Northwest Notes: Jazz Draft, THT, Iowa Wolves, Connelly
Armed with three first-round picks in 2023, CEO Danny Ainge says the the Jazz will have at least 10 members of the organization present at the NBA draft combine in a couple weeks, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune.
“Some. Yeah,” Ainge said when asked how much stock the team puts into the combine. “We’ll have 10 of us or more there anyway. We’ll spend a lot more time watching [the prospects] there collectively, with groups, and evaluating them. And we’ll have a lot of time at the combine and in draft workouts to get to know them up close and personal.”
The Jazz control their own first-rounder, currently projected to be No. 9 overall, though that draft slot could change when the lottery is conducted on May 16. They also control the Wolves’ (No. 16) and Sixers’ (No. 28) first-round picks from trades last summer. According to Walden, the team plans to bring in a horde of prospects to Utah for workouts, but it won’t be publicly disclosing those players “for competitive reasons.”
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- Talen Horton-Tucker is a difficult player to evaluate and that was certainly true of his performance with the Jazz during the 2022/23 season, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Todd says she would be surprised if Horton-Tucker declines his $11MM player option for ’23/24 due to his inconsistency, but notes that he’s still only 22 years old despite the fact that he’s already played four seasons. Horton-Tucker will be extension-eligible if he picks up his option, but Todd thinks the Jazz should take a wait-and-see approach with the young guard next season.
- The Timberwolves‘ G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, received a couple of NBAGL awards, per a press release. The franchise received the President’s Choice Award for demonstrating “excellence in business performance across key areas of focus.” The team set a franchise record for attendance in ’22/23. Iowa Wolves president Ryan Grant was also named G League Executive of the Year, as voted by his peers.
- Tim Connelly is a Baltimore native and got his start with the Wizards, which is why speculation about him possibly re-joining the organization won’t go away. Still, Minnesota’s president of basketball operations plans to remain with the Timberwolves next season, he said in a radio interview with Chad Hartman of WCCO. “That’s certainly the plan,” Connelly said, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “That’s why we came here, moved here. We had a lot of unfinished business. It’s been a really fun year, on and off the court, and we’re fully committed to being a Timberwolf.”
Southwest Notes: Kidd, Kyrie, Mavs, Bates, Pelicans, Grizzlies
Head coach Jason Kidd hopes Kyrie Irving — an impending free agent — spends the rest of his career with the Mavericks, he told Rachel Nichols of Showtime (Twitter video link).
“I think he truly is happy here, but that doesn’t guarantee us that he’s going to stay,” Kidd said (hat tip to NJ.com contributor Adam Zagoria). ” … We’re going to do everything to keep him. At the end of the day it’s his decision, we’ll see what that is. But at the end, we hope that we’ve done everything to make him comfortable, and want to be a Mav for life.”
A five-year, maximum-salary offer for Irving is projected to be worth $272MM. It seems unlikely that the Mavs would actually go that high, but you never know — they gave up real assets to acquire him, and losing him for nothing would be a disaster.
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Emoni Bates, who worked out for Charlotte on Friday, also worked out for the Mavericks earlier this week, Zagoria tweets. A former five-star recruit, Bates is currently ranked No. 56 on ESPN’s big board after a relatively disappointing first two college seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan.
- Hiring an assistant coach with head coaching experience is a priority for the Pelicans, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who notes (via Twitter) that head coach Willie Green has a good relationship with advisor Mike D’Antoni.
- The Grizzlies will need to rely on the leadership of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. going forward with Dillon Brooks likely to depart in free agency, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Des is a cornerstone, very significant piece of this group,” GM Zach Kleiman said. “I think he has an opportunity going forward to really establish himself as a key driver, key leader in this group. … I think he’ll have an even bigger opportunity to be a heart-and-soul-of-the-group kind of guy going forward.”
New York Notes: Randle, Brunson, Bridges, Simmons
After being sidelined for Game 1 of the Knicks‘ second-round series against Miami due to a left ankle sprain, forward Julius Randle said he had no intention of missing Game 2, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link).
“Yeah,” Randle said. “There was no way I was sitting out of that one.
