Zion Williamson

Contract Implications Of Today’s All-NBA Announcement

May 10th, 2023 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA will announce its All-NBA teams for the 2022/23 on Wednesday night, unveiling the First, Second, and Third teams during a TNT broadcast beginning at 6:00 pm Central time (Twitter link).

For many of this year’s All-NBA candidates, earning a spot on one of the three teams will simply bolster their career résumés, perhaps increasing their chances of being inducted into the Hall of Fame down the line.

But there are a handful of players who have – or could have – a significant amount of money riding on tonight’s announcement. Those players would become eligible for a more lucrative contract by making an All-NBA team.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement typically restricts players who have six or fewer years of NBA experience from signing deals worth more than 25% of the salary cap. However, earning an All-NBA berth at the right time can make those players eligible to sign for up to 30% up the cap.

Similarly, players with between seven and nine years in the league are usually limited to signing contracts worth up to 30% of the cap, but an All-NBA nod can make them eligible to receive up to 35% of the cap instead.

We have more specific details on how Rose Rule deals and Designated Veteran contracts work in a pair of glossary entries, so you can check those out for more information. Here are the players who could be the most financially impacted by this year’s All-NBA voting results:

Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Tatum will only have six years of NBA experience at the end of this season, so he’s not yet eligible to sign a super-max extension. However, assuming he makes an All-NBA team – which is a virtual lock – he’ll have met the performance criteria for a Designated Veteran extension.

Players who have seven years of NBA experience and who made the All-NBA team in two of the last three seasons are super-max eligible. That means that an All-NBA nod tonight would put Tatum in position to sign a five-year DVE (worth 35% of the 2025/26 cap) in the 2024 offseason regardless of whether he makes an All-NBA team next season, since he’ll have done so in both 2022 and 2023.

Jaylen Brown (Celtics) / Pascal Siakam (Raptors)

We’re grouping Brown and Siakam together here, since they’re in identical situations. Both members of the 2016 draft class are finishing up their seventh year in the NBA and have contracts that expire in 2024.

If they earn All-NBA honors this season, both Brown and Siakam would be eligible to sign five-year Designated Veteran extensions that begin in 2024/25 and start at up to 35% of that season’s cap.

Unlike Tatum, neither Brown nor Siakam is a slam dunk to make an All-NBA team. The odds of both players making the cut are probably slim, but they each have a chance at a Third Team spot. I’d view Brown as the slightly stronger candidate, given Boston’s regular season record relative to Toronto’s.

Ja Morant (Grizzlies)

Morant has actually already signed a rookie scale extension, completing that deal with the Grizzlies last offseason. However, its exact value will look drastically different depending on whether or not Morant makes an All-NBA team tonight. If he earns a spot, his contract would start at 30% of the 2023/24 salary cap; if he misses out, his deal would start at 25% of next season’s cap.

Based on a $134MM salary cap, the difference between Morant’s two possible deals is nearly $40MM — he’ll earn a projected $233MM across five years if he’s named to an All-NBA team and about $194MM if he’s not.

Morant looked like a safe bet to earn All-NBA honors during the first half of the season, but an eight-game suspension for waving a gun in a Colorado strip club derailed his second half and made him more of a borderline candidate. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he doesn’t make it.

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Cavaliers guard Darius Garland also signed Rose Rule rookie scale extensions last summer and would have salaries worth 30% of the 2023/24 cap (instead of 25%) if they make an All-NBA team. That won’t happen for Williamson, who was limited to 29 games this season. It probably won’t happen for Garland either, though he has a far better chance to show up on some ballots.

Non-eligible candidates

To be eligible for a super-max extension worth 35% of the cap, a player can’t have been traded since his second NBA contract began. That rule will make Kings center Domantas Sabonis ineligible for a super-max deal even if he shows up on the All-NBA Third Team tonight.

Several other All-NBA candidates, including Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, could become super-max eligible down the road, but don’t have enough NBA experience to qualify yet. They would each need to make at least one more All-NBA team in a future season to become eligible, regardless of what happens this year.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Brooks, Bane, Pelicans, Daniels

May 8th, 2023 at 4:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Grizzlies weren’t thrilled with the framing or leaking of the story about Dillon Brooks not being brought back “under any circumstances,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on his Howdy Partners podcast (YouTube link).

