Magic’s Interest In Klay Thompson Overstated?
Veteran swingman Klay Thompson will be eligible for unrestricted free agency on June 30, and he reportedly plans to test his value on the open market. The question is, which team (or teams) will pursue him?
“At this juncture, I am starting to be skeptical — outside of the Philly backup option plan for (Thompson) — there’s really much of a market out there,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said on the No Cap Room podcast (YouTube link). “The Orlando stuff, I’m not so certain about. (There’s) definite word that the Magic are only going to be willing to offer a two-year balloon payment bigger than what they did for Joe Ingles last year.”
Ingles received a two-year, $22MM contract from Orlando last summer, but only the first season was guaranteed — the Magic hold an $11MM team option on his deal for 2024/25.
Thompson reportedly turned down a two-year, $48MM extension from the Warriors before the ’23/24 season began. Fischer expressed some skepticism that the Magic, who could have about $50MM in cap room, would be willing to offer the 34-year-old a deal in that range.
Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic have reported that while the Warriors would like to bring Thompson back, they also haven’t exactly been “beating down his door” to sign him to a new contract. That strongly suggests Golden State doesn’t view Thompson as its top priority this summer, which is understandable given how injuries have impacted his game.
One report earlier this week stated that Thompson was looking for a deal that covers a minimum of three years. Unless he’s willing to take less money for more long-term security, a three-year contract might be difficult to come by.
For what it’s worth, the Sixers‘ interest pursuing Paul George has “significantly waned,” perhaps opening a door for Thompson. The Thunder have also been floated as a cap-room contender that could be a fit, though it’s unclear if there’s real interest there from either side.
2024 NBA Offseason Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder
After going 22-50 in 2020/21 and 24-58 in ’21/22, the Thunder took a major step forward in their rebuild in ’22/23, finishing 40-42, good for the No. 10 seed in the West. Oklahoma City won its first play-in game that season over New Orleans, but the team was eliminated from postseason contention by Minnesota, which advanced as last season’s No. 8 seed.
A year-over-year increase of 16 wins is pretty rare in the NBA. Yet in 2023/24, the Thunder actually surpassed that total, winning an additional 17 games and finishing 57-25 (they had the same record as Denver but claimed the West’s top seed due to a head-to-head tiebreaker). Oklahoma City finished the regular season third in offensive rating and fourth in defense, for an overall net rating of +7.3, which only trailed the Celtics (+11.7).
In their first playoff run with their young core, the Thunder quickly dispatched the Pelicans in a first-round sweep before falling to the Mavericks in a six-game second-round series. While the outcome was obviously disappointing, it was a competitive series — the two teams scored the exact same number of points. Dallas went on to make the NBA Finals, losing to Boston in five games.
Oklahoma City’s ascent from a rising young team to a legitimate contender was very rapid, spearheaded by the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a MVP candidate — he finished third in the 2024 balloting. Second-year wing Jalen Williams and center Chet Holmgren, who just finished his rookie campaign but has technically been under contract for two years, round out the Thunder’s formidable (and very young) big three.
With Gilgeous-Alexander as the team’s primary ball-handler and Williams a frequent secondary creator, Josh Giddey became expendable. The Mavs dared Giddey to shoot in their second-round series and he struggled defensively as well, later admitting his confidence took a hit. Reigning Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault ultimately moved the former sixth overall pick to the bench, but even before the playoffs, Giddey’s fit going forward was a major question mark.
The Thunder are trading Giddey to the Bulls in a one-for-one swap for defensive stalwart Alex Caruso, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. OKC had its sights set on the 30-year-old for a while and the team reportedly views him as a long-term fit. Caruso is on an expiring contract but will be extension-eligible during the season, whereas Giddey will be restricted next year if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension with Chicago this offseason.
It’s worth noting that Caruso has ties to the Thunder, having played for Daigneault while the two were with the Blue — OKC’s NBA G League affiliate — several years ago. Caruso also publicly praised Daigneault back in November.
The move made a lot of sense, as Caruso doesn’t need the ball to be effective and is in a different league as a defender compared to Giddey. He’s also a much better shooter, having made 40.8% of his 4.7 three-point attempts in 2023/24, versus 33.7% (a career-high) on 3.0 attempts for Giddey.
President of basketball operations Sam Presti has been hoarding draft picks for years, so Oklahoma City has plenty of non-player assets to dangle in additional trade talks. The Thunder also project to have $33MM+ in cap room this summer, putting the team in a unique position as a contender who can be a major player in free agency.
The Thunder’s Offseason Plan
The Thunder have Gilgeous-Alexander, three-and-D wing Luguentz Dort, and last year’s 10th pick, Cason Wallace, under team control for at least the next three seasons. The same is true of Kenrich Williams, though his future with OKC seems a little uncertain after his role was reduced this past season. Still, Williams’ contract is relatively team-friendly and he would likely appeal to rival teams if he were made available.
The 2026 offseason is an important one to keep in mind for OKC, as that’s when Holmgren and Jalen Williams will have completed the fourth and final seasons of their rookie scale contracts and will be up for new deals. Based on how they played this past season and factoring in projected growth, it wouldn’t at all be surprising if they both received maximum-salary contracts in the future, whether that comes via extensions in the 2025 offseason or as restricted free agents in 2026.
