NBA’s 2021 Free Agency Moratorium Ends
The NBA’s 2021 free agency moratorium has officially ended, as of 11:00am central time, meaning teams are now allowed to conduct official business. The moratorium is the period at the start of the NBA league year when teams are permitted to agree to trades and free agent contracts, but can’t yet formally finalize them.
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
There are a number of types of deals that can be finalized during the moratorium, as we’ve seen this week. Teams can sign first-round picks to their rookie contracts, two-way contracts can be made official, and players signing minimum-salary contracts can also finalize those deals. Still, most of the deals agreed upon since August 2 are not yet official.
Although the end of the moratorium signals the beginning of official business for many teams, those teams aren’t obligated to immediately finalize deals reached during the moratorium. Salary-cap machinations and intertwined trades mean that patience will be required on certain moves.
The Jazz, for instance, agreed to trade for the rights to No. 40 pick Jared Butler in a draft-night deal with the Grizzlies. However, before Utah can acquire Butler from Memphis, the Grizzlies will have to acquire him from the Pelicans, who were technically the team that selected Butler on draft night. Those trades are two of at least a dozen from July or early August that still need to be finalized.
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Offseason Trades]
Now that the moratorium has lifted, we’ll be updating our stories of contract and trade agreements to reflect when they become official.
For top headlines from the last week, like the deals involving John Collins, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, and other big-name free agents, we’ll bump those stories to the top of the site or publish new stories so you don’t miss news of them becoming official.
However, since we don’t want to bury new news amidst confirmation of old signings, our stories on smaller deals won’t be moved to the top of our feed unless there are new developments or details.
Andre Iguodala Signs One-Year Deal With Warriors
AUGUST 10: Igoudala’s new deal with the Warriors is now official, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 6: Free agent forward Andre Iguodala has agreed to return to the Warriors, telling Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times that he’ll sign a one-year deal with Golden State. His intention is to finish his career with the franchise.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), Iguodala – like fellow free agents Otto Porter and Nemanja Bjelica – will receive the veteran’s minimum from Golden State.
A report on Thursday indicated that Iguodala – who became a free agent after the Heat turned down his $15MM team option – had narrowed his choices down to the Warriors, Lakers, and Nets, while a follow-up report this morning from Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link) suggested the decision would likely come down to Brooklyn vs. Golden State.
In the end, the opportunity to reunite with the Warriors won out for the 37-year-old, who previously earned three titles with the team.
“Who would have thought I’d have the opportunity to go back to the place where I was able to have, whatever you want to call it, legacy years, in terms of the accomplishments, winning multiple championships, the relationships that I was able to build with some of my closest friends and teammates?” Iguodala said. “The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special.”
Iguodala, who routinely averaged between 15-20 points per game for the 76ers early in his NBA career, is no longer much of an offensive threat, having put up just 4.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .396/.323/.585 shooting in 84 games (20.9 MPG) over the last two seasons in Miami.
However, the veteran forward remains a reliable, versatile defender and brings veteran leadership to a locker room. He told Abrams that he’s looking forward to taking on a mentor role for the Warriors’ young players.
As for how much longer Iguodala plans to spend in the league before his retirement, that decision remains up in the air, as Abrams relays.
“I think I’ve got some more time left,” Iguodala said. “Where I’m comfortable at is I can decide when I’m ready to go. I think I want to leave with just a little bit left. I don’t want to go out on one leg. I know I’ve got a few more years. It’s just my decision whether it’s one or two or three or whatever it may be. I shouldn’t even say three. One or two.”
Bulls RFA Lauri Markkanen Seeking “Fresh Start”
Bulls restricted free agent forward Lauri Markkanen is looking to leave Chicago this offseason, he tells Finnish journalist Antti-Jussi Sipilä of Yle.fi (hat tip to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports).
“We have offers from several different teams,” Markkanen said in Finnish. “I want a fresh start to my NBA career somewhere else.”
The seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft, Markkanen showed a ton of promise as a stretch four during his first two NBA seasons, posting a career-high 18.7 PPG and 9.0 RPG on .430/.361/.872 shooting in 52 games (32.3 MPG) in 2018/19. However, his development trajectory has leveled off since then, as he has battled a series of injuries and provided up-and-down production.
