2019 NBA Draft-And-Stash Signings
Free agent signees, trade acquisitions, and 2019 draftees are the most common additions to NBA rosters this summer. However, a small number of players will come via the draft-and-stash route, as teams bring aboard players drafted in previous years.
While first-round draftees from the last three years are limited to the 2019 rookie scale, there are no draft-and-stash signings who fit that bill this year. Players who were previously selected in the second round of a draft are free to sign any type of contract via cap room or exceptions.
Listed below are the draft-and-stash prospects who have signed so far this offseason, with contract details noted. If and when more teams add draft-and-stash players, we’ll update this list, which can be found at anytime on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
- Denver Nuggets: Vlatko Cancar, F (2017 draft; No. 49) (story)
- Cancar was just 20 years old when he was selected by the Nuggets in 2017. After spending two more seasons with Mega Leks (Serbia) and Burgos (Spain), he’s considered a little more NBA-ready. He received a guaranteed contract that makes him a virtual lock to earn a regular season roster spot.
- Contract: Three years, $4.2MM (minimum salary). First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Devon Hall, SG (2018 draft; No. 53) (story)
- Hall spent his first professional season in Australia and the G League after being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Thunder. His agent said when he first headed overseas that they expected him to be in Oklahoma City for the 2019/20 season. That will indeed be the case, though it’ll be on a two-way deal rather than as part of the standard 15-man roster.
- Contract: Two-way contract.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Hervey, PF (2018 draft; No. 57) (story)
- Hall didn’t last long on his two-way deal with the Thunder, having been waived in December to make room for fellow 2018 second-rounder Hervey. The former UT Arlington standout spent his rookie season and the first part of his second season with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate.
- Contract: Two-way contract.
- Utah Jazz: Nigel Williams-Goss, PG (2017 draft; No. 55) (story)
- Despite playing his college ball in America (at Washington and Gonzaga), Williams-Goss was willing to head overseas after the Jazz drafted him in 2017. He won a Serbian Cup with KK Partizan during his rookie season, then spent his second year playing for EuroLeague club Olympiacos. Williams-Goss projects to be in Utah’s point guard mix, though he’ll have to battle Dante Exum and Emmanuel Mudiay for minutes behind Mike Conley.
- Contract: Three years, $4.8MM. First-year salary ($1.5MM) guaranteed. Signed using cap room.
Multiple draft-and-stash players from previous drafts have had their NBA rights renounced this offseason. We’ll keep tabs on those players here too:
- Sixers renounced Anzejs Pasecniks (2017 draft; No. 25) (story)
- Rockets renounced Marko Todorovic (2013 draft; No. 45) (story)
- Cavaliers waived Sir’Dominic Pointer (2015 draft; No. 53) immediately after he signed his required tender (story)
Magic Sign Hassani Gravett To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Magic have signed free agent guard Hassani Gravett, the team announced today in a press release. According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter), it’s an Exhibit 10 contract.
Gravett, who played his college ball at South Carolina, averaged 11.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG with a .399 3PT% in 32 games in 2018/19. He went undrafted in June and didn’t play any Summer League games in July, but it appears he’ll attend training camp with the Magic.
Robbins suggests that Gravett “appears certain” to play for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, in his rookie season. If he spends at least 60 days with Lakeland, he’ll be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $50K, in addition to his G League salary.
The Magic now have 18 players under contract, with first-rounder Chuma Okeke still unsigned. Isaac Humphries reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the team as well, so he and Okeke may take the two final spots on Orlando’s 20-man offseason squad, though there could be more roster shuffling to come.
Nuggets Sign Tyler Cook To Two-Way Contract
The Nuggets have filled one of their two-way contract slots by signing undrafted forward Tyler Cook to a two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.
Cook, who entered the draft this spring after his junior year at Iowa, averaged 14.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 33 games (30.8 MPG) in 2018/19, while shooting 51.9% from the field. After recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered during a pre-draft workout, the 21-year-old joined Denver for Summer League action, playing limited minutes in three games.
Although Cook’s Summer League numbers (4.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG) were modest, his athleticism and play-making impressed the Nuggets, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Cook’s deal with Denver was first reported in June, with Singer indicating earlier today that it was expected to be a two-way contract.
The Nuggets now have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, Cook on a two-way contract, and PJ Dozier on a non-guaranteed camp deal. That leaves four offseason roster spots open, including a two-way slot. Second-round pick Bol Bol is believed to be the leading candidate for that second two-way deal, though it’s still possible Denver will make him the 15th man on the regular season roster.
Nuggets Sign PJ Dozier
AUGUST 13: The Nuggets have officially signed Dozier to a training camp contract, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 12: The Nuggets have reached a one-year deal with guard PJ Dozier, Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN tweets.
Dozier had a two-way contract with the Celtics last season and excelled at the G League level. He made the All-G League Third Team as a member of the Maine Red Claws.
The Nuggets have some open roster spots. They have 14 guaranteed contracts as well as the reported signing of Tyler Cook and unsigned second-round pick Bol Bol. Both of their two-way slots are available.
