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Kuminga, Suggs, Giddey Among Extension Candidates Seeking $30MM+ Annually

October 19th, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Tristan Tucker

The deadline for teams to sign players to rookie scale contract extensions falls on Monday and will force several clubs to make tough decisions.

The Warriors have two players under consideration for rookie scale extensions: Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. As we relayed Friday evening, Moody appears more likely than Kuminga to receive an extension by Monday. Moody is in line to receive minutes at the wing spot in the wake up Klay Thompson‘s departure, and NBA insider Jake Fischer reports he could earn more than $10MM per season on his extension (Threads link).

However, Kuminga is seeking a near-max contract that would pay him north of $30MM annually. According to Fischer, the Warriors have “never seemed intent” on paying the forward that kind of money ahead of the season. That tracks with earlier reporting, which suggested that both sides are content to wait to see if Kuminga takes another step forward in 2024/25 and helps propel the team back into contention as its second- or third-best player. In that scenario, he would presumably be rewarded in restricted free agency next offseason.

Moody averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season while Kuminga broke out, averaging 16.1 PPG on 52.9% shooting from the field.

We have more on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates:

According to Fischer, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson is facing a similar situation to Kuminga. However, there’s “far more optimism” that the Hawks and Johnson will finalize a deal worth north of $30MM each year, which is said to be the starting point for negotiations with the former Duke standout. Johnson broke out in a big way last season, jumping from 5.6 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 2022/23 to 16.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG. He’s primed to be a long-term fixture in Atlanta as one of the Hawks’ franchise cornerstones.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs is seeking an extension worth more than $30MM annually in talks with Orlando, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether or not Orlando is prepared to make that sort of offer, but Suggs emerged as one of the best defensive guards in the league last season, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, averaging 12.6 PPG and 1.4 SPG, improving his outside shooting to 39.7%, and helping the young Magic to a 47-win season.
Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year, $162.5MM contract with the Raptors is said to have set a benchmark for young guards across the league, Fischer says, confirming previous reporting. Bulls guard/forward Josh Giddey is also seeking at least $30MM per year on his next extension. However, the Bulls are more interested in seeing how Giddey fits with the team before committing that kind of money to him. Chicago traded Alex Caruso for Giddey in June.
The Rockets haven’t been willing to this point to approach a maximum-salary deal for either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, according to Fischer. We relayed Friday that the Rockets have held productive conversations with both players, submitting offers to each, but that those offers were below the max. Fischer indicates that Houston is completely fine with not agreeing to terms with either before the year begins.
Clippers guard Bones Hyland and Nets young players Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe are not expected to agree to terms on a rookie scale extension, according to Fischer. However, there remains some optimism that Hornets guard Tre Mann, Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson and Wizards wing Corey Kispert will be able to sign extensions by Monday’s deadline.
Quentin Grimes has emerged as a real candidate to receive an extension by Monday, according to Stein (Twitter link). Grimes was acquired by the Mavericks in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason and he’s averaged 8.5 PPG across three NBA seasons. His deal would presumably be in the ballpark of Moody’s, perhaps a bit more than $10MM per year.

Extension Rumors: Durant, Kuminga, Moody, Sengun, Green, Gordon

October 18th, 2024 at 6:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns forward Kevin Durant won’t sign a contract extension before the regular season begins, Shams Charania said during an appearance on Friday’s episode of NBA Today on ESPN (YouTube link).

As we outlined on Thursday, Durant – who has two years left on his current maximum-salary deal – is eligible until October 21 to sign a one-year extension worth up to $59.5MM. If he doesn’t sign that extension by Monday, his next opportunity to extend his contract will come during the 2025 offseason.

Durant downplayed the likelihood of completing a deal this fall, but has expressed “publicly and privately how much he loves Phoenix,” according to Charania, who suggests that both the former MVP and the team are focused on getting something done next offseason, when Durant could add two new years to his current contract for a total of $123.8MM.

The Over-38 rule prohibits Durant from signing any deal that would keep him under contract for four or more total years going forward.

Here are a few more of the latest updates on players who are eligible for contract extensions:

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga remain “far apart” in their extension negotiations, according to Charania, who said during that same NBA Today segment that there’s a sense Kuminga may enter the season without a new deal in place, putting him on track for restricted free agency in 2025. Charania adds that the Warriors forward is comfortable with the idea of betting on himself in 2024/25 and trying to earn a maximum-salary contract – or something close to it – next summer. Moses Moody appears “much more likely” than Kuminga to sign an extension with Golden State before Monday’s deadline, per Charania.
The Rockets have had “productive” conversations with both Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and have made extension offers that would provide them with long-term financial security, according to Charania. However, Charania notes that those offers are below the max, so Sengun and Green will have to decide whether they’re willing to accept those deals or if they want to push for bigger paydays by opting for restricted free agency.
The Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon are in “active conversations” about an extension, per Charania. Gordon is eligible to sign for up to $143.3MM on a four-year deal that would begin in 2025/26, though ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that Denver is hoping to get him to accept a little less than that. “They haven’t handed out that (max) offer,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “Otherwise he would have signed it. From what I understand, they are negotiating and they’re hopeful of getting him at less than what would be his quote, unquote max.”
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks examines some of this year’s top extension candidates and shares the offers he’d put on the table for several of them, including $148MM for Jalen Johnson, $128MM for Josh Giddey, and a whopping $165MM for Jalen Suggs (all five-year deals).

And-Ones: Top FAs, Under-The-Radar Players, Extensions, Carter-Williams

October 13th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyrie Irving ranks as the potential top free agent next summer, according to Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype, though there’s no indication he wants to leave Dallas. Irving holds a player option for the 2025/26 season.

Rockets big man Alperen Sengun ranks as the No. 2 free agent, though he’ll be restricted if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension this month. At No. 3, Lakers forward LeBron James also has a ’25/26 player option, like Irving.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram comes in at No. 4 overall on HoopsHype’s top-25 list and is the top-ranked player who will be fully unrestricted, without the fallback of a player option — unless, of course, he signs a contract with New Orleans prior to free agency.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Which under-the-radar players might make a significant impact this season? The Athletic’s John Hollinger explores a dozen such candidates, including Gradey Dick, Precious Achiuwa and Xavier Tillman.
A number of big-name players could be in line for huge extensions prior to the Oct. 21 deadline for rookie-scale players and veterans with more than one year remaining on their contracts. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus identifies Kevin Durant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jalen Suggs as a few of the players who could potentially agree to new deals this month.
Retired NBA guard Michael Carter-Williams has become a mental health advocate. The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn details Carter-Williams’ personal struggles and his determination to help others get through their mental health issues.

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Sheppard, Sengun, Trade Targets

October 12th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets hold a $44.9MM team option for next season on Fred VanVleet, but the veteran guard seems to be preparing for a long stay in Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Feigen notes that VanVleet recently bought a house and moved his family to the city and now considers himself a “Houstonian.”

“I didn’t come here to be a rental,” he said. “I didn’t come here to be a free agent (again). I came here for a long-term home. I’ve loved my time here so far. I think I have a good understanding with management and the coaches about what the future looks like with this team. The business will always take care of itself. I don’t really get too concerned with that stuff. That stuff will work itself out. But I think my family and I will be in Texas. I came here for a home, and I think I found one.”

VanVleet spent his first seven NBA seasons in Toronto before the Rockets lured him away last summer with a three-year, $128.5MM offer. According to Feigen, it’s the largest deal ever signed by an undrafted player, which is a testament to how far VanVleet has come since his rookie season. The experience of having to build up a reputation from scratch helps him to identify with teammates who are in that position now.

“Every last one of them, I have a great relationship with all the guys,” VanVleet said. “There’s a lot more of us than there is … stars in the league. The rest of the guys are trying to figure it out. I can always relate to those guys. I always tell the story I was a side-hoop guy. I was the guy shooting on the side with no coaches. I was rebounding with myself. I always keep that in mind.”

There’s more from Houston:

Lottery pick Reed Sheppard is getting a crash course in point guard play during his first NBA training camp, Feigen adds in a separate story. After Friday’s practice ended, VanVleet assembled Sheppard, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and big men Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams to work on pick-and-roll execution. When that was over, Sheppard and VanVleet did extra work alongside the team’s assistant coaches. “Oh, it’s been awesome,” Sheppard said. “You know, being out here every day, competing, learning from a lot of the guys, especially Fred. He’s been unbelievable to me, talking to me on and off the court. I mean, he’s just helping me with everything. Any questions I ask, he’s answering and giving details about them and just being there for me whenever. And all the all the guys are. It’s not just Fred. Everyone’s been extremely, extremely good and helpful.”
During his time with the Celtics, Ime Udoka had an elite floor-spacing big man in Al Horford, and he’s hoping Sengun can develop into that role, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Sengun only shot 29.7% from beyond the arc last season on 1.8 attempts per game, but Udoka believes he can improve. “He has the touch and the shot,” Udoka said. “It’s more of a mentality to look for those shots and not pass them up.”
The Rockets are hoping to eventually trade for a star whose timeline fits their young talent, rather than focusing on older players, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire).

Rockets Notes: Sengun, Adams, Green, Trades

October 9th, 2024 at 5:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets centers Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams could join forces to serve as one of the NBA’s top center tandems in 2024/25, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Backup big man Jock Landale may also compete for minutes at the five, but as long as Sengun and Adams stay healthy, it seems likely that either the rising star or the longtime starter will be on the court most of the time.

“We’re pretty bloody solid,” Adams said. “The boys here are pretty good. That’s more on paper. We haven’t played a game. It doesn’t matter how it looks on paper. Whoever is the most connected is going to be the most deep team.”

As Feigen notes, the Rockets as a franchise have a long history of Hall of Fame big men to their credit. Feigen notes that Sengun was approaching possible All-Star status during his 2023/24 breakthrough season and has room to get better this year.

There’s more out of Houston:

Suiting up for his first game in almost seven months, Sengun displayed the kind of growth Houston insiders and fans have no doubt been hoping for, writes Feigen in a separate story. Sengun appears to have added catch-and-shoot triples to his arsenal. During the team’s 122-113 preseason defeat against the Jazz, he showed off a speed and activity level heretofore unseen in his play, Feigen observes.
Rockets shooting guard Jalen Green thrived last year after Sengun went down in March with an ankle injury. Feigen writes in another article for The Chronicle that Houston believes his late-season surge is sustainable over the long run. Green credits film sessions with Rockets coaches, which kicked off last December, for helping him realize how to hone his game best. “I think it will make it a lot easier to pick up where I left off,” Green said. “It’s more about what I have do: play defense, rebound. Like I’ve been saying, being able to contribute to the team besides just scoring.”
The Rockets boast plenty of young assets, future draft picks, and veterans on solid-but-movable contracts. Houston could be the league’s most intriguing trade team this season, opines Michael Pina of The Ringer. Pina notes that the Rockets could go in any number of directions — they may look to package some young pieces for a franchise-changing deal or could swap out some veterans for more youth and draft equity.

“Legitimate Chance” Rockets, Sengun Will Agree To Extension

October 1st, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a “legitimate chance” that the Rockets and big man Alperen Sengun will agree to terms on a rookie scale contract extension by the October 21 deadline, a source with knowledge of the negotiations tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sengun expressed a desire to get a long-term deal done.

“We’ve been talking,” he said. “I want to get the contract, and (the Rockets are) trying to negotiate with us and we’re trying to negotiate with them. So, it’s been good. We’re going to make it work. We still have time, you know, and hopefully we can make it work.”

Sengun, 22, enjoyed a breakout season in his third year in the NBA in 2023/24, finishing as a Most Improved Player finalist. He averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 32.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (all starts).

While those numbers make Sengun a strong candidate for a lucrative extension this fall, there has been a belief that the Rockets may prefer to wait on a new deal, since doing so would allow them to maximize their cap flexibility. The Sixers took a similar approach last offseason with Tyrese Maxey, putting off a new contract until this summer for cap reasons. After using up their cap room this summer, the 76ers were able to go over the cap to re-sign Maxey using his Bird rights.

If he’s a restricted free agent next summer, Sengun would have a cap hold of approximately $16.3MM, approximately three times his 2024/25 salary of $5.42MM but still well below his potential first-year salary on an extension. He could earn a projected maximum of up to $38.7MM in 2025/26.

Fellow 2021 first-rounder Jalen Green is also eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 21. He downplayed the urgency to reach a new deal with the Rockets.

