Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents
Technically, most of this year’s top free agents remain unsigned. Until the moratorium at the place at the start of the 2020/21 league year lifts at 11:01am central time today, most of them are ineligible to sign their new contracts.
However, over the last two days, many of the players from our list of 2020’s top free agents have taken themselves off the market by reaching contract agreements with teams around the league.
[RELATED: 2020 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
While those are just tentative agreements and could still fall apart, that usually doesn’t happen more than once or twice in a given offseason, so it’s safe to pencil those deals in for the time being and assume those free agents are off the board.
So who does that leave? Here are the top free agents from our top-50 list who have yet to agree to new deals:
- Anthony Davis, F/C, Lakers
- Brandon Ingram, F, Pelicans (RFA)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, G/F, Kings (RFA)
- Hassan Whiteside, C, Trail Blazers
- Dario Saric, F, Suns (RFA)
- Aron Baynes, C, Suns
- Bryn Forbes, G, Spurs
- Marc Gasol, C, Raptors
- Juan Hernangomez, F, Timberwolves (RFA)
- Kent Bazemore, F, Kings
- Markieff Morris, F, Lakers
- Langston Galloway, G, Pistons
- Harry Giles, C, Kings
- Reggie Jackson, G, Clippers
Several of the players listed in our honorable mention section – including Chris Boucher (RFA), Chris Chiozza (RFA), Torrey Craig, Shaquille Harrison, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Frank Kaminsky, Alex Len, Jordan McLaughlin (RFA), E’Twaun Moore, Shabazz Napier, Austin Rivers, and Glenn Robinson – also remain unsigned.
Plus, a few noteworthy veterans have hit the free agent market since we published our list, having cleared waivers after being released. That group includes Taj Gibson, Ersan Ilyasova, and Wayne Ellington.
Now, while the idea that Davis and Ingram are still out there may seem tantalizing, the idea that either of those players will leave his current team is probably misguided. Davis has always planned to re-sign with the Lakers and simply intends to take his time before finalizing an agreement. It’s possible it won’t happen until after Thanksgiving, or even early December.
As for Ingram, his restricted status means the Pelicans would be able to match any offer he receives and the assumption is that the team would do so. The more likely scenario is that Ingram and New Orleans will simply work out their own maximum-salary agreement.
So if we’re considering the top free agents who are still legitimately available, the list probably starts with Bogdanovic. We’ll see if anything happens with him today once the moratorium ends — if he were to sign an offer sheet at that point with the Hawks (who are very interested), the clock would start immediately on the Kings, who would have two days to decide whether or not to match.
The complete list of available free agents can be found right here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA 2020 Free Agency: Day 2 Recap
The list of available NBA free agents continued to shrink on Saturday, which was technically the first full day of 2020’s free agent period. Over two dozen more standard contracts were agreed upon over the course of the day.
Listed below are Saturday’s notable contract and news items. For the most part, these deals aren’t yet official, so the reported terms could change — or agreements could fall through altogether. Generally speaking though, teams and players are on track to finalize these deals sometime after the moratorium ends on Sunday.
Here are Saturday’s noteworthy contract agreements and signings:
- Gordon Hayward, Hornets agree to four-year, $120MM deal.
- Fred VanVleet, Raptors agree to four-year, $85MM deal.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lakers agree to three-year, $40MM deal.
- De’Anthony Melton, Grizzlies agree to four-year, $35MM deal.
- Jae Crowder, Suns agree to three-year, $29.2MM deal.
- D.J. Augustin, Bucks agree to three-year, $21MM deal.
- Serge Ibaka, Clippers agree to two-year, $19MM deal.
- Tristan Thompson, Celtics agree to two-year, $19MM deal.
- Rajon Rondo, Hawks agree to two-year, $15MM deal.
- Avery Bradley, Heat agree to two-year, $11.6MM deal.
- Jevon Carter, Suns agree to three-year, $11.5MM deal.
- Paul Millsap, Nuggets agree to one-year, $10MM deal.
- Kris Dunn, Hawks agree to two-year, $10MM deal.
- John Konchar, Grizzlies agree to four-year, $9MM deal.
- Bobby Portis, Bucks agree to two-year, $7.4MM deal.
- Michael Carter-Williams, Magic agree to two-year, $6MM deal.
- Elfrid Payton, Knicks agree to one-year, $5MM deal.
- Nerlens Noel, Knicks agree to one-year, $5MM deal.
- Denzel Valentine signs one-year, $4.64MM qualifying offer with Bulls.
- Gary Clark, Magic agree to two-year, $4.1MM deal.
- Maurice Harkless, Heat agree to one-year, $3.6MM deal.
- Brad Wanamaker, Warriors agree to one-year, $2.3MM deal.
- Wesley Iwundu, Mavericks agree to two-year, minimum-salary deal.
