How Players Who Declined Options Fared In Free Agency
Of the 16 veterans who had player options on their contracts for the 2021/22 season, seven picked up those options, forgoing free agency for another year of security. However, that leaves nine players who opted out and reached the free agent market.
For some players, that decision was an easy one. For instance, Norman Powell was long believed to be in line for a multiyear deal in the range of $15-20MM per year, so exercising his $11.6MM player option never would’ve made any sense.
The decision wasn’t so easy for every player who opted out though. Now that we’re five weeks into free agency, we want to look back on those decisions to see if they paid off for the nine players who opted out.
Let’s dive in…
The biggest wins:
Kawhi Leonard
- Option: $36,016,200 (Clippers)
- New contract: Four years, $176,265,152 (Clippers)
- Norman Powell
- Option: $11,615,328 (Trail Blazers)
- New contract: Five years, $90,000,000 (Trail Blazers)
- Spencer Dinwiddie
- Option: $12,302,496 (Nets)
- New contract: Three years, $54,000,000 (Wizards)
- Note: Deal includes $8MM in incentives; third year partially guaranteed.
Leonard, Powell, and Dinwiddie all secured raises for the 2021/22 season and increased their overall guarantees exponentially. Leonard tacked on an extra $140MM in guaranteed money, while Powell’s new overall guarantee is nearly eight times more than his option salary.
Dinwiddie’s new contract isn’t quite as favorable as the other two, but it’s still a major win for a player who missed nearly the entire 2020/21 season due to an ACL tear. Even in a worst-case scenario, Dinwiddie will earn $45MM in guaranteed money. He can ensure his third-year salary becomes fully guaranteed by appearing in at least 50 games in each of the next two seasons, and he has the ability to earn even more in incentives.
A solid win:
- Chris Paul
- Option: $44,211,146 (Suns)
- New contract: Four years, $120,000,000 (Suns)
- Note: Deal includes $75MM in guaranteed money. Third year is partially guaranteed; fourth year is non-guaranteed.
If you want to move Paul to the “biggest wins” group, I wouldn’t argue with that. After all, he increased his overall guarantee by more than $30MM, which is no small feat for a player hitting free agency at age 36.
I’m separating him into his own group because his 2021/22 salary was reduced by more than $13MM as part of his new deal, and I think it’s possible he could’ve gotten more than $30MM in guaranteed money on his next deal if he had simply picked up his option and hit free agency next year.
I certainly don’t blame him for going this route though, given his injury history. And if he continues to play at a high level, the Suns will probably want to keep him for the third year of the deal, which would increase his overall guarantee on this contract to $90MM.
Minor wins:
Will Barton
- Option: $14,669,642 (Nuggets)
- New contract: Two years, $30,000,000 (Nuggets)
- Note: Deal includes $2MM in incentives.
- JaMychal Green
- Option: $7,559,748 (Nuggets)
- New contract: Two years, $16,400,000 (Nuggets)
- Note: Deal includes $400K in incentives.
- Bobby Portis
- Option: $3,804,150 (Bucks)
- New contract: Two years, $8,912,580 (Bucks)
- Bryn Forbes
- Option: $2,454,002 (Bucks)
- New contract: One year, $4,500,000 (Spurs)
The Nuggets took a similar approach to their negotiations with Barton and Green — Denver gave each player a small raise this year, plus a second guaranteed season (Green’s second year is a player option).
The Bucks went that route with Portis too, giving him the biggest raise they could offer using his Non-Bird rights and including a second-year player option on his new deal.
You could make a case that Forbes is a big winner for nearly doubling his 2021/22 salary, but without any future years tacked onto that deal (and given the relatively small salaries involved), I’m classifying it as a modest victory.
The jury’s still out:
- Isaiah Hartenstein
- Option: $1,762,796 (Cavaliers)
- New contract: TBD
Hartenstein is the only one of these nine players who remains unsigned. Based on his solid play with the Cavs down the stretch, turning down his minimum-salary player option seemed like a reasonable bet at the time, but it now looks like he might’ve been better off taking the guaranteed money.
