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NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

October 19th, 2018 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Kings sign Troy Williams to a two-way contract after he clears waivers today, as is expected, they’ll become the 16th NBA team to fill all 17 of their available roster spots, with 15 players on standard contracts and two more on two-way pacts.

Still, that will leave nearly half of the league’s teams that will still have at least one opening on their rosters, either on the standard 15-man squad or in their two-way slots.

For many clubs, that decision is primarily financially motivated. Teams like the Warriors, Rockets, Thunder, Raptors, and Wizards all project to have pricey luxury tax bills at season’s end, so there’s no need for them to push those projected penalties higher by carrying an extra player they won’t use.

Other teams may simply prefer to preserve some roster flexibility rather than carrying a full 15-man squad. The Lakers, for instance, aren’t close to the tax line, but have an open roster spot for now. That could allow the team to make a trade or signing later to fortify its roster without costing anyone a job.

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:

Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
Oklahoma City Thunder
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards
- Note: The Wizards have two open roster spots and will need to fill one of them by October 30.

Teams with an open two-way slot:

New Orleans Pelicans
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
- Note: The Blazers have two open two-way slots.
San Antonio Spurs

Suns Notes: Chandler, Canaan, Crawford, Ayton

October 17th, 2018 at 9:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

At 36, Tyson Chandler may seem out of place on the rebuilding Suns, but he remains focused on providing the best possible example for his young teammates, writes Gina Mizell of The Athletic. Chandler, who is beginning his 18th NBA season, admits the process of getting ready is much different now than when he entered the league in 2001.

“When I was a rookie, I just had a bunch of nervous energy. You’re young and you can move all over the place,” he said. “Now everything is precise. Everything has a time. Even energy output, you just kind of measure everything you do now in this league. I used to get so pumped up. Now it’s all mental where I analyze what’s going on.”

Even so, Chandler isn’t ready to give up the NBA lifestyle. He hopes to reach at least 20 years in the league, although with an expiring contract that may happen somewhere other than Phoenix. He will help mentor No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton for now and may be a popular target at the trade deadline among teams that need frontcourt depth.

There’s more today out of Phoenix:

After experimenting with several options at point guard during the preseason, Isaiah Canaan will be the starter in tonight’s season opener, Mizell tweets. Coach Igor Kokoskov indicated that Devin Booker may finish out games at the position in an effort to get the best offensive lineup on the court.
Jamal Crawford finalized his contract with the Suns just in time for tonight’s game and is eager to get started with his new team. In a video posted by The Arizona Republic, the 38-year-old expressed confidence that Phoenix is moving in the right direction. “I feel re-energized, to be honest with you,” Crawford said. “I just like what the organization’s doing. I like the moves they’re making. I love the young players, I love the vets they brought in, so I’m excited.” Crawford said Kokoskov just asked him to be the same type of player he has been throughout his career.
Booker believes the addition of Ayton provides the chance to build a winner, relays Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Although Booker has blossomed into one of the NBA’s best young players, the Suns haven’t been competitive since he arrived. “It’s a start of his legacy,” Booker said of Ayton. “His new career. My job is to make it special for him and not make it like my first three years. So turn it around. Let him be known as a winner. Let our whole organization turn around to a winning franchise.”

Suns Exercise 2019/20 Option On Josh Jackson

October 17th, 2018 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have exercised their 2019/20 option on Josh Jackson‘s rookie scale contract, according to RealGM’s official transactions log. Picking up that third-year option, a procedural move, locks in Jackson’s $7,059,480 for the ’19/20 season.

The fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft, Jackson showed promise in his rookie year, averaging 13.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.5 SPG in 77 games (25.4 MPG). The Suns figure to lean a little more heavily on the 21-year-old in his second season, as he takes on a more prominent role among a solid group of forwards that also features Trevor Ariza, T.J. Warren, and rookie Mikal Bridges.

Interestingly, RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions doesn’t list a Suns decision on Dragan Bender‘s fourth-year option for 2019/20. Phoenix has until October 31 to make a decision on Bender’s option, worth $5,896,519, and the club still hasn’t announced Jackson’s option pickup. The Suns could exercise Bender’s option later and announce both moves at once.

Still, it’s worth noting that Bender was viewed by at least one Suns reporter as a candidate to be waived this week when the team needed to cut down its roster to the regular season limit. His 2019/20 option isn’t a lock to be exercised.

Suns Officially Sign Jamal Crawford

October 17th, 2018 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have officially filled the 15th spot on their regular season roster by signing Jamal Crawford, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. The team created a roster opening on Tuesday by waiving Davon Reed.

Crawford, a three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, reached an agreement with the Suns on Monday and has now signed a one-year, minimum salary contract with the club.

Per the NBA’s log of transactions, Crawford’s signing was completed on Tuesday, the first day of the regular season. As such, he should receive a full-season minimum salary rather than a prorated portion of the minimum. He’ll earn $2,393,887 and will count for $1,512,601 against Phoenix’s cap.