Chicago issued Markkanen a $9MM qualifying offer last week, making him a restricted free agent and giving the team the right to match any offer sheet he signs.
With cap room drying up across the league, there are few teams left that could realistically sign the 24-year-old outright to an offer sheet that exceeds the Bulls’ qualifying offer or the full mid-level exception ($9.5MM). The Hornets were said to be mulling an offer sheet for Markkanen, but have since reached a deal with Kelly Oubre that projects to eat up most or all of their remaining space.
The Thunder and Pelicans are among the teams that could realistically generate enough room to make a play for Markkanen. However, there have been no reports indicating either club is considering an offer sheet. A sign-and-trade would also be a possibility to get Markkanen to a new team that doesn’t necessarily have the space to sign him outright, but that would require the Bulls’ cooperation and they’d seek at least an asset or two to let him walk.
A report earlier this week stated that the Spurs had interest in Markkanen in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade, but weren’t comfortable meeting his asking price. The Timberwolves are also believed to have interest, but don’t have a ton of cap flexibility.
One additional option for Markkanen would be to accept his one-year qualifying offer, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022. However, if he’s eager to leave Chicago, that’s likely not his preferred path.
The Bulls’ interest – or lack thereof – in hanging onto Markkanen will likely dictate how this situation plays out. If the team is willing to let him go after reshaping its roster this week, a sign-and-trade seems like a plausible outcome.
Alen Smailagic Signing With Serbian Team
After being released by the Warriors earlier this week, Alen Smailagic has wasted no time securing a new deal overseas.
Serbian club KK Partizan announced in a press release on Friday that Smailagic is signing a three-year contract with the team. It’ll be a homecoming for the young forward/center, as he was born and raised in Belgrade.
Smailagic, who turns 21 later this month, spent a season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League in 2018/19 before Golden State drafted him with the 39th overall pick in 2019.
Although the Dubs were said to be high on the big man’s potential, Smailagic never really took any major steps forward at the NBA level, appearing in just 29 games (7.7 MPG) and averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.5 RPG across two seasons in Golden State. He was waived before his salary for 2021/22 became guaranteed.
Technically, Smailagic isn’t set to clear NBA waivers until later today, but KK Partizan’s announcement suggests no claim is expected.
2021 NBA Draft Pick Signings
Free agent news has dominated NBA headlines over the last few days, but teams around the league are also taking care of the rookies they drafted on July 29, signing them to their first NBA contracts. Because cap holds for first-round picks count for 120% of the rookie scale instead of 100% in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, there’s little incentive for teams to wait to lock up their first-rounders.
For first-round picks, rookie contracts are fairly rigid, having essentially been predetermined. The NBA’s rookie-scale structure dictates that first-rounders will be signed to four-year deals, which include two guaranteed years, then team options in years three and four.
The value of those contracts depends on where a player was drafted. This year, No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham figures to sign a four-year deal worth in excess of $45MM, which represents the maximum allowable 120% of his scale amount. No. 30 pick Santi Aldama, on the other hand, would be in line for a four-year contract worth just over $10MM.
The full breakdown of this year’s first-round rookie salaries and contracts can be found right here — if you see a first-rounder listed below as “signed,” you can assume his contract looks like that, unless otherwise indicated.
Second-round picks, meanwhile, aren’t assured of two guaranteed seasons, though some players will receive them. Teams can sign second-rounders to whatever amount they choose, using cap room or various exceptions. Those players who immediately join their NBA teams figure to earn a minimum salary or something slightly above the minimum. We’ll make a note of contract details for second-rounders below, as they become available.
Finally, some second-rounders – and perhaps even some first-rounders – won’t sign NBA deals immediately. They may get two-way contracts, play in the G League, or head overseas to refine their games while their NBA teams retain their rights. We’ll make note of that below too, wherever it’s applicable.
