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NBA Teams With Open Two-Way Contract Slots

August 28th, 2019 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Only a small handful of two-way players from 2018/19 had their contracts carried over to the 2019/20 season. A couple more of last year’s two-way players have signed new two-way deals. For the most part though, NBA teams have filled their two-way contract slots for the coming season with new faces, including several rookies who went undrafted in 2019.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]

At the moment, 44 of 60 league-wide two-way contract slots are occupied. A 45th appears set to be filled if and when the Knicks finalize their reported agreement with Kris Wilkes. That leaves just 15 two-way deals available across the NBA as training camps approach.

Some clubs may not fill these slots before camps get underway, preferring to sign players to non-guaranteed NBA contracts and then convert those deals to two-way pacts later, depending on how players perform in camp and in the preseason. By the time the 2019/20 regular season begins though, I don’t expect many two-way slots to still be open.

With the help of our two-way contract tracker, which lists all the players currently on two-way deals, here are the teams who can still offer two-way contracts without waiving anyone:

Two open slots:

  • Houston Rockets
  • Miami Heat
  • Toronto Raptors

One open slot:

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Denver Nuggets
  • New York Knicks
    • Note: The Knicks only have a slot available if their reported deal with Wilkes isn’t finalized.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Washington Wizards
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World Cup Notes: Japan, Montenegro, Top Players

August 28th, 2019 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Several more national basketball teams have announced their 12-man rosters for the 2019 World Cup in China, including Team Japan, which will be led by a pair of NBA players, per a FIBA announcement.

Former Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura, who was selected ninth overall by the Wizards in this year’s draft, is the headliner. He’ll be joined by Grizzlies swingman Yuta Watanabe, who is on a two-way contract in Memphis.

The Montenegro national team, meanwhile, is light on NBA players, but does include one notable name — Magic center Nikola Vucevic, who earned his first All-Star nod in 2018/19, will represent Montenegro as the program attempts to make its way out a tough first-round group that features Brazil, New Zealand, and Greece.

Here’s more on the World Cup, including a couple more roster announcements:

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Remaining Offseason Questions: Southeast Division

August 27th, 2019 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps more than a month away, many clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.

We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on a key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2019/20 regular season begins.

After focusing on the Atlantic on Monday, we’re moving onto the Southeast today. Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks
How will the Hawks use their remaining cap room?

The Hawks are the only NBA team that has any real cap room remaining. Currently, the team is sitting on about $6.95MM in space, per Early Bird Rights. That’s not a ton of room, particularly when there are probably no free agents left on the market worth more than the minimum. But it could come in handy.

It’s not clear if Atlanta has any plans in mind for that cap room, but the club is likely holding off on making Vince Carter‘s new deal official in order to maximize its options. Once Carter signs his minimum-salary contract, the Hawks’ cap space will dip to approximately $5.33MM.

The most likely scenario for the Hawks is probably holding onto their cap room into the season and then seeing if it helps create any trade opportunities later in the year. Still, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the team using that space to accommodate a deal before the season begins.

Charlotte Hornets
What are the Hornets’ plans for second-round pick Jalen McDaniels?

McDaniels is one of four 2019 draft picks who has yet to sign an NBA contract or commit to playing overseas.

While it remains to be seen what the Hornets‘ plans are for McDaniels, a two-way contract is an outcome that would make sense for both sides. The three players selected before McDaniels (from Nos. 49-51) and after him (Nos. 53-55) in the draft all signed two-way deals, and Charlotte currently has a slot open.

Of course, the Hornets also project to have an opening or two on their 15-man regular season roster, so it’s possible McDaniels and his reps have their eye on one of those spots. The club currently has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with Thomas Welsh, Caleb Martin, Joe Chealey, and Josh Perkins among the non-guaranteed players possibly in the running for the 14th and/or 15th spot(s). We’ll have to wait to see if McDaniels gets a chance to compete with them or if he gets Charlotte’s second two-way deal.

Miami Heat
How will the Heat’s hard cap affect their remaining roster decisions?

After signing Udonis Haslem earlier this month, the Heat are about $855K below their hard cap for the 2019/20 league year, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The minimum rookie salary for this season is $898K, so Miami can’t add any more guaranteed salaries to its books without making a corresponding roster move to clear guaranteed money.