“That’s not really the focus right now,” Green said. “Whatever happens, obviously I want to be here. But the main focus is the season. The main goal is (making the) playoffs. That’s where the focus is.”

Besides Sengun and Green, 18 other players are eligible for rookie scale extensions this fall. Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner, Cade Cunningham, and Evan Mobley have already signed them.

Rockets Notes: Fertitta, Adams, Griffin, Sengun, Green

September 25th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets endured a miserable stretch from 2020-23, when they won just 59 total games across three seasons, but they bounced back to .500 in 2023/24 and appear to be on the upswing. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, team owner Tilman Fertitta expressed optimism about what the future holds, though he knows that more patience will be required, as Jonathan Feigen relays in a subscriber-only Houston Chronicle story.

“Last night I was (viewing) our roster,” Fertitta said. “Our 14th player, whoever that is, would be in the continuous rotation of any team out there. There is no deeper team in the NBA than us. But we’re still very young. As we watch all the greats that played the game, you’re not great until your third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh year. I don’t think Michael Jordan won his first championship until his seventh year.”

Fertitta made his comments at the opening of the Rockets’ new practice facility alongside several current and former Houston players, including two-time Finals MVP Hakeem Olajuwon, who won a pair of titles with the franchise in the mid-1990s. Asked by the Rockets’ owner how long it took him to win his first NBA championship, Olajuwon acknowledged that it happened in year 10.

“We don’t want to wait that long,” Fertitta said. “We plan on winning more than one or two. The point is we’re very young. There’s high expectations. But to be great, we have to get a little older. We’re expecting a great year.”

Here’s more on the Rockets:

According to Feigen, Fertitta admitted that bottoming out and going through a multiyear rebuild wasn’t easy for him and that he frequently considered the idea of accelerating that process. However, his son Patrick and general manager Rafael Stone convinced him to stick with the plan. “Patrick and Raf came to me and said, ‘We can go to NBA purgatory, which is seed seven, eight or nine with no shot of even getting to the second round, or we can do this the right way,'” Fertitta said. “You look at the seven (drafted) guys we have from the last three years, it’s unbelievable, mixed in with some great veterans. We decided to do something that’s going to pay off for the next 12 years.”
Every Rockets player worked out or scrimmaged at the team’s new practice facility either last week or this week (or both), per Feigen, who notes that that group includes center Steven Adams. After missing all of 2023/24 due to knee surgery, Adams has been cleared to fully participate in scrimmages and looked “outstanding” in last week’s games, a source tells The Houston Chronicle.
Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) clarifies that AJ Griffin gave up all but $250K of his salary for 2024/25 in his buyout agreement with the Rockets, reducing his $3,889,920 cap hit by more than $3.6MM. Feigen had previously mentioned that $250K figure, but didn’t specify whether Griffin surrendered that amount or surrendered all but that amount — we now know it’s the latter. Those savings will create additional spending flexibility for the Rockets, who are now operating below the luxury tax line by over $10MM.
Although Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green both displayed star potential during the 2023/24 season, they rarely excelled at the same time, with Green’s best stretch of the season coming in the second half when Sengun was injured. In a separate story for The Houston Chronicle, Feigen explores why the two former first-round picks may not have been at their best together and what it would take for that to change in 2024/25.

Southwest Notes: Eason, Jackson, Pelicans, Extension Candidates

September 18th, 2024 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The leg injury that sidelined Tari Eason for most of the 2023/24 season has made him the most overlooked of the Rockets‘ young core players, but he remains highly regarded by the team’s decision-makers, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

Eason’s role for the Rockets in 2024/25 may ultimately be impacted by how some of his teammates perform and what sort of needs are created as a result. However, Feigen points out that Houston outscored opponents by 9.4 points per 100 possessions with Eason on the court last season and that the forward also had the best net rating among rotation players in 2022/23. In other words, the club will find minutes for him.

