Lakers Sign Wesley Matthews To One-Year Contract
NOVEMBER 22: The Lakers have officially announced their deal with Matthews, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link).
NOVEMBER 20: Free agent swingman Wesley Matthews intends to sign a contract with the Lakers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Matthews turned down a player option with Milwaukee to reach free agency this week.
The Lakers’ deal with Matthews will be a one-year pact worth $3.6MM, says Charania (via Twitter). It sounds like the club will use its bi-annual exception – which has an exact value of $3,623,000 – to lock up the 34-year-old.
Although Matthews’ prime years are behind him, he remains a reliable three-and-D option, having started all 67 games he appeared in for the NBA-best Bucks last season. He recorded 7.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.4 APG with a .364 3PT% in 24.4 minutes per contest, and has never made fewer than 36.0% of his threes in a single season since entering the league.
The Lakers were in need of a wing who could shoot, with Danny Green having been traded away and Avery Bradley departing in free agency. Matthews can fill that role without breaking the bank.
The Lakers will be hard-capped at $138.93MM this season as a result of using the bi-annual exception.
Heat Re-Sign Meyers Leonard
NOVEMBER 22: Leonard has put pen to paper on his new contract, making it official, the Heat announced (via Twitter).
NOVEMBER 20: Free agent center Meyers Leonard tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link) that he plans to re-sign with the Heat.
He’ll get a two-year deal that includes a team option on year two, according to Reynolds, who adds (via Twitter) that the deal is expected to start at around $9MM. It’ll be worth close to $20MM overall, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The second-year team option will allow the Heat to protect their cap room for 2021.
“I wanted nothing more than to come back to Miami. Literally nothing more,” Leonard told Reynolds (Twitter link).
Leonard, 28, was the Heat’s starting center for most of the 2019/20 season, averaging 6.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG with a solid .509/.414/.643 shooting line in 51 games (20.3 MPG). He saw his role reduced in the postseason, but Miami was still interested in continuing the relationship going forward.
Heat president Pat Riley indicated earlier this week that he wanted to “run this thing back” with the squad that made it to the NBA Finals this year, and it sounds like the team is making good on that vow. In addition to reaching an agreement with Leonard, the Heat have already struck a deal to re-sign Goran Dragic.
Free Agency Rumors: Whiteside, Favors, Clarkson, Bertans
The Kings have interest in free agent center Hassan Whiteside, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said today on The Jump (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). James Ham of NBC Sports California confirms (via Twitter) that he has heard similar whispers, though he cautions he’s not sure how serious that interest is.
Here are more free agency rumors:
- Free agent center Derrick Favors is expected to have contact with his current team – the Pelicans – and his old team – the Jazz – as free agency opens, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Other teams will also kick the tires on Favors, Jones adds.
- The Jazz are making re-sigining Jordan Clarkson their top priority in free agency, tweets Tony Jones.
- The Wizards are meeting with Davis Bertans as free agency opens, according to Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). Re-signing the stretch four has long been considered Washington’s top priority this offseason.
Heat’s Gabe Vincent Signs Two-Way Qualifying Offer
Heat two-way player Gabe Vincent has signed his qualifying offer, according to the team (Twitter link).
The qualifying offer is a one-year, two-way contract with a $50K guarantee. So Vincent has secured that modest guarantee and currently occupies one of Miami’s two-way slots, though it wouldn’t be expensive for the team to eventually replace him with another two-way player if it so chooses.
Vincent was the G League’s Most Improved Player in 2019/20, averaging 20.9 PPG and making 40.3% of an impressive 10.3 three-point attempts per game in 31 contests for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He saw limited action for the Heat in nine games at the NBA level.
Free Agency Rumors: Lakers, Hornets, Pelicans, Baynes, Bazemore
The Lakers anticipate being “first in line” to talk to two of their veteran free agents, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley, when free agency opens, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Howard and Bradley are expected to draw interest from multiple other clubs, including perhaps the Warriors, but it sounds like L.A. has interest in bringing back both of them. The Lakers and veteran forward Jared Dudley also have mutual interest in a new deal, Scotto adds.
Here’s more from Scotto on free agency:
- The Hornets are expected to be in the market for a free agent center, according to Scotto, who notes that the team will likely lose Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez in free agency.
- Scotto echoes a rumor we heard earlier in the week, writing that the Pelicans are expected to show interest in free agent center Aron Baynes.
- The Kings and Kent Bazemore are expected to have mutual interest in reaching a new deal, according to Scotto, who notes that the free agent swingman will likely speak with a number of teams once free agency begins.
