Western Notes: Markkanen, Warriors, Podziemski, Strawther, Holmes, Clippers
After sharing some reporting on Monday about the trade talks between the Warriors and Jazz concerning star forward Lauri Markkanen, Shams Charania of The Athletic appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio later in the day to provide some additional insight into where things stand between the two Western Conference clubs.
“I don’t think (the Jazz) want to move Lauri Markkanen,” Charania said (Twitter video link; hat tip to Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area). “But if the Golden State Warriors put in a Brandin Podziemski and – from what I’m told – three first-round picks, three or four unprotected pick swaps, three or four second-round picks…”
Asked at that point if Jonathan Kuminga is a player the Jazz are seriously pursuing in their discussions with the Warriors, Charania’s downplayed the forward’s importance in getting a deal done, suggesting that Kuminga – who is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason – isn’t as high a priority for Utah as Podziemski is.
“From everything I’ve been told, the Jazz are more focused on Brandin Podziemski and his inclusion in the deal (and) all the picks being in the deal,” Charania said. “And I think from the Warriors’ perspective, (if) it’s Podziemski, then there’s not all the picks, and if it’s all the picks, then there’s not going to be a Podziemski.
“… Both sides are kind of entrenched right now at where they’re at. (I’m not) saying nothing is going to change. Only time will tell. But I think the Jazz are very comfortable with extending Lauri Markkanen, and at that point you’ll see more suitors potentially as well in on him — not just teams that feel like, ‘OK, we’ll be able to re-sign him.”
As we’ve previously outlined, Markkanen becomes eligible on August 6 for a renegotiation and extension. If the Jazz extend him on that day, he would become trade-eligible on February 6 – the day of the 2025 trade deadline – whereas if he were to sign an extension on August 7 or later, he would be ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason.
Here’s more from around the West:
- Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a look at where things stand for the Warriors after an eventful few weeks, noting that – with Klay Thompson and Chris Paul gone – Podziemski could have a chance to become the starting shooting guard and Stephen Curry‘s primary backup at point guard. As Kawakami observes, given the significant role the 21-year-old may play in Golden State going forward, it’s no surprise the team would prefer to keep him out of an offer for Markkanen.
- Despite dealing with a sore right ankle, second-year Nuggets forward Julian Strawther has been a Summer League standout, averaging 28.5 PPG with a .409 3PT% in two games in Las Vegas. Strawther averaged just 10.9 MPG across 50 appearances as a rookie, but teammate Peyton Watson is optimistic that the 2023 first-rounder will play a larger role in 2024/25. “He obviously has a gift shooting the rock,” Watson told Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “He’s a big-time shooter. That’s gonna be big for us this coming year. I’m super excited for him. He already showed flashes of what he can do this season, and he’s had some big games for us already. So I expect him to have plenty more, and I can’t wait to play a lot more with him.”
- The Nuggets confirmed in a brief announcement on Monday that rookie forward DaRon Holmes has undergone a surgical repair of his right Achilles tendon. The team didn’t provide a specific recovery timeline for Holmes, but the expectation is that he’ll miss the entire 2024/25 season after tearing his Achilles in his Summer League debut.
- The Clippers will return to Seattle for a third consecutive preseason, having announced on Monday in a press release that they’ll host the Trail Blazers on October 11 at Climate Pledge Arena.
Knicks’ Dolan Rips NBA’s Media Deal, Revenue Sharing Policies
Knicks owner James Dolan sent a letter to the NBA’s Board of Governors blasting the league’s new $74.6 billion media rights deal and renewing his criticisms of the league’s revenue sharing policies, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The new media rights deal has expanded to include three national partners instead of two and is expected to significantly increase the number of nationally televised games, reducing the number of available games for regional sports networks and cutting into the revenue generated by those local broadcasts.
“The increased number of exclusive and non-exclusive games means that national partners would have the ability to air nearly half of the regular season and all postseason games,” Dolan wrote in his letter, per Wojnarowski. “This reduction in available games for RSNs risks rendering the entire RSN model unviable. The inclusion of streaming partners in the proposal (e.g., Amazon Prime Video, Peacock) allows fans in all NBA markets to bypass their RSN to watch certain games in their local market. The proposal offers no local protections for RSNs.”
As Wojnarowski details, the NBA has also reportedly proposed that the league office receive an 8% cut of the revenue from that media deal, as opposed to 0.5% under the previous agreement. That would work out to about $6 billion over 11 seasons, beginning in 2025/26. Dolan said there has been no “sufficient justification” for that exponential increase.
“(There is no) transparency into how (the NBA) arrived at the sum, how these fees will be allocated or to what extent the league will utilize this purported revenue growth to incur new and incremental costs and further expand the league’s ever growing expense level,” Dolan wrote.
Dolan has long had an adversarial relationship with the league office and commissioner Adam Silver. He stepped down from his positions on the NBA’s influential advisory/finance and media committees last year, with reporting at the time indicating that the Knicks owner had been “increasingly critical” of Silver and the NBA on a number of issues.
The Knicks questioned Silver’s impartiality when they filed suit against the Raptors last year, arguing that the court system ought to rule on a dispute between the two teams due to Silver’s allegedly tight relationship with Raptors governor Larry Tanenbaum.
Dolan, who has also been a critic of the NBA’s revenue sharing system over the years, argued in his letter to the Board of Governors that the new TV deal will hurt local team sponsors and partners, since the visibility those sponsors receive in locally televised games won’t be afforded to them in national broadcasts. He added that “pride of ownership” is being sacrificed and that the league is becoming a “one size fits all, characterless organization” by taking away agency from its individual teams.
“The NBA has made the move to an NFL model — de-emphasizing and de-powering the local market,” Dolan wrote. “Soon, your only revenue concern will be the sale of tickets and what color next year’s jersey will be. Don’t worry, because due to revenue pooling, you are guaranteed to be neither a success nor a failure. Of course, to get there, the league must take down the successful franchises and redistribute to the less successful. This new media deal goes a long way to accomplishing that goal.”
The NBA’s Board of Governors is reportedly set to meet on Tuesday in Las Vegas. Dolan, who has declined to attend those meetings since stepping down from the league’s committees last year, wrote in his letter that he believes the Knicks’ concerns are “shared by many of our counterparts across the league.”
How Teams Are Using 2024/25 Bi-Annual Exceptions
The bi-annual exception is one of the tools available to NBA teams who are over the cap, giving those clubs the flexibility to offer free agents more than the minimum salary. In 2024/25, the bi-annual exception is worth $4,668,000 and can be used to offer a deal worth up to $9,569,400 over two years.
However, the bi-annual exception isn’t available to every team. Clubs that go below the cap in order to use cap room lose access to the exception. Additionally, using the BAE imposes a hard cap of $178,132,000 (the first tax apron) on a team. So if a club has surpassed the first apron – or wants to retain the flexibility to do so – it can’t use the bi-annual exception.
Finally, as its name suggests, the bi-annual exception can’t be used by a team in consecutive years. In 2023/24, three teams used the BAE — the Lakers (Taurean Prince), Cavaliers (Ty Jerome), and Raptors (Jalen McDaniels). As such, the exception isn’t available to those clubs during the 2024/25 league year. They’ll be able to use it again next summer.
With all those factors in mind, here’s a breakdown of how teams are using – or not using – their respective bi-annual exceptions in 2024/25:
Available Bi-Annual Exceptions:
Unused:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Brooklyn Nets
- Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks
- Golden State Warriors
- Indiana Pacers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- Washington Wizards
Although all of these teams technically have the ability to use their bi-annual exceptions at some point in 2024/25, it’s more plausible for some than others.
For instance, the Warriors currently have less than $1MM in breathing room below the first apron, so using even a small portion of their bi-annual exception won’t be an option until much later in the season unless they make a cost-cutting move.
Conversely, the Grizzlies have more than enough wiggle room below the first apron to use their full bi-annual exception, but they also still have their full $12.8MM mid-level exception available — if they need to offer more than the veteran’s minimum to sign a player, it will likely come out of their MLE, preserving their BAE for next season.
Used:
- Houston Rockets
- Used: $4,668,000 (Aaron Holiday)
- Available: $0
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Used: $4,668,000 (Nicolas Batum)
- Available: $0
Typically, about two to four teams in a given league year use the bi-annual exception, and this season has yet to buck that trend.
The Rockets and Clippers are the only two teams to use any portion of their bi-annual exceptions to date, so they won’t have it available in 2025/26.
Unavailable Bi-Annual Exceptions:
Went under cap:
- Charlotte Hornets
- Detroit Pistons
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Utah Jazz
These seven teams forfeited their right to the bi-annual exception when they went under the cap and used space this offseason.
Over first apron:
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks
- Phoenix Suns
In theory, cost-cutting moves by these teams could put them in position to use their bi-annual exceptions. In actuality though, that’s a long shot, especially for clubs like the Celtics and Suns, whose team salaries are well beyond the second tax apron.
Used last year:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Toronto Raptors
As noted in the intro, these are the two teams that used their bi-annual exceptions in 2023/24 and, as a result, won’t have them again until 2025/26.
Charania’s Latest: Markkanen, Warriors, Ingram, Bucks, Trent, Westbrook, More
The Warriors have been the “most engaged” trade suitor for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen this offseason, but the two teams are divided on what a potential Golden State package would look like, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.
According to Charania, the Warriors have discussed an offer that would center around Moses Moody and a number of draft assets, including multiple first-round picks, multiple second-rounders, and multiple pick swaps. However, Utah has sought “the bulk of young talent and capital” Golden State controls, including Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga in addition to Moody and draft assets. Sources tell Charania that idea has been a “non-starter” for the Warriors.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is another notable name still on the trade market, but teams around the league believe his market is limited, according to Charania, since some potential suitors (including the Kings and Spurs) made moves for other forwards and most other teams aren’t looking to make a major trade at this point in the offseason. If the market for Ingram remains quiet, New Orleans could assess its current group to open the regular season before deciding whether a trade is necessary, Charania suggests.
With most of the NBA’s other teams focused on tweaking their rosters around the edges, one high-ranking team official told Charania, “It might be one of the more quiet summers.”
Here’s more from Charania:
- The Bucks are in the market for help at shooting guard and are among the contending teams pursuing Gary Trent Jr., sources tell The Athletic. However, due to its proximity to the second tax apron, Milwaukee is limited to a minimum-salary offer, and one recent report suggested that Trent isn’t interested in accepting a minimum deal. The Bucks are hosting a free agent workout this week in Las Vegas, Charania notes, with Will Barton expected to be among the participants.
- While there has been no action on the Russell Westbrook front as of late, the Clippers and the former MVP still plan to part ways this offseason, says Charania. The Nuggets are considered the favorites to sign Westbrook if he reaches free agency, Charania adds, but Los Angeles is still discussing possible trades.
- The Grizzlies are exploring trade possibilities involving former lottery pick Ziaire Williams, sources tell Charania. The Grizzlies aren’t far from the luxury tax line and will likely have to shed some salary if they want to use their full mid-level exception or re-sign Luke Kennard while staying out of tax territory.
Central Notes: Bulls, LaVine, Pistons, Mathurin, Morris
Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Las Vegas, Bulls president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas explained why the front office waited until this summer to shake up a roster that finished below .500 in each of the past two regular seasons.
“I think three years ago when we came up with our plan, our formula, that worked for a short period of time until we got into injuries. The reactions, the second year and then obviously, we waited a third year to see where we at,” Karnisovas said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Now, we’re kind of making these changes. You could argue it’s too late or early. But that’s where we are right now. We felt that we owed to that group to give them a chance to figure it out. And when we cannot figure it out, that’s when it’s up to us to have direction of the team and make changes. And that’s what happened.”
Those changes have included trading Alex Caruso for fourth-year guard Josh Giddey and letting DeMar DeRozan leave for Sacramento in a sign-and-trade deal. As Johnson relays, Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley both raved about DeRozan’s three years in Chicago, referring to him as a player who represented the team’s values and who was an “extension of (head coach) Billy (Donovan) on the court and off the court.”
While a trade involving Zach LaVine remains possible before the 2024/25 season begins, the Bulls’ top executives suggested on Sunday that they don’t want to make a bad deal to just get LaVine – who has three years left on his maximum-salary contract – off their books. Karnisovas spoke as if the team is preparing for the two-time All-Star to remain on the roster this fall, and Johnson says management believes injuries contributed to LaVine’s slow start last season.
“We expect Zach being fully healthy. And he is healthy. I think he can help this group next year. He’s been professional,” Karnisovas said. “Again, he’s healthy. We expect him to be with us at the start of training camp.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- The Pistons‘ roster isn’t necessarily a finished product, but with 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, it’s getting pretty close, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. With that in mind, Edwards explores what the team’s depth chart for 2024/25 might look like, explaining why he’s penciling in Ausar Thompson over Simone Fontecchio as a starter at small forward.
- Bennedict Mathurin, whose 2023/24 season came to an early end due to shoulder surgery, has “almost been cleared for contact,” according to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). The expectation is that Mathurin will be ready to go for training camp this fall.
- The Pacers announced on Saturday that Jim Morris, the vice chairman of Pacers Sports and Entertainment, has died at the age of 81. “There are no words that would do justice to how consequential Jim’s life truly was,” Pacers governor Herb Simon said as part of a longer statement. In a statement of his own (Twitter link), NBA commissioner Adam Silver referred to Morris as “Indiana royalty.”
Wall, Thomas, Caboclo Seeking NBA Contracts
Former No. 1 overall pick and five-time All-Star John Wall is among the NBA veterans who are in Las Vegas this week in the hopes of finding their way back into the league. Making an appearance on ESPN’s Summer League broadcast on Sunday (YouTube link), Wall said he’s seeking a new NBA home after having not been on a roster since February 2023.
“My focus is to still work hard and come here and network and be around teams,” Wall said (hat tip to Nick Jungfer of Basketball Forever). Whatever role it is, I’m willing to accept. … If it’s going to a team and being a vet and teaching the young guys how to be a point guard, just to help, that’s a development I’m willing to do.”
Once a 20-point-per-game scorer who was consistently among the league leaders in assists, Wall dealt with a series of leg injuries – including a torn Achilles – and hasn’t played more than 41 games in a season since 2016/17. He appeared in 34 contests for the Clippers in ’22/23, but his shooting rates (.408/.303/.681) were well below his career averages and he has lost a step on defense. The 33-year-old was traded from Los Angeles to Houston at the 2023 deadline and was waived by the Rockets a few days later.
Another former All-Star guard who has struggled to hold a consistent NBA roster spot in recent years, Isaiah Thomas also appeared on ESPN’s Sunday broadcast (YouTube link) and told Cassidy Hubbarth that he continues to seek a new contract after finishing last season with the Suns. Thomas’ time with Phoenix in March and April represented his first stint in the NBA in two years.
“I’m a free agent right now. (I’m) talking to a few teams trying to see what the best opportunity is down the line,” Thomas said. “I want to play a year or two more. Just staying on the slow grind. Staying patiently ready. Knowing that I can impact an organization whether I play or not, and be super impactful each and every day. So I’m just waiting for the call.”
Like Wall, Thomas hasn’t played a full NBA season since 2016/17 and has been slowed by injuries since then — in Thomas’ case, a hip issue limited his availability for multiple years. In the seven years since he averaged 28.9 points per game in 76 starts for Boston in ’16/17, he has played just 115 total NBA games.
Meanwhile, former NBA first-round pick Bruno Caboclo, who has been out of the league since 2020/21, is also in Vegas in search of an NBA offer, according to a report from Mozzart Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops).
A 6’9″ forward, Caboclo never developed into a reliable role player in the NBA, but has excelled in Europe, earning All-EuroCup Second Team honors and winning a German League (Basketball Bundesliga) championship with Ratiopharm Ulm in 2023. The 28-year-old technically remains under contract with KK Partizan, but has been at odds with the Serbian club and reportedly doesn’t intend to return, per Mozzart Sport.
