2023 NBA Offseason Preview: New Orleans Pelicans
After acquiring CJ McCollum at the 2022 trade deadline, the Pelicans went on an impressive late-season run, earning a playoff spot with a pair of play-in tournament victories and then giving the top-ranked Suns a scare in the first round by pushing the series to six games.
With former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson healthy to begin the 2022/23 season, there was optimism that New Orleans could make the leap to top-six playoff team and legitimate title contender. And as long as Williamson was on the court, that belief looked entirely warranted. Through the end of December, the Pelicans were 23-13, putting them in a tie for the No. 2 seed in the West, and their +4.8 net rating was the best in the conference.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans’ first game of 2023 was the last one of the season for Williamson, who suffered a hamstring injury that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the winter and spring. New Orleans went into a tailspin later in January, ultimately finishing the season on a 19-27 run and then losing a play-in game at home to the 10th-seeded Thunder.
While the Pelicans’ early-season success was encouraging, their reversal of fortunes once Williamson went down was a reminder that they don’t have enough talent to consistently win without him and that they can’t rely on him to stay on the court — he has played more than 29 games just once in his first four NBA seasons.
The Pelicans aren’t trading or waiving Williamson, so all they can really do with Zion is hope for better injury luck. But they can at least take matters into their own hands with the rest of the roster, seeking out upgrades that will allow them to remain more competitive when the star forward isn’t available.
The Pelicans’ Offseason Plan:
With nearly $144MM in guaranteed money committed to eight players, the Pelicans won’t have cap room this offseason. However, once they lock in low-cost team options and non-guaranteed salaries for players like Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Naji Marshall, they should remain comfortably below the luxury tax line, giving them the flexibility to go shopping in free agency using most of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
New Orleans also has a bevy of trade chips available to seek out roster upgrades. Even if the Pelicans aren’t inclined to move any of their valuable young role players – Jones, Alvarado, Dyson Daniels, and Trey Murphy – they control all their own future first-round picks, including a 2023 lottery pick (No. 14). They also own the Lakers’ 2024 first-rounder (unprotected, with the option to defer it to 2025), the Bucks’ unprotected 2027 pick, and swap rights with Milwaukee in 2024 and 2026. In other words, they have the draft assets necessary to build a strong trade package around picks rather than players.
As they evaluate potential targets free agency or via trade, the Pelicans will have to consider what their plans are at center. Jonas Valanciunas, who started all but three games for New Orleans this past season, will earn $15.4MM in 2023/24 on an expiring contract.
As effective as Valanciunas is as a scorer and rebounder, he’s not a switchable defender, and head coach Willie Green often turned to Larry Nance Jr. at center in crunch-time minutes during the second half of the ’22/23 season. If Valanciunas isn’t in New Orleans’ long-term plans, his contract makes him an ideal salary-matching piece in any major trade, since McCollum ($35.8MM), Brandon Ingram ($33.8MM), and Williamson ($33.5MM) almost certainly aren’t going anywhere.
Valanciunas’ salary, for instance, would be a logical match for Raptors forward OG Anunoby ($18.6MM), who has been repeatedly linked to a New Orleans team that could use another two-way wing. Toronto won’t necessarily be eager to reunite with Valanciunas if Jakob Poeltl re-signs, and I’d expect the Raptors to push for players over picks in any major trade, since they don’t control their own 2024 first-round pick. Still, Anunoby is the sort of player the Pelicans figure to target on the trade market — and they have the pieces to get him if they’re willing to be aggressive.
If Valanciunas is moved for an upgrade at another position, it would leave the Pelicans without an obvious starting center on the roster. Former lottery pick Jaxson Hayes will be eligible for restricted free agency and hasn’t shown in his four NBA seasons that he’s ready to step into a starting role. Even if they plan to lean more on players like Nance, Williamson, and Jones as small-ball fives, the Pels would need to address the center position in some form if they were to trade Valanciunas and let Hayes walk. The mid-level exception could come in handy in that regard.
Of course, there’s no guarantee the Pelicans will do anything significant on the trade market this summer. Re-signing Josh Richardson would help fortify the team’s wing depth, and the hope is that youngsters like Murphy, Daniels, and Jones will continue to get better. Internal improvement and a healthy season from Williamson could make New Orleans a contender even without any real outside additions — and it would give the organization an opportunity to take a longer look at which pieces fit best around Zion.
