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Grizzlies, Ja Morant Finalize Five-Year Max Extension

July 6th, 2022 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Morant’s extension is now official, the Grizzlies announced today in a press release.

JUNE 30: The Grizzlies and star guard Ja Morant are in agreement on a five-year rookie scale extension worth the maximum salary, agent Jim Tanner tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal will go into effect when Morant’s rookie contract expires in 2023.

Morant’s extension will include Rose Rule language allowing him to earn a starting salary worth 30% of the 2023/24 cap instead of 25% if he makes an All-NBA team again next season.

Based on the NBA’s latest cap projection of $133MM for the ’23/24 season, Morant’s deal would be worth $231.42MM if he meets the Rose Rule criteria next season, or $192.85MM if he doesn’t.

It’s the biggest contract in Grizzlies history, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link), topping the $153MM deal Mike Conley signed in 2016.

Morant, who will turn 23 in August, has improved in each of his three NBA seasons, earning his first All-Star and All-NBA nods in 2021/22 and winning the league’s Most Improved Player award.

The former second overall pick averaged a career-high 27.4 PPG to go along with 6.7 APG, 5.7 RPG, and 1.2 SPG in 57 games (33.1 MPG). He also put up career-best shooting numbers of 49.3% from the floor and 34.4% on threes.

Morant is the first member of the 2019 draft class to reach an agreement on a rookie scale extension, and his new deal is one of several maximum-salary contract extensions agreed upon as the new NBA league year begins. Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Devin Booker have reportedly agreed to super-max veteran extensions tonight as well.

The Rose Rule criteria require a player to earn an All-NBA spot in the season before his rookie scale extension goes into effect to qualify for the 30% max, which is why Morant will have to make it again next year despite claiming a spot on the Second Team this spring.

Pelicans Sign Zion Williamson To Five-Year Max Extension

July 6th, 2022 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Williamson’s five-year, maximum-salary extension is now official. The Pelicans put out a press release confirming the signing after Zion put pen to paper at the Dryades YMCA in New Orleans today on his 22nd birthday (Twitter video link via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez).

“Zion is an astounding 22-year old talent, who we believe is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of, both on and off the floor,” Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin said in a statement. “We are extremely pleased to take this next step of our collective journey together.”

Now that the deal is done, it should just be a matter of time before we learn what sort of protection language is included in the contract. Griffin did confirm today that the contract does not feature a fifth-year player option (Twitter link via Lopez).

JULY 2: Williamson and the Pelicans have now reached an agreement on a five-year, maximum-salary extension, agent Austin Brown tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Details on the protections included in the contract still haven’t been reported.

JULY 1: The Pelicans are nearing an agreement on a five-year rookie scale extension for forward Zion Williamson, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania, it’ll be a maximum-salary deal that can be worth up to $231MM. That indicates it will contain Rose Rule language allowing Williamson to qualify for a starting salary of 30% of the 2023/24 cap instead of 25% if he makes an All-NBA team next season.

Charania’s report doesn’t include any details on how much of the contract will be fully guaranteed, which figured to be the sticking point in negotiations. He does say (via Twitter) that the deal is expected to include some protections for the Pelicans and that the two sides were sorting through those details overnight.

We’ll have to wait for more specifics on that front, but it appears the two sides are on the verge of finding common ground fairly quickly after the former No. 1 overall pick officially became extension-eligible.

The agreement ends months of speculation that Williamson might turn down an extension offer from the Pelicans to play in a larger market or for a more successful franchise. Williamson has attempted on several occasions to quash those rumors by proclaiming a love for New Orleans, with his latest comments coming three weeks ago at his youth basketball camp.

Injuries have derailed Williamson’s career since he entered the NBA as a highly touted No. 1 pick in 2019. He missed all of this season after undergoing foot surgery and has played in a combined 85 games in three years. However, he has shown signs of being a dominant force, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and making an All-Star appearance in 2021.

A healthy season from Williamson, who will turn 22 later this week, could make the Pelicans a serious Western Conference contender. New Orleans staged a late-season surge after trading for CJ McCollum, advancing through the play-in tournament and into the first round of the playoffs. Williamson could be a difference maker for an already talented roster, but he’ll have to prove that he can stay on the court.

Based on the NBA’s latest cap projection of $133MM for the 2023/24 season, Williamson’s deal would be worth $231.42MM if he meets the Rose Rule criteria next season, or $192.85MM if he doesn’t. That’s without considering any protections that might be included in the contract.

Wizards, Bradley Beal Complete Five-Year Max Deal

July 6th, 2022 at 2:48pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 6: The Wizards have officially announced Beal’s new contract, putting out a press release to confirm the deal.

“I have been blessed to call the city of Washington my home and the Wizards organization and our fans my family for the last 10 years, growing as a player, a leader, a husband and a father along the way,” Beal said in a statement. “Today represents such a special moment in my life.

“I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to continue to partner with (Wizards owner) Ted (Leonsis), (president of basketball operations) Tommy (Sheppard), (head coach) Wes (Unseld Jr.) and the entire organization in moving forward to achieve our dream of bringing championships to D.C. and, just as importantly, to help our community continue to accomplish amazing things together.”

JUNE 30: The Wizards and Bradley Beal have agreed to a five-year, maximum-salary contract that will keep the star guard in D.C., agent Mark Bartelstein tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Beal’s new contract will pay him a $251,019,650 over the five years. The most a rival team could have offered would have been $186,100,778 over four years.

Beal declined his $36.4MM player option for 2022/23 in order to become an unrestricted free agent and maximize his earnings. He indicated in both March and May that he was leaning toward re-signing with the Wizards, so the news is expected.

The 29-year-old missed the final 33 games of the season because of an injured left wrist. He recently said the recovery process is going well and estimates that 80-90% of his range of motion has returned.

A three-time All-Star, Beal has been the subject of trade rumors for years but has remained loyal to Washington. Now that loyalty has paid off in a major way. He’ll get a chance to play a full season with Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired at the February trade deadline, for the first time next season.

Beal finished second in the NBA in scoring in both ’19/20 and ’20/21, averaging more than 30 PPG in each season, but slumped a bit last year by his lofty standards, averaging 23.2, 4.7 RPG and 6.6 APG in 40 games (36 MPG). One potentially alarming statistic is that Beal’s three-point percentage has declined each of the past three seasons, with a career-low 30% in ’21/22, although his 6.6 assists per game represented a career-high.

Beal’s contract will pay him through his age 33 season, at which point he’ll become a free agent. Given his mediocre defense, it’s fair to question whether he’s worth more than $57MM in ’26/27, but there was never any doubt that he’d receive a max contract this summer.

Lakers Officially Sign Lonnie Walker

July 6th, 2022 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have officially announced the signing of swingman Lonnie Walker, confirming the move today in a press release. Walker’s agreement with Los Angeles was first reported last Thursday night.

It’s the fourth free agent deal the Lakers have made official since the start of free agency last week. Minimum-salary contracts, like the ones signed by Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Troy Brown, can become official during the July moratorium, but Walker’s one-year, $6.5MM contract is being completed using L.A.’s taxpayer mid-level exception and had to wait until the moratorium lifted today.

Walker, the 18th pick of the 2018 draft, spent his first four seasons with the Spurs. The 23-year-old has displayed a ton of athleticism and has shown glimpses of potential since his entering the NBA, but struggled with his scoring efficiency last season, posting a .407/.314/.784 shooting line.

In 70 games (23 MPG) with San Antonio in 2021/22, Walker averaged 12.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 2.2 APG.

The Spurs decided to withdraw Walker’s qualifying offer just before free agency opened, making him an unrestricted free agent and clearing a path for him to sign with any team.

Walker should have an opportunity to play a regular rotation role on a revamped Lakers roster and will be looking to build his value back up before he returns to free agency in 2023. He said today that he’d welcome the opportunity to start for L.A., but his primary focus is winning (Twitter link via Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group).

Hawks Trade Kevin Huerter To Kings

July 6th, 2022 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Hawks. Within the team’s announcement, president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk referred to Holiday and Harkless as “two defensive-minded, quality veterans who can help our team on the court and in the locker room.”

