NBA Teams With Full 20-Man Rosters
NBA teams are permitted to carry up to 20 players in the offseason and the preseason, allowing them to audition training camp invitees and hold battles for roster spots before having to make cuts in advance of the regular season.
Teams structure their 20-man rosters in different ways, but a common avenue is the one currently taken by the Heat. Miami has 14 players on guaranteed contracts who are expected to make the team’s regular season roster, plus a pair of players on two-way contracts. The other four players on the 20-man squad are camp invitees on Exhibit 10 deals, who will likely end up being waived and playing for the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Not all teams have such a clean, easily-defined structure to their 20-man roster though. The Grizzlies, for instance, currently have 18 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus one on a two-way deal and one on an Exhibit 10 pact. They’ll have to trade or release at least three players with guaranteed salaries before opening night, and will likely still fill their second two-way slot at some point.
The Heat and Grizzlies are just two of the teams that currently have full 20-man rosters. With the help of our roster counts tool, here’s the full list of clubs with full rosters:
- Charlotte Hornets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Toronto Raptors
While it’s possible some of these teams will make roster moves, shuffling players on and off their 20-man squads within the next week, most of them look relatively set for training camp, which begins next Tuesday.
Besides the eight clubs listed above, there are four teams who have at least one roster spot available but have reportedly reached an agreement to sign a player to fill that opening. Those teams are as follows:
- Atlanta Hawks
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Sacramento Kings
- Washington Wizards
The Hawks currently have 19 players under contract and have reportedly agreed to sign Jahlil Okafor and Ibi Watson, so they’ll likely have to cut someone to accommodate both signings, depending on the order of operations. The Pelicans are in a similar boat — they have 18 players on their roster and have agreed to deals with Jared Harper, James Banks III, and Malcolm Hill.
The Kings, meanwhile, are carrying 18 players and have agreed to sign DJ Steward and Matt Coleman. The Wizards have 19 players under contract and are reportedly expected to sign undrafted rookie Kyree Walker.
The Clippers qualify for this group too — sort of. They have 19 players under contract, and their 20th spot could go to Amir Coffey, who is the NBA’s last remaining restricted free agent.
The rest of the NBA’s teams have at least one open spot on their roster, and some have a few openings still available. The Suns, for example, only have 15 players under contract, so they could theoretically sign five more players.
However, while many teams will fill their open roster spots by the start of training camp, some may simply not carry full 20-man rosters during the preseason. Since they don’t have their own G League affiliate, the Suns likely won’t make it a priority to audition players who could end up playing at that level. It won’t be surprising if Phoenix’s only camp invitees are players who have a legitimate chance at sticking with the team for the regular season.
Ben Simmons Adamant About Not Attending Camp, Not Playing For Sixers
While the Sixers have tried to encourage Ben Simmons to show up for training camp next week, the three-time All-Star hasn’t budged from his stance, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski, Simmons won’t report for camp and intends not to play another game for Philadelphia. He hasn’t spoken to the team at all since August, when he conveyed his plan not to attend training camp, Wojnarowski adds.
As Wojnarowski explains, Simmons is aware of the possible penalties he could face as a result of not attending camp, including fines and a suspension. However, he appears prepared to play hardball with the team, with the regular season just four weeks away.
Despite Simmons’ strong stance, his leverage may be somewhat limited. He still has four years and $147MM left on his contract and Philadelphia probably has a playoff-caliber roster even without him on the court, which means the Sixers can afford to be relatively patient in finding a deal they like. If Simmons doesn’t report, the team could recoup much of his salary via fines.
Sources told Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com on Monday that the 76ers were expecting “some sort of absence” from Simmons to open the preseason. However, Neubeck also says that most people believe the 25-year-old will eventually show up, given the unprecedented nature of a lengthy holdout in the modern NBA.
Philadelphia’s asking price for Simmons was extremely high throughout the offseason, given his age, his résumé, and the fact that he’s under contract for four more years. That price may come down a little now, but the Sixers appear unwilling to accept 50 cents on the dollar for a player like Simmons, who is limited by his lack of a jump shot but is still one of the league’s best play-makers and defenders.
As Neubeck writes, the 76ers could probably get a deal done today if they were willing to accept a package heavy on young players and draft picks, but they remain focused on a return that won’t compromise their ability to contend for a title in 2022.
“There are a few deals you could say, we do this, and we’ll gamble that sometime later, we’ll take draft picks and turn it back into having (a title) chance,” one team source told Neubeck. “But why do that? … There’s no reason to go get draft picks right now because you could just do it all at once. Why take the risk that you do that and you can’t flip back out of it? It makes no sense with Joel (Embiid) in his prime.”
Lakers Notes: Jersey Patch, Offseason, Expectations
The Lakers have a new jersey sponsor, announcing in a press release that they’ve partnered with Bibigo, a brand by the top food company in Korea. The Lakers’ uniforms, which previously featured an advertisement patch by the company Wish, will have a Bibigo patch going forward.
The new agreement will be a more lucrative one for the Lakers, who were taking in a reported $12-14MM per year as a result of their jersey ad deal with Wish. According to Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times, the organization’s deal with Bibigo is worth in excess of $100MM over five years.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- The Lakers overhauled their roster more than virtually any other NBA team this offseason, bringing back just three players from last year’s roster (LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Talen Horton-Tucker). However, Zach Harper of The Athletic liked what the team did, assigning Los Angeles a grade of B-plus for its offseason moves.
- In Harper’s view, the Lakers got better from a talent standpoint, even if there are still questions about how the pieces will fit together. While the team sacrificed some depth this summer, the addition of another star player (Russell Westbrook) creates some injury insurance, since the club will still have two stars on the court if one of James, Davis, or Westbrook gets injured.
- Frank Urbina of HoopsHype, who recaps the Lakers’ offseason transactions and previews the team’s strengths and weaknesses for the season ahead, projects L.A. to be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in 2021/22.
J.J. Redick Announces Retirement
Longtime NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick has announced his retirement from the league, confirming the news during the latest episode of his podcast, The Old Man and the Three (video link).
“The last 30 years of basketball have been beyond my wildest dreams,” Redick said in a prepared statement. “I never could have imagined that I would have played basketball for this long. After years of youth leagues, AAU, high school basketball, four years at Duke, and 15 years in the NBA, I’m retiring from the game that I love so much.”
Redick, 37, entered the league in 2006 as the 11th overall pick out of Duke. He spent the next 15 seasons appearing in a total of 940 regular season games for the Magic, Bucks, Clippers, Sixers, Pelicans, and Mavericks, averaging 12.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 2.0 APG with a .447/.415/.892 shooting line in 25.5 minutes per contest. He also appeared in 110 postseason games, making it to the NBA Finals once with Orlando in 2009.
Redick is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in NBA history, having knocked down a total of 1,950 shots from beyond the arc. That puts him 15th on the league’s all-time list.
Redick’s final season in the NBA was marred by a heel injury, as he was limited to a total of 44 games for New Orleans and Dallas in 2020/21. In today’s announcement, he addressed his underwhelming last year
“Going into last season, I wanted it to be my last year, but wasn’t sure how the season would play out,” Redick explained. “It was difficult for a number of reasons — being injured, being away from my family, COVID protocols, and really, truly, not playing up my standards. I would like to describe last season as a seven-month exercise in coming face-to-face with my own athletic mortality, and it was scary and confusing.
“I wanted to give myself some time to reflect and figure out if I wanted to keep playing. It’s one of the reasons that I told teams that called during free agency that I would decide later on. I didn’t want to commit to anything until I was sure. I have some clarity now, and I know it’s time. It’s time for me to be a dad; it’s time for me to reflect, pause; it’s time for me to get ready for the next phase of my life.”
Redick stated last month that he didn’t plan to join an NBA team for training camp, but was still leaning toward signing later in the season and pursuing his first championship. As such, it sounds as if his decision to retire wasn’t finalized until the last few weeks.
It’s unclear whether Redick will have any interest in pursuing a coaching or front office role during the next phase of his career. Given the success of his Old Man and the Three podcast, a position in the media may be more up his alley.
Nets Sign Devontae Cacok
SEPTEMBER 20: The Nets have officially signed Cacok, the team confirmed today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 17: The Nets are signing free agent forward Devontae Cacok to their 20-man preseason roster, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Cacok will attend training camp with the team and compete for a two-way contract.
Cacok, who went undrafted out of UNC Wilmington in 2019, spent his first two professional seasons on a two-way contract with the Lakers. He barely played at the NBA level as a rookie, but appeared in 20 regular season games in 2020/21, albeit primarily in garbage time. The 24-year-old averaged 2.0 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 4.9 minutes per contest.
While his NBA impact has been limited, Cacok excelled in the G League in 2019/20, putting up 19.3 PPG and 11.9 RPG with a .660 FG% in 33 games for the South Bay Lakers. He recorded a double-double and earned a spot on the All-NBAGL First Team while averaging just 23.9 minutes per game and coming off the bench in all but two contests.