That means the Thunder have a two-year window to take advantage of their financial flexibility, since it may be the last period in which they’ll have a significant amount of room available for quite some time. The Thunder don’t have to commit long-term money this summer if they don’t want to though — they could preserve flexibility for 2025 by “overpaying” a player or two on short-term deals, similar to what happened with Indiana and Bruce Brown last offseason.
The Pacers gave Brown a two-year, $45MM contract which only features one fully guaranteed season (the second is a team option). They later used him as salary-matching ballast in the trade to acquire Pascal Siakam from the Raptors (Toronto is expected to exercise its $23MM option on Brown and will reportedly look to trade him).
That type of contract structure could be appealing to the Thunder if they want to hedge their bets. The players they sign could be used as salary-matching pieces if the right opportunities present themselves while also (hopefully) being positive contributors for OKC.
Isaiah Hartenstein has been mentioned as a possible free agent target, and he only has Early Bird rights, which means the Knicks are limited to offering him a four-year, $72.5MM deal. One rumor suggested the Thunder might be willing to offer Hartenstein a short-term deal — perhaps two years — with a high salary. Would that appeal to Hartenstein?
Fred Katz of The Athletic recently reported the 26-year-old big man is looking for “long-term security, not high-risk, high-reward instability,” so a deal with just one or two guaranteed years may be a tough sell. If they wanted to, the Thunder could easily offer Hartenstein a three-year deal that matches or exceeds New York’s total, allowing him to hit free agency a year earlier while joining a great team.
Hartenstein would bring a different dynamic to the Thunder as a more “traditional” big man. While I place a high value on the 26-year-old’s game, I don’t necessarily love his fit with Oklahoma City. The main reason for that is the Thunder run a “five-out” offense predicated on everyone being able to handle the ball, pass and shoot. That spacing creates driving lanes for Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, and is part of what makes Holmgren so effective as a center. Hartenstein makes good on-ball decisions and is a plus passer for a big man, but he’s essentially a non-shooter.
Of course, that’s just a cursory glance at his potential fit. Hartenstein is also an excellent screener and an unselfish ball mover — a fairly atypical combination for a big man. When they’re at their best, the Thunder are frequently moving, setting screens and back-cutting toward the basket on the weak side. That would seemingly pair well with Hartenstein.
Hartenstein had an excellent all-around season by traditional measures and by advanced statistics. For instance, when he was on the court during the regular season, the Knicks had the equivalent of the NBA’s third-best offense and second-best defense (they were slightly negative when he didn’t play). He ranked seventh in the league in defensive FG% at the rim, ahead of Victor Wembanyama, Brook Lopez and Anthony Davis. He would also improve the Thunder’s rebounding at both ends of the court.
The Thunder’s biggest weakness during the 2023/24 season was on the boards, ranking just 27th in the league in rebounds per game and 28th in rebounding percentage. That weakness was exploited by Dallas in the postseason, particularly on the offensive glass, where the Thunder struggled to limit second-chance opportunities.
The main issue with potentially signing Hartenstein is that I think Holmgren is clearly a center, not a power forward. How many minutes would Hartenstein realistically play? I suppose OKC could attempt to pair them at times, since they can both pass and Holmgren can space the floor, but the fit might be awkward.
Holmgren is a fearsome paint protector in his own right, ranking just ahead of Hartenstein in DFG% at the rim. He’s also a more dynamic offensive player due to his three-level scoring.
I’m just not sold on paying Hartenstein a high salary to be a backup, and that’s what he’d be on the Thunder. I’m also not sure his trade value would be positive if he were making $20MM+ annually and didn’t have a starting role.
I do like the idea of the Thunder going after a big man like Wendell Carter, who has shot 36.4% from three-point range on 3.5 attempts per game over the past two seasons. He would provide more bulk off the bench while preserving the team’s ability to space the floor. The Magic center, who is still just 25, makes $22.8MM over the next two seasons.
Before they traded for Caruso, the Thunder were also linked to his Bulls teammate, Patrick Williams. When healthy and playing his best, Williams fits the mold of a three-and-D player with athletic tools and some on-ball upside. However, he’s a restricted free agent — Chicago can theoretically match any offer sheet he receives — and he has also missed significant time due to injuries in two of the past three seasons.
At the very least, the Thunder have to hit the salary floor. They will have to use their cap room in some fashion. If it’s not Hartenstein or Williams, it will need to be someone else.
If preserving flexibility is the top priority, I don’t hate the idea of the Thunder signing someone like Tobias Harris to a short-term deal. Klay Thompson is another name to keep an eye on for a front-loaded contract, though I don’t love his fit at this point in his career due to his defensive limitations.
A high-IQ veteran like Nicolas Batum would make sense as forward with some size and versatility. Ditto for Kyle Anderson, though he’s a very methodical and inconsistent shooter.
A floor-spacing big man like Jalen Smith could be attainable for some of the room exception. Goga Bitadze or Andre Drummond would likely be cheaper options at backup center, but neither is a threat to shoot from behind the arc.
As for the No. 12 pick, the Thunder have typically taken a “best player available” approach. With their draft arsenal, they could move up, down, or out of the draft; none of those scenarios would be surprising.