“It’s not really the pain, man. It’s just the getting back on the court. For me, it was not being able to do anything for a while. Getting my conditioning back … the recovery after, all while trying to nurse an injury. So mentally, it’ll take a toll on you. But my wife, my family, everybody in the organization — thankfully for me, I have a great supporting cast.”
Here are a few more notes out of New York:
- Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was limited in Thursday’s practice due to right ankle soreness. However, he told reporters on Friday, including Popper (subscriber link), that he’s “ready to go” for Saturday’s Game 3. Popper heard that Randle and Brunson would not be listed on New York’s injury report and that was indeed the case — both players will be available tomorrow afternoon (Twitter links).
- Collin Helwig of NetsDaily.com takes a look at Mikal Bridges‘ chances of being selected to his first All-Star team in 2023/24, concluding that the Nets wing has a good shot to make it in as a reserve next season if he can continue his strong play from the second half of ’22/23.
- Australian national team head coach Brian Goorjian is optimistic about Nets swingman Ben Simmons playing at this summer’s World Cup, which starts in late August, according to Seb Mottram of SEN.com.au. “I think his (Ben’s) mindset is getting healthy, getting in shape and getting ready to play in this (World Cup),” Goorjian told 1170 SEN Afternoons. “… As we sit now, I think there is a really strong chance (that he plays at the World Cup).”
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that Simmons would like to compete for the Boomers at the World Cup, though that will depend on how his back rehab is progressing. Sources tell Windhorst that Simmons’ injury recovery is “going well” thus far. The three-time All-Star last played for the Nets on February 15 due to a nerve impingement in his back (he was also dealing with left knee soreness).
Pistons Notes: Coaching Search, Ollie, Murphy, Draft Picks
The Pistons could hire a new head coach soon, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who reports in his latest mailbag that the top candidates for the job are set to meet with owner Tom Gores next week in Los Angeles.
Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee, former Connecticut and Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie, and Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins are considered the leading candidates. However, Edwards believes that Ollie, a former NBA player, is the frontrunner for the position.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- DeJanai Raska says she was sexually harassed and assaulted by former assistant GM Rob Murphy over a period of several months, she tells Tresa Baldas of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). There are too many details to list here, but Raska reported her allegations to the Pistons last fall. The team put Murphy on leave, but didn’t announce that he was fired until after Raska sued both the organization and Murphy. “I grew up in the city really looking up to the Pistons, the Bad Boys … and to be treated this way is heartbreaking,” Raska said.
- Who are the top five prospects Detroit should be considering with its first-round pick, which can land no lower than fifth overall? Edwards ranks those players in order for The Athletic. Obviously Victor Wembanyama is No. 1, but Brandon Miller edges out Scoot Henderson for No. 2. Rounding out Edwards’ top five are Henderson, Houston forward Jarace Walker and Arkansas guard Anthony Black.
- On a related topic, if the pick does land fifth in the lottery — and there’s a 47.9% chance that it will — who should the Pistons select? Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) makes the case for Villanova wing Cam Whitmore, arguing that his physical tools and flashes of shooting make him the best choice at that spot.
Community Shootaround: Timberwolves’ Offseason
After trading away several first-round picks (including center Walker Kessler, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting) to acquire Rudy Gobert last summer , the Timberwolves don’t have many ways to improve the roster going forward. They only have one draft pick in 2023, at No. 53 overall.
With huge contracts committed to Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, the only realistic pathway to drastically reshape the roster would seemingly be to trade Towns. The problem is he was limited to 29 regular season games after a severe calf strain, and he struggled in the playoffs for the second straight year, posting 10 assists against 18 turnovers while shooting 25% on threes in Minnesota’s first-round loss to Denver.
The Wolves still seem intent on keeping the two big men together, with head coach Chris Finch expressing optimism about the pairing after Game 5. Let’s say they retain both players and build out the roster with their limited available resources. There are plenty of other important decisions to be made this summer.
For starters, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (RFA), Austin Rivers, Nathan Knight ($1,997,238 team option), Luka Garza (two-way) and Matt Ryan (two-way) are all possible free agents, while Mike Conley, Taurean Prince and Jordan McLaughlin have either partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contracts for 2023/24.
Of that large group, Conley and Prince are likely to return, as both were important contributors. But Conley will be 36 years old when next season starts and is on an expiring contract, so finding a long-term solution at point guard will be a priority.