The Nets have two open spots on their 20-man roster, so Cacok will fill one of them. Kessler Edwards holds one of Brooklyn’s two-way contract slots, but the other is up for grabs. Camp invitee David Duke figures to be in the mix for that opening, along with Cacok and perhaps one or both of the Nets’ unsigned second-round picks (Marcus Zegarowski and RaiQuan Gray).
Like Duke, Cacok is likely receiving an Exhibit 10 contract, which can be converted into a two-way deal before the start of the regular season without having to pass the player through waivers.
Hornets Sign Xavier Sneed
The Hornets have officially signed free agent swingman Xavier Sneed to a contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it seems likely to be a non-guaranteed pact that includes Exhibit 10 language. That would allow the Hornets to give Sneed a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the regular season begins and then spends at least 60 days with their G League team.
Sneed, who went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2020, signed a training camp contract with Charlotte last offseason and then was waived at the end of the preseason. He played in 13 games (23.3 MPG) for the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ G League affiliate, averaging 8.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.8 SPG with a .360/.279/.875 shooting line.
With the signing, Charlotte now has a full 20-man offseason roster, including 16 players with guaranteed salaries, two on Exhibit 10 deals (Sneed and D.J. Carton) and a pair on two-way contracts (Scottie Lewis and Arnoldas Kulboka).
In order to set their roster for the regular season, the Hornets will have to trade or release at least one player with a guaranteed salary, but that move doesn’t need to be completed until mid-October. However, the club also reportedly agreed to sign Cameron McGriff to an Exhibit 10 deal, so more transactions could be coming during the preseason.
NBA Players With Trade Kickers In 2021/22
A trade kicker is a contractual clause that pays an NBA player a bonus when he’s traded. They’re one of the tools teams have at their disposal to differentiate their free agent offers from the ones put on the table by competing clubs.
Sometimes the kicker is worth a fixed amount, but usually it’s based on a percentage of the remaining value of the contract. So, a player who has a 10% trade kicker is eligible for a bonus worth 10% of the amount of money he has yet to collect on his deal.
Regardless of whether a trade kicker is set at a fixed amount or a percentage, the bonus can’t exceed 15% of the remaining value of the contract. Most trade kickers are worth 15%, the highest percentage allowed.
A trade bonus must be paid by the team that trades the player, rather than the team acquiring him. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement also allows a player to waive his trade kicker as part of a deal, if he so chooses.
If you want a more detailed explanation of how trade kickers work, check out the Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on the subject.
With the help of contract information from Basketball Insiders, here’s a list of the NBA players who have active trade kickers for 2021/22, listed alphabetically, along with the details of those trade bonuses:
- Kyle Anderson, Grizzlies (15%)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hawks (15%)
- Reggie Bullock, Mavericks (5%)
- Trey Burke, Mavericks (7.5%)
- Jimmy Butler, Heat (15%)
- Draymond Green, Warriors (15%)
- Tobias Harris, Sixers (5% or $5MM, whichever is lesser)
- Gordon Hayward, Hornets (15%)
- Richaun Holmes, Kings (15%)
- Serge Ibaka, Clippers (15%): Waived kicker as part of trade to Bucks
- Kyrie Irving, Nets (15%)
- Reggie Jackson, Clippers (15%)
- Daniel Theis, Rockets (15%): Waived kicker as part of trade to Celtics
- Klay Thompson, Warriors (15%)
The following players have trade bonuses on their contracts, but those bonuses would be voided if they were to be traded during the 2021/22 league year, since they’re already earning this season’s maximum salary:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (15%)
- Bradley Beal, Wizards (15%)
- Stephen Curry, Warriors (15%)
- Anthony Davis, Lakers (15%)
- Kevin Durant, Nets (15%)
- Brandon Ingram, Pelicans (15%)
- LeBron James, Lakers (15%)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (15%)
- Donovan Mitchell, Jazz (15%)
- Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks (5%)
- Ben Simmons, Sixers (15%)
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics (15%)
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves (5%)
The following players have signed contract extensions that will include trade kickers, but those extensions won’t go into effect until at least the 2022/23 season:
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks (15%)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (15%)
- Julius Randle, Knicks (15%)
- Marcus Smart, Celtics (15% or $1MM, whichever is lesser)
- Jonas Valanciunas, Pelicans (15% or $1MM, whichever is lesser)
- Trae Young, Hawks (15%)
Avery Bradley, Quinn Cook Working Out For Warriors
The Warriors continue to work out free agent guards, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, who reports (via Twitter) that Avery Bradley and Quinn Cook are among the veterans getting a look from the team this week.
