NBA’s Top 50 Highest-Paid Players For 2021/22
Many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, but the 2021/22 salaries for those players vary significantly depending on when the player signed his contract and how much NBA experience he has. That’s why a player like Stephen Curry will earn about $17.7MM more than Jayson Tatum in ’21/22 despite both stars technically being on max deals.
When a player signs a maximum-salary contract, he doesn’t necessarily earn the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns the max in year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. In Curry’s case, his 2021/22 salary actually exceeds this year’s maximum, since his deal started in the summer of 2017 and includes 8% annual raises. The annual cap increases haven’t kept up with those 8% raises.
Listed below, with the help of salary data from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac, are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2021/22 season. The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. The list below only considers salaries for ’21/22.
Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry who have trade bonuses but are already earning the maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.
The cutoff for a spot on this year’s top-50 list is north of $20MM, so Danilo Gallinari, Harrison Barnes, Jerami Grant, and Jarrett Allen didn’t make the cut despite the fact that all four players have cap hits of at least $20MM.
Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2021/22 season:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors: $45,780,966
- James Harden, Nets: $44,310,840
John Wall, Rockets: $44,310,840 - Russell Westbrook, Lakers: $44,211,146
- Kevin Durant, Nets: $42,018,900
- Note: Durant’s cap hit includes a $40,918,900 base salary and $1,100,000 in likely incentives.
- LeBron James, Lakers: $41,180,544
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $39,344,900
Paul George, Clippers: $39,344,900
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $39,344,900
Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: $39,344,900 - Klay Thompson, Warriors: $37,980,720 (15% trade kicker)
- Jimmy Butler, Heat: $36,016,200 (15% trade kicker)
- Tobias Harris, Sixers: $35,995,950 (trade kicker of $5MM or 5%, whichever is lesser)
- Khris Middleton, Bucks: $35,500,000
Anthony Davis, Lakers: $35,361,360 - Rudy Gobert, Jazz: $35,344,828
- Bradley Beal, Wizards: $33,724,200
- Pascal Siakam, Raptors: $33,003,936
Ben Simmons, Sixers: $33,003,936- Note: Simmons may lose upwards of $2MM due to fines accumulated during his holdout.
- Note: Simmons may lose upwards of $2MM due to fines accumulated during his holdout.
- Jrue Holiday, Bucks: $32,431,333
- Note: Holiday’s cap hit includes a $30,133,333 base salary and $2,298,000 in likely incentives. Holiday also has another $3MM+ in unlikely incentives.
- Devin Booker, Suns: $31,650,600
Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks: $31,650,600
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: $31,650,600 - Joel Embiid, Sixers: $31,579,390
Andrew Wiggins, Warriors: $31,579,390
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $31,579,390- Note: Jokic’s cap hit includes a $30,510,423 base salary and $1,068,967 in likely incentives.
- Kevin Love, Cavaliers: $31,258,256
- CJ McCollum, Trail Blazers: $30,864,198
- Chris Paul, Suns: $30,800,000
- D’Angelo Russell, Timberwolves: $30,013,500
- Gordon Hayward, Hornets: $29,925,000 (15% trade kicker)
- Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: $29,467,800
Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $29,467,800 
Bam Adebayo, Heat: $28,103,500
De’Aaron Fox, Kings: $28,103,500
Donovan Mitchell, Jazz: $28,103,500
Jayson Tatum, Celtics: $28,103,500- Al Horford, Celtics: $27,000,000
- Kyle Lowry, Heat: $26,984,128
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $26,758,928
- Note: Brown’s cap hit includes a $24,830,357 base salary and $1,928,571 in likely incentives. Brown also has another $964,286 in unlikely incentives.
- DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: $26,000,000
- Draymond Green, Warriors: $24,026,712 (15% trade kicker)
- Nikola Vucevic, Bulls: $24,000,000
- Buddy Hield, Kings: $23,073,234
- Note: Hield’s cap hit includes a $22,477,272 base salary and $595,962 in likely incentives. Hield also has another $4,487,371 in unlikely incentives.
- John Collins, Hawks: $23,000,000
- Julius Randle, Knicks: $21,780,000
- Note: Randle’s cap hit includes a $19,800,000 base salary and $1,980,000 in likely incentives. Randle also has another $990,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Malcolm Brogdon, Pacers: $21,700,000
- Tim Hardaway Jr., Mavericks: $21,306,816
- Mike Conley, Jazz: $21,000,000
- Note: Conley has another $1,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Gary Harris, Magic: $20,482,143
- Note: Harris has another $2,600,000 in unlikely incentives.
One name not included in this list is Nets star Kyrie Irving. Irving has a base salary of $34,916,200 and could theoretically earn another $1,100,000 in likely and unlikely incentives. However, as long as he continues to be fined for missing home games due to his vaccination status, he’ll lose such a significant portion of his salary that he’ll end up outside of the NBA’s top 50 highest-paid players this season.
If Irving gets vaccinated or New York City adjusts its vaccine mandate to allow him to suit up, he’ll likely end up back on this list.
Also not included among the 50 names above are players like Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin, who were bought out of lucrative contracts earlier in 2021. The cap hits the Thunder and Pistons are carrying this season for Walker and Griffin, respectively, are bigger than some salaries on our top-50 list. However, Walker and Griffin aren’t actually earning all that money this season — even if teams don’t apply the stretch provision to a player’s cap hit when he’s waived, the player’s payments still get “stretched” across multiple seasons.
For instance, the Thunder are carrying about $53.7MM in dead-money cap hits for Walker this season and next. But Kemba will be paid that $53.7MM across five seasons. As such, combining his earnings from his old contract with the Thunder and his new one with the Knicks wouldn’t make him one of the NBA’s top 50 highest-paid players for 2021/22.
2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Oklahoma City Thunder
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Free agent signings:
Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.
- Mike Muscala: Two years, $7MM. Second-year team option. Re-signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Paul Watson: Two-way contract.
Trades:
- Acquired Kemba Walker, the No. 16 pick in the 2021 draft, and either the Celtics’ or Grizzlies’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) from the Celtics in exchange for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and either the Thunder’s, Wizards’, Mavericks’, or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Note: If the Mavericks’ and Heat’s 2023 second-round picks are the two least favorable of the four, the Celtics would acquire the most favorable of those two picks.
- Note: Walker was subsequently bought out.
- Acquired the Pistons’ 2022 first-round pick (top-16 protected) and the Wizards’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected) in exchange for the draft rights to Alperen Sengun (No. 16 pick).
- Acquired the draft rights to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (No. 32 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Rokas Jokubaitis (No. 34 pick) and the draft rights to Miles McBride (No. 36 pick).
- Acquired Derrick Favors and the Jazz’s 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected) from the Jazz in exchange for either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Pacers, or Heat’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) and cash ($2MM).
- Note: If the Jazz don’t convey their 2022 first-round pick (top-six protected) to Memphis in 2022, the first-round pick they send the Thunder will be pushed back until at least 2025.
Draft picks:
1-6: Josh Giddey
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $27,214,807).
- 1-18: Tre Mann
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,047,213).
- 2-32: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
- Signed to four-year, $7.89MM contract. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
- 2-55: Aaron Wiggins
- Signed to two-way contract.
Draft-and-stash signings
- Vit Krejci (No. 37 pick; 2020 draft)
- Signed to four-year, minimum-salary contract. Second year partially guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Contract extensions:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Five years, maximum salary. Projected value of $172,500,000. Projected value can increase to $207,060,000 if Gilgeous-Alexander earns All-NBA honors in 2022. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.
Departing players:
- Tony Bradley
- Charlie Brown Jr.
- Moses Brown
- Josh Hall
- Jaylen Hoard
- Al Horford
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
Other offseason news:
- Hired Nick Collison as special assistant to general manager Sam Presti.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
- Carrying approximately $78.1MM in salary.
- $23MM below salary floor.
- Hard-capped at $143MM.
- $3,110,742 of non-taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($6,425,258 used on Mike Muscala, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Vit Krejci).
- Full bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) still available.
- Two traded player exceptions available, including one worth $12.8MM.
The Thunder’s offseason:
Two years after initially launching their rebuild by trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook, and one year after sending Chris Paul to Phoenix, the Thunder entered the 2021 offseason in no rush to speed up the process.
Armed with a ton of potential cap room and a massive stash of future draft picks, Oklahoma City could have begun cashing in its chips and taken a significant step toward contention this summer. However, general manager Sam Presti made it clear he’s still very much in asset-gathering mode and won’t be rushed into pushing for the playoffs quite yet.
The approach makes sense. The Thunder have one potential future All-Star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who received a maximum-salary extension from the team in August, but none of the team’s other young prospects have displayed that sort of upside yet. Oklahoma City will also still have cap flexibility for years to come even after accounting for Gilgeous-Alexander’s lucrative new deal. And the team owes its lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick to Atlanta — that obligation will turn into two second-rounders if OKC keeps its 2022 first-rounder. In other words, it would be premature for the club to push all its chips into the center of the table so soon.
That meant the Thunder were happy to accommodate a couple more salary dumps this offseason, securing extra first-round picks from Boston and Utah for taking on Kemba Walker and Derrick Favors, respectively. Oklahoma City also avoided free agency nearly entirely — its only non-two-way signing was an inexpensive short-term investment in Mike Muscala, a trusted veteran who will provide leadership but won’t make much of an impact on the team’s win-loss record.
Given Presti’s patient approach, it was a little surprising that the Thunder were willing to complete a buyout with Walker shortly after acquiring him from the Celtics. He seemed like a candidate to be the club’s next Paul — a star point guard who could rebuild his value after an injury-plagued season and could eventually be flipped for another bad contract and another draft pick.
Still, the decision to complete a buyout early was justifiable for a few reasons: Walker was willing to give up a significant chunk of salary (about $20MM over two years); the franchise wanted to show it treats its veteran players well; and Kemba might’ve compromised the quest for another top-five pick by making the team a little too competitive.
Conversely, the decision to trade this year’s 16th overall selection for two heavily-protected future picks was a perfect example of the Thunder’s willingness to play the long game. Rather than selecting promising big man Alperen Sengun, Oklahoma City accepted a Pistons first-rounder that may not convey for several years (it’s top-16 protected in 2022, then top-18 protected in 2023 and 2024 before becoming top-13 protected in 2025), along with a lottery-protected Wizards 2023 first-rounder that’s also at least two years from turning into anything concrete.
It’s entirely possible – perhaps likely – that Sengun will be a better pro than the two players eventually selected with those future picks, but for a Thunder team focused on accumulating assets, the deal made sense. Turning one first-rounder into two helps ensure that OKC’s pile of future assets will be well-stocked when the team eventually wants to cash them in. It’s just not that time yet.
The Thunder did use their No. 6 pick to select Josh Giddey, an intriguing young point guard who came off the board a few spots earlier than expected. The fact that Oklahoma City wasn’t willing to pick up more assets by trading down a little and hoping Giddey was still available is a reflection of how much the team likes him.
It’s still too early to know what Oklahoma City has in Giddey, but he flashed his real upside in his third career game on Sunday when he filled up the box score with 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. The Thunder are going to lose a lot this season, but it’ll at least be entertaining watching Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander play together in the backcourt and imagining what they could look like two or three years from now.
Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and 2020 pick Vit Krejci are among the Thunder’s newly-added rookies. The Robinson-Earl selection was a sign that the organization is prepared to consolidate its assets in order to land a player it likes — OKC gave up the 34th and 36th picks to move up just two spots to No. 32 to snag Robinson-Earl. We can probably expect more moves along those lines in years to come, since the Thunder control way too many future picks to realistically use them all.
