into workplace misconduct allegations. He was also Portland’s president of basketball operations.

The Sixers are aware of why Portland fired Olshey and are comfortable having him as a consultant, Neubeck writes. Part of that stems from Olshey’s “extensive executive coaching” over the past couple years, Neubeck adds.

“I’ve had a strong working relationship with Neil for nearly two decades,” Morey said in a statement to PHLY Sports. “I have always admired his approach to talent evaluation and think he’s been one of the very best in that area. I’m happy he’s consulting for our group. He’s already proven to be a valuable resource.”

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Sixers’ James Harden Misses Practice Again Thursday

October 19th, 2023 at 11:40am CST by Rory Maher

Sixers guard James Harden missed practice for the second consecutive day on Thursday, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

A team spokesperson said Harden is “away from the team due to a personal matter,” tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

Harden has reportedly been in Houston since Philadelphia’s practice on Sunday and is frustrated that he hasn’t been traded to the Clippers. The former league MVP requested a trade to Los Angeles after picking up his $35.6MM player option this summer.

Harden told reporters last week that he didn’t see a path to reconciliation with Philadelphia. He previously called president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a “liar” and that he would “never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported yesterday evening that the Clippers and Sixers remain at an impasse in trade talks, despite more conversations in recent days. L.A. doesn’t want to bid against itself and has been unwilling to include Terance Mann in a deal, according to Amick.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that even though Harden has been professional when he’s been around the team, he hasn’t attended any of the 76ers’ preseason games, skipped at least one shootaround, and has only participated in one five-on-five scrimmage (on October 7) since rejoining the club. The 34-year-old was also absent for media day at the beginning of the month and missed the first day of training camp as well.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN noted on Wednesday (Twitter link), the fine for missing a practice is modest (starting at $2,500), but if Harden skips a game without the team’s consent, he could face fines of $389K per contest. It’s unclear if the missed practices the past couple days will be excused by the Sixers now that the team is saying Harden is attending to a personal matter.

For example, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN stated on Wednesday (video link) that Harden’s absence is the latest step in his desire to create an uncomfortable situation for the Sixers until he’s traded.

“Somebody close to him told me this is only the beginning of what he plans to do here,” Shelburne said.

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Clippers Still Won’t Include Terance Mann In James Harden Trade

October 18th, 2023 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ refusal to part with Terance Mann continues to be the main obstacle to a potential trade involving Sixers guard James Harden, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Two people involved in the negotiations tell Amick that the teams talked again on Monday, with Philadelphia offering to give up Harden in exchange for Mann, an unprotected first-round pick, a first-round pick swap and other players to match Harden’s salary. However, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank refused to make Mann available, which has been the team’s position since trade talks began.

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said Frank was being “unserious,” according to Amick’s sources, and sarcastically suggested the Clippers should offer Paul George if they’re so determined to hold onto their lesser assets. Frank quickly dismissed the idea of parting with George.

Amick notes that the exchange leaves negotiations at the same impasse where they began when Harden made his trade demand in late June. The Sixers don’t have any traction on a deal with L.A. or anyone else as the start of the season looms next week.

Harden showed his displeasure with the situation by skipping Wednesday’s practice and has been away from the team since Sunday. A report earlier today said management plans to give him a chance to explain his absence before imposing any fines, which would start at $2,500 for a missed practice and could reach $389K for each missed game.

Harden is communicating with the Sixers through general manager Elton Brand, according to Amick. Harden remains angry at Morey over the way his contract was handled, and it’s not clear what his intentions are regarding the October 26 season opener.

The Sixers believe Harden’s anger should be directed at the Clippers, Amick adds. The position of Philadelphia’s front office is that Harden could have the trade he wants if L.A. would include Mann, and the Sixers would be left with enough assets to pursue a high-level player who could replace Harden and keep the team in title contention.

Sources tell Amick that Philadelphia already has trades lined up that would fetch a first-round pick in exchange for Mann. That pick would be used as part of a package to acquire another star later in the season. The Sixers see that as an equitable outcome considering the otherwise limited return they would be getting in exchange for Harden, according to Amick.

However, Harden believes L.A. has already made a reasonable offer and Morey is “moving the goalposts,” Amick adds. The Clippers have offered two first-round picks, but Morey isn’t satisfied with their quality because they have protections and could eventually turn into second-rounders if they don’t convey by a certain date.

Harden’s absence is the latest step in his desire to create an uncomfortable situation for the Sixers until he’s traded, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN stated in an appearance on NBA Today (video link).

“Somebody close to him told me this is only the beginning of what he plans to do here,” Shelburne said.

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