- Carmelo Anthony, Trail Blazers agree to one-year, minimum-salary deal.
- Jeff Green, Nets agree to one-year, minimum-salary deal.
- Raul Neto, Wizards agree to one-year, minimum-salary deal.
- Jeff Teague, Celtics agree to one-year deal (terms unknown).
Here are a few more of the day’s noteworthy headlines:
- The NBA and NBPA set a December 1 deadline for players with COVID-19 concerns to opt out of the 2020/21 season.
- The Warriors formally requested a disabled player exception in response to Klay Thompson‘s season-ending Achilles tear.
- The Hornets will use the stretch provision on Nicolas Batum to create the cap room necessary to sign Gordon Hayward… unless perhaps they can work out a sign-and-trade agreement with the Celtics.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the most popular free agents still on the market and is said to be receiving interest from the Hawks and possibly the Pacers.
Previously:
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hoops Rumors’ 2020 NBA Free Agent Tracker
With free agency officially underway and news of contract agreements breaking left and right, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams fall. To this end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.
A few notes on the tracker:
- Early in free agency, most of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect tentative agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed.
- Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
- A restricted free agent who signs an offer sheet won’t be included in the tracker right away. We’ll wait to hear whether the player’s original team will match or pass on that offer sheet before we update our tracker in order to avoid any confusion.
- If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.
Our 2020 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. On our mobile site, it can be found in our menu under “Free Agent Lists.”
The tracker will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.
Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.
Eastern Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Pistons, Magic
Joking that having son-in-law Seth Curry on the Sixers will let him see his granddaughter more often, head coach Doc Rivers said this week that it was an easy decision to acquire a sharpshooter like Curry when the team had an opportunity to make a deal with Dallas.
“One of the things we wanted to do – Elton (Brand), Daryl (Morey), and I – when we got here was create as much shooting as possible around Ben (Simmons) and Joel (Embiid),” Rivers said, per Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com. “This was a no-brainer.”
Curry wasn’t the only prolific outside shooter the 76ers acquired this week. The team also agreed to trade for Danny Green and used one of its draft picks on Arkansas’ Isaiah Joe, who averaged 3.5 made threes per game over the course of his college career.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics and Hornets were among the teams that exhibited interest in free agent guard Avery Bradley before he signed with Miami, league sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
- After reaching agreements with Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson, the Celtics project to have 16 players competing for 15 roster spots, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, who notes (via Twitter) that one of those players – Javonte Green – is on a non-guaranteed deal. Two other Celtics had their 2020/21 salaries guaranteed today.
- Rod Beard of The Detroit News takes a closer look at how Pistons general manager Troy Weaver has reshaped the team’s roster so far, explaining why the team opted to pay big money to Jerami Grant over Christian Wood and acknowledging that the Mason Plumlee signing was a bit of a “head-scratcher.”
- The Magic appear to be running it back for the 2020/21 season with very few roster changes, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who says it’s somewhat surprising that no trade involving Aaron Gordon or Evan Fournier has materialized. While team officials believe the current group can have a winning record, the front office will face criticism if the club once again finishes in the middle of the pack, failing to make any noise in the playoffs and failing to earn a high lottery pick, says Robbins.
Wizards To Sign Caleb Homesley To Exhibit 10 Deal
After going undrafted on Wednesday, Liberty shooting guard Caleb Homesley has lined up an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards, the school’s basketball program announced (via Twitter).
Homesley averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 30 games (30.8 MPG), increasing his 3PT% to .369, the best mark of his college career.
In a typical year, players who receive invites to NBA training camps on Exhibit 10 deals would often end up with that team’s G League affiliate and would earn a $50K bonus for spending at least 60 days in the NBAGL. However, with the fate of the G League season up in the air, for now all that’s assured is that camp invite.
Bogdan Bogdanovic Receiving Interest From Pacers?
NOVEMBER 22, 12:40am: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) that the Pacers “aren’t engaged” in sign-and-trade talks with the Kings on a deal that would involve Bogdanovic and Turner.
Anderson clarifies in a follow-up tweet that there’s room for interpretation regarding the Pacers’ level of interest in Bogdanovic, but his source “flatly rejected” the idea of Turner being involved in a deal.
NOVEMBER 21, 10:00pm: The Pacers weren’t able to complete a sign-and-trade deal with Boston to land Gordon Hayward, but the Celtics forward apparently wasn’t the only sign-and-trade target on the team’s radar.
Sources tell James Ham of NBC Sports California that Indiana has shown interest in Kings restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is also drawing interest from the Hawks.
Atlanta has the cap room necessary to sign Bogdanovic to an offer sheet. In that scenario, the Kings would have to elect whether or not to match the offer, and would lose the talented swingman for nothing if they decline to match.
The over-the-cap Pacers would have to negotiate a sign-and-trade with Sacramento in order to give Bogdanovic a contract that reflects his market value (believed to be in the range of $18MM annually). If Indiana is willing to make a player like Myles Turner available in that scenario, that would certainly appeal to the Kings more than the prospect of losing Bogdanovic for nothing, Ham writes.
There would be some cap-related hurdles to overcome in any deal between the Kings and Pacers. And, of course, as the Bucks and the Kings were reminded earlier in the week, Bogdanovic himself would have to sign off on the idea of joining the Pacers over Atlanta or another team. Still, it’s certainly a possibility worth keeping an eye on.
For what it’s worth, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that the Pacers – as well as the Rockets – expressed some exploratory interest in a possible sign-and-trade for free agent guard Fred VanVleet before he committed to re-sign with the Raptors.
Suns Sign Ty-Shon Alexander To Two-Way Deal
NOVEMBER 24: Alexander has officially signed his two-way contract with the Suns, according to the NBA’s transactions log.
NOVEMBER 22: The Suns have agreed to sign undrafted rookie guard Ty-Shon Alexander to a two-way contract, according to Matt Babcock of Babcock Hoops (Twitter link). Alexander essentially confirmed the report, quoting Babock’s tweet and thanking the Suns for the opportunity.
Alexander played his college ball at Creighton, declaring for the draft this year after his junior season. In 31 games (34.7 MPG) for the Bluejays, he averaged 16.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .431/.399/.860 shooting.
Mike Schmitz of ESPN, ranking Alexander as the ninth-best undrafted prospect, praised his “smooth shooting stroke and stellar defense,” suggesting he has the tools to develop into a three-and-D off guard.
Tariq Owens finished the 2019/20 season as Phoenix’s only player on a two-way contract, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer, so the club will likely look to sign a second two-way player to join Alexander.
Hornets To Sign Javin DeLaurier To Camp Deal
The Hornets will bring undrafted Duke power forward Javin DeLaurier to training camp on a non-guaranteed deal, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Agent Gary Durrant tells Goodwill that DeLaurier will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Charlotte.
DeLaurier, who spent four years at Duke, was one of the Blue Devil’s captains, but didn’t play significant minutes for the team. In 2019/20, he averaged 3.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 31 games (13.2 MPG).
The Hornets have been active on the UDFA market so far, having reportedly reached agreements to sign Kahlil Whitney (Exhibit 10), Keandre Cook (Exhibit 10) and Nate Darling (two-way) as well.
Serge Ibaka Signs With Clippers
NOVEMBER 25: The Clippers have officially signed Ibaka, the team announced in a press release.
NOVEMBER 21: The Clippers will sign free agent big man Serge Ibaka, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Ibaka will receive $19MM over two years on his new deal, signaling that Los Angeles will use its full mid-level exception to complete the signing. Charania adds (via Twitter) that the contract will feature a second-year player option.
The agreement represents a major coup for the Clippers, who lost center Montrezl Harrell to the rival Lakers early in free agency and saw power forward JaMychal Green leave for a deal in Denver. Ibaka, who can play either the four or five, will help replenish the team’s frontcourt depth, giving L.A. a big man who can knock down outside shots on offense and protect the rim on defense.
After starting his career in Oklahoma City and spending a brief stint in Orlando during the 2016/17 season, Ibaka has been in Toronto for the last three-and-half seasons, winning a title with the Raptors (with Kawhi Leonard) in 2019. This past season, he averaged 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG with an impressive .512/.385/.718 shooting line in 55 games (27.0 MPG).
By committing their full mid-level exception to Ibaka, the Clippers will hard-cap themselves for the 2020/21 league year and they don’t have a whole lot of wiggle room below the $138.93MM apron. However, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (via Twitter), the club can create a little extra breathing room by waiving non-guaranteed contracts for Joakim Noah and Justin Patton. Bringing back Noah on a new one-year, minimum-salary deal would cost the team about $1MM less than his current deal.
The Clippers remain in the market for a play-making guard and another big man, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. However, the team will likely be limited to minimum-salary offers or perhaps a portion of the bi-annual exception.
The Raptors, one of the many teams that made an effort to sign Ibaka, were believed to be averse to offering multiyear money, since it would compromise their projected cap room for the summer of 2021. They reportedly offered the big man a one-year, $12MM deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucks Sign Mamadi Diakite To Two-Way Deal
NOVEMBER 24: Diakite has officially signed his two-way contract with Milwaukee, per the NBA’s transactions log.
NOVEMBER 21: Mamadi Diakite will sign a two-way contract with the Bucks, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Diakite’s agent, Gary Durrant, confirmed the signing.
A 6’9″ forward out of Virginia, Diakite went undrafted on Wednesday. The 23-year-old was a second-team all-ACC selection last season.
With the signing, Milwaukee has filled both of its two-way slots. The other one went to free agent guard Jaylen Adams, who reached an agreement earlier today.