And-Ones: Nurse, Carmelo, Luxury Tax, First-Round Picks
Former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is considering his options after reportedly taking his name out of the Bucks’ coaching search, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Nurse had interviews this week with the Sixers and Suns, and sources tell Pompey that he’s reviewing the jobs to determine which would be the best fit. A source refused to confirm to Pompey that Philadelphia has made a formal offer.
Pompey points out that Nurse has a long-time working relationship with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, whom he worked with in Houston as head coach of the Rockets’ G League affiliate. Nurse built a reputation for developing talent during that time, winning two G League titles and sending 23 players to the NBA, Pompey adds.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Before announcing his retirement this week, Carmelo Anthony received interest from a “high-level” European team, Marc Stein writes in a Substack column. However, Anthony decided he didn’t want to play in another league after spending 19 years in the NBA.
- Nine teams finished the season in tax territory, Eric Pincus notes in his updated luxury tax tracker on Sports Business Classroom. The Clippers had the highest team salary at $191,189,228 and will be assessed a $140,302,811 tax bill, per Pincus’ projections. The largest tax payment is $163,153,075 for the Warriors, who had $188,371,492 in salary. The Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Nuggets, Lakers, Bucks and Suns are the other taxpaying teams. The other 21 franchises will receive about $15MM each through the tax, Pincus tweets.
- NBA fans are anticipating an active summer trade market, but it could be limited by teams that have reduced their options due to past moves, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger notes that nine teams already owe unprotected future first-round picks, and others have lightly protected first-rounders on the move. Some executives at the draft combine suggested to Hollinger that front offices may become less likely to give up multiple first-rounders in the future, even when star players become available. Hollinger identifies the Hawks, Nets, Mavericks, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves and Suns as teams that could be considered “stuck.”
D’Angelo Russell: “It Was Tough To Agree With” Move To Bench
D’Angelo Russell didn’t complain about being moved to a reserve role for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, but he also didn’t support the decision, according to Matt Peralta of Lakers Nation.
Coach Darvin Ham made the change in hopes of sparking the Lakers, who were trailing 3-0 in the series. Russell saw just 15 minutes off the bench in the final game — scoring four points with two rebounds and two assists — as L.A. was swept out of the playoffs.
“I mean, it was tough,” Russell said. “It was tough to agree with it obviously, but in a short period of time to not become a distraction to your teammates and to everybody else that’s preparing just like you to get the one goal done which is win. I knew that was where you had to be professional. You can’t be a distraction at this point of the season and things like that, so that’s kind of how I went about it. I wanted to be professional and try to dominate my minutes when there were minutes for me.”
Russell fit in well with the Lakers after being acquired from Minnesota in February, and he was effective in the first two rounds of the playoffs. He was never able to find his shot against Denver though, connecting at just 32.3% from the field in the series. The Nuggets also targeted him relentlessly on defense.
Fans and the media were calling for Ham to pull Russell out of the starting lineup earlier, but a report last week said there were concerns that the team might “lose” Russell if that happened, meaning he could become possibly become disconnected from the team ahead of free agency.
Russell will be unrestricted this summer after making $31.4MM this season. He is eligible for an extension through June 30 worth up to $67.5MM over two years, but the Lakers don’t appear to be willing to approach that number.
New York Notes: Bridges, Lillard, Toppin, Brunson
Mikal Bridges has already been mentioned in several offseason trade rumors, but Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) believes the Nets intend to build around him rather than trying to deal him for other assets. Lewis states that Bridges has already become “the face of the franchise” and has strong support from owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks.
Bridges posted career-best numbers after being acquired from Phoenix in February, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games. He also emerged as a locker room leader and quickly won over Brooklyn fans with his style of play. He has a team-friendly contract that runs for three more seasons.