Here’s a breakdown of 2021’s draft pick signings. This list will continue to be updated as more draftees sign their first NBA contracts:
First Round:
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma State: Signed- Houston Rockets: Jalen Green, G, G League Ignite: Signed
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley, F/C, USC: Signed
- Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State: Signed
- Orlando Magic: Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga: Signed
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Josh Giddey, G, Australia: Signed
- Golden State Warriors: Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite: Signed
- Orlando Magic: Franz Wagner, F, Michigan: Signed
- Sacramento Kings: Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor: Signed
- Memphis Grizzlies: Ziaire Williams, G, Stanford: Signed
- Charlotte Hornets: James Bouknight, G, UConn: Signed
- San Antonio Spurs: Joshua Primo, G, Alabama: Signed
- Indiana Pacers: Chris Duarte, G, Oregon: Signed
- Golden State Warriors: Moses Moody, G/F, Arkansas: Signed
- Washington Wizards: Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga: Signed
- Houston Rockets: Alperen Sengun, C, Turkey: Signed
- New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Murphy, G, Virginia: Signed
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Tre Mann, G, Florida: Signed
- Charlotte Hornets: Kai Jones, F/C, Texas: Signed
- Atlanta Hawks: Jalen Johnson, F, Duke: Signed
- Los Angeles Clippers: Keon Johnson, G/F, Tennessee: Signed
- Indiana Pacers: Isaiah Jackson, F, Kentucky: Signed
- Houston Rockets: Usman Garuba, F, Spain: Signed
- Houston Rockets: Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State: Signed
- New York Knicks: Quentin Grimes, G, Houston: Signed
- Denver Nuggets: Bones Hyland, G, VCU: Signed
- Brooklyn Nets: Cameron Thomas, G, LSU: Signed
- Philadelphia 76ers: Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee: Signed
- Brooklyn Nets: Day’Ron Sharpe, C, North Carolina: Signed
- Memphis Grizzlies: Santi Aldama, F/C, Loyola (MD): Signed
Second Round:
- Washington Wizards: Isaiah Todd, F, G League Ignite: Signed
- Four-year, $6.89MM contract. First three years guaranteed.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova: Signed
- Four-year, $7.89MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Four-year, $7.89MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Jason Preston, G, Ohio: Signed
- Three-year, $4.46MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- New York Knicks: Rokas Jokubaitis, G, Lithuania: Will play overseas
- New Orleans Pelicans: Herb Jones, F, Alabama: Signed
- Three-year, $5.32MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Three-year, $5.32MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- New York Knicks: Miles McBride, G, West Virginia: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Charlotte Hornets: JT Thor, F, Auburn: Signed
- Four-year, $6.64MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Chicago Bulls: Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois: Signed
- Two-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
- Sacramento Kings: Neemias Queta, C, Utah State: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Utah Jazz: Jared Butler, G, Baylor: Signed
- Two-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
- San Antonio Spurs: Joe Wieskamp, F, Iowa: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan: Signed
- Three-year, $4.46MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Three-year, $4.46MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Greg Brown, F, Texas: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Brooklyn Nets: Kessler Edwards, F, Pepperdine: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Boston Celtics: Juhann Begarin, G, France: Will play overseas
- Toronto Raptors: Dalano Banton, G, Nebraska: Signed
- Two-year, minimum-salary contract. First year fully guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed.
- Toronto Raptors: David Johnson, G, Louisville: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Atlanta Hawks: Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Brooklyn Nets: Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton: Signed G League contract
- Philadelphia 76ers: Filip Petrusev, F, Serbia: Will play overseas
- Los Angeles Clippers: Brandon Boston, G, Kentucky: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed.
- Detroit Pistons: Luka Garza, C, Iowa: Signed
- Two-way contract (later converted to standard deal).
- Philadelphia 76ers: Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Sandro Mamukelashvili, C, Seton Hall: Signed
- Two-year, two-way contract.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Aaron Wiggins, G/F, Maryland: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Charlotte Hornets: Scottie Lewis, G, Florida: Signed
- Two-way contract.
- Detroit Pistons: Balsa Koprivica, C, Florida State: Will play overseas
- New York Knicks: Jericho Sims, F, Texas: Signed
- Two-year, two-way contract.
- Brooklyn Nets: RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State: Signed G League contract
- Milwaukee Bucks: Georgios Kalaitzakis, G, Greece: Signed
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First year partially guaranteed.
- Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First year partially guaranteed.
