Josh Okogie Won’t Receive QO, Will Become UFA
The Timberwolves don’t intend to issue a qualifying offer to former first-round pick Josh Okogie, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
Having completed his four-year rookie scale contract, Okogie would become a restricted free agent this offseason if Minnesota extends a qualifying offer worth $5,857,966. In that scenario, the Wolves would have the ability to match rival offer the veteran wing receives, and he’d have the option of simply accepting the one-year offer worth nearly $6MM before reaching unrestricted free agency in 2023.
Given Okogie’s so-so NBA résumé and limited role, he seems unlikely to generate interest at more than the minimum salary this offseason, so the Wolves’ decision to pass on a QO and make him an unrestricted free agent isn’t surprising. It doesn’t mean Minnesota can’t bring him back — he’ll just be free to sign elsewhere without the Wolves having the ability to match.
Okogie, 23, was the 20th overall pick in the 2018 draft. He started 52 games as a rookie for the Wolves and averaged 24.3 MPG in his first two NBA seasons, but has seen his playing time cut back since then. In 2021/22, he averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.4 RPG in just 10.5 minutes per contest (49 games).
Okogie is viewed as a solid defender but has never shown much of an offensive game, putting up a career average of 6.4 PPG with a .403/.275/.758 shooting line.
The Timberwolves also appear unlikely to retain two-way free agent McKinley Wright IV, according to Wolfson, who says Wright will probably join a new team for next month’s summer league.
Kyrie Irving Granted Permission To Explore Trade Scenarios
12:17pm: According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), sources with knowledge of the situation increasingly believe that Irving is willing to decline his player option and sign with the Lakers for the $6.4MM taxpayer mid-level exception.
In that scenario, Fischer writes, Irving could get a raise and a longer-term deal from the Lakers in 2023. The team still doesn’t project to have enough room to offer him a max contract at that point, but could theoretically get close.
Meanwhile, in his full story on the Irving situation, Wojnarowski writes that Durant “remained an advocate” for the Nets to give Kyrie a long-term deal.
11:42am: The Nets and Kyrie Irving haven’t made any real progress toward reaching an agreement that will keep him in Brooklyn going forward, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News.
In fact, according to Winfield, Irving’s camp has requested and received permission from the Nets to speak to other teams about potential trade scenarios. Alex Schiffer of The Athletic and Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links) have heard the same thing.
Although those reports suggest Irving’s camp is looking into possible “sign-and-trade packages,” many of the teams said to be on the point guard’s wish list wouldn’t have the ability to acquire him via sign-and-trade due to their proximity to the projected luxury tax line.
Sign-and-trade talks also technically aren’t allowed until free agency begins this Thursday evening, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter). While teams and agents often play fast and loose with those rules, they may be a little more hesitant to do so this year after two teams were penalized last year for “gun-jumping” violations related to sign-and-trade agreements.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Sign-And-Trades]
Opt-in-and-trade scenarios – in which Irving picks up his $36.9MM player option for 2022/23 – would be more viable for many potential trade partners. Kyrie has until Wednesday to make a final decision on his option, and there’s a sense in both league and player circles that he may have played his last game in Brooklyn, says Winfield.
According to Wojnarowski, however, no teams besides the Lakers are seriously considering the idea of pursuing Irving, and Brooklyn isn’t believed to have interest in any trade package L.A. could realistically offer.
Wojnarowski’s report is similar to what he said during a TV appearance on Friday (hat tip to NetsDaily). At that time, Woj described the talks between the Nets and Irving as “acrimonious,” but suggested that no teams besides the Lakers were thought to have serious interest in the point guard. The other clubs reported to be on Irving’s wish list are the Mavericks, Heat, Clippers, Knicks, and Sixers.
“The interest isn’t mutual in several of these places,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN.
Here are more updates on the Irving situation:
- According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, there are sources close to the situation who “strongly believe” Irving is trying to make his way to the Lakers. Amick, who gets the sense that LeBron James is “very open” to the idea, notes that most people around the NBA believe the Nets would have zero interest in taking on Russell Westbrook in any trade with the Lakers.
