Lakers Waive Alfonzo McKinnie
AUGUST 4: The Lakers have officially released McKinnie, the team confirmed today in a press release.
AUGUST 3: The Lakers will waive veteran forward Alfonzo McKinnie, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
McKinnie still had two more years left on his minimum-salary contract with the Lakers, but his salaries for the next two seasons were fully non-guaranteed. As such, the team won’t be on the hook for any dead money as a result of releasing McKinnie, who will get a chance to seek out a new opportunity.
McKinnie, who will turn 29 next month, averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.4 RPG on .516/.410/.556 shooting in 39 games (6.6 MPG) for the Lakers in 2020/21.
Although McKinnie had been on a minimum contract, his $1.91MM salary for 2021/22 would’ve been higher than the cap hit for a newly-signed one-year, minimum-salary contract. So the Lakers will likely replace McKinnie on the roster with a free agent and save a bit of money in the process. That’s not insignificant, since the club projects to be well over the tax line this season.
Pelicans Hire Mike D’Antoni As Coaching Advisor, Jarron Collins As Assistant
The Pelicans have reached a deal with veteran coach Mike D’Antoni that will make him a coaching consultant to Willie Green and his staff in 2021/22, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The plan is for D’Antoni to periodically spend time with the Pelicans’ coaching staff during Summer League, training camp, and the season, according to Wojnarowski.
Word broke last week that D’Antoni, who spent last season as an assistant on Steve Nash‘s staff in Brooklyn, would be stepping away from his role with the Nets. However, reports at the time indicated that he wasn’t retiring and still hoped to land a head coaching job in the future.
D’Antoni, whose most recent head coaching gig was with the Rockets up until 2020, has coached five different NBA teams and ranks 21st on the league’s all-time list with 672 regular season wins. However, at age 70, he may be running out of time to get another shot. Only two head coaches in NBA history – including current Spurs coach Gregg Popovich – have held that role into their 70s, according to HoopsHype.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are also hiring Jarron Collins as an assistant coach, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. He’ll be the team’s lead assistant, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Collins spent the last seven years as an assistant in Golden State, but he and the Warriors agreed to part ways in June. Collins, who has received some head coaching interest in recent years, worked with Green from 2016-19 when both men were members of Steve Kerr‘s staff.
The Pelicans have issued a press release confirming the hirings of D’Antoni – whose title is “coaching advisor” – and Collins. The team will also bring back several other assistants, including Fred Vinson, Teresa Weatherspoon, and Casey Hill.
Pacers Sign Chris Duarte To Rookie Contract
The Pacers have officially signed No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte to his rookie scale contract, the club announced today in a press release.
Duarte, who turned 24 in June, was one of the older prospects in this year’s draft class, but became a popular target for teams seeking immediate help on the wing. While Indiana was able to snag him at No. 13, Duarte was reportedly a top option for the Warriors at No. 14 and was considered a trade-up target for the Knicks.
As a senior at Oregon in 2020/21, the 6’6″ shooting guard averaged 17.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.9 SPG with an impressive .532/.424/.810 shooting line in 26 games (34.1 MPG).
As our breakdown of 2021 rookie salaries shows, assuming he signs for 120% of his rookie scale amount, Duarte is in line for a four-year contract worth about $17.7MM, with a first-year salary of $3.75MM.
As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets, the Pacers have another first-round pick, Isaiah Jackson, to sign, but the No. 22 overall pick is tied up in a trade that’s not yet official, so the team will have to wait at least a couple more days to finalize his contract.
Eastern Rumors: Dinwiddie, Wizards, Avdija, Oladipo, Knicks, Bitadze
The Wizards continue to work through their complicated sign-and-trade acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie, according to multiple reports.
Quinton Mayo (Twitter link) has heard the Bulls and Thunder mentioned as teams that could end up getting involved in a multi-team trade involving Dinwiddie. Mayo also reports that the Nets asked the Wizards for Deni Avdija during those negotiations, which Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (twitter link) corroborates.
If and when the Wizards, Nets, and other potential trade partners figure out a deal, Dinwiddie is expected to get a three-year, $62MM deal from Washington, reports Winfield (Twitter link).
Here are a few more updates from around the East:
- Although Victor Oladipo‘s camp is optimistic that he’ll be able to return to action sometime between late December and early February, some Heat people believe March is a more realistic target, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Oladipo, who underwent quad tendon surgery in May, agreed to a minimum-salary contract with Miami.