The Thunder’s season:
The Thunder are off to an 0-4 start this season, putting them dead last among the NBA’s 30 teams. It’s probably safe to assume they’ll remain in that spot – or pretty close to it – for most of the season. This just isn’t a team that’s built to win yet, and the front office will be happy to pile up the losses and secure a high lottery pick in the 2022 draft while assessing its young talent and starting to determine which players are keepers.
The most pressing question in Oklahoma City this season isn’t how the team will perform on the court — it’s what moves will be made off it. The Thunder remain well below the salary floor for the 2021/22 league year, which means they’ll almost certainly be looking to take on more unwanted contracts in midseason trades. There should be a handful of clubs looking to either get out of luxury tax territory or reduce their tax bill, and the Thunder are well positioned to help out more than one of them, procuring a few more future draft picks for their cooperation.
The Thunder’s extreme approach to asset-gathering may feel like overkill, but the more ammunition Presti stockpiles, the more leeway he’ll have to take big swings down the road when the club eventually pivots to playoff contention.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.
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Central Notes: Ojeleye, LaVine, Bulls, Hayes
After signing a minimum-salary deal with the Bucks in the offseason, Semi Ojeleye has had his debut with his new team pushed back by a calf injury that he suffered early in training camp. Ojeleye didn’t think it would keep him out long, but he was ultimately on the shelf for nearly a month and is finally set to return to action, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).
“Honestly, I was thinking I was going to get back in the next couple days, the next couple days, the next couple days and then it kind of took a little longer than I hoped, but it was all in God’s time and now it’s time to go,” Ojeleye said on Wednesday. He’s expected to be active for tonight’s Bucks game vs. Minnesota.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Bulls guard Zach LaVine confirmed that he intends to play through a small ligament tear in his left thumb, but said he’ll be smart about it and won’t take any risks if the medical staff advises against it. “I don’t want to put myself in any danger,” LaVine said (Twitter link via Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago). “I don’t have all the information on it yet. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow and go from there. You know me, I try to play through everything. If I’m able to, I will. If not, we’ll see how it goes.”
- Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago discussed a number of Bulls-related topics, including his first impressions of Lonzo Ball and LaVine’s long-term future. “I’d say every indication I’ve been given both internally from his side and the organization is this is a match made to move forward together,” Johnson said of LaVine, who will be a free agent in 2022.
- Killian Hayes‘ sophomore season with the Pistons got off to a shaky start when he scored just two points on 1-of-11 shooting in two games vs. Chicago, but his performance in Monday’s loss to Atlanta (12 points and no turnovers in 27 minutes) was more encouraging, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Hayes’ backcourt role figures to change a little once Cade Cunningham is ready to make his debut.
J.J. Redick Joining ESPN As Analyst
After announcing his retirement as a player last month, longtime NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick has officially confirmed his next step — he’s joining ESPN as a basketball analyst, according to Joe Reedy of The Associated Press.
As Reedy details, Redick will contribute to a number of ESPN’s studio shows and will also work some games during the 2021/22 NBA season. He’ll make his debut in studio on November 3 during ESPN’s Nets/Hawks broadcast.
“After 15 years in the NBA, I am excited to take what I have learned on the court and be able to provide my insight and strong opinions about the game I love,” Redick said in a statement. “I am thrilled to have found a place on the biggest platform in sports, ESPN. I look forward to starting my post-playing career with such an incredible organization.”
The fact that Redick is transitioning into a media role rather than exploring a coaching role or a front office position doesn’t come as a surprise.
Even while he remained active as a player, the former Duke standout hosted his own podcast, The Old Man and the Three, and didn’t mind bluntly sharing his opinions on that platform, like when he criticized Pelicans executive David Griffin in March for the way he handled Redick’s exit from New Orleans.
