Clippers Sign Luke Kennard To Four-Year Extension
DECEMBER 22, 2:05pm: Kennard’s extension includes a team option for the fourth year, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
DECEMBER 21, 5:13pm: The Clippers have officially announced Kennard’s new contract extension.
“We are excited to secure a commitment from a dynamic, emerging young player who continues to grow every day,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “We have been impressed with Luke’s versatility and maturity, and it’s been a privilege to get to know him better during this training camp. We believe he is a fantastic fit for our organization and we are delighted he feels the same.”
DECEMBER 21, 3:22pm: The Clippers and guard Luke Kennard have reached an agreement on a four-year, $64MM rookie scale contract extension, agents Aaron Mintz and Dave Spahn tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The deal includes $56MM in guaranteed money, plus $8MM in additional bonuses that are considered attainable, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
It’s an impressive number for Kennard, who missed much of the 2019/20 season due to knee issues. He played well when healthy, averaging 15.8 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 3.5 RPG with a .442/.399/.893 shooting line in 28 games (32.9 MPG).
The Pistons’ new front office sent Kennard to Los Angeles in a three-team offseason trade that saw Saddiq Bey and Rodney McGruder land in Detroit. The 24-year-old’s asking price on an extension – along with his injury history and the team’s change in direction – played a part in Detroit’s decision to move him, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
The Clippers’ investment in Kennard suggests his new club has confidence that his knee problems are behind him. If he earns the full $16MM per year on his new deal, that would put Kennard in the same neighborhood of recent free agent signees like Davis Bertans ($16MM per year), Marcus Morris ($16MM), and Malik Beasley ($15MM).
New contracts for Morris, Paul George, and now Kennard have pushed the Clippers well over the projected cap and likely into luxury tax territory for the 2021/22 season, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Magic Sign Jonathan Isaac To Four-Year Extension
5:02pm: The Magic have officially signed Isaac to his extension, the team announced in a press release.
4:31pm: Shortly after reaching an agreement on an extension for Markelle Fultz, the Magic have done the same for Jonathan Isaac. Agent Jeff Wechsler tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) that Isaac and the Magic have agreed to a four-year, $80MM deal, which will begin in 2021/22.
Isaac was on his way to a breakout year in 2019/20, having averaged career highs in PPG (11.9), RPG (6.8), BPG (2.3), SPG (1.6), and a handful of other categories in the 34 games (28.8 MPG) he played.
However, a severe left knee sprain and bone bruise sidelined him on January 1, and his comeback effort during the Orlando summer restart was abruptly halted in early August by a torn left ACL.
Despite the fact that Isaac will miss the entire 2020/21 season while rehabilitating that knee injury, the Magic were willing to lock in a new deal for him early, preventing him from reaching restricted free agency in 2021. That signals not only that Orlando views the 23-year-old as an important part of its future, but also that the team feels good about where he’s at in his recovery and rehab process.
While it remains to be seen how Isaac’s offensive game will develop, he’s already one of the NBA’s most talented and versatile defenders when he’s healthy. If he returns to full health and improves on offense, the contract could actually end up being a bargain for the Magic, but it’s still a significant roll of the dice for the club.
Isaac will earn $7.36MM in the final year of his rookie scale contract in 2020/21 before his new deal begins. He’s the eighth player to agree to a rookie scale extension this offseason, narrowly beating Monday’s deadline (5:00pm central time).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Magic Sign Markelle Fultz To Three-Year Extension
5:01pm: Fultz’s extension is now official, according to the Magic.
4:18pm: The Magic have agreed to sign former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz to a three-year rookie scale extension worth $50MM, agent Raymond Brothers tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal, which will begin in 2021/22 after Fultz earns $12.3MM this season, includes a third-year team option, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Philadelphia traded up in the 2017 draft to select Fultz, but he was limited to 33 games in a season-and-a-half with the Sixers, as he dealt with a troublesome shoulder injury and struggled to regain the form that made him the top prospect in his class.
After being dealt to the Magic at the 2019 trade deadline, Fultz stayed healthy for the team last season, averaging 12.1 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.3 RPG on .465/.267/.730 shooting in 72 games (27.7 MPG). Orlando has been “thrilled” with his progress and views him as a key part of the team’s future, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Fultz’s new deal is an interesting one for him and the Magic, and is comparable to a few other rookie scale extensions signed in the last couple years by players who have dealt with injuries. Luke Kennard‘s new four-year, $56MM contract (which includes $8MM in additional incentives) is in the same range, as is Dejounte Murray‘s deal from a year ago (four years, $64MM, plus $6MM in incentives).
The closest comparable may be the three-year, $52.5MM extension Caris LeVert signed with the Nets a year ago. Like LeVert, Fultz only signed for three years, putting him in position to potentially reach unrestricted free agency in his prime — he’ll be just 26 years old when his new contract expires.
Fultz is one of two Magic players to reach an agreement today on a rookie scale extension, joining fellow franchise cornerstone Jonathan Isaac.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
No Extension Agreement For Bulls, Lauri Markkanen
4:58pm: There will be no extension agreement today for the Bulls and Markkanen, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’ll become a restricted free agent in 2021.
10:20am: Although the Bulls and Lauri Markkanen have both publicly expressed a desire to work out a contract extension for the fourth-year forward, it appears unlikely that the two sides will agree to a deal by Monday’s deadline barring a “dramatic change,” says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported on Saturday that the Bulls and Markkanen were far apart in extension negotiations. According to Johnson, conversations about a potential deal continued on Sunday, but “sputtered on life support.” The gap between the two sides remains significant, sources tell NBC Sports Chicago.
Markkanen is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .425/.344/.824 shooting in 50 games (29.8 MPG). While those numbers aren’t bad, he put up much better stats in an injury-shortened 2018/19 campaign (18.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, .430/.361/.872 shooting).
The promise that Markkanen showed in his first two NBA seasons and the step back he took in ’19/20 are at odds when it comes to negotiating his value for the next three or four seasons. Markkanen’s reps, making a case for a lucrative deal, will likely point to those ’18/19 stats and argue that the 23-year-old is poised for a bounce-back season under new head coach Billy Donovan. The Bulls, meanwhile, will push for a team-friendly rate following Markkanen’s down year.
According to Johnson, there was a sense that Markkanen might be willing to take a modest “hometown” discount to gain some long-term security and ensure his family’s happiness in Chicago. However, if that’s the case, it sounds like the sides may not agree on what exactly that hometown discount looks like.
If Markkanen doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension by today’s deadline, he’ll be on track to reach restricted free agency in 2021.
Knicks Exercise Contract Options On Barrett, Knox
The Knicks have exercised their 2021/22 contract options on recent lottery picks RJ Barrett and Kevin Knox, the team’s PR department tweets.
Barrett, the third pick of last year’s draft, will make approximately $8.6MM in his third season. Knox, chosen ninth in the 2018 draft, will make $5.85MM in his fourth season during the 2021/22 campaign.
Barrett was the third-leading scorer among rookies last season at 14.3 PPG in 30.4 MPG while appearing in 56 games.
Knox’s playing time and production regressed dramatically in his second season, but the Knicks’ new regime thinks enough of him to lock in his salary through the next two seasons. He has averaged 9.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 140 career games.
Notably, the Knicks’ announcement didn’t mention recently-acquired big man Omari Spellman, the team’s other player with a 2021/22 rookie scale option. New York has until December 29 to make a decision on Spellman, but teams generally announce all their exercised options at once, so the team may be declining that one.
Nets Fail To Reach Extension Deal With Allen
The Nets and center Jarrett Allen were unable to reach a rookie scale contract extension, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Allen will thus become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
Allen’s qualifying offer next offseason, which would allow the Nets to match any offer sheet, is $5,661,538.
Allen, who will make approximately $3.9MM this season, has established himself as one of the top young centers in the league. He has started regularly the past two seasons after being a part-time starter as a rookie.
Last season, he averaged 11.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 1.3 BPG in 70 regular-season games, including 64 starts.
The Nets are projected to be a taxpaying team this season and next year and added to the payroll this offseason by re-signing Joe Harris to a four-year contract. They also picked up their option for the 2021/22 season on young guard Landry Shamet. Giving Allen an extension would have significantly increased their tax bill for next season.
Allen would be an attractive trade piece if Brooklyn went in that direction as part of a package for another superstar such as James Harden.
Malik Beasley Enters Guilty Plea On Violence Charge
Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley has entered guilty plea for threats of violence stemming from a late September incident, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter).
As part of the agreement, felony drug charges lodged against him were dismissed, his attorneys Steven Haney and Ryan Pacyga told Charania (Twitter link).
Beasley’s potential incarceration, or home confinement, will not exceed 120 days and will be served at end of this season. Upon successful completion of probation, the threat of violence charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor, Charania adds.
The guilty plea will likely result in league discipline against Beasley. The league typically awaits the outcome of court proceedings before taking action.
Beasley was originally charged with fifth-degree drug possession, along with threats of violence. A family alleged that Beasley pointed an assault rifle at them when they were stopped at the side of the road outside his home.
After obtaining a search warrant for Beasley’s home, officers found three firearms – including one matching the description of the assault rifle – and more than 835 grams of marijuana, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Beasley, who was traded last season from Denver to Minnesota, averaged 20.7 PPG and shot 42.6% on 3-pointers in 14 games with the Timberwolves. He signed a four-year, $60MM contract with the Timberwolves last month after entering the market as a restricted free agent.
Hawks Pick Up 2021/22 Options On Trae Young, Three Others
The Hawks have officially exercised their 2021/22 team options on Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, and Cam Reddish, the team announced in a press release. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic first reported the news (via Twitter).
Young and Huerter were drafted in 2018, so they had their fourth-year options picked up today. Young will make $8.33MM in 2021/22, while Huerter will earn $4.25MM. They’ll both be eligible for rookie scale extensions during the 2021 offseason.
Hunter and Reddish, both 2019 first-rounders, had their third-year options exercised. Hunter’s is worth $7.78MM, while Reddish’s is for $4.67MM. A year from now, Atlanta will have to make decisions on their fourth-year options for 2022/23.
[RELATED: Decisions On 2021/22 Rookie Scale Team Options]
While Young is the most obvious long-term franchise building block among the four youngsters, Huerter, Hunter, and Reddish all have room to continue improving and will vie for playing time in a crowded Hawks rotation this season.
No Rookie Scale Extension For Lonzo Ball, Pelicans
The Pelicans and guard Lonzo Ball won’t reach an agreement on a rookie scale extension before today’s deadline, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Ball will play out the final year of his rookie contract in 2020/21 and then will become eligible for restricted free agency during the ’21 offseason. Paul tells Wojnarowski that the two sides remain positive about their ability to move forward together despite not reaching a new contract agreement at this time.
Ball, 23, was one of several players sent from the Lakers to the Pelicans in last year’s Anthony Davis blockbuster. He enjoyed his best season as a pro in New Orleans, averaging 11.8 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 6.1 RPG on .403/.375/.566 shooting in 63 games (32.1 MPG).
The former No. 2 overall pick will share point guard duties in New Orleans this season with Eric Bledsoe, who was acquired in an offseason deal involving Jrue Holiday.
Kings Waive Chimezie Metu
The Kings have set their roster for the start of the regular season by waiving power forward Chimezie Metu, league sources tell Jason Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Metu, a 2018 second-round pick, was never able to establish consistent playing time in San Antonio during his two years with the team. He appeared in 47 games over the last two seasons, averaging 2.3 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 5.3 minutes per contest before being waived by the Spurs this offseason.
Metu subsequently caught on with the Kings on a three-year contract with a $50K partial guarantee in year one. The multiyear nature of his deal with Sacramento and his strong play in the postseason (24 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in 29 total minutes) suggested he may be in the team’s plans, but he’ll be the odd man out in advance of tonight’s roster deadline.
The Kings now have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Glenn Robinson III on a non-guaranteed deal and Kyle Guy on a two-way pact. Metu could fill the Kings’ other two-way slot if he clears waivers and there’s mutual interest in a new deal.