Grizzlies Sign Three Draft Picks, Kenneth Lofton Jr.
The Grizzlies have signed first-round draft picks Jake LaRavia and David Roddy to multi-year contracts, the team tweets.
LaRavia, who played for Wake Forest last season, was acquired by Memphis with the No. 19 overall pick pursuant to a draft-night trade with the Timberwolves. His rookie scale contract, under the latest salary cap, could go four years and can be worth up to $14,763,367.
Roddy, who played for Colorado State last season, was acquired by the Grizzlies with the No. 23 overall pick after a trade with the 76ers. His rookie scale deal can go four years and be worth up to $12,985,886.
[RELATED: Rookie Scale Salaries For 2022 NBA First-Round Picks]
The Grizzlies also announced that wing Vince Williams Jr. and big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. have signed two-way contracts (Twitter link).
Williams Jr., the No. 47 overall pick of this year’s draft, was selected to the 2021/22 All-Atlantic 10 First Team during his senior year at VCU.
The Grizzlies’ decision to give Lofton a two-way deal was previously reported. He was named to the All-Conference USA First Team during his sophomore year at Louisiana Tech last season but went undrafted.
With Williams and Lofton on two-way deals, the Grizzlies have waived guard Tyrell Terry, who signed a two-year, two-way contract last season. Terry, drafted by Dallas in 2020, appeared in two games with Memphis in ’21/22.
The Grizzlies still have one unsigned draftee, No. 38 pick Kennedy Chandler. His deal will likely be completed once the July moratorium ends.
Players On Designated Rookie Extensions
Since Nets star Kevin Durant made his trade request earlier this week, NBA fans have become a whole lot familiar with a specific term in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement: the designated rookie extension.
As we explain in a glossary entry on the subject, a designated rookie extension is a five-year extension given to a player who is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract. It must be worth the maximum salary, but it’s that fifth year in particular that makes a player a “designated rookie.” A player who signs a four-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension is not considered a designated rookie.
Here’s the full list of players currently on designated rookie extensions:
- Bam Adebayo (Heat)
- Devin Booker (Suns)
- Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Joel Embiid (Sixers)
- De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
- Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets)
- Ben Simmons (Nets)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves)
- Andrew Wiggins (Warriors)
- Trae Young (Hawks)
An NBA team is permitted to carry up to two players on designated rookie extensions, as the Nuggets are with Murray and Porter. However, a team cannot carry two designated rookies if both of those players were acquired via trade.
Because the Nets acquired Simmons from the Sixers in this year’s James Harden blockbuster, that means they’re not allowed to trade for a second player on a designated rookie extension unless they move Simmons beforehand (or in the same deal). The same rule would apply to the Warriors with Wiggins, but it’s obviously far more relevant these days for the Nets, who are said to be seeking at least one young star in a package for Durant.
Many of the players on the above list aren’t going anywhere — it’s not as if the Mavericks are going to consider trading Doncic. But with a player like Durant on the trade block, few NBA stars are untouchable, and teams will have to take the designated rookie rule into account when they consider offers for the former MVP.
For instance, the Suns and Heat, who have been mentioned as Durant’s preferred landing spots, wouldn’t be able to trade Booker or Adebayo for him (not that Phoenix would be willing to include Booker anyway).
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, and Pelicans forward Zion Williamson are expected to be added to the above list soon. Morant agreed to a five-year, maximum-salary extension with Memphis, Garland did the same with Cleveland, and Williamson will sign one with New Orleans.
The designated rookie rule says that a team can’t carry two players acquired via trade if those players have signed designated rookie extensions that apply to a “current or future” cap year, so even though the extensions for Morant, Garland, and Williamson won’t take effect until 2023/24, the rule would apply to them as soon as they officially sign.
Only a player who signs a rookie scale extension can become a designated rookie. The rule doesn’t apply to players who reach free agency, even if they sign a five-year, maximum-salary contract at that time.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, for example, isn’t considered a designated rookie since he signed his five-year max contract after becoming a free agent. Deandre Ayton also can’t be a designated rookie now that he has reached free agency. Either player could hypothetically be sent to Brooklyn in a Durant trade.
Players who signed four-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extensions also aren’t considered designated rookies, as noted above. That means Raptors forward Pascal Siakam could also theoretically be traded to Brooklyn without Simmons having to move.
Again, teams can carry two designated rookies if just one was acquired via trade. For instance, the Heat wouldn’t be prohibited from making a deal for Mitchell, since their current designated rookie (Adebayo) has spent his entire career in Miami.
Finally, it’s worth clarifying that this rule only applies if a trade occurs after the player signed his designated rookie extension. In other words, the Thunder would be allowed to trade for a second designated rookie without moving Gilgeous-Alexander, since they acquired him from the Clippers before he signed his rookie scale extension.
Western Notes: Clippers Roster, DiVincenzo, Nuggets, Monk
After landing John Wall, the Clippers have one opening on their 15-man roster. There’s no rush to fill it, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes. While they could use a backup center, the team is more interested in staying flexible rather than quickly adding a player. The team is already looking at a $143MM tax bill for next season and another signing would add to that.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Donte DiVincenzo was believed to have offers for the full taxpayer mid-level exception of $6.479MM. However, he chose the Warriors’ offer of two years and $9.3MM with a player option. The option was key to his decision to take a $4.5MM salary next season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He has a chance to join a championship team and pump up his value. If he does that, he can re-enter the free-agency market. If he doesn’t, he’s protected with a second-year player option worth $4.8MM.
- Nuggets GM Calvin Booth is carrying out his stated agenda of improving the team’s defense, Mike Singer of the Denver Post notes. By trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, agreeing to sign free agent Bruce Brown, re-signing Davon Reed and drafting Christian Braun and Peyton Watson, Booth targeted players who could switch on defense, disrupt passing lanes, play bigger than their height and stay on the floor in the postseason.
- Malik Monk has been friends with De’Aaron Fox since high school. That played a role in his decision to ditch the Lakers and agree to a two-year, $19MM contract with the Kings, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports.
2022 NBA Draft Pick Signings
Free agent and trade news has dominated NBA headlines over the last few days, but teams around the league are also taking care of the rookies they drafted on June 23, signing them to their first NBA contracts. Because cap holds for first-round picks count for 120% of the rookie scale instead of 100% in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, there’s little incentive for teams to wait to lock up their first-rounders.
For first-round picks, rookie contracts are fairly rigid, having essentially been predetermined. The NBA’s rookie-scale structure dictates that first-rounders will be signed to four-year deals, which include two guaranteed years, then team options in years three and four.
The value of those contracts depends on where a player was drafted. This year, No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero signed a four-year deal worth in excess of $50MM, which represents the maximum allowable 120% of his scale amount. No. 30 pick Peyton Watson, on the other hand, would be in line for a four-year contract worth a little over $11MM.
The full breakdown of this year’s first-round rookie salaries and contracts can be found right here — if you see a first-rounder listed below as “signed,” you can assume his contract looks like that, unless otherwise indicated.
Second-round picks, meanwhile, aren’t assured of two guaranteed seasons, though some players will receive them. Teams can sign second-rounders to whatever amount they choose, using cap room or various exceptions. Those players who immediately join their NBA teams figure to earn a minimum salary or something slightly above the minimum. We’ll make a note of contract details for second-rounders below, as they become available.
Finally, some second-rounders – and perhaps even some first-rounders – won’t sign NBA deals immediately. They may get two-way contracts, play in the G League, or head overseas to refine their games while their NBA teams retain their rights. We’ll make note of that below too, wherever it’s applicable.
Here’s a breakdown of 2022’s draft pick signings. This list will continue to be updated as more draftees sign their first NBA contracts:
First Round:
- Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero, F, Duke: Signed
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren, F, Gonzaga: Signed
- Houston Rockets: Jabari Smith, F, Auburn: Signed
- Sacramento Kings: Keegan Murray, F, Iowa: Signed
- Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue: Signed
- Indiana Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona: Signed
- Portland Trail Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky: Signed
- New Orleans Pelicans: Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite: Signed
- San Antonio Spurs: Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor: Signed
- Washington Wizards: Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin: Signed
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Ousmane Dieng, F, New Zealand Breakers: Signed
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara: Signed
- Detroit Pistons: Jalen Duren, C, Memphis: Signed
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Ochai Agbaji, F, Kansas: Signed
- Charlotte Hornets: Mark Williams, C, Duke: Signed
- Atlanta Hawks: AJ Griffin, F, Duke: Signed
- Houston Rockets: Tari Eason, F, LSU: Signed
- Chicago Bulls: Dalen Terry, G, Arizona: Signed
- Memphis Grizzlies: Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest: Signed
- San Antonio Spurs: Malaki Branham, G/F, Ohio State: Signed
- Denver Nuggets: Christian Braun, G, Kansas: Signed
- Utah Jazz: Walker Kessler, C, Auburn: Signed
- Memphis Grizzlies: David Roddy, F, Colorado State: Signed
- Milwaukee Bucks: MarJon Beauchamp, G, G League Ignite: Signed
- San Antonio Spurs: Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame: Signed
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Wendell Moore, F, Duke: Signed
- Miami Heat: Nikola Jovic, F, Mega Mozzart: Signed
- Golden State Warriors: Patrick Baldwin, F, Milwaukee: Signed
- Houston Rockets: TyTy Washington, G, Kentucky: Signed
- Denver Nuggets: Peyton Watson, F, UCLA: Signed
Second Round:
- Indiana Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga: Signed
- Four-year, $8,583,166 contract. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Four-year, $8,583,166 contract. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Orlando Magic: Caleb Houstan, F, Michigan: Signed
- Four-year, $8,207,150 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Toronto Raptors: Christian Koloko, F/C, Arizona: Signed
- Three-year, $5,239,563 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed.
- Three-year, $5,239,563 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Jaylin Williams, C, Arkansas: Signed
- Four-year, $8,207,150 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Four-year, $8,207,150 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Max Christie, G, Michigan State: Signed
- Two-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
- Two-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
- Detroit Pistons: Gabriele Procida, G, Fortitudo Bologna: Will play overseas
- Dallas Mavericks: Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed.
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed.
- Memphis Grizzlies: Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee: Signed
- Four-year, $7,127,014 contract. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Four-year, $7,127,014 contract. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Khalifa Diop, C, Gran Canaria: Will play overseas
- Charlotte Hornets: Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- New Orleans Pelicans: E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- New York Knicks: Trevor Keels, F, Duke: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Golden State Warriors: Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed.
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Minott, F, Memphis: Signed
- Four-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Four-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- Denver Nuggets: Ismael Kamagate, C, Paris: Will play overseas
- Memphis Grizzlies: Vince Williams, F, VCU: Signed
- Two-way contract (two years).
- Two-way contract (two years).
- Indiana Pacers: Kendall Brown, F, Baylor: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Isaiah Mobley, F, USC: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Matteo Spagnolo, G, Cremona: Will play overseas
- Atlanta Hawks: Tyrese Martin, F, UConn: Signed
- Two-year, minimum-salary contract. First year partially guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed.
- Two-year, minimum-salary contract. First year partially guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed.
- New Orleans Pelicans: Karlo Matkovic, F, Mega Mozzart: Will play overseas
- Boston Celtics: JD Davison, G, Alabama: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Washington Wizards: Yannick Nzosa, C, Unicaja Malaga: Will play overseas
- Golden State Warriors: Gui Santos, F, Minas: Will play in G League
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Luke Travers, G/F, Perth Wildcats: Will play overseas
- Portland Trail Blazers: Jabari Walker, F, Colorado: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Hugo Besson, G, New Zealand Breakers: Will play overseas
Note: The Bucks and Heat forfeited their own second-round picks due to free agency gun-jumping. They would have been No. 54 and No. 55, respectively.
Hoops Rumors’ Free Agent Prediction Contest Leaderboard
Forty of the 50 players who made our initial list of the top NBA free agents of 2022 have already tentatively come off the board. Some of those players picked up options or signed extensions with their old teams; many have reached free agent agreements since Thursday, either with their former team or a new club.
[RELATED: 2022 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
With just 10 of our top 50 free agents left on the board, our free agent prediction contest is already entering its home stretch. You can check out the leaderboard right here to follow along with the action and see how you’re doing relative to the competition.
Using the leaderboard, you can search for your own name in the contest results. You can also click on anyone’s name to see their individual picks.
A few other things to keep in mind:
- During the July moratorium, the leaderboard is being updated based on tentative contract agreements. However, until those agreements become official after the moratorium, they won’t be locked in. In other words, if we’d been running this contest back in 2015, when DeAndre Jordan committed to the Mavericks before changing his mind and signing with the Clippers, you wouldn’t have gotten credit for predicting Jordan would sign with Dallas, even if he may have been listed in our leaderboard as a Mav for a few days.
- If a player exercised his option, his free agency is over. For example, Kyrie Irving will be considered to have “signed” with the Nets even if he’s traded later in the offseason.
- Ties will be broken based on which entrant picked the higher-ranked free agents more accurately on a cumulative basis. Each free agent will be assigned a point value based on his ranking and the entrant with the lower overall point total would win a tiebreaker. For instance, an entrant who correctly picks the No. 4 and No. 8 free agents’ destinations (12 points) would earn the tiebreaker over an entrant who correctly picks No. 1 and No. 14 (15 points).
- We will announce the winners on Hoops Rumors once all 50 free agents have signed or on September 27, 2022, whichever comes first. If there are any unsigned players as of September 27, they’ll be excluded from the competition.
You can keep tabs on the leaderboard via the “Hoops Rumors Features” sidebar of our desktop site or the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Jazz Rumors: Mitchell, Gobert Trade, McDaniels, Backcourt
In the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast (video link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said people around the league still believe Donovan Mitchell will be traded, despite reports that the Jazz plan to retool around the All-Star guard following the Rudy Gobert blockbuster. His ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon agrees.
“I don’t think he’s on the roster when the season starts,” MacMahon said. “Maybe he is. I’d be shocked if he’s on the roster after the trade deadline.”
Tony Jones of The Athletic, who – along with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski – reported following the Gobert trade agreement that the Jazz don’t intend to move Mitchell, reiterated on Friday night that the team is “not amenable” to trading the former Louisville star. The plan is for Mitchell to be with the team for the start of the 2022/23 season, Jones says.
However, Jones added a caveat: If Utah receives an offer that’s similar in scale to the Gobert package, “it will be hard not listen.” Jones also notes that the Jazz will need to ensure they have Mitchell’s buy-in before committing to building the roster around him.
Mitchell and Gobert never seemed to be on the best of terms, so Mitchell may not view the Gobert trade unfavorably, especially if the front office is committed to flipping some of the assets from that package for win-now help.
Still, the team just hired a first-time head coach (Will Hardy) on a five-year contract and may be moving on from three of Mitchell’s best friends on the roster (Royce O’Neale was traded to Brooklyn, while Eric Paschall and Trent Forrest became unrestricted free agents after not receiving qualifying offers). So there will have to be conversations between the Jazz and the 25-year-old guard, Jones writes.
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- In initial negotiations between the Jazz and Timberwolves for Gobert, Utah was insisting on the inclusion of forward Jaden McDaniels, but Minnesota refused, according to Jones. That’s one reason why the package of draft picks (three unprotected first-rounders, a top-five protected first-rounder, and a swap) was so substantial — the Wolves preferred to give up extra draft assets rather than surrender McDaniels.
- The Jazz’s front office viewed Gobert’s super-max contract as a “hindrance,” sources tell Jones. The big man is owed a guaranteed $123MM over the next three seasons and has a $46.7MM player option for 2025/26, so moving that contract creates significant cap flexibility for Utah going forward.
- The Jazz are “not even close” to finished with their offseason, according to Jones, who says a logjam in the backcourt will need to be cleared. In addition to Mitchell, Utah still has guards Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker , Jared Butler, and Leandro Bolmaro.
- Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune breaks down the return the Jazz got for Gobert, making a case that all 10 pieces headed to Utah can be viewed as assets (as opposed to filler).
Checking In On NBA’s Top Remaining Free Agents
Technically, most of this year’s top free agents remain unsigned. Until the moratorium in place at the start of the 2022/23 league year lifts at 11:01 am Central time on July 6, most of them are ineligible to sign their new contracts.
However, within the last 40-ish hours, 40 of the players from our list of 2022’s top 50 free agents have taken themselves off the market by reaching contract agreements with teams around the league.
[RELATED: 2022 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? As of Saturday morning, here are the top free agents from our top-50 list (which was last updated on Tuesday) who have yet to agree to new deals:
- James Harden, G, Sixers
- Deandre Ayton, C, Suns (RFA)
- Miles Bridges, F, Hornets (RFA)
- Collin Sexton, G, Cavaliers (RFA)
- Cody Martin, F, Hornets (RFA)
- Caleb Martin, F, Heat (RFA)
- Dennis Schröder, G, Rockets
- Montrezl Harrell, C, Hornets
- Jordan Nwora, F, Bucks (RFA)
- T.J. Warren, F, Pacers
Four of our top nine free agents remain on the board, but there are a couple caveats worth considering here. Harden, for instance, is widely expected to remain with the Sixers — it’s just a matter of the two sides figuring out how many years and dollars he’ll get. The two sides are reportedly meeting this weekend to negotiate his new contract.
Bridges’ on-court contributions made him one of our top free agents of this offseason when we published our initial list, but if we were re-ranking the available players today, he would plummet. After being arrested following allegations of felony domestic violence, Bridges was formally charged on Friday, per the Los Angeles Police Department (story via ESPN), and his NBA future is very much up in the air.
Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer wrote on Friday that a long-term deal for Bridges, which appeared to be a formality a few days ago, now appears very unlikely. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link) has sources who believe the Hornets will pull their $7.9MM qualifying offer to Bridges, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 24-year-old is toxic right now, and for good reason.
Of the eight other players listed above, four are restricted free agents, which will reduce their leverage to negotiate favorable multiyear terms, at least to some extent. However, Ayton, in particular, still seems like a good bet to land a lucrative long-term contract.
His situation may be tied to the Kevin Durant trade market — if the Suns can acquire Durant, Ayton could be a key part of the outgoing package in a sign-and-trade, either to Brooklyn or a third team. The Jazz and Pacers are among the teams that have been linked to the former No. 1 overall pick.
It remains unclear which teams might try to force the Cavaliers‘ hand on Sexton. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Cleveland still has about $15MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line. It’s possible the club will be able to bring back Sexton and stay out of the tax if no rival suitors with cap room are prepared to pursue the 23-year-old guard.
Harrell has his own legal issues to deal with, though the marijuana charges he’s facing will presumably be viewed by teams as far less troublesome as Bridges’ charges.
Warren, meanwhile, is a bit of a wild card. On merit alone, he would’ve ranked much higher on our initial list, but the fact that he has essentially missed two full seasons due to injuries made me wary of placing him too high — it seems as though his lengthy layoff may be giving potential suitors pause as well.
The following free agents were noted in the honorable mention section of our top-50 list and aren’t yet spoken for:
- LaMarcus Aldridge, F/C, Nets
- Carmelo Anthony, F, Lakers
- Bismack Biyombo, C, Suns
- Avery Bradley, G, Lakers
- Thomas Bryant, C, Wizards
- Facundo Campazzo, G, Nuggets
- DeMarcus Cousins, C, Nuggets
- Goran Dragic, G, Nets
- Dwight Howard, C, Lakers
- Serge Ibaka, F/C, Bucks
- Jeremy Lamb, G/F, Kings
- Markieff Morris, F, Heat
- Austin Rivers, G, Nuggets
- Tristan Thompson, C, Bulls
- Hassan Whiteside, C, Jazz
Here are our full lists of free agents by position/type and by team.
NBA 2022 Free Agency: Day 2 Recap
The rate of the contract agreements reported on the second day of the NBA’s free agent period slowed down a little after a fast-paced first day on Thursday. Still, we saw another 20-plus free agents come off the board, including one who became the second free agent to receive a maximum-salary commitment this summer.
[RELATED: 2022 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
It was also an eventful day in non-free agent NBA news, with a three-time Defensive Player of the Year headlining a blockbuster trade agreement and a former No. 1 overall pick nearing a maximum-salary contract extension.
Listed below are the highlights from around the NBA on Friday.
Free agent agreements:
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 agreements sometime after the moratorium ends on July 6.
Note: Some of these salary figures may include options, incentives, or non-guaranteed money.
Zach LaVine, Bulls agree to five-year, $215.16MM (maximum-salary) contract.- Jusuf Nurkic, Trail Blazers agree to four-year, $70MM contract.
- Mitchell Robinson, Knicks agree to four-year, $60MM contract.
- Kevon Looney, Warriors agree to three-year, $25.5MM contract.
- Ricky Rubio, Cavaliers agree to three-year, $18.4MM contract.
- John Wall, Clippers agree to two-year, $13.2MM contract.
- Bruce Brown, Nuggets agree to two-year, $13MM contract.
- Danilo Gallinari, Celtics agree to two-year, $13MM contract.
- Jalen Smith, Pacers agree to two-year, $9.6MM contract.
- Donte DiVincenzo, Warriors agree to two-year, $9.3MM contract.
- Derrick Jones, Bulls agree to two-year, $6.6MM contract.
- Bryn Forbes, Timberwolves agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
- Aaron Holiday, Hawks agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
- Damion Lee, Suns agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
- Robin Lopez, Cavaliers agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
- Raul Neto, Cavaliers agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
- Bol Bol, Magic agree to two-year contract.
- Luke Kornet, Celtics agree to two-year contract.
- Otto Porter, Raptors agree to two-year contract.
- Drew Eubanks, Trail Blazers agree to one-year contract.
- Theo Pinson, Mavericks agree to one-year contract.
Trades:
- Jazz agree to trade Rudy Gobert to Timberwolves for five players, four first-round picks (three unprotected), and a pick swap.
- Pacers agree to trade Malcolm Brogdon to Celtics for five players – including Daniel Theis and Aaron Nesmith – and a 2023 first-round pick (top-12 protected).
- Hawks agree to trade Kevin Huerter to Kings for Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless, and a 2024 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
Other news:
- Zion Williamson, Pelicans nearing five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension (expected to include protections related to games played and/or injury).
- The Nets are reportedly seeking a “historic haul” for Kevin Durant. Here are the latest rumors.
- Nemanja Bjelica agrees to sign two-year, $4MM contract with Turkish team Fenerbahce.
Previously:
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Murray, Rockets, Tate, Zion
Spurs general manager Brian Wright said it was tough to see Dejounte Murray go after the team helped him develop over the past six years, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs drafted Murray with the 29th pick of the 2016 draft.
“We’ve watched him grow from his rookie year to being an All-Star last year,” Wright said in a news conference to announce the finalization of the trade that sent Murray to Atlanta. “You wish this job was full of easy decisions. The reality is, there’s a lot of hard decisions.”
Murray enjoyed a breakout season in 2021/22, averaging 21.1 PPG, 9.2 APG, 8.3 RPG, and a league-leading 2.0 SPG with a shooting line of .462/.327/.794 in 68 games (34.8 MPG). The 25-year-old was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award.
San Antonio received three first-round picks and a pick swap in the deal, and while Wright certainly wasn’t in a celebratory mood, he said the offer from the Hawks was too good to pass up.
“We just got to the place where the deal was the right thing to do,” Wright said.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Jae’Sean Tate‘s new three-year contract with the Rockets contains a team option in the final year, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tate will earn $7MM in 2022/23 and $6.5MM in ’23/24, and the deal also includes a bonus tied to how many games the team wins, Iko reports. The 26-year-old Tate averaged 11.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 2.8 APG on .498/.312/.707 shooting in 78 games (26.4 MPG) this season.
- Rafael Stone, the general manager of the Rockets, chose to acquire multiple unprotected first-round picks and pick swaps when he sent James Harden to the Nets. That decision looks like a wise one now that Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, who details why he thinks the move might pay off for Houston — depending on what the Nets get in return for the superstar forward.
- The news that the Pelicans are nearing an agreement on a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension with Zion Williamson brings welcome stability to New Orleans, per William Guillory of The Athletic. As Guillory writes, the Pelicans have dealt with all kinds of turmoil over the years, the most recent being the rampant speculation that Williamson would request a trade or decide against signing a rookie contract extension, which obviously isn’t the case. Once the deal is officially inked, the franchise will have all of its core players signed for the next few years, and the terrific rookie class from ’21/22 to grow alongside them.
Suns Sign Damion Lee To One-Year Deal
The Suns have signed Damion Lee to a contract, per NBA.com’s official transactions log.
Because the deal is already official, we can deduce it’s a minimum-salary pact, since those can be signed during the July moratorium. The contract will be for one year, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Lee, 29, went undrafted out of Louisville in 2016. He made his rookie debut with the Hawks in 2017/18, first signing a 10-day deal and then a rest-of-season contract, appearing in 15 games for Atlanta.
Lee has spent the last four seasons with the Warriors, winning a title with Golden State this season. In 201 regular season games (20.6 MPG) with the Warriors, Lee averaged 8.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG on .437/.366/.880 shooting.
While Lee isn’t a great defensive player, he is an impressive shot-maker when he gets rolling, capable of scoring points in bunches. Lee joins Gary Payton II, Otto Porter, Nemanja Bjelica and Juan Toscano-Anderson as role players who are departing the defending champions.
Phoenix gets a decent depth piece at shooting guard, although Lee probably won’t receive many minutes behind star Devin Booker.