Dozier can’t get an Exhibit 10 bonus since the Nuggets don’t own a G League franchise, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
Dozier became a free agent when the Celtics declined to extend him a qualifying offer. The 6’6” combo guard appeared in six games with Boston last season, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG. The South Carolina product averaged 21.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 6.7 APG in 35.3 MPG over 46 games in the G League.
He appeared in two games with Oklahoma City the previous season.
Two-Way Deal Likely For Nuggets’ Bol Bol?
Since the NBA introduced two-way contracts in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, no rookie drafted higher than No. 49 has signed one. However, Nuggets center Bol Bol – this year’s No. 44 overall pick – appears likely to fill one of Denver’s two-way slots, a source tells Nick Kosmider of The Athletic.
The Nuggets currently have an open spot on their projected 15-man regular season roster, as well as two open two-way contract slots. While it’s possible Bol will sign a standard deal and become Denver’s 15th man, Kosmider suggests the team seems content to keep that roster spot open for now, perhaps saving it for a third point guard, a trade deadline acquisition, or another purpose.
As Kosmider explains, Bol may not be ready to make an NBA impact as a rookie, since he missed much of last year with a left foot injury and still needs to put on weight. If he were on a two-way deal, he’d be able to work with the Nuggets’ development coaches and training staff while coming along slowly in the G League. If he shows he’s capable of contributing at the NBA level, the 7’2″ youngster could be elevated to the standard roster.
The Nuggets have a history of promoting promising two-way players to their standard roster — Torrey Craig and Monte Morris, who are now key rotation pieces in Denver, spent the 2017/18 season on two-way deals.
Still, signing a two-way contract (which has a base salary starting at about $80K) would be a disappointing turn of events for Bol, who was considered a probable lottery pick at this time last year. If his camp is resisting a two-way deal, that may explain why he’s one of just four 2019 draftees who is still unsigned.
Even if Bol signs a two-way contract, it remains to be seen how the Nuggets will fill their second two-way slot, writes Kosmider. Mike Singer of The Denver Post suggests that Tyler Cook will likely get a two-way deal, while Kosmider believes that other training camp invitees, including PJ Dozier, may get the opportunity to compete for that spot.
And-Ones: Extension Deadlines, Team USA Scrimmages, James
The deadline for players to sign rookie extensions prior to opening night this upcoming season is Monday, October 21 at 6 p.m. ET, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. That group of 18 eligible players includes Pascal Siakam, Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown.
The extension deadline is the same for a veteran with multiple years remaining on his contract who has met certain criteria, including All-Star guard Bradley Beal. Players with one year left (including a player option) have until June 30, 2020 to sign an extension.
Regular season rosters will also be set on October 21, while Saturday, October 19 will be the last day a team can waive a player with a non-guaranteed contract and not incur a cap hit, Marks adds (Twitter links here).
We have more from the basketball world:
- The USA Basketball World Cup team will scrimmage against a collection of G League and fringe NBA players over the next three days, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. There are 15 players remaining on the USA roster with Monday’s withdrawal by Kyle Lowry and 12 will make the final roster that will compete in the FIBA tournament in China. The group they’ll scrimmage will be called the L.A. Select Team and be coached by Jeff Van Gundy. That team will include players who participated in FIBA qualifiers, including Scotty Hopson, Chasson Randle and Ben Moore, Givony adds in another tweet.
- Former Suns and Pelicans guard Mike James has signed with CSKA Moscow, according to a tweet from the team. James played a total of 36 NBA games in 2017/18, averaging 9.3 PPG and 3.5 APG in 19.1 MPG. James appeared in 30 Euro League games with Olimpia Milano last season, averaging a league-high 19.8 PPG and 6.8 APG. James and the Italian team mutually parted ways late last month.
- The NBA released 2019/20 season schedules for every team on Monday. You can find them here.
Community Shootaround: Schedule Changes
The NBA formally unveiled every team’s schedule on Monday, as well as its national broadcast schedule for the upcoming season. Other than earlier start times for many of its nationally-televised games, there weren’t a whole lot of surprises.
That could change in a couple of years.
Back in June, numerous team executives brainstormed how it could spice up the schedule, particularly during the league’s 75th anniversary season in 2021/22.
A couple of intriguing ideas included a midseason cup and a postseason play-in tournament. That would require a reduction in the usual 82-game schedule for each club.
A midseason tournament would certainly bring more intrigue, though there would have to be some kind of reward for the victor or victors in the tournament. An automatic playoff berth at stake? Home court advantage in the playoffs if the winner is already a virtual lock for the postseason? A big money prize going to the team/players that prevail?
Lots of kinks would have to be worked out and the owners, players and TV partners would have to sign off on it. The play-in tournament could give a few extra teams hope of making the postseason and reduce the incentive to tank or rest players.
Tweaks could always be made and if the tournaments are a flop, the NBA could always go back to the norm.
Altering the amount of games might keep the players fresher but franchise’s revenues are built around playing 41 home games. Local TV partners also pay for a stable amount of games, presenting more complications.