JULY 1: The Hawks and Kings have agreed to a trade that will send sharpshooter Kevin Huerter to Sacramento, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, Atlanta will receive forwards Justin Holiday and Maurice Harkless in the deal, along with a future first-round pick.

That first-rounder will be the Kings’ own 2024 selection and will be lottery-protected, reports Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link). If it doesn’t convey immediately, it would be top-12 protected in 2025 and top-10 protected in 2026. If it still hasn’t changed hands by that point, the Hawks would instead receive two second-rounders, says Kirschner.

The Kings have clearly made it a priority this offseason to add reliable outside shooting to complement their two stars, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Huerter made a career-high 38.9% of his three-pointers in 2021/22, attempting 5.6 per game.

Neither Fox nor Sabonis is a major threat from beyond the arc, but they should be surrounded by solid floor-spaces. In addition to striking a deal for Huerter, the Kings have also drafted Keegan Murray and agreed to sign Malik Monk since the offseason began.

The Hawks, meanwhile, will replenish their stash of draft assets slightly after giving up three first-round picks and a swap to acquire Dejounte Murray earlier in the week.

Atlanta will also move off Huerter’s four-year, $65MM contract, creating a little extra long-term flexibility and also shedding some salary in the short term. As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype tweets, Atlanta is hovering right around the tax line for 13 players.

While the Hawks will miss Huerter’s shooting, their first-round pick, AJ Griffin, was considered one of the top marksmen in this year’s draft class and should help make up for that loss. Assuming both are retained, Holiday and Harkless also offer some defensive versatility that Huerter lacked.

The Hawks have now agreed to acquire two of the Holiday brothers today — they also reached a deal to sign point guard Aaron Holiday.

Jazz Trade Rudy Gobert To Timberwolves

July 6th, 2022 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Gobert has officially been traded from Utah to Minnesota, the Timberwolves confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 1: The Jazz are trading three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski (all Twitter links), the Jazz will receive Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 first-round pick Walker Kessler, and four future first-rounders in the deal.

Minnesota will send Utah unprotected first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027, along with a top-five protected 2029 first-round pick and the right to swap first-rounders in 2026, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A major shake-up had been expected in Utah this spring and Gobert has been mentioned in trade rumors since the Jazz were eliminated from the postseason. On top of that, the Wolves were rumored to be in the market for a rim-protecting center to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, and had been linked to Gobert.

Still, the fact that the two division rivals were able to agree to terms on this blockbuster deal comes as a major surprise. It represents a huge home-run swing by new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and incoming owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, and is the first significant roster move made by Jazz CEO Danny Ainge.

The move will cost the Timberwolves a good amount of their depth, but will create a loaded starting five. Towns and Gobert figure to be joined by point guard D’Angelo Russell, rising star Anthony Edwards, and one of Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince, or Jaden McDaniels.

The Wolves will have Gobert under contract for several years — he’s owed a guaranteed $123MM over the next three seasons and has a $46.7MM player option for 2025/26.

Minnesota currently projects to be about $9.5MM below this season’s luxury tax line, with 11 players on their books, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Meanwhile, of the players headed to Utah in this trade, only Kessler will have guaranteed money on his contract beyond 2022/23. Beverley is on an expiring contract, while Beasley, Vanderbilt, and Bolmaro all have team options for ’23/24.

The Jazz are currently $11MM below this year’s tax line for 13 players and should have significant cap flexibility in future seasons, says Marks.

Having also acquired a first-round pick from Brooklyn this week in exchange for Royce O’Neale, the Jazz are now loaded with draft assets and plan to retool their roster around Donovan Mitchell going forward, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Tony Jones of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter) that the team has no plans to trade Mitchell.

There could be an opportunity for the Jazz to turn around and immediately flip some of the picks they’ve accumulated for an impact player who will complement Mitchell.

For instance, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reports (via Twitter) that Utah has some interest in exploring a sign-and-trade deal for Suns restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton, and Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer confirms (via Twitter) that the Wolves, Jazz, and Suns had discussed some three-team scenarios.

After seeing multiple unprotected first-round picks change hands this week in deals involving Gobert and Dejounte Murray, it’s safe to say the Nets’ asking price for Kevin Durant will be astronomical. Brooklyn is said to be seeking a “historical haul” for the former MVP.

