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QO Updates: Heat, Magic, Quinones, Lundy, Williams, Nuggets

June 28th, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have issued qualifying offers to two of their three two-way players, announcing in a press release that they’ve made forward Cole Swider and guard Alondes Williams restricted free agents. Miami’s other two-way player, forward Jamal Cain, isn’t mentioned in the announcement, with Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald tweeting that Cain isn’t expected to receive a qualifying offer.

Because Cain has finished each of the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Heat, his qualifying offer would have been a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small partial guarantee, whereas the QOs for Swider and Williams will be for one-year, two-way deals.

According to Chiang, the expectation is that Cain won’t be back with the Heat next season. Not getting a QO means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

We have more qualifying offer news from around the NBA:

It appears that guard Trevelin Queen will be the only Magic two-way player to receive a qualifying offer this offseason. Orlando put out a press release (via Twitter) confirming that Queen has been given a QO, making him a restricted free agent. However, swingman Kevon Harris won’t get a QO and Admiral Schofield – who also wasn’t mentioned in the Magic’s announcement – has signed to play in France next season. Harris and Schofield both would’ve been eligible for minimum-salary qualifying offers, while Queen’s QO is for another two-way contract.
The Warriors aren’t tendering a qualifying offer to guard Lester Quinones, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Quinones will become an unrestricted free agent after averaging 4.4 points per game on .397/.364/.690 shooting in 37 appearances off the bench for Golden State.
The Hawks have made a qualifying offer to guard Seth Lundy, tweets Scotto. Lundy, who was on a two-way contract this past season, had a strong year in the G League, averaging 20.4 points per game and making 40.0% of his three-point attempts in 25 regular season and Showcase Cup contests for the College Park Skyhawks. His qualifying offer is the equivalent of another two-way deal.
The Rockets are issuing a two-way qualifying offer to shooting guard Jeenathan Williams, according to Scotto (Twitter link). Williams appeared in 22 games for Houston and 10 for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League in 2023/24.
Nuggets two-way players Collin Gillespie and Braxton Key aren’t expected to get qualifying offers from the team, so they’ll become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins, sources tell Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

Pistons To Decline Evan Fournier’s Team Option

June 28th, 2024 at 7:23pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pistons will not pick up guard Evan Fournier‘s team option for next season worth $19MM, according to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III (Twitter link). The deadline to make a decision on Fournier’s option was Saturday.

This was an expected move, since Detroit will operate under the cap, meaning declining the option frees up $19MM in room. The Pistons acquired Fournier at the 2023/24 trade deadline from the Knicks alongside Quentin Grimes, Malachi Flynn and Ryan Arcidiacono in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.

Fournier averaged 7.2 points in 29 games with the Pistons after the deadline after playing sparingly for the Knicks over the past two seasons. A skilled three-point shooter, the 31-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent and could help out a playoff team on a small salary.

Fournier had the most productive stint of his career with the Magic, where he averaged 16.2 PPG across 435 games with the franchise. For his career, Fournier has averaged 13.6 PPG on a 37.4% three-point clip (5.2 attempts per game).

Heat’s Josh Richardson Exercising 2024/25 Player Option

June 28th, 2024 at 6:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat wing Josh Richardson is picking up his minimum-salary player option for 2024/25, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The move will guarantee Richardson’s $3,051,153 salary for next season, lining him up to be a free agent in 2025.

Richardson began his career in Miami in 2015 and spent his first four NBA seasons with the team. After bouncing around the league from 2019-23, with stints in Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, San Antonio, and New Orleans, he returned to the Heat as a free agent last summer, signing a two-year, minimum-salary deal that included a player option on year two.

The reunion didn’t play out quite as hoped, as health issues limited Richardson to 43 games and ended his season early. When he was available, he averaged 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 25.7 assists per night, with a shooting line of .444/.347/.944.

Richardson, who underwent a labrum procedure in March to repair right shoulder instability, is still recovering from that surgery, making it an inopportune time for him to return to free agency, so it comes as no surprise that he’ll opt in for 2024/25.

While Richardson’s expiring contract could make him a trade candidate, the Heat – who are navigating the luxury tax – will likely welcome him back at a team-friendly rate of $3MM if he’s healthy. According to Charania, the 30-year-old is expected to make a full recovery before the start of the season.

As our tracker shows, Richardson is one of four Heat veterans whose contracts include player options for 2024/25. Caleb Martin, Kevin Love, and Thomas Bryant still have decisions to make on their options.

Nuggets To Sign Gabe McGlothan To Exhibit 10 Deal

June 28th, 2024 at 5:27pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Undrafted Grand Canyon forward Gabe McGlothan is signing with the Nuggets on an Exhibit 10 contract, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

As Charania notes, McGlothan helped Grand Canyon to a victory in the NCAA Tournament this year and went on to win the collegiate slam dunk contest. McGlothan averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in 2023/24 while shooting 47.7% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the arc.