Although several teams – including the Warriors, Celtics, Sixers, and Lakers – reportedly showed interest in Crawford over the course of the offseason, he had trouble finding a new NBA home after averaging 10.3 PPG on .415/.331/.903 shooting for the Timberwolves in 2017/18. The 38-year-old could have exercised a $4.5MM player option in June to stay in Minnesota, Crawford didn’t love the role he played with the Wolves and sought a better fit, turning down that option and hitting the open market.

Crawford’s new team, the Suns, likely envisions the veteran in a ball-handling role. Besides Isaiah Canaan, Phoenix doesn’t have another experienced point guard on the roster — rookies De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo will provide depth at that spot after the team waived Shaquille Harrison this week.

Besides Reed and Harrison, the Suns also cut Darrell Arthur, clearing the way for Crawford, Richaun Holmes, and Canaan to make the team. Holmes and Canaan both have non-guaranteed deals.

Crawford isn’t expected to be active for the Suns’ home opener against Dallas tonight, head coach Igor Kokoskov said today (Twitter link via Gina Mizell of The Athletic).

Sixers Turned Down Suns’ Trade Offer For McConnell

October 17th, 2018 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns, who were on the lookout for a point guard for much of the offseason, approached the Sixers in recent weeks to inquire on T.J. McConnell, league sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. According to Pompey, Phoenix was willing to part with a second-round pick for McConnell, but the 76ers passed on that offer.

Philadelphia’s decision to turn down a second-round pick for McConnell comes as no surprise. The 26-year-old has developed into a regular part of the Sixers’ rotation, providing backup minutes at point guard and serving as one of the club’s only reliable ball-handlers. With the 76ers still unsure about what they’ll get from Markelle Fultz this season, it would take a strong offer to pry away McConnell, who is earning just $1.6MM.

It’s also worth noting that the Sixers probably don’t need to add any more second-rounders to their overflowing stash of draft picks. In addition to holding all its own selections, Philadelphia has also acquired two extra second-round picks for 2019, two more for 2020, and three for 2021. The team has even added the Pistons’ 2023 second-rounder for good measure.

The Suns have been linked to several point guard trade targets since sending Brandon Knight to the Rockets over the summer. Cory Joseph, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Patrick Beverley are among the veteran point guards the team has reportedly looked into, but Phoenix is said to be reluctant to part with a first-round pick in any deal.

Terry Rozier‘s name is another one that has been frequently connected to the Suns, and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweeted this week that the club would have “loved” to acquire the Celtics point guard. According to Gambadoro, both Ryan McDonough and new interim GM James Jones attempted to make a deal for Rozier, but he’s “very unlikely” to be traded.

Suns Waive Davon Reed

October 16th, 2018 at 4:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Suns have waived Davon Reed, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team was expected to either trade or waive Reed, as was reported on Monday.

Phoenix will incur a cap hit of $1.4MM this season unless another team claims the former second-rounder, as Bobby Marks of ESPN.com relays (ESPN now link). Reed was set to receive approximately $1.61MM during the 2019/20 season and $1.75MM during the following season. Each of those seasons has a July 10 non-guaranteed trigger date.

The move clears a roster spot for Jamal Crawford, who agreed to a deal with Phoenix earlier this week. The team is short on experienced options at the point guard position, so Crawford could see playing time right away.

NBA Teams With Most, Least Roster Continuity

October 16th, 2018 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, the 2018 NBA offseason featured plenty of player movement, with new rookies entering the league, free agents changing teams, and a total of 31 trades being completed between the end of the 2017/18 season and 2018/19’s opening night.

Some teams were more involved in that summer carousel than others. The Hawks, for instance, will enter the season carrying only seven players who finished last season with the team. The Suns will also bring back just seven players from last year’s squad, and that number figures to drop to six once the team completes its reported signing of Jamal Crawford, assuming Davon Reed is the odd man out.

Because teams are permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and two more on two-way deals, the maximum number of players a club could have brought back was 17. No team got that high, but the Heat and Jazz are each bringing back 14 players from last year’s rosters. Impressively, all 14 players on Miami’s standard roster are returning players — only the club’s two-way players are new.

[RELATED: 2018/19 NBA Roster Counts]

While many teams turned over their two-way contract slots entirely, several clubs are bringing back those players, either keeping them on two-way deals or promoting them to their active rosters. The Nuggets, Bulls, Pacers, and Lakers are among the teams who retained both of their two-way players from last season.

Listed below are the number of returning players for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, from most to fewest. Bringing back a significant number of players doesn’t necessarily lead to regular season success, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few of the teams near the top of this list enjoy fast starts due to their players’ familiarity with each other, while teams near the bottom of the list may take some time to get used to their changes.