While it’s not uncommon for free agents to hold workouts for NBA teams in Vegas during Summer League, with so many league personnel in attendance, it’s unclear if Wall, Thomas, or Caboclo will be holding any such workouts or if they’re simply in town for networking purposes.
Cavs’ Darius Garland: “I Don’t Want To Be Traded”
A May report from The Athletic suggested that if Donovan Mitchell were to sign a contract extension this offseason, Darius Garland‘s agent Rich Paul was expected to have a conversation with the Cavaliers about possibly finding a new home for his client. However, even though Mitchell signed his extension, Garland is uninterested in initiating that conversation, as he told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“I don’t want to be traded,” Garland said. “Those are just rumors.”
Sources tell Fedor that Paul and Cavaliers head of basketball operations Koby Altman have spoken this offseason, but there has been no indication that Garland’s camp is seeking a change of scenery, and the team has made it clear it has no interest in moving the former All-Star.
According to Fedor, Garland was thrilled for Mitchell when his backcourt mate signed a lucrative new deal with Cleveland and was excited about the team’s hiring of Kenny Atkinson as its new head coach.
Garland has been in Las Vegas participating in some on-court workouts and meeting with Atkinson — during a dinner on Friday, the two men discussed offensive schemes and sets, as well as the 24-year-old’s role, Fedor notes.
“It sounds really good,” Garland said. “A lot of spacing and a lot of room for me and Don and all of the other guys to be able to thrive.”
Atkinson, who has spoken about Garland in glowing terms since being hired in Cleveland, shares his point guard’s enthusiasm.
“I can’t wait to work with them,” Atkinson said of the Cavs’ star guards. “I was a point guard and that’s the quarterback. Those guys are running the show and it’s such a huge position in this league. I identity with them. Huge fan of Darius. Always been a fan. Underrated. Underrated passer. I don’t think he gets enough credit for the feel. Then, Donovan we all know, he’s the real deal. The great ones have a different type of work ethic. He’s wired a little bit differently.”
Garland had a down year in 2023/24, as his averages of 18.0 PPG and 6.5 APG and his .446/.371/.834 shooting line were all below his career rates. But that was less about sharing the ball with Mitchell and more about other a handful of other factors, including a fractured jaw and the weight loss that resulted from drinking out of a straw for over a month. Garland’s grandmother also passed away, according to Fedor, which led to him leaving the team on off days multiple times.
“It was a lot,” Garland told Fedor. “Sometimes you just have to go through it. Always bumps in the road. This was a big speed bump. It was really tough last year. It was definitely a learning experience for me. Just tried to stay mentally locked in and tried to keep my head up and keep a smile on my face. I just had to stay mentally strong while going through a tough time in my life and having to fight adversity.”
Hornets Re-Sign Miles Bridges To Three-Year Deal
JULY 14: Bridges officially signed his deal to return to Charlotte, the Hornets announced (Twitter link).
JULY 6: The Hornets are re-signing free agent forward Miles Bridges, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN (Twitter links), Bridges’ new deal will be worth $75MM over three years and won’t include a team or player option.
After accepting his one-year, $7.9MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 69 games for the Hornets last season, posting a shooting line of .462/.349/.825. His contract gave him veto rights on any trade and he told the team in February that he intended to exercise those rights rather than approve a deal elsewhere.
While that stance was partly about not wanting to lose his Bird rights, Bridges also repeatedly expressed a desire to remain in Charlotte, and that interest was reciprocated by the Hornets’ front office, led by new head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson. The two sides have made good on those public comments by agreeing to terms nearly a week into free agency.
Bridges’ scoring ability, size, and versatility are ideal for an NBA forward, but his market in free agency was almost certainly affected by his off-court history, which includes multiple allegations of domestic violence.
Facing three felony charges after being accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children, Bridges entered a plea of no contest — accepting punishment without formally admitting guilt — to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent in November 2022.
