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Spurs, Rockets Have Most Remaining Cap Room

July 1st, 2023 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

As we enter the first day of the NBA’s 2023/24 league year, two Southwest rivals – the Spurs and Rockets – are the teams with the most projected cap room still available, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links) and Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

San Antonio and Houston were active on Friday night. The Spurs reached agreements to re-sign restricted free agents Tre Jones and Julian Champagnie, while the Rockets made one of the biggest splashes of the summer so far by agreeing to a three-year, maximum-salary contract with Fred VanVleet. However, Jones and Champagnie have cap holds below their projected salaries, while Houston entered the offseason with approximately $64MM in room, so both teams still have plenty of flexibility.

Marks projects the Spurs at $29MM in remaining space, while Smith suggests they could actually still create up to $34MM+ if needed. Either way, they still have more spending power than any team in the NBA. Both Marks and Smith have the Rockets at approximately $25MM.

The Kings, Jazz, and Pacers are among the other clubs that still project to have more than $10MM in cap room remaining, though Sacramento’s and Indiana’s figures are hard to pin down because they’ll hinge on whether the teams complete their rumored trade involving Chris Duarte. The Kings also still have a path to remain an over-the-cap team if they want to, since none of their reported moves so far absolutely require cap space.

Here are a few other things to watch as the second day – and first full day – of the free agent period gets underway:

While our top seven free agents of 2023 came off the board in the first several hours of free agency, plenty of players in our top 20 are still available: Miles Bridges (No. 8), D’Angelo Russell (9), P.J. Washington (11), Austin Reaves (12), Brook Lopez (15), Max Strus (16), Dillon Brooks (18), Grant Williams (19), and Donte DiVincenzo (20).
The Cavaliers are reportedly trying to acquire Strus in a sign-and-trade deal involving the Heat and a third team, rumored to be the Spurs. Cleveland doesn’t have the mid-level available for Strus, having committed it to Georges Niang, but Miami doesn’t appear to have interest in taking back salary in a deal, so San Antonio’s cap space could come in handy.
The Lakers were busy on the first day of free agency, agreeing to re-sign Rui Hachimura and reaching deals to bring in Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince. However, Russell and Reaves don’t have deals yet. Sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic that the Lakers remain interested in re-signing both players and are still in position from a financial perspective to bring them back.
Tyrese Haliburton and Desmond Bane agreed to maximum-salary rookie scale extensions late on Friday night. Will other extension-eligible players join them on Saturday? Rising Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards looks like the best bet among the rookie scale candidates. Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, Raptors swingman Gary Trent Jr., and Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson were among the players said to be making progress in extension talks on Friday, so perhaps they’ll reach agreements soon. As for Jaylen Brown, who is eligible for a super-max contract with the Celtics, a league source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that the All-NBA wing isn’t expected to agree to terms immediately, but both sides are confident that a deal will be made sooner or later.
Of course, James Harden remains the biggest name on the trade block, but by all accounts, the Sixers aren’t eager to rush into a deal, so we shouldn’t necessarily expect resolution on that front right away.
We’ll be tracking all the latest news and rumors all day, and updating our free agent tracker with the newest free agent agreements.

Trey Lyles Re-Signs With Kings On Two-Year Deal

June 30th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 7: Lyles’ two-year deal is official, the Kings announced (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 News).

June 30: Power forward Trey Lyles is re-signing with the Kings, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report tweets. It’s a two-year deal, James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com tweets.

The base value of the contract is $16MM, plus bonuses, Sam Amick of The Athletic tweets. There are no team or player options in the deal.

Lyles proved to be a valuable reserve for a franchise that finally ended its long postseason drought this past season. Lyles expressed his desire to stay late last season, saying he felt “at home” in Sacramento. Lyles has also played for Utah, Denver, San Antonio and Detroit.

Lyles appeared in 74 regular season games off the bench for Sacramento, averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. Lyles, who also saw action in seven postseason contests, played for a modest $2.625MM salary last season.

Warriors Rumors: Green, DiVincenzo, Kuminga, Poole, Paul, Thompson

June 30th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors are optimistic about re-signing Draymond Green and have been discussing a three-year deal with his representatives, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater says trading for Chris Paul was a win-now move that the team wouldn’t have made without a level of confidence that Green will return. He projects a new contract for Green starting close to the range of the $27.6MM player option that he declined, but adds that every $1MM the Warriors can save is important because of their inflated tax bill.