“The Grizzlies did not want the messaging out there of, basically, ‘Dillon Brooks is a scapegoat. We’re dumping Dillon Brooks and everything is going to be fine.’ They were fine with the way (GM) Zach Kleiman left it at the exit interviews with the media,” MacMahon said.

Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal has the quotes from Kleiman.

“I’ll hit on (Brooks) another day,” Kleiman said. “Nothing I can comment on for now with him going into free agency.”

Multiple members of the team, including Kleiman, talked about toning down the trash-talking, while Brooks said it was part of who he is, according to Cole.

“We’re going to take a different approach as it pertains to (trash talk) next season,” Kleiman said. “You’ll see a different approach from this team, but at the same time, confidence is important. .. There’s a line there, certainly.”

As MacMahon observes, it was pretty easy to read between the lines and realize that Brooks was highly unlikely to be re-signed, but the Grizzlies didn’t want to throw him under the bus, either.

Here’s more from the Southwest:

Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the story on Brooks. Brooks’ agent, Mike George of OneLegacy Sports Management, lit into Charania for his report. “@ShamsCharania the leader of spreading false news and attacking players. Why any player in the league talks to this guy blows my mind. #weirdo,” George tweeted.
In an appearance on Stephen A.’s World with Stephen A. Smith of ESPN (YouTube link), Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane praised Brooks. “Things like this happen,” Bane said. “You know, it’s part of the business. There ain’t no telling whether he’s gonna be back with us or with another team in the future. … Whatever happens for him I’m gonna be cheering, hopefully it’s with us, but if not, I’ll be rooting for him — as long as it’s not in the Western Conference.”
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a look at what’s next for Brooks and the Grizzlies following the news of his impending departure, noting that a sign-and-trade might be the best chance for Memphis to replace his salary slot.
Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels had a strong rookie season on the defensive end, but he knows he has a lot of work to do on offense to make the impact he wants going forward, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “For me, I was disappointed how it went this year,” said Daniels, who plans to play in Summer League. “I think I could have made more of an impact. But for me, it’s about learning now and getting the work in this summer and being ready for next year.”
In a mailbag for The Athletic, William Guillory thinks it would be “extreme” for the Pelicans to explore trading Zion Williamson this summer, viewing it as a total non-starter. Williamson is too talented to deal away so early in his career despite his significant injury troubles, according to Guillory. Adding a shooter in free agency will likely be a priority for New Orleans this offseason, Guillory adds.

Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Zion, Daniels, Pannone

April 15th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

During an appearance on “Stephen A.’s World” Saturday afternoon (video link), CJ McCollum cited public “misconceptions” over how Zion Williamson is viewed by his teammates and Pelicans management. McCollum said the entire organization remains supportive of Williamson and wants him to find a way to stay healthy so he can get the most out of his talents.

Injuries limited Williamson to 29 games this season, marking the third time in four years that he has failed to reach 30. He played at an All-Star level when he was available, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 60.8% from the field, but a hamstring injury he suffered in early January kept him sidelined for the rest of the season.

“The moral of the story is we all want him out there on the court,” McCollum said. “We all understand the importance of the gravity he has, we understand the importance of the greatness that he possesses — and me personally, I want him to maximize that. I want him to maximize his talent, I want him to maximize his window, our window as a team, our window as an organization.”

Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin addressed the same topic on Friday, telling reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN, that the team will work to increase Williamson’s availability, but he has a role to play as well.

I think a big part is on him,” Griffin said. “I think there is a lot he can do better. And he would, I think, tell you that. I think we need to do a better job examining the whole situation top to bottom a little bit better. I think putting him in the best position to succeed is important. And I think his participation is a big part of that.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

McCollum, who will have surgery on his right thumb next week, wrote in his Andscape diary that “this was the most difficult season I’ve been a part of physically and mentally.” He cites the constant injuries that surrounded the team and “the roller coaster of emotions” that involved the fast start, followed by a 10-game losing streak and then rebounding to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Dyson Daniels plans to spend a lot of the offseason in New Orleans to work on his game, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. The Australian rookie also expects to be part of the Pelicans’ Summer League team.
Assistant coach Ryan Pannone will join Nate Oats’ staff at the University of Alabama, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Pannone, a former G League coach, spent one year on New Orleans’ staff under Willie Green.

