NBA Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2021/22
No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, and they’ve become even rarer in recent years. To be eligible to negotiate a no-trade clause, a player must have at least eight years of NBA experience and four years with his current team. Even if a player qualifies, his team is unlikely to restrict its flexibility by including a no-trade clause in his deal.
Still, even though there’s not a single NBA player with an explicit no-trade clause in his contract at the moment, there are several who will have the ability to veto trades in 2021/22.
A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with an option year – is given no-trade protection. That group doesn’t include players on two-way contracts, but it does include those who accept standard (non two-way) one-year qualifying offers.
A player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team also has the ability to veto a trade for the rest of the league year.
With those criteria in mind, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the ’21/22 league year:
No-trade clauses:
- None
Players whose offer sheets were matched:
- None
Players re-signing for one year (or two years, with a second-year player/team option):
- LaMarcus Aldridge (Nets)
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Nicolas Batum (Clippers)
- Bruce Brown (Nets)
- Dewayne Dedmon (Heat)
- Hamidou Diallo (Pistons)
- JaMychal Green (Nuggets)
- Blake Griffin (Nets)
- Udonis Haslem (Heat)
- Solomon Hill (Knicks)
- Note: Hill approved a trade from the Hawks to the Knicks.
- Frank Jackson (Pistons)
- Cory Joseph (Pistons)
- Frank Kaminsky (Suns)
- Rodney McGruder (Pistons)
- Mike Muscala (Thunder)
- Abdel Nader (Suns)
- Raul Neto (Wizards)
- Victor Oladipo (Heat)
- Bobby Portis (Bucks)
- Austin Rivers (Nuggets)
- Lou Williams (Hawks)
If any player who re-signed for one year approves a trade during the 2021/22 league year, he’ll have Non-Bird rights at season’s end instead of Early Bird or full Bird rights.
The only player with veto rights in 2020/21 who approved a trade was center Meyers Leonard — he signed off on a deal that sent him from the Heat to the Thunder. Leonard would’ve had full Bird rights if he’d finished the season with Miami, but would’ve only had Non-Bird rights at season’s end after the trade to Oklahoma City. Given the circumstances of his situation, Leonard was on track to be waived during the season whether or not he was traded, so he would’ve lost his Bird rights either way.
Any player who consents to a trade will retain his veto ability on his new team, and would have to approve a subsequent deal as well.
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Tyrese Maxey Likely To Be Included In Any Simmons Trade?
With the odds of a Ben Simmons trade seemingly increasing, Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears from a source that there’s a “high chance” fellow Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey will be included in any deal involving Simmons.
As Dumas explains, both Simmons and Maxey are represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. Dumas suggests that Paul would prefer to have both of his clients out of Philadelphia.
[RELATED: Ben Simmons Tells Sixers He Wants Out, Doesn’t Plan To Report To Camp]
In a separate tweet, Dumas says that some Philadelphia-based organizations were interested in partnering with Maxey on community events, but were told to cancel those plans, since Paul doesn’t want the 2020 first-round pick to establish substantial roots in a city he may soon leave.
The 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft, Maxey showed promise in his rookie year, averaging 8.0 PPG and 2.0 APG on 46.2% shooting in 61 games (15.3 MPG) for the 76ers. He’s on an affordable rookie contract for three more years and Philadelphia was reportedly reluctant to include him in packages for James Harden in January and Kyle Lowry in March, so he certainly wouldn’t be treated as a throw-in in any Simmons trade.
While Simmons appears likely to be moved at some point in the coming days, weeks, or months, I’m not quite as convinced that Maxey will join him. Philadelphia’s point guard depth already figures to take a hit if Simmons is dealt, so the team won’t give away another of its top options at the position just to appease Paul. The 76ers may consider trading Maxey, but the decision will ultimately come down to the quality of the return and the club’s ability to avoid creating a hole on its depth chart.