The Hornets forward received three years probation and no jail time as part of the plea deal, which led to a 30-game suspension from the NBA (he was permitted to serve just 10 games of that suspension because he spent the entire 2022/23 season out of the league while his case played out). He subsequently faced three additional criminal counts related to a separate incident, but those were dismissed this February due to insufficient evidence.
Charlotte has been keeping Bridges’ $15MM cap hold on its books during the early part of free agency. The club will use up all of its cap room on other deals before going over the cap to re-sign Bridges using his Bird rights.
Heat Notes: Jovic, Swider, Williams, Jaquez
A report from Serbian outlet Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops) suggests that forward Nikola Jovic suffered a fracture in his ankle joint in the spring, but the Heat continue to refer to Jovic’s injury – which he sustained last month during a drill at Kaseya Center – as a left ankle sprain and a fractured toe, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
According to Chiang, the injury has improved in recent weeks and the Heat expect the former first-round pick to be available when training camps tip off this fall. However, Jovic’s status for the Olympics remains up in the air.
The Heat haven’t ruled out the possibility of medically clearing Jovic prior to the Olympics, a league source tells Chiang, but that clearance hasn’t happened yet. And even if the team does clear him, the Serbian basketball federation will make the final decision on Jovic’s status for the Paris Games, Chiang adds.
According to Meridian Sport, Jovic didn’t travel with the Serbian national team for its exhibition games in France (on July 12) and in Abu Dhabi (vs. Australia and the U.S. on July 16-17).
Here’s more on the Heat:
- In a separate story for The Miami Herald, Chiang examines what it means for the Heat’s roster that they withdrew their qualifying offers to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams. As Chiang details, Miami doesn’t have room under the second tax apron to add a 15th man at this point, but could still rotate players in and out of its two-way contract slots. While the Heat aren’t technically hard-capped at the second apron, they’ve made it clear they have no desire to surpass that threshold unless it’s to acquire a star player.
- The Heat made an early playoff exit this spring and haven’t done much to upgrade their roster this summer, but they still believe they’re capable of contending if they stay healthy, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson isn’t so sure, arguing that Miami isn’t among the top tier of Eastern Conference teams and making the case that the front office should at least consider the possibility of a Jimmy Butler trade before the season begins.
- Second-year forward Jaime Jaquez isn’t concerned about the Heat’s relatively quiet offseason, suggesting that the front office’s lack of major moves reflects its confidence in the current group — and in the team’s developmental prowess. “I think when you look at what they’ve been doing in the offseason, they’re betting on the guys that they’ve brought in here, guys that they have drafted,” Jaquez said this week, according to Chiang. “As a player, you got to respect that and you want to make good on their bets. Betting on us, so it’s our job, especially us younger guys like myself and (Jovic), to step up into these roles and take that challenge. I think we’re both ready for it.”
- Jaquez, who is on the Heat’s Summer League roster in Las Vegas, added that he’s going to work on improving his “leadership skills” this month.
How Teams Are Using 2024/25 Mid-Level Exceptions
In addition to receiving nearly $141MM in cap room and being allowed to surpass that threshold in order to sign players using Bird Rights or the minimum salary exception, each NBA team also receives a mid-level exception. The value of this exception varies depending on a club’s total team salary.
A team that goes under the cap to use its available cap room, for instance, receives a form of the MLE known as the room exception. An over-the-cap team receives the full mid-level exception, unless that team is also over the first tax apron ($178,132,000), in which case it gets a modest “taxpayer” version of the MLE. A team whose salary is over the second tax apron ($188,931,000) isn’t permitted to use its mid-level at all.
We detailed the exact values of each form of mid-level exception earlier this offseason, but here’s a quick breakdown:
- Room exception: Can be used for contracts up to three years, with a starting salary worth up to $7,983,000.
- Full/non-taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to four years, with a starting salary worth up to $12,822,000.
- Note: Though its name suggests otherwise, using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception doesn’t mean a team can’t or won’t be above the luxury tax line ($170,814,000) at season’s end; it simply means the team’s total salary can’t surpass the first tax apron ($178,132,000).