The Wolves have talked about wanting to re-sign or extend Reid, but he may be looking for a bigger opportunity in his first free agency foray. Alexander-Walker has expressed a desire to be back after providing impressive defense down the stretch.
The future of everyone else mentioned is very much up in the air. And with lucrative rookie scale extensions for Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels likely to be signed this offseason, the cap sheet for ’24/25 and beyond is looking pretty messy.
We want to know what you think. What should the Timberwolves do this offseason to build around Edwards? Which of their free agents should they re-sign, and which should they let go? Head to the comments section to share your thoughts.
Warriors Notes: Poole, Draymond, Kuminga, Curry
The Warriors had no qualms about Jordan Poole‘s deep three-point attempt that would have evened the score late in Game 1 against the Lakers, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
“It was a shot he was open and flowing,” Stephen Curry said of Poole. “Considering how they guard us on that possession, you know, trapping me at the half court, Draymond (Green) swinging it over to him, it’s kind of an in-rhythm shot.
“I’m sure he felt pretty good about it. That’s why he shot it. There are no kind of regrets about that. It’s just a make-or-miss type situation and a lot of trust in him and his ability to put the ball in the basket.”
As Andrew notes, Poole struggled mightily in the team’s first-round victory over Sacramento, but played much better in Tuesday’s loss, recording 21 points and making 6-of-11 three-pointers.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Green, who holds a $27.6MM player option for 2023/24, knows he needs to give the Warriors more for the rest of the series after struggling through early foul trouble in Game 1, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I’ve got to play better,” Green uttered at his locker, still shaking his head. He finished with six points on 3-of-9 shooting and only four rebounds, and the Warriors were outscored by eight points with him on the court, Thompson writes.
- After spending much of the regular season in the rotation, second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga admits it has been “tough” to be riding the bench in the playoffs, but he’s trying to maintain a positive outlook. “At this point in my life, in my career, there’s not much to be afraid of,” Kuminga told C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscriber link). “There’s no matchup I can’t handle… A day is going to come where I get my way, and every time I get my way things turn out well. So I’m just waiting for my moment… I’m always going to be ready to play.”
- As one of the most famous athletes in the world, Curry finds it difficult at times to decompress. He says the game of golf is his “safe space” away from the court, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN (Insider link). “There’s definitely a correlation to him playing golf and his performance on the court,” front office member Johnnie West told ESPN.
And-Ones: Hustle Award, Free Agent Guards, Brooks, Hawkins
Celtics guard Marcus Smart has won the NBA’s Hustle Award for 2022/23, the league announced in a press release (story via Brian Martin of NBA.com). The 29-year-old also won the award last season, becoming the first back-to-back winner, and has now been the recipient three times in the past five seasons.
This is the seventh season for the Hustle Award, which was created in ’16/17, Martin notes. It is a merit-based award reflective of NBA.com’s hustle stats, including charges drawn, loose balls recovered, deflections, box outs, screen assists and contested shots.
The top-five finishers for the award, in order, were Smart, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green, Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and Pelicans forward Herbert Jones.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at the best guards available on the 2023 free agent market and their potential landing spots. Pincus thinks a team with cap room might try to pry restricted free agent Austin Reaves from the Lakers with a large offer sheet, but he thinks L.A. will ultimately match.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic, who used to work for the Grizzlies and was part of the front office that drafted Dillon Brooks, believes the small forward can still be a positive contributor for a number of teams as long as he can toe “The Line” between “competitive and crazy.” Teams over the cap but below the luxury tax line could offer the impending free agent the full mid-level exception, and Hollinger points to the Bulls, Hornets, Mavericks, Kings, Trail Blazers and Hawks as clubs that could use defensive help on the wing. As for teams with cap room, the Pistons, Rockets, Pacers and Jazz might be interested in Brooks if they miss out on pricier targets, according to Hollinger.
- UConn guard Jordan Hawkins has been invited to the NBA draft combine, which takes place later this month, according Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Considered one of the best shooters in the 2023 class, Hawkins is a potential lottery pick, currently ranked No. 13 on ESPN’s big board. As Zagoria previously reported, Hawkins will be joining a couple of his teammates (Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo) at the combine.
2023 NBA Offseason Preview: San Antonio Spurs
From 1998 to 2019, the Spurs made the playoffs for 22 consecutive seasons, including 19 campaigns with 50-plus wins (in 1998/99, they went 37-13 due to a lockout – a 61-win pace – and went on to win the championship). From 2020-22, the Spurs went 32-39, 33-39 and 34-48, missing the postseason each time.
Trading Derrick White to Boston at the 2022 trade deadline was the first signal that San Antonio was entertaining a full-on rebuild. Dealing Dejounte Murray to Atlanta last summer further cemented that plan, and the Spurs wound up trading two more veterans on expiring deals – Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson – at February’s deadline.
The Spurs finished this season 22-60, tied for the second-worst record in the league with Houston. The last time they finished with a record that poor was in ’96/97, when they won the draft lottery and selected Tim Duncan first overall, which led to five championships and the aforementioned playoff streak.
If the plan was to do a short-term tank while (hopefully) developing young players, ’22/23 was the season to do it. San Antonio will be hoping to cash in on its 14% odds and land another potential generational talent in French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs’ Offseason Plan:
Considering they finished 29th in offense and 30th in defense with the worst net rating in the league (a brutal minus-9.9), it’s safe to say the Spurs need help wherever they can find it. A star to build around would be a great place to start, but they’ll almost certainly have to hope that will come via the draft or through internal development.
San Antonio has long been known as one of the most inscrutable organizations in the NBA. Predicting what the team will do in the offseason is a fool’s errand, but I’ll give it my best shot.
There are likely several young players the Spurs will have little to no interest in trading. Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are in that group, with Sochan probably the closest to untouchable on the roster.
The Spurs have a history of coming to agreements on rookie scale extensions, and I think the odds are pretty high that Vassell will get a new deal after averaging 18.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .439/.387/.780 shooting in his third season (he was limited to 38 games due to left knee surgery).
Youngsters Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and Charles Bassey all need time to develop. I expect them all to be on the roster to start next season.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Spurs gauge the trade values of Doug McDermott and Devonte’ Graham, but I don’t expect there to be a ton of interest – they’re fine role players, but their contracts probably have neutral value at best. Khem Birch’s NBA future is up in the air due to lingering knee problems, but his contract is also expiring, so they’ll likely just live with his $7MM-ish cap hit in ‘23/24 and hope he gets healthy enough to resume his career (waiving him outright to clear a roster spot is another viable option).
Zach Collins’ $7.7MM salary is a lock to be guaranteed, as longtime head coach Gregg Popovich has already said he would be the starting center entering next season. Injuries have plagued Collins throughout his six-year career, but he’s still only 25 years old and played well in ’22/23.
I expect Tre Jones, a restricted free agent, to be back next season, though I don’t have a great feel for what type of contract he might receive – he has plenty of desirable traits, but he’s a small point guard who doesn’t shoot threes well, making his market value tricky to gauge. I’m less optimistic about Romeo Langford returning unless he takes a discount – his qualifying offer isn’t team-friendly, so he’ll probably become an unrestricted free agent.
As for the other impending free agents, I wouldn’t be surprised if both two-way players (Dominick Barlow, Julian Champagnie) are retained one way or another, but it could go either way with the remaining three (Sandro Mamukelashvili, Keita Bates-Diop, Gorgui Dieng).
Assuming they guarantee Collins’ salary, re-sign Jones at a starting salary of $11MM (just a rough estimate), select No. 3 overall like their placeholder cap hold, and renounce their other free agents, the Spurs will have approximately $29MM to spend on free agents, plus the $7.6MM room exception.
I don’t expect them to go after any of the marquee names in free agency given the state of their rebuild, but some second-tier guys like Max Strus or P.J. Washington might be worth watching (Washington will be restricted if given a qualifying offer, as expected). They could also add assets by taking on unwanted salaries from rival clubs, like they did during ’22/23.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Keldon Johnson ($20,000,000)- Doug McDermott ($13,750,000)
- Devonte’ Graham ($12,100,000)
- Khem Birch ($6,985,000)
- Devin Vassell ($5,887,889)
- Jeremy Sochan ($5,316,960)
- Malaki Branham ($3,071,880)
- Charles Bassey ($2,600,000)
- Blake Wesley ($2,504,640)
- Total: $72,216,379
Dead/Retained Salary
- Joshua Primo ($4,314,600)
- Total: $4,314,600
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Zach Collins ($7,700,000)
- Total: $7,700,000
Restricted Free Agents
- Romeo Langford ($7,744,600 qualifying offer / $16,902,771 cap hold): Bird rights
- Tre Jones ($5,216,324 qualifying offer / $5,216,324 cap hold): Bird rights
- Sandro Mamukelashvili ($2,189,698 qualifying offer / $2,189,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $24,308,793
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 3 overall ($9,625,800)
- Note: This is only a placeholder until the draft order is determined via the lottery.
- No. 32 overall (no cap hold)
- Note: This pick could be No. 33 instead if the Spurs pick earlier than Houston in the first round.
- No. 44 overall (no cap hold)
- Total: $9,625,800
Extension-Eligible Players
- Khem Birch (veteran)
- Zach Collins (veteran)
- Devonte’ Graham (veteran)
- Doug McDermott (veteran)
- Devin Vassell (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Keita Bates-Diop ($1,989,698 cap hold): Bird rights
- Gorgui Dieng ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $3,979,396
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $7,609,000
2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Detroit Pistons
It’s hard to say 2022/23 was anything but a disappointment for the Pistons, who finished with the worst record in the NBA at 17-65 after entering the season hoping to make a push for the play-in tournament.
Injuries certainly played a role in that – 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham was limited to just 12 games due to a shin injury, which required surgery. Still, it’s not as though they were lighting the world on fire to start the season with Cunningham healthy – they went 3-9 in the games he played, including six lopsided losses.
The Pistons had two separate losing streaks of 11 games and nine other losing streaks ranging between three and seven games. They managed consecutive victories only one time in ’22/23. It marked the fourth consecutive season in which Detroit has won fewer than 24 games.
Part of the problem with being bad every year, drafting early in the lottery, and trying to develop young players is that most rookies are not good NBA players. Some develop into winning players in the following years; some never do. The Pistons need more players on their roster to take significant steps forward in ‘23/24.
That’s not to say this past season was a total lost cause. Both of Detroit’s lottery picks – Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren – showed encouraging signs of progress, and the team can land no lower than No. 5 overall in June’s draft.
The Pistons’ Offseason Plan:
Hiring a new head coach is the first order of business after Dwane Casey moved to a front office role. Charles Lee, Kevin Ollie and Jarron Collins are considered frontrunners for the job, though the Pistons reportedly plan to take their time in evaluating their options.
Getting lucky in the draft again would obviously be beneficial – Victor Wembanyama is considered the best prospect since LeBron James was selected in 20 years ago. However, even if the Pistons do land Wembanyama, there are still question marks up and down the roster.
Ivey and Cunningham appear secure as the two starting guards, but they’re inexperienced and neither has proven to be a great shooter yet. They’ve also been turnover prone, which is normal for young guards.
Former No. 7 overall pick Killian Hayes had a 14-game stretch from mid-November to mid-December when people ignored his previous shooting woes and thought he was turning the corner, as he shot 41.0% from three. He wound up shooting 24.7% from deep over his remaining 46 games, struggling mightily to score from inside the arc as well.
I like Hayes’ defense and he improved as a play-maker and decision-maker in year three, but unless he drastically improves as a scorer, it’s hard to see him ever having positive value – his 45.5% true shooting percentage was the worst mark in the NBA. I definitely don’t see him getting a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
Duren seems like the center of the future, but the frontcourt is already chock full of young players like Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III.
On one hand, you could argue that having a couple of former No. 2 overall picks in Wiseman and Bagley was a worthwhile gamble on their talent, despite disappointing tenures with their former teams. On the other, neither has shown the ability to consistently set solid screens, stretch the floor, or play defense, and there are only so many minutes to go around.
Stewart may not be a household name to non-Pistons fans, but he made progress with his outside shot and is a solid defensive player. As with Wiseman, he’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer – I suspect Stewart is more likely to receive a new deal, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they wait on both players.
After trading Saddiq Bey for Wiseman, Detroit has Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Livers at forward, with Alec Burks splitting minutes between the two and three. Bogdanovic and Burks were involved in a lot of trade rumors heading into the February deadline, but the Pistons wound up keeping them both. I didn’t mind that decision, because having productive veterans on an otherwise extremely young team is important.
In terms of the club’s own free agents (or potential free agents), Burks and Livers are essentially locks to have their club options exercised, but as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic recently predicted, it wouldn’t be surprising if none of the remaining players (Hamidou Diallo, Cory Joseph, Rodney McGruder, R.J. Hampton, Eugene Omoruyi) return.
Diallo can’t shoot, but he’s an elite athlete and finisher who really improved on defense. I think he’ll get a multiyear contract from someone. The other players are probably looking at minimum-salary, partially guaranteed, or non-guaranteed contracts for various reasons.
The Pistons need more shooting and defense at basically every position, and they’ll have options to improve. Assuming they pick up their options on Burks and Livers and renounce all their other cap holds, they’ll have $107.4MM committed to 11 players, including Dewayne Dedmon’s dead money hit (he was previously waived and stretched) and the cap hold for the incoming top-five pick.
Where that pick lands will determine exactly how much cap room they’ll have available – if it’s No. 1 overall, they’d have about $26.6MM to spend on free agents, based on the latest projections for next season’s salary cap. If it falls to No. 5 – and there’s a 47.9% chance that it will – then they’d have another $4MM+ in cap room.
Wherever the pick lands, that’s enough money to add at least one impact veteran. Former Pistons forward Jerami Grant, whom the team traded to Portland last offseason, has been floated as one possibility for the cap room – he’ll be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Blazers. Detroit will also have the room mid-level exception available, which increased in value in the new CBA – it can now run up to three years and is projected to start at about $7.6MM.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Bojan Bogdanovic ($20,000,000)- Marvin Bagley III ($12,500,000)
- James Wiseman ($12,119,440)
- Cade Cunningham ($11,055,360)
- Jaden Ivey ($7,614,480)
- Killian Hayes ($7,413,955)
- Isaiah Stewart ($5,266,713)
- Jalen Duren ($4,330,680)
- Total: $80,300,628
Dead/Retained Salary
- Dewayne Dedmon ($2,748,674)
- Total: $2,748,674
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Alec Burks ($10,489,600): Bird rights
- Eugene Omoruyi ($1,927,896): Non-Bird rights
- Isaiah Livers ($1,836,096): Early Bird rights
- Total: $14,253,592
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- R.J. Hampton ($1,997,238)
- Total: $1,997,238
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 1 overall ($11,979,960)
- Note: This is only a placeholder until the draft order is determined via the lottery.
- Note: This is only a placeholder until the draft order is determined via the lottery.
- No. 31 overall (no cap hold)
- Total: $11,979,960
Extension-Eligible Players
- Alec Burks (veteran)
- Isaiah Livers (veteran)
- James Wiseman (rookie scale)
- Killian Hayes (rookie scale)
- Isaiah Stewart (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins. Burks and Livers would only become eligible if their team options are exercised.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Hamidou Diallo ($9,880,000): Bird rights
- Cory Joseph ($9,795,450): Bird rights
- Rodney McGruder ($1,989,698): Bird rights
- Total: $21,665,148
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $7,609,000
Joel Embiid Out For Game 1; “Optimism” For Game 2
5:10pm: Embiid won’t play in Game 1 on Monday. The team has ruled him out, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
2:47pm: Joel Embiid is likely to be sidelined for Monday’s Game 1 in Boston, but the Sixers are optimistic about their best player’s chances of a possible return for Wednesday’s Game 2, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
The star center is officially listed as doubtful for tonight’s game. He has done some light on-court work in the past couple days, but he still hasn’t been able to run much.
Embiid had a PRP injection last week to promote healing in the sprained LCL in his right knee. He sustained the injury during Game 3 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Nets on April 20; Philadelphia went on to win the series 4-0.
A previous report indicated there was optimism the MVP finalist would be able to return at some point during the series. Embiid averaged a league-high 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.7 BPG on .548/.330/.857 shooting in 66 games (34.6 MPG) during the 2022/23 regular season.