- Following up on an Ian Begley report that stated the final year in the Knicks‘ deals with Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Evan Fournier aren’t guaranteed, ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link) clarifies that all four deals are expected to have standard team options in their last years. Noel, Burks, and Rose will have those options in year three, while Fournier’s will be in year four.
- Pacers big man Goga Bitadze wanted to play for the team in Summer League this month, but he missed Indiana’s first two SL practices due to back soreness and is now away from the club due to a personal matter, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
Trade Rumors: Kings, Siakam, Raptors, Dragic, Spurs, Markkanen
The Kings “definitely” have trade interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Sam Amick of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Deuce & Mo Podcast (video link).
There have whispers this offseason – particularly since the Raptors used the No. 4 overall pick to draft Scottie Barnes – that Siakam is available via trade, but Amick says the Kings have been waiting for clarity on just how willing Toronto might be to move him. Sacramento would likely pursue Siakam if given the chance, though it’s unclear how much interest the Raptors would have in possible trade chips like Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley.
Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- It’s looking more and more like Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa – the two primary outgoing pieces in the Heat‘s Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade – will end up with the Raptors, at least for the time being, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The Raptors are believed to be exploring flipping Dragic to a third team, such as the Mavericks, but apparently haven’t found a deal they like yet.
- Dragic, for his part, offered the following update on Slovenian television on Tuesday, per Iztok Franko of Mavs Moneyball (Twitter link): “I haven’t heard from Toronto yet, I’m still waiting for the news. Everything depends on the third team, we’ll have the news in the next few days.”
- Before agreeing to acquire Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu in their DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade with the Bulls, the Spurs were interested in landing Lauri Markkanen via sign-and-trade, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast. However, according to Windhorst, Markkanen sought a larger contract than the Spurs were comfortable offering, prompting the team to pivot to the veterans on expiring contracts. Windhorst believes there’s a “decent chance” Markkanen – a restricted free agent – will end up returning to Chicago.
Sixers Sign Andre Drummond To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 4: The Sixers have officially signed Drummond, the team announced today in a press release. Minimum-salary signings are one of the transactions that can be formally completed during the free agency moratorium.
AUGUST 3: The Sixers have reached an agreement with free agent center Andre Drummond on a one-year deal, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com (Twitter link), it’s a minimum-salary contract.
It’s an interesting fit for Drummond, who – as a member of the Pistons and Cavaliers – has had some fierce battles with 76ers center Joel Embiid over the years. In 2021/22, he’ll be Embiid’s backup in the middle, taking the spot previously occupied by Dwight Howard, who has agreed to return to the Lakers, Drummond’s most recent team.
Drummond, who will turn 28 next Tuesday, is one of the NBA’s best rebounders, having led the league in the category in four separate seasons. In 2020/21, he averaged 14.9 PPG and 12.0 RPG in 46 total games (27.0 MPG) for the Cavs and Lakers.
Drummond has spent much of his NBA career putting up big numbers for lottery teams or borderline playoff clubs. He joined the Lakers last season hoping to contribute to a winner, but fell out of the team’s rotation entirely by the time L.A. was eliminated by Phoenix in Game 6 of the opening round. In Philadelphia, he’ll be looking once again to prove he can be a reliable role player on a title-contending club.
The Sixers, who have agreed to re-sign Furkan Korkmaz via his Bird rights and Drummond to a minimum-salary contract, still have the mid-level exception at their disposal in free agency.
Raptors Waive Aron Baynes
The Raptors have issued a press release announcing that they’ve officially waived veteran center Aron Baynes.
The move had been expected, since Baynes’ $7.35MM salary for 2021/22 would’ve become fully guaranteed if Toronto had kept him on the roster. Instead, the Raptors will clear that money from their books, creating some additional cap flexibility for the coming season.
Baynes, who signed a two-year contract with the Raptors during the 2020 offseason after enjoying a career year in Phoenix, was never a great fit with his new team. He averaged a modest 6.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 53 games (18.5 MPG) and his shooting percentages (.441/.262/.707) were significantly below his career rates.
While Baynes didn’t have a great year with Toronto, he should draw interest from teams in need of frontcourt depth. He’ll likely be available at a more team-friendly rate once he clears waivers.
The Raptors, meanwhile, have now waived four players – Baynes, Rodney Hood, DeAndre’ Bembry, and Paul Watson – who were on non-guaranteed contracts this week. The club, which is still working on the terms of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade with Miami, will have a few bench spots to fill on its 2021/22 roster.
Heat Re-Sign Victor Oladipo
AUGUST 7: The move is official, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel, who confirms that it’s a one-year deal for the veterans minimum. Miami will retain Bird Rights on Oladipo.
