- As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays, Marcin Gortat became the latest NBA veteran to take a shot at the Suns, calling the team “the worst organization” he has ever played for in a recent Polish interview. Earlier this month, Draymond Green criticized Phoenix for mishandling Marquese Chriss after drafting him eighth overall in 2016.
As of Monday’s roster cutdown deadline, no NBA team is carrying more than 17 players in total — 15 on standard contracts and two on two-way deals. However, not every team is making use of all 17 roster spots available to them.
Currently, a third of the league’s 30 teams have at least one open roster spot, either on their regular roster or in their two-way slots.
For most clubs, that decision is financially motivated — teams like the Magic and Nuggets are getting dangerously close to the tax line and prefer to avoid moving even closer by paying an extra player or two. The Thunder and Trail Blazers are already over the tax and won’t want to push their projected bills higher.
For teams like the Heat and Warriors, the decision not to carry a 15th man is dictated by the hard cap — neither club currently has sufficient room under the hard cap for more than 14 players.
Teams’ reasoning for retaining an open two-way spot is less clear. Those players earn very modest salaries and don’t count against the cap, so finances shouldn’t be a factor. Perhaps the teams with two-way openings are still considering their options before G League training camps begin next week, recognizing that any two-way player they sign now is unlikely to actually play for the NBA team this week.
Listed below, with the help of our roster counts breakdown, are the teams that aren’t carrying full rosters.
Teams with an open 15-man roster spot:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State Warriors
- Miami Heat
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Note: The Magic have two open roster spots, giving them two weeks to get to the required minimum of 14 players.
- Portland Trail Blazers
Teams with an open two-way slot:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Phoenix Suns
The Knicks still haven’t settled on a starting point guard but Frank Ntilikina is “motivated” by the franchise’s decision to pick up his contract option for next season, as he told Marc Berman of the New York Post and other reporters. The Knicks took a cap hit of $6,176,578 to retain Ntilikina through the 2020/21 season. “It’s great here in New York to be part of this situation,” he said. “It’s motivation and a big excitement. It makes me willing to give even more on the court on a daily basis.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Malcolm Miller has made an NBA roster at the start of a season for the first time and he’s breathing a sigh of relief, Blake Murphy of The Athletic relays. The 26-year-old forward won a training camp battle for a spot on the Raptors’ roster. “Like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Like a huge exhale,” Miller said. “Two years of back and forth, but now it’s finally official. I feel like I’ve laid two years of groundwork, so I’m more than ready to attack it at full speed.”
- Miller’s G League rights were traded to the Northern Arizona Suns along with the 21st pick in the G League draft for guard Jawun Evans, Murphy tweets. However, this won’t affect Miller’s status with the Raptors. They can still assign him to Raptors 905 despite not holding his G League rights because he’s on the 15-man roster.
- The incentives on Jaylen Brown’s four-year extension include $8MM if he wins the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year award or makes one of three All-NBA teams, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Celtics and Brown reached an extension agreement on Monday. Another $4MM in more reachable incentives includes playing 65 or more games, the team winning 49 or more games and reaching the second round of the playoffs. As previously noted, the total guaranteed money in the deal is $103MM, but it could be worth up to $115MM.
- The Celtics’ decision to give Brown a huge extension sends a clear signal that they’ll do the same for Jayson Tatum next year, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. That will give Boston a dynamic duo who will both be 23 years old or younger and have ample playoff experience, Blakely notes.
- Nets forward Rodions Kurucs made a brief court appearance on Monday regarding a domestic assault charge, Andrew Denney of the New York Post reports. Kurucs was arrested in September over the June 27 incident in which he allegedly choked his ex-girlfriend. He was ordered back to court Nov. 19.
We passed along a large number of moves yesterday as most teams cut their rosters down to the regular season limit. NBA.com’s Transactions Log has a few more that slipped under the radar involving players who were signed and waived to either ensure their affiliate rights or to make sure returning-rights players get bonuses:
- Celtics — guards Justin Bibbs and Dorian Pickens.
- Pelicans — guard Aubrey Dawkins.
- Suns — forwards Aaron Epps and Troy Williams.
- Jazz — forward Anthony Lawrence II.
Williams is the only one in the group with previous NBA experience. He played 21 games for the Kings last season and has appeared in a combined 72 games over the past three years. Bibbs signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Clippers in March, but didn’t see any game action.
The trade that sent T.J. Warren from the Suns to the Pacers along with the No. 32 overall pick in exchange for a small amount of cash was one of the more surprising deals of the summer. After all, Warren had been a productive scorer in recent years in Phoenix and his three-year, $35MM contract wasn’t particularly unwieldy.
Speaking recently to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Warren said he isn’t upset or angry about the deal, but that he’s eager to prove the Suns made a mistake in giving him up for essentially nothing.
“When guys get moved, they want to show and prove the team that moved them wrong,” Warren said. “I’m not mad at the Phoenix Suns, but they made the deal and I’m just excited to move on. I’m ready to show the whole NBA — and not just the Suns for making the wrong decision — that the Pacers made the right decision. I’m worth more than cash considerations. It’s on me to prove it. But the Suns messed up.”
- In a conversation with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, forward Dario Saric spoke about being traded to the Suns, his role in Phoenix, and playing for Monty Williams, among other topics. Saric, who has now been moved twice in his three-year career, also discussed what it feels like to be a trade piece. “I wish I could stay with one team for five, six years. Three years. Ten years,” Saric said. “I’d love to have that, but in this kind of business, you need to be open-minded.”
Stephen Curry hasn’t given up on the championship dream with the Warriors this season despite the loss of Kevin Durant and long-term injury to Klay Thompson, as he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
“A championship is still the goal,” Curry said. “It’s always been. We’ve experienced it all and we’re going to keep pushing to get back there. That’s the goal. It’s the North Star. The narrative might have changed internally, but we’re still chasing the same goal.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Frontcourt injuries have made for a difficult preseason, Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes. The Warriors have gone most of the preseason without Willie Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney and their absences have shown in preseason losses to the Lakers. “We need to get healthy,” coach Steve Kerr said. “You have to have rim protection in this league.” Kerr is hopeful that Looney, who has been sidelined by a hamstring injury, can return for the season opener, Slater tweets.
- The team is now technically $375K under the hard cap after deciding to waive Alfonzo McKinnie and retaining Marquese Chriss, salary cap expert Albert Nahmad tweets. However, since Chriss’ contract doesn’t become fully guaranteed until January 10th, the Warriors are essentially $2MM below the hard cap with Chriss’ deal counting $9,485 daily until that deadline, Nahmad adds.
- Draymond Green ripped the Suns’ organization for mishandling Chriss during his time there, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Chriss was the eighth overall pick in 2016 but lasted just two seasons in Phoenix. “No one ever blames these (lousy) franchises. They always want to blame the kid. It’s not always the kid’s fault,” Green said.
The Suns are trimming their roster down in preparation of opening night. Guard David Kramer, center Norense Odiase, and forward Tariq Owens have all been waived, according to the team.
All three players were on Exhibit 10 deals. It wouldn’t be surprising if each player finds his way to the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns.
Phoenix’s roster is down to 16 players. That figure includes Jared Harper, who is on a two-way deal.
The 2019/20 NBA regular season will get underway in just eight days, which means it’s time to get serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.
With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
Having already looked at the Atlantic, Northwest, and Central, we’re moving onto the Pacific today…
Los Angeles Clippers
- 2018/19 record: 48-34
- Over/under for 2019/20: 54.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Clippers poll.
Los Angeles Lakers
- 2018/19 record: 37-45
- Over/under for 2019/20: 51.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Anthony Davis, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, Jared Dudley, Dwight Howard, Talen Horton-Tucker, DeMarcus Cousins (injured)
- Lost: Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Lance Stephenson, Reggie Bullock, Mike Muscala, Tyson Chandler, Moritz Wagner, Josh Hart, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Lakers poll.
Golden State Warriors
- 2018/19 record: 57-25
- Over/under for 2019/20: 48.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: D’Angelo Russell, Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III, Jordan Poole, Omari Spellman, Eric Paschall, Alen Smailagic
- Lost: Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Jones, Quinn Cook, Jordan Bell, Andrew Bogut, Jonas Jerebko
- Note: Klay Thompson is expected to be out until at least the All-Star break.