Ben Simmons Tells Sixers He Wants Out, Doesn’t Plan To Report To Camp
During a meeting in Los Angeles last week, Sixers star Ben Simmons told team owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand, and head coach Doc Rivers that he doesn’t want to be part of the team any longer, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sources tell The Inquirer that Simmons doesn’t plan on reporting to training camp with the 76ers in four weeks.
According to Pompey, the Sixers’ brass told Simmons they want him to come to camp and be part of the team, but the three-time All-Star – who knows he can be fined for not showing up – apparently intends to take a drastic approach in the hopes of forcing the team’s hand. Money won’t be a factor in Simmons’ decision-making, a source tells Pompey, who notes that the 25-year-old has four years and nearly $147MM left on his contract.
Simmons has been considered a trade candidate since the 76ers’ season ended in the second round of the playoffs against Atlanta. The former No. 1 overall pick turned in a poor performance against the Hawks, showing a reluctance to shoot or even to have the ball in his hands late in games. He made just 15-of-45 free throws in the seven-game series vs. Atlanta and connected on only 34.2% of his total foul shots in the playoffs, the worst mark ever for a player with more than 70 attempts in a single postseason.
Although the 76ers have publicly indicated all summer that they’re happy to bring back Simmons and work with him on improving his game, the team has reportedly engaged in trade talks with several potential suitors, including the Timberwolves, Raptors, Cavaliers, Pacers, Kings, Spurs, and Warriors. A Monday report suggested that executives around the NBA believe it’s just a matter of time before Philadelphia pulls the trigger on a trade.
[RELATED: Ben Simmons “In Step” With Sixers’ Trade Efforts]
The Sixers’ efforts to find a suitable deal for Simmons have been hindered by Morey’s high asking price, per Pompey. Simmons’ lack of a jump shot and his significant struggles in the postseason have caused his trade value to diminish, but Morey has sought a trade package commensurate with a 25-year-old who has made three straight All-Star teams and remains under contract for four years. Pompey’s sources are skeptical that price will be met.
“Think about three months ago when the Sixers are willing to give up Ben Simmons. You are like, ‘Let’s see what we have to do to get him,'” one Western Conference executive told The Inquirer. “Now, the difference is Ben Simmons says he refuses to play for the Sixers. He wants to go to three California teams. There’s so much bad blood between him and the team. … I’m not giving you what you’re demanding.”
[RELATED: Warriors Rejected Sixers’ Offer Of Simmons For Wiseman, Wiggins, Four First-Round Picks]
As we’ve written multiple times in recent weeks and as Pompey notes in today’s report, the belief around the NBA is that the Sixers have been hoping Damian Lillard will request a trade from the Trail Blazers, putting Philadelphia in position to use Simmons as a centerpiece in an offer for Portland’s star point guard. However, all indications this month are that Lillard appears content to continue evaluating the Blazers’ present and future this fall.
If the Sixers feel compelled to get a deal done sooner rather than later, targeting another Blazers guard – CJ McCollum – might make sense, Pompey writes. However, he cautions that both teams highly value their own stars, which may make it difficult for them to find a deal that appeals to both sides.
The Simmons situation is similar to one Morey’s old team in Houston found itself in a year ago, when James Harden requested a trade during the offseason and didn’t report to the Rockets for the start of camp. Harden eventually showed up and began the year with the Rockets, but was traded less a month until the season.
Morey’s Sixers were in the mix for Harden right up until the 11th hour, offering a package headlined by Simmons. Less than eight months later, Morey will have to consider whether to let Simmons’ trade request linger into the season like the Rockets did with Harden’s, or if it makes more sense to complete a deal before training camp — even if the return falls well short of Philadelphia’s initial asking price.
Lakers Sign Rajon Rondo To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 31: The Lakers have officially signed Rondo, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
AUGUST 30: Point guard Rajon Rondo intends to sign a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Lakers after he becomes a free agent, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). Rondo, who will clear waivers today, will sign his new contract on Tuesday, Wojnarowski adds.
Rondo agreed to a buyout with the Grizzlies and was released by the team on Saturday, with reports at the time indicating the Lakers would likely be his next destination. According to Wojnarowski, Rondo will still earn $7.5MM this season, which was the base salary on his previous deal, so it sounds like he gave up about $2.64MM (his minimum salary) in his buyout agreement.
Rondo, 35, signed with Atlanta during the 2020 offseason, but had a limited impact in 27 games with the Hawks, averaging just 3.9 PPG and 3.5 APG in 14.9 minutes per contest — those numbers all would’ve been career lows.
The veteran guard was traded to the Clippers in a midseason trade and finished the 2020/21 campaign with the team, appearing in 18 regular season games and 13 playoff contests. L.A. then sent him to the Grizzlies in a deal for Eric Bledsoe earlier this month, but he was only included in that swap for salary-matching purposes and was never in Memphis’ plans.
Rondo will now rejoin a Lakers team with whom he won a championship in 2020. He spent two seasons with the Lakers from 2018-20. Los Angeles will have 13 players on guaranteed contracts once the signing is complete.
Checking In On Remaining Restricted Free Agents
When Lauri Markkanen finally came off the board over the weekend, it left just two standard restricted free agents who are still unsigned, as our FA list shows. Both of those players are Timberwolves free agents: Jordan McLaughlin and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Restricted free agents never have a ton of leverage, especially this deep into the offseason. Some players who remain on the market for weeks, like Markkanen, can still land player-friendly deals, but if McLaughlin or Vanderbilt have been drawing interest around the NBA as coveted sign-and-trade candidates or potential offer sheet recipients, we probably would’ve heard about it by now.
McLaughlin looked like he might be in position to secure a favorable commitment from the Timberwolves after the team traded Ricky Rubio to Cleveland, but Minnesota’s recent move to acquire Patrick Beverley adds depth to the point guard spot and clouds McLaughlin’s future.
A year ago, McLaughlin ultimately decided to accept his qualifying offer and play on a two-way contract for a second consecutive season. This time around, his QO is the equivalent of a one-year, minimum-salary deal, but only a very small portion of that offer (about $84K) has to be guaranteed, so accepting it isn’t a great option.
The Wolves are likely willing to offer a more significant guarantee in 2021/22, but probably want to tack on at least one or two non-guaranteed, minimum-salary years to any deal for McLaughlin. With two-way player McKinley Wright in the picture as a potential third point guard, Minnesota has the roster flexibility to play hardball in its negotiations with McLaughlin.
Vanderbilt may be in a slightly better negotiating position, since he’s likely a higher priority for the Wolves. He started 30 games last season, earning a regular rotation role and showing the ability to handle minutes at power forward, the team’s most glaring weak spot.
Minnesota has a few options at the four, but Taurean Prince and Jake Layman won’t move the needle much, and Jaden McDaniels remains pretty raw. Vanderbilt would be a useful depth piece at the right price, which – in the Wolves’ view – is probably something not far above the veteran’s minimum.
As we wait to see what happens with McLaughlin and Vanderbilt, it’s also worth noting that there are technically four other restricted free agents still on the market. The following four players were made RFAs after finishing the season on two-way contracts:
- Keita Bates-Diop (Spurs)
- Amir Coffey (Clippers)
- Anthony Lamb (Rockets)
- Brodric Thomas (Cavaliers)
For these four players, accepting a qualifying offer would mean getting another two-way contract with a $50K partial guarantee.
Signing that qualifying offer would provide no security, even though the Spurs, Clippers, Rockets, and Cavaliers do all have two-way slots open right now. Given the modest guarantee, a team likely wouldn’t hesitate to replace one of its two-way players in October with a camp invitee who has an impressive preseason. And as McLaughlin’s situation shows, even playing out a second year on a two-way QO wouldn’t necessarily give a player additional leverage in his next foray into restricted free agency.
And-Ones: 2023 World Cup, Offseason Grades, M. Miller
The draw for the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers took place on Tuesday. According to a press release from FIBA, Team USA’s qualifying group in the Americas event will include Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba.