Hawks Confident About Chances In Free Agency
Former Hawks forward Vince Carter said on ESPN’s The Jump that he has heard Atlanta is confident it will be able to land two free agents from a group that includes Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Joe Harris, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic echoes that sentiment (via Twitter).
While Harris and Bogdanovic may still be in play for the Hawks, it sounds as if Gallinari and Rondo are the more likely candidates to end up in Atlanta.
Reports earlier in the week suggested that the Hawks are viewed as the frontrunners for both veteran free agents, with Gallinari perhaps in line for a three-year deal and Rondo expected to receive a two-year offer.
Atlanta is the only team set to enter free agency with more than $40MM in cap room available, so even if the team lands Gallinari and Rondo, it still should have money left over to spend.
Fred VanVleet Likely To Re-Sign With Raptors?
Free agent point guard Fred VanVleet appears “very likely” to re-sign with the Raptors, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said in an appearance on The Jump this afternoon (video link via Knicks Film School).
Wojnarowski suggests that the lack of teams with cap room around the NBA may limit VanVleet’s ability to attract big offers that could put extra pressure on the Raptors. An earlier report indicated Toronto may be hoping to get VanVleet back on a deal similar to the one Malcolm Brogdon signed with Indiana last year — $85MM over four years.
The Raptors’ ability to go much higher for VanVleet is complicated by the fact that the team wants to maintain enough 2021 cap room to contend for a maximum-salary player (ideally Giannis Antetokounmpo, if he’s available). The bigger VanVleet’s deal is, the less space the team will have a year from now, but something in the range of $20-22MM per year should fit into the team’s budget.
While the Raptors are the frontrunners for VanVleet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the two sides will come to terms immediately when free agency opens in an hour. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) has heard that the Raptors and other suitors for VanVleet will likely meet with the 26-year-old in the Chicago area on Saturday. The Knicks and Pistons have been cited as a couple of the other possible contenders for the Raptors guard.
VanVleet ranks third on our list of 2020’s top 50 free agents.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Ariza, Raptors, Hornets, Magic
When the Pistons eventually officially acquire forward Trevor Ariza, who is being dealt from Portland to Houston to Detroit, the expectation is that he’ll have his full $12.8MM salary guaranteed, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.
Ariza’s salary was initially only partially guaranteed for $1.8MM, but as cap expert Albert Nahmad explains (via Twitter), his salary guarantee deadline will come and go before the Pistons are able to officially acquire him. As a result, the Rockets will create a $12.8MM traded player exception in the transaction.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Nashville was in the mix for the Raptors as a temporary home late into the decision process, but the team opted for Florida for a few reasons, including the lack of a state income tax, per Blake Murphy and Eric Koreen of The Athletic. There’s also a brand-new hotel next to Amalie Arena in Tampa with ballrooms that could be used as makeshift practice spaces, according to The Athletic’s duo.
- Undrafted Kentucky forward Kahlil Whitney is considering signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hornets, according to Adam Zagoria of Forbes (Twitter link). Whitney declared for the draft this year after a single season of college ball.
- Amid rumors that point guard D.J. Augustin is drawing interest from Phoenix and Milwaukee, Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel says (via Twitter) that a return to the Magic is very unlikely for Augustin, given the team’s cap constraints and Wednesday’s Cole Anthony pick.
Rookie Scale Salaries For 2020 NBA First-Round Picks
With the NBA’s salary cap set once again at $109,140,000 for the 2020/21 league year, the rookie scale has been set as well. The rookie scale locks in the value of contracts for first-round picks.
In every NBA league year, rookie scale amounts are assigned to each first-round slot, from No. 1 through No. 30. Teams can sign their first-rounders to as little as 80% of that rookie scale amount, or up to 120% of that figure. While that rule theoretically affords teams some flexibility, first-round picks virtually always sign contracts worth 120% of their rookie scale amount, and unsigned first-rounders have a cap hold worth 120% of their rookie scale amount.
Listed below are the salary figures that represent 120% of the rookie scale amounts for 2020’s first-round picks. Players will sign for these amounts unless they accept a deal worth less than the maximum allowable 120%. If they do, we’ll adjust their amounts below. Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.
Here’s the 2020 breakdown:
| Player | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Edwards | $9,757,440 | $10,245,480 | $10,733,400 | $13,534,817 | $44,271,137 |
| James Wiseman | $8,730,240 | $9,166,800 | $9,603,360 | $12,119,440 | $39,619,840 |
| LaMelo Ball | $7,839,960 | $8,231,760 | $8,623,920 | $10,900,635 | $35,596,275 |
| Patrick Williams | $7,068,360 | $7,422,000 | $7,775,400 | $9,835,881 | $32,101,641 |
| Isaac Okoro | $6,400,920 | $6,720,720 | $7,040,880 | $8,920,795 | $29,083,315 |
| Onyeka Okongwu | $5,813,640 | $6,104,280 | $6,395,160 | $8,109,063 | $26,422,143 |
| Killian Hayes | $5,307,120 | $5,572,680 | $5,837,760 | $7,413,955 | $24,131,515 |
| Obi Toppin | $4,862,040 | $5,105,160 | $5,348,280 | $6,803,012 | $22,118,492 |
| Deni Avdija | $4,469,160 | $4,692,840 | $4,916,160 | $6,263,188 | $20,341,348 |
| Jalen Smith | $4,245,720 | $4,458,000 | $4,670,160 | $5,954,454 | $19,328,334 |
| Devin Vassell | $4,033,440 | $4,235,160 | $4,437,000 | $5,887,899 | $18,593,499 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | $3,831,840 | $4,023,600 | $4,215,120 | $5,808,435 | $17,878,995 |
| Kira Lewis Jr. | $3,640,200 | $3,822,240 | $4,004,280 | $5,722,116 | $17,188,836 |
| Aaron Nesmith | $3,458,400 | $3,631,200 | $3,804,360 | $5,634,257 | $16,528,217 |
| Cole Anthony | $3,285,120 | $3,449,400 | $3,613,680 | $5,539,771 | $15,887,971 |
| Isaiah Stewart | $3,121,080 | $3,277,080 | $3,433,320 | $5,266,713 | $15,098,193 |
| Aleksej Pokusevski | $2,964,840 | $3,113,160 | $3,261,480 | $5,009,633 | $14,349,113 |
| Josh Green | $2,816,760 | $2,957,520 | $3,098,400 | $4,765,339 | $13,638,019 |
| Saddiq Bey | $2,689,920 | $2,824,320 | $2,959,080 | $4,556,983 | $13,030,303 |
| Precious Achiuwa | $2,582,160 | $2,711,280 | $2,840,160 | $4,379,527 | $12,513,127 |
| Tyrese Maxey | $2,478,840 | $2,602,920 | $2,726,880 | $4,343,920 | $12,152,560 |
| Zeke Nnaji | $2,379,840 | $2,498,760 | $2,617,800 | $4,306,281 | $11,802,681 |
| Leandro Bolmaro * | |||||
| RJ Hampton | $2,193,480 | $2,303,040 | $2,412,840 | $4,220,057 | $11,129,417 |
| Immanuel Quickley | $2,105,520 | $2,210,640 | $2,316,240 | $4,171,548 | $10,803,948 |
| Payton Pritchard | $2,035,800 | $2,137,440 | $2,239,200 | $4,037,278 | $10,449,718 |
| Udoka Azubuike | $1,977,000 | $2,075,880 | $2,174,880 | $3,923,484 | $10,151,244 |
| Jaden McDaniels | $1,964,760 | $2,063,280 | $2,161,440 | $3,901,399 | $10,090,879 |
| Malachi Flynn | $1,950,600 | $2,048,040 | $2,145,720 | $3,873,025 | $10,017,385 |
| Desmond Bane | $1,936,440 | $2,033,160 | $2,130,240 | $3,845,083 | $9,944,923 |
* Bolmaro isn’t expected to sign his rookie contract this season.
Hawks Trade Dewayne Dedmon To Pistons For Tony Snell
NOVEMBER 20: The Hawks and Pistons have officially completed their swap, as detailed below, per a press release from Atlanta. As expected, the Hawks have already waived Thomas.
NOVEMBER 19: The Hawks and Pistons have agreed to a trade that will send center Dewayne Dedmon to Detroit, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Wings Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas will head to Atlanta in the swap, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The move essentially sees both teams trade from areas of depth. Dedmon, acquired at last season’s deadline from Sacramento, became expendable in Atlanta with the Hawks expecting Clint Capela back from injury this year and also preparing to incorporate lottery pick Onyeka Okongwu into their frontcourt.
Meanwhile, trading Snell and Thomas will open up more minutes on the wing in Detroit for the likes of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Sekou Doumbouya, and Saddiq Bey, observes James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Dedmon will earn $13.3MM in 2020/21 and also has a $13.3MM cap hit for ’21/22, though that second year is only partially guaranteed for $1MM, per Basketball Insiders. Snell is on a $12.2MM expiring contract, while Thomas’ minimum-salary contract for ’20/21 only includes a partial guarantee. In other words, the deal is close to salary-neutral.
It remains to be seen how many of these players will be part of their new teams’ plans for next season. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press suggests (via Twitter) that the Pistons aren’t done dealing and he wouldn’t assume Dedmon will stick around.