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Author: Luke Adams

Heat Notes: Jovic, Swider, Williams, Jaquez

By | at July 13, 2024 4:01 pm

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.
7 comments Miami Heat

How Teams Are Using 2024/25 Mid-Level Exceptions

By | at July 13, 2024 3:07 pm

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

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

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Used: $0 *

Dallas Mavericks

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

Houston Rockets

Note: Springer and Zeller were acquired via trade.

Indiana Pacers

  • Used: $0 *

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Used: $0

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

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

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

Note: Valanciunas was acquired via trade.

Toronto Raptors

Washington Wizards

Room Exception:

Available: $7,983,000

Charlotte Hornets

Note: Jeffries, Brown, and Washington were all acquired via trade.

Detroit Pistons

  • Used: $0

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

  • Used: $0

Philadelphia 76ers

San Antonio Spurs

Note: McDaniels and Baldwin were acquired via trade.

Utah Jazz

Note: Hood-Schifino was acquired via trade.

Information from CapSheets.com was used in the creation of this post.

5 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

Central Notes: Beauchamp, Pistons, Burleson, Holland, Bulls

By | at July 13, 2024 1:56 pm

Former first-round pick MarJon Beauchamp has appeared in 100 games across his first two seasons with the Bucks, but he has yet to establish himself as an indispensable part of the rotation, having averaged a modest 13.1 minutes per night since entering the NBA. Beauchamp will be suiting up for Milwaukee’s Summer League team for a third consecutive year and wants to show in Las Vegas that he’s capable of taking on a larger role this fall, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic details.

“I asked (Bucks head coach Doc Rivers) and he said he wanted me to play two games, and it’s up to me after that,” Beauchamp told Nehm. “But really, I just want to do whatever’s going to help me get on the court next year. So, I’m sacrificing, and I feel like I just need to go out there and be me, of course, and just show that I can guard and make open shots and just be able to play.”

While Beauchamp’s two years of NBA experience will give him a leg up on most of the other players in Vegas, the Bucks don’t just want him just looking to rack up big scoring numbers, Nehm writes. The club’s summer league coach, Pete Dominguez, said the 23-year-old wing has been asked to focus on making the right plays when he gets the basketball.

“Doc has been consistent with him,” Dominguez said. “Quick decisions. Don’t hold it. Shoot it, drive it, pass it. Quick decisions. That’s what we’ve been drilling with him all summer long. I think that’s what he’s getting ready to really showcase in Las Vegas.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • The Pistons are hiring Kevin Burleson as an assistant coach under J.B. Bickerstaff, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Burleson, who has also served as an assistant in Memphis and Minnesota, has been the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston’s G League affiliate) for the past two seasons. He was previously part of Bickerstaff’s coaching staff for one season in Memphis (2018/19).
  • Following his first Summer League practice in Las Vegas, No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland spoke to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic about his first few weeks as a member of the Pistons, expressing his appreciation that the team drafted him without having hosted him for a pre-draft workout. “I did nine or 10 workouts and they weren’t one of them,” Holland said. “In talking to (the Pistons) and talking to my agent, I learned that they watched a lot of film and did a lot of background research on me. For them to still do all that, and not be able to get me for a workout, it does mean a lot. It shows that they have a lot of confidence in me and believe in my passion for the game. They see me as someone who can come here and help turn the program around, and that’s a huge blessing to me.”
  • The Bulls have officially announced that Wes Unseld Jr. and Dan Craig are joining Billy Donovan‘s coaching staff, as was reported earlier in the offseason. The team’s announcement also included confirmation that assistant coach John Bryant has been promoted to the front of the bench, Henry Domercant is transitioning from his role as head coach of the Windy City Bulls to become a second-row assistant in Chicago, and Billy Donovan III is the new head coach in Windy City.
5 comments Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons Milwaukee Bucks

Nuggets Rookie DaRon Holmes Tears Right Achilles

By | at July 13, 2024 5:36 am

DaRon Holmes‘ rookie season appears to be over before it started. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Holmes sustained a torn right Achilles tendon during his Summer League debut on Friday and is expected to miss all of 2024/25.

It’s a brutal blow for a player whom the Nuggets were so high on that they surrendered three second-round picks in order to move up from No. 28 to No. 22 in last month’s draft to make sure they got him.

While there was no guarantee Holmes would have played rotation minutes in his first NBA season, he likely would have been given the opportunity to earn a regular role on a Denver team that will need contributions from a few of its younger players. Instead, the forward/center’s NBA debut will almost certainly be delayed until the fall of 2025.

Prior to entering this year’s draft, Holmes compiled an impressive résumé in three college seasons at Dayton, earning All-Atlantic 10 honors in all three years, including a First Team spot in 2023 and 2024. He was named the Atlantic 10 co-Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 after averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.1 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game across 33 starts in 2023/24. He also posted a shooting line of .544/.386/.713.

Prior to his injury on Friday, Holmes had been enjoying a solid Summer League debut, with 11 points and seven rebounds. His parents and agent were in attendance at the game, notes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

With Holmes sidelined for the 2024/25 season, the Nuggets figure to lean more on Zeke Nnaji and newly signed big men Dario Saric and Vlatko Cancar for frontcourt depth. DeAndre Jordan will also be back, though his new deal with the team isn’t yet official.

As Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports observes (via Twitter), Denver could apply for a disabled player exception following Holmes’ injury, but it would be worth just $1,532,820, half of the rookie’s $3,065,640 salary, so it wouldn’t be very useful. You can learn more about how disabled player exceptions work in our glossary.

15 comments Denver Nuggets Newsstand

Pistons Re-Sign Simone Fontecchio To Two-Year Deal

By | at July 12, 2024 7:17 pm

JULY 12: The Pistons have officially re-signed Fontecchio, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

JULY 6: The Pistons and free agent wing Simone Fontecchio are in agreement on a two-year, $16MM contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Fontecchio, 28, played professionally in Europe from 2012-22 before signing with the Jazz two summers ago. He spent a season-and-a-half in Utah, then was traded to Detroit at this year’s trade deadline.

In 66 total games (43 starts) for the Jazz and Pistons in 2023/24, the Italian wing averaged 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 24.9 minutes per game, with a strong shooting line of .460/.401/.818.

Because he only has two years of NBA experience under his belt, Fontecchio was eligible for restricted free agency, and the Pistons issued him a $5.2MM qualifying offer to ensure that he wouldn’t be able to sign with another team without Detroit getting a chance to match.

It didn’t come to that, however, as the Pistons and Fontecchio have worked out a new deal directly, less than a week after the free agent period officially opened.

Fontecchio will provide additional shooting on a team that is prioritizing spacing the floor around rising star guard Cade Cunningham. Detroit has also agreed to sign Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris while acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. in a trade with Dallas.

Fontecchio’s new deal won’t affect the Pistons’ cap room, since his $5.2MM cap hold has already been accounted for in the team’s cap projections. Detroit will be able to go over the cap to officially re-sign him using his Early Bird rights.

5 comments Detroit Pistons Transactions

Olympic Notes: Kawhi, Durant, Coulibaly, Germany

By | at July 12, 2024 11:59 am

The decision to remove Kawhi Leonard from the roster for the U.S. Olympic team was made by USA Basketball, managing director Grant Hill told reporters this week (story via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Reports on Wednesday suggested that Leonard’s camp had expressed concerns to Team USA about the forward’s knee, but Hill took responsibility for the move to replace Leonard with Derrick White.

“We just felt that we had to pivot, and not to get into the particulars, in terms of what went into the decision, but we just felt it was in our best interest, but also in the Clippers’ and Kawhi’s best interest, to move into a different direction,” Hill said. “We tried. I think we all tried and we gave it a valiant effort, and unfortunately, we have to move forward.”

Asked directly if Team USA made that call, Hill replied, “We did. Ultimately he was sent home, but we were in conversation with the Clippers on that.”

Another one of Team USA’s forwards – Kevin Durant – is dealing with an injury of his own, but Hill expressed optimism that KD’s calf strain won’t keep him sidelined for much longer. It’s unclear if Durant will actually play in either of the team’s exhibition games in Abu Dhabi, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). However, it sounds like he’ll return to practice soon.

“Durant will be on the plane, unless you know something,” Hill said. “He has been working, rehabbing, he’s looked great. I think we’re just being cautious and conservative. I think we expect to see him on the court when we’re in Abu Dhabi.”

Here’s more on Team USA and the upcoming Olympics:

  • Team USA looked just fine without Leonard and Durant on Wednesday in an exhibition game against Team Canada. While the U.S. struggled offensively, the team played excellent defense against a strong Canadian roster led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray and won by a comfortable 86-72 margin. A panel of ESPN experts shares their takeaways from that game, while Bontemps passes along post-game quotes from head coach Steve Kerr and a handful of U.S. players about their performance.
  • Speaking to Bontemps (YouTube link), Durant pushed back on the idea that he, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry are viewing the 2024 Olympics as a “last hurrah” or “farewell tour” playing for Team USA. “These guys are still playing at an elite level,” Durant said. “I feel like ‘Bron could play four or five more (seasons), he might be here in 2028 in L.A. Steph’s still playing great ball. I’m doing alright too. So I don’t want to look at it that way. I think we’ve still got some good ball in the tank.”
  • Still just 19 years old, Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly will get the opportunity this summer to represent the French national team at the Olympics in his home country. He tells Sapna Bansil of The Washington Post that he views it as a “once-in-a-lifetime moment” and that he’s enjoying being able to reunite with former Metropolitans 92 teammate Victor Wembanyama. “I forgot how easy it was to play with him,” Coulibaly said. “… Even with the friendly games, he’s been doing his thing, I’ve been doing my thing. We just complement each other very well.”
  • Coming off a gold medal at the 2023 World Cup, Germany has finalized its roster for the Paris Olympics, formally announcing the 12-man group in a press release. As expected, NBA veterans Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, and Daniel Theis are among the headliners.
4 comments 2024 Olympics USA Basketball

Rockets Guarantee Jeff Green’s Salary For 2024/25

By | at July 12, 2024 10:20 am

The Rockets have guaranteed Jeff Green‘s salary for the 2024/25 season, confirms Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Houston exercised Green’s team option at the June 29 deadline, but his salary didn’t become fully guaranteed for another couple weeks.

As our list of early salary guarantee dates shows, Houston would have had to waive Green on or before July 11 in order to avoid being on the hook for his $8MM base salary in 2024/25. There were reports leading up to free agency indicating that the Rockets had no plans to cut the veteran forward, so it comes as no surprise that the two sides didn’t agree to push back that guarantee date.

Green will turn 38 years old next month and will be entering his 18th NBA season this fall. He continued to play a regular rotation role for the Rockets last season, though his 16.8 minutes per game represented a new career low. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 78 appearances (six starts), posting a shooting line of .456/.331/.819.

Green’s contract also includes $1.6MM in annual incentives, but he didn’t earn those bonuses last season, so they’re considered unlikely in 2024/25 and have been removed from his cap hit, lowering that figure from $9.6MM to $8MM. Green would have to appear in at least 55 games and average 19 or more minutes per contest in order to earn that extra $1.6MM.

Green is one of a handful of players on Houston’s roster who could become a trade chip for salary-matching purposes if the team looks to make a major move before or during the season. Green ($8MM), Jock Landale ($8MM), and Jae’Sean Tate ($7.57MM) are all on contracts that don’t include any guaranteed money beyond ’24/25.

5 comments Houston Rockets

Northwest Notes: Murray, Nuggets, Trent, Joe, Sharpe, Markkanen

By | at July 12, 2024 9:58 am

Shams Charania reported back on June 27 that the Nuggets and Jamal Murray were “working toward” a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension, with the team expected to make the offer and the star guard expected to accept it. Over two weeks later, there’s still no deal in place.

A report earlier this week indicated that the Nuggets and Murray will likely wait until after the Olympics to finalize an agreement, and the 27-year-old Canadian essentially confirmed as much when asked this week by Troy Renck of The Denver Post about his contract situation.

“When we get there, we get there,” Murray said after the Canadian team lost an exhibition game to Team USA in Las Vegas on Wednesday. “I’m playing games right now for Canada, so that’s not on my mind.”

A maximum-salary extension for Murray, who is entering the final year of his current deal, would be worth a projected $207.85MM over four seasons.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Gary Trent Jr. isn’t a viable target for the Nuggets in free agency, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link), who hears that the 25-year-old swingman isn’t interested in accepting a minimum-salary contract and that there may not be much interest on Denver’s side anyway.
  • Isaiah Joe‘s new four-year, $48MM contract with the Thunder includes a fourth-year team option and has a descending salary structure, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Joe’s cap hit in 2024/25 will be $12,991,650 before dipping to $12,362,338 in ’25/26, with third- and fourth-year salaries of $11,323,006.
  • Although he attended Team Canada’s pre-Olympic training camp this summer, Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe wasn’t in the mix for a spot on the 2024 Paris roster. But Sharpe, who has been medically cleared following his core muscle surgery in February, is in Canada’s future plans, head coach Jordi Fernandez tells Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “We value him as an important player in the future, being a big part of this program,” Fernandez said. “We don’t only care about this tournament. We care about AmeriCup and the World Cup and L.A. in 2028. We want Shaedon to be a part of that.”
  • Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune takes a closer look at the Lauri Markkanen situation in Utah, exploring why the Jazz might be motivated to move the star forward and what they could reasonably expect to get in return.
6 comments Denver Nuggets Oklahoma City Thunder Portland Trail Blazers Utah Jazz

2024/25 NBA Contract Extension Tracker

By | at July 12, 2024 8:57 am

Three 2024 free agents – OG Anunoby, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey – signed contracts worth more than $200MM this offseason, and they weren’t the only members of the ’24 FA class who secured nine-digit paydays. However, the most lucrative deals signed since the new league year began weren’t free agent deals at all — they were contract extensions.

Extensions, of course, don’t involve adding a new player to the roster. By extending a contract, a team ensures that a current player will remain locked up for multiple years to come. Although a contract extension may not change the club’s short-term outlook on the court, it can have a major impact on that team’s salary cap situation for the next several seasons.

Rookie scale extensions are one form of contract extension. Former first-round picks who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie deals are eligible to sign those up until the day before the 2024/25 regular season begins. Rookie scale extensions have become more common than ever in recent years — there were 11 signed in both 2021 and 2022, followed by a record 14 in 2023.

[RELATED: Players Eligible For Rookie Scale Extensions In 2024 Offseason]

While they used to be rarer than rookie scale extensions, veteran extensions are happening more frequently these days too. The league’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement expanded the rules for eligibility and created some additional incentives for star players to sign new deals before they reach free agency, and the 2023 CBA has further incentivized veteran extensions. During the 2023/24 league year, a total of 17 veteran extensions were signed.

The deadline for a veteran extension for a player who isn’t in the final year of his current contract is the day before the regular season tips off. However, a player eligible for a veteran extension who is on an expiring deal can sign a new contract throughout the league year, all the way up to June 30, the day before he becomes a free agent.

Listed below are the players who have finalized contract extensions so far in 2024/25. This list, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site (or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu), will be kept up to date throughout the ’24/25 league year, with more extension details added as we learn them.

Note: Projected values for maximum-salary extensions are based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26 and a $170,112,000 cap for 2026/27. Those contracts are based on a percentage of the cap, so their values would fluctuate depending on exactly where the ’25/26 and ’26/27 caps end up.

Rookie scale contract extensions:

  • Scottie Barnes (Raptors): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $269,085,780 if Barnes meets Rose Rule performance criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Cade Cunningham (Pistons): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $269,085,780 if Cunningham meets Rose Rule performance criteria. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Evan Mobley (Cavaliers): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $246,661,965 or $269,085,780 if Mobley meets Rose Rule performance criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Franz Wagner (Magic): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $246,661,965 or $269,085,780 if Wagner meets Rose Rule performance criteria. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Alperen Sengun (Rockets): Five years, $185,000,000 (story). Fifth-year player option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Jalen Suggs (Magic): Five years, $150,500,000 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • Jalen Johnson (Hawks): Five years, $150,000,000 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • Trey Murphy (Pelicans): Four years, $112,000,000 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • Jalen Green (Rockets): Three years, $105,333,333 (story). Third-year player option. Includes 10% trade kicker. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Corey Kispert (Wizards): Four years, $54,050,000 (story). Fourth-year team option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Moses Moody (Warriors): Three years, $37,500,000 (story). Includes $1,500,000 in incentives. Starts in 2025/26.

