Guerschon Yabusele‘s two-year deal with the Knicks won’t use the full taxpayer mid-level exception, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Yabusele’s slight discount will give New York the ability to fill out its 13th and 14th roster spots with one veteran-minimum contract and one rookie-minimum contract for one of the team’s (current or past) second-round picks while remaining below the team’s hard cap at the second tax apron.
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If Yabusele had received the full taxpayer mid-level, the Knicks would have been roughly $3.53MM below the second apron, so they could have signed one veteran-minimum player ($2.3MM) or one rookie-minimum player ($1.27MM), but not both until after the regular season began.
According to Bondy (Twitter link), Yabusele’s deal with the Knicks should still comfortably exceed the salary the Sixers offered him. Bondy says that Philadelphia’s offer – which Yabusele referred to as “really low” – as being worth the “$2.6MM minimum,” but the Frenchman’s minimum salary this season would actually be $2.4MM, so it’s possible Philadelphia went a little above that amount using his Non-Bird rights.
The 76ers likely didn’t want to hard-cap themselves by using any portion of their taxpayer mid-level exception before Quentin Grimes‘ restricted free agency is resolved.
Here are a few more notes and rumors related to free agency:
- Reporting out of Sacramento earlier this week seemed to suggest the Kings were aggressively pursuing Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, but subsequent reports have suggested nothing is close on that front. According to Matt George of ABC 10 in Sacramento (Twitter link), while the Kings still have interest in Kuminga, they’d be content to complete their Dennis Schröder acquisition and Jonas Valanciunas and then bring that roster into next season. That roster would include both Malik Monk and Devin Carter, who have both been the subject of trade rumors.
- While news of the federal investigation into Malik Beasley for gambling allegations didn’t go public until June 29, the NBA reached out to the Pistons “several” days before free agency opened to let the club know about it, per Mike Vorkunov, Jon Krawczynski, and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The two sides had been in talks on a three-year, $42MM contract that would’ve included a third-year team option, but it now seems unlikely that any team would move forward on a deal with Beasley until that investigation is resolved (assuming he’s cleared).
- The Bucks‘ four-year, $107MM agreement with Myles Turner has been the most surprising deal of free agency so far. Eric Nehm of The Athletic takes a closer look at just what it means for Milwaukee, breaking down Turner’s fit with the team at both ends of the court. While Turner has a similar skill set to former starting center Brook Lopez, the former Pacer is younger, more athletic, and more mobile, which should allow him to make a greater impact than Lopez as a screener and defender, Nehm writes.
Great job by GY for the Knicks. Love to see players making more sacrifices for the better of the team. Very very few players do that. I’m glad he’s on my team.
You are right.
Would be s good idea for 40+year old billionaires, too, instead of complaining about their Team not able to contend.
Or simple not opting in and signing with a contender.
I you really want to win, you go through such doors
Yes totally agree. He should bring some good energy to bench and team.
I was wondering how the math was going to math when he signed at the alleged full TPMLE
Dallas and Knicks have had to dip in granny’s coin purse the last 2 cycles just to make it all work!
Shout out to Yossi Gozlan and Kieth Smith…our heros every July and mid February . They’ve been just crushing in on they daily lately
… “The 76ers likely didn’t want to hard-cap themselves by using any portion of their taxpayer mid-level exception before Quentin Grimes‘ restricted free agency is resolved.” YES, and the same is true with GSW and Kuminga. Even if some GSW fans can’t accept it. The taboo against dealing with RFAs would disappear in a hurry if there were an unmatchable offer sheet.
NBA free agency is really disappearing. Even more than I expected. It’s been dead for max and equivalent guys since 2020 (no surprise), but it now looks to be dying for everyone else about the MLE level too. Thankfully, this year, the pre-FA period had some significant trades. Probably should thank MIL too, for being so reckless in using the waive and stretch provisions. It gave the league it’s only FA signing above the MLE level.
I know Silver is busy with more important items (like determining what the court will look like in the Finals next year), but when he has time for a light moment, someone might want to explain to him that his only liquid pricing market is dead and why that isn’t good.
Shining light (possibly) – Small market teams have just gotten crushed Den (yrs past) Mil Indy Mia Okc (on the come) Cle MEM Minny
** Meanwhile Lakers Knicks Warriors haven’t felt any of the sting small market wanted to impose on their journeys really, its been pure sabotage
Maybe they will re-think their vote next time around
We saw this coming to the middle class the day the CBA l was inked. Its been even worse than I expected and I was pretty sure it was gonna be real real bad
Yeah, the alliance finally (after 7 tries) got the quasi-hard cap right, and it’s first victims are largely in the protected class. IDK when they vote again, but I expect they’ll try to help themselves ONLY to the extent they don’t also help the big bad big market teams. There are two good things for the big bad big market teams: the alliance’s relentless tendency to fight the Last War, and Silver’s love of operational complexity.
Won’t happen, but I do believe that if the LAL, NYK and GSW all tanked for even 4-5 years at the same time, the following CBA would make serious dents in reverse record draft order. Doing something more proactive and global will probably require the owners of the large market clubs to declare war, starting with removing the guy posing as a commissioner and putting the kabosh on expansion. The new LAL owner would be a good leader for the group. Dolan will join because he hates Silver. Give Lacob a few years post-Curry and he might be out front.
The new Cba runs thru 2030 but supposedly theres a clause where they all met in a secret cabin in 2029 to potentially revise it before the season, lets hope . Not much word ever slipped on this secret 2029 meeting but I stand curious
Ofc while we see the owners join arms and fight amongst each other we (hopefully) see the same within the players union that’s long overdue . Maybe stop electing reps that can afford small Islands themselves would be a good place to start
Good times
Yes, the union is supposed to rep all the players. If the rank and file don’t want to buck the big dogs, then you’d think a big dog or two would look at how far things have run (from the situation in 2010) and be a good teammate.
Milwaukee does spend BUCKS !!
Like I been saying….. no star deserves more than 30% of team salary cap. Start there.
Nets have all these young players on their roster. They have plenty cap space. They should make an offer to Kuminga and Giddey. Starting backcourt for next 5yrs ……..
I can see Knicks using Mitch, McBride, Kolek as trade chips. If they are committing to Towns. Best way is to add a defensive stud at the 4. To back him up.