Until they see Williamson play something close to a full season though, it’s hard for the Pelicans to count on that happening. The time might be right for David Griffin and the front office to work on a contingency plan that boosts the floor of this roster, with the hope that a healthy Zion will take its ceiling to new heights.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
CJ McCollum ($35,802,469)- Brandon Ingram ($33,833,400)
- Zion Williamson ($33,500,000)
- Note: Williamson’s salary will be 25% of the 2023/24 salary cap. This is a projection based on a $134MM cap.
- Jonas Valanciunas ($15,435,000)
- Larry Nance Jr. ($10,375,000)
- Dyson Daniels ($5,784,120)
- Kira Lewis ($5,722,116)
- Trey Murphy ($3,359,280)
- E.J. Liddell (two-way)
- Dereon Seabron (two-way)
- Total: $143,811,385
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Willy Hernangomez ($2,559,942): Bird rights
- Naji Marshall ($1,930,681): Bird rights
- Herbert Jones ($1,836,096): Early Bird rights
- Total: $6,326,719
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Garrett Temple ($5,401,000)
- Note: Temple’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30.
- Jose Alvarado ($1,836,096)
- Total: $7,237,096
Restricted Free Agents
- Jaxson Hayes ($7,744,600 qualifying offer / $20,409,036 cap hold): Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $20,409,036
Two-Way Free Agents
- None
Draft Picks
- No. 14 overall ($4,246,200)
- Total: $4,246,200
Extension-Eligible Players
- Willy Hernangomez (veteran)
- Brandon Ingram (veteran)
- Herbert Jones (veteran)
- Naji Marshall (veteran)
- Garrett Temple (veteran)
- Jonas Valanciunas (veteran)
- Kira Lewis (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins. Hernangomez and Jones would only become eligible if their team options are exercised. Valanciunas will become eligible on October 20, which will be right around the start of the regular season.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Josh Richardson ($18,294,141 cap hold): Bird rights
- Tony Snell ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Gary Clark ($1,774,999 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Jared Harper ($1,774,999 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- James Nunnally ($1,774,999 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $25,608,836
Note: The cap holds for the players listed in italics remain on the Pelicans’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $12,220,600
- Bi-annual exception: $4,448,000
Note: The Pelicans would lose access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary surpasses the tax apron.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Mavs, Whitmore, Wembanyama, Pelicans
Rival NBA executives anticipate that both the Rockets (No. 4) and Mavericks (No. 10) will dangle their first-round picks in trade talks, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports within a post-lottery mock draft. Both clubs have playoff aspirations in 2023/24 after missing out this season.
Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News explores what a Mavericks trade involving the No. 10 pick might look like, speculating that Suns center Deandre Ayton and Raptors forwards OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam may be targets. While those players make some sense from Dallas’ perspective, I’d expect Toronto to seek a more substantial return for either of their forwards, while Phoenix likely won’t be prioritizing draft assets in an Ayton trade.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Which player might the Rockets select at No. 4 if they end up keeping their lottery pick? Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) explores whether Villanova wing Cam Whitmore might be the choice, noting that adding the 18-year-old would make a young Houston roster even younger. Whitmore said at this week’s combine that he can envision himself playing alongside Rockets guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. “They’re athletic-type guards who can score offensively and are the type of people who can get guys involved, guards who can rotate one through five,” Whitmore said. “I think it’s a great fit with athletic-type young guys who can get the job done.”
- In a column for The San Antonio Express-News, Mike Finger digs into the comparisons between former Spurs big man Tim Duncan and the team’s next franchise player, Victor Wembanyama. As Finger observes, even though Wembanyama has the potential to match what Duncan did on the court, it will be impossible in the social media era for him to stay out of the spotlight to the extent that Duncan and the Spurs did in the early 2000s.
- Christian Clark of NOLA.com identifies five prospects who could be fits for the Pelicans with the No. 14 pick in the draft, including Kansas wing Gradey Dick, Duke big man Dereck Lively II, and Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks.
Nets Notes: Bridges, C. Jones, Kalkbrenner, Holmes, Bates
There has been speculation that Nets forward Mikal Bridges will be a target for the Trail Blazers if and when they shop the No. 3 overall pick, but John Hollinger of The Athletic is skeptical that a deal centered around that pick would appeal to Brooklyn.
As Hollinger points out, the Nets don’t control their own first-rounders in any of the next four drafts, so they have little incentive to take a step back in the short term. Plus, Bridges is signed to one of the NBA’s most team-friendly contracts through the 2025/26 season.