Here’s the returning-player count for each team:

Miami Heat: 14
Utah Jazz: 14
Boston Celtics: 13
Chicago Bulls: 12
Denver Nuggets: 12
New York Knicks: 12
Cleveland Cavaliers: 11
Indiana Pacers: 11
Philadelphia 76ers: 11
Portland Trail Blazers: 11
Sacramento Kings: 11
Toronto Raptors: 11
Charlotte Hornets: 10
Detroit Pistons: 10
Golden State Warriors: 10
- Note: Patrick McCaw remains a restricted free agent. The Warriors’ returning player count could increase to 11 if he re-signs.
Los Angeles Clippers: 10
Milwaukee Bucks: 10
Dallas Mavericks: 9
Memphis Grizzlies: 9
Minnesota Timberwolves: 9
New Orleans Pelicans: 9
Oklahoma City Thunder: 9
Orlando Magic: 9
Washington Wizards: 9
Brooklyn Nets: 8
Houston Rockets: 8
Los Angeles Lakers: 8
San Antonio Spurs: 8
Atlanta Hawks: 7
Phoenix Suns: 7
- Note: The Suns’ returning player count will drop to 6 if Jamal Crawford replaces Davon Reed on the roster, as is expected.

Suns Waive Shaquille Harrison, Darrell Arthur

October 15th, 2018 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns waived a pair of players on Monday to reach the regular season roster limit, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Shaquille Harrison and Darrell Arthur have been cut by the team.

Arthur’s release comes as no surprise, since he was never part of the Suns’ plans for this season. Still, by waiving him now, before receiving resolution on their disabled player exception request, the Suns are no longer eligible for that DPE, as Keith Smith of RealGM confirms (via Twitter). Given that there was little evidence that Arthur had recently sustained a season-ending injury, that DPE was unlikely to be approved anyway.

Harrison’s release is a little more surprising, given the Suns’ lack of depth at point guard. However, he was one of three players – along with Richaun Holmes and Isaiah Canaan – who was on a non-guaranteed contract, making him somewhat expendable. The Suns will now retain Canaan, Elie Okobo, and De’Anthony Melton at the point, with combo guard Jamal Crawford set to enter the mix as well.

Speaking of Crawford, the Suns will need to make one additional roster move when he officially signs his contract, which hasn’t happened yet. Davon Reed is expected to be traded or waived to accommodate Crawford.

With today’s moves, the Suns will create $7.5MM+ in additional dead money on their cap for 2018/19 — Harrison had a modest $50K guarantee, which Phoenix will eat, along with Arthur’s $7,464,912 salary.

Suns Plan To Trade Or Waive Davon Reed

October 15th, 2018 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns, who need to remove three players from their roster in order to officially sign Jamal Crawford and reach the regular season roster limit, continue to work on trade scenarios, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. One player involved in those trade talks is second-year guard Davon Reed, who is expected to be traded or released today by Phoenix, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Suns, Jamal Crawford agree to deal]

Reed, 23, was the 32nd overall pick in the 2017 draft, but missed a significant chunk of his rookie season due to a knee injury. While there was some uncertainty about his place on the Suns’ roster heading into the summer due to the partial guarantee on his 2018/19 salary, he played well in five Summer League games in Las Vegas, posting 13.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, and a .489 FG% in Vegas.

That Summer League showing helped earn Reed the rest of his ’18/19 guarantee and secure his roster spot temporarily, but it appears he won’t make the regular season squad.

Besides Reed, Darrell Arthur also appears likely to be waived by the Suns today, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). The team will have to trade or waive one more player in addition to Reed and Arthur, with non-guaranteed players like Richaun Holmes, Shaquille Harrison, and Isaiah Canaan among the candidates due to their contract status. Gambadoro adds that Dragan Bender‘s place on the roster isn’t necessarily totally secure either.

Suns, Jamal Crawford Agree To Deal

October 15th, 2018 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with free agent guard Jamal Crawford, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). A report over the weekend indicated that Phoenix had offered Crawford a minimum salary contract after meeting with him on Friday.

Crawford, a three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, spent last season with the Timberwolves, averaging 10.3 PPG on .415/.331/.903 shooting. Although he could have exercised a $4.5MM player option to stay in Minnesota, Crawford didn’t love the role he played with the Wolves and sought a better fit, turning down that option and hitting the open market.

Although several teams – including the Warriors, Celtics, Sixers, and Lakers – reportedly showed interest in Crawford over the course of the offseason, he had trouble finding a new NBA home. His new agreement with Phoenix comes a day before the regular season gets underway and will represent a pay cut — the minimum salary for a player with Crawford’s years of experience is just shy of $2.4MM.

It’s an interesting move for the Suns, who had already been facing a roster crunch, with 17 players for 15 spots. Signing Crawford means that the club will now have to trade or release three players instead of two by today’s deadline. Richaun Holmes, Isaiah Canaan, and Shaquille Harrison are on non-guaranteed contracts, while Darrell Arthur is the most likely release candidate among the players with guaranteed salaries.

A combo guard, Crawford figures to get an opportunity to play a ball-handling role for a Suns team short on experience at the one. Besides Canaan and Harrison, the other two point guards on the roster are a pair of second-round rookies, Elie Okobo and De’Anthony Melton.

The 38-year-old Crawford figures to serve as a mentor for those players and as a veteran leader for a team that has aspirations of competing for a playoff spot after signing Trevor Ariza and drafting Deandre Ayton over the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.