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to two years, with a starting salary worth up to $5,168,000.
Now that most of the NBA’s teams have used up their cap space, it’s worth keeping an eye on which clubs still have part or all of their mid-level exceptions available, which we’ll do in the space below.
This list will be kept up to date throughout the 2024/25 league year, with new MLE deals added once those signings are officially completed and we confirm the contract details.
Note: After the 2025 trade deadline, the value of the exceptions below will begin to prorate downward.
Here’s where things currently stand:
Mid-Level Exception:
Non-taxpayer: $12,822,000
Taxpayer: $5,183,000
Teams marked with an asterisk (*) technically have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception but aren’t currently in position to use the entire thing without surpassing the first tax apron.
Atlanta Hawks
- Used: $11,423,077 (Terance Mann)
Note: Mann was acquired via trade.
Boston Celtics
- Used: $0
- The Celtics are operating above the second apron and don’t currently have access to a mid-level exception.
Brooklyn Nets
- Used: $635,853 (Tyrese Martin)
Chicago Bulls
- Used: $8,571,429 (Jalen Smith)
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Used: $0 *
Dallas Mavericks
- Used: $8,571,429 (Naji Marshall)
Denver Nuggets
- Used: $5,168,000 (Dario Saric)
- The Nuggets are operating above the first apron and can’t currently use more than the taxpayer portion of the MLE.
Golden State Warriors
- Used: $12,822,000 (De’Anthony Melton)
Houston Rockets
- Used: $4,018,363 (Jaden Springer); $3,500,000 (Cody Zeller); $515,881 (Jeenathan Williams)
Note: Springer and Zeller were acquired via trade.
Indiana Pacers
- Used: $0 *
Los Angeles Clippers
- Used: $9,523,810 (Derrick Jones); $1,050,000 (Jordan Miller)
Los Angeles Lakers
- Used: $0
Memphis Grizzlies
- Used: $2,087,519 (Scotty Pippen Jr.); $2,088,033 (Jay Huff)
Miami Heat
- Used: $8,780,488 (Kyle Anderson)
Note: Anderson was acquired via trade.
Milwaukee Bucks
- Used: $0
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Used: $0
- The Timberwolves are operating above the second apron and don’t currently have access to a mid-level exception.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Used: $12,804,878 (Kelly Olynyk)
Note: Olynyk was acquired via trade.
New York Knicks
- Used: $0
- The Knicks aren’t currently in position to use any portion of the MLE due to their proximity to the second apron.
Phoenix Suns
- Used: $0
- The Suns are operating above the second apron and don’t currently have access to a mid-level exception.
Portland Trail Blazers
- Used: $0 *
Sacramento Kings
- Used: $9,900,000 (Jonas Valanciunas)
Note: Valanciunas was acquired via trade.
Toronto Raptors
- Used: $1,000,000 (Jamison Battle); $100,000 (A.J. Lawson); $100,000 (Colin Castleton)
Washington Wizards
- Used: $6,758,139 (Saddiq Bey); $1,800,000 (Justin Champagnie)
Room Exception:
Available: $7,983,000
Charlotte Hornets
- Used: $2,425,404 (DaQuan Jeffries); $2,237,692 (Charlie Brown Jr.); $2,162,607 (Duane Washington); $957,763 (Moussa Diabate)
Note: Jeffries, Brown, and Washington were all acquired via trade.
Detroit Pistons
- Used: $0
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Used: $3,000,000 (Ajay Mitchell)
Orlando Magic
- Used: $0
Philadelphia 76ers
- Used: $7,983,000 (Kelly Oubre)
San Antonio Spurs
- Used: $4,741,800 (Jalen McDaniels); $2,448,840 (Patrick Baldwin)
Note: McDaniels and Baldwin were acquired via trade.
Utah Jazz
- Used: $3,879,840 (Jalen Hood-Schifino); $634,437 (Jaden Springer)
Note: Hood-Schifino was acquired via trade.
Information from CapSheets.com was used in the creation of this post.