There may not have been a realistic market for Green in free agency, Scotto adds. The Kings were floated as a possibility because their head coach is former Warriors assistant Mike Brown, but Scotto points out that they’re hoping to sign Kyle Kuzma and had to work out a new deal with Harrison Barnes. The Pistons and Grizzlies were also mentioned, but Slater states that Memphis dropped out of consideration with the Marcus Smart trade.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Donte DiVincenzo is expected to sign elsewhere and may be able to land a non-taxpayer MLE, which would be more than twice what Golden State can offer him, according to Scotto. Sources tell C.J. Holmes of The San Franciso Chronicle that the Knicks have emerged as the favorite to land DiVincenzo, who prefers to play on the East Coast and is hoping to receive a contract starting at $9-12MM. However, Scotto isn’t convinced that DiVincenzo would be a good fit in New York considering the number of guards already on the roster.
The Pacers were among the teams that inquired on Jonathan Kuminga, offering mainly draft assets in return, sources tell Scotto. Slater also cites interest from the Raptors and says Golden State began asking about OG Anunoby before the trade deadline. However, Slater doesn’t believe the Warriors have been shopping Kuminga, saying the organization still has confidence in him and he’ll likely be on the team when next season begins.
The decision to part with Jordan Poole in the trade for Paul was necessary to unload his contract, but coach Steve Kerr welcomed the chance to move on from a player who was fourth in the league in turnovers last season and often took poor shots, Slater states. Slater envisions Paul as the leader of the second unit, helping to develop young players such as Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Getting rid of Poole’s contract increases the chances for a Klay Thompson extension, according to Slater. Paul’s $30MM salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed, so more long-term money is available for Thompson. Slater doesn’t believe the Warriors have started negotiating a salary with Thompson yet, but he expects the veteran guard will have to accept a reduction from his current $43MM.

Kings Sign Harrison Barnes To Three-Year Extension

June 29th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

10:00pm: The extension is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

7:11pm: The Kings will keep veteran forward Harrison Barnes off the free agent market, having reached an agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract extension, agent Jeff Schwartz tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The deal will include a 10% trade kicker, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Barnes has been a full-time starter for the Kings since they acquired him from Dallas at the 2019 trade deadline. The 31-year-old has appeared in 317 games since then, averaging 15.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.3 APG with a .472/.387/.827 shooting line in 34.0 minutes per contest.

Barnes signed a four-year, $94MM contract as a free agent in 2016 and got $85MM for four years in 2019. Given his age and the fact that so few teams had cap room this summer, it makes sense that he’d have to settle for a slightly lesser annual salary.

However, it’s also not a surprise that he’ll receive well above the mid-level, since his performance hasn’t noticeably dropped off in recent years. Barnes had a disappointing playoff showing vs. Golden State, but was as solid as ever during the 2022/23 regular season, with averages of 15.0 PPG and 4.5 RPG on .473/.374/.847 shooting. He was also one of just 10 NBA players not to miss a single game this year.

The Pacers were reportedly among the teams believed to have interest in Barnes, but he’ll officially sign a new deal with Sacramento before reaching free agency, since he remained extension-eligible until June 30.

Barnes’ new contract will cut into the Kings’ projected cap room, but the team should still have approximately $18MM in space, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

As Gozlan observes, Sacramento could use that room to give Domantas Sabonis a raise via a contract renegotiation-and-extension while still having enough left to go after another rotation player in free agency. The club would also have the room exception – projected to get a bump to $7.7MM – once it uses up its cap room.

The Kings would also have the ability to operate as an over-the-cap team, which would allow them to access their full $12.4MM mid-level exception and $4.5MM bi-annual exception, but would remove the option of a Sabonis renegotiation.

Free Agent Rumors: Brown, Mavs, Lakers, Gordon, Yurtseven, Kuzma, Barnes

June 29th, 2023 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Unrestricted free agent Nuggets forward Bruce Brown plans to meet with the Mavericks at the start of free agency on Friday, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).

Many teams appear primed to pursue Brown, according to MacMahon (Twitter link), who anticipates his market to be around the $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, if not higher. The Lakers are one suitor said to be confident about their chances. MacMahon adds that Brown may be open to taking a discount to return to the champs, who only have his Non-Bird rights available, which would cap them at a $7.8MM offer for next season.

The 6’4″ vet proved invaluable as a versatile, defense-first sixth man during Denver’s 16-4 run to the title this spring. Across 20 playoff games off the bench, he averaged 12.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.5 BPG.