Eason is unlikely to crack the starting lineup, but assuming he’s fully healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him deployed as the primary backup at both forward sports, says Feigen.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. just celebrated his 25th birthday on Sunday, but as Memphis’ longest-tenured player who is entering his seventh NBA season, he’s embracing his role as a veteran leader for the team, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details. “I definitely feel like a veteran somewhat,” Jackson said. “Especially being here in one place for so long and seeing everybody roll in here in and out. You see a lot of different things with staff, players. It’s crazy when you think about it.”
The Pelicans have formally announced their new media rights deal with Gray Media, which will allow them to locally televise games over-the-air for free. Christian Clark of NOLA.com provides some more details on the agreement, including outlining which markets it will reach and explaining why the Pelicans decided to part with Bally Sports and go this route.
In a story for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus takes a closer look at what “fair market” deals would look like for several of the top remaining rookie scale extension candidates, including several notable players from out of the Southwest. Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Jalen Green (Rockets), and Trey Murphy (Pelicans) are some of the fourth-year players who will reach restricted free agency in 2025 if they don’t sign new deals by October 21.

And-Ones: Rookie Scale Extensions, $500MM Players, Beverley, Muhammad, T. Robinson

August 31st, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Three of the first four players selected in the 2021 draft have already received rookie scale extensions, but Rockets guard Jalen Green may have to wait until next summer, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Despite a strong finish to last season, there are still questions about Green after three years in the NBA. Houston may want to maximize its cap space for 2025, and Pincus suggests the Rockets’ final offer to Green may not be in the neighborhood of what fellow top four picks Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes received.

That philosophy would also affect Alperen Sengun, who was taken with the 16th pick in 2021. Pincus suggests that Sengun could receive a generous offer before the October 21 deadline if the Rockets are planning to pick up Fred VanVleet‘s $44.9MM option for the 2025/26 season. However, the Turkish center will only have a $16.3MM cap hold if the team plans to decline its option on VanVleet and operate using cap space.

Pincus’ comments are part of his analysis of the entire first round from 2021 and the likelihood of an extension for each remaining player. He gives a C-minus to Cunningham’s new deal, stating that the Pistons assumed unnecessary risk when they could have signed him to a similar contract next summer. The Cavaliers‘ Mobley extension gets a B-minus from Pincus, while the Raptors‘ Barnes extension rates a B-plus.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

Stephen Curry‘s extension with the Warriors and Paul George‘s max contract with the Sixers will push them above $500MM in career earnings, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only players with deals in place to reach that figure, notes Steve Henson of The Los Angeles Times. James Harden will top $400MM under his new two-year, $70MM deal with the Clippers, while Chris Paul will get close to that number after joining the Spurs for one year at $10.46MM.
Longtime NBA guard Patrick Beverley made his debut for Hapoel Tel Aviv today in Israel, according to Eurohoops. Beverley, 36, was in the starting lineup and contributed three points, six assists and his typical intense defense in a preseason win over Elitzur Ironi Netanya.
Former NBA players Shabazz Muhammad and Thomas Robinson have signed with Homenetmen Beirut, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Muhammad, who joined the Kings’ G League affiliate in January, last played in the NBA during the 2017/18 season. Robinson, a lottery pick in 2012, has been out of the league for seven years.

Western Notes: DeRozan, Rockets, Suns, D. Jones

August 12th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Kings wing DeMar DeRozan is staying sharp in California. DeRozan erupted for 54 points for the Mecca Cheaters in the Drew League championship game on Sunday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee relays. The Drew League is a pro-am event held every year in Los Angeles. DeRozan was named the game’s MVP after his team erased a 16-point deficit in the final five minutes and pulled out a one-point victory.

A free agent last month, DeRozan was acquired from the Bulls in a blockbuster, three-team deal. His new contract with the Kings is worth approximately $74MM over three years.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Rockets are doing some early bonding, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jalen Green is hosting a players-only minicamp in Los Angeles this week with Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson among the teammates expected to show up.
The Suns are hiring Oronde Taliaferro as their director of scouting, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Taliaferro, who is expected to focus on college scouting, was previously a scout for the Nets.
The Thunder‘s Dillon Jones, the No. 26 overall pick, is one of the most interesting rookies in this class, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated opines. Oklahoma City was interested in selecting Jones, a Weber State product, in the second round last year before he opted to return to college to improve his stock. The Thunder gave up five second-round picks in a deadline-deal with the Knicks to acquire the 26th pick. Jones could play a variety of positions for a coaching staff that enjoys tinkering with rotations and lineups.