Pelicans Notes: Williamson, McCollum, Temple, Liddell

April 14th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Pelicans had advanced beyond the play-in, Zion Williamson might have had a chance to return from his hamstring injury this spring, but that was far from a lock. Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin confirmed on Friday that Williamson hadn’t even begun participating in full-court 3-on-3 scrimmages, let alone 5-on-5 action (Twitter link via Andrew Lopez of ESPN).

Elsewhere on the Williamson front, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (YouTube link) noted during a TV appearance that Zion’s maximum-salary extension, which will go into effect in 2023/24, features several benchmarks related to the forward’s weight, conditioning, and games played totals.

Portions of Williamson’s salary will become non-guaranteed if he doesn’t meet those thresholds, though the Pelicans would only be able to realize those savings by waiving him.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Sources tell William Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link) that CJ McCollum, who will undergo surgery on his injured thumb, was also dealing with a torn labrum in his shoulder for the final seven games of the regular season.
The Pelicans’ “big three” of Williamson, McCollum, and Brandon Ingram played just 10 games together this season, Guillory observes in a story for The Athletic. “If you would’ve told me we’d only play 10 games together this season, and we still won 42 games, I would’ve said that’s crazy,” McCollum said. “For us to be successful in the future – in the long-term – we’ve got to be able to play together. We need our best players on the court. We need to be able to play extended minutes together, especially in meaningful games, and showcase what we offer.”
Veteran wing Garrett Temple will turn 37 years old next month, but he hasn’t considered retiring and would like to remain in New Orleans in 2023/24, tweets Guillory. Although Temple is under contract for next season, his $5.4MM salary is non-guaranteed and I don’t expect the Pelicans to keep him at that price — they could be more open to a minimum-salary deal.
E.J. Liddell, a 2022 second-rounder who suffered a torn ACL last July at the Las Vegas Summer League, has progressed to playing 1-on-1 and is hoping to be able to play in this year’s Summer League, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Liddell’s two-way deal with New Orleans covers two seasons, so he’s under contract for 2023/24 and won’t need to be re-signed.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype previews the decisions facing the Pelicans this offseason, pointing out that Jaxson Hayes and Josh Richardson will be free agents, while Herb Jones will be among the players eligible for contract extensions.

Larry Nance Jr. To Miss Play-In Game

April 12th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. won’t be available for Wednesday’s play-in game against the Thunder due to left ankle soreness, the team announced (via Twitter).

Coach Willie Green told reporters prior to the game that Nance was going to test his ankle in warmups to see how it responded, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Nance was added to the injury report on Tuesday, with New Orleans listing him as questionable. He was able to play 17 minutes in Sunday’s regular season finale.

Nance was one of the Pelicans’ most reliable bench players this season, averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 65 games. His absence could lead to more minutes for fourth-year center Jaxson Hayes.

If New Orleans wins tonight, Nance will have two more days to recover before the next play-in contest Friday at Minnesota. Another victory would put the team in a playoff series against the Nuggets that would begin Sunday night.

The Pelicans are already short-handed without Jose Alvarado, who is out with a right tibial stress reaction, and Zion Williamson, who hasn’t played since early January due to a strained right hamstring.

Earlier on Wednesday, Nance responded to rumors that the organization is upset with Williamson over his prolonged absence.

“No one in our locker room is looking at Z any type of way,” Nance tweeted. “We’re with him every step of his rehab, and support his process, physically AND mentally! Don’t listen to people saying things just to get views!!”

Southwest Notes: Williamson, Nance Jr., Harrison, Lofton

April 11th, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson, who won’t play in the play-in tournament and is considered unlikely to be available in the first round if the team makes it that far, admits that his hamstring issue is more mental than physical at the moment, according to Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

“I can pretty much do everything,” said Williamson, who hasn’t suited up for the Pelicans since Jan. 2. “It’s just a matter of the level that I was playing at before my hamstring. I’m just a competitor. I don’t want to go out there and be in my own head and affect the team. I can just be on the sidelines supporting them more. I know myself. If I was to go out there, I would be in my head a lot. I would hesitate on certain moves. And that could affect the game.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Pelicans have added Larry Nance Jr. to the injury report for their play-in game against the Thunder on Wednesday, according to a team press release. The forward is listed as questionable due to left ankle soreness. He’s averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds this season.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison vows that the team won’t miss the postseason next season, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News tweets. “They (the fans) should be frustrated. I’m frustrated. This year was unacceptable. … We’re going to evaluate everything, and we’re not going to be in this situation again.”
Kenneth Lofton Jr.‘s four-year contract with the Grizzlies is guaranteed for next season and is worth a total of $6,927,014, but it’s non-guaranteed for 2024/25 and includes a team option in 2025/26, Hoops Rumors has learned. He received a $1MM salary for 2022/23, which was well above his prorated minimum. The remaining three years are at the minimum salary. Lofton had his two-way contract converted over the weekend.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Kyrie, Luka, Mavs, Rockets