In other words, barring a trade or a last-minute use of the stretch provision, the Heat’s roster is mostly set for the regular season. The team just needs to make a pair of roster decisions: Will Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn fill out the 14-man roster?

Robinson’s $1,416,852 salary is already guaranteed for $1MM, so waiving him would create little flexibility for Miami. Nunn’s partial guarantee is only worth $150K though. If the club has any doubts about his ability to contribute in 2019/20, his roster spot could be in jeopardy. Waiving Nunn would open up enough room for the Heat to bring in another veteran on a minimum-salary deal.

Orlando Magic
When will the Magic sign Chuma Okeke?

As noted above, there are four 2019 draft picks who remain unsigned. Of those four, Okeke is the only unsigned first-round pick. Because the rookie scale for first-rounders is fairly inflexible, those players typically sign within the first week or two of the league year, so the delay on Okeke is unusual.

It’s probably not a coincidence that Okeke is the only first-round pick who is unlikely to see the court much – if at all – during his rookie season. He tore his ACL in March and is still recovering from that injury.

While virtually every first-round pick signs for 120% of his rookie scale amount, the Cavaliers were able to get Kevin Porter for lower than that earlier in the offseason — it seems likely at this point that the Magic – who don’t have much breathing room below the luxury tax line – are exploring something similar with Okeke.

Washington Wizards
Will Bradley Beal sign a contract extension?

Beal is eligible for a veteran extension, and the Wizards offered as many years and as much money as NBA rules allowed. They also did so as soon as league rules allowed. However, Beal didn’t immediately accept that offer.

It’s easy to point to the Wizards’ 2018/19 record (32-50) and unfavorable cap situation and surmise that Beal is eager to leave D.C., but that’s not necessarily the case. He has said he wants to assess the team’s new management group, led by general manager Tommy Sheppard, before making any decisions. Plus, it would be financially advantageous for him to wait at least a year before signing a new extension, as we explained in-depth last month.

Beal has until October 21 to sign an extension. Otherwise, he won’t be eligible again until next July. John Wall thinks his backcourt mate will accept Washington’s offer and he might be right, but if I had to place a bet, I’d guess that Beal will enter the 2019/20 season without a new deal in place.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Scott Brooks Talks Wizards, John Wall, Bradley Beal

August 24th, 2019 at 11:31am CST by marksuleymanov

Wizards head coach Scott Brooks had his team thoroughly tested last season, facing a myriad of injuries. As Washington prepares to be without highly-paid point guard John Wall for the 2019/20 season, Brooks was reflective on his team’s trying 2018/19 campaign.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Brooks described the Wizards’ disbelief after Wall’s initial diagnosis. Wall, who signed a massive extension two summers ago, remains the organization’s top financial investment. Given the uncertainty of his health returning from an Achilles tear, it’s fair to wonder how impactful he’ll be when he’s ready to return.

Brooks also weighed in on Bradley Beal’s development and improved leadership. Here are some of the highlights:

How the Wizards handled John Wall’s injury:

“Well, you know a couple of things. I look back to the last couple of months. First thing you look back, I didn’t do a good job. I could have done things different, and then I think we’ve had some unfortunate luck with injuries and that’s the part you hate but you don’t prepare for it. You can never prepare for John missing 40 games last season and 50 games this season. Now who knows if he even plays. He’s working his butt off to get back, but I wasn’t expecting all that. I figured, ‘OK, we had our bad injury year,’ but last year it was just from the start. It was tough and John was a big part of our team. We were really good when John was healthy.”

The development of Bradley Beal:

“But the bright side of it is Bradley Beal really stepped up and took his game on the court and in the locker room to another level. And going forward he’s going to have to do that with the group of young players that we have. But also, with all that being said, we never made excuses. Not one time, not one time did any of our players make excuses. We had a lot of injuries and if we didn’t have injuries we would be competing against the best teams in the East.”

How Beal can further develop:

“Three years ago, when I took the job, I knew he could shoot. But he can score in every area of the floor, attack the basket, free throws, three points. And now I think the last year and a half he was able to facilitate and make his teammates better this year. I think there’s no limit. I think he can average eight or nine assists a game. I think those are numbers that are attainable, and I think he’s ready for that challenge.”

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Heat Notes: Free Agency, Leonard, Okpala, Mooney

August 22nd, 2019 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat won’t be in the market for any of the remaining free agents unless they trade someone from their current roster, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The hard cap that the team has been operating under since the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade has put a severe limit on its flexibility. Miami is already uncomfortably close to its $138.9MM limit.

That means potential additions such as Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony are off the table unless the Heat make another move to open space. They could release Kendrick Nunn, whose contract isn’t fully guaranteed, but Winderman considers that unlikely. If they decide to trade someone in exchange for a lesser salary, Winderman identifies Meyers Leonard, who will earn $11.3MM this season, as a possibility. He adds that they may try to move Goran Dragic by the deadline or save their next significant moves for next summer.

There’s more this morning from Miami:

  • Second-round pick KZ Okpala wouldn’t object to spending time in the G League if it’s necessary to get consistent playing time, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson notes that a similar path worked for Josh Richardson, who played four games for Sioux Falls as a second-round pick in 2015. “I trust the staff and whatever they say is best,” Okpala said. “I believe in that and will go into it with a good foot forward.”
  • Free agent guard Matt Mooney, who agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies last week, received the same offer from the Heat, Jackson notes in the same story. It’s a similar situation to Rayjon Tucker, who recently joined the Bucks, as both players worked out for Miami and were interested in two-way contracts. However, the Heat have decided to let players in training camp compete for two-way deals.
  • Jackson rates the Heat’s potential interest in six players recently identified by former Hawks GM Wes Wilcox as among the most likely to be traded: Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Devin Booker. Miami’s interest in Beal is well known, and he would be at the top of the list if he becomes available. The Heat had discussions about Paul, but won’t make a deal unless they get their two first-round picks back from Oklahoma City. Jackson doesn’t believe Miami would want Love because of his age, contract and injury history, while Iguodala fits better on an immediate contender. However, Jackson sees Booker and Wiggins as possible targets in the future if the Heat can’t land another star in free agency.
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Latest On Bradley Beal

August 21st, 2019 at 5:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Bradley Beal hasn’t yet made a decision on his long-term future. He’s two years away from hitting the open market and even if he is leaning one way now, two seasons is a lot of time for a player to change his mind.

With all that said, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears from a source that if Beal decides to leave Washington in 2021, Miami is expected to receive “serious consideration.” The source wouldn’t call the Heat or any team the favorite for Beal’s services.

Miami’s interest in Beal is no secret. Miami will surely target Beal in the 2021 offseason if he makes it to the open market. There were rumblings that Miami was looking to deal for him this summer and that there were talks within the franchise about a willingness to take back John Wall and his contract in a trade for Beal. There has been no indication that Washington is looking to make any sort of trade.

Beal remains open to signing long-term with the Wizards. While he’s not inking the extension he’s currently eligible for, that has more to do with the financial incentives than his commitment to the team. Beal can sign a three-year deal worth approximately $112MM as soon as he wants — or he could wait until next summer and sign a more lucrative max extension. By waiting, Beal can sign a deal that comes in at four years and $154.6MM if he doesn’t make an All-NBA team and five years and up to $253.8MM if he does.

Washington has undergone a makeover in the front office, adding top executive talent to coincide with the promotion of GM Tommy Sheppard as the organization shifts to a data-driven, collaborative structure. It’s been reported that Beal has had questions about the future of the franchise, though all indicators since the team announced those changes this summer have been positive.

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Wall's Rehab Being Closely Monitored

August 21st, 2019 at 9:39am CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The Wizards are closely monitoring John Wall‘s rehab process as he works his way back from a ruptured Achilles, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports. They are even providing owner Ted Leonsis with daily progress reports. “I used to start my day reading the Washington Post. Now I start my day reading [and watching] my daily John Wall exercise video,” Leonsis told Hughes.
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Wizards, Justin Anderson Working Toward Camp Deal

August 19th, 2019 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards are working toward finalizing a training camp deal with free agent swingman Justin Anderson, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Anderson, 25, reached the open market this summer following the expiration of his rookie scale contract. He initially signed that four-year deal with Dallas after being selected 21st overall in the 2015 draft, but was traded to Philadelphia at the 2017 trade deadline and then to Atlanta during the 2018 offseason.

In 48 games last season for the Hawks, Anderson recorded 3.7 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .408/.312/.743 shooting in just 9.6 minutes per contest. If he joins the Wizards, it would be a homecoming of sorts — he attended high school in Maryland and played his college ball at Virginia.

Assuming he does complete a deal with Washington, Anderson may have the opportunity to compete for a regular season roster spot. The Wizards are currently carrying 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries, with Phil Booth, Jemerrio Jones, Jordan McRae, and Justin Robinson on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts.

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Southeast Notes: Wizards, Waiters, Heat, Leonsis

August 18th, 2019 at 8:48pm CST by JD Shaw

The Wizards are eyeing their own version of load management with a new commitment to sports science this season, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes.

Washington hired the likes of Dr. Daniel Medina and Mark Simpson in preparation, Buckner notes, with the team also creating the Monumental Basketball Athlete Care and Performance department to help monitor the workloads of each active player on the year.

“I think we did a good job in the past,” GM Tommy Sheppard said of managing players’ minutes. “I just think there are opportunities to add to that and certainly that’s what Danny’s expertise and Mark’s expertise will blend very well. It’s really trying to individualize a lot more.”

The Wizards have worked hard to protect superstar Bradley Beal in recent seasons, with the 26-year-old not missing a single game over the past two years. Beal led the league in minutes per game with 36.9 last season, however, leaving Sheppard and others to take all factors into consideration.

“The fact that he was able to perform at the level that he did, I think proves that [he was healthy]. Now, can we bring his minutes down? Sure. But is it the right thing to do? Is that the best thing for Bradley? Is it the best thing for the Wizards?” Sheppard said. “What I think is exciting about the staff we have assembled and the people that we’re blending in, that’s for everybody, the collective, to come up with. That’s where we are right now. We haven’t made any conclusions yet.” 

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

  • The Heat could greatly benefit from having the old Dion Waiters back to form this season, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Waiters, who averaged 15.8 points in 46 games with Miami during the 2016/17 season, received a career-low 25.9 minutes in his 44 contests last season. He’s mostly dealt with injuries in recent years, causing him to miss over half of his games in a Heat uniform.
  • In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman ponders whether the Heat will continue scanning the market for a leading man after acquiring Jimmy Butler in a sign-and-trade with Philadelphia this offseason. Miami has long been linked to Bradley Beal, though the Wizards have maintained he’s off limits in trade conversations.
  • Wizards owner Ted Leonsis called a number of people for advice before organizing the team’s new basketball operations department, Candace Buckner details for the Washington Post. Leonsis spoke with the likes of Gregg Popovich, Adam Silver, Barack Obama and 75 others involved in business and professional sports, Buckner notes.
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World Cup Notes: Bolden, Wagner, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Popovich

August 18th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA isn’t the only FIBA World Cup nation dealing with last-minute withdrawals. Sixers forward Jonah Bolden has informed the Australian squad that he won’t be participating in the tournament, which starts in 13 days, according to Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia. He cited “personal reasons” for the decision.

Bolden looked good in exhibition play, posting 12 points and five rebounds in Saturday’s win over Canada. His place could be taken by Deng Adel, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets last month, or Brock Motum, according to Uluc. The Australians are already playing without Ben Simmons, Thon Maker, Ryan Broekhoff and Dante Exum.

“My first thought is always with the player in these situations — having to withdraw from the national team is tough for anyone,” Boomers head coach Andrej Lemanis said. “From a team perspective, the timing is sub-optimal, but again, we are very fortunate to have the depth of talent we have in this country available to take up this opportunity. Whilst it can feel like we need to make a quick decision, the most important thing is to bring in the player that best complements the other skill sets we have on the team.”

There’s more World Cup news to pass along:

  • Germany has cut Wizards center Moritz Wagner, relays Dario Skerletic of Sportando. The Germans, whose preliminary roster includes Maxi Kleber, Dennis Schroder, Daniel Theis and Isaac Bonga, still have to get rid of one more player before the tournament begins. Wagner was sent to Washington last month as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
  • France trimmed Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from its World Cup squad, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The free agent forward played for the Thunder and Bulls last season.
  • Gregg Popovich only has one cut to make from Team USA, but he expects it to be very difficult, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Americans headed to Australia yesterday for a pair of exhibition games with 13 players still on their roster. The final decision is expected to come around August 27. “When you cut people from your regular NBA team, it’s difficult,” Popovich said. “We’re going to have to do that. And it’s going to be even more so. I’m dreading having to do that. But it’s got to get done.”
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