Here are more of the latest free agent rumors from around the league:

After opting not to retain shooting guard Malik Beasley and center Mohamed Bamba, the Lakers now project to remain well below the $172MM tax apron for 2023/24, which will enable them to use the full $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN, suggesting that Brown and Brook Lopez will be among Los Angeles’ targets. According to McMenamin (via Twitter), the Lakers may also consider adding more than one player with its mid-level exception money. In that scenario, point guard Dennis Schröder and shooting guard Eric Gordon could be targets, sources tell McMemamin.
Gordon is looking to land with a contender that will have a defined rotation gig for his services, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Beyond the Lakers, sources tell The Athletic that the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Bucks, Suns, and Trail Blazers have some interest.
After declining to tender a qualifying offer to center Omer Yurtseven, the Heat don’t appear to be focused on trying to re-sign him to a minimum-salary deal, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). “We’re grateful we got a chance to be there,” agent Keith Glass said, per Jackson. “We’ll try to find a place that values him and helps him reach his potential.”
Free agent power forward Kyle Kuzma appears more likely to end up with the Rockets than the Kings, but Sacramento shouldn’t be ruled out entirely as a Kuzma landing spot, per James Ham of Kings Beat. Sources inform Ham that the Kings’ own incumbent free agent starting power forward, Harrison Barnes, is hoping to earn a deal that pays him $20MM annually.

No QOs For Suns’ Bazley, Cavs’ Windler, Heat’s Yurtseven

June 29th, 2023 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns opted not to issue a qualifying offer to forward Darius Bazley, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). As a result, Bazley will become an unrestricted free agent rather than restricted.

The decision doesn’t come as a huge surprise, since Bazley’s qualifying offer would have been worth approximately $6.2MM. While it’s not clear if Phoenix is interested in re-signing the former first-round pick, the team will hold his Bird rights and could probably re-sign him at a more team-friendly rate.

Cavaliers wing Dylan Windler also didn’t receive a qualifying offer and will become an unrestricted free agent, reports Scotto (Twitter link).

Windler was never considered likely to get a QO, which would’ve been worth just shy of $6MM. He has been limited by injuries in his first four NBA seasons and hasn’t become a rotation player in Cleveland, appearing in just 84 total games.

Heat center Omer Yurtseven is another player who was eligible for a qualifying offer but didn’t receive one, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

Yurtseven’s QO is only worth a projected $2.22MM ($200K more than his minimum salary), but the Heat will be cost-conscious about how they fill out their roster, given that their team salary projects to go well beyond the luxury tax line.

The following players did receive qualifying offers and will be restricted free agents:

Tre Jones, Spurs ($5,216,324) (Twitter link via Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News)
Ty Jerome, Warriors ($2,165,000) (Twitter link via Warriors)
- Note: Jerome’s QO will be worth his minimum salary and will only be partially guaranteed.
Neemias Queta, Kings ($2,019,706) (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee)
- Note: Queta’s QO will be worth his minimum salary and will only be partially guaranteed.
Dominick Barlow, Spurs (two-way) (Twitter link via Orsborn)
Keon Ellis, Kings (two-way) (Twitter link via Anderson)
Ibou Badji, Trail Blazers (two-way) (press release via Blazers)
John Butler Jr., Trail Blazers (two-way) (press release via Blazers)
Trevor Keels, Knicks (two-way) (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic)
Duane Washington, Knicks (two-way) (Twitter link via Katz)

Stein’s Latest: Barnes, Reaves, Rockets, Harden, Irving, More

June 29th, 2023 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers‘ interest in signing Max Strus may be an indication that free agent forward Harrison Barnes will remain with the Kings, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

Stein reported recently that Indiana was interested in adding Barnes, who has huge supporters in Rick Carlisle, his former coach in Dallas, and Tyrese Haliburton, his ex-teammate in Sacramento. However, the Pacers only have $30MM in cap space, and Stein assumes Barnes is no longer in their plans if they’re preparing an offer for Strus in the $16MM range.

Sacramento radio host Carmichael Dave tweets that Barnes’ return to the Kings is “picking up major steam,” but the final details of a new contract still have to be worked out.

Stein offers inside information on a few more free agents:

Even though the Lakers are reported to have significant interest in Bruce Brown, Stein believes somebody will offer the Nuggets free agent more than the mid-level exception. L.A. appears certain to match any offer for restricted free agent Austin Reaves, who is eligible for nearly $102MM over four years from a rival team. A source told Stein that it should be considered an “automatic match.”
Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are increasingly expected to commit to the Rockets shortly after the start of free agency, according to Stein, who says there would be “legitimate leaguewide surprise” if it doesn’t happen. Stein hears that Brooks will likely get a two-year contract with an annual salary in the $14-16MM range, while Houston is prepared to make a two-year, maximum-salary offer of $83.6MM for VanVleet. Stein states that the Rockets are confident new coach Ime Udoka can maximize Brooks’ game while limiting his excesses, while VanVleet is viewed as a leader and culture setter for a young roster.
The “prevailing expectation” is that Sixers guard James Harden and Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will re-sign with their current teams, according to Stein. He added that it remains difficult to project the length and dollar value of their new contracts as of Thursday morning.
According to Stein, multiple rival teams expect Andre Drummond to join the Mavericks, who added two new centers last week by drafting Dereck Lively II and trading for Richaun Holmes. Sources tell Stein that free agent Christian Wood and JaVale McGee are no longer in the team’s plans, though McGee has one more guaranteed year left on his contract, along with a $6MM player option for 2024/25.
Free agent guard Damion Lee is considered likely to sign a new deal with the Suns, Stein adds.