Technically, the Thunder could create enough cap room to sign certain players to a maximum-salary contract if they trade Kenrich Williams and Ousmane Dieng or the No. 12 pick. OG Anunoby, for example, would work in that scenario — I think he’d be a great fit, but it would be a high-risk, high-reward move given his lengthy injury history.
While Oklahoma City doesn’t have any major free agents this summer, the team does have three role players with non-guaranteed team options in Lindy Waters, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. There’s no reason to believe Joe and Wiggins won’t be back, either on their inexpensive team options or on new contracts that give them a raise. But Waters’ position is more tenuous after he bounced between two-way and standard deals for the past two years. Backup big man Jaylin Williams also has a non-guaranteed contract for 2024/25 — I expect him to return as well.
The Thunder could be a major player for any star that becomes available in the future. They have the draft assets to top just about any team’s offers. While it’s true they have a two-season window to take advantage of their cap flexibility, they also need to pick their supporting cast wisely, and there’s nothing wrong with waiting until the trade deadline — or even until next season — if further opportunities to improve the rotation don’t materialize this summer.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($35,859,950)- Luguentz Dort ($16,500,000)
- Chet Holmgren ($10,880,640)
- Kenrich Williams ($6,669,000)
- Cason Wallace ($5,555,880)
- Ousmane Dieng ($5,027,040)
- Jalen Williams ($4,775,760)
- Alex Caruso ($3,000,000)
- It’s not official yet, but the Thunder have a trade agreement in place to acquire Caruso for Josh Giddey.
- Partial guarantee. Rest of salary noted below.
- Total: $88,268,270
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Alex Caruso ($6,890,000)
- Partial guarantee. Rest of salary noted above. Caruso’s salary will become guaranteed if he remains under contract through June 30.
- Jaylin Williams ($2,019,699)
- Adam Flagler (two-way)
- Total: $8,909,699
Dead/Retained Salary
- Kevin Porter Jr. ($1,000,000)
- Total: $1,000,000
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Lindy Waters ($2,196,970): Bird rights
- Waters’ salary would remain non-guaranteed if his option is exercised.
- Isaiah Joe ($2,164,993): Early Bird rights
- Joe’s salary would remain non-guaranteed if his option is exercised.
- Aaron Wiggins ($1,988,598): Bird rights
- Wiggins’ salary would remain non-guaranteed if his option is exercised.
- Total: $6,350,561
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Note: Because he has finished each of the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Thunder, Sarr’s qualifying offer would be worth his minimum salary (projected to be $2,168,944). It would include a small partial guarantee.
Draft Picks
- No. 12 overall pick ($4,950,480 cap hold)
- Total (cap holds): $4,950,480
Extension-Eligible Players
- Alex Caruso (veteran)
- Years and dollars will be limited until six months after the trade.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (veteran)
- Gordon Hayward (veteran)
- Extension-eligible until June 30.
- Isaiah Joe (veteran)
- Team option must be exercised; extension-eligible as of October 16.
- Aaron Wiggins (veteran)
- Extension-eligible until June 30 (or beyond, if team option is exercised).
- Jaylin Williams (veteran)
Note: Unless otherwise indicated, these players are eligible for extensions beginning in July.
Unrestricted Free Agents
- Gordon Hayward ($49,350,000 cap hold): Bird rights
- Hayward’s cap hold will be either 35% of the 2024/25 cap or $49,979,096, whichever is lesser.
- Bismack Biyombo ($2,093,637 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Mike Muscala ($2,093,637 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $53,537,274
Cap Exceptions Available
Note: The Thunder project to operate under the cap.
- Room exception: $8,006,000
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Bulls Have Discussed LaVine With Kings, Jazz, Magic, Sixers
The Bulls have been active in trade discussions heading into the 2024 NBA draft and free agency, reports K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to exploring moving up and down from the 11th pick, Chicago has also discussed players already on the roster as well.
Sources tell Johnson that head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has “floated as many as 15” trade proposals involving Zach LaVine. The Kings, Jazz, Magic and Sixers are among the teams Chicago has called about LaVine, according to Johnson.
As Johnson observes, the Bulls will almost certainly need to trim salary to avoid the luxury tax in 2024/25 if they intend to re-sign DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams. DeRozan, who is extension-eligible through June 30, will be an unrestricted free agent, while Williams is restricted.
Johnson reported earlier this month that Chicago’s asking price for LaVine has significantly dropped compared to last year, when they were seeking real assets in return for the 29-year-old. It seems the Bulls are now more focused on finding a way to shed LaVine’s pricey salary — he’s owed $138MM over the next three seasons, including a $49MM player option in 2026/27.
A two-time All-Star, LaVine was limited to just 25 games this past season due to a nagging foot injury, which eventually required season-ending surgery.
To this point, the Bulls have been focused on offering DeRozan short-term deals, Johnson writes. While there’s been “widespread speculation” that the Thunder, Pistons and Hornets may put out offer sheets for Williams, Johnson hears the Bulls are comfortable with their position since they have the right to match any contract the former No. 4 overall pick might receive.
Johnson also mentions Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso as names to watch on the trade market. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski just reported that Caruso is being sent to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey.