Southwest Notes: Primo, Hart, Pelicans, Mavs, Parsons
As expected, the Spurs have assigned rookie Joshua Primo to their G League affiliate in Austin. According to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), Primo isn’t expected to travel with the NBA club to Dallas, Milwaukee, and Indiana for its next three games and will instead remain in the G League during that time.
McDonald says it’s possible Primo will return to San Antonio after the Spurs’ road trip comes to an end next week, but it’s probably safe to assume the 18-year-old will spend plenty of time in Austin during his rookie year. Primo is the youngest player in the NBA, and the Spurs typically exercise plenty of patience with their top prospects.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Pelicans wing Josh Hart, who has missed the team’s last three games due to right quadriceps tendinosis, said on Wednesday that he felt soreness during the preseason, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Hart is getting closer to returning to action, but wants to be sure he’s back to 100% and expressed doubts about returning tonight.
- While the eventual return of Zion Williamson should help unlock the Pelicans‘ full offensive potential, the team probably needs to play slower and more deliberately as long as the former No. 1 pick remains sidelined, according to Scott Kushner of NOLA.com, who says New Orleans can’t afford to turn the ball over so much.
- In a discussion on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast about the Mavericks‘ front office over the years, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon suggested that forward Chandler Parsons was the “primary voice in (team owner Mark) Cuban‘s ear” for a couple years back in 2014-15. “Chandler Parsons had significantly more control over personnel than Donnie Nelson did for two years,” MacMahon said, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports. “That is simply a fact.”
Community Shootaround: NBA’s Undefeated Teams
The NBA’s 2021/22 regular season is only eight days old and no team has played more than four games, but 27 of the league’s 30 teams have already lost at least once. The three undefeated teams left standing are the Bulls (4-0), Warriors (4-0), and Jazz (3-0).
Of those three clubs that have opened the season on winning streaks, Utah is perhaps the least surprising. The Jazz had the NBA’s best record last season and were expected to be in the mix for that honor again in 2021/22 — no team in the Western Conference was projected by oddsmakers to win more regular season games than Quin Snyder‘s club.
Still, the Jazz haven’t faced faced an especially tough test through the first week of the season. Their first two wins came over lottery teams (the Thunder and Kings), and their third opponent (the Nuggets) was missing its two maximum-salary players, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, due to injuries when Utah pulled away in the second half on Tuesday.
The new-look Bulls, led by All-Star Zach LaVine and newcomer DeMar DeRozan, have looked great so far, especially on defense, where they rank fourth in the NBA. But they also haven’t been tested by a top-tier opponent — their first four wins came against Detroit, New Orleans, and Toronto, all of whom are missing key players.
Chicago’s road will get a whole lot tougher starting on Wednesday. Twelve of the Bulls’ next 13 contests will be against playoff teams from last season, and the 13th game will be vs. Golden State, the league’s other unbeaten club.
The Warriors’ hot start may be the most impressive of the bunch — their first two wins were against the Lakers and Clippers, and three of the four have been in road games. I was a little concerned entering the season about Golden State’s depth with Klay Thompson, James Wiseman, and Jonathan Kuminga still on the mend, but a second unit led by Damion Lee, Andre Iguodala, and Nemanja Bjelica has been solid so far, and Stephen Curry (29.0 PPG) has been his usual dominant self.
The Dubs have a chance to keep their hot start going, as they begin an eight-game home stand on Thursday. That stretch will include six games against 2020/21 lottery teams, though some of those clubs – including Chicago and Charlotte – have looked more dangerous in ’21/22.
We want to know what you think. Being undefeated at this point in the season doesn’t mean much – the Magic started last season 4-0, for instance – but do you feel like these teams are for real? Are the Warriors and Bulls playoff-bound? Will the Jazz be the West’s No. 1 seed again? Or do you expect one or two of these clubs to cool off and come back down to earth in the coming days or weeks?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Zach LaVine Plans To Play Through Ligament Tear In Thumb
Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been diagnosed with a small ligament tear in the thumb of his non-shooting hand, sources Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
However, according to Charania, LaVine isn’t expected to miss any time due to the injury. His plan is to play through it, since it’s a matter of pain tolerance and he wants to help keep the Bulls’ positive momentum going following their 4-0 start.