“I think he’s proven to a lot of people that his role can continue to get better and better and bigger and bigger,” Marks said. “But now that when the ball is in his hands in those key crucial moments of games, can he step up? Can he be that guy that we can rely on in big moments? I think we saw it a little bit in Phoenix when Devin Booker was out. He carried a considerable load for them. And then we saw this year where he came in and immediately was a crowd favorite.”
There’s more from New York:
- The Nets have “genuine interest” in Damian Lillard if he asks the Trail Blazers for a trade, Lewis adds in another Post story. Lewis examines the various factors surrounding a potential Lillard trade, including his age, his contract, which will reach $63.2MM in 2026/27, and what Brooklyn would have to send to Portland in return. Lewis doesn’t expect Nets management to part with Bridges, so a deal would have to be built around Nic Claxton, with Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale thrown in for salary matching or possibly Ben Simmons if Brooklyn can include enough other pieces to convince the Blazers to take on his contract.
- Obi Toppin was the first lottery pick made by the Knicks‘ current management team, but his time in New York could end this summer, suggests Steve Popper of Newsday. Toppin has been stuck behind Julius Randle, which has prevented him from getting the playing time he needs to develop his game. Popper adds that although Toppin averaged 21.8 PPG in the five starts he made this season, he doesn’t provide the defensive presence that coach Tom Thibodeau wants at power forward.
- In a mailbag column, Fred Katz of The Athletic rates the Knicks‘ addition of Jalen Brunson last summer as the NBA’s best free agent signing since 2019.
Gabe Vincent To Play, Malcolm Brogdon Out For Game 6
Heat guard Gabe Vincent, who missed Game 5 due to a sprained left ankle, has been cleared to play on Saturday, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Vincent will be back in the starting lineup, Jackson adds, and Miami has made another change, starting Caleb Martin in place of Kevin Love.
Vincent injured the ankle on an awkward landing after a jump shot late in Game 4. He sat out Thursday’s contest in Boston as the Celtics cruised to a 13-point win.
Vincent took over as the team’s starting point guard in February and has maintained that role throughout the playoffs. He has averaged 13.1 points and 4.1 assists in 15 postseason games while shooting 41.7% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. He poured in a career-high 29 points in Miami’s Game 3 victory.
The Celtics will try to stay alive without guard Malcolm Brogdon, who suffered a right forearm strain in the second half Thursday, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Brogdon tried to go through his normal pre-game routine tonight, but Boston’s medical staff determined that he’s not able to play.
Brogdon, who also has a partially torn tendon in his right elbow, has come off the bench in every Celtics playoff game so far, averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 25.9 minutes per night.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Game 3 Reaction, Brogdon
Jaylen Brown wore an ice pack on his left wrist during an interview with Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston (video link), but he said he doesn’t want to focus on injuries with the Celtics‘ season on the line.
Brown hasn’t commented on the status of his wrist, but it’s believed that he hurt it on a hard fall during the second-round series against Philadelphia. He has also dealt with a facial fracture and a tweaked knee this season, and the combination of all that damage may be affecting his play in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“At this point in the year, everybody got injuries,” Brown said. “I got injuries all over, compiled. But I’ll never let that be an excuse. You’ll never hear reports about me coming out, saying if anything is bothering me. You come out, you play basketball, you leave it all out there on the floor.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Pre-game nerves may be an issue for many players tonight with so much at stake, but it’s a constant condition for Jayson Tatum, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Tatum admits that he’s always edgy heading into tip-off, regardless of the setting or the opponent. “I get nervous before every game,” he said. “Not like scared but a healthy level of anxiousness. First game of the season against Philly to now, I get nerves before every game.”
- The Celtics appear to have been galvanized by the reaction to their embarrassing loss in Game 3, according to Tara Sullivan of The Boston Globe. That 26-point defeat on Sunday led several national media members to proclaim that the team quit and resulted in speculation that coach Joe Mazzulla might be dismissed after the series. “That locker room after Game 3 was the lowest you could be, and I think everyone just relaxed, honestly,” Tatum said. After two wins, Celtics players now believe the pressure has shifted to the Heat, who face the specter of being the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead, Sullivan adds.
