Trail Blazers Sign Henri Drell To Exhibit 10 Deal
11:30am: It’s an Exhibit 10 deal for Drell, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report confirms (via Twitter).
7:19am: The Trail Blazers have signed free agent forward Henri Drell to a one-year, non-guaranteed training camp contract, according to RealGM’s transaction log.
Drell, 24, is a 6’9″ Estonian wing who spent several years playing overseas before joining the Windy City Bulls in the G League in January 2022. His play for Chicago’s G League affiliate across parts of three seasons eventually earned him a shot at the NBA level — he signed a two-way contract with the Bulls last December and spent the rest of the season with the club, though he logged just 30 total minutes across four NBA appearances.
Drell had his most productive G League season in 2023/24, averaging 14.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 32.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .435/.309/.757, across 42 Showcase Cup and regular season outings. However, the Bulls opted not to tender him a qualifying offer in June, so he became an unrestricted free agent, though he did play for Chicago in the Las Vegas Summer League last month.
The Trail Blazers now have 19 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed standard deals, Dalano Banton and Devonte’ Graham on non-guaranteed contracts, and Justin Minaya and Bryce McGowens on two-way pacts. Yongxi Cui is also expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the club.
It’s unclear if Drell’s deal includes Exhibit 10 language. If it does, he could be a candidate to have his deal converted to a two-way contract before the regular season begins.
Theo Maledon Signs With ASVEL
Veteran NBA guard Theo Maledon is returning to his home country for the 2024/25 season, having reunited with ASVEL on a one-year deal, according to an announcement from the French club.
The 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Maledon has appeared in 177 total NBA games over the past four seasons, spending time with the Thunder, Hornets, and Suns. He posted career averages of 7.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per contest, with a subpar shooting line of .372/.310/.793.
Maledon, 23, began the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with Charlotte. He was waived in December and was claimed by Phoenix at that time, but the Suns later cut him in March, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Maledon began his basketball career with ASVEL in 2017, playing first for the junior team and later being promoted to the senior club. He won a French League championship in 2019 and was named the LNB Pro A Best Young Player for that season.
ASVEL, which also competes in the EuroLeague, had a strong season domestically in 2023/24, posting a 25-9 regular season record before losing to Paris Basketball in the semifinals of the LNB playoffs. However, the team struggled in EuroLeague play, finishing 17th out of 18 teams with a 9-25 mark. The hope is that Maledon can help them be more competitive in 2024/25.
“I am convinced that Theo has not yet reached his full potential, and he will have the opportunity to show it this season in an environment that he knows perfectly,” ASVEL coach Pierric Poupet said as part of a larger statement.
Traded First-Round Picks For 2025 NBA Draft
The 2025 NBA draft is still over 10 months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first-round picks for ’25, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.
We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first-round pick for 2025, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.
We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2026 if it doesn’t change hands in 2025.
Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2025 first-round pick:
Note: Teams marked with an asterisk (*) have traded away their 2026 first-round pick (either unprotected or with protection) and can’t freely trade away their 2025 first-rounder due to the Stepien Rule.
Atlantic
- Boston Celtics: Own pick.
- Brooklyn Nets: Own pick.
- New York Knicks: Traded to Nets (unprotected).
- Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Thunder (top-six protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Sixers would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected).
- Toronto Raptors: Own pick.
Central
- Chicago Bulls: Own pick.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Jazz or Suns (unprotected).
- The Jazz will receive the most favorable pick of the Cavaliers’ and Timberwolves’ first-rounders; the Suns will receive the least favorable of the two.
- Detroit Pistons: Traded to Timberwolves (top-13 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would instead owe the Knicks their 2026 first-round pick (top-11 protected).
- Indiana Pacers: Traded to Pelicans.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Nets (top-four protected) or Pelicans (5-30 protected).
- The Bucks’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive this pick will be extinguished.
- The Bucks’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive this pick will be extinguished.
Southeast
- Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Spurs (unprotected).
- Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Kings (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets would instead send the Kings their 2026 and 2027 second-round picks.
- Miami Heat: Traded to Thunder (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Heat would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).
- Orlando Magic: Traded to Grizzlies.
- Washington Wizards: Traded to Knicks (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Wizards would instead owe the Knicks their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).
Northwest
- Denver Nuggets: Traded to Magic (top-five protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Nuggets would instead owe the Magic their 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected).