The 2023 World Cup will take place in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia two years from now, while the first qualifying matches will take place in November 2021. During the qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup, Team USA fielded a team made up of G League standouts, since those events overlapped with the NBA season. That roster made up of NBAGL vets put up a 10-2 record in qualifying games, so I’d expect a similar approach this time around.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In a pair of Insider-only stories for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton handed out offseason grades for all the teams in both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. The Hawks and Wizards were the two teams to earn an A, while the Cavaliers and Pelicans were the only two to receive a D.
- Former Raptors forward Malcolm Miller has signed with Italian team Vanoli Cremona for the 2021/22 season, the club announced in a press release. Miller appeared in 53 total games across three seasons with Toronto from 2017-20 and was a member of the championship squad in 2019.
- Although the NBA’s 2021/22 schedule will still include some MLB-style two-game sets between the same teams in the same arena, there will be just 23 of them this season, compared to 84 in 2020/21, writes Marc Stein (subscription required). As Stein explains, not playing in front of fans last season – along with a desire to reduce travel – made those sets a logical addition to the schedule, but the league was less motivated to include them this time around.
Former First-Rounder Omari Spellman Signs With Korean Team
Free agent big man Omari Spellman has signed to play in South Korea with Anyang KGC, as our JD Shaw relays (via Twitter). The club, which competes in the Korean Basketball League, has formally announced the signing (Instagram link).
Spellman, 24, was one of three players selected by the Hawks in the first round of the 2018 draft, along with Trae Young and Kevin Huerter. While Young has become a star and Huerter was a key rotation player for Atlanta during the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year, Spellman – the No. 30 overall pick out of Villanova – struggled to adjust to the NBA and was traded to the Warriors during the 2019 offseason.
Spellman was later flipped to the Timberwolves at the 2020 deadline in the Andrew Wiggins/D’Angelo Russell trade, then was sent to the Knicks last November. He began the 2020/21 season on New York’s roster, but was waived in January to make room for Taj Gibson.
In 95 total NBA appearances for the Hawks and Warriors, Spellman averaged 6.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG on .417/.366/.766 shooting in 17.8 minutes per game. He also played in a total of 24 G League games for three different teams, recording 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 25.3 minutes per contest.
Bucks Co-Owner Lasry Talks Budenholzer, Jrue, Tax, More
After watching the Bucks win a championship for the first time in 50 years during the 2020/21 season, co-owner Marc Lasry is confident that the team will remain in the mix for a title again in ’21/22. Lasry told Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic that he views the Bucks and Nets as the top two teams in the East entering the fall.
Asked if the Heat – who eliminated the Bucks from the playoffs in 2020 – are in that top tier alongside Milwaukee and Brooklyn, Lasry praised Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and P.J. Tucker, calling Miami a “really good” team. However, he said he believes the Bucks are better.
“Ultimately at the end of the day I’d rather have our team,” Lasry said. “… If we’re healthy, you know we should go pretty far.
“But I would say the same thing (about other teams). If the Nets are healthy, they should go pretty far. It’s who’s going to be the healthiest when you get there. And it’s been interesting trying to figure out (that part) because I bet you there’s going to be a lot of gaming of this… You want to be the No. 1 seed, but do you want to be the No. 1 seed, or do you want to make sure you’re the healthiest going into the playoffs?”
Lasry’s appearance on The Athletic’s Tampering podcast touched on several other topics of note. The discussion is worth checking out in full, but here are a few highlights from the Bucks’ co-owner, via Amick and Slater:
On head coach Mike Budenholzer getting a contract extension after being on the hot seat:
“Bud is really good. I mean, he is. He does have that quiet confidence, which is nice. So I think you go through all of this, and one of the things that I saw — and I told this to Bud — was I said, ‘Look, there was a huge amount of pressure on us, on him, on all of us, because everybody expects you to win.’ And what he showed us during that time is how well he handled the pressure, how well he prepared the team, and what a great job he did, so that after we won, we were like, ‘Look, it’s not like we want to reward you; we want to keep you.'”