April 11th, 2023 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson isn’t particularly close to returning to action, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

While we already knew that New Orleans won’t have the former No. 1 overall pick available for the play-in tournament, it sounds like the team also isn’t counting on Williamson returning from a hamstring injury in time to play in a first-round series, should the Pelicans win a pair of play-in contests.

Sources tell Charania that there’s “no expectation” Williamson will be on the court at all during the first round of the playoffs, as his conditioning level isn’t close to where it needs to be. Perhaps if the Pelicans can win two play-in games and then knock off the top-seeded Nuggets in the first round, we could see Zion again this spring, but that’s a long shot.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks star Luka Doncic said during his exit interview with the media on Monday that he’d like to see the team re-sign Kyrie Irving this summer, as Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com relays. “I think it’s a great fit,” Doncic said. “Obviously people are going to say no, look at the results we’re having. But like I said, chemistry, relationships take time. And I wish he can still be here. He’s a great player. He just wants peace. And a great person.”
The Mavericks consulted with the league office before submitting their player availability designations last Friday, sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link). The franchise is now under NBA investigation for its decision to rest healthy players in that game, and Stein suggests that the Mavs’ mistake was being too honest with the media on Friday about their motivations. Stein likens the league’s stance on tanking to its approach to tampering and free agency gun-jumping, writing that the least discreet teams are the ones that get penalized.
The Rockets expect to begin their head coaching interviews before the end of the week, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Ime Udoka, Frank Vogel, and Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson are among Houston’s initial targets, Feigen adds, confirming previous reporting. General manager Rafael Stone said the team is seeking a candidate who has a “real vision” for how to use the Rockets’ young players and incorporate veterans. “The next coach … is going to know much more than Stephen (Silas) did what they’re walking into,” Stone said. “We’ll have free agency and the draft picks. And we have a young core of guys who I think are very, very likely to be with us for the next year or two.”
While Silas handled the Rockets‘ young core with an understanding and supportive approach, the team may be seeking a replacement with a “fierier style” who will “lean more toward critical when appropriate,” Feigen writes in a separate Houston Chronicle story (subscription required).

Southwest Notes: Zion, Irving, Mavericks, Porter

April 8th, 2023 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

After getting more discouraging news about Zion Williamson this week, the Pelicans are preparing to face the start of the postseason without him, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin announced that Williamson remains out indefinitely due to a hamstring injury, making him unavailable for the play-in tournament or possibly even a first-round playoff series if New Orleans is able to qualify.

Griffin told reporters on Friday that Williamson has participated in 3-on-3 drills with coaches, but he hasn’t been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages. Griffin also revealed that Williamson hasn’t met some “objective metrics” in the weight room or on the court, and he’s still hesitant sometimes when pushing off with the injured leg.

“We want Z back, for sure. But we can’t put a lot of time and focus into ‘What ifs.’ Right now, this is reality. That’s what we have to look at,” coach Willie Green said. “Over the last 10 games, we’ve been playing extremely well. We have to continue to do that. When that time comes when Z can step on the floor and go, then it’s, ‘Let’s go.’”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

When the Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving in February, he requested that reporters refrain from asking him about free agency until the season was over, notes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Those questions are sure to come on Sunday when Dallas ends a disappointing campaign that fell short of the play-in tournament. Townsend adds that although the Mavs have a 9-17 record since trading for Irving, he hasn’t created any distractions in Dallas after a string of off-the-court incidents with Brooklyn. The biggest question facing the team in the offseason is how much of a commitment to make to Irving, who is eligible for a five-year, $272MM contract with the Mavericks or a four-year, $201.7MM deal with another team.
After finding themselves under NBA investigation for resting players Friday night with a play-in spot still within reach, the Mavericks will use a depleted roster again on Sunday, Townsend tweets. Irving, Luka Doncic, Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green and Maxi Kleber will all sit out the game against the Spurs.
Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. will miss Sunday’s game with soreness in his right knee, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. That will leave him at 59 games, one short of the 60 needed to make his games-played bonus for next season considered to be likely. Feigen adds that it won’t affect Porter’s salary (he could still earn the bonus by playing in 60 games next season), but it will open some cap room for Houston to use this offseason. The bonus accounted for $2.38MM of Porter’s cap hit for the 2023/24 season, explains Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