- Amick has heard that the Knicks have no interest in Irving and expect him to end up remaining in Brooklyn. Amick describes the Clippers as in “wait-and-see” mode when it comes to Kyrie.
- Even with the threat of Irving’s departure seemingly increasing and Kevin Durant‘s future uncertain, the Nets appear unlikely to relent and offer Kyrie a long-term maximum-salary contract, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said during a Monday appearance on Get Up (video link). “Everything I’ve heard, the max deal is not coming. The Nets are not going to be held hostage by the threat of Kyrie Irving (leaving) and then Kevin Durant following him out the door,” Lowe said. “They appear ready to actually take some kind of stand here. That doesn’t mean that there’s not going to be a fair compromise offer somewhere, wherever that lands.”
- While Lowe did suggest that a compromise between Irving and the Nets is possible, he believes Kyrie’s flight risk is real: “I do think this is a precarious situation for the Nets. I don’t think this is the kind of thing where it’s actually kind of calm and the media is blowing this out of proportion. I do think there are scenarios where in a week he’s gone and the Durant situation is wobbly.”
Javante McCoy To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Lakers
Rookie free agent guard Javante McCoy will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers after going undrafted, he tells freelance reporter Greg Levinsky (Twitter link).
McCoy spent all five years of his college career at Boston University, starting 138 of the 147 games he played for the program. In 2021/22, he averaged 17.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.9 APG on .495/.425/.708 shooting in 34 contests (34.0 MPG).
An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted into a two-way deal and also makes a player eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.
Undrafted Houston rookie Fabian White also reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers.
Malik Monk Open To Considering Discount To Stay With Lakers
After signing him to a minimum-salary contract a year ago, the Lakers will be limited in their ability to offer Malik Monk a raise in free agency this summer, but the shooting guard told Jovan Buha of The Athletic that he’s not closing the door on the idea of accepting a “hometown” discount to stay in Los Angeles.
“Money is always a part, man, but I don’t think it’s the biggest priority in my free agency this year,” Monk said. “It’s me feeling like I’m having a home and I can go out there and do the same things I did this year.
“… They might not be able to pay me as much as I want,” Monk said of the Lakers. “But I could be here and be way more comfortable as a Laker than going to any other team and they’re paying me $5 million more. So it’s just me trying to figure out what team would really want me.”
Monk, who earned approximately $1.79MM as a Laker in 2021/22, enjoyed a career year with his new team after spending four seasons in Charlotte. He established new career highs in PPG (13.8), RPG (3.4), APG (2.9), and FG% (.473) and was arguably L.A.’s most dangerous three-point threat, making 2.3 threes per game at a 39.1% rate.
Because the Lakers only hold his Non-Bird rights, they wouldn’t be able to offer him more than about $2.53MM without dipping in their mid-level exception. Even then, given their cap situation, the Lakers will likely only have the taxpayer MLE ($6.39MM) at their disposal rather than the full version. According to Buha, multiple league sources believe Monk could get $10-12MM per year on the open market.
While Monk “loved” playing for the Lakers, according to his brother Marcus, and is open to the idea of taking a team-friendly deal to stick around, he intends to consider all his options when he becomes a free agent this week.
“I definitely would still want to evaluate things,” Monk told Buha. “You never know what happens. Some other team could come in and hopefully tell me the same thing and maybe I get a little bit more minutes on that team. So it’s just actually me being presented and being able to go out there and do what I do is a priority. That’s the biggest priority: A team that’s just going to let me come in and be myself.”
Pistons Signing Stanley Umude To Exhibit 10 Contract
After going undrafted last Thursday, rookie free agent Stanley Umude has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons, sources tell Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale (Twitter link).
A 6’6″ shooting guard, Umude spent his first four college seasons at South Dakota from 2017-21, averaging 21.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG as a senior in ’20/21.
He transferred to Arkansas for his “super-senior” season last year and played more of a complementary role for the Razorbacks, putting up 11.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.1 APG on .460/.371/.724 shooting in 37 games (27.8 MPG).
Umude is the second undrafted rookie reported to have reached a contract agreement with the Pistons, joining Buddy Boeheim.
While Boeheim is said to have agreed to a two-way deal, Umude’s Exhibit 10 contract will be a non-guaranteed pact that makes him eligible for a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived before the season and joins Detroit’s G League team, the Motor City Cruise, as an affiliate player. An Exhibit 10 deal can also be converted into a two-way contract before the start of the season.
2022 NBA Offseason Trades
As we did with last year’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2021/22, Hoops Rumors will be keeping track of all of the trades made this offseason, right up until the start of the 2022/23 season, updating this post with each transaction.
Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been traded multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. If a trade has not yet been formally finalized, it will be listed in italics.
For our full story on each trade, click on the date above it. For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks. We’ll continue to update this list with the latest specific details on picks and other compensation, as they’re reported.
Here’s the full list of the NBA’s 2022 offseason trades:
2022/23 League Year:
- Rockets acquire Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Maurice Harkless, Theo Maledon, either the Thunder’s, Sixers’, or Mavericks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash ($6,363,000).
- Thunder acquire David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss.
- Thunder acquire Maurice Harkless, the Hawks’ 2029 second-round pick, and amended terms on the Hawks’ traded 2025 second-round pick.
- Hawks acquire Vit Krejci.
- Note: The Thunder had previously acquired the Hawks’ 2025 second-round pick with top-55 protection. As a result of this trade, the pick is now top-40 protected.
- Pistons acquire Bojan Bogdanovic.
- Jazz acquire Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee, and cash ($1,752,638).
- Cavaliers acquire Donovan Mitchell.
- Jazz acquire Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton (sign-and-trade), the Cavaliers’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Cavaliers’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), the Cavaliers’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavaliers in 2026, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavaliers in 2028.
- Lakers acquire Patrick Beverley.
- Jazz acquire Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.
- Pistons acquire Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, the Pistons’ 2023 second-round pick, either the Knicks’ or the Timberwolves’ 2026 second-round pick, and cash ($2MM).
- Knicks acquire the draft rights to Nikola Radicevic and the Pistons’ 2025 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
- Note: The Knicks had acquired the Pistons’ 2023 second-round pick in a previous trade; the Pistons got it back in this deal.
- Celtics acquire Malcolm Brogdon.
- Pacers acquire Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts, and the Celtics’ 2023 first-round pick (top-12 protected).
- Pistons acquire Kemba Walker and the draft rights to Jalen Duren (No. 13 pick).
- Knicks acquire the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected).
- Nuggets acquire the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate (No. 46 pick).
- Trail Blazers acquire either the Hornets’ or Timberwolves’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Suns acquire Jock Landale.
- Hawks acquire cash ($110K).
- Kings acquire Kevin Huerter.
- Hawks acquire Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless, and the Kings’ 2024 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
- Timberwolves acquire Rudy Gobert.
- Jazz acquire Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to Walker Kessler (No. 22 pick), the Timberwolves’ 2023 first-round pick (unprotected), the Timberwolves’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Timberwolves’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), the Timberwolves’ 2029 first-round pick (top-five protected), and the right to swap first-round picks with the Timberwolves in 2026.
- Trail Blazers acquire Jerami Grant and the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate (No. 46 pick).
- Pistons acquire the draft rights to Gabriele Procida (No. 36 pick), the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected), the Pistons’ 2025 second-round pick, and either the Trail Blazers’ or Pelicans’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Note: The Trail Blazers had acquired the Pistons’ 2025 second-round pick in a previous trade; the Pistons got it back in this deal.
- Wizards acquire Monte Morris and Will Barton.
- Nuggets acquire Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.
2021/22 League Year:
- Nets acquire Royce O’Neale.
- Jazz acquire either the Nets’, Rockets’, or Sixers’ 2023 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Hawks acquire Dejounte Murray and Jock Landale.
- Spurs acquire Danilo Gallinari, the Hornets’ 2023 first-round pick (top-16 protected), the Hawks’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Hawks’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), and the right to swap first-round picks with the Hawks in 2026.
- Sixers acquire De’Anthony Melton.
- Grizzlies acquire Danny Green and the draft rights to David Roddy (No. 23 pick).
- Timberwolves acquire the draft rights to Wendell Moore (No. 26 pick).
- Rockets acquire the draft rights to TyTy Washington (No. 29 pick), the Timberwolves’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Timberwolves’ 2027 second-round pick.
- Mavericks acquire Christian Wood.
- Rockets acquire Sterling Brown, Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, and the draft rights to Wendell Moore (No. 26 pick).
- Pacers acquire the draft rights to Kendall Brown (No. 48 pick).
- Timberwolves acquire either the Pacers’, Heat’s, or Spurs’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) and cash.
- Bucks acquire the draft rights to Hugo Besson (No. 58 pick).
- Pacers acquire cash ($1MM).
- Grizzlies acquire the draft rights to Jake LaRavia (No. 19 pick) and the Timberwolves’ 2023 second-round pick.
- Timberwolves acquire the draft rights to Walker Kessler (No. 22 pick) and TyTy Washington (No. 29 pick).
- Grizzlies acquire the draft rights to Kennedy Chandler (No. 38 pick).
- Spurs acquire the Lakers’ 2024 second-round pick and cash ($1MM).
- Warriors acquire the draft rights to Ryan Rollins (No. 44 pick).
- Hawks acquire the draft rights to Tyrese Martin (No. 51 pick) and cash ($2MM).
- Hornets acquire the draft rights to Bryce McGowens (No. 40 pick).
- Timberwolves acquire the draft rights to Josh Minott (No. 45 pick) and the Knicks’ 2023 second-round pick.
- Mavericks acquire the draft rights to Jaden Hardy (No. 37 pick).
- Kings acquire the Mavericks’ 2024 second-round pick and the Mavericks’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Thunder acquire JaMychal Green and the Nuggets’ 2027 first-round pick (top-five protected).
- Nuggets acquire the draft rights to Peyton Watson (No. 30 pick), either the Thunder’s, Wizards’, Mavericks’, or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and either the Hornets’ or Timberwolves’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Note: If the Mavericks’ and Heat’s 2023 second-rounders are the two most favorable of those four picks, the Nuggets would instead receive the third-most favorable of the four.
- Knicks acquire the draft rights to Jalen Duren (No. 13 pick).
- Hornets acquire the Nuggets’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected), the Knicks’ 2023 second-round pick, the Jazz’s 2023 second-round pick, either the Thunder’s, Wizards’, Mavericks’, or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick.
- Note: If either the Mavericks’ or Heat’s 2023 second-rounder is the least favorable of those four picks, the Hornets would instead receive the second-least favorable of the four.
- Thunder acquire the draft rights to Ousmane Dieng (No. 11 pick).
- Knicks acquire the Nuggets’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected), the Wizards’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected), and the Pistons’ 2023 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
- Cavaliers acquire the No. 49 pick in the 2022 draft.
- Kings acquire the draft rights to Sasha Vezenkov and cash ($1.75MM).
- Lakers acquire the No. 35 pick in the 2022 draft.
- Magic acquire either the Lakers’ or Wizards’ 2028 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) and cash ($2.15MM).
Atlantic Notes: Tsai, Irving, Nets, Celtics, Thybulle
As of Thursday night, Nets owner Joe Tsai was supporting general manager Sean Marks‘ decision not to offer Kyrie Irving a max extension, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Irving has until June 29 to decide whether to exercise his $36.9MM player option for next season, and the two sides seem to be far apart in negotiations on an extension.
Should Irving leave, it could prompt Kevin Durant to further consider his situation with the Nets, as we previously relayed. Irving didn’t get vaccinated this season, so he only appeared in 29 games due to New York City’s vaccine requirement. He averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists during those outings, shooting 47%.
We have more notes from the Atlantic Division to pass along:
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a look at how Irving’s list of interested teams can acquire him. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Mavericks and Sixers are among the teams on Irving’s list of preferred landing spots.
- Yam Madar will no longer play for the Celtics during summer league, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. Madar, Boston’s No. 47 pick in 2020, will use this time to focus on his Israeli national team commitments. The Celtics are bringing free agent big man Mfiondu Kabengele to Las Vegas, however, Himmelsbach tweets.
- Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer explores how Matisse Thybulle will be remembered if he gets traded by the Sixers this offseason. Thybulle, a defensive-minded wing, started in 50 of his 66 games this past season for the team.
Summer League Commitments: Sixers, Celtics, Jazz, Mavericks
The Sixers are bringing guard Malik Ellison to summer league, his agent Jerry Dianis told Hoops Rumors. Ellison is the son of Pervis Ellison, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 1989. He signed a 10-day deal with the Hawks this season.
Ellison spent most of the campaign with the Hawks’ G League affiliate, averaging 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12 games. The 24-year-old also shot 45% from the floor and 46% from deep.
Here are a few more summer league commitments:
- Free agent guard Jordan Bone has committed to play summer league with the Celtics next month, a source told Hoops Rumors. Bone, 24, holds NBA experience with the Magic and Pistons.
- DJ Funderburk has committed to play with the Jazz during the Salt Lake City Summer League and Las Vegas Summer League, his agent Cervando Tejeda said. Funderburk played in Russia and France this past season.
- The Mavericks are adding swingman Isaiah Brown to their summer league roster, according to his agent, Andre Buck. Brown, 24, attended a free-agent mini-camp with the team last week.
Pacers Notes: Nembhard, Mathurin, Summer League, Trades
The Pacers selected Andrew Nembhard with the No. 31 pick in Thursday’s draft, adding to a young core that also includes Tyrese Haliburton, No. 6 pick Bennedict Mathurin and others. As Gabby Hajduk of the Indianapolis Star explores, Nembhard is older than most draft picks at 22, so he’s expected to bring intelligence and maturity to the club.
“The word that stands out for me is feel,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “(Nembhard) has just got an amazing feel for the game. I love point guards. I’ve had the real privilege of working with some great, great point guards.
“I mean, Jason Kidd, we won a championship with Jason Kidd, we had J.J. Barea on that team. Jason Terry was a point guard that converted to a scoring guard. I see some of all those qualities in Andrew. Love his size, love playmakers that can control the game, not only with their skill but with their mind.”
Nembhard receiving strong praise from his new championship coach is justified. He averaged 11.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season, shooting an efficient 45% from the field and 38% from behind the arc.
There’s more out of Indiana tonight:
- As the Pacers continues to push toward a full rebuild, Mathurin should be viewed as a quality piece to the puzzle, Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com opines. Mathurin, 20, is a 6’7″ guard who held per-game averages of 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds at Arizona last season. His confidence certainly isn’t lacking, as apparent by his recent comments regarding Lakers superstar LeBron James (hat tip to Yahoo Sports). “A lot of people say he’s great,” Mathurin said of James. “I want to see how great he is. I don’t think anybody is better than me. He’s going to have to show me he’s better than me.”
- Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files examines the team’s summer league roster, which still isn’t fully completed. In addition to Mathurin and Nembhard, the Pacers are expected to have Chris Duarte, Terry Taylor and others when the team plays in Las Vegas next month.
- While Mathurin may be a good draft pick, the Pacers struck out on making major draft-day trades last week, Bob Kravitz of The Athletic writes. Indiana still has Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner under contract. Both players are known to be available on the trade market.
International Notes: Dotson, Lucas III, Okobo, Leaf
Free agent guard Damyean Dotson has signed overseas in Turkey with Gaziantep Basketbol, the team announced on Saturday. This marks the first overseas stint in Dotson’s professional career, which began when he was drafted No. 44 overall by the Knicks in 2017.
Dotson stayed with New York for three years, then spent time with the Cavaliers during the 2020/21 season. He joined the Spurs for training camp last fall and spent most of the season in the G League. The Knicks also signed him to two 10-day hardship contracts in December.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- John Lucas III is drawing coaching interest from Italian club Pallacanestro Varese, as relayed by Sportando. The team has offered the job to several NBA assistant coaches, including Pablo Prigioni (Timberwolves). Lucas joined the Lakers as an assistant last fall.
- Former NBA guard Elie Okobo has signed a lucrative deal overseas with AS Monaco, according to EuroHoops. Okobo most recently played for ASVEL. He played 108 games with the Suns between 2018-20, averaging 4.8 points in 15.5 minutes per contest.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) is signing forward T.J. Leaf to a contract, Eurohoops reports. This will be the first European stint for Leaf, who was selected No. 18 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. He holds experience with the Pacers and Blazers.