Trail Blazers Acquire Jerami Grant From Pistons

July 6th, 2022 at 12:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 6: With the July moratorium over, the Trail Blazers and Pistons have officially completed the Grant trade, according to press releases from both teams.

“Jerami Grant is a dynamic two-way forward that can impact winning at a high level,” Blazers GM Joe Cronin said in a statement. “He fits seamlessly into Coach (Chauncey) Billups’ system on both sides of the ball. We could not be happier to have him in Portland.”

JUNE 22: The Pistons have agreed to trade forward Jerami Grant to the Trail Blazers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

In return, Detroit will receive the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick, which is top-four protected, according to Wojnarowski.

The teams will also swap second-round picks in this year’s draft, with Detroit sending No. 46 to Portland in exchange for No. 36, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Additionally, the Pistons will get their own 2025 second-round selection back from the Blazers, and Portland will send out either its own 2026 second-rounder or the Pelicans’ ’26 second-rounder (whichever is more favorable).

Portland will acquire Grant with the $21MM trade exception created in the CJ McCollum deal, and the Pistons will have about $43MM in cap space heading into free agency (Twitter link).

The Trail Blazers’ pursuit of Grant dates back to at least the trade deadline, and they were able to add him while holding on to the No. 7 overall pick in Thursday’s draft.

Grant averaged 19.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 47 games this season and should help with Portland’s desire to rebuild quickly after a down season. He became a focal point of the offense during the last two seasons in Detroit after playing more of a secondary three-and-D role during previous stops in Oklahoma City and Denver. While the 28-year-old won’t be the go-to option in Portland, he should have an opportunity to be an important piece of the Blazers’ lineup alongside Damian Lillard and RFA-to-be Anfernee Simons.

Grant has one year left on his current contract at $20.955MM. He’s eligible for a veteran extension and the Blazers will likely pursue that possibility at some point before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2023. Once the deal becomes official, Portland could only offer Grant up to $45.1MM for two years, but he’d become eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $112.7MM six months after the trade.

Nuggets Trade Morris, Barton To Wizards For KCP, Smith

July 6th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Wizards.

“We’re very excited to add Monte and Will as proven players at the point guard and shooting guard positions, two areas that were top priorities for us to address during this offseason,” president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said in a statement. “Monte has steadily improved his all-around game and is coming off a career year while Will has been a consistent scorer and three-point threat during his time in Denver, and both are obviously familiar with Coach Unseld’s system and style.”

JUNE 29: The Wizards and Nuggets have reached an agreement on a trade that will send point guard Monte Morris and wing Will Barton to Washington in exchange for swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and point guard Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) first reported that the two teams were nearing an agreement.

The Wizards, who had previously been linked to Morris, will get a much-needed point guard upgrade in the trade, adding a player who was considered one of the NBA’s best backups before being thrust into a starting role last season as Jamal Murray recovered from ACL surgery.

In his first year as a full-time starter, Morris averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.0 RPG on .484/.395/.869 shooting in 75 games (29.9 MPG). The Nuggets received calls from more than 20 teams about the 27-year-old, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

Washington will also acquire Barton, a solid shooter and scorer who has averaged 14.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.3 APG with a .362 3PT% in 479 regular season games for the Nuggets since arriving in Denver in 2015.

Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. is very familiar with both players, having previously served as a Nuggets assistant.

The move reduces the likelihood of the Wizards seriously pursuing a point guard like Tyus Jones in free agency or Malcolm Brogdon via trade.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets will add a player they had been targeting since the trade deadline in Caldwell-Pope, according to Singer. Denver views Caldwell-Pope as a two-way upgrade on the wing, values his championship experience with the Lakers, and would be interested in retaining him beyond next season, Singer adds.

Caldwell-Pope, 29, averaged 13.2 PPG and made 39.0% of his three-pointers for the Wizards in 2021/22, while playing his usual strong defense.

As for Smith, he’ll provide depth at point guard for a Nuggets team that should have Murray back this fall and saw Bones Hyland enjoy a breakout season as a rookie. Assuming Smith plays in at least one game for Denver, it’ll be his 13th NBA team, breaking a league record, tweets Matt Williams of ESPN.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), if no more players are added to the four-player deal, the two teams will have to wait until after the July moratorium to make it official, since the Wizards are taking on several million more dollars than they’re sending out, while the Nuggets save a little money on next season’s payroll.

Caldwell-Pope ($14MM) and Smith ($4.73MM) entered the offseason without fully guaranteed salaries for 2022/23, but Caldwell-Pope locked in his guarantee on Tuesday and Smith is on track to receive as well in order to adhere to salary-matching rules and make the deal legal. Non-guaranteed salary doesn’t count in trades for outgoing purposes.

Caldwell-Pope, Smith, and Barton ($14.38MM) will all be on expiring contracts next season and are eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2023. Morris will earn $9.13MM in ’22/23 and $9.8MM in ’23/24 before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The Nuggets will likely absorb Smith’s incoming contract using part of the $8.2MM trade exception they created in last week’s JaMychal Green trade. That would allow them to create a new larger trade exception, worth at least Morris’ outgoing salary ($9.13MM), per Marks.

Nets Re-Sign Kessler Edwards

July 6th, 2022 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have officially signed free agent wing Kessler Edwards to a new multiyear contract, the team announced today in a press release. Exact terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) reports that it’s a two-year agreement with a second-year team option.

The 44th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Edwards spent most of his rookie year on a two-way contract, then was signed to a standard deal right before the end of the regular season in order to make him playoff-eligible.

Edwards showed promise in his first NBA season, averaging 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 48 appearances (20.6 MPG). The former Pepperdine standout posted a .412/.353/.842 shooting line and even made 23 starts when the team’s depth was impacted by injuries and COVID-19.

The Nets declined Edwards’ minimum-salary player option last week in order to give him a qualifying offer and make him a restricted free agent. That QO was later rescinded, making him unrestricted, but it appears Brooklyn’s interest in bringing back the former second-round pick never wavered.

The Nets have now signed or agreed to terms with three free agents in the last two days, having also struck deals on Tuesday with forward T.J. Warren and guard Edmond Sumner. The club now projects to have 13 of its 15 standard roster spots filled, though obviously trades involving Kevin Durant and/or Kyrie Irving could change that.

John Wall Signs Two-Year Deal With Clippers

July 5th, 2022 at 8:33pm CST by Luke Adams

July 8: Wall’s deal with the Clippers is now official, the team announced (via Twitter). “John is one of the great downhill drivers and shot creators of his era,” said president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “He will add depth to our backcourt with his initiating, passing and point-of-attack defense.”

July 1: The Clippers and point guard John Wall have formally agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth $13.2MM, according to a tweet from Klutch Sports Group.

Wall reached a buyout agreement earlier in the week with the Rockets and was officially cut on Tuesday, clearing waivers on Thursday. Reporting at the time of his agreement with Houston indicated that he intended to join the Clippers, likely on a deal worth the taxpayer mid-level exception. His agency has now confirmed that’s the case.

Wall gave back a reported $6.5MM of his $47MM+ salary for 2022/23 in his buyout with the Rockets. That’s almost the exact amount the taxpayer MLE is worth for 2022/23.

Wall has played in just 72 regular season contests since the 2017/2018 season. Much of that missed time was due to injuries, including heel surgery and a ruptured Achilles tendon. However, he was believed to be healthy last season when he and the Rockets reached an agreement to keep him away from the team as Houston focused on developing its young backcourt.

Wall put up solid numbers during 40 games with the Rockets in 2020/21, averaging 20.6 PPG and 6.9 APG, though he shot a career-worst 40.4% from the field. His production peaked in ’16/17, when he averaged 23.1 and 10.7 APG for Washington.

The 31-year-old, who has five All-Star appearances on his résumé, will join a veteran-heavy Clippers team that aims to compete for a title in 2022/23 with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back in the lineup. Wall will likely share ball-handling duties with guards like Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, and Norman Powell in addition to those star forwards.

The Clippers have 11 players on guaranteed contracts, with Wall, Nicolas Batum, and Amir Coffey set to sign new deals. That leaves just one open spot on the club’s projected 15-man regular season roster.

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