McGlothan spent his freshman season at Southeast Missouri State in 2018/19 before transferring to Grand Canyon and spending the subsequent five seasons there (redshirted in ’19/20). In 156 collegiate appearances (111 starts), McGlothan averaged 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest.

After not owning a second round pick, the Nuggets have been proactive in adding undrafted talent to their roster. They reportedly agreed to two-way contracts with Creighton’s Trey Alexander and PJ Hall last night, as well as reportedly lining up Exhibit 10 deals with Auburn’s Jaylin Williams and Maryland’s Jahmir Young.

Hornets Decline Team Option For JT Thor

June 28th, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets have declined their team option for 2024/25 on forward JT Thor, the team announced (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $1,988,598.

Thor, the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft, is eligible to receive a qualifying offer since he has just three years of NBA experience, but the Hornets indicated that he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Still only 21 years old, Thor never emerged as a reliable rotation piece in Charlotte through the first three seasons of his career. He appeared in 69 games and made eight starts in 2022/23 but averaged just 14.0 minutes, 3.8 points, and 2.2 rebounds per contest. One of the more productive stretches of Thor’s career came in the final 12 games of the ’22/23 season, when he averaged 9.6 PPG and 3.9 RPG while making 40.0% of his threes.

Thor played one collegiate season at Auburn, showing impressive instincts on both sides of the ball that saw him gradually climb up 2021 draft boards.

In all, Thor averaged 3.2 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 165 appearances with the Hornets.

Hornets Waive Seth Curry

June 28th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

4:00pm: The Hornets have officially waived Curry, the team confirmed (via Twitter).

3:52pm: The Hornets are waiving sharpshooter Seth Curry before his $4MM salary for 2024/25 becomes guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Friday represented the deadline for Charlotte to make a decision on that $4MM — it would have become guaranteed if Curry had remained under contract through today. While the Hornets have opted not to lock that money onto their ’24/25 cap, the two sides have mutual interest in exploring a new deal in free agency, says Wojnarowski.

The younger brother of Stephen Curry, Seth actually has a better career three-point percentage (43.1%) than his superstar sibling (42.6%). However, the 33-year-old – who obviously isn’t Steph’s equal as a play-maker or all-around scorer – is coming off a down year in 2023/24. He appeared in a total of 44 games for the Mavericks and Hornets, averaging just 5.1 points per game on .392/.352/.903 shooting.

The younger Curry, who was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in February as part of the trade package for P.J. Washington, was able to suit up for just eight games down the stretch for his hometown Hornets, as his season ended early due to a sprained ankle.

He’ll clear waivers on Sunday if he goes unclaimed.

Clippers’ P.J. Tucker Opts In For 2024/25

June 28th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker is exercising his player option for 2024/25, locking in his $11.54MM salary for next season, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Confirming the news, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that Tucker has formally picked up that option.

Long viewed as a valuable role player on contending teams, Tucker found himself out of the Clippers’ rotation for much of the 2023/24 season after being acquired along with James Harden in the fall. He appeared in just 28 regular season games for Los Angeles, averaging 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per contest, and wasn’t used until Game 5 of the club’s first-round playoff series vs. Dallas.

During his best years in Houston, Tucker was a tough, switchable frontcourt defender who had the quickness to guard out to the perimeter and the strength to match up against bigger players. He was also a threat to knock down corner threes on offense.

Now 39 years old, Tucker is no longer as effective a three-and-D contributor and doesn’t command serious attention from opposing defenses — he averaged just 1.6 shot attempts per game in 2023/24. As such, it’s not a surprise that he decided to opt in, guaranteeing a payday of $11.54MM.

It’s unclear whether or not Tucker will open the season on the Clippers’ roster. Now that he has picked up his option, he looks like a logical trade candidate for Los Angeles (like Reggie Jackson was in Denver after opting in). But the team has a lot of moving parts this offseason, including figuring out whether Paul George, Harden, and/or Russell Westbrook will be back, so there may not be resolution on Tucker right away.

Pistons, Aaron Estrada Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

June 28th, 2024 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons and undrafted rookie free agent Aaron Estrada have reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).

Estrada bounced around from school to school over the course of his five-year college career, playing for St. Peter’s, Oregon, Hofstra (for two seasons), and Alabama. In his final year of NCAA eligibility in 2023/24, the 6’4″ guard averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 30.9 minutes per game across 37 starts for the Crimson Tide.

While he made just 44.9% of his field goal attempts and 31.3% of his three-pointers this past season, Estrada’s rates were 46.5% and 34.4%, respectively, in his first four college seasons. He also knocked down 86.3% of his career free throws.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Raptors Exercise Bruce Brown’s 2024/25 Team Option

June 28th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors are exercising their $23MM team option on Bruce Brown‘s contract for the 2024/25 season, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), the club has officially confirmed the move.