Veteran contract extensions:

  • Jayson Tatum (Celtics): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $313,933,410 (super-max). Fifth-year player option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Lauri Markkanen (Jazz): Four years, $195,868,144 (story). Includes renegotiation (2024/25 salary increased from $18,044,544 to $42,176,400). $220,000,000 in total new money. Extension starts in 2025/26.
  • Jamal Murray (Nuggets): Four years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $207,845,568. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Joel Embiid (Sixers): Three years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $192,907,008. Third-year player option. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Bam Adebayo (Heat): Three years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $165,348,864. Third-year player option. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jalen Brunson (Knicks): Four years, $156,549,124 (story). Fourth-year player option. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers): Three years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $150,316,884. Third-year player option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Brandon Ingram (Raptors): Three years, $120,000,000 (story). Third-year player option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Derrick White (Celtics): Four years, $118,048,000 (story). Fourth-year player option. Includes $7,840,000 in incentives. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Jimmy Butler (Warriors): Two years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $110,959,223. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves): Three years, $109,500,000 (story). Third-year player option. Includes 7.5% trade kicker. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Aaron Gordon (Nuggets): Three years, $103,608,840 (story). Third-year player option. Includes $5,443,200 in incentives. Includes 3% trade kicker. Starts in 2026/27.
    • Note: Gordon exercised his $22,841,455 player option for 2025/26 as part of the extension agreement.
  • Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers): Three years, $90,720,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Alex Caruso (Thunder): Four years, $81,096,960 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • Stephen Curry (Warriors): One year, $62,587,158 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jonathan Isaac (Magic): Four years, $59,000,000 (story). Includes renegotiation (2024/25 salary increased from $17,400,000 to $25,000,000). $66,600,000 in total new money. Second year of extension partially guaranteed ($8MM); third and fourth years non-guaranteed. Extension starts in 2025/26.
  • Wendell Carter Jr. (Magic): Three years, $58,650,480 (story). Third-year team option. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Andrew Nembhard (Pacers): Three years, $58,650,480 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • Ivica Zubac (Clippers): Three years, $58,650,480 (story). Includes 5% trade kicker. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Terance Mann (Clippers): Three years, $47,000,000 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • Sam Hauser (Celtics): Four years, $45,000,000 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • T.J. McConnell (Pacers): Four years, $44,800,000 (story). Third year partially guaranteed ($5MM). Fourth-year team option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Steven Adams (Rockets): Three years, $39,000,000 (story). Starts in 2025/26.
  • Jaylin Williams (Thunder): Three years, $24,000,000 (story). Third-year team option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Lonzo Ball (Bulls): Two years, $20,000,000 (story). Second-year team option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Jaden Hardy (Mavericks): Three years, $18,000,000 (story). Third-year team option. Starts in 2025/26.
  • Jose Alvarado (Pelicans): Two years, $9,000,000 (story). Second-year player option. Starts in 2025/26.
3 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

And-Ones: Moneke, Harrell, Offseason, Sarkar, TNT, G League

By | at July 12, 2024 7:50 am

Former Kings forward Chima Moneke drew NBA interest this offseason, but his pricey contract buyout was a major obstacle, so he’ll be remaining with Spanish team Baskonia for the 2024/25 season, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. Moneke is expected to be a sought-after free agent in Europe when his contract expires in 2025 and could consider an NBA return again at that point, Urbonas notes.

Moneke appeared in just two NBA regular season games for Sacramento during the first half of the 2022/23 season before being waived in January 2023. However, the former UC Davis star has thrived overseas in recent years, earning All-Liga ACB (Spanish League) honors in 2022 and 2024 and winning an LNB Elite (French League) championship in 2023.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Former Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell published a story on The Players’ Tribune this week detailing what he has gone through off the court in recent years – including the death of his grandmother, a marijuana-related arrest, and a torn ACL and meniscus – and expressing a desire to get back into the NBA. Harrell was waived last October by the Sixers following his offseason knee injury.
  • What roster moves are still on tap for NBA teams now that only a few notable free agents are still on the board? John Hollinger of The Athletic explores that question, naming some possible trade candidates – including Brandon Ingram and Lauri Markkanen – and potential contract extension recipients to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
  • Somak Sarkar, the former Timberwolves employee who was fired for stealing thousands of files, will avoid jail time after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized computer access, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN. A Minnesota judge ruled that Sarkar will serve probation for up to two years and pay a fine of $200.
  • With TNT Sports seemingly on the verge of losing its NBA broadcast rights, Michael McCann of Sportico considers whether Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT’s parent company) has any legal recourse to contest the league’s agreements with new partners NBC and Amazon.
  • The G League Ignite is no more, but the G League Fall Invitational will still take place this September, according to an announcement from the league. The G League United – a select team made up of top NBAGL prospects – will face Serbian team Mega Basket on September 4 and 6 at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz.
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