NBA 2021 Free Agency: Day 4 Recap
With cap space drying up around the NBA and guaranteed roster spots increasingly harder to come by, the rate of free agent agreements has slowed significantly since Monday night.
We’re still waiting for a handful of notable free agents to find homes, including Dennis Schröder, Lauri Markkanen, and Reggie Jackson. The exact details of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade deal between the Heat and Raptors remain a mystery. And technically, Kawhi Leonard is still on the board, though we’re mostly wondering what his new contract with the Clippers will look like, not whether he’ll actually change teams.
In the meantime, there were a few stories worth highlighting from Thursday, including new deals for this year’s Most Improved Player and a former Executive of the Year.
Let’s round up the highlights from Day 4 of NBA free agency…
Julius Randle and the Knicks agreed to a four-year contract extension worth at least $106.4MM.- The Raptors signed Masai Ujiri to a multiyear extension and gave him a new title in addition to team president: Vice chairman.
- The Hornets and Kelly Oubre have agreed to a two-year, $26MM+ deal.
- The Raptors agreed to re-sign Khem Birch to a three-year, $20MM deal and agreed to a two-year deal with Ishmail Wainright.
- Lou Williams and the Hawks agreed to a one-year, $5MM deal.
- The Suns agreed to re-sign Frank Kaminsky to a one-year, minimum-salary deal and are reportedly nearing an agreement with Elfrid Payton on a one-year deal.
- The Wizards waived Caleb Homesley and made Garrison Mathews an unrestricted free agent.
The free agency moratorium will lift on Friday at 11:00am CT, at which point this week’s free agent deals and trade agreements will start becoming official.
We can still expect new deals to be reported on a daily basis for a little while, but since they’re not coming in at the same fast and furious pace they were earlier in the week, this will likely be our last daily roundup of 2021’s free agent action unless Friday is especially busy. Be sure to check our tracker to keep up with the latest deals.
Previously:
Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Clippers, Curry, Vogel
About an hour before word broke on Tuesday that DeMar DeRozan had agreed to join the Bulls via sign-and-trade, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that DeRozan intended to meet with the Clippers. So did that meeting actually happen before DeRozan reached a deal with Chicago? Haynes shared some details in the latest episode of his Posted Up with Chris Haynes podcast.
“The Clippers’ brass were on their way to DeMar’s house,” Haynes said. “Things got a little bit more interesting with the Bulls, it looked like a deal was going to get done with Chicago, and DeMar DeRozan’s agent Aaron Goodwin called the Clippers out of courtesy and was like, ‘You know what, let’s not waste anybody’s time. Out of respect to you guys, let’s cancel this meeting. (DeRozan)’s going to go elsewhere.'”
Haynes added that the Clippers were going to have to do “a ton of work” on their roster to be able to make DeRozan a competitive offer, suggesting that the veteran wing – who received an $85MM commitment from Chicago – wouldn’t have been willing to settle for the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.9MM), which was all L.A. realistically had at its disposal.
“DeMar DeRozan was not going to any team and taking the mid-level. He wasn’t,” Haynes said. “Not the full mid-level, not the taxpayer mid-level. He wasn’t having it.”
Here are a few more updates from around the Pacific:
- Speaking to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic after news of his new $215MM extension with the Warriors broke, Stephen Curry said he loves the players Golden State drafted last Thursday and was happy to hear the team was pursuing veteran free agents this week, even if top targets like Patty Mills and Nicolas Batum are headed elsewhere. “I would be disappointed if there was ever a vibe that you’re complacent or that you’re not proactive and looking to always get better,” Curry said. “So if you’re telling me we’re trying to go after Batum, we’re trying to go after Patty, and things didn’t line up like that, then that’s just how the league works. But if there’s ever a situation where you don’t feel that commitment from upstairs, then we have issues. I haven’t felt that this summer.”
- Thompson adds in the same story that the fourth year on Curry’s extension was a “minor sticking point,” given its unprecedented cap hit, but the Warriors ultimately relented. Curry, who will turn 38 during the 2025/26 season, will earn a staggering $59.6MM that year.
- Now that the Lakers have nearly finished filling out their roster with a handful of free agent commitments, the next big question for the franchise to answer is Frank Vogel‘s status, writes Bill Oram of The Athletic. Vogel is a candidate for an extension, since he’s entering the final year of his contract as the team’s head coach.
Wizards Rescinding Garrison Mathews’ Qualifying Offer
The Wizards are pulling their qualifying offer to Garrison Mathews off the table, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). The move will make Mathews an unrestricted free agent.
Mathews, who has been on a two-way contract with Washington for each of the past two seasons, emerged as a regular rotation player for the team in 2020/21, averaging 5.5 PPG in 64 games (16.2 MPG). The 24-year-old shooting guard has displayed a reliable outside shot since entering the NBA, making 38.9% of 244 total three-point attempts.
The Wizards issued Mathews a qualifying offer last week to make him a restricted free agent. That QO was a partially guaranteed one-year minimum-salary offer and gave Washington matching rights in the event that Mathews signed an offer sheet with another team.
However, as Katz explains, the Wizards’ roster is almost full as a result of the complex five-team trade that will send six players to D.C. — by my count, 14 of the 15 slots on Washington’s regular season roster are spoken for. The club is also close to the tax line, Katz notes, and may want to retain some flexibility with that 15th roster spot.
Mathews will now be free to sign outright with any other team.
Wizards Waive Caleb Homesley
The Wizards have waived shooting guard Caleb Homesley, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.
Homesley, who went undrafted out of Liberty in 2020, joined the Wizards for training camp last fall but was waived before the regular season began. He later suited up for the Erie BayHawks (the G League team the Wizards shared with New Orleans in 2020/21) and appeared in 15 NBAGL games (24.9 MPG), averaging 9.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG.
The Wizards liked what they saw from Homesley in the preseason and in the G League enough to sign him to a multiyear contract during the last week of the 2020/21 season. That was a four-year contract, but the last three years – including ’21/22 – were non-guaranteed, allowing Washington to cut him without incurring a cap hit.
Releasing Homesley doesn’t necessarily mean he’s no longer in the Wizards’ plans. He was listed on the team’s Las Vegas Summer League roster and could be a candidate to return to the club on a new Exhibit 10 deal or two-way contract. For now though, he’s on waivers — he’ll become a free agent this weekend if he goes unclaimed.
Raptors Extend, Promote Masai Ujiri
5:09pm: The Raptors have officially announced Ujiri’s new deal and new title, announcing in a press release that he has signed a multiyear contract to become the team’s vice chairman and president.
“Great sportsmen impact their games. Great leaders impact their communities. Masai Ujiri does both, and we’re very pleased he is returning to the Raptors as vice-chairman and president,” Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum said in a statement. “Masai and MLSE share the goals of bringing another NBA Championship to Toronto, and off the court, working towards making our city, country and world a better place. These are exciting times, and we look forward to all that comes next for our team, for Masai and for his family. Masai, we’re glad you’re staying home.”
1:29pm: The Raptors are losing six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry to the Heat this week, but they’ve reached an agreement to lock up their other key free agent, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
According to Wojnarowski, Toronto’s president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has agreed to a “significant” new deal with the franchise that will give him the title of vice chairman in addition to team president. The Raptors posted a video to their Twitter account alluding to the new deal with Ujiri, whose previous contract had been about to expire.
“I love being the leader of the Toronto Raptors and I’m here to stay,” Ujiri said in the video.
Ujiri, who won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award in 2013 with the Nuggets, was hired as the Raptors’ head of basketball operations that same year and spearheaded the turnaround of a club that had missed the playoffs in five straight seasons prior to his arrival.
Ujiri and his front office have displayed a knack over the years of finding hidden gems in the draft class, including Pascal Siakam (No. 27 pick), Norman Powell (No. 46 pick), and Fred VanVleet (undrafted free agent). He also memorably acquired Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs during the 2018 offseason, a move that pushed the Raptors over the top for the first championship in team history.
There was some uncertainty about what Ujiri’s future held when he didn’t agree to an extension with the Raptors a year or two before his contract expired, but he continued his usual work in the draft and free agency this summer, signaling that he had no plans to leave the organization. According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Ujiri is staying in Toronto despite being courted by multiple franchises “beyond (the) NBA’s boundaries.”