- Malcolm Brogdon, who’s listed as questionable for Game 6 with a right forearm strain, will go through pre-game warm-ups to see if he is able to play, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “He’s gonna warm up, do his shooting time and see how he feels from there,” Mazzulla told reporters.
Heat Notes: Vincent, Game 6, Robinson, Nuggets’ Scouting
Gabe Vincent remains questionable for Saturday’s Game 6 with a sprained left ankle, but he appears to have solidified his long-term future with the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Vincent, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has been indispensable for Miami in the playoffs. He’s the team’s third-leading scorer in the postseason at 13.1 PPG and is shooting better than 50% on pull-up threes during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Chiang points out that it has taken a lot of patience for Vincent to reach his current role, as he started the season as a reserve, missed eight games due to injury in December and didn’t enter the starting lineup until February. Although he’s likely to have several suitors in free agency, the Heat may see him as their starting point guard for the foreseeable future, especially with Kyle Lowry‘s contract expiring after next season. No matter where he ends up, Vincent can expect a hefty increase on his current $1.8MM salary.
“You never know when or where your opportunity will come,” Vincent said. “All you can try to do is try to be ready for it, whether it’s work in the dark or film, just trying to stay prepared, knowing that there’s other facets of my game that I may not have been able to show at this level based on the opportunity provided. And when it was, I just try to take advantage and most importantly help my team win.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Vincent was a partial participant in the Heat’s shootaround Saturday morning, according to Chiang. The expectation is that he’ll try to play tonight, but a final decision won’t be made until closer to game time. Miami was ineffective without Vincent in Game 5, falling behind early and losing by 13 points at Boston.
- With the Celtics aggressively contesting his three-point attempts, Duncan Robinson has been able to create easy two-point opportunities by dribbling into open space, Chiang adds. He has also become a better finisher in the lane, shooting 11-of-12 from there in the series. “I feel like this is the best player I’ve been in my entire career just because that’s how development works,” he said. “You continue to improve and get better.”
- As the Nuggets prepare for both potential opponents in the NBA Finals, Denver coach Michael Malone sees a resemblance between the Heat and his own team in their ability to get contributions from a variety of players, according to Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “But when I look at (the Heat), I kind of see a lot of similarities between them and us,” Malone said. People talk about Jimmy (Butler), and Bam (Adebayo) was an All-Star, but to me they have guys stepping up every night.”
2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Milwaukee Bucks
There is already proof of concept that Milwaukee’s core roster is a championship-caliber group, given that the team won the title two years ago. However, the past two seasons have ended in disappointment, with exits in the second and first round of the playoffs, respectively.
The Bucks were considered the favorites to win the championship again in ’22/23 after posting a league-high 58 wins and entering the Eastern Conference playoffs as the top overall seed. Instead, they lost a five-game first-round series against No. 8 Miami in embarrassing fashion, blowing double-digit fourth-quarter leads in Games 4 and 5 after Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a back injury.
Obviously, the two-time MVP missing two games — and most of a third — had an impact on the series. Antetokounmpo looked less than 100 percent once he did return. Still, the Heat were clearly the better, more composed team when it mattered most.
An injury to a key player was a major factor in Milwaukee’s 2022 playoff ouster too, as three-time All-Star Khris Middleton missed last spring’s entire seven-game series against Boston. But health luck always plays an important role in the championship race, and the Bucks had the third-most expensive roster in the NBA in ’22/23, with a projected tax payment of nearly $84MM, per Eric Pincus. Championships and pricey payrolls lead to high expectations, which is why head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired after five seasons at the helm.
While Antetokounmpo is only 28 years old and has shown no signs of slowing down from a production standpoint, his very physical playing style has contributed to him appearing in between 61 and 67 regular seasons games over the past four years. Figuring out the best way to optimize his prime with a newly restrictive Collective Bargaining Agreement about to kick in is the biggest challenge the Bucks face going forward.