While NBA records are not as revered or as memorable as Major League Baseball marks, it would impact players achieving milestones and single-season bests. Some players also have incentives in their contracts based upon an 82-game season.
That leads us to our question of the day: Would you like to see the NBA hold a midseason cup and/or postseason play-in tournament or would you prefer to keep the schedule the way it is?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Kyle Lowry Withdraws From USA World Cup Squad
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has withdrawn from the USA Basketball World Cup team, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
While many withdrawals prior to training camp were due to players focusing on their NBA season, Lowry has a legitimate injury excuse. He underwent thumb surgery last month, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports notes (Twitter link), and hasn’t been cleared to resume basketball activity.
Lowry might have been cleared prior to the tournament but has to be careful since he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer. He told the media during Team USA’s camp that he’d love to sign an extension prior to free agency.
Lowry was a member of the 2016 USA Olympic team and hopes to make the final roster for the 2020 squad, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.
Lowry dealt with the thumb issue much of the postseason but was still productive during the championship run, posting averages of 15.0 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 4.9 RPG with a .439/.359/.802 shooting line in 24 playoff contests.
Team USA has some depth at the point guard spot despite Lowry’s defection. Kemba Walker will likely get the bulk of the minutes while De’Aaron Fox and combo guards Donovan Mitchell and Marcus Smart could also run the offense. The FIBA tournament begins next month in China.
2019/20 NBA Schedules By Team
The schedule for the 2019/20 NBA regular season, officially unveiled by the league on Monday, will – for the fifth consecutive year – feature the fewest back-to-backs in league history. On average, teams will play on consecutive nights 12.4 times in ’19/20, down from 13.3 last season.
The NBA is also making a concerted effort to end its games earlier. The Lakers and Warriors, for instance, will each see their number of 10:30pm eastern time starts nearly cut in half, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Additionally, many of the NBA’s prime-time doubleheaders on TNT and ESPN will now tip off at 7:00/9:30pm ET or 7:30/10:00pm ET, rather than 8:00/10:30pm ET.
The NBA also confirmed several previously-reported marquee matchups, including its five-game Christmas Day slate and an opening night doubleheader of Pelicans at Raptors and Lakers at Clippers. ESPN has a round-up of several more must-see games on next season’s schedule.
Listed below are links to the full 2019/20 season schedules for each NBA team, organized by conference and division:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Central Division
Southeast Division
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
Pacific Division
Southwest Division
Poll: Which Team Will Win Northwest In 2019/20?
On Friday, we explored whether the Clippers, Lakers, or Warriors look like the favorites to win the Pacific Division in 2019/20. However, the Pacific isn’t the only Western Conference division that figures to be hotly contested.
Over in the Northwest, four of five teams made the postseason in 2018/19, with Denver (54-28) edging out Portland (53-29), Utah (50-32), and Oklahoma City (49-33) for the division crown.
Heading into next season, the Thunder appear likely to take a step back. That’s not a certainty, since there’s still plenty of talent on the roster, but losing Paul George and Russell Westbrook will hurt. They’re a long shot to win the Northwest, and so are the Timberwolves, the only Northwest team to miss the playoffs last season. With Jimmy Butler long gone, the ’19/20 season should be a little more smooth and drama-free in Minnesota, but the team is still a ways off from legit contention.
That leaves three teams that look like strong contenders to win the division next season, led by the Nuggets. After finishing atop the Northwest this spring, the Nuggets retained all their key contributors and added a couple more intriguing pieces. Jerami Grant was acquired in a trade with Oklahoma City and projects to be a go-to frontcourt option. Denver is also optimistic that 2018 lottery pick Michael Porter will be healthy and ready to claim a spot in the rotation in his sophomore season.
Of course, in the Western Semifinals, the Nuggets fell to the Trail Blazers, who seem to be perennially underrated by oddsmakers. Portland’s over/under for the 2019/20 is just 46.5 wins, per betting site BetOnline.ag. After topping their projected win total by about 10 games last season, the Blazers will look to outperform expectations again in 2019/20, led by Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Jusuf Nurkic won’t be ready to start the season, but Portland fortified its frontcourt by adding centers Hassan Whiteside and Pau Gasol.
Meanwhile, the Jazz might have had the best offseason of any Northwest team, having acquired standout point guard Mike Conley to join Donovan Mitchell in their backcourt. With veteran role players like Ed Davis and Jeff Green joining the mix, and Mitchell expected to take another step forward, this may be the best Utah team of the last few years, and the club hasn’t won fewer than 48 games since 2015/16.
What do you think? Which team do you expect to sit atop the Northwest Division when the regular season ends? And will that team make a deep playoff run, perhaps even reaching the NBA Finals?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Which team will win the Northwest Division in 2019/20?
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Denver Nuggets 31% (505)
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Utah Jazz 26% (421)
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Portland Trail Blazers 24% (390)
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Minnesota Timberwolves 17% (278)
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Oklahoma City Thunder 3% (42)
Total votes: 1,636
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