On the 2020 acquisition of Jrue Holiday and how it influenced Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s decision to sign a long-term extension with the Bucks:
“(General manager) Jon Horst felt that (Holiday) was going to be the missing piece, and he was dead right. You know, I remember the first practice and Jrue is covering Giannis. And same thing — Giannis knew Jrue by reputation. After practice that day, Jon says to me, ‘Yeah, Giannis now knows how good he is. (Holiday’s) covering him. He’s good.’ It was actually great. It was. And I think 100 percent it was a huge factor in Giannis re-signing because he saw what we were willing to do.”
On the Bucks becoming a taxpayer in 2020/21 and going further into the tax in ’21/22:
“Look, (the tax) is a big part. I’m not going to tell you it’s not. I mean, it’s just — if you sign somebody for $5MM, you’re not signing him for $5MM, you’re signing him for $25MM, $20MM. You sort of look at that, and you’re trying to figure out, ‘Alright, look, if we’re going to do that, OK, there is a cost to it. Yeah, we want him, but that’s going to cost us $25MM or that’ll cost us $35MM.’ I mean, whatever the numbers are. And I think we’re very focused on that.
“Look, we’re a small-market team. It’s expensive. I mean, for us, this year we’re going to lose quite a bit of money. … But at the end of the day, the goal is that you want to keep winning a championship, so you’re going to spend the money.”
Community Shootaround: Best FA Value Signings
In a Community Shootaround discussion earlier this month, we asked you to identify the best and worst of 2021’s biggest-money free agent contracts. Today, we’re expanding our focus to encompass all of this summer’s free agent signings, then zeroing in on the good rather than the bad.
In other words, we want to know which of this year’s free agent signings represented the best value from a team’s perspective.
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
Dennis Schröder‘s one-year deal with the Celtics figures to be a popular choice for the best value of the summer. After all, Schröder was reportedly offered $80MM over four years during the season. It’s hard to argue that getting him for one year worth $5.9MM isn’t a worthwhile investment.
Schröder’s deal was one of a handful of guard signings I liked. The Nets‘ one-year, $4.7MM deal with Bruce Brown was another — perhaps getting him locked up to a longer-term deal this offseason would’ve been Brooklyn’s preferred option, since he’s now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2022. But I thought he might end up signing a deal similar to Alex Caruso‘s (four years, $37MM), so $4.7MM for one year looks pretty good.
The Knicks‘ signing of Kemba Walker to a two-year, $17.9MM contract was another move I liked, though New York was able to get that team-friendly rate in large part because Walker is still being paid big money by Oklahoma City for the next two years after being bought out by the team. The buyout caveat also applies to the Nets‘ one-year, minimum-salary deal with Blake Griffin. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that those signings represent good values for Walker’s and Griffin’s current teams.
Like Brooklyn with Griffin, the Bucks and Clippers benefited from the fact that Bobby Portis and Nicolas Batum weren’t seeking a change of scenery. Both players only received modest Non-Bird raises from their respective clubs, so Portis is on the books for $8.9MM over two years with Milwaukee, while Batum got $6.5MM for two seasons with L.A. Both Portis and Batum have second-year player options, but if they play well enough to opt out, it means the Bucks and Clippers got a nice bargain for 2021/22.
Otto Porter, coming off a four-year, $106MM contract, reportedly turned down more lucrative offers to sign with the Warriors for the veteran’s minimum. He still needs to show he’s healthy, but even if he struggles to stay on the court, the risk for Golden State is minimal. If he’s back to 100%, he should significantly outplay his $2.4MM salary (and $1.7MM cap hit).
All the deals I’ve listed so far came in at under $10MM, but there was some value to be found among bigger-money commitments too. One of my favorites was the Kings‘ four-year deal with Richaun Holmes, which is worth $46.5MM. I expected a team in need of a center – such as Charlotte or Toronto – to make a more aggressive offer for Holmes in the range of $15-18MM per year, so retaining him at an annual rate under $12MM is a nice piece of business for Sacramento.