As for the lottery pick, Johnson cites Providence’s Devin Carter, Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, G League Ignite’s Ron Holland and Duke’s Kyle Filipowski as potential targets, though the Bulls have gotten a close look at a “wide range of prospects.”
Rockets Rumors: Clingan, Sheppard, No. 3 Pick, Smart, More
The Rockets have UConn center Donovan Clingan and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard at the top of their board heading into next week’s draft, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston controls the No. 3 overall pick.
According to Iko, Clingan seems to have the edge over Sheppard, but it’s not a sure thing the 7’2″ big man will be available with the third pick. ESPN recently reported that while Zaccharie Risacher remains the favorite to go No. 1 to the Hawks, Atlanta is also high on Clingan, who may be Risacher’s top competition. Ken Seguira of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also heard the Hawks are high on Clingan.
The Rockets already have Alperen Sengun at center and he shares an agent with Clingan, Iko writes. Those factors — plus the trade deadline addition of Steven Adams — would seemingly work against Houston selecting Clingan, and the team has been unable to get him in for a private workout to this point. Sheppard, meanwhile, will visit the Rockets this week, sources tell Iko.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently suggested Houston might not have much leverage if they decide to trade the No. 3 selection due to a perception that there’s a minimal difference in value between that pick and those later in the lottery. However, Iko has heard differently, writing that there’s “rapidly growing interest” from rival teams in Clingan and Sheppard. Those teams may also be motivated to move up ahead of the Spurs, who control the Nos. 4 and 8 picks.
While several teams have shown interest in the third pick, team and league sources tell Iko the Hornets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers have been “the most vocal” in their pursuit of the selection, with Memphis and Charlotte particularly “aggressive.”
Iko hears all three clubs are fans of both Clingan and Sheppard. The Hornets control the 6th and 42nd overall picks; the Grizzlies control Nos. 9, 39 and 57; and the Blazers control Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40.
Here are some more Rockets rumors, all from Iko:
- In an ideal situation, Houston would prefer to use the No. 3 pick as part of a package to acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell, but there hasn’t been much league-wide “activity or movement” when it comes to stars this offseason, according to Iko. The Pelicans are rumored to have floated a proposal of Brandon Ingram for Sengun, but Houston has “no interest” in that deal, team sources tell Iko. Iko also hears New Orleans discussed Ingram with the Sixers.
- If the Rockets can’t land a star and still decide to move the third pick, Iko wonders if a Grizzlies offer centered around Marcus Smart and the ninth pick could make sense for both sides. According to Iko’s sources, GM Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are fans of Smart, who played under Udoka in Boston. In a move-back scenario, Houston might be interested in selecting Tennesee forward Dalton Knecht, says Iko.
- Houston also controls a second-round pick (No. 44) in the upcoming draft. San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, Colorado’s KJ Simpson, UCLA’s Adem Bona and Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro are among the prospects who have been discussed at that spot, though Iko acknowledges some of those players might get drafted before then. Clemson forward/center PJ Hall, Texas forward Dylan Disu, St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins and Washington State forward Jaylen Wells are among the players who will work out for Houston this week, Iko reports.
- For free agency, Iko hears the Rockets have placed a high priority on adding shooting, but the team is only interested in two-way contributors — Alec Burks, Gary Harris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Saddiq Bey are names to watch. Bey, however, will be a restricted free agent if he’s given a qualifying offer, which complicates matters (he’s also recovering from a torn ACL). A source close to Eric Gordon tells Iko that the veteran guard is “50-50” on exercising his player option to remain with the Suns, but the longtime former Rocket is also open to a reunion with Houston. The Rockets will have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to dangle in free agency, Iko notes.
Latest On Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson has spent his entire NBA career with the Warriors after being selected 11th overall in the 2011 draft, making five consecutive All-Star teams from 2015-19 and winning four championships. However, the 34-year-old is set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent, and a return to Golden State appears far from certain.
“Klay Thompson, I’m told, is open to all external options in free agency coming up,” Shams Charania of The Athletic said on FanDuelTV’s Run It Back show (Twitter video link). “He intends to test free agency.
“We know the Warriors want him back — they offered him an extension before the start of the season. … What team out there could step up for Klay Thompson? That is gonna be the big question. But the Warriors will stay in touch with him.”
League sources tell Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic that there’s “mutual interest” between Thompson and the Magic, which has been rumored to be the case for at least two months. Golden State has “made clear” it wants to retain Thompson “at the right price and in the right role,” per The Athletic’s duo.
According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, Thompson is looking for a deal that covers a minimum of three years. Poole also hears the Warriors’ front office wasn’t alarmed by Thompson’s decision to stop following the team on Instagram, which has become common practice in contract negotiations.
“He’s going to have to be really patient,” Thompson’s friend and former teammate Leandro Barbosa told Poole. “I hope he comes back to the Warriors. I don’t know what’s the situation, but it’s going to be tough. I know the money (in NBA contracts) is going up, and he’s been thinking about the money.
“But I think he needs to be happy. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Poole suggests rival teams could be willing to offer Thompson more money than the Warriors. Still, as Charania mentioned, it’s unclear which teams might target Thompson beyond perhaps Orlando. Slater previously floated the Sixers and Thunder as possibilities, though Thompson would presumably be a fallback option for Philadelphia, which is reportedly focused on Paul George.
Thompson remains one of the league’s top three-point shooters, averaging 9.7 attempts per game while converting 40.0% of his looks beyond the arc over the past two seasons. However, the torn ACL and torn Achilles tendon that cost him two full seasons have sapped his lateral quickness and athleticism, so he isn’t the same player he once was, particularly on defense.
For what it’s worth, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and longtime teammates Stephen Curry and Draymond Green all expressed a desire for Thompson to return after the veteran guard/forward was held scoreless (he went 0-10 from the field) when Golden State was eliminated by Sacramento in the West’s play-in tournament.
Thompson will join the Bahamian national team for its training camp this week in Houston, but he isn’t expected to play in the country’s Olympic qualifying tournament early next month, according to Charania and Slater. Thompson would need official clearance to play for the Bahamas in international competition since he won a gold medal with Team USA in 2016, and that is not expected to occur, per The Athletic.
Thompson’s father Mychal Thompson is from the Bahamas and his brother Mychel is an assistant coach on the national team.
And-Ones: Barkley, Nunn, Ibaka, Africa
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley recently said he’s going to retire from TV at the conclusion of 2024/25, which could be the final season TNT holds the media rights to NBA games. Barkley has been an analyst on Inside the NBA since 2000.
While his comments certainly seemed genuine, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic believes Barkley will cover the NBA again in some fashion after next season ends, noting the 61-year-old has frequently talked about retirement in the past but he just signed a highly lucrative 10-year contract a couple years ago.
That long-term deal with TNT could complicate matters, but potential new (or returning) media rights holders like Amazon and NBC would love to have Barkley and the entire Inside the NBA crew on board, Marchand writes. A “more plausible” scenario, according to Marchand, would be ESPN giving Barkley a “sweetheart deal” he can’t refuse, perhaps offering to let him work less frequently while still covering the most important games, such as the NBA Finals.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA guard Kendrick Nunn, who helped lead Panathinaikos to a EuroLeague championship in ’23/24, was arrested less than a day after helping his Greek club win a domestic title, according to Eurohoops. Nunn was detained after a verbal exchange with his wife, who declined to press charges, and has subsequently been released. The 28-year-old signed a two-year contract extension with Panathinaikos last month, but he hasn’t ruled out an NBA return, as his deal contains out clauses. Nunn last played for the Lakers and Wizards in ’22/23.
- Big man Serge Ibaka, who played 14 NBA seasons from 2009-2023, says he’s undecided on what he’s going to do next season after spending the ’23/24 campaign with Bayern Munich in Germany, per Eurohoops. Ibaka was rumored to be signing a one-year deal with Real Madrid, but he denied that’s the case.
- Tania Ganguli of The New York Times takes an in-depth look at the NBA’s investment in Africa, which includes the Basketball Africa League. The NBA has long believed the continent could be a key way to grow the popularity of the sport and add young talent to the league’s player pool, but commissioner Adam Silver wonders if enough money is being spent to support growth. “As much as we are investing in Africa, the opportunity is so enormous I worry that we’re under-investing,” Silver said in an interview. “There’s so much opportunity, but it’s not always easy to know how to deploy capital, which government you should be dealing with, who the honest brokers are. And so we’re learning as we go.”
2024 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Lakers
In 2022/23, the Lakers started the season 2-10. Just before the February trade deadline, they were 25-31. After making a few trades, they went 18-8 to close the regular season. A play-in victory over Minnesota secured the West’s No. 7 seed.
After defeating the shorthanded Grizzlies in the first round in six games, the Lakers took out the Warriors — the defending champions at that point — in the second round in another six-game series. However, they were swept in the conference finals by the Nuggets, who went on to win their first title in 2023.
Head of basketball Rob Pelinka talked up continuity last offseason, ultimately re-signing Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and extending Jarred Vanderbilt.
One significant roster change was letting Dennis Schröder walk in free agency, essentially replacing him by signing Gabe Vincent. Due to a knee injury, Vincent was limited to just 11 games and largely struggled in the time he was on the court.
L.A. gave out three minimum-salary one-plus-one (one-year with a player option for year two) deals to Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish. The results were underwhelming. To this point, only Wood has made a determination on his player option for ’24/25, opting in and securing $3MM.
Last summer, the Lakers used their bi-annual exception to sign Taurean Prince, who shot 39.6% from three-point range in his 78 regular season appearances, including 49 starts (27.0 minutes per contest). Prince’s outsized role was a source of external consternation from fans and was reportedly an issue internally as well, perhaps playing a factor in Darvin Ham getting fired as head coach.
Prince is one of only two unrestricted free agents for L.A. in 2024, along with Spencer Dinwiddie, a late-season buyout addition. For what it’s worth, both Prince and Dinwiddie have expressed a desire to return — it remains to be seen if that feeling is mutual.
In ’23/24, Anthony Davis played a career-high 76 games and LeBron James played 71, his most in six years. While they were successful in the minutes their two stars played, the Lakers did not play well at all when James and Davis were off the court. Their overall net rating of +0.6 ranked 19th in the league, and they were 15th in offense and 17th in defense — the definition of mediocre.
At the end of January, the Lakers were just 24-25. Another late-season surge saw them finish 23-10 for an overall mark of 47-35. Once again, the L.A. won its first play-in game — this time over New Orleans — to claim the West’s No. 7 seed.
Despite leading for the majority of the minutes in the series, the Lakers were vanquished again by the Nuggets, losing their first-round series in five games.
As previously noted, Ham was let go last month, so the Lakers have been searching for a new head coach. UConn’s Dan Hurley, winner of back-to-back NCAA titles, emerged as a surprising frontrunner last week, but ultimately stayed in college with the Huskies. J.J. Redick, the presumed favorite for the job before Hurley, will formally interview for the position this weekend, per ESPN.
The ongoing search is drawing all the headlines right now. It’s a huge market, it’s the Lakers, and they have the league’s most famous and accomplished current player. It’s only natural. But what Pelinka will be able to do with the roster is the bigger and more pressing concern. The Western Conference is only going to get more competitive next season, with teams like Memphis, Houston and possibly San Antonio looking to move up the standings and leapfrog the Lakers.
The Lakers’ Offseason Plan
The Lakers enter the offseason in a difficult position. James and Davis remain as potent as any duo in the league, but James turns 40 years old in December and is expected to play only a couple more years.
The team will look to be aggressive in the offseason with its three tradable first-round picks — No. 17 overall in the upcoming draft, and future first-rounders in 2029 and 2031.
If a star player requests a trade, the best package the Lakers can put together simply would not be competitive with teams stacked with draft assets and young players. That doesn’t mean L.A. won’t continue to be linked to star players, but the ones who could be realistically attainable have red flags.
Take Trae Young, for instance, a very talented but ball-dominant point guard. Going all-in for Young would likely cause more problems than solutions due to his maximum-salary contract and defensive limitations.
Zach LaVine‘s value is at an all-time low after season-ending foot surgery limited him to 25 games. His max deal will pay him $89MM over the next two seasons, with a $49MM player option for ’26/27. The Lakers probably wouldn’t have to give up very much to acquire the two-time All-Star, but would he help or hinder the club going forward?
Finding players who can contribute both in the short and long term while maintaining some semblance of future flexibility is an extremely difficult needle to thread. Especially when other teams know you want to get better but don’t have a clear path to doing so.
L.A. had a recipe for success around James and Davis four years ago when the team won the championship — a top-tier defense with role players who knew how to move the ball and could make enough shots to keep defenses honest. But 3-and-D players aren’t easy to acquire, as just about every team in the league wants more of them.
Alex Caruso, who won a ring with that title team before the Lakers let him walk in free agency a few years ago, would be a great on-court fit. However, he’s entering the final year of his contract, and the Bulls have reportedly placed a high asking price for defensive stalwart in the past couple transaction windows.
Dorian Finney-Smith is another player who has been linked to L.A. He’s a good player on a fairly reasonable contract. He also isn’t a player who is going to move the needle on his own, and I don’t think he’s worth any first-round picks.
James has a $51.4MM player option for ’24/25 and is widely expected to return in some fashion, whether it comes via an extension or opting out and re-signing. In addition to Hayes and Reddish, Russell also holds a player option valued at $18.7MM.
If James opts out and re-signs, he would be eligible for a full no-trade clause. That could appeal to him as he enters his age-40 season, although it’s very difficult to envision any scenario in which the Lakers would consider trading him anyway.
Let’s say all four players simply pick up their options. That leaves the Lakers with $178.75MM committed to 12 players. They also have a $3.83MM cap hold for the No. 17 overall pick and a potential $2.29MM qualifying offer — which is also the cap hold — to make second-year wing Max Christie a restricted free agent. That’s a total of about $184.9MM for 14 players.
The first luxury tax apron is projected to be $178.7MM. The second apron would be just shy of $189.5MM.
I don’t have a great feel for Christie’s market value because he hasn’t been a regular part of the team’s rotation in his first two seasons. He’s only 21 and has shown glimpses of being a valuable role player, but it’s hard to say how that will translate to his next contract. I do think the Lakers will re-sign him though, assuming it makes sense financially.
The problem with the above scenario is the Lakers weren’t a contender in ’23/24 and running things back isn’t a solution. Handing out all those player options in 2023 free agency may have secured additional commitments, but it made navigating the team’s books a more difficult proposition this summer.
Russell’s situation is interesting because if he signs with a rival team in free agency, the Lakers wouldn’t have to worry about the restrictions of the aprons at all — they might not even be a taxpayer ($171.3MM). But they’d also lose their starting point guard and a potential mid-sized contract to use for salary-matching in trades.
You could make an argument that ’23/24 was Russell’s best regular season as a pro, averaging 18.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 6.3 APG while turning it over at a career-low rate (2.1 per game). He scored efficiently (.588 TS%), including a career-high 41.5% from three-point range, and appeared in 76 games, his highest mark in five years.