“We really like Victor’s versatility and how he impacts the game in multiple ways,” team president Pat Riley said. “His speed skill set fits perfectly into the core we have built.”
1:00pm: It’s a minimum-salary contract for Oladipo, a source confirms to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
AUGUST 4, 12:29pm: Free agent guard Victor Oladipo has agreed to a deal to rejoin the Heat, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While Charania doesn’t provide any additional details on the terms of the contract, he tweets that Oladipo’s plan is rebuild his value and return to the open market in 2022, which suggests it’s a one-year deal. Given Miami’s limited cap flexibility, it’s likely worth either the veteran’s minimum or something close to it.
Oladipo, who was named an All-Star in 2018 and 2019, has been slowed in recent years by a ruptured quad tendon he suffered in January 2019. The 29-year-old missed approximately a full calendar year while recovering from the injury and didn’t look like his old explosive self upon returning.
The Pacers traded Oladipo to the Rockets in the four-team James Harden blockbuster earlier this year, and Houston subsequently flipped him to Miami at the trade deadline. The former No. 2 overall pick was able to play in just four games for the Heat before health issues ended his season.
Oladipo went under the knife in May, once again undergoing surgery to repair his right quad tendon. There had been some speculation that he might not sign a new deal for a few months while he gets healthy, but it appears he’ll complete his rehab while under contract with the Heat.
According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the veteran guard is optimistic that he’ll be able to return to the court sometime between late December and early February.
Oladipo’s best individual season came in 2017/18 with the Pacers, when he averaged 23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, and a league-high 2.4 SPG with a .477/.371/.799 shooting line. While the Heat aren’t expecting those kind of numbers from him when he returns this year, they reflect his ability to make a major impact on both ends of the court when he’s fully healthy.
If Oladipo can contribute during the second half of the 2021/22 season, he’ll give the Heat another option to deploy in tough defensive lineups that will feature the likes of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, P.J. Tucker, and Markieff Morris.
Kemba Walker Agrees To Buyout With Thunder, Will Join Knicks
12:55pm: Walker’s deal with the Knicks will be a two-year contract worth about $8-9MM annually, league sources tell Ryan McDonough of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link).
9:03am: Veteran point guard Kemba Walker has agreed to a contract buyout with the Thunder, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that Walker will sign with the Knicks once he clears waivers.
The Thunder acquired Walker from Boston back in June in Brad Stevens‘ first major roster move as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations. Although that deal was considered a salary-dump, with Oklahoma City receiving a first-round pick for taking on Walker, a report last week stated the Thunder believed they might be able to flip him to another team for an asset. It appears those efforts were unsuccessful.
While Walker clearly wasn’t in Oklahoma City’s long-term plans, the fact that the team agreed to buy him out already is a little surprising, since the 31-year-old still had two years and nearly $74MM left on his contract. We’ll have to wait for details on how much of that money he’s giving up as part of the agreement with the Thunder.
The move will open up more playing time for the Thunder’s young ball-handlers besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, including Theo Maledon and Josh Giddey, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link).
The Knicks, meanwhile, are on track to add Walker using their leftover cap room. Based on the terms of their reported contract agreements to date, the Knicks project to have about $8-9MM in space available, and it sounds like the team won’t be making any additional cost-cutting moves to clear extra room to accommodate Walker, per Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter) that Walker’s deal with New York will be worth about $8MM annually, though it’s unclear how many years it will cover.
Walker, was limited to 43 games in 2020/21 due to knee issues, but put up strong numbers in the games he played, averaging 19.3 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.0 RPG on .420/.360/.899 shooting in 31.8 minutes per contest.
The four-time All-Star will join a Knicks backcourt that also features Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, and second-round pick Miles McBride. The team is also signing veteran swingman Evan Fournier in free agency to add some more scoring punch to its lineup.
The move represents a homecoming for Walker, who has been linked to the Knicks multiple times in the past. He was born and raised in the Bronx.
Rookie Scale Salaries For 2021 NBA First-Round Picks
With the NBA’s salary cap set at $112,414,000 for the 2021/22 league year, the rookie scale has been set as well. The rookie scale locks in the value of contracts for first-round picks.
In every NBA league year, rookie scale amounts are assigned to each first-round slot, from No. 1 through No. 30. Teams can sign their first-rounders to as little as 80% of that rookie scale amount, or up to 120% of that figure.
While that rule theoretically affords teams some flexibility, first-round picks virtually always sign contracts worth 120% of their rookie scale amount, and unsigned first-rounders have a cap hold worth 120% of their rookie scale amount.
Listed below are the salary figures that represent 120% of the rookie scale amounts for 2021’s first-round picks. If a first-round pick signs a rookie scale contract in 2021/22, it will be for the amount below unless he accepts a deal worth less than the maximum allowable 120%. If that happens, we’ll adjust their amounts below.
These salary figures will only apply if the player signs in 2021/22. For instance, if Usman Garuba decides not to come stateside right away, his rookie contract will look a little different in future seasons. Meanwhile, if Leandro Bolmaro – last year’s No. 23 overall pick who remained overseas in 2020/21 – signs his rookie contract with the Timberwolves this year, it will look like identical to the deal listed below for Garuba (2021’s No. 23 pick).
Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.
Here’s the 2021 breakdown:
| Player | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham | $10,050,120 | $10,552,800 | $11,055,360 | $13,940,809 | $45,599,089 |
| Jalen Green | $8,992,080 | $9,441,840 | $9,891,480 | $12,483,048 | $40,808,448 |
| Evan Mobley | $8,075,160 | $8,478,720 | $8,882,640 | $11,227,657 | $36,664,177 |
| Scottie Barnes | $7,280,400 | $7,644,600 | $8,008,680 | $10,130,980 | $33,064,660 |
| Jalen Suggs | $6,592,920 | $6,922,320 | $7,252,080 | $9,188,385 | $29,955,705 |
| Josh Giddey | $5,988,000 | $6,287,400 | $6,587,040 | $8,352,367 | $27,214,807 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | $5,466,360 | $5,739,840 | $6,012,840 | $7,636,307 | $24,855,347 |
| Franz Wagner | $5,007,840 | $5,258,280 | $5,508,720 | $7,007,092 | $22,781,932 |
| Davion Mitchell | $4,603,200 | $4,833,600 | $5,063,640 | $6,451,077 | $20,951,517 |
| Ziaire Williams | $4,373,040 | $4,591,680 | $4,810,200 | $6,133,005 | $19,907,925 |
| James Bouknight | $4,154,400 | $4,362,240 | $4,570,080 | $6,064,496 | $19,151,216 |
| Joshua Primo | $3,946,800 | $4,144,320 | $4,341,600 | $5,982,725 | $18,415,445 |
| Chris Duarte | $3,749,400 | $3,936,960 | $4,124,400 | $5,893,768 | $17,704,528 |
| Moses Moody | $3,562,200 | $3,740,160 | $3,918,480 | $5,803,269 | $17,024,109 |
| Corey Kispert | $3,383,640 | $3,552,840 | $3,722,040 | $5,705,887 | $16,364,407 |
| Alperen Sengun | $3,214,680 | $3,375,360 | $3,536,280 | $5,424,654 | $15,550,974 |
| Trey Murphy | $3,053,760 | $3,206,520 | $3,359,280 | $5,159,854 | $14,779,414 |
| Tre Mann | $2,901,240 | $3,046,200 | $3,191,400 | $4,908,373 | $14,047,213 |
| Kai Jones | $2,770,560 | $2,909,040 | $3,047,880 | $4,693,735 | $13,421,215 |
| Jalen Johnson | $2,659,680 | $2,792,640 | $2,925,360 | $4,510,905 | $12,888,585 |
| Keon Johnson | $2,553,240 | $2,681,040 | $2,808,720 | $4,474,291 | $12,517,291 |
| Isaiah Jackson | $2,451,240 | $2,573,760 | $2,696,280 | $4,435,381 | $12,156,661 |
| Usman Garuba | $2,353,320 | $2,471,160 | $2,588,400 | $4,392,515 | $11,805,395 |
| Josh Christopher | $2,259,240 | $2,372,160 | $2,485,200 | $4,346,615 | $11,463,215 |
| Quentin Grimes | $2,168,640 | $2,277,000 | $2,385,720 | $4,296,682 | $11,128,042 |
| Bones Hyland | $2,096,880 | $2,201,520 | $2,306,400 | $4,158,439 | $10,763,239 |
| Cameron Thomas | $2,036,280 | $2,138,160 | $2,240,160 | $4,041,249 | $10,455,849 |
| Jaden Springer | $2,023,680 | $2,125,200 | $2,226,240 | $4,018,363 | $10,393,483 |
| Day’Ron Sharpe | $2,009,160 | $2,109,480 | $2,210,040 | $3,989,122 | $10,317,802 |
| Santi Aldama | $1,994,520 | $2,094,120 | $2,194,200 | $3,960,531 | $10,243,371 |
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.