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Jazz or Suns (unprotected).
- The Jazz will receive the most favorable pick of the Timberwolves’ and Cavaliers’ first-rounders; the Suns will receive the least favorable of the two.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick. If the Rockets receive the Thunder’s pick, they would have the right to swap it to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick. If the Rockets receive the Thunder’s pick, they would have the right to swap it to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Trail Blazers would instead owe the Bulls their 2026 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
- Utah Jazz: Traded to Thunder (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).
Pacific
- Golden State Warriors: Traded to Heat (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Warriors would instead owe the Heat their 2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
- Los Angeles Clippers (*): Traded swap rights to Thunder.
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Hawks (unprotected).
- Phoenix Suns: Traded to Nets or Rockets (unprotected).
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick; the Rockets have the right to swap whichever pick they end up with to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
- Sacramento Kings: Traded to Hawks (top-12 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Kings would instead owe the Hawks their 2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
Southwest
- Dallas Mavericks: Own pick.
- Houston Rockets (*): Traded swap rights to Thunder (top-10 protected).
- The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick; the Rockets have the right to swap whichever pick they end up with to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
- Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Wizards (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Grizzlies would instead send the Wizards either the Celtics’, Pacers’, Clippers’, or Heat’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) and the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick.
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Grizzlies would instead send the Wizards either the Celtics’, Pacers’, Clippers’, or Heat’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) and the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick.
- New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
- San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
League Announces 2024 NBA Cup Schedule
After previously announcing the dates and groups for its second annual in-season tournament, the NBA today revealed the schedule for the group play portion of the event. The group play stage of the tournament, which is now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, will begin on November 12 and run through December 3.
The group play games will take place on four Tuesdays and three Fridays during the fall. The NBA put out its schedule by date and by team.
Each Tuesday will feature a nationally televised doubleheader on TNT, while ESPN will nationally broadcast doubleheaders on the Fridays. NBA TV will also air three tournament games on the afternoon of November 29 (Black Friday), prior to ESPN’s doubleheader.
The quarterfinals will take place on December 10 and 11, with the semifinals to follow on Dec. 14 and the final to be played on Dec. 17. The higher-seeded teams will host the quarterfinal matchups, while the semifinals and final will take place in Las Vegas.
The NBA Cup will tip off with a pair of nationally televised marquee matchups on November 12, with Paul George and the Sixers hosting the Knicks in Philadelphia, followed by Klay Thompson and the Mavericks visiting the Warriors in the Bay Area.
The Lakers, the champions of last year’s inaugural in-season tournament, will be featured in nationally televised games on Nov. 15 (at the Spurs), Nov. 26 (at the Suns), and Nov. 29 (vs. the Thunder).
The full NBA regular season schedule for 2024/25 will be announced on Thursday, according to the league.
Pistons Only Team With Cap Room Remaining
Now that the Jazz have used up their cap room by renegotiating Lauri Markkanen‘s contract and completing a series of minor signings, only one NBA team is still operating under the cap: Detroit.
The Pistons currently have a team salary of $130,348,501, giving them $10,239,499 in space below the cap ($140,588,000). They could increase that figure to nearly $18MM by waiving Paul Reed‘s non-guaranteed $7,723,000 salary, though there’s no indication they plan to do so.
With 14 players on standard contracts, the Pistons have an opening on their projected 15-man regular season roster for 2024/25 and could – in theory – make an aggressive offer to a free agent using their remaining cap room. But the unrestricted free agents who remain unsigned will likely end up on minimum-salary deals or something very close to it, so Detroit is unlikely to make a $10MM offer to any of them.
The lone standard restricted free agent, forward Isaac Okoro, makes sense as a target, given his age, defensive pedigree, and familiarity with new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who coached him in Cleveland. But there haven’t been any hints that the Pistons are considering an offer sheet for Okoro, and they’d probably have to waive Reed to put together an offer strong enough to dissuade the Cavs from matching.
In all likelihood, the Pistons will simply hold their remaining cap space open for now, keeping an eye on the trade market for opportunities that could net them additional assets, like their previous deals for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Wendell Moore.
In past years, it wasn’t unusual for teams to hold significant chunks of cap room open into the regular season, knowing they could use that space at the trade deadline to accommodate salary-dump deals. But the new CBA requires teams to spend up to at least the minimum salary floor before opening night — if they don’t, they lose that cap room and make themselves ineligible to receive the end-of-season payout from taxpaying teams. That’s likely one reason why the league-wide cap room has dried up so early in the year.
The minimum salary floor is $126.5MM this season, so the Pistons have surpassed that threshold.
While the Pistons are the only team with cap room available, clubs operating over the cap and well below the luxury tax line still have a good deal of flexibility to take on extra salary in trades due to the more generous salary-matching rules in the current CBA.
Those rules allow teams below the first tax apron to take back up to 200% of their outgoing salary (plus $250K) for any amount up to $7.5MM; the outgoing salary plus $7.5MM for any amount between $7.5MM and $29MM; and 125% of the outgoing salary (plus $250K) for any amount above $29MM.
For instance, if the Jazz were to trade Jordan Clarkson and his $14,092,577 salary, they could take back up to $21,592,577 (Clarkson’s salary, plus $7.5MM). By comparison, if the Pistons were to trade Hardaway ($16,193,183), they could take back up to $26,682,682 using their leftover cap room. That cap room certainly gives Detroit more financial flexibility in trade talks, but not necessarily significantly more.
And-Ones: Toscano-Anderson, 2024 Draft Class, Durant, FAs
Veteran swingman Juan Toscano-Anderson, who appeared in 11 games with Sacramento last season and spent much of the year playing for the Mexico City Capitanes, will be part of the G League United roster that plays a pair of exhibition games against Mega Basket in September (Twitter link).
In past years, the G League Ignite participated in those exhibition contests against international clubs — the most notable games occurred in 2022 when Scoot Henderson and the Ignite matched up against Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92. However, with the Ignite no longer active, the NBAGL will put together an All-Star team of sorts for this year’s event.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Asked during an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George about No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and the rest of the prospects selected near the top of his year’s draft, Hawks guard Trae Young suggested that there may not be any franchise players in the 2024 class. “Some guys might surprise us, but a lot of us look at them as role players,” Young said (hat tip to Clutch Points). “… Whether it’s Reed (Sheppard), who is going to be a hell of an NBA player or Alex (Sarr), who didn’t play well in Summer League, but is going to be a hell of an NBA player, a lot of these guys could be just role players, so I feel like the GMs this year were all probably just trying to figure out who is going to be the best role player for their team.”
- Suns star Kevin Durant has become a minority stakeholder in the French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain, according to an announcement from his investment firm Boardroom (Twitter link). Sources with knowledge of the deal tell Peter Rutzler and Shams Charania of The Athletic that Durant and Boardroom bought a “single digit millions” shareholding in the club. Durant visited with the team while he was in France for the Olympics.
- Who are the top free agents still available? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers that question, ranking Cavaliers restricted free agent Isaac Okoro atop his list, followed by Markelle Fultz, Lonnie Walker, Cedi Osman, and Justin Holiday. Okoro, Fultz, and Osman are the only players from our June list of this summer’s top 50 free agents who are still seeking new deals.
Jazz Notes: Filipowski, Juzang, Cap Room, Samanic, Tshiebwe
The Jazz didn’t use the second-round pick exception to sign No. 32 selection Kyle Filipowski. Instead, Utah dipped into its remaining cap room to give Filipowksi a four-year, $12MM contract that includes a $3MM first-year salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
By comparison, a “maximum” deal using the second-round exception would have been worth $9,062,682 over four years, with a $2,087,519 first-year salary.
Filipowski’s contract, which includes a flat $3MM cap hit across all four seasons, is fully guaranteed for the first two years, with a non-guaranteed salary in 2026/27 and a non-guaranteed team option for 2027/28, Hoops Rumors has learned. Filipowski will have to remain under contract through June 30, 2026 to ensure he receives his full ’26/27 salary.
As our chart of rookie scale salaries shows, The Jazz rookie will receive more guaranteed money in the next two seasons than the final eight picks of the first round.
We have more out of Utah:
- Johnny Juzang‘s new four-year contract with the Jazz is worth a total of $11,425,252, with a first-year salary of $3,087,519 for 2024/25, Hoops Rumors has learned. The final three years of the deal are non-guaranteed, so if Utah were to waive Juzang next June, the club wouldn’t be on the hook for his remaining cap hits of approximately $2.84MM (2025/26), $2.71MM (’26/27), and $2.79MM (’27/28). Re-signing Juzang using his Early Bird rights pushed the Jazz slightly over the 2024/25 cap ($140.6MM) — they’re now carrying $141.6MM in player salaries.
- According to RealGM’s transaction log, the team renounced Luka Samanic‘s free agent rights as part of its series of moves in recent days. Samanic signed a contract with Turkish club Fenerbahce earlier this month.
- With Lauri Markkanen no longer a trade candidate for the 2024/25 season, oddsmakers are projecting the Jazz to win between 27-30 games, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required). That wouldn’t be enough wins to contend for a play-in spot, but may be too many to give the team a good shot at a top-four pick. With that in mind, Larsen considers what’s next for Utah, suggesting that the team could improve its odds in the 2025 draft lottery by giving significant playing time to young players and/or trading away veterans like John Collins and Jordan Clarkson, even if it’s not getting anything of value in return for those vets.
- Oscar Tshiebwe‘s two-way contract with the Jazz is for one year, Hoops Rumors has learned, so the 24-year-old will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2025.
NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Denver Nuggets
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Denver Nuggets.
Free agent signings
Dario Saric: Two years, $10,594,400. Second-year player option. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.- Russell Westbrook: Two years, minimum salary ($6,772,731). Second-year player option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Vlatko Cancar: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- DeAndre Jordan: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Gabe McGlothan: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Jaylin Williams: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Jahmir Young: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Trades
- Acquired the draft rights to DaRon Holmes (No. 22 pick) from the Suns in exchange for the draft rights to Ryan Dunn (No. 28 pick), the No. 56 pick in the 2024 draft, the Nuggets’ 2026 second-round pick, and the Nuggets’ 2031 second-round pick.
- Acquired cash from the Hornets in a six-team trade in exchange for Reggie Jackson, the Nuggets’ 2025 second-round pick, the Nuggets’ 2029 second-round pick, and the Nuggets’ 2030 second-round pick.
Draft picks
- 1-22: DaRon Holmes
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $15,203,657).
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Magic)
- Collin Gillespie (Suns)
- Justin Holiday (unsigned)
- Jay Huff (Grizzlies)
- Braxton Key (unsigned)
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($140.6MM), over the luxury tax line ($170.8MM), and between the first tax apron ($178.1MM) and second tax apron ($188.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $182.6MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $188,931,000.
- No form of mid-level or bi-annual exception available.
- One traded player exception available (worth $5,250,000).
The offseason so far
For a second consecutive offseason since winning a championship in June 2023, the Nuggets’ rotation took a major hit. After losing top reserves Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency a year ago, Denver saw starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope depart for Orlando this time around.
While it would be easy to cite the new tax apron rules as the reason why they couldn’t retain Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets had the ability to outbid the Magic for him without derailing the rest of their summer plans if they’d been willing to commit to a significant luxury tax bill. This ownership group has typically been averse to operating too deep into the tax, however, even with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in his prime and championship contention within reach.
Losing Caldwell-Pope allowed the Nuggets to free up their taxpayer mid-level exception, which they used to sign stretch forward/center Dario Saric. Saric is a solid role player who should play a role off the bench, but he won’t have the same kind of two-way impact that Caldwell-Pope has in recent years.
The Nuggets’ other major offseason addition was Russell Westbrook, who agreed to a two-year, minimum-salary deal (including a second-year player option) after being bought out by Utah. It remains to be seen how Westbrook will fit in Denver, but landing a former MVP and talented play-maker capable of breaking down defenses looks like a win for a team limited to minimum-salary offers.
Still, it’s fair to question the Nuggets’ offseason as a whole. Caldwell-Pope’s exit was a major blow, and the team’s work on the trade market raised eyebrows too — Denver surrendered a whopping six second-round picks in order to shed Reggie Jackson‘s expiring $5.25MM contract and to move up six spots in the first round to draft DaRon Holmes, who suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during his Summer League debut.
Even if Holmes had remained healthy, it’s unclear whether he would’ve been ready to play a major role as a rookie, so giving up all that future draft capital to select him and to move off a relatively small contract may not have been the best use of the Nuggets’ limited resources.
Denver also re-signed veteran center DeAndre Jordan, who played a limited role in 36 appearances last season, and forward Vlatko Cancar, who is coming off a torn ACL and didn’t play well for Slovenia in Olympic qualifiers this summer (he made just 3-of-19 shot attempts and was a -49 in three games). It’s possible the Nuggets will be able to get productive minutes from one or both big men, but expectations should be modest.
Up next
The Nuggets have 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts, three on two-way deals, and three more on Exhibit 10 pacts, so their roster looks set for the regular season.
The primary outstanding question in Denver this offseason is whether a lucrative new long-term contract for Jamal Murray will be finalized in the near future. A report in June indicated that Murray and the Nuggets were expected to come to terms on a four-year, maximum-salary extension that would begin in 2025/26 and would be worth nearly $208MM, based on the NBA’s latest cap projections.
Subsequent reporting indicating that the two sides would wait until after the Olympics to complete a new deal. Well, the Olympics are over, so are the Nuggets still planning to move forward on that maximum-salary extension? Presumably, we’ll get our answer soon.
That four-year extension is a worthwhile investment if Denver is getting the peak version of Murray, but he has battled injuries in recent years and certainly wasn’t at his best in the NBA playoffs (.402 FG%, .315 3PT%) or at the Olympics (.290 FG%, .143 3PT%).
I wouldn’t expect the Nuggets to get cold feet and back out of the deal completely, but with no formal agreement in place yet, maybe there’s some wiggle room for the team to protect itself a little with some injury language or a partially guaranteed final year. A fully guaranteed contract worth an average of $52MM annually for a player who has infamously never made an All-Star team would be risky and would create additional financial constraints for an organization already being affected by its high payroll.
Knicks/Celtics, Wolves/Lakers To Play On Opening Night
The NBA’s opening night schedule will feature home games for the league’s two most accomplished franchises, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the Celtics will host the Knicks in the early game, while the Lakers will host the Timberwolves in the late game.
The Celtics, who won their record 18th NBA title in June, will receive their championship rings on opening night, which will take place on Tuesday, October 22. That game will be the first for the new-look Knicks, featuring Mikal Bridges.
The game between the Lakers and Timberwolves will feature several stars who participated in Saturday’s gold medal game in Paris, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers and Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert of the Wolves.
Both games will air on TNT Sports, which will be distributing NBA games for one final year in 2024/25, assuming their lawsuit against the league doesn’t result in a new broadcast rights deal that begins in ’25/26.
The full regular schedule for the 2024/25 NBA season is expected to be released later this week, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. In the meantime, here are a few more notable matchups, courtesy of Charania:
- The new-look Sixers, led by former MVP Joel Embiid, reigning Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, and free agent addition Paul George, will host the Bucks on October 23 to open their regular season (Twitter link).
- The first regular season game at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood will be played on October 23, when the Clippers host the Suns (Twitter link).
- Klay Thompson and the Mavericks will visit the Warriors on November 12 in Thompson’s first trip back to the Bay Area (Twitter link). That will also be the first game of the in-season tournament (NBA Cup) for both Dallas and Golden State (Twitter link).
- The NBA Finals rematches between the Celtics and Mavericks will take place on January 25 in Dallas and February 6 in Boston (Twitter link).
- In case you missed it, 2024’s Christmas Day matchups were reported last week.
Jazz Sign Kyle Filipowski
The Jazz have signed second-round pick Kyle Filipowski to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Filipowski, a 7’0″ forward/center, declared for the draft this spring as an early entrant after averaging 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game across 36 starts in his sophomore year at Duke.
He posted a shooting line of .505/.348/.671 in his final college season for the Blue Devils and was a consensus second-team All-American.
Although he was invited to the green room for the first night of the 2024 draft, Filipowski fell out of the first round and was selected by Utah with the 32nd overall pick on day two. He impressed last month at the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 16.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG in five games (25.3 MPG).
While Filipowski’s contract details aren’t yet known, the Jazz’s announcement indicates he received a standard contract rather than a two-way deal, which was expected. Given his draft slot, a three- or four-year deal with at least a couple guaranteed seasons seems likely.
Filipowski was one of the last 2024 draftees to officially sign a contract, as the Jazz looked to maximize their cap room well into the offseason in case trade opportunities arose. They’ve been in the process of using up that cap space in recent days, renegotiating and extending Lauri Markkanen‘s contract, then officially signing Drew Eubanks and Svi Mykhailiuk.
Utah now has 13 players on standard contracts, with Johnny Juzang‘s reported four-year contract still to be finalized. The team has also filled all three of its two-way slots, so its roster could be almost ready for the regular season.