What do you think? Which free agent signings this month do you think were the best bargains and will provide the most value going forward?
Take to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
NBA Maximum Salary Projections For 2022/23
[UPDATE: The NBA has updated its salary cap projection for 2022/23. Our new maximum salary projections for ’22/23 can be found here.]
Although several big-money free agent contracts were completed during the offseason, the majority of the most lucrative deals signed by NBA players in 2021 have been contract extensions. And many of those extensions have been maximum-salary deals.
[RELATED: 2021/22 NBA Contract Extension Tracker]
Because those extensions won’t go into effect until at least the 2022/23 season and the NBA won’t finalize the ’22/23 salary cap until next summer, we can only ballpark what many of year’s maximum-salary contracts will look like based on the league’s latest cap estimates.
When the NBA confirmed its salary cap data for the 2021/22 season on August 2, the league also updated its cap projection for the ’22/23 campaign, estimating a $119MM cap. As such, we’re basing our figures on that $119MM projection.
Listed below are the early maximum-salary projections for 2022/23. The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous club can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player signing with a new team.
A player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players. Unless they qualify for a more lucrative extension by meeting certain performance criteria, players with no more than six years of NBA experience are limited to a starting salary worth up to 25% of the cap. For players with seven to nine years of experience, that number is 30%. For players with 10 or more years of experience, it’s 35%.
Here are the the early max-salary projections for 2022/23:
A player re-signing with his own team (8% annual raises, up to five years):
| Year | 6 years or less | 7-9 years | 10+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | $29,750,000 | $35,700,000 | $41,650,000 |
| 2023/24 | $32,130,000 | $38,556,000 | $44,982,000 |
| 2024/25 | $34,510,000 | $41,412,000 | $48,314,000 |
| 2025/26 | $36,890,000 | $44,268,000 | $51,646,000 |
| 2026/27 | $39,270,000 | $47,124,000 | $54,978,000 |
| Total | $172,550,000 | $207,060,000 | $241,570,000 |
The “6 years or less” column here is what the new extensions for Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will look like if neither makes an All-NBA team in 2022. Both players have Rose Rule language in their contracts, however, and could move up to the 30% max column (“7-9 years”) if certain criteria are met.
Luka Doncic has already met those criteria by making the All-NBA team in each of the last two seasons, so the 30% max column reflects his new extension.
The third column (35%) doesn’t apply to any extensions signed this offseason, but if a veteran star like Bradley Beal or Kyrie Irving were to sign a new maximum-salary contract that goes into effect next season, those are the projected salaries they’d be eligible for. They’d have to opt for free agency to get the full $241MM+ over five years, since they can’t tack on that many new years in an extension.
A player signing with a new team (5% annual raises, up to four years):
| Year | 6 years or less | 7-9 years | 10+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | $29,750,000 | $35,700,000 | $41,650,000 |
| 2023/24 | $31,237,500 | $37,485,000 | $43,732,500 |
| 2024/25 | $32,725,000 | $39,270,000 | $45,815,000 |
| 2025/26 | $34,212,500 | $41,055,000 | $47,897,500 |
| Total | $127,925,000 | $153,510,000 | $179,095,000 |
If a player changes teams as a free agent, he doesn’t have access to a fifth year or 8% raises. So if someone like Deandre Ayton or Michael Porter Jr. were to sign an offer sheet with a new team next summer, he’d be limited to a four-year deal projected to be worth just shy of $128MM. Of course, there’s still plenty of time for the Suns and Nuggets to extend Ayton and Porter this offseason.
If Zach LaVine – or another veteran with between seven and nine years of NBA experience – wants to change teams in 2022, he would be able to sign a four-year contract worth up to a projected $153.51MM.
Beal, Irving, or another veteran with 10+ years of experience would be limited to about $179MM across four years if they change teams as free agents in 2022.