While he’ll probably be signed at some point in the coming weeks, Hartenstein isn’t a lock for a fully guaranteed deal. And even if he gets a guaranteed one-year, minimum-salary contract, it’ll be worth slightly less ($1,729,217) than the option he declined, due to the league’s minimum-salary rules.
Sixers’ $8MM+ Trade Exception Set To Expire
The traded player exception the Sixers generated in last year’s Al Horford deal is set to expire if it’s not used on Tuesday, per Basketball Insiders and Spotrac. The exception, created when Horford was sent to Oklahoma City in December, is worth $8,190,134.
Traded player exceptions allow teams to absorb salary without sending outgoing salary for matching purposes. Typically, they expire after one year, but the Sixers’ Horford TPE and the rest of the trade exceptions created during the 2020 offseason had their expiry dates adjusted to account for the NBA’s shortened season.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception]
I wouldn’t expect many more trades to be completed before the regular season begins next month, but the 76ers are the team that seems most likely to make a deal, given their unresolved Ben Simmons situation. The $8MM+ traded player exception could theoretically come in handy in a Simmons deal, depending on the structure, but Philadelphia won’t rush to get anything done on Tuesday just to use it.
Of the available trade exceptions around the league that are set to expire prior to the 2022 offseason, the Sixers’ $8.19MM TPE is among the largest. The Magic have a $17.15MM exception that will expire in February and the Thunder have a pair worth $9.59MM and $12.8MM, also expiring in February. All of the other TPEs worth more than $8MM won’t expire until next summer.
Decisions On 2022/23 Rookie Scale Team Options
With the NBA set to return to its usual schedule for the start of the 2021/22 regular season, the deadline for decisions on third- and fourth-year team options for players on rookie scale contracts is back to its usual date at the end of October. Actually, because October 31 falls on a Sunday this year, the deadline will be on the Monday (November 1).
All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by November 1 are already under contract for the 2021/22 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to lock in those players’ contracts beyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2022/23 campaign.
For players who signed their rookie scale contracts in 2019 and have already been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2022/23. For players who just signed their rookie deals last year and only have one season of NBA experience under their belts, teams will already be faced with a decision on third-year options for ’22/23.
In many cases, these decisions aren’t hard ones. Rookie scale salaries are affordable enough that it usually makes sense to exercise most of these team options, even if a player isn’t a key cog on the roster. And for those players who do have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if the Hornets will consider turning down their option on LaMelo Ball, for instance.
Still, we’ll wait for a trusted reporter, the NBA, a player (or his agent), or a team itself to confirm that an option is indeed being exercised or declined, and we’ll track that news in this space.
Listed below are all the rookie scale decisions for 2022/23 team options that clubs must make by November 1. This list will be updated throughout the rest of the month as teams’ decisions are reported and announced. The salary figures listed here reflect the cap hits for each team.
Here are the NBA’s rookie scale team option decisions for 2022/23 salaries:
Atlanta Hawks
- De’Andre Hunter (fourth year, $9,835,881): Exercised
- Onyeka Okongwu (third year, $6,395,160): Exercised
- Cam Reddish (fourth year, $5,954,454): Exercised
Boston Celtics
- Romeo Langford (fourth year, $5,634,257): Exercised
- Grant Williams (fourth year, $4,306,281): Exercised
- Aaron Nesmith (third year, $3,804,360): Exercised
- Payton Pritchard (third year, $2,239,200): Exercised
Brooklyn Nets
- None
Charlotte Hornets
- LaMelo Ball (third year, $8,623,920): Exercised
- P.J. Washington (fourth year, $5,808,435): Exercised
Chicago Bulls
- Patrick Williams (third year, $7,775,400): Exercised
- Coby White (fourth year, $7,413,955): Exercised
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Darius Garland (fourth year, $8,920,795): Exercised
- Isaac Okoro (third year, $7,040,880): Exercised
- Dylan Windler (fourth year, $4,037,278): Exercised
Dallas Mavericks
- Josh Green (third year, $3,098,400): Exercised
Denver Nuggets
- Zeke Nnaji (third year, $2,617,800): Exercised
Detroit Pistons
- Killian Hayes (third year, $5,837,760): Exercised
- Isaiah Stewart (third year, $3,433,320): Exercised
- Saddiq Bey (third year, $2,959,080): Exercised
Golden State Warriors
- James Wiseman (third year, $9,603,360): Exercised
- Jordan Poole (fourth year, $3,901,399): Exercised
Houston Rockets
- Sekou Doumbouya (fourth year, $5,539,771): Waived
- Kevin Porter Jr. (fourth year, $3,217,631): Exercised
Indiana Pacers
- Goga Bitadze (fourth year, $4,765,339): Exercised
Los Angeles Clippers
- None
Los Angeles Lakers
- None
Memphis Grizzlies
- Ja Morant (fourth year, $12,119,440): Exercised
- Jarrett Culver (fourth year, $8,109,063): Will be declined
- Brandon Clarke (fourth year, $4,343,920): Exercised
- Desmond Bane (third year, $2,130,240): Exercised
Miami Heat
- Tyler Herro (fourth year, $5,722,116): Exercised
Milwaukee Bucks
- None
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Anthony Edwards (third year, $10,733,400): Exercised
- Jaden McDaniels (third year, $2,161,440): Exercised
New Orleans Pelicans
- Zion Williamson (fourth year, $13,534,817): Exercised
- Jaxson Hayes (fourth year, $6,803,012): Exercised
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (fourth year, $5,009,633): Exercised
- Kira Lewis (third year, $4,004,280): Exercised
New York Knicks
- RJ Barrett (fourth year, $10,900,635): Exercised
- Obi Toppin (third year, $5,348,280): Exercised
- Immanuel Quickley (third year, $2,316,240): Exercised
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Darius Bazley (fourth year, $4,264,629): Exercised
- Ty Jerome (fourth year, $4,220,057): Exercised
- Aleksej Pokusevski (third year, $3,261,480): Exercised
Orlando Magic
- Cole Anthony (third year, $3,613,680): Exercised
- Chuma Okeke (third year, $3,433,320): Exercised
- R.J. Hampton (third year, $2,412,840): Exercised
Philadelphia 76ers
- Matisse Thybulle (fourth year, $4,379,527): Exercised
- Tyrese Maxey (third year, $2,726,880): Exercised
Phoenix Suns
- Cameron Johnson (fourth year, $5,887,899): Exercised
- Jalen Smith (third year, $4,670,160): Will be declined
Portland Trail Blazers
- Nassir Little (fourth year, $4,171,548): Exercised
Sacramento Kings
- Tyrese Haliburton (third year, $4,215,120): Exercised
San Antonio Spurs
- Luka Samanic (fourth year, $4,556,983): Waived
- Devin Vassell (third year, $4,437,000): Exercised
- Keldon Johnson (fourth year, $3,873,025): Exercised
Toronto Raptors
- Precious Achiuwa (third year, $2,840,160): Exercised
- Malachi Flynn (third year, $2,145,720): Exercised
Utah Jazz
- Udoka Azubuike (third year, $2,174,880): Exercised
Washington Wizards
- Rui Hachimura (fourth year, $6,263,188): Exercised
- Deni Avdija (third year, $4,916,160): Exercised
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Community Shootaround: 2022 NBA MVP
Injury issues may have factored into the MVP race more than usual during the pandemic-shortened 2020/21 season, when Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic remained healthier than several other All-NBA talents en route to earning his first MVP award.
Regardless, Jokic turned in an incredible and worthy MVP season. The three-time All-Star center played in all 72 regular season games and averaged an eye-popping 26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 8.3 APG, on .566/.388/.868 shooting splits, for a Denver team that finished third in the crowded Western Conference with a solid 47-25 record. Can the 25-year-old superstar repeat as the MVP for the 2022 season?
Sixers center Joel Embiid, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (the eventual 2021 Finals MVP), and Suns point guard Chris Paul rounded out the list of the top five players receiving the most votes. Prior to incurring significant mid-season injuries, Embiid and Lakers forward LeBron James, a four-time winner, appeared to be the frontrunners for the award last year, alongside eventual victor Jokic.
Antetokounmpo has already won the award twice, in 2019 and 2020. As the best player on the reigning champion Bucks, the 26-year-old appears likely to vie for the honor again next year. Curry was also a back-to-back winner, in 2015 and 2016.
Through the first month of the 2020/21 NBA season, there was a different MVP favorite among media members. Nets All-Star Kevin Durant enjoyed a terrific comeback year in 2020/21 after an Achilles tear kept him sidelined for the entire 2019/20 season. Injuries and load maintenance limited Durant to just 35 regular season games with Brooklyn, however. He certainly looked like the best player on the planet during the Nets’ injury-impeded 2021 playoff run, plus a subsequent march to his third Olympic gold medal with Team USA. The 32-year-old was previously the 2014 MVP while with the Thunder.
Durant’s All-Star teammate James Harden, the 2018 MVP, is normally quite durable, but he missed an unusual amount of time last year with a nagging quad injury. Given that the Nets will field perhaps the most loaded roster in the NBA between Durant, Harden, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, and significant depth, one of Durant or Harden seems like a very viable MVP candidate next year.
With 2021/22 returning to an 82-game schedule amidst a much-lengthier turnaround time between seasons than last year, it appears likely that many veteran All-Stars will again be in the running for MVP honors. The aforementioned players all seem like safe bets to be in the mix for the award again this season, assuming good health. James and Paul, the two oldest players among that group, could see their MVP chances hampered by minutes management.
Beyond these usual suspects, other players may find their way into the MVP conversation. Depending on team record and player health, Lakers big man Anthony Davis, Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, Hawks point guard Trae Young, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert, Heat swingman Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo, Clippers forward Paul George, Knicks forward Julius Randle, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic all seem like fringe candidates for MVP consideration.
The crowded Eastern Conference could also see a surprise MVP contender (or, at least, a conceivable top-five finisher in media voting) emerge from several teams hoping to vault up the standings, thanks to active offseasons. Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine, Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Pacers All-Star center Domantas Sabonis seem positioned to benefit the most from their teams’ summer makeovers, should those changes lead to top-four conference finishes for any of their clubs. In the case of the Pacers, the biggest personnel upgrade may have been on the bench, where the team added longtime Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle to replace one-year Indiana coach Nate Bjorkgren.
We want to hear what you think! Which of these players we mentioned is your way-too-early favorite to win the 2021/22 MVP award? Which young All-Star could move into being a top-five MVP vote-getter for the first time? Is there anyone we haven’t mentioned that you think could work their way into the conversation? Weigh in below in our comments section!
Eastern Notes: Simmons, Hornets, Doumbouya, Nets
It’s no secret that the Sixers and maximum-salaried All-Star lead ball-handler Ben Simmons appear destined for a divorce via trade. Evan Sidery of Basketball News posits that the pending split could work out well on both sides of the deal.
Simmons, 25, is a three-time All-Star and an All-Defensive Team staple. His offensive limitations have often confounded his teammates, coaches, and fans in Philadelphia. Sidery notes that, though Simmons may have been initially projected as a Magic Johnson-esque oversized point guard, he now appears destined to become more of a Draymond Green type, a pass-first point forward who can defend anybody.
Sidery suggests that the Sixers would benefit from moving on from Simmons, too, should they acquire a new guard with more scoring punch in a trade. Such a player could help create spacing against All-NBA Philadelphia center Joel Embiid.
There’s more out of the Eastern Conference:
- Despite trading away an intriguing backcourt talent in Devonte’ Graham, the Hornets ultimately improved their depth this offseason around incumbent leaders Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball, opines Zach Harper of The Athletic. The club’s new regular rotation additions James Bouknight, Kai Jones, Kelly Oubre, Mason Plumlee, and Ish Smith all appear poised to know their roles for a team hoping to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2022.
- Spencer Davies of Basketball News has mixed feelings about the Pistons being so quick to move on from Sekou Doumbouya, the No. 15 pick in the 2019 draft, who was sent to Brooklyn in the DeAndre Jordan trade. Davies opines that the 6’8″ forward has an intriguing ceiling, and could have carved out a rotation slot on a still-rebuilding Detroit club.
- On the Nets‘ side of the equation, the club’s young new versatile forward Sekou Doumbouya could offer promise as a future rotation player, writes Chris Milholen of Nets Daily. Across the final nine games of his 2020/21 NBA season with the Pistons, Doumbouya averaged 10.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG, in 27.0 MPG.
Bulls Sign Matt Thomas
The Bulls have signed free agent sharpshooter Matt Thomas to a contract, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. The signing occurred on Saturday, per RealGM.
Thomas, who signed a multiyear deal with the Raptors in 2019 following an impressive stint overseas, spent a year-and-a-half with Toronto before being sent to Utah at the 2021 deadline. In total, he appeared in 86 games for the Raptors and Jazz, averaging 4.0 PPG in 8.9 minutes per contest.
Thomas is known for his ability to knock down three-point shots. He made 41.3% of his long-distance attempts during his two NBA seasons after making 48.1% for Valencia Basket during his last year in Europe in 2018/19.
While the specific details of Thomas’ deal aren’t known, RealGM classifies it as a one-year contract. And since it doesn’t show up NBA.com’s transactions log – which doesn’t list non-guaranteed signings – it’s probably safe to assume it’s not guaranteed.
Since Chicago has been carrying 13 players on guaranteed contracts, Thomas could get an opportunity to compete for a regular season roster spot. Stanley Johnson, another former Raptor who reached a deal with the Bulls today, also figures to be in the mix for a roster spot — it’s unclear whether or not Johnson’s salary will be guaranteed.
Longest-Tenured NBA GMs/Presidents
As is the case in the NBA’s head coaching ranks, a number of long-tenured heads of basketball operations have been replaced in 2021, a result of some offseason front office shakeups.
Since we put together last offseason’s list of the league’s longest-tenured heads of basketball operations, Danny Ainge and Donnie Nelson, who had been with their respective teams for over 15 years, have left those franchises. As such, it’s time to update our list.
Although only one person holds a team’s head coaching job, that same team could carry a variety of front office executives with titles like general manager, president of basketball operations, or executive VP of basketball operations. In some cases, it’s not always which clear which executive should be considered the club’s head of basketball operations, or which one has the ultimate final say on roster decisions. That distinction becomes even more nebulous when taking into account team ownership.
For our list of the longest-tenured GMs/presidents in the NBA, we’ve done our best to identify the top exec in each front office, but if a situation isn’t entirely clear-cut, we’ve made a note below.
Here’s the list of the NBA’s longest-tenured heads of basketball operations, along with their respective titles and the dates they were hired or promoted:
- Gregg Popovich, Spurs (president): May 31, 1994
- Brian Wright holds the general manager title, but Popovich ultimately has final say.
- Pat Riley, Heat (president): September 2, 1995
- Sam Presti, Thunder (GM/executive VP): June 7, 2007
- Bob Myers, Warriors (GM/president): April 24, 2012
- Neil Olshey, Trail Blazers (president): June 4, 2012
- Masai Ujiri, Raptors (president): May 31, 2013
- Tim Connelly, Nuggets (president): June 17, 2013
- Sean Marks, Nets (GM): February 18, 2016
- Kevin Pritchard, Pacers (president): May 1, 2017
- Jeff Weltman, Magic (president): May 22, 2017
- Travis Schlenk, Hawks (president): May 25, 2017
- Jon Horst, Bucks (GM): June 16, 2017
- Koby Altman, Cavaliers (GM): June 19, 2017
- Lawrence Frank, Clippers (president): August 4, 2017
- Mitch Kupchak, Hornets (GM/president): April 8, 2018
- Tommy Sheppard, Wizards (GM): April 2, 2019
- Sheppard assumed the job on an interim basis on April 2, 2019. He was named the permanent GM on July 22, 2019.
- Rob Pelinka, Lakers (GM/VP): April 9, 2019
- Pelinka has been the Lakers’ GM since February 2017, but was below Magic Johnson in the front office hierarchy until Johnson resigned on April 9, 2019.
