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Knicks To Promote Ariel Hukporti To Standard Roster

November 4th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Ariel Hukporti have reached an agreement on a new standard contract that will promote the rookie center from his two-way deal to the 15-man roster, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Hukporti will sign a two-year contract that includes a team option for the 2025/26 season. While Charania doesn’t specify the financial terms, it figures to be a minimum-salary deal.

The 58th overall pick in this year’s draft, Hukporti logged 12 minutes in last Monday’s loss to Cleveland but has otherwise only seen garbage-time action in the early going this season. The 22-year-old has grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots in 29 total minutes across four appearances.

Under normal circumstances, the Knicks likely would’ve kept Hukporti on his two-way contract for most or all of his rookie season, but his promotion had been expected for a few weeks due to the team’s hard cap situation.

New York is carrying 12 players on standard contracts to open the season and needs to get to at least 14, the league-mandated minimum, by November 5. However, the team doesn’t have enough flexibility below its hard cap to simply sign two veteran free agents to minimum-salary contracts, meaning at least one of those two roster additions has to be a rookie who was on a two-way deal with the Knicks or whose draft rights the Knicks held. Hukporti had been viewed as the leading candidate since training camp.

If his promotion becomes official on Monday, Hukporti’s first-year cap hit will be $1,070,699, leaving the team approximately $2.5MM below the hard cap, with one more roster addition to come. If the two sides don’t finalize the rookie’s new deal until Tuesday, his 2024/25 cap hit would be $1,064,049.

While the Knicks will have to add one more player to their standard roster by Tuesday, Hukporti’s promotion opens the door for the club to make two additional signings, since it creates a two-way opening. Matt Ryan is considered a strong candidate to join the NBA squad in some capacity, perhaps filling that open two-way slot.

Landry Shamet was expected during the preseason to be part of the Knicks’ regular season roster, but his dislocated shoulder has complicated that plan — it’s possible the team will sign a healthy player to a non-guaranteed contract as its 14th man for now and pivot to Shamet later in the season if and when he has recovered. The veteran wing is currently rehabbing with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.

Whether the Knicks exercise or decline Hukporti’s 2025/26 option at the end of this season, they’ll be able to make him a restricted free agent when his current contract expires, putting them in position to lock him up to a longer-term contract at that time if his development is trending in the right direction.

Jaylen Nowell Signs With Pelicans

November 3rd, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 3: The signing is official, the Pelicans announced in a press release.

NOVEMBER 2: The Pelicans will sign free agent guard Jaylen Nowell, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It’s a non-guaranteed contract, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).

New Orleans has been hit hard by early-season injuries, so Nowell will provide some much-needed depth. The team announced Friday that Herbert Jones will miss two-to-four weeks with a right shoulder strain and low-grade tear in his rotator cuff, while CJ McCollum will be sidelined two-to-three weeks with a right adductor strain.

That’s in addition to the loss of Dejounte Murray, who’s expected to miss three-to-five more weeks with a broken hand he suffered on opening night, and Trey Murphy, who’s out with a hamstring strain.

Nowell, 25, was in training camp with the Wizards on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived last month. He was listed on the camp roster for Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.

Nowell played nine games for Memphis last season on a pair of 10-day contracts he signed in late November and early December. He spent most of the year with the Stockton Kings in the G League before returning to the NBA on a pair of two-way deals with Detroit in April.

Nowell was drafted by the Timberwolves with the 43rd pick in 2019 and played his first four NBA seasons in Minnesota. He holds career averages of 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 197 games.

The Pelicans have a roster spot open, so they won’t need a corresponding move before finalizing the contract with Nowell. The team has been using a 14-man roster because it’s operating above the luxury tax line and about $4.4MM below its hard cap.

Grizzlies’ LaRavia, Pistons’ Moore Have 2025/26 Options Declined

October 31st, 2024 at 11:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have opted not to exercise Jake LaRavia‘s rookie scale team option for the 2025/26 season, according to Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).

LaRavia is currently earning $3.35MM in his third NBA season. His fourth-year option would have been worth $5,163,127, but the Grizzlies will turn it down, putting the forward on track for unrestricted free agency next summer.

As Hill explains, Memphis is “encouraged” by the progress LaRavia has made and have interest in retaining him beyond the current season, but want to retain some roster and cap flexibility. The Grizzlies already have 12 other players on guaranteed contracts for 2025/26.

LaRavia, who will turn 23 on Sunday, has appeared in 75 NBA regular season games since being drafted 19th overall out of Wake Forest in 2022. He has averaged 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .393/.335/.780.

LaRavia was one of four players selected by the Grizzlies in the 2022 draft. Memphis has since traded David Roddy and waived Kennedy Chandler, making No. 47 overall pick Vince Williams the team’s most successful selection in that class — Williams was elevated from his two-way contract to the standard roster last season, agreeing to a four-year deal with the Grizzlies.

The deadline for teams to exercise 2025/26 rookie scale team options was 11:59 pm Eastern time on October 31. Pistons wing Wendell Moore was among the other players who had his option declined, confirms Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Detroit had five players with rookie scale options for ’25/26 and announced on Oct. 21 that they’d exercised four of those options. That was a very strong signal they weren’t picking up the fifth one, Moore’s, which was worth $4,574,283.

A former No. 26 overall pick, Moore was acquired from the Timberwolves by the Pistons in a salary-dump deal during the offseason and has essentially only ever played garbage-time minutes at the NBA level, logging just 229 total minutes in 55 appearances.

Like LaRavia, Moore will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025 if he plays out his current contract. The teams that have those players on their rosters at season’s end will be prohibited from offering them starting salaries exceeding what their options would have been worth.

You can view all of this year’s rookie scale option decisions right here.

Lakers Declining Third-Year Option On Hood-Schifino

October 31st, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers are declining their third-year team option on 2023 first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). The former Indiana guard will now be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

The option, which was for the 2025/26 season, was valued at $4,064,640. The Lakers — or whichever team Hood-Schifino finishes this season with — will be limited to offering him that figure in free agency, but rival suitors could theoretically exceed that total.

The No. 17 overall pick of last year’s draft, Hood-Schifino battled injuries to open his rookie campaign and had very little NBA run last season, only playing 109 total minutes in 21 games (5.2 MPG). He struggled in the games he did play, going just 10-of-45 from the floor (22.2%) and recording more turnovers (nine) than assists (eight).

Hood-Schifino put up much better numbers in the G League in 15 games with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 5.3 APG on .473/.432/.800 shooting, though turnovers were again an issue (3.3 per game).

Hood-Schifino has not been in the Lakers’ rotation to open the ’24/25 season, having played zero minutes to this point.

With the benefit of hindsight and the caveat that he’s only 21 years old, Los Angeles’ decision to draft Hood-Schifino at No. 17 doesn’t look great right now. The three players selected directly after him — Jaime Jaquez, Brandin Podziemski and Cam Whitmore — are playing rotation minutes for competitive teams, with UCLA’s Jaquez and former Santa Clara guard Podziemski earning spots on the All-Rookie First Team in ’23/24.

Decisions on ’25/26 rookie scale team options are due today. We’re tracking all of those decisions right here.

Bucks Declining 2025/26 Option On MarJon Beauchamp

October 31st, 2024 at 1:23pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks are declining their fourth-year team option on wing MarJon Beauchamp, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

As our tracker shows, October 31 is the deadline for teams to make decisions on 2025/26 rookie scale team options.

The No. 24 overall pick of the 2022 draft, Beauchamp has yet to establish himself as a reliable rotation player over the course of two-plus seasons. Beauchamp, who turned 24 years old earlier this month, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer after Milwaukee declined next season’s option, which was valued at $4,781,276.

In 104 career regular season games, including 12 starts, Beauchamp has averaged 4.7 points and 2.1 rebounds on .431/.353/.716 shooting in 12.7 minutes per contest.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Bucks still have $170MM in salary committed to their roster next season, and three players — Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton — hold player options for 2025/26. Declining Beauchamp’s option will save money against the luxury tax in ’25/26.

Two reports from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report — one in February and one a few days before the ’24/25 season began — stated the Bucks were willing to trade Beauchamp, so it’s not a total surprise that his option was declined. Still, it’s certainly a noteworthy development, particularly for a team that has needed athletic wings for a few seasons.

Whichever team Beauchamp finishes this season with will be limited to offering him up to the value of the declined option in free agency. Rival teams could exceed that figure if he has a breakout third season, though that seems fairly unlikely at the moment.

Thunder Add Malevy Leons, Cut Reese

October 31st, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder have signed big man Malevy Leons to a standard contract and waived Alex Reese, according to a team press release.

Leons went undrafted in June out of Bradley and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City in September. He was waived on Oct. 19.

Leons appeared in four preseason games and averaged 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.50 steals in 13.5 minutes per game. In his last college season, he appeared in 35 games (all starts) with the Braves and averaged 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists while shooting 49% from the floor.

Reese was signed to a non-guaranteed contract less than two weeks ago. He made a two-minute cameo in one game.

The Thunder are dealing with frontcourt injuries. Isaiah Hartenstein is recovering from a hand fracture, while Jaylin Williams is out at least a month with a strained hamstring. That could open up the door for some playing time for Leons.

Considering Reese’s short stint, it’s uncertain how long Leons will remain on the roster. He’ll fill the 15th spot for the time being, but his contract will likely be non-guaranteed, so the Thunder could continue to look at other options in the coming weeks.

Rockets Exercise Contract Options On Four Players

October 31st, 2024 at 8:05am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets have picked up their 2025/26 four-year options on Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason’s contracts, as well as their third-year options on Amen Thompson’s and Cam Whitmore’s contracts, according to the Houston’s Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

None of the moves are surprising, considering Smith is a starter and the three others are second-unit players. Smith, the third pick of the 2022 draft, will make $12,350,392 next season. Eason, the 17th pick of the same draft, will bring in $5,675,766. Both will be eligible for rookie scale extensions next offseason.

Thompson, the fourth pick of last year’s draft, will make $9,690,212 next season. Whitmore, the No. 20 pick in that draft, will earn $3,539,976.

Houston has been busy making commitments to its young players. Alperen Sengun signed a five-year extension on Oct. 21, while Jalen Green inked a three-year deal on the same day.

Smith is currently averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game with Eason, Thompson and Whitmore are contributing a combined 21.6 PPG off the bench.

Warriors Exercise Option On Brandin Podziemski

October 30th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors announced in a press release that they have exercised their third-year option on shooting guard Brandin Podziemski.

His $3,687,960 salary for the 2025/26 season is now guaranteed, with the team holding a fourth-year option for ’26/27 valued at $5,679,459.

The Warriors’ decision was an easy one after Podziemski emerged as a rotation regular during his rookie season. He averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 74 games while shooting 45.4% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year balloting and was named to the All-Rookie First Team.

Podziemski, 21, made an immediate impact after being taken with the 19th pick in the 2023 draft. His outside shooting and feel for the game made him a valuable member of Golden State’s lineup, and he appears to be part of the foundation for the future.

Assuming the Warriors pick up his fourth-year option next October, Podziemski will become eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer of 2026.

He is the only Golden State player whose option had to be exercised prior to Thursday’s deadline. You can track all the option decisions around the league right here.

Colin Castleton Signs Two-Way Deal With Grizzlies

October 30th, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent center Colin Castleton has joined the Grizzlies on a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 24-year-old was included on the Long Island Nets’ training camp roster that was released over the weekend. The team acquired his returning player rights in a G League trade earlier this month.

Castleton signed a two-way deal with the Lakers last summer after going undrafted out of Florida. He saw limited time in 16 NBA games, but averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds in 24 G League Showcase Cup and regular season contests with the team’s South Bay affiliate.

Castleton re-signed with L.A. on another two-way deal in July, but he was waived just before the start of the season when the Lakers gave a two-way contract to preseason standout Quincy Olivari.

The signing leaves the Magic as the only NBA team with a two-way slot open. Cam Spencer and Yuki Kawamura are Memphis’ other two-way players.

Hawks Pick Up Options On Daniels, Bufkin; Will Decline Roddy’s

October 30th, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have exercised their 2025/26 rookie scale team options on guards Dyson Daniels and Kobe Bufkin, the team announced today in a press release.

Daniels, 21, spent his first two NBA seasons in New Orleans before being sent to Atlanta over the summer in the Dejounte Murray deal. Known as a talented perimeter defender, the 21-year-old has shown signs of taking a step forward offensively during his first few games as a Hawk, averaging 12.8 points per game on 50.0% shooting (35.3% on three-pointers). He’s also averaging 2.8 steals per contest.

The eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft, Daniels is now under contract through 2025/26 and will be a restricted free agent after that season if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason. He’s earning about $6.06MM in 2024/25, while his ’25/26 option is worth $7,707,709.

Bufkin’s NBA career has been plagued by injuries since he was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft. The 6’5″ guard appeared in just 17 games for the Hawks as a rookie and is on the shelf again this fall due to a right shoulder ailment.

However, Atlanta remains bullish enough on his potential to lock in the 21-year-old’s $4,503,720 salary for the 2025/26 season. The team will have to decide by October 31, 2025 whether or not to exercise Bufkin’s fourth-year option for ’26/27.

Daniels and Bufkin are two of the three Hawks with rookie scale team options for 2025/26. According to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link), the club won’t pick up its option on forward David Roddy, which would have been worth $4,831,766.

Passing on that option will put Roddy on track to become an unrestricted free agent during the 2025 offseason. At that time, the Hawks (or whichever team has Roddy on its roster to end the season) won’t be permitted to offer him a starting salary above his declined option salary, though rival suitors would be able to exceed that figure.

A bulky 6’4″ forward, Roddy is playing for his third NBA team. He began his career with the Grizzlies, then was sent to Phoenix at the 2024 trade deadline in the three-time Royce O’Neale trade. The former 23rd overall pick was subsequently flipped to Atlanta this past offseason in a cost-cutting move by the Suns.

Roddy has appeared in 137 total regular season games at the NBA level, averaging 6.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 18.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .420/.303/.659.