Injury Notes: Zion, J. Brown, Middleton, Schröder, Biyombo

April 7th, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin announced on Thursday that Zion Williamson would remain out indefinitely as he continues to deal with a right hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined since January 2.

According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Griffin clarified on Friday that Williamson will not suit up for the play-in tournament, and he might miss a potential first-round playoff series as well.

“I would just say that if you looked at the logistics of where we are at, it’s not possible to get the work in that would put him in a 5-on-5 workout in time for any play-in,” Griffin said. “Based on today, our best possible outcome would be if everything lined up perfectly, maybe you’re in a position to practice prior to a first round. Or maybe during a first round. But it’s going to take more than one, right? It’s really hard. We may never get to that point, either. If it’s not a situation where those things align and he feels the way he needs to feel, we’re not going to let him go to the next phase.”

Williamson had a setback in February, which delayed his return to the court. Griffin said the All-Star forward hasn’t experienced another setback since then, but he lacks confidence in the hamstring.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown cut his right hand and had to get five stitches as he was picking up a glass vase he broke while watering his plants on Thursday night, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Brown expects to be ready for the playoffs, Weiss adds.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton had an MRI on Thursday after he aggravated a right knee injury, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Nothing showed up on the imaging and Middleton is expected to rehab for the next week “in hopes of being ready” for the postseason, according to Charania. While it’s a positive development that the MRI was clean, Charania’s wording suggests it’s no lock that Middleton will be healthy when the playoffs start on April 15.
Lakers guard Dennis Schröder was ruled out of Friday’s matchup with Phoenix due to “extreme neck soreness” that stemmed from “general wear and tear,” head coach Darvin Ham told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). The team had previously listed Schröder as questionable due to neck spasms.
Suns center Bismack Biyombo was in a lot of pain and needed assistance to leave the court after taking knee-to-knee contact in Friday’s matchup with the Lakers. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest with a right knee injury, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (All Twitter links).

Zion Williamson Remains Out Indefinitely

April 7th, 2023 at 8:34am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

APRIL 7: Williamson is considered unlikely to return for the play-in tournament, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

APRIL 6: Pelicans team president David Griffin said on Thursday that injured New Orleans All-Star forward Zion Williamson will remain sidelined as he continues to rehabilitate his hamstring injury, the team has announced (Twitter link).

Given that the Pelicans have just two games left in the 2022/23 regular season, it appears Williamson will likely, though not definitely, be finished at least until the play-in tournament begins.

“After further evaluation, it has been determined that Zion Williamson will continue his rehabilitation and conditioning regimen,” Griffin said. “We will continue to monitor his progression, and updates will be provided as warranted.”

Notably absent from that statement is any kind of timeline estimate for Williamson’s return to action for the 41-39 Pelicans. The 6’6″ forward has struggled with his health for his entire pro career thus far, having appeared in just 114 of a possible 306 regular season contests for New Orleans.

This news puts a damper on the intel from a report earlier this week that appeared to indicate Williamson was pushing for a return before the end of the regular season. That report indicated that Williamson has progressed to “low-intensity” 3-on-3 workouts with coaches but has yet to graduate to 5-on-5 scrimmages. He has been absent since January 2 due to a strained right hamstring.

In the 29 games he did play this year, the 22-year-old produced at a high level, as a bulky, hyper-athletic driving threat who’s proven to be pretty much unstoppable in the paint. Williamson posted averages of 26.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.6 APG and 0.6 BPG.

At present, New Orleans is the eighth seed in a crowded Western Conference, just a game behind the fifth-seed Clippers and sixth-seeded Warriors. Should the Pelicans somehow skirt the play-in tournament and qualify for the playoffs outright, the team would enjoy a week-long break before its postseason would begin, presumably giving Williamson more of an opportunity to rejoin his teammates.

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