One of the minor tweaks made in the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement involved moving up the deadline for former first-round picks on expiring rookie contracts to sign rookie scale extensions. Previously, the deadline was October 31. Starting this year, players must complete rookie scale extensions by the day before the regular season opener.
That 5:00pm CT deadline has passed, and it seems no additional players reached last-minute extension agreements with their respective teams. From 2014 to 2016, an average of eight players per year signed rookie scale extensions before the October deadline, but only four players did so this year.
Here’s a breakdown of the four rookie scale extensions agreed upon before this year’s deadline, sorted by total value. These deals will go into effect beginning in 2018/19:
- Andrew Wiggins (Timberwolves): Five years, 25% maximum salary (story)
- Joel Embiid (Sixers): Five years, 25% maximum salary (story). Includes injury protections.
- Gary Harris (Nuggets): Four years, $74MM (story).
- T.J. Warren (Suns): Four years, $47MM (story).
The four deals completed this year make 2017 the least eventful offseason for rookie scale extensions since 2003. While the earlier deadline may have played some part in the relative inactivity this fall, it seems more teams are willing to wait an extra year to make investments in their players — perhaps they don’t expect to face stiff competition for those players in free agency next summer, when few teams will have significant cap room.
[RELATED: Rookie scale extension recaps for 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and the preceding five years]
With Wiggins, Embiid, Harris, and Warren locked up to new contracts, that leaves the following players, who had been eligible for rookie scale extensions, on track for restricted free agency in 2018:
- Kyle Anderson (Spurs)
- Bruno Caboclo (Raptors)
- Clint Capela (Rockets)
- Dante Exum (Jazz)
- Aaron Gordon (Magic)
- Rodney Hood (Jazz)
- Zach LaVine (Bulls)
- Doug McDermott (Knicks)
- Shabazz Napier (Trail Blazers)
- Lucas Nogueira (Raptors)
- Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)
- Jabari Parker (Bucks)
- Elfrid Payton (Magic)
- Julius Randle (Lakers)
- Marcus Smart (Celtics)
- Nik Stauskas (Sixers)
- Noah Vonleh (Trail Blazers)
Meanwhile, there are a few other members of the 2014 rookie class who were first-round picks that year, but weren’t eligible for extensions this offseason. These players had previously been waived, had one of their team options declined, or didn’t sign rookie contracts in 2014. Here are those players:
- Jordan Adams: Waived in 2016.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic: Signed rookie contract in 2017 (extension-eligible in 2020).
- Tyler Ennis: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
- P.J. Hairston: Third-year option declined in 2015.
- Josh Huestis: Signed rookie contract in 2015 (extension-eligible in 2018).
- Mitch McGary: Waived in 2016.
- Adreian Payne: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
- Dario Saric: Signed rookie contract in 2016 (extension-eligible in 2019).
- C.J. Wilcox: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
- James Young: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.