The Bucks’ Offseason Plan
The first order of business for Milwaukee this offseason has reportedly already been decided — Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin will be the new head coach after the Bucks interviewed a lengthy list of candidates. Antetokounmpo was said to be “intrigued” by Griffin and endorsed the former NBA wing, who doesn’t have head coaching experience but had an impressive interview.
Now that the coaching search is complete, the two most immediate concerns for the Bucks are figuring out what Middleton is going to do with his $40.4MM player option and working out a new contract with center Brook Lopez, who is an unrestricted free agent. The priority will likely be bringing back both players, since they don’t have a reasonable way to replace two of the top potential free agents on the market.
Let’s say Middleton picks up the option and the Bucks either extend or re-sign Lopez to a new deal with a starting value of $15MM in 2023/24. That would put Milwaukee’s payroll at $172.8MM with only eight players signed to standard contracts. The projected luxury tax line is $162MM.
In that scenario, even if the Bucks signed six players on minimum contracts to fill out the roster at an average of $2MM each (about the projection for a veteran with two years of experience), their payroll would be $184.8MM, which would be nearly $23MM over the tax line.
In the new CBA, which will kick in starting July 1, the NBA will implement a second tax apron that will be $17.5MM above the tax line. The second apron is essentially a pseudo-hard cap, because it is very punitive to the league’s biggest spenders.
Teams above the second apron will lose access to the taxpayer mid-level exception — the Bucks would have been ineligible to sign Joe Ingles with their taxpayer MLE last summer had the rule been in effect. There are several other prohibitive restrictions that will reportedly be phased in over the next two seasons — the full list can be found right here.
There are ways the Bucks could still avoid the apron. If Middleton is open to a new long-term contract with a lower starting value in ’23/24, that could help. Trading one of their mid-sized contracts (Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen) would be an option.
Allen, who has averaged 10.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.9 APG on .441/.401/.881 shooting over the past four seasons with the Grizzlies and Bucks, seems like the most likely to be on the move, considering he was involved in plenty of trade rumors in ’22/23 and his contract will be expiring.
While it is absolutely beneficial to avoid the second tax apron long term, there’s nothing preventing the Bucks from re-signing their own free agents this offseason if ownership is still willing to foot the bill.
In addition to Lopez and Middleton, who was limited to 33 regular season games but had a strong playoff showing, guard Jevon Carter could become a free agent if he declines his $2.2MM player option in search of a pay raise, and Ingles, Jae Crowder, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Goran Dragic, Meyers Leonard and Wesley Matthews are all unrestricted FAs. That’s nine possible free agents. Needless to say, there could be roster turnover, even if it’s at the back end.
Although it might seem counterintuitive based on how the luxury tax works (increasing penalties), if the Bucks do bring back some of their free agents, they would actually be better off signing a few of them to deals above the minimum — if given permission from ownership. That would create more mid-sized contracts that could possibly be used as salary ballast in future trades, since the Bucks are unlikely to move any of their expensive core (Giannis, Middleton, Jrue Holiday). That’s assuming, of course, Middleton returns, which I do think is very likely — he and Giannis are the longest-tenured members of the team and have been instrumental in building the Bucks’ winning culture.