- James Jones, Suns (GM): April 11, 2019
- Jones began serving as the Suns’ co-interim GM alongside Trevor Bukstein in October 2018, but was named the lone, permanent head of basketball operations on April 11, 2019.
- Zach Kleiman, Grizzlies (executive VP): April 11, 2019
- David Griffin, Pelicans (executive VP): April 17, 2019
- Gersson Rosas, Timberwolves (president): May 3, 2019
- Leon Rose, Knicks (president): March 2, 2020
- Arturas Karnisovas, Bulls (executive VP): April 13, 2020
- Troy Weaver, Pistons (GM): June 18, 2020
- Monte McNair, Kings (GM): September 17, 2020
- Rafael Stone, Rockets (GM): October 15, 2020
- Daryl Morey, Sixers (president): November 2, 2020
- Brad Stevens, Celtics (president): June 2, 2021
- Justin Zanik, Jazz (GM): June 27, 2021
- Zanik has been in the Jazz’s front office since September 2017 and has been the team’s GM since May 2019, but was below Dennis Lindsey in the front office hierarchy until Lindsey was reassigned to an advisory role on June 27, 2021.
- Nico Harrison (GM/president): June 28, 2021
- Owner Mark Cuban is also heavily involved in basketball decisions and ultimately has final say.
Information from Basketball-Reference was used in the creation of this post.
2022 NBA Free Agents By Team
Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2022 free agents by team is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2021/22 season.
Restricted free agents are marked with (RFA).
This list will continue to be updated throughout the 2022 offseason, so be sure to use it and our list of 2022 free agents by position/type as points of reference.
Both lists can be found anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.
Updated 10-16-22 (7:38am CT)
Note: No longer being updated as of the start of the 2022/23 regular season.
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
- None
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
- Isaiah Thomas
- Miles Bridges (RFA)
- Scottie Lewis (two-way UFA)
Chicago Bulls
- Matt Thomas
- Tristan Thompson
- Tyler Cook (two-way UFA)
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Ed Davis
- Rajon Rondo
- Brandon Goodwin (two-way UFA)
Dallas Mavericks
- None
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
- None
Golden State Warriors
- None
Houston Rockets
- None
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
- None
Miami Heat
- None
Milwaukee Bucks
- None
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
- Tony Snell
- Gary Clark (two-way UFA)
New York Knicks
- None
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Melvin Frazier (two-way UFA)
Orlando Magic
- None
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
- Ben McLemore
- Keljin Blevins (two-way UFA)
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
- None
Toronto Raptors
- None
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
- None
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Kyle Kuzma Thought He Would Be Traded To Kings
Since it was one of the first major moves of the 2021 NBA offseason, it’s easy to forget now that the trade that sent Russell Westbrook from the Wizards to the Lakers didn’t initially look like it would happen.
The Kings and Lakers were pretty far down the road on a trade that would’ve sent Buddy Hield to Los Angeles. Multiple players who were eventually included in the Westbrook deal – likely Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell – would’ve headed to Sacramento if the Hield trade had been finalized, so the Lakers couldn’t have done both deals. When the opportunity to acquire Westbrook arose, the Lakers pivoted to negotiating a deal with the Wizards rather than finalizing one with the Kings.
Kuzma, rumored to be part of the return for Hield, ended up getting sent to Washington in the Westbrook trade. However, he acknowledged during an appearance on No Chill With Gilbert Arenas (video link via Bleacher Report) that he believed at one point in July that he was about to become a King.
“I was kind of shocked because I thought I was going to Sac,” Kuzma said of being dealt to the Wizards. “The Sacramento deal with Buddy Hield, that s–t was done. So I’m thinking in my head, ‘Yeah, okay, well, I’m in Sac, 45-minute flight, that’s not bad.’ … But then out of nowhere, it goes, ‘You’re going to Washington.'”
Kuzma, who spent the first four years of his NBA career in Los Angeles after being selected in the first round of the 2017 draft, will be moving across the country rather than just elsewhere in California. However, he didn’t sound too disappointed about becoming a Wizard instead of a King, expressing excitement about the opportunity to team up with Bradley Beal in Washington.
“I was super hyped, obviously, because it’s a better situation (than Sacramento),” Kuzma said. “Going to Sac would’ve been fun, I would’ve went crazy for sure. But to have the opportunity to play with Brad Beal, someone that is trying to really be a winner in this league … It’s just a perfect opportunity. It’s a lot of guys that have chips on their shoulders, everyone’s ready to prove something. That’s when something can be special.”
Kuzma isn’t the only one whose 2021 offseason would look a lot different if the Lakers had completed a deal for Hield instead of Westbrook. That decision had a major impact on the subsequent summer moves made by the Lakers, Kings, and Wizards. If L.A. had gone in another direction, it would’ve had a ripple effect on a handful of teams and players, including perhaps Richaun Holmes, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, among others.
NBA G League Affiliations For 2021/22 Season
After an abridged 2020/21 season that only included 18 of the league’s 28 teams, the NBA G League is expected to get back to normal in 2021/22. And for the first time, the league appears on track to feature 30 franchises.
That doesn’t mean that all 30 NBA teams will have a G League affiliate of their own, however. While 28 NBAGL franchises have relationships with NBA squads, the other two are independent, without affiliations.
One of those two is the G League Ignite, which debuted last season. The Ignite is the NBAGL’s developmental program for top prospects coming out of high school. About half the roster is made up of those prospects, while the other half is made up of veterans who will serve as mentors to those up-and-coming teenagers.
The other unaffiliated G League franchise will be the Capitanes Ciudad De Mexico, the NBAGL’s first franchise based in Mexico.
The G League actually still hasn’t officially announced that the Capitanes – based in Mexico City – will be part of the 2021/22 season and doesn’t mention the club in the list of teams on its official website. However, Shams Charania reported in May that the Capitanes would be joining the G League for the ’21/22 campaign, and the team has said so as well. The NBA may still be working through COVID-related logistical issues before formally confirming the Capitanes’ inaugural NBAGL season.
[UPDATE: G League’s Mexico City Team To Play In U.S. In 2021/22]
Besides the Ignite and Capitanes, there are expected to be 28 more teams taking part in the G League’s 2021/22 season, all affiliated with NBA teams. Those affiliations are as follows:
- Atlanta Hawks: College Park Skyhawks
- Boston Celtics: Maine Celtics
- New name (formerly Maine Red Claws).
- New name (formerly Maine Red Claws).
- Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets
- Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm
- Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland Charge
- New name (formerly Canton Charge).
- New name (formerly Canton Charge).
- Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
- Denver Nuggets: Grand Rapids Gold
- New affiliation, name (formerly Grand Rapids Drive, affiliated with Pistons).
- Detroit Pistons: Motor City Cruise
- New affiliation, name, location (formerly Northern Arizona Suns, affiliated with Suns).
- Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
- Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Indiana Pacers: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Los Angeles Clippers: Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario
- Los Angeles Lakers: South Bay Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis Hustle
- Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Milwaukee Bucks: Wisconsin Herd
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Iowa Wolves
- New Orleans Pelicans: Birmingham Squadron
- New name, location (formerly Erie BayHawks).
- New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
- Orlando Magic: Lakeland Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware Blue Coats
- Sacramento Kings: Stockton Kings
- San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
- Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
- Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars
- Washington Wizards: Capital City Go-Go
Of those 28 G League teams, 26 are fully owned and operated by their NBA partners. Only the Rockets and Nuggets have “hybrid” affiliations with their G League teams, meaning they manage and fund the basketball operations while local ownership maintains the control of the business and its community relations.
The two teams without NBAGL affiliates are the Trail Blazers and Suns. As noted above, Phoenix actually had its own G League team – the Northern Arizona Suns – but sold the club to the Pistons, who have relocated it to Detroit and rebranded it as the Motor City Cruise. Portland, meanwhile, has long been one of the few NBA teams without an NBAGL affiliate.
The Blazers and Suns are still permitted to send players to another team’s G League affiliate during the season via the flexible assignment rule, but won’t have much say in how those players are used or developed at the NBAGL level.