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Warriors poll.
Sacramento Kings
- 2018/19 record: 39-43
- Over/under for 2019/20: 38.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Dewayne Dedmon, Trevor Ariza, Cory Joseph, Richaun Holmes, Justin James
- Lost: Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Kosta Koufos, Corey Brewer, Frank Mason
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Kings poll.
Phoenix Suns
- 2018/19 record: 19-63
- Over/under for 2019/20: 29.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Ricky Rubio, Aron Baynes, Dario Saric, Frank Kaminsky, Cameron Johnson, Ty Jerome, Cheick Diallo, Jevon Carter, Jalen Lecque
- Lost: T.J. Warren, Josh Jackson, Troy Daniels, Dragan Bender, Jamal Crawford, Richaun Holmes, De’Anthony Melton, Jimmer Fredette, Ray Spalding
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Suns poll.
Previous voting results:
- Philadelphia 76ers (54.5 wins): Over (54.9%)
- Boston Celtics (49.5 wins): Under (57.0%)
- Toronto Raptors (46.5 wins): Under (59.1%)
- Brooklyn Nets (43.5 wins): Over (58.3%)
- New York Knicks (27.5 wins): Under (54.9%)
- Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (51.8%)
- Utah Jazz (53.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (46.5 wins): Over (78.7%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (35.5 wins): Under (57.5%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (32.5 wins): Under (55.1%)
- Milwaukee Bucks (57.5 wins): Over (63.5%)
- Indiana Pacers (46.5 wins): Over (56.6%)
- Detroit Pistons (37.5 wins): Over (69.8%)
- Chicago Bulls (33.5 wins): Under (56.2%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (24.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
Tyler Johnson is expected to be Phoenix’s sixth man this season, providing offense off the bench. The 27-year-old is excited to play that role for the new-look Suns.
“Obviously, you want to be the greatest that you can be for yourself,” Johnson said (via Gina Mizell of The Athletic). “But at the same time, you get so many kids who come up and they think ‘I’m supposed to be the man.’ Well, you’ve got 30 teams in the NBA …
“[Being a sixth man] was where I made my mark and was able to stay in the league and get paid. My thing was, man, you find a niche and you excel in it.”
Johnson credits Jamal Crawford—his teammate for part of last season—as a player who made contributing off the bench a more attractive option.
“I tell [Crawford] he made that role sexy,” Johnson said. “Between him and Lou Will (the Clippers’ Lou Williams), they really transformed what it meant to come off the bench and how it really don’t matter.”
Johnson added that his goal is to be available for all 82 of the Suns’ regular-season games, telling Mizell that his offseason priority was “getting [his] body right.” Injuries have forced Johnson to miss games in each of his five seasons in the league, including 25 in 2018/19. The combo guard is entering the last year of the four-year, $50MM deal he inked back in 2016.
The Suns have exercised a pair of third-year rookie scale options, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has locked in the 2020/21 salaries for Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges.
Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, projects to have the highest cap hit of any third-year player in 2020/21, at $10,018,200. Bridges, the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, will have a more modest $4,359,000 cap charge.
While both youngsters are viewed as long-term building blocks in Phoenix, Ayton is the one considered a future franchise player. As Charania notes, he has received rave reviews from coaches and players leading up to the 2019/20 season.
In his rookie year, Ayton averaged a double-double, recording 16.3 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 71 games (30.7 MPG). The Suns will have to pick up his 2021/22 option by October 31, 2020, then he’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension in the 2021 offseason.
As for Bridges, he appeared in all 82 games for Phoenix as a rookie, averaging a modest 8.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 29.5 minutes per contest. The 23-year-old has the potential to develop into a standout three-and-D contributor, having averaged 1.6 SPG and made 33.5% of his three-pointers in his first professional season. Like Ayton, he’ll become extension-eligible in 2021 if the Suns pick up his fourth-year rookie scale option.
All the league-wide decisions on rookie scale options for 2020/21 can be found right here as the October 31 deadline approaches.