Isaiah Thomas, whose workout with the team was reported last Thursday, will also be among the players auditioning for Golden State this week, and Spears says (via Twitter) the Warriors’ interest in Thomas is “sincere.” Spears adds that the sessions this week will include 5-on-5 games, with other free agents in attendance.
According to Spears, the Warriors – who currently have three openings on their 20-man roster – would ideally like to add one big man and two guards to their roster for training camp.
Golden State has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Damion Lee also expected to make the regular season roster. Barring additional roster moves, that would leave just one opening on the 15-man squad, with Gary Payton II and Mychal Mulder among the players vying for that spot.
The Warriors are well over the luxury tax line and could theoretically keep the 15th spot open to save some money, but they aren’t particularly deep at point guard and aren’t acting like a team that plans to carrying just 14 players. Darren Collison and Ryan Arcidiacono are among the other guards who have worked out for the club.
Bradley, considered a three-and-D guard, appeared in a total of 27 games for the Heat and Rockets in 2020/21. His scoring average dipped to 6.4 PPG on .374/.327/.800 shooting, his worst numbers since his rookie season.
A two-time champion with the Warriors and Lakers, Cook appeared in 107 games for the Warriors from 2017-19. He played in 23 games last season for the Lakers and Cavs, and has career averages of 6.4 PPG and 1.6 APG on .461/.408/.795 shooting.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Simmons, Horford
Having already received clearance to play their home games in Toronto in 2021/22 after spending last season in Tampa, the Raptors are now waiting to see whether the Ontario provincial goverment will allow them to play in front of full-capacity crowds at Scotiabank Arena, writes Kevin McGran of The Toronto Star.
Both the Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs – who share Scotiabank Arena – intend to only allow fully vaccinated individuals to attend games. They’re expecting to get an answer from government officials this week, per McGran.
“With a fully vaccinated venue, it is our belief that we can safely host a full capacity event,” MLSE spokesperson Dave Haggith said. “With tickets on sale, we are planning for eventual full capacity in 2021 and our ticketing rollout has built-in flexibility so we are ready for potential scenarios.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- With the Ben Simmons situation still unresolved, Rich Hofmann of The Athletic examines what the Sixers‘ rotation might look like in 2021/22 both with Simmons and without him. Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, and Furkan Korkmaz would receive the biggest minutes boosts if Simmons holds out and hasn’t yet been traded.
- Jared Dubin of FiveThirtyEight considers what past trades of All-Stars can tell us about the Simmons situation. As Dubin outlines, pieces-and-picks packages are typically the most common returns for All-Star players, while the Sixers are seeking a star-for-star deal, increasing the degree of difficulty.
- Al Horford‘s return to the Celtics means the team will be able to comfortably run out lineups featuring two big men again. Jared Weiss of The Athletic explains why that’s a good thing for Boston.
Key 2021 NBA Preseason Dates, Deadlines
The most notable dates of the 2021 NBA offseason are behind us now that we’re well clear of the draft and the free agent period. However, there are still a number of dates and deadlines to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months before teams take the court for the 2021/22 regular season.
Here’s the breakdown:
September 27:
- NBA media day. With teams and players reporting to training camp, many coaches and general managers will speak to reporters on this date for the first time in months.
September 28:
- Training camps begin.
October 3:
- Preseason begins.
October 15:
- Preseason ends.
October 16:
- Last day for players on fully non-guaranteed contracts to be waived and not count at all against a team’s 2021/22 cap. They must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season.
October 18:
- Last day of the 2021 offseason.
- Roster limits decrease from 20 players to 17 (4:00pm CT). Teams will be limited to carrying 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals as of this deadline.
- Last day for teams to sign a player to a rookie scale extension (5:00pm CT).
[RELATED: Players eligible for rookie scale extensions] - Last day for teams to sign an extension-eligible veteran player with multiple seasons left on his contract (ie. Harrison Barnes) to an extension. An extension-eligible veteran player on an expiring deal (ie. Zach LaVine) can still be extended after October 18.
- Last day for teams to complete sign-and-trade deals.
- Last day for teams to convert an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract.
October 19:
- Regular season begins.
[RELATED: 2021/22 schedules by team]
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.