Kings To Exercise Option On Kessler Edwards

June 28th, 2023 at 7:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings have decided to pick up Kessler Edwards‘ $1.9MM option for next season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnaroski.

Sacramento acquired the 22-year-old small forward from the Nets at this year’s trade deadline. He appeared in 22 games with the Kings, averaging 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per night in a limited role.

Brooklyn drafted Kessler in the second round in 2021 and he made an impact during his rookie year, starting 23 of the 48 games he played. He fell out of the Nets’ rotation this season and appeared in just 14 games before the deal.

Edwards will become a free agent next summer, and the Kings can make him restricted by issuing a $2.4MM qualifying offer.

Celtics Trade No. 34 Pick Colby Jones To Kings

June 28th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

JUNE 28: The trade has been finalized, the Kings announced (via Twitter).

JUNE 23: The future second-round pick the Celtics are acquiring from the Kings will be Dallas’ 2024 second-rounder, according to a press release.

JUNE 22: The Celtics continue to acquire future assets while moving down in the draft. Their latest deal sends Xavier guard Colby Jones, selected at No. 34, to the Kings in exchange for the 38th pick and a future second-rounder, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Viewed as a 3-and-D wing, Jones shot 37.8% from three-point range for the Musketeers during his junior season. He also averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 36 games.

Boston acquired a first-round pick from the Grizzlies in the Kristaps Porzingis trade that was agreed upon late Wednesday night. The Celtics traded down to No. 31 in a deal with the Pistons, and then sent that pick to the Hornets in exchange for the 34th and 39th selections.

Boston used its picks to take Arkansas forward Jordan Walsh at No. 38 and Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye at No. 39. Gueye was subsequently dealt to Atlanta.

Raptors Rumors: VanVleet, Poeltl, Siakam, Trent, Anunoby, Poole

June 28th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors believe that they can be “a factor” in the East next season by bringing back the same core, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Although Toronto missed the playoffs in 2022/23, the team is apparently confident that a coaching change and a full offseason for this group will help make a difference in ’23/24.

Returning the same core would mean re-signing point guard Fred VanVleet and center Jakob Poeltl, two of the top free agents on the 2023 market. According to Grange, the Raptors are expected to meet with VanVleet in Los Angeles on Friday when free agency opens and are working out plans to link up with Poeltl as well.

Like other reporters, Grange has heard that Houston may be preparing a two-year contract offer in excess of $80MM for VanVleet, which would probably be more than Toronto is willing to pay on an annual basis. However, the Raptors – who might be open to a three- or four-year deal – believe the veteran guard wants to remain in Toronto and is still confident about their ability to bring him back.

As for Poeltl, there has been a belief that the big man will be back in the fold if the Raptors make a four-year offer in the neighborhood of $80MM, Grange says. However, multiple league sources tell Sportsnet.ca that the Spurs – keen on pairing Victor Wembanyama with a veteran center – have inquired about the possibility of reuniting with Poeltl. The Spurs will have the cap room necessary to make life difficult for Toronto if they choose to pursue the 27-year-old, who was dealt from San Antonio to Toronto in February.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Multiple teams have inquired about Pascal Siakam‘s availability, Grange reports. Besides the Hawks, Grange identifies the Hornets, Mavericks, Rockets, Pelicans, and Kings as clubs that have made calls about the two-time All-NBA forward. The Raptors have been open to listening, but not many of the conversations they’ve had about Siakam even qualify as “preliminary” trade discussions, according to Grange.
While Gary Trent Jr.‘s camp has conveyed interest in working out an extension after he picked up his 2023/24 player option, the Raptors are taking a wait-and-see approach and haven’t made plans to formally discuss a new deal with Trent in the near future, Grange writes.
Before agreeing to trade Jordan Poole to Washington, the Warriors reached out to the Raptors to see if they’d be interested in a deal centered around Poole and forward OG Anunoby, reports Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Toronto didn’t have interest in exploring the idea further.