LaVine is fortunate that the injury affects his left hand rather than his right, since it would be more difficult to play through a ligament tear in his shooting thumb. Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker underwent surgery to address a similar injury to his right thumb earlier this month and was ruled out for at least four weeks.
Through four games (33.8 MPG), LaVine is off to a strong start in his bid for a second consecutive All-Star nod, averaging 25.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.8 APG with a scorching-hot .500/.444/.952 shooting line.
While Chicago’s undefeated start to the season is impressive, the team’s four victories came against Detroit, New Orleans, and Toronto, with Cade Cunningham, Zion Williamson, and Pascal Siakam on the shelf. The Bulls will face more significant tests starting this week — they face New York on Thursday and Utah on Saturday, with contests vs. Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Golden State, and both L.A. teams to follow.
Injury Notes: Jokic, LeVert, LeBron, Davis, Zion
Nikola Jokic, who sustained a right knee injury late in the second quarter of the Nuggets‘ loss to Utah on Tuesday night, seemed to be in a good deal of pain and didn’t return to the game. However, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, Jokic – who was diagnosed with a knee contusion – appears to have avoided a major injury.
“I really haven’t had a chance to talk to trainers yet but I don’t think it’s anything too too serious,” said Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who added that he wasn’t sure whether Jokic would undergo any additional testing. The reigning MVP was initially deemed questionable to return and tested the knee at halftime, but Malone determined the risk wasn’t worth the reward on the second night of a back-to-back set.
“He said he thinks he’s fine,” Nuggets point guard Monte Morris said, per Youngmisuk. “He’s a real tough dude. I am sure he will be OK. I hope so.”
Here are a few more injury updates from across the NBA:
- Pacers guard Caris LeVert, who is recovering from a back injury, has been ramping up his basketball activities and practiced with the team on Tuesday, per Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com. Although head coach Rick Carlisle wouldn’t make any guarantees about when LeVert would be back on the court, the 27-year-old has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game in Toronto and says he feels “ready to go,” tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
- LeBron James missed Tuesday’s win over San Antonio on Tuesday due to a sore right ankle and Anthony Davis injured his right knee during the fourth quarter, but the Lakers aren’t concerned about either one of their stars, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James is considered day-to-day, while Davis was able to stay in the game after suffering what he called “a little stinger.”
- Pelicans head coach Willie Green provided a minor update on Zion Williamson‘s health on Tuesday, telling reporters that the former No. 1 pick is “progressing and doing more and more on the floor” (link via Pelicans.com). Williamson, who is coming off right foot surgery, will have another round of scans performed on his foot later this week or next week, according to Green, who said the team would know more at that time.
Dwayne Bacon Signs With AS Monaco
Veteran shooting guard Dwayne Bacon will continue his playing career outside of the NBA, having signed with AS Monaco Basket, the team announced today in a press release.
Bacon, 26, was selected with the 40th overall pick in the 2017 draft and spent his first three seasons in Charlotte before joining the Magic for the 2020/21 season. He appeared in all 72 of Orlando’s games last season, establishing new career highs in PPG (10.9), RPG (3.1), and MPG (25.7), though he still struggled to score efficiently, making just 40.2% of his field goal attempts, including 28.5% from beyond the arc.
In four total NBA seasons, Bacon has averaged 7.3 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 207 games (19.4 MPG). He joined the Knicks for training camp this offseason, but was beaten out by Wayne Selden for the 15th spot on the team’s regular season roster and was waived at the end of the preseason.
Bacon will join former NBAers Mike James, Donatas Motiejunas, and Donta Hall on AS Monaco’s roster. The team, which competes in France’s top basketball league, won the EuroCup title in 2020/21 and is playing in the EuroLeague for the first time in ’21/22.