However, he was abysmal in the playoffs again, averaging more field goal attempts (14.6) than points (14.2) per game. He was also targeted by Denver defensively for the second straight year. If it were his first rodeo, maybe it wouldn’t be particularly noteworthy, but the 28-year-old has consistently struggled under the bright lights of the postseason, with a career TS% of .484 in 32 games (just over 1,000 minutes).
Russell has always been a streaky scorer who has never been known for his defense. But if he struggles to score at the time of the season you need him most, how valuable do his regular season contributions actually end up being?
There is no easy answer to that question, which is why his market value is particularly tricky to gauge. He provides a certain baseline of skills that appeals to teams, despite being streaky. But I also don’t think there’s a team out there that views Russell as any type of long-term solution at point. He’s entering his 10th season, so an improvement over last season would likely be marginal.
Russell exercising his option would probably be a best-case scenario for the Lakers because he would remain trade-eligible and under contract. He might be flawed, but they also don’t have a straightforward way to replace what he brings to the table.
That’s the biggest problem with the Lakers right now. Their most appealing player asset — aside from James and Davis, of course — is Reaves, a good player on a great contract. Beyond that, the outlook is pretty bleak.
Hachimura had a solid regular season before struggling in the playoffs. He’s owed $35.3MM over the next two seasons — not an onerous deal by any means, but also not particularly team-friendly. He might appeal to certain teams, but not enough on his own to return anything of significant value.
Vanderbilt defends, hustles and rebounds, but he’s not a great offensive player, and he only played 29 games last season due to a nagging heel injury. He’s 25 and will make a little under the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which certain teams can now use as a trade exception — an acquiring team potentially wouldn’t have to take salary back to acquire him.
Vincent is still owed $22.5MM over the next two years. It’s hard to view that contract as anything but a negative right now.
Guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, whom the team selected 17th overall in 2023, only played a total of 109 NBA minutes as a rookie last season. Injuries certainly were a factor, but he was also buried deep on the depth chart. This is not a slight at Hood-Schifino because he’s still very young and some things were out of his control. But after one year, the pick doesn’t look great for the front office — the three players selected immediately after Hood-Schifino were Jaime Jaquez, Brandin Podziemski and Cam Whitmore — two All-Rookie First Team members and an explosive athlete and scorer.
2023 second-rounder Maxwell Lewis played 103 minutes across 34 games as a rookie, averaging just 3.0 per contest. He’ll earn guaranteed salaries the next two seasons, with a $2.4MM team option for ’26/27.
If Russell declines his option and signs elsewhere, the Lakers would have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Free agents like De’Anthony Melton, Gary Trent Jr., Derrick Jones, Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith and Naji Marshall could make some sense as targets, though they might not all be available.
One thing that’s certain is the Lakers will still trying to be competitive in ’24/25, as New Orleans controls their 2025 first-round pick, which is unprotected. That is the final piece of the Davis trade from five years ago.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Anthony Davis ($43,219,440)- Rui Hachimura ($17,000,000)
- Austin Reaves ($12,976,362)
- Gabe Vincent ($11,000,000)
- Jarred Vanderbilt ($10,714,286)
- Jalen Hood-Schifino ($3,879,840)
- Christian Wood ($3,036,040)
- Wood exercised his player option.
- Maxwell Lewis ($1,891,857)
- Total: $103,717,825
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- LeBron James ($51,415,938): Bird rights
- D’Angelo Russell ($18,692,307): Bird rights
- Jaxson Hayes ($2,463,946): Non-Bird rights
- Cam Reddish ($2,463,946): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $75,036,137
Team Options
- None
Restricted Free Agents
- Max Christie ($2,293,637 qualifying offer / $2,293,637 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $2,293,637
Two-Way Free Agents
Note: Because they are no longer eligible to sign two-way contracts, the qualifying offers for Giles and Mays would be worth their minimum salary (projected to be $2,432,511 for Giles and $2,244,249 for Mays). Those offers would each include a small partial guarantee.
Draft Picks
- No. 17 overall pick ($3,830,280 cap hold)
- No. 55 overall pick (no cap hold)
- Total (cap holds): $3,830,280
Extension-Eligible Players
- LeBron James (veteran)
- Extension-eligible as of August 18; player option must be exercised.
- Extension-eligible as of August 18; player option must be exercised.
Unrestricted Free Agents
- Taurean Prince ($5,419,200 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Spencer Dinwiddie ($2,093,637 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $7,512,837
Other Cap Holds
- Carmelo Anthony ($2,093,637 cap hold)
- Avery Bradley ($2,093,637 cap hold)
- Jared Dudley ($2,093,637 cap hold)
- Wayne Ellington ($2,093,637 cap hold)
- Dwight Howard ($2,093,637 cap hold)
- Dion Waiters ($2,093,637 cap hold)
- Total (cap holds): $12,561,822
Note: The cap holds for these players are on the Lakers’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
Cap Exceptions Available
Note: The Lakers project to operate over the cap and over the first tax apron. If they’re below the first apron, they would gain access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,859,000). If they’re above the second apron, they would lose access to the taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,183,000
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Shannon, Dante, Blazers, Magic, Antoine
Illinois guard Terrence Shannon has been found not guilty of all charges at his criminal trial in Kansas, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Shannon was facing felony charges of first-degree rape and sexual aggravated battery.
