Extension Details: Avdija, Nnaji, Nesmith
Deni Avdija‘s new four-year, $55MM extension with the Wizards features a declining structure, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who passes along details on a couple other recently-signed rookie scale extensions as well (All Twitter links).
Avdija will make $15,625,000 (11% of the projected salary cap) in 2024/25, which is when the deal kicks in, but that figure declines to $11,875,000 (7.2% of the projected cap) by ’27/28. As previously reported, the contract is fully guaranteed, with no team or player options.
Nuggets big man Zeke Nnaji‘s four-year, $32MM extension also descends over time, according to Marks. The deal starts at $8,888,889 in ’24/25 and Nnaji will carry identical $7,466,667 cap hits in the third and fourth years of the deal, with the fourth being a player option.
Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, on the other hand, will receive a flat $11MM each season from 2024-26, for a total of $33MM over three years, Marks adds.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Nesmith said he was “very happy” with the agreement (Twitter video link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).
“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “I’m happy to be here, I wanted to be here. I’m very happy for the opportunity to be here for the next four years. It’s awesome. I’m excited.“
Grizzlies Exercise 2024/25 Team Options On Four Players
The Grizzlies have exercised their 2024/25 rookie scale team options on Ziaire Williams, Santi Aldama, Jake LaRavia and David Roddy, the team announced on Monday (via Twitter).
After having their fourth-year options picked up, Williams (10th overall pick in 2021) and Aldama (30th in ’21) will now be eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2024. Williams will earn $6,133,005 next season, while Aldama will make $3,960,531.
LaRavia (19th pick in ’22) and Roddy (23rd pick in ’22), on the other hand, had their third-year options exercised. They’ll make $3,352,680 and $2,847,240 in ’24/25, respectively.
After a solid rookie campaign in 2021/22, Williams struggled with injuries and inconsistency last season. However, he started at small forward in a couple of preseason games, including the team’s finale on Friday (Twitter link via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal), and is looking to bounce back with a strong season in ’23/24.
A 6’10” big man with a versatile skill set, Aldama didn’t play much as a rookie but had a productive sophomore campaign in ’22/23, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG on .470/.353/.750 shooting in 77 games (21.8 MPG). He should be in line for a larger role in year three with Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams unfortunately sidelined with major injuries.
Roddy was selected a few picks after LaRavia, but he saw the court much more frequently as a rookie last season for the Grizzlies, appearing in 70 games for an average of 18.0 MPG). LaRavia appeared in 35 games while averaging 11.8 MPG in ’22/23.
The full list of ’24/25 rookie scale team option decisions can be found right here.
Spurs Exercise 2024/25 Options On Sochan, Branham, Wesley
The Spurs have exercised their third-year team options on the rookie scale contracts of Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, the team announced today.
While the moves won’t impact the players this season, the trio now have their 2024/25 salaries guaranteed. Sochan will make $5,570,040 next season, Branham will carry a $3,217,920 cap hit, and Wesley will earn $2,624,280.
The Spurs will have until the end of October 2024 to decide whether or not they want to pick up the fourth-year options of Sochan, Branham and Wesley.
The No. 9 overall pick of the 2022 draft, Sochan earned a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team last season after averaging 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 56 games, including 53 starts (26.0 minutes per contest). He posted a .453/.246/.698 shooting line.
Head coach Gregg Popovich previously stated that the 6’9″ Sochan would be the de facto point guard of the Spurs’ super-sized starting lineup to open ’23/24. However, on Friday, he cast some uncertainty on whether that five-man group would remain the long-term starters, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News relays (Twitter links).
Branham, a 6’5″ guard who was the No. 20 overall pick in 2022, averaged 10.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists on .440/.302/.829 shooting in 66 games last season (23.5 minutes).
Wesley, meanwhile, was the No. 25 pick last year. He averaged 5.0 points, 2.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds on .321/.381/.591 shooting in 37 NBA games in ’22/23 (18.1 minutes). The 6’5″ guard also spent some time in the G League last season.
The full list of ’24/25 rookie scale team option decisions can be found right here.
Knicks Release Diakite, Goodwin, Roby, Washington
The Knicks have waived Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr., the team announced (via Twitter).
Diakite, Goodwin and Roby were all signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, which means they could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days the Knicks’ NBA G League affiliate in Westchester.
Washington, on the other hand, was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract. That means he would not be eligible for a bonus if he clears waivers and plays for the Westchester Knicks in 2023/24.
All four players have NBA experience, but were unable to make the Knicks’ regular season roster. Diakite, a 6’9″ forward/center who was born in Guinea, has appeared in 49 NBA games with the Bucks, Thunder and Cavs over the past three seasons.
Goodwin, 28, is a 6’0″ point guard who played 133 regular season games with the Nuggets, Hawks and Cavs from 2018-22. He was out of the league last season.
Roby, 25, spent most of last season with the Spurs, appearing in 42 games and averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night before being released in early March. He spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City.
Roby signed a multiyear contract with the Knicks on the final day of the 2022/23 regular season that was non-guaranteed for ’23/24. He was recently cut, cleared waivers, and re-signed; now he has been waived again to secure his Exhibit 10 bonus.
A 6’3″ guard who went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021, Washington spent the past two seasons with the Pacers, Suns and Knicks on two-way deals. He never actually played a game for New York, which waived him in July before re-signing him to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.
By waiving the four players and converting Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin to two-way deals, it appears as though DaQuan Jeffries and Ryan Arcidiacono may have made the Knicks’ opening-night roster. Both players were on non-guaranteed camp contracts.
New York is now down to 17 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.
Knicks Convert Charlie Brown Jr., Jacob Toppin To Two-Way Deals
The Knicks have converted Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin to two-way deals, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The moves are official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
Both players were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, and New York had a couple of open two-way spots after waiving Nathan Knight and Jaylen Martin. That means no corresponding moves were necessary in order to promote Brown and Toppin.
Brown, 26, has appeared in a total of 41 NBA regular season games for the Hawks, Thunder, Mavericks, and Sixers since 2019, but wasn’t in the league last year, having spent the season with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate. He averaged 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for a Delaware Blue Coats team that won the 2022/23 G League championship.
Following his stint in Delaware, the 6’6″ wing caught on with the Knicks for Summer League play in July. He was a standout in four games in Las Vegas, averaging 19.8 PPG and 6.3 RPG with a shooting line of .547/.375/.800.
Toppin, meanwhile, went undrafted in June out of Kentucky. The 6’9″ forward averaged a career-best 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for the Wildcats as a senior in 2022/23, earning a starting role and averaging 31.4 MPG in 33 appearances.
Interestingly, it was initially reported that Toppin would receive a two-way contract, but he actually signed an Exhibit 10 deal. Now, the 23-year-old has wound up on a two-way deal after all.
According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Toppin impressed head coach Tom Thibodeau with his defense during preseason action (Twitter link). Toppin is the younger brother of former Knicks forward Obi Toppin, who was traded to the Pacers this summer.
Jazz Guaranteeing Kris Dunn’s 2023/24 Salary
The Jazz are guaranteeing Kris Dunn‘s $2,586,665 salary for the 2023/24 season, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The move was expected, Jones adds. Dunn’s early salary guarantee date was October 23, but now he knows a couple days early that his contract — which was previously non-guaranteed — will be fully guaranteed.
Dunn has played the best basketball of his NBA career since joining Utah late last season. He averaged 13.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .537/.472/.774 shooting in 22 games (25.8 MPG) with the Jazz in ’22/23. He also had a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, a strong mark for a point guard.
In five preseason games this fall (15.2 MPG), Dunn averaged 8.0 PPG, 2.8 APG and 1.6 SPG while shooting a remarkable 85.7% from the floor (18-of-21). Head coach Will Hardy recently praised the 29-year-old’s “tenacity” as well as the “fight and hunger” he shows on the court.
It’s been a remarkable career turn around for Dunn, who spent most of last season in the G League and only played 18 NBA games with the Hawks and Trail Blazers from 2020-22 (part of that was due to knee and ankle injuries while with Atlanta).
The former No. 5 overall pick was always a strong defender, but struggled to score efficiently, which has changed dramatically over the past year. He turned a couple of 10-day deals with Utah into a two-year contract worth $3.3MM+.
Dunn is set to his unrestricted free agency next summer, and should be coveted on the open market if he continues his strong play again in ’23/24.
Northwest Notes: NAW, Reid, Brogdon, Agbaji, Nuggets
In his first foray in free agency, former first-round pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker decided to re-sign with the Timberwolves on a two-year, $9MM deal. Alexander-Walker had bounced around the league in his first four seasons, playing for New Orleans and Utah before being traded to Minnesota in February (he was technically on Portland for one day in ’21/22 as well).
The 25-year-old wing had a strong summer, helping Canada win a bronze medal at the World Cup, and he’s ready to show he’s more than just a defensive specialist, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (subscriber link).
“My mentality, now more than ever, has been right,” Alexander-Walker said. “… I’m doing the right things, and I know that these guys are behind me and I’m in a position that I have support and trust and opportunity.”
As Hine writes, Alexander-Walker has been a fill-in starter during preseason with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels missing time due to injuries. That’s an indication that he’ll be a rotation regular once the 2023/24 season begins, and a “less is more” approach on offense could be the key to staying on the court.
“When he first came into the league … he wanted to always play with the dribble, go somewhere and try to do things, and he got himself in trouble doing that at times,” head coach Chris Finch said. “But now he uses his shooting. He’s a high-level shooter. Has a great high release so he can always get it off on people. Now, he’s using that to set up the rest of his game, which is really smart.”
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- The Timberwolves need to find the best way to optimize big man Naz Reid after signing him to a three-year, $42MM extension before he hit free agency. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details, Minnesota plans to use Reid primarily at power forward in ’23/24, which is a change — he has mostly played center to this point in his career. However, the early returns have been promising, per Krawczynski. “Right before Naz got hurt (he broke his left wrist at the end of the ’22/23 regular season), I thought he found his groove at the 4, really found out what that looked like,” Finch said. “Now, defensively, he’s got to get better and better there, and we’re going to have to help him with some schemes and stuff like that. I think this is all about trying to get your best players on the floor, and he’s clearly in our top eight players.”
- Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was dealt to Portland from Boston in the Jrue Holiday trade, says he has no issues coming off the bench again in ’23/24, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “I think it’s honestly important for Scoot (Henderson) to get this experience, starting,” Brogdon said. “He’s going to be the franchise player going forward, so he has to be invested in and given that opportunity.” Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year last season with the Celtics.
- Jazz head coach Will Hardy wants Ochai Agbaji to focus on improving defensively in ’23/24, particularly on the ball, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I would like to see him take another step forward in terms of his isolation defense,” Hardy said of the second-year wing. “Guarding the ball in a pick-and-roll and navigating those screens is a skill and it takes a certain type of athleticism.” The Jazz have until October 31 to exercise their third-year option on Agbaji’s rookie scale contract.
- Bennett Durando of The Denver Post lists five reasons why the Nuggets will repeat as NBA champions this season — and five reasons why they won’t.
Mavs Convert Dexter Dennis, Greg Brown To Two-Way Deals
The Mavericks have converted the Exhibit 10 contracts of Dexter Dennis and Greg Brown into two-way deals, the team announced (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that Dennis was being converted (Twitter link).
Dallas had a pair of two-way openings, so no corresponding moves are necessary to promote Dennis and Brown. A.J. Lawson occupies the team’s third two-way spot.
Dennis, 24, went undrafted in June. He spent his first four college seasons at Wichita State before joining Texas A&M for the 2022/23 season. As a “super-senior” taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility afforded to college players due to COVID-19, he averaged 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game across 34 appearances.
Dennis never averaged double-digit points per game in any of his five college seasons and made just 37.5% of his shots from the field over the last two years, including 30.4% of his three-pointers. However, he’s a talented defender who earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 for the Shockers.
The 43rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, Brown spent his first season-and-a-half as a pro in Portland, appearing in 64 games for the Trail Blazers during that time. He didn’t establish himself as a regular rotation player, averaging just 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night with a shooting line of .422/.294/.636.
Because the Blazers didn’t have a G League affiliate of their own during Brown’s time with the team, they couldn’t send him to their own NBAGL program for developmental purposes. The 21-year-old ended up being waived in February to accommodate Portland’s trade deadline moves, then finished the season with the Ontario Clippers in the G League.
The Mavs still have 18 players on their roster, with 14 players on guaranteed standard deals and Markieff Morris on a partially guaranteed contract.
Magic Converting Trevelin Queen To Two-Way Deal
Magic wing Trevelin Queen is receiving a promotion, as his Exhibit 10 contract is being converted into a two-way deal, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
In Orlando’s preseason finale on Friday against Brazilian club Flamengo, Queen poured in 24 points (on 9-of-12 shooting) in just 24 minutes. He also had four steals in the game.
Queen went undrafted in 2020 out of New Mexico State. He has spent the majority of his three pro seasons playing in the NBA G League, winning the NBAGL’s MVP award in 2021/22.
The 26-year-old signed with the Sixers last summer, but was waived during the preseason and caught on with the Pacers on a two-way deal a few days later. He spent most of ’22/23 with Indiana, but was waived at the end of March.
Queen has appeared in a total of 17 NBA games while on two-way contracts with the Rockets and Pacers over the past two seasons. He holds modest career averages of 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per contest.
Queen once again put up big numbers at the G League level in ’22/23, including averages of 23.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 11 Showcase Cup contests (35.7 MPG) for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In 24 NBAGL regular season games, he put up 22.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 2.1 SPG. He was named to the Next Up Game at All-Star weekend.
The Magic had one open two-way spot, so they won’t have to waive anyone to convert Queen’s contract. They still have 21 players on their roster, which is the preseason limit.
Frank Ntilikina Out At Least Four Weeks With Fractured Tibia
Hornets guard Frank Ntilikina has sustained a non-displaced fracture of his left tibia and will be out at least four weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced (Twitter link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).
Ntilikina suffered the injury during Thursday’s preseason finale against Boston. He was originally diagnosed with a hyperextended knee, but further testing revealed the fracture.
A former lottery pick (No. 8 overall in 2017) who is still just 25 years old, Ntilikina spent his first four NBA seasons with the Knicks and the past two seasons with the Mavs. In August, he signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Charlotte as a free agent, but his deal is only partially guaranteed for $200K.
It’s unclear if the injury might cause the Hornets to release Ntilikina. Being out at least four weeks with the regular season about to begin in a handful of days certainly isn’t ideal for either party, to put it mildly.
After Charlotte waived Kai Jones, Ntilikina’s path to a spot on the opening night roster appeared secure. His leg injury makes it a bit more of a question mark.
While he has never been great on offense, posting a subpar career shooting slash line of .371/.323/.760 over 316 regular season games (17.1 MPG), the French guard is a talented defensive player and the Hornets don’t have many strong defenders on their roster.
Ntilikina was likely competing for backup point guard minutes alongside first-rounder Nick Smith, Edmond Sumner and Theo Maledon, who is on a two-way deal. Ntilikina’s injury seemingly makes Sumner even more likely to make the team — he’s on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract.