Rookie Scale Salaries For 2020 NBA First-Round Picks
With the NBA’s salary cap set once again at $109,140,000 for the 2020/21 league year, the rookie scale has been set as well. The rookie scale locks in the value of contracts for first-round picks.
In every NBA league year, rookie scale amounts are assigned to each first-round slot, from No. 1 through No. 30. Teams can sign their first-rounders to as little as 80% of that rookie scale amount, or up to 120% of that figure. While that rule theoretically affords teams some flexibility, first-round picks virtually always sign contracts worth 120% of their rookie scale amount, and unsigned first-rounders have a cap hold worth 120% of their rookie scale amount.
Listed below are the salary figures that represent 120% of the rookie scale amounts for 2020’s first-round picks. Players will sign for these amounts unless they accept a deal worth less than the maximum allowable 120%. If they do, we’ll adjust their amounts below. Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.
Here’s the 2020 breakdown:
| Player | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Edwards | $9,757,440 | $10,245,480 | $10,733,400 | $13,534,817 | $44,271,137 |
| James Wiseman | $8,730,240 | $9,166,800 | $9,603,360 | $12,119,440 | $39,619,840 |
| LaMelo Ball | $7,839,960 | $8,231,760 | $8,623,920 | $10,900,635 | $35,596,275 |
| Patrick Williams | $7,068,360 | $7,422,000 | $7,775,400 | $9,835,881 | $32,101,641 |
| Isaac Okoro | $6,400,920 | $6,720,720 | $7,040,880 | $8,920,795 | $29,083,315 |
| Onyeka Okongwu | $5,813,640 | $6,104,280 | $6,395,160 | $8,109,063 | $26,422,143 |
| Killian Hayes | $5,307,120 | $5,572,680 | $5,837,760 | $7,413,955 | $24,131,515 |
| Obi Toppin | $4,862,040 | $5,105,160 | $5,348,280 | $6,803,012 | $22,118,492 |
| Deni Avdija | $4,469,160 | $4,692,840 | $4,916,160 | $6,263,188 | $20,341,348 |
| Jalen Smith | $4,245,720 | $4,458,000 | $4,670,160 | $5,954,454 | $19,328,334 |
| Devin Vassell | $4,033,440 | $4,235,160 | $4,437,000 | $5,887,899 | $18,593,499 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | $3,831,840 | $4,023,600 | $4,215,120 | $5,808,435 | $17,878,995 |
| Kira Lewis Jr. | $3,640,200 | $3,822,240 | $4,004,280 | $5,722,116 | $17,188,836 |
| Aaron Nesmith | $3,458,400 | $3,631,200 | $3,804,360 | $5,634,257 | $16,528,217 |
| Cole Anthony | $3,285,120 | $3,449,400 | $3,613,680 | $5,539,771 | $15,887,971 |
| Isaiah Stewart | $3,121,080 | $3,277,080 | $3,433,320 | $5,266,713 | $15,098,193 |
| Aleksej Pokusevski | $2,964,840 | $3,113,160 | $3,261,480 | $5,009,633 | $14,349,113 |
| Josh Green | $2,816,760 | $2,957,520 | $3,098,400 | $4,765,339 | $13,638,019 |
| Saddiq Bey | $2,689,920 | $2,824,320 | $2,959,080 | $4,556,983 | $13,030,303 |
| Precious Achiuwa | $2,582,160 | $2,711,280 | $2,840,160 | $4,379,527 | $12,513,127 |
| Tyrese Maxey | $2,478,840 | $2,602,920 | $2,726,880 | $4,343,920 | $12,152,560 |
| Zeke Nnaji | $2,379,840 | $2,498,760 | $2,617,800 | $4,306,281 | $11,802,681 |
| Leandro Bolmaro * | |||||
| RJ Hampton | $2,193,480 | $2,303,040 | $2,412,840 | $4,220,057 | $11,129,417 |
| Immanuel Quickley | $2,105,520 | $2,210,640 | $2,316,240 | $4,171,548 | $10,803,948 |
| Payton Pritchard | $2,035,800 | $2,137,440 | $2,239,200 | $4,037,278 | $10,449,718 |
| Udoka Azubuike | $1,977,000 | $2,075,880 | $2,174,880 | $3,923,484 | $10,151,244 |
| Jaden McDaniels | $1,964,760 | $2,063,280 | $2,161,440 | $3,901,399 | $10,090,879 |
| Malachi Flynn | $1,950,600 | $2,048,040 | $2,145,720 | $3,873,025 | $10,017,385 |
| Desmond Bane | $1,936,440 | $2,033,160 | $2,130,240 | $3,845,083 | $9,944,923 |
* Bolmaro isn’t expected to sign his rookie contract this season.
Hawks Trade Dewayne Dedmon To Pistons For Tony Snell
NOVEMBER 20: The Hawks and Pistons have officially completed their swap, as detailed below, per a press release from Atlanta. As expected, the Hawks have already waived Thomas.
NOVEMBER 19: The Hawks and Pistons have agreed to a trade that will send center Dewayne Dedmon to Detroit, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Wings Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas will head to Atlanta in the swap, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The move essentially sees both teams trade from areas of depth. Dedmon, acquired at last season’s deadline from Sacramento, became expendable in Atlanta with the Hawks expecting Clint Capela back from injury this year and also preparing to incorporate lottery pick Onyeka Okongwu into their frontcourt.
Meanwhile, trading Snell and Thomas will open up more minutes on the wing in Detroit for the likes of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Sekou Doumbouya, and Saddiq Bey, observes James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Dedmon will earn $13.3MM in 2020/21 and also has a $13.3MM cap hit for ’21/22, though that second year is only partially guaranteed for $1MM, per Basketball Insiders. Snell is on a $12.2MM expiring contract, while Thomas’ minimum-salary contract for ’20/21 only includes a partial guarantee. In other words, the deal is close to salary-neutral.
It remains to be seen how many of these players will be part of their new teams’ plans for next season. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press suggests (via Twitter) that the Pistons aren’t done dealing and he wouldn’t assume Dedmon will stick around.
Free Agent Rumors: Bogdanovic, VanVleet, Augustin, Thompson
Now that Bogdan Bogdanovic has re-emerged as a free agent option for teams outside of Milwaukee, the RFA swingman and his representatives are expected to take meetings when free agency opens, according to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic, who say that the Hawks and Lakers are known to have interest.
Amick and Nehm suggest it’s “widely known” that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had been recruiting Bogdanovic to Milwaukee. Since it seems that union won’t happen, teams hoping to eventually lure Giannis away from the Bucks will probably become a little more interested in Bogdanovic, according to The Athletic’s duo, who mention the Mavericks and Heat as a couple of those clubs.
Here’s more on free agency:
- Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News tweets that he has consistently heard the Raptors‘ goal is to re-sign Fred VanVleet on a Malcolm Brogdon-type contract. Brogdon’s four-year, $85MM deal was cited way back in August as a probable market-setter for VanVleet’s new contract.
- The Suns have reached out to D.J. Augustin, who is also drawing real interest from the Bucks, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Gambadoro adds that the veteran point guard is likely to accept the best offer he receives.
- Even after winning a championship, the Lakers aren’t content to be passive in free agency, says general manager Rob Pelinka. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays, Pelinka vows his club will be “aggressive” as it looks to continue making upgrades. “We’re not going to just sit back and not expect others who are in position to try to better their roster or better their teams,” Pelinka said. “So we have to stay aggressive. I think the danger of winning is complacency, and I won’t — we won’t allow that to creep in here. We’re going to try to improve our team and put Coach (Frank) Vogel and his staff in the best possible position to defend.”
- The Lakers would love to land Tristan Thompson in free agency, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix says the Raptors are also expected to express interest in Thompson, though Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) hears Toronto hasn’t reached out to the Canadian center yet.
Knicks Notes: Bertans, Randle, Toppin, Point Guards
Wizards sharpshooter Davis Bertans could be a free agent option for the Knicks if they can’t land Gordon Hayward, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who says Bertans is high on the club’s wish list. New York has a need for outside shooting and Bertans is one of the best in the league. He ranked third last season in three-pointers taken and made, while hitting them at a 42.4% clip.
Like Hayward, Bertans will carry an expensive price tag and there will be plenty of competition for his services. Washington will make keeping him a priority, and the Spurs would like to bring him back after trading him away to open cap space in an ill-fated attempt to sign Marcus Morris.
The Knicks are one of the few teams entering free agency with ample cap space, roughly $35MM after clearing out the roster Thursday and acquiring Ed Davis from Utah. Berman notes that a sign-and-trade with Washington could be possible, with New York throwing in a couple of the 2023 second-rounders it acquired this week.
There’s more Knicks news to pass along:
- Julius Randle‘s future in New York could be shaky after the Knicks drafted his apparent replacement in Obi Toppin, states Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Randle averaged 19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game during his first season with the team, but shot a disappointing 46% from the floor and wasn’t able to become the focus of the offense. He will make $18.9MM this season, but only has a $4MM guarantee on his $19.8MM contract for 2021/22.
- In addition to his overall skills, Toppin brings an electrifying athleticism that should make him a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden, notes David Waldstein of The New York Times. “I don’t rank his dunks,” said Dayton head coach Anthony Grant, “but he will definitely excite a crowd with his explosiveness, variety and showmanship. He’s fun to watch; must-see TV.”
- For all the excitement about the Knicks’ draft, they still haven’t filled their most pressing need, which is finding a point guard, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. The decision to part with Elfrid Payton leaves Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. as the only point guards currently on the roster. Options include trading for Russell Westbrook or making a huge offer to free agent Fred VanVleet, but Vaccaro suggests the Knicks might wait for a long-term solution until next year’s draft when Cade Cunningham, Caleb Love and DJ Steward may all be available.
Max Contracts Expected For Ingram, Tatum, Mitchell
Teams around the NBA are projecting Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell to agree to maximum-salary contracts with their respective teams not long after free agency opens, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
Ingram, the top restricted free agent on the market this fall, made the All-Star team for the first time in 2020, averaging 23.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 4.2 APG as the Pelicans’ go-to scorer. His maximum salary for the coming season will be $27.3MM and he could earn up to $158.3MM if he signs a full five-year contract. A four-year max deal would be worth $122.2MM.
As for Tatum and Mitchell, neither player is a free agent this year, but both are eligible for rookie scale extensions that will go into effect in 2021/22. They’ve long been considered two of the most likely players from this year’s group of rookie-extension-eligible players to sign lucrative new contracts, so Stein’s report comes as no surprise.
The value of Tatum’s and Mitchell’s contracts will depend on how much the cap increases for the ’21/22 season. A 3% increase would result in a total value of at least $163MM over five years. That number could go a little higher if Rose Rule language is included in their new deals and they make an All-NBA team in 2021.
Stein adds that Anthony Davis is expected to be a max-salary player too, which is a given. A report earlier today indicated that Davis may take his time considering the length and structure of his contract before formally re-signing with the Lakers.
Warriors Waive Ky Bowman
1:33pm: The Warriors have officially confirmed in a press release that they’ve waived Bowman. If he clears waivers, he’ll be free to sign with any NBA team.
1:07pm: The Warriors will waive Ky Bowman, who saw significant playing time as Golden State dealt with injuries last season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charania that other teams have interest in signing the 23-year-old point guard.
Bowman inked a two-way deal with the Warriors last summer after going undrafted out of Boston College. That was converted in February to a standard contract, which included non-guaranteed minimum salaries for the next two seasons.
Bowman appeared in 45 games as a rookie, starting 12 of them. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in about 22 minutes per night.
The move comes after the Warriors drafted point guard Nico Mannion in the second round of Wednesday’s draft.
Sixers Waive Marial Shayok
Marial Shayok, a two-way player for the Sixers last season, has been waived, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
A 25-year-old shooting guard, Shayok got into four games for Philadelphia, playing 28 total minutes. He was named to the G League’s All-Rookie Team, averaging 22.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game with the Delaware Blue Coats.
A native of Ottawa, Shayok was invited to play for Canada’s World Cup team last summer, but elected not to participate.
Raptors Will Begin The Season In Tampa
12:53pm: The Raptors will play their home games at Amalie Arena, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (via Twitter). That’s the home of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
12:03pm: The Raptors‘ plan to start the 2020/21 season at their home arena was rejected today by the Canadian government, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. As a result the team will play its home games in Tampa, team president Masai Ujiri announced.
“Ultimately, the current public health situation facing Canadians, combined with the urgent need to determine where we will play means that we will begin our 2020/21 season in Tampa, Florida,” Ujiri said in a statement. “We want to thank all levels of government, and their public health officials, for their dedication to this process and for looking after the health of Canadians. We commit to continuing our work together, planning for a safe return to playing in Toronto.”
The Raptors considered several cities, but Tampa was the most popular choice among players, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Management took that into consideration and it affected the final decision.
Canada has imposed restrictions limiting travel from the U.S. to guard against the spread of COVID-19. Those sanctions were extended today until at least December 21, according to a tweet from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“We’re trying to do what’s best for the organization,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said this week. “So you can kind of go down the line. You know, what is first and foremost? The players. What does the practice facility look like? What would be the accommodations around the medical facilities, the medical treatment? Obviously you need to have an arena that fits NBA standards. There’s a ton of broadcast issues. There’s health and safety. There’s availability for arena dates. There’s a ton of stuff there.”
The Raptors don’t have much time to work out the logistics of playing in Florida. Next season starts in 32 days and the league plans to open training camps on December 1.
The team had been hoping to reach a solution that would let it return to Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Team officials were working with the NBA on health concerns and were optimistic that they had a proposal that would meet with government approval.
Free Agent Rumors: Beasley, Hernangomez, Green, Noel
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported on Thursday (via Twitter) that the Timberwolves have made RFA wing Malik Beasley available in sign-and-trade discussions, with the Knicks among several interested teams.
However, a pair of Minnesota-area reporters have disputed that the Wolves are looking to move Beasley. A source tells Chris Hine of The Star Tribune that Beasley isn’t on the trade block and Minnesota wants to re-sign him, while Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears from a source that there have been “no conversations” about moving the 23-year-old.
As Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News points out (via Twitter), the Timberwolves’ front office is extremely active and aggressive, and it’s probably safe to assume Beasley isn’t entirely off limits. But it also doesn’t sound like Minnesota is actively shopping him either.
Here are a few more rumors on free agents in advance of the new league year:
- The Timberwolves are planning to re-sign restricted free agent forward Juan Hernangomez, Hine writes for The Star Tribune. Even if a rival team makes an aggressive offer sheet for Hernangomez, Minnesota should have the means to match it.
- Within a story on the Rockets‘ free agent options, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle says the club is expected to try to bring back forward Jeff Green, who played well for the club down the stretch last season.
- Sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that there’s a “real chance” of a potential reunion between the Sixers and free agent center Nerlens Noel. Noel spent the first two-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Philadelphia before being traded to Dallas in 2017.
Bucks Moving On From Bogdanovic Pursuit
The Bucks are moving on from their pursuit of Kings RFA Bogdan Bogdanovic, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Bogdanovic saga is the early frontrunner for the oddest story of free agency. Late on Monday night, reports indicated that a sign-and-trade agreement had been reached that would have sent Bogdanovic to Milwaukee along with Justin James for Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova, and D.J. Wilson. However, two days later, word broke that the deal was falling apart, having apparently never received approval from Bogdanovic himself.
There was some speculation that the NBA had stepped in due to the perception of tampering or circumvention, and that the Bucks and Kings had to act as if there was no deal in place until free agency opened.
However, now it appears all parties are indeed moving on, clearing the path for Bogdanovic to explore the market for an offer sheet, while the league has opened an investigation into the reported sign-and-trade deal that is no longer happening.
Bogdanovic is one of the fall’s top free agents. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested on an episode of his Hoop Collective podcast this week that “word on the street” is that the Kings swingman is hoping secure a deal of up to four years in the range of $18MM annually (hat tip to RealGM).