Alex Schiffer of The Athletic (Twitter link) says he has heard the same thing as Hollinger at the draft combine in Chicago. According to Schiffer, any rumors linking Bridges to Portland are “all talk,” since Brooklyn isn’t interested.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Many prospects in this year’s draft class have cited Bridges as a player they want to emulate at the NBA level, according to Schiffer. Iowa’s Kris Murray, Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis, and Frenchman Rayan Rupert are among the prospects who likened themselves to Bridges. “I want to have the same trajectory and same process he did,” Rupert said. “Mikal Bridges is a big inspiration for me.”
- Xavier guard Colby Jones told Schiffer that he’s scheduled to work out for the Nets in the coming weeks. Jones is the No. 28 prospect on ESPN’s big board, while Brooklyn owns the Nos. 21 and 22 picks in next month’s draft.
- Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II are among the draft prospects who worked out for the Nets prior to the draft combine, Schiffer writes for The Athletic. Kalkbrenner, who has also auditioned for the Bulls, said that his session with Brooklyn went well, but Holmes wasn’t as positive about his workout in Brooklyn. “I didn’t do too well, I feel like, at the Nets,” Holmes said. “I feel like I could have stepped it up a bit, but it was good to learn. Great players there.”
- Former five-star recruit Emoni Bates has been linked to the Nets and said he’ll work out for them at some point in the coming weeks, according to Schiffer. An Eastern Michigan forward, Bates added that he also has workouts lined up with the Thunder, Suns, Cavaliers, Blazers, and Pistons.
- In case you missed it, Ben Simmons‘ agent said earlier this week that the former No. 1 overall pick is “progressing really well” in his injury rehab process. We have more details here.
Nuggets Notes: Malone, Murray, Brown, Injury Report
The Nuggets are two wins away from the Finals and coach Michael Malone says his team is underappreciated by the national media, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Facing a storied franchise in the Lakers and their two superstars, the Nuggets believe they’re not getting enough credit for how good they’ve become.
“You win Game 1 of the (West Finals), and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone said. “Let’s be honest. That was the national narrative, was ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’
“No one talked about (how) Nikola (Jokic) just had a historic performance. He’s got 13 triple-doubles now — third all time (in the playoffs). What he’s doing is just incredible. But the narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. You put that in your pipe, you smoke it and you come back, and you know what? We’re going to go up 2-0.”
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and he also played along with the “lack of respect” theme afterward, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes. Murray feels he’s often overlooked in the discussion of the league’s top guards. “I don’t think I get enough respect as I should be,” Murray said. “I’m better than a lot of players in the league. Every time I see rankings of guys I think, ‘Man, that is crazy.’ Maybe it’s because I have been out for so long. But if we win the (championship), it changes everything.”
- Bruce Brown has turned into one of the key free agent signings in the league from last summer. Brown has been a defensive agitator in the postseason and a surprising offensive spark-plug, averaging 16.5 points over the last four games. “We were surprised that he was available on the second day of free agency,” Malone told Tony Jones of The Athletic. “We didn’t hesitate to try and bring him in. He’s been a perfect fit for us.” Brown signed a tw0-year deal with a $6.8MM player option for next season and is expected to hit the free agent market once again this summer.
- The Nuggets have struggled with injuries in recent seasons but continue to have good health in this postseason. They don’t have anyone on the injury report for Game 3, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets.
Community Shootaround: Blazers’ Lottery Pick
The Trail Blazers had some lottery luck, moving up to the No. 3 spot in the draft order on Tuesday.
That presents an interesting dilemma for Portland, which still seems desperate to quickly build a contender around Damian Lillard. The Blazers could use the pick as bait to acquire an All-Star level player or they could simply hold onto it and draft the best available player.
We all know what will the Spurs will do with the top pick – select potential superstar Victor Wembanyama. The Hornets hold the second slot and there’s no clear-cut selection after the French big man. If the Hornets go by need, they’d most likely take forward Brandon Miller rather than point guard Scoot Henderson, considering their best young player is LaMelo Ball.
Miller would also seem like a better fit for the Trail Blazers, since they already have a floor leader. There are other players worthy of consideration at the third spot, including Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker and Anthony Black.
Miller could immediately fill a void in the frontcourt if he’s still on the board at No. 3, as the Blazers’ small forward spot was in flux this season. Power forward Jerami Grant is headed to free agency and while Portland’s front office has stated it wants to re-sign Grant, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back.
Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons are signed through the 2025/26 season, though the Blazers must determine whether they’re truly part of the long term plan. Portland also has to decide whether to extend qualifying offers to Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish.
All of those personnel moves must be factored into their decision whether to trade the pick to get Lillard a proven star sidekick, or draft a player ready to make an impact.
Even though the free agent market isn’t dazzling, a lot of top talents such as Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Karl-Anthony Towns and Pascal Siakam could be on the trading block.
That brings us to today’s topic: Should the Trail Blazers keep the No. 3 overall pick in the draft or trade the pick as part of a package to get a proven veteran star?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Pacific Notes: James, Moneke, Vezenkov, Suns, Winger
LeBron James twisted his left ankle in the late going of Game 2 against the Nuggets on Thursday but the Lakers’ superstar said he’ll play in Game 3, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. James, who has dealt with right foot problems this season, stepped on Anthony Davis‘ foot. “A little ankle [injury] isn’t going to stop me,” James said.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Chima Moneke, who played two games with the Kings this season before signing with AS Monaco in the EuroLeague, fully expects league MVP Sasha Vezenkov to play for his former NBA team next season, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net writes. Sacramento holds Vezenkov’s NBA rights. “I know that they love him over there. They’re really excited to bring him over,” Moneke said. “I believe they’re going to do what it takes to implement him on the team. I think he can contribute in a lot of ways.”
- The Suns have gotten numerous inquiries from college coaches regarding their head coaching job, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports. While Rankin doesn’t reveal any specific names, he notes that owner Mat Ishbia is extremely close to his former college coach, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.
- Clippers general manager Michael Winger has interviewed with the Wizards in Washington’s search for a top executive. However, there’s skepticism around the league that Winger, one of the highest paid GMs in the league, will leave the stability of his current job, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
All-Star Game Could Return To East Vs. West Matchup
The NBA could revert to the East vs. West format for the All-Star Game, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The annual event had been a competition between the two conferences from its inception in 1951 through the 2017 season. Over the past six seasons, the league has used a player draft to determine the teams.
That could be among several changes as the NBA looks to increase the competition level of the league’s showcase event, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic tweets.
The All-Star Game has essentially turned into a glorified offensive exhibition. The winning team in the last two All-Star conference matchups exceeded 190 points. The league adopted a “target score” concept in fourth quarters to prevent an even higher total in recent years but the 2023 All-Star Game still wound up with a 184-175 score, with Team Giannis defeating Team LeBron.
The NBA and Players Association agreed in recent months to discuss ways to improve the All-Star Game as part of the new collective bargaining agreement. It has also been topic of discussion at recent Board of Governors and GM meetings.
The changes they are looking to implement could occur as soon as next season’s All-Star Game, which will be held in Indianapolis in February.
Eastern Notes: Whitmore, Wizards, Pistons, Giannis, Bucks
The Wizards hold the No. 8 pick in the draft and Villanova forward Cam Whitmore wouldn’t mind being part of their future, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Whitmore, who grew up in Maryland, is projected as a top-10 selection.
“That’s home, the D.M.V. There’s nothing like playing at home. The fans, hopefully they would be excited to have me. We’ll see if they pick me,” Whitmore said.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pistons had terrible luck at the lottery, dropping from No. 1 to No. 5. Trading the pick may be the way to go and James Edwards III of The Athletic explores that possibility. Edwards throws out a number of intriguing trade packages where the Pistons could wind up with Pascal Siakam, Keldon Johnson or RJ Barrett, or move up to the No. 3 spot in a deal with Portland.
- Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had some fun on social media when a Warriors fan implored him to push for a trade to Golden State. Antetokounmpo smiled and said, “Nah, I’m not that kind of guy,” JR Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. The two-time MVP cannot opt out of his contract until the summer of 2025.
- In a lengthy mailbag piece, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm writes in-depth about the Bucks’ coaching opening and why the organization parted ways with Mike Budenholzer. Nehm believes the next coach needs to have a solid plan about improving the Bucks’ half-court offense.
2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Chicago Bulls
After winning between 22 and 31 games for four straight seasons from 2018-21, the Bulls took a major step forward in the first half of 2021/22, going 27-13 with offseason additions DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball playing key roles in their success. They were the No. 1 seed in the East on January 14 of last year.
Unfortunately, Ball tore his meniscus that day against Golden State, and hasn’t played a game since, having undergone three different knee surgeries to address persistent pain. Caruso dealt with multiple injuries of his own, and the Bulls weren’t the same team the rest of the way, going 19-23 to close out the season and getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.
Caruso was healthier in ’22/23, but Ball’s void was felt all season long, with Chicago going 40-42 and entering the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed. The Bulls were able to sneak past Toronto thanks to late-game heroics by Zach LaVine (after the Raptors went 18-of-36 on free throws and blew a 19-point lead), but fell in a close game to the Heat, who advanced as the No. 8 seed.
Chicago is a hard team to pin down. You would expect a club led by three offense-first multi-time All-Stars to be highly effective on that end, but after ranking 13th last season, they were just 24th in offensive rating in ’22/23. Similarly, you would not expect them to be stout defensively, yet after ranking 23rd a year ago, they had the fifth-best defense in the league this season.
The Bulls’ Offseason Plan:
Chicago has a couple great players (LaVine and DeRozan), an All-Defensive First Team guard (Caruso), and some young talent. Still, it feels like the Bulls are stuck in no-man’s land.
A big part of that is due to Ball’s balky knee, and there’s still no timetable for his return – it’s possible his career could be over. It has been a brutal series of events, because Ball is a very good two-way player. The Bulls have gone just 59-65 since he was injured – a large sample size of blah play.
Having a $20.5MM cap hit on your books (and a $21.4MM player option for ‘24/25 that Ball will certainly exercise) for a player who might not play at all for a second consecutive season really hurts your team’s flexibility. It’s no one’s fault either. Sure, Ball had injuries in the past, but nothing like this.
The Nikola Vucevic trade was an unmitigated disaster, but the Bulls don’t have a viable way to replace the impending free agent’s production, so it feels like they need to extend him, re-sign him, or at least explore sign-and-trade scenarios. They can’t just lose him for nothing. He played well in 2022/23 after a down year in ’21/22, but he’s limited defensively and will be 33 years old at the start of next season.
That deal is why the Bulls don’t have a lottery pick in June’s draft — it landed 11th overall and will be sent to Orlando to complete the trade (they also gave up Wendell Carter and their 2021 first-round pick, which turned into Franz Wagner – ouch). Chicago also doesn’t control its second-rounder (via Denver) due to free agency gun-jumping when the team completed its sign-and-trade for Ball.
With nearly $112MM committed to just six players, and a couple of $3.4MM player options (Andre Drummond and Derrick Jones Jr.), becoming a cap room team doesn’t make sense. Even if Drummond and Jones opt out, the Bulls would only be able to create about $16MM in space. They would be better off re-signing some of their own free agents and using their $12.2MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but they can’t just bring back the same core roster again and expect different results.
DeRozan turns 34 years old this summer, is entering the final year of his contract, and will be eligible for a veteran extension. That makes him a logical trade candidate, but his age, expiring deal, subpar defense and well-documented playoff struggles somewhat limit his market value.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of respect for DeRozan. You can tell he puts a ton of work into his craft, and he has improved tremendously throughout his career. I’m just not sure how much the Bulls could realistically get for him if they made him available – maybe a late lottery pick, matching salaries and a decent young player? That’s nothing to sneeze at, but it could take a while to translate into wins.
LaVine would have far more trade value. He’s only 28 and is under contract for four more years (the last year is a player option). The Knicks are a logical suitor, and reportedly talked to the Bulls about him ahead of the February deadline.
Do the Bulls want to trade the player they tried to build around? Do the Knicks want to trade multiple first-round picks and young players for a star who is a legitimately great shooter and scorer (they do need both of those things), but isn’t a great defender or decision-maker?
I don’t know the answer to either of those questions, but I do know Chicago’s current roster isn’t good enough to contend for a title and isn’t bad enough to land a top draft pick. The Bulls have to pick a path.
There’s nothing preventing the Bulls from trading both of their stars and starting from scratch. They could always prioritize young players instead of draft capital if they want to retool instead of doing a full-fledged rebuild. Caruso is worth keeping an eye on as well – the defensive stalwart drew a lot of interest leading up to the trade deadline and is on a team-friendly contract through ‘24/25, so he’d have quite a bit of value.
Aside from the big-picture roster questions, forward Patrick Williams will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. I’d be a little surprised if a deal gets done. While Williams has a lot of upside, he’s also been very inconsistent (which is normal for a young player). I suspect there might be a gap in what his agents are looking for and what the team wants to pay.
That said, I would not trade Williams if I were running the team. He could be special if he figures it out, and even if he doesn’t, he’d still be coveted due to his two-way skill set. I’d also re-sign Coby White, who’s a restricted free agent – I think he’ll get somewhere around the mid-level exception, and he’s improved from his first couple seasons.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Zach LaVine ($40,064,220)- DeMar DeRozan ($28,600,000)
- Lonzo Ball ($20,465,117)
- Patrick Williams ($9,835,881)
- Alex Caruso ($9,460,000)
- Dalen Terry ($3,350,760)
- Justin Lewis (two-way)
- Total: $111,775,978
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- Andre Drummond ($3,360,000): Non-Bird rights
- Derrick Jones Jr. ($3,360,000): Bird rights
- Note: Jones has said he plans to exercise his option.
- Total: $6,720,000
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Carlik Jones ($1,927,896)
- Note: Jones would receive a partial guarantee ($250K) if he’s not waived on or before the first day of the 2023/24 regular season.
- Note: Jones would receive a partial guarantee ($250K) if he’s not waived on or before the first day of the 2023/24 regular season.
- Marko Simonovic ($1,836,096)
- Note: Simonovic’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 7.
- Total: $3,763,992
Restricted Free Agents
- Coby White ($7,744,600 qualifying offer / $22,241,865 cap hold): Bird rights
- Ayo Dosunmu ($5,216,324 qualifying offer / $5,216,324 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $27,458,189
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- None
Extension-Eligible Players
- Lonzo Ball (veteran)
- Alex Caruso (veteran)
- DeMar DeRozan (veteran)
- Marko Simonovic (veteran)
- Patrick Williams (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Nikola Vucevic ($33,000,000 cap hold): Bird rights
- Javonte Green ($1,989,698 cap hold): Bird rights
- Patrick Beverley ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Matt Thomas ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $38,969,094
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $12,220,600
- Bi-annual exception: $4,448,000
Note: The Bulls would lose access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary surpasses the tax apron.
Draft Notes: Miller, Podziemski, Vukcevic, Prosper, More
Based in part on the Hornets‘ roster needs, Jonathan Givony of ESPN believes Alabama wing Brandon Miller is slightly more likely than G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson to be the pick at No. 2, telling ESPN’s Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast that he’d put the odds of Charlotte drafting Miller at 60%. However, according to Givony, Miller isn’t necessarily acing the pre-draft process so far.
“Every team in the NBA is looking for this type of player,” Givony said (hat tip to RealGM). “Six-nine, big guard, can handle the ball. Pass out of pick and roll. Make shots off the dribble. Defend multiple positions. Rebound. That’s what people are looking for. At the same time, he is not in great shape right now, so I don’t know how great his workout’s going to be. His interviews have not been great, I’ve been told — both publicly and privately with NBA teams.”
As David Aldridge of The Athletic writes, teams meeting with Miller will have questions about his connection to the death of Jamea Jonae Harris in Tuscaloosa. Miller brought former Alabama teammate Darius Miles the gun that was used in the killing, though he has insisted that he didn’t know the gun was in the car. The 20-year-old wasn’t charged with a crime and executives who spoke to Aldridge don’t think it will materially affect Miller’s draft stock.
“I don’t believe there will be any impact unless he lies in his interviews,” one exec said. “Integrity is more relevant than criminal friends; one we can fix, the other, we can’t.”
Here are more notes on the NBA draft:
- Santa Clara sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski has opted to keep his name in the 2023 NBA draft, formally announcing his decision on Twitter. Podziemski is the No. 31 prospect on ESPN’s big board and has reportedly had a strong showing at the combine, per Givony (Twitter link), so he’s a legitimate first-round candidate.
- After performing well in Wednesday’s scrimmages at the draft combine, Serbian big man Tristan Vukcevic and Marquette wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper withdrew from Thursday’s scrimmages, tweets Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca takes a more in-depth look at Prosper, who had 21 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes during Wednesday’s scrimmage.
- In addition to working out for Atlanta, Princeton forward Tosan Evbuomwan had workouts with the Spurs, Pistons, and Celtics prior to the draft combine, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Evbuomwan was initially only invited to the G League Elite Camp, but earned a spot at the combine after making a strong impression last weekend.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic considers which lottery picks might be in play on the trade market, starting with the Trail Blazers‘ and Rockets‘ selections at Nos. 3 and 4.