According to Givony, NBA teams have been closely monitoring Shannon’s legal situation. At one point he was a projected first-round pick, Givony notes, but he’s currently ranked No. 33 on ESPN’s big board.
Here are some more draft-related notes:
- Oregon center N’Faly Dante, who is ranked No. 75 on ESPN’s board, appealed to the NCAA for an extra year of college eligibility, but that request has been denied, sources tell Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
- The Trail Blazers hosted a pre-draft workout on Thursday featuring Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic, Duke big man Kyle Filipowski, Memphis guard David Jones, Arizona guard Pelle Larsson and Maryland guard Jahmir Young, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Portland controls four picks in the upcoming draft: a pair of lottery picks (Nos. 7 and 14) and two second-rounders (Nos. 34 and 40). Da Silva (No. 17 on ESPN’s board) and Filipowski (No. 21) are considered probable first-rounders.
- The Magic held a pre-draft workout on Wednesday that featured Purdue’s Lance Jones, Syracuse’s Judah Mintz and North Carolina’s Cormac Ryan, according to Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire (Twitter link).
- Radford guard Bryan Antoine, a McDonald’s All-American in High School, has a workout on Thursday with the Nets, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). The Knicks will host Antoine for a workout next week, Zagoria adds.
Kings’ Vezenkov Reportedly Intends To Honor Contract
A couple of reports last week had conflicting information about the future of Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov.
An Italian reporter claimed Vezenkov was told he was no longer in Sacramento’s plans and the team would look to trade him, while Eurohoops reported that Vezenkov told the Kings he wasn’t going to return for a second season and he was undecided on whether he would stay in the NBA or return to Europe.
While the former EuroLeague MVP “remains frustrated” with the limited he role he played off the bench as a rookie last season, several sources tell Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 that there’s “no truth” to the rumor of Vezenkov considering an NBA exit (Twitter link). A source close to Vezenkov referred to that reporting as “off base” and said the Bulgarian intends to honor the terms of his contract.
Cunningham hears Sacramento would like to keep Vezenkov on the roster, but evidently there is external interest in his services as well. Given the Kings could be over the luxury tax line if they’re able to re-sign Malik Monk in free agency, it’s possible they might unload Vezenkov to save money, as our Luke Adams wrote when he previewed the Kings’ offseason.
Vezenkov signed a three-year, $20MM contract with Sacramento last summer. His $6.66MM salary for 2024/25 is fully guaranteed, while his $6.98MM salary for ’25/26 is a team option.
As we previously noted, Vezenkov can’t just terminate his contract. And since the 28-year-old’s deal for next season is guaranteed, Sacramento has no incentive to waive him unless he’s willing to give back some or all of the money he’s owed in a buyout. According to Cunningham’s report, that scenario is highly unlikely to occur.
Vezenkov averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.3 RPG on .440/.375/.800 shooting in 42 games last season for Sacramento (12.2 MPG). He missed 22 games with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, but even when he was healthy, he wasn’t a consistent part of the team’s rotation.
Pacific Notes: Hurley, Lakers, Kings, Suns
Appearing on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (YouTube link), Dan Hurley said he didn’t use talks with the Lakers as leverage to secure a larger financial commitment from UConn, as Adam Zagoria of NJ.com relays. Hurley reportedly turned down a six-year, $70MM deal from L.A. and will receive about $20MM less in his new contract with the Huskies, which will be announced “soon,” a source told Zagoria.
“This was never a leverage situation for me,” Hurley said Thursday. “I’ve had a contract situation in place for a couple of weeks, and the financial part in terms of salary has been done for a while. There’s some other parts like NIL and staff salaries and some different things that I want adjusted that I’m not comfortable with.
“But the sense or the idea that this was just a conspiracy to get me a sweeter deal at UConn is just lazy and not [true]. It was truly a gut-wrenching decision for me because I was really — Sunday night going into Monday where I had kind of a deadline in my mind — I was like torn and I didn’t know really what I was going to do until I went to bed.”
However, Hurley did suggest the Lakers could have compelled him to leave UConn with a more lucrative offer.
“To leave all that behind, there probably is a number,” Hurley said. “I don’t know what that is.”
J.J. Redick, who was previously viewed as the frontrunner in the Lakers’ head coaching search before Hurley’s surprising emergence, will formally interview for the position this weekend, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- The Kings have hosted several pre-draft workouts this week, according to a couple of local reporters. League sources tell Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 (Twitter link) that Memphis guard David Jones, French forward Lucas Dufeal, and Western Illinois center Drew Cisse were among the prospects who took part. According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, the Kings have also worked out Kentucky wing Justin Edwards, UC Santa Barbara guard Joshua Pierre-Louis, Alabama guard Aaron Estrada, and Florida State guard Darin Green in recent days. Sacramento controls one first-round pick (No. 13) and one second-rounder (No. 45).
- Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports goes through the “fruitless exercise” of coming up with Bradley Beal trade ideas for the Suns while acknowledging that the odds of a deal involving Beal occurring this summer are basically zero.
- In a separate article for PHNX Sports, Bourguet examines five wing prospects the Suns could consider with the No. 22 overall pick, including Colorado’s Tristan Da Silva, Cal’s Jaylon Tyson, and Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman.