- The Northern Arizona Suns – Phoenix’s G League affiliate – have named Jeff Feld as their general manager, according to a team press release. Feld, 31, had been the Windy City Bulls’ manager of basketball operations. Dylan DeBusk, who served as interim GM for Northern Arizona last season, has been elevated to Phoenix’s personnel analyst/G League operations manager.
SEPTEMBER 25: The Suns have officially signed Odiase, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Suns have reached an agreement to sign rookie forward/center Norense Odiase to a training camp contract, a league source tells JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
Odiase, who played his college ball at Texas Tech, went undrafted in the spring after averaging 4.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 0.9 BPG in 37 games (17.4 MPG) as a redshirt senior.
Odiase is on track to become the second member of the Red Raiders team that competed in the 2019 NCAA national championship game to join the Suns for training camp. Phoenix previously signed Tariq Owens to an Exhibit 10 contract.
The Suns currently have 18 players under contract, including 15 with guaranteed salaries. Owens and David Kramer are on non-guaranteed deals, while Jared Harper has a two-way contract. After officially signing Odiase, Phoenix will have one final opening on its 20-man camp roster.
With NBA training camps right around the corner, several more teams filled their 20-man offseason rosters this week. The Hornets did so on Monday, with the Mavericks, Pistons, Raptors, and Hawks following suit over the next few days. Those clubs join a list of 16 total teams that don’t have any openings on their offseason rosters.
Of course, every NBA team with a full 20-man roster is carrying multiple players who have non-guaranteed contracts, so it’s not as if any of them would be hamstrung if they really want to sign another player. But for now at least, it appears as if those 16 teams have their 20-man squads set for when camps get underway at the end of the month.
That leaves 14 clubs that still have open roster spots, as our tracker shows. Here’s a breakdown of those teams, along with my speculation on whether we can expect them to make moves within the next week or two:
19 players under contract:
- Golden State Warriors
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Sacramento Kings
- Washington Wizards
None of these teams are carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so it’s possible they’ll still add a veteran player who could earn a regular season roster spot. But it’s more likely that they’ll each sign another young player who could end up in the G League, since all four teams have their own NBAGL affiliates. The Wizards, who need to add some point guard depth, are said to be eyeing Chris Chiozza for their final spot.
18 players under contract:
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
While it’s not official yet, the Celtics essentially have a full roster. Kaiser Gates and Yante Maten have both reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts with the Celtics, but have yet to finalize them. Once they’re under contract, Boston’s 20-man roster will be full.
The Magic could also have a full 20-man roster if and when they complete their reported agreement with Isaac Humphries and sign first-round pick Chuma Okeke. The Pelicans, meanwhile, reportedly reached deals with undrafted rookies Jalen Adams, Javon Bess, and Aubrey Dawkins, but there’s only room for two of them on the roster, so unless New Orleans plans to waive a player, the team won’t be signing all three.
The Rockets are signing Thabo Sefolosha and would have room for one more camp invitee, while I’d expect the Suns to invite two more young players to camp with them.
The Nuggets and Trail Blazers don’t have their own G League affiliates, so they may not fill out their rosters unless they just need healthy bodies for camp.
17 players under contract:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Chicago Bulls
- Oklahoma City Thunder
All three of these teams have their own G League affiliates and should fill out their camp rosters with young players who can play for the Long Island Nets, Windy City Bulls, or OKC Blue. Of course, rumors continue to swirl that the Nets are eyeing Carmelo Anthony, but I wouldn’t expect the Bulls or Thunder to be seeking any veteran help.
SEPTEMBER 19: The agreement between the Suns and Highsmith has fallen through, a source tells JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
SEPTEMBER 12: The Suns and Highsmith have reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 deal, a source tells JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
SEPTEMBER 9: The Suns are expected to sign former Sixers forward Haywood Highsmith to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Gina Mizell of The Athletic (Twitter link). While the two sides appear to be moving toward a deal, nothing is official yet.
Highsmith, who went undrafted out of Wheeling Jesuit in 2018, signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia in January and spent the rest of his rookie season with the 76ers and the Delaware Blue Coats, the team’s G League affiliate.
Although he appeared in just five games for the Sixers, Highsmith was a solid contributor in Delaware, averaging 12.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG in 46 games (32.3 MPG). He was waived in June by Philadelphia as the club signed Norvel Pelle and Marial Shayok to fill its two-way contract slots for 2019/20.
Highsmith, who recently worked out for both the Suns and Bucks, would be the 19th player on Phoenix’s roster if he finalizes a deal with the club. Currently, the Suns are carrying 17 players on standard deals (15 guaranteed) and one on a two-way contract.
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Phoenix Suns.
Signings:
- Standard contracts:
- Ricky Rubio: Three years, $51MM. Signed using cap room.
- Kelly Oubre: Two years, $30MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Frank Kaminsky: Two years, $9.77MM. Signed using room exception.
- Jalen Lecque: Four years, minimum salary. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using cap room.
- Cheick Diallo: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Haywood Highsmith: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Note: Not yet official.
- David Kramer: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Tariq Owens: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Haywood Highsmith: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
Trades:
- Acquired cash ($1.1MM) from the Pacers in a three-way trade in exchange for T.J. Warren (to Pacers) and the draft rights to KZ Okpala (No. 32 pick; to Heat).
- Acquired Dario Saric and the draft rights to Cameron Johnson (No. 11 pick) from the Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to Jarrett Culver (No. 6 pick).
- Acquired Aron Baynes and the draft rights to Ty Jerome (No. 24 pick) from the Celtics in exchange for the Bucks’ 2020 first-round pick (top-7 protected).
- Acquired Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter from the Grizzlies in exchange for Josh Jackson, De’Anthony Melton, the Suns’ 2020 second-round pick, and the Suns’ 2021 second-round pick (protected 36-60).
- Note: Korver later waived.
Draft picks:
- 1-11: Cameron Johnson — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-24: Ty Jerome — Signed to rookie contract.
Departing players:
- Dragan Bender
- Jamal Crawford
- Troy Daniels
- Jimmer Fredette (declined team option)
- Richaun Holmes
- Josh Jackson
- George King (two-way)
- De’Anthony Melton
- Ray Spalding (declined team option)
- T.J. Warren
Other offseason news:
- Named James Jones permanent general manager
- Hired Jeff Bower as senior VP of basketball operations.
- Fired head coach Igor Kokoskov.
- Hired Monty Williams as new head coach.
- Hired Steve Blake, Willie Green, and several other assistant coaches.
Salary cap situation:
- Used cap space; now over the cap.
- Carrying approximately $120.86MM in salary.
- No cap exceptions available.
Story of the summer:
After unexpectedly firing general manager Ryan McDonough just before the 2018/19 season got underway, the Suns didn’t name a permanent replacement until this past spring. James Jones, less than two years removed from appearing in the NBA Finals as a player, was placed in charge of Phoenix’s front office, with veteran executive Jeff Bower joining him in a key management role.
Although the Suns are in rebuilding mode, their offseason moves perhaps reflected the new front office’s belief that some veteran stability was necessary to complement its young prospects — and to help them develop.
It didn’t initially look like Phoenix would have any real cap room to work with in free agency, but the team managed to create a little flexibility by moving T.J. Warren and Josh Jackson – two players drafted by the previous regime – in separate trades. That newly-created room was enough to sign Ricky Rubio to a three-year, $51MM deal and to take on Aron Baynes‘ and Dario Saric‘s expiring contracts.
While Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker project to be the cornerstones of the Suns for years to come, they’ll need to some help to maximize their potential, and the front office identified those veterans as good candidates to move that process forward. Rubio will create easier shots for Phoenix’s young duo; Baynes will serve as a veteran mentor for Ayton; and Saric’s ability to stretch the floor will help open up space for both young stars to operate.
At this point in the offseason, the majority of the NBA’s teams are carrying either 13 or 14 players on guaranteed salaries. Teams will have to pare down their rosters to no more than 15 players on standard contracts once the regular season begins, so having 13 or 14 players on guaranteed deals now gives those clubs the flexibility to allow one or two non-guaranteed players to make the team — or to carry an open roster spot into opening night.
However, there are currently a dozen teams around the league carrying fewer than 13 guaranteed salaries or more than 14. With the help of our roster counts tool, here’s a look at those teams, with details on what they might be thinking as the 2019/20 season nears:
Fewer than 13 fully guaranteed salaries:
- Houston Rockets (10)
- Miami Heat (12)
- Toronto Raptors (12)
- Utah Jazz (12)
With only 10 players on fully guaranteed salaries, the Rockets may have some competition for their final few roster spots in training camp. For now Isaiah Hartenstein and Gary Clark – each of whom have partial guarantees – look like good bets to earn spots, with Ben McLemore perhaps the frontrunner for the 13th spot. Anthony Bennett, Chris Clemons, Michael Frazier, William McDowell-White, and Shamorie Ponds are candidates to fill out the roster, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Houston eventually acquires a veteran or two with its open spots.
[RELATED: 2019/20 Non-Guaranteed Contracts By Team]
Duncan Robinson‘s and Kendrick Nunn‘s partial guarantees put them in good position to earn the Heat‘s 13th and 14th roster spots. The hard-capped club won’t have room for a 15th player to start the season.
Royce O’Neale is a lock to make the Jazz, and Georges Niang seems like a safe bet too. William Howard and Stanton Kidd could be the prime contenders for the 15th spot if Utah wants a full roster.
For the Raptors, second-round pick Dewan Hernandez, veteran point guard Cameron Payne, and returning role players Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller are the top candidates for the final two or three openings on the regular season roster.
More than 14 fully guaranteed salaries:
- Brooklyn Nets (15)
- Dallas Mavericks (15)
- Indiana Pacers (15)
- Memphis Grizzlies (15)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (15)
- New York Knicks (15)
- Phoenix Suns (15)
- San Antonio Spurs (15)
The Grizzlies were the only team carrying more than 15 guaranteed salaries, but a buyout agreement with Dwight Howard changed that. If they reach a similar deal – or find a trade – involving Andre Iguodala, their roster count would dip to 14 fully guaranteed contracts.
The Nets, Mavericks, Pacers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Suns, and Spurs could shake things up with roster moves before the season begins, particularly if any of those teams is impressed by a non-guaranteed camp invitee. But for now, their regular season rosters look pretty set with their 15 players on guaranteed salaries.
NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps still a few weeks away, many clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.
We’ve spent the last couple weeks looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on a key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2019/20 regular season begins.
After focusing on the Atlantic, Southeast, and Central last week, we headed West and tackled the Northwest and Southwest this week. Today, we’re finishing things up with the Pacific. Let’s dive in…
Golden State Warriors
Will the Warriors try to create any additional breathing room under the hard cap?
As I noted earlier this week when I took a closer look at teams currently in luxury-tax territory, the Warriors are only about $407K from their hard cap, assuming they intend to retain Alfonzo McKinnie along with their 13 players on guaranteed contracts.
That proximity to the hard cap will significantly limit the Warriors’ roster flexibility this season. The Dubs won’t be able to carry a 15th man until late in the year. They’ll have little ability to replace an injured player on the roster. And they essentially won’t be able to take back more salary than they send out in any trade.
Warriors management would surely love to create some breathing room by cutting costs, but there aren’t many realistic ways for the team to move further below the hard cap. Only six players have cap hits greater than $2MM. Three of them – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green – aren’t going anywhere, and the other three – D’Angelo Russell, Kevon Looney, and Willie Cauley-Stein – can’t be traded until at least December 15, even if the club wanted to.
In other words, if they want to create any extra room below their hard cap, the Warriors may have to get awfully creative.
Los Angeles Clippers
Who will be the Clippers’ 15th man?
The Clippers are carrying 14 players with fully guaranteed salaries and four with non-guaranteed camp contracts, leaving the door open for one of those non-guaranteed players – Donte Grantham, Terry Larrier, James Palmer Jr., or Derrick Walton Jr. – to claim the 15th regular season roster spot.
While it’s possible that one of those players will become the Clippers’ 15th man, I’d expect a team with title aspirations to be thinking bigger. Leaving that final roster spot open to start the season in case opportunities arise on the trade or buyout market is probably the most likely path for Los Angeles.
Still, it’s possible those opportunities will arise even before the season begins, as they did for L.A.’s other team when the Lakers signed Dwight Howard. Andre Iguodala is likely the Clippers’ top target to fill out the roster, but other veterans may shake loose as teams set their rosters this fall.
Los Angeles Lakers
Do the Lakers have a recovery timetable in mind for DeMarcus Cousins?
Assuming Dwight Howard looks okay in training camp, he’s on track to fill the Lakers‘ 15th regular season roster spot. Like the rival Clippers though, the Lakers are a team with championship aspirations and will want to make sure they’re optimizing all 15 roster spots. That’s where Cousins comes in.
A torn ACL isn’t quite as serious as a torn Achilles, so it’s possible Cousins will be able to make it back before the end of the 2019/20 season. But it’s his third major leg injury in the last two years, so he certainly shouldn’t be in a rush to return.
Cousins’ contract with the Lakers is only for one year, and he’ll receive his full $3.5MM whether or not he spends the whole season on the team’s roster. If the Lakers determine Cousins will miss the entire season, it would probably make sense to waive him and open up that roster spot for someone who could contribute in 2019/20.
While releasing Cousins now would create some added preseason roster flexibility, the Lakers won’t necessarily have to make this decision before the season begins — waiving him in, say, January would still open up opportunities at or after the trade deadline. His contract could also be used for salary-matching purposes in a deal.
Phoenix Suns
Is Devin Booker happy with the Suns’ offseason?
With the 2018/19 season winding down in March, Booker spoke about being involved in the Suns‘ offseason roster moves, suggesting that there was an “understanding” when he signed his five-year contract extension with the club that he’d have a voice in those decisions.
Booker hasn’t spoken in depth this summer about the Suns’ offseason, so it’s not clear if he pushed for – or voiced support for – any of the team’s acquisitions, such as Ricky Rubio, Dario Saric, Aron Baynes, Frank Kaminsky, or first-round pick Cameron Johnson. We did hear in the spring that Booker had no input in the firing of Igor Kokoskov, and a report during free agency suggested that Phoenix opted not to pursue point guard D’Angelo Russell despite Booker’s advocacy.
The Suns certainly have no obligation to run every move by their star guard, and as long as the on-court results start to improve, Booker should be on board with the direction of the franchise. Still, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on. Even though he’s several years away from free agency, any sign of tension between Booker and the Suns would be a cause for some concern.
Sacramento Kings
Will the Kings sign Buddy Hield to a rookie scale extension?
With Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray, and Caris LeVert locked up to rookie scale extensions, Hield (along with Raptors forward Pascal Siakam) may be the next in line for a new deal. The Kings have until October 21 to get something done with their young sharpshooter, and GM Vlade Divac confirmed this week they’re working on it.
It will be fascinating to see if the Kings and Hield’s camp can agree on a fair price in the coming weeks. If he replicates or builds upon his impressive 2018/19 season, Hield can reasonably expect to get big-time offers as a restricted free agent in 2020, especially given how weak next year’s free agent class projects to be. He has some leverage, and won’t necessarily have to settle for a team-friendly deal.
The Kings, on the other hand, will have to be careful in negotiations with Hield, since he’s the first of many young players they’ll need to lock up in the coming years — De’Aaron Fox will be extension-eligible in 2020, with Marvin Bagley to follow in 2021. The higher they go for Hield, the less flexibility – and leverage – the Kings will have in those future negotiations.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Suns are working out Haywood Highsmith this week, Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops reports (Twitter link). The small forward, who split time between the Sixers and the G League last season, recently worked out for the Bucks as well.
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- The Suns traded for Aron Baynes early in the summer and Gina Mizell of The Athletic hears that Phoenix is hopeful that he’ll serve as a mentor for Deandre Ayton. Mizell discussed Baynes with The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, who believes the big man’s skill set meshes well with Ayton’s and that the veteran center will be a positive influence in the locker room.
- In the same piece, Weiss argues that new addition Dario Saric is the best frontcourt partner for Baynes. The scribe compares the Baynes-Saric fit to the Marcus Morris-Baynes combo in Boston last season.
- Devin Booker decided not to play for Team USA so he could get healthy for the upcoming NBA season, though the decision didn’t sit well with everyone. ESPN’s Nick Friedell believes Booker’s move was “awful,” as he explained on The Jump.
- Free agent point guard Isaiah Taylor is working out for the Nuggets in Denver this week, league sources tell Harrison Wind of BSN Denver (Twitter link). After spending the 2017/18 season with Atlanta, Taylor was pushing for a spot on Cleveland’s roster last fall when he suffered a stress fracture in his leg and was subsequently waived. Now healthy, Taylor has also worked out for the Suns and Celtics, according to Wind.
Only a small handful of two-way players from 2018/19 had their contracts carried over to the 2019/20 season. A couple more of last year’s two-way players have signed new two-way deals. For the most part though, NBA teams have filled their two-way contract slots for the coming season with new faces, including several rookies who went undrafted in 2019.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]
At the moment, 44 of 60 league-wide two-way contract slots are occupied. A 45th appears set to be filled if and when the Knicks finalize their reported agreement with Kris Wilkes. That leaves just 15 two-way deals available across the NBA as training camps approach.
Some clubs may not fill these slots before camps get underway, preferring to sign players to non-guaranteed NBA contracts and then convert those deals to two-way pacts later, depending on how players perform in camp and in the preseason. By the time the 2019/20 regular season begins though, I don’t expect many two-way slots to still be open.
With the help of our two-way contract tracker, which lists all the players currently on two-way deals, here are the teams who can still offer two-way contracts without waiving anyone:
Two open slots:
- Houston Rockets
- Miami Heat
- Toronto Raptors
One open slot:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Denver Nuggets
- New York Knicks
- Note: The Knicks only have a slot available if their reported deal with Wilkes isn’t finalized.
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Washington Wizards