There had been some speculation that Toronto would pick up that option on Brown as part of a trade agreement, and Wojnarowski refers to the swingman as a “valuable trade asset.” However, it doesn’t sound like any deal is in place at this point to send Brown to a new team.

After playing a crucial role off the bench for the Nuggets during their 2022/23 championship season, Brown drew significant interest as a free agent last summer and eventually signed a two-year, $45MM contract with the Pacers. Indiana sent him to Toronto in January as part of a trade package for Pascal Siakam.

In 67 total appearances (44 starts) for the Pacers and Raptors, Brown averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .478/.323/.824. The 6’4″ wing is considered a solid, versatile perimeter defender who is a good fit next to more ball-dominant players on offense.

Exercising Brown’s $23MM option and taking on salary in their now-official trade with the Kings puts the Raptors on track to operate as an over-the-cap team this offseason. They’ll have a decision to make on another wing Gary Trent Jr., who will be an unrestricted free agent. Re-signing Trent would likely prevent Toronto from using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception while remaining out of tax territory, as Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca tweets.

Whether Brown plays out the season in Toronto or is dealt to a new team, he’ll return to unrestricted free agency in 2025, since he won’t become extension-eligible before his current deal expires.

Kings Trade Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov To Raptors

June 28th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 28: The trade is official, the Raptors announced in a press release, confirming the details outlined below. Toronto used the No. 45 pick to select Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead on Thursday.

“This trade provides us with a mix of young and veteran players, as well as future flexibility and draft assets, as we continue our quest to win, and so we’re pleased to welcome Davion, Sasha and Jamal to the Raptors and to Toronto,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement. “We thank Jalen for his contributions, and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Because the trade was completed before the new league year began, Toronto completed it using salary-matching and the Siakam trade exception (as explained below) rather than using cap room, which is a signal that they intend to operate over the cap this offseason.

JUNE 27: The Kings have agreed to trade guard Davion Mitchell and forward Sasha Vezenkov to the Raptors, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Toronto is also receiving the No. 45 pick in tonight’s draft, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link), as well as Portland’s 2025 second-round pick, according to Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento (Twitter link).

Sacramento will acquire forward Jalen McDaniels from Toronto in the swap, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).

The ninth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Mitchell averaged 11.5 points per game as a rookie but is primarily known as a defensive specialist. In 2023/24, he averaged 5.3 points and 1.9 assists in 15.3 minutes per game across 72 appearances for the Kings, almost exclusively in a reserve role.

Keon Ellis‘ emergence last season and the arrival of No. 13 pick Devin Carter created a crowded backcourt picture in Sacramento and it appears Mitchell will be the odd man out.

Vezenkov, the 2022/23 EuroLeague MVP, was selected 57th overall in the 2017 draft but didn’t make the move to the NBA until last summer, when he signed a three-year, $20MM contract with the Kings. It was an up-and-down NBA rookie year for the 28-year-old, who converted 37.5% of his three-point tries but averaged just 12.2 minutes per game in 42 contests, contributing 5.4 PPG and 2.3 RPG.

A series of June reports suggested that a trade involving Vezenkov was a possibility for the Kings, who projected to be up against the luxury tax after agreeing to re-sign Malik Monk to a four-year, $78MM contract. As cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets, swapping out Vezenkov’s $6.66MM salary and Mitchell’s $6.45MM cap hit for McDaniels’ incoming $4.74MM salary will give Sacramento about $7MM in spending flexibility below the tax heading into free agency.

The move will also open up a spot on the Kings’ 15-man roster and should generate a pair of trade exceptions for Sacramento, including one worth Vezenkov’s salary ($6.66MM).

McDaniels had a poor season in Toronto in 2023/24, averaging just 3.4 PPG on .344/.169/.730 shooting in 50 games (10.8 MPG). But the athletic 6’9″ wing is only one year removed from scoring a career-high 9.4 PPG, and he had a career shooting line of .465/.345/.784 prior to last season.

As for the Raptors, they’ll take on some extra salary for 2024/25 but neither Mitchell nor Vezenkov is owed guaranteed money beyond next season, and both players could vie for rotation minutes if they remain on the roster. Mitchell is extension-eligible this offseason before potentially reaching restricted free agency in 2025, while Vezenkov’s deal includes a $6.98MM team option for 2025/26.

Toronto now controls the No. 31 and No. 45 picks on Thursday after selecting Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter at No. 19 on Wednesday.

The Raptors have multiple options for how to complete the deal. If they intend to operate over the cap, they could use McDaniels’ outgoing salary to match Vezenkov’s incoming figure, then take Mitchell’s salary into a $10MM+ trade exception they created in January’s Pascal Siakam deal. If they plan to operate under the cap, they’ll simply absorb the two incoming salaries using their room. Taking the former route would hard-cap them at the first tax apron for 2024/25.