Rival NBA executives and agents alike are curious about what the Nets will do with their remaining cap room, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). While general manager Sean Marks has aggressively signed restricted free agents to offer sheets in previous offseasons, that has not been the case this summer, Fischer notes.
According to Fischer’s sources, Brooklyn has yet to “significantly engage” in contract discussions with its own RFA, Cam Thomas.
As Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets, the Nets are still below the minimum salary floor and could create about $25MM in cap space if they waive a handful of players on non-guaranteed (or lightly guaranteed) contracts. While some fans are “fretting” about Thomas’ situation, Lewis hears from a source (Twitter link) that neither the Nets nor the 23-year-old guard are in a rush to reach an agreement.
Here’s more from Fischer on a few noteworthy restricted free agents:
- The agents of Bulls guard Josh Giddey “have not wavered” in their desire to secure their client a deal that would pay him $30MM per year. However, to this point, Chicago’s front office has presented offers “much closer” to $20MM in annual average value, sources tell Fischer.
- While the Sixers have expressed a desire to retain Quentin Grimes, a deal has yet be finalized. Still, there’s an expectation that will eventually happen, according to Fischer, who writes that the 25-year-old wing is likely to sign a contract covering at least three years.
- We highlighted in a separate story Fischer’s report that the Suns have expressed “exploratory interest” in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga but a sign-and-trade seems unlikely. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 confirms (via Twitter) that Phoenix is intrigued by Kuminga and says he isn’t entirely ruling out a deal coming together, but acknowledges the odds of it occurring are “in the low range.”
It’s hard to see a situation where any teams other than their existing teams sign these RFAs, so unless they want to bet on themselves and sign the QOs, they’ll probably have to take what their teams are offering. They are not going to bid against themselves.
They can sign one year qualifying offers and be free agents next year. So the team would be taking a chance too.
True, but they would still have the players’ Bird rights and could at least do a sign and trade to get assets back. Then again, hard-capping yourself at the first apron can be rough.
Oh, the sign and trade would be after the season because the player has full no-trade rights during the season.
How Sean Marks hasn’t been fired yet, I have no idea. What could he possibly be holding onto that cap space for? Is the next KD signing there next year? I doubt it. Cut Jalen Wilson, Timme, Keon Johnson, etc. Those guys aren’t needed, especially after keeping 5 first round picks. Why not sign two of Giddey/Kuminga/Grimes? Then sign Thomas with bird rights. All those dudes care about is money, they can be traded two years from now, and they aren’t going to win you many more games with the way that they all play. Sean Marks is an absolute fool, does he really think he’s getting Cam Booser any more than if he didn’t sign decent players? Sign these guys to a cap sheet and force the Bulls/Warriors/76ers to match. They should especially be trying to screw over their division rival in Philadelphia.
Agreed. Picking all 5 first-round picks was the last straw for me. He needs to go. Masai Ujiri is available now. Why not give him a shot?
In order to not keep those 5 first rounders, other teams have to be offering value for them. If the offers weren’t there, what do you expect Marks to do? Throw the first rounders away?
Had he sold those picks for 10 cents on the dollar, you’d be here complaining anyway.
I agree that Sean Marks should’ve been fired years ago, but not for preserving cap space. As for Grimes, Giddey, and Kuminga, saying they only care about money misses the point. They should wait for the best deal they can get. They stand to lose out on millions, and that kind of financial hit would hurt them far more than it would the billionaire owners.
Is Giddey for Kuminga actually going to happen?
Having 5 first rounders is brilliant imho. Wolf and Saraf played together in Israeli u21 and resemble Jokic and manu. Demin is the euro prodigy that will lead this group. They really drafted a good squad for growing together! After many failed attempts of signing superstars, they finally started building it correctly from within. In two years, they’ll be able to let MPJ go for nothing and sign quality role players like the Spurs are doing. Then in 2032 they might add a #1 pick into an already contender.
If Giddey gets 4-yeqr $80 million, Kuminga is worth 4-year $60 million
Warriors should be able to trade him before December 31
Marks can only be faulted for acquiring the FRP from ATL, already having 3 FRPs in the same area of the draft. Nobody was trading much for the picks in the back half of the first round. OKC felt they had to move the 24th pick, and took a bad deal. No reason for BKN to do that.
I don’t agree with many of Marks’ moves the past couple of years. But anybody who knows anything about the NBA draft, knows Marks is one of the best drafters of the past 10 years, and the single BEST drafter with late FRPs and high SRPs. Four of them in one year is a bit much, but I’ll take his picks in that area of the draft vs those of 2k nation.
If Chicago fail to secure a contract and a good relationship with Giddey because they did something dumb with Patrick Williams and got burned, they deserve all the misery basketball Gods have in store for them.
Nets should release their rights to Cam Thomas and Milutonic, and waive Johnson, Martin, Timme and Bleekman.
Then with their cap space get Grimes and Kuminga for 20 and 25 roughly.
Thomas has shown his ceiling as a 20 points per game scorer and that’s it. Grimes is better defensively, he rebounds better and can create for others. Kuminga would be a solid 2 way forward with massive potential that would be good between MPJ and Claxton.
Demin Grimes MPJ Kuminga Claxton
Saraf/Traore Mann Wilson Wolf Sharpe
And also Powell Whitehead and Clowney
They will not rescind the QO to CT nor will they give up their rights to Milutinov, because his rights are still an asset for a trade even if he’s committed to Olympiacos for another three years. Beekman already is with another team but since it’s a two-way, the cap hold will remain until the new season starts, I think. I have faith that Marks will reach the floor at the very least and not forfeit the remainder to the rest of the NBA. Many teams are willing to just buy out players but there are still some that would take advantage of the Nets’ cap space.