The Bucks only control one draft pick in 2023 — No. 58 overall, the final pick of the second round — and only have one tradable first-rounder (2029) due to obligations from other deals. They’ve also traded away five of their next six second-rounders after this season. As such, their movable draft equity is very limited for the time being.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($45,640,084)- Jrue Holiday ($36,861,707)
- Bobby Portis ($11,710,818)
- Pat Connaughton ($9,423,869)
- Grayson Allen ($8,925,000)
- MarJon Beauchamp ($2,609,400)
- Lindell Wigginton (two-way)
- Total: $115,170,878
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- Khris Middleton ($40,396,552): Bird rights
- Jevon Carter ($2,239,943): Early Bird rights
- Total: $42,636,495
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 58 overall (no cap hold)
Extension-Eligible Players
- Grayson Allen (veteran)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (veteran)
- Jae Crowder (veteran)
- Brook Lopez (veteran)
- Khris Middleton (veteran)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins. Crowder and Lopez are only eligible until June 30.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Brook Lopez ($20,860,464 cap hold): Bird rights
- Jae Crowder ($19,349,220 cap hold): Bird rights
- Joe Ingles ($7,774,800 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo ($1,989,698 cap hold): Bird rights
- Goran Dragic ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Meyers Leonard ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Wesley Matthews ($1,989,698 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Jeff Teague ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $57,932,974
Note: The cap hold for Teague remains on the Bucks’ books from a prior season because it hasn’t been renounced. He can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,000,000
Note: The Bucks would gain access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary remains below the tax apron. If their team salary exceeds the second tax apron, they would lose access to any form of the mid-level exception.
Community Shootaround: Remaining Head Coaching Vacancies
The Bucks have reportedly made a decision on their next head coach, having landed on veteran assistant Adrian Griffin. That leaves four teams that are still looking for someone to fill their respective coaching vacancies: the Suns, Sixers, Raptors, and Pistons.
With Griffin apparently headed to Milwaukee, one more head coaching candidate is off the table for those four other teams, but that seems unlikely to have a significant impact on those searches.
Griffin hadn’t been linked to the openings in Phoenix or Philadelphia and wasn’t a finalist in Detroit. Toronto interviewed him, but it would have been a surprise if the Raptors took the exact approach they did during their last coaching search, promoting an assistant who worked under the coach they just fired.
The resolution of the Bucks’ hunt for a head coach could still have a domino effect on the remaining searches, however. Just before word broke that the team had chosen Griffin, a report indicated that Nick Nurse had removed his name from consideration.
Nurse is reportedly a finalist in Phoenix and has interviewed in Philadelphia as well. Did he pull out of the Bucks’ search because he knew he wasn’t their first choice or because he recognizes he has a legitimate chance to land one of those other jobs and wants to pursue it?
Besides Nurse, there are four other finalists for the Suns: Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers, Jordi Fernandez, and Kevin Young. Vogel has spoken to the Sixers, while Fernandez and Young are among the Raptors’ reported candidates.
The Pistons reportedly have three finalists: Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee, and Jarron Collins. However, the team has been eyeing that trio for weeks without any indication that a decision is imminent. Is Detroit simply satisfied to take its time and do as much homework as possible on its finalists, or could that search open up to more finalists before the club makes a call?
For what it’s worth, while Lee has interviewed for other jobs – including Toronto’s – Ollie and Collins don’t seem to be under serious consideration elsewhere.
With several searches linked in one way or the other, it will be interesting to see how many other teams follow the Bucks’ lead and make a decision in the coming days. In the meantime, we want to get your thoughts on how these coaching searches will resolve.
Who do you expect to become the next head coach in Phoenix, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Detroit? Is Nurse a lock for one of those jobs after pulling out of the Bucks’ search? Will we get any truly outside-the-box choices?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your predictions and thoughts.
Early NBA Salary Guarantee Dates For 2023/24
An NBA player who has a non-guaranteed salary for a given season will, by default, receive his full guarantee if he remains under contract through January 7 of that league year. Because the league-wide salary guarantee date is January 10, a player must clear waivers before that date if a team wants to avoid being on the hook for his full salary.
However, a handful of players who have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts for 2023/24 have earlier trigger dates. Those players will receive either their full guarantee or a partial guarantee on certain dates before January 7, assuming they’re not waived.
These dates are fairly malleable — if a player and team reach an agreement, a salary guarantee deadline can be pushed back.
For example, if a player’s contract calls for him to receive his full guarantee on June 28, his team could ask him to move that date to the first or second week of July to get a better sense of what will happen in free agency before making a final decision. The player doesn’t have to agree, but it could be in his best interest to push back his guarantee date rather than simply being waived.
Those agreements between a player and team aren’t always reported right away, so our list of early salary guarantee dates is a tentative one. When a player’s salary guarantee date passes, our assumption is that he received his guarantee, but it’s possible he and his team negotiated a new guarantee date that simply hasn’t been made public yet. We’ll update the info below as necessary in the coming weeks and months.
Here are the early salary guarantee dates for 2023/24:
June 23
- Zach Collins (Spurs): Non-guaranteed salary ($7,700,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
June 24
- Mike Conley (Timberwolves): Partial guarantee ($14,320,000) increases to full guarantee ($24,360,000). (✅)
June 28
- Reggie Bullock (Mavericks): Partial guarantee ($5,451,200) increases to full guarantee ($10,489,600). (✅)
- Eric Gordon (Clippers): Non-guaranteed salary ($20,917,902) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Kelly Olynyk (Jazz): Partial guarantee ($3,000,000) increases to full guarantee ($12,195,122). (✅)
- Chris Paul (Wizards): Partial guarantee ($15,800,000) increases to full guarantee ($30,800,000). (✅)
- Note: Traded from Suns to Wizards as part of receiving his salary guarantee; will be re-routed to Warriors in July.
- Note: Traded from Suns to Wizards as part of receiving his salary guarantee; will be re-routed to Warriors in July.
- Taurean Prince (Timberwolves): Non-guaranteed salary ($7,650,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
June 29
- Mohamed Bamba (Lakers): Non-guaranteed salary ($10,300,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Garrison Mathews (Hawks): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,000,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Daishen Nix (Rockets): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,836,096) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Cedi Osman (Cavaliers): Non-guaranteed salary ($6,718,842) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Cameron Payne (Suns): Partial guarantee ($2,000,000) increases to full guarantee ($6,500,000). (✅)
June 30
- Brandon Boston Jr. (Clippers): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,836,096) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Markelle Fultz (Magic): Partial guarantee ($2,000,000) increases to full guarantee ($17,000,000). (✅)
- Gary Harris (Magic): Non-guaranteed salary ($13,000,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Jordan McLaughlin (Timberwolves): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,320,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Thunder): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,900,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Jarred Vanderbilt (Lakers): Partial guarantee ($300,000) increases to full guarantee ($4,698,000). (✅)
- Trendon Watford (Trail Blazers): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,836,096) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Thaddeus Young (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($1,000,000) increases to full guarantee ($8,000,000). (✅)
July 3
- De’Anthony Melton (Sixers): Partial guarantee ($1,500,000) increases to full guarantee ($8,000,000). (✅)
July 4
July 6
- R.J. Hampton (Pistons): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,997,238) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
July 7
- Marko Simonovic (Bulls): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,836,096) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Garrett Temple (Pelicans): Non-guaranteed salary ($5,401,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
July 10
- PJ Dozier (Kings): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,413,304) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Bruno Fernando (Hawks): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,581,522) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Royce O’Neale (Nets): Partial guarantee ($2,500,000) increases to full guarantee ($9,500,000). (✅)
July 15
- Haywood Highsmith (Heat): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,902,137) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Edmond Sumner (Nets): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,239,943) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
July 16
- Jericho Sims (Knicks): Partial guarantee ($600,000) increases to $1,200,000. (✅)
July 17
- Lamar Stevens (Spurs): Partial guarantee ($400,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,930,681). (❌)
July 18
- Luka Samanic (Jazz): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,066,585) becomes partially guaranteed ($400,000). (✅)
- Joe Wieskamp (Raptors): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,927,896) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
July 20
- Jabari Walker (Trail Blazers): Partial guarantee ($400,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,719,864). (✅)
July 21
- Tyrese Martin (Hawks): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,719,864) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
August 1
- Justin Champagnie (Celtics): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,927,896) becomes partially guaranteed ($50,000). (❌)
- Jeenathan Williams (Trail Blazers): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,719,864) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
August 20
- Jericho Sims (Knicks): Partial guarantee ($1,200,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,927,896). (✅)
September 1
- Jordan Goodwin (Suns): Partial guarantee ($300,000) increases to $963,948. (✅)
October 1
- Jason Preston (Clippers): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,836,096) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
October 21
- Jeff Dowtin (Raptors): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,019,706) becomes partially guaranteed ($900,000). (❌)
October 23
- Darius Bazley (Nets): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,165,000) becomes partially guaranteed ($200,000). (❌)
- Vernon Carey Jr. (Jazz): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,997,238) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Kris Dunn (Jazz): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,586,665) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Luke Samanic (Jazz): Partial guarantee ($400,000) increases to $600,000. (✅)
October 24
- Dalano Banton (Celtics): Partial guarantee ($200,000) increases to $1,009,853. (✅)
- Moses Brown (Trail Blazers): Partial guarantee ($250,000) increases to $500,000. (✅)
- Carlik Jones (Bulls): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,927,896) becomes partially guaranteed ($250,000). (❌)
- Svi Mykhailiuk (Celtics): Partial guarantee ($200,000) increases to $1,173,307. (✅)
- Nerlens Noel (Kings): Partial guarantee ($300,000) increases to $600,000. (❌)
- Neemias Queta (Kings): Partial guarantee ($250,000) increases to $500,000. (❌)
- Terry Taylor (Bulls): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,019,706) becomes partially guaranteed ($350,000). (✅)
- Trendon Watford (Nets): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,019,706) becomes partially guaranteed ($200,000). (✅)
October 25
- Orlando Robinson (Heat): Partial guarantee ($75,000) increases to $425,000. (✅)
October 26
- Danny Green (Sixers): Non-guaranteed salary ($3,196,448) becomes partially guaranteed ($200,000). (✅)
November 10
- Danny Green (Sixers): Partial guarantee ($200,000) increases to $500,000. (❌)
December 1
- Orlando Robinson (Heat): Partial guarantee ($425,000) increases to $850,000. (✅)
December 15
- Terry Taylor (Bulls): Partial guarantee ($350,000) increases to $700,000. (✅)
December 19
- Trendon Watford (Nets): Partial guarantee ($200,000) increases to $700,000. (✅)
Central Notes: Mannion, Bucks, LaVine, Cavs, Pistons
Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion, who has spent the past two seasons in Europe, is expected to play for the Bucks‘ Summer League team this July, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
The No. 48 pick in the 2020 draft, Mannion spent just one season in Golden State, logging limited minutes in 30 games, before returning to his home country of Italy to play for Virtus Bologna. The former Arizona Wildcat is still just 22 years old, so there’s plenty of time for him to take another shot at the NBA.
However, it’s worth noting that Mannion wouldn’t be able to sign outright with the Bucks or another team, since the Warriors have tendered him a two-way qualifying offer in each of the last two offseasons, ensuring they still have his rights as a restricted free agent. If Golden State reissues that QO this summer, Mannion would once again be an RFA, giving the Warriors the ability to control his NBA free agency.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, while the Knicks‘ reported interest at the trade deadline was overstated, a number of rival executives around the NBA are “skeptical about the long-term marriage” between the Bulls and Zach LaVine. Johnson cautions that the Bulls have backed LaVine at every opportunity and have shown no indications that they intend to move on from him anytime soon, but says the speculation about an eventual break-up that he heard at the combine was “prevalent enough to acknowledge.”
- Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com names Malik Beasley, Seth Curry, Yuta Watanabe, Terrence Ross, and Justin Holiday as some potential free agents who could be of interest to the Cavaliers this summer as the team seeks shooting help.
- In a mock draft for The Detroit News (subscription required), Mike Curtis has the Pistons selecting Houston forward Jarace Walker at No. 5 overall, noting that the pick may not be the most exciting one Detroit could make, but arguing it would instantly make the team “more formidable” on defense. Curtis’ pick for the Pistons at No. 31 is Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.