Hoops Rumors Originals

The NBA’s annual deadline for rookie scale contract extensions passed on Monday, officially bringing the extension period for 2021 first-round picks to an end.

There was some speculation that there may be a downturn in rookie scale extensions this year, given the lack of projected cap room around the NBA in 2025. However, that turned out not to be the case, as 11 eligible players signed new contracts this year.

We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in rookie scale extensions in recent years, with at least 10 such deals completed in each of the last five offseasons. Prior to 2020, the last time as many as 10 rookie scale extensions were signed in a single league year was back in 2006, when players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were signing their second NBA contracts.

Since 2020, however, the total rookie scale extensions by year has been as follows:

• 2020: 10
• 2021: 11
• 2022: 11
• 2023: 14
• 2024: 11

Here’s a breakdown of the 11 rookie scale extensions signed before this year’s deadline, sorted by total value. In cases where we haven’t yet seen the official contract terms for the extension, we’re basing our figures on the latest reports and will update these numbers as necessary. These deals will go into effect beginning in 2025/26.

Note: Projected values for maximum-salary extensions are based on a 10% annual salary cap increase in 2025. If the cap doesn’t increase by that much, those max extensions won’t be worth as much, since they’re based on a percentage of the cap.

• Scottie Barnes (Raptors): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $269,085,780 if Barnes meets Rose Rule performance criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker.
• Cade Cunningham (Pistons): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $269,085,780 if Cunningham meets Rose Rule performance criteria.
• Evan Mobley (Cavaliers): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $246,661,965 or $269,085,780 if Mobley meets Rose Rule performance criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker.
  
• Franz Wagner (Magic): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $224,238,150. Projected value can increase to $246,661,965 or $269,085,780 if Wagner meets Rose Rule performance criteria.
• Alperen Sengun (Rockets): Five years, $185,000,000 (story). Includes fifth-year player option.
• Jalen Suggs (Magic): Five years, $150,500,000 (story).
• Jalen Johnson (Hawks): Five years, $150,000,000 (story).
• Trey Murphy (Pelicans): Four years, $112,000,000 (story).
• Jalen Green (Rockets): Three years, $105,333,333 (story). Includes third-year player option and 10% trade kicker.
• Corey Kispert (Wizards): Four years, $54,050,000 (story). Includes fourth-year team option.
• Moses Moody (Warriors): Three years, $37,500,000 (story). Includes $1,500,000 in incentives.

As is typically the case, the maximum-salary deals were completed relatively early in the offseason, with Barnes, Cunningham, and Wagner all signed by July 10 and Mobley’s deal coming a couple weeks later.

While I’m not necessarily surprised that those four players got max extensions, it’s worth noting that their career résumés are a little lighter than what we typically see from that group of maximum-salary players. Barnes is the only one of the four who has earned an All-Star nod. By comparison, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and LaMelo Ball had each made an All-Star team before signing their max extensions a year ago.

That’s not to say that this year’s maximum-salary rookie scale extensions are ill-advised investments, but they’re certainly big bets on continued growth from those four players.

No rookie scale extension agreements were reached between July 22 – when Mobley signed his contract with the Cavs – and October 19, but we got a flurry of action in the final 24 hours before Monday’s deadline, with Warriors guard Moses Moody striking a deal on Sunday night and six more players following suit on Monday.

Moody’s three-year, $39MM deal with Golden State was the smallest of 2024’s rookie scale extensions in terms of both overall money and average annual value, but it’s one of the more intriguing deals of the year. Securing $39MM in guaranteed money is a big win for a player who has never averaged more than 17.5 minutes per game or made more than 11 starts in a season, but Moody still has enough upside that the contract could turn into a steal for the Warriors.

Kispert got the only other rookie scale extension worth less than $100MM overall, with his new four-year deal coming in a little under the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That’s a fair price for a player who can spread the floor like Kispert, and it could look more team-friendly if he continues to expand his offensive game and/or improves defensively.

I wasn’t necessarily expecting the Rockets to extend Sengun and Green at this time, since they could have put themselves in position to be a cap-space team in 2025 by not locking up that duo quite yet.

That option is likely off the table now, but that’s OK — Houston did well to get Sengun for nearly $40MM below his projected max, and the deal with Green is a unique one that could be a win-win. The former No. 2 overall pick gets a nine-figure payday while the Rockets get another two or three years to observe his growth and assess whether he’s worth a more lucrative longer-term commitment.

Reporting leading up to Monday’s deadline indicated that Suggs and Johnson were among the players seeking $30MM+ annual salaries on rookie scale extensions. Both players got there, just barely, on new five-year contracts with their respective Southeast clubs. Already an All-Defensive player, Suggs is poised to take on more offensive responsibilities in 2024/25 and beyond. If he handles that increased offensive role well, he should deliver a solid return on investment for the Magic.

The Johnson deal could be viewed as a risky bet on a relatively small sample, since the forward had played an extremely limited role for the Hawks in his first two seasons before breaking out in an injury-shortened year in 2023/24. But there’s a path to stardom for Johnson, and if he continues along that path, that $30MM annual salary will eventually look like a bargain for Atlanta.

Finally, Murphy locked in a new deal at $28MM per year with the Pelicans, who have now secured Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, and Murphy on long-term contracts. Murphy’s extension suggests that either Brandon Ingram or CJ McCollum might be playing for a new team within a year or two, since the cost-conscious Pels would have to go well into luxury tax territory to hang onto both veterans beyond 2025.

A total of 24 players entered the offseason eligible for rookie scale extensions, so almost half the players in that group signed them. That leaves 13 players who didn’t reach agreements and will be entering contract years.

Here’s that list of those players, who are now eligible to become restricted free agents during the 2025 offseason, assuming they finish out their current contracts:

• Santi Aldama (Grizzlies)
• Chris Duarte (Bulls)
• Josh Giddey (Bulls)
• Quentin Grimes (Mavericks)
• Bones Hyland (Clippers)
• Isaiah Jackson (Pacers)
• Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors)
• Tre Mann (Hornets)
• Davion Mitchell (Raptors)
• Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets)
• Jaden Springer (Celtics)
• Cam Thomas (Nets)
• Ziaire Williams (Nets)

Kuminga is the most noteworthy extension candidate not to sign a new deal before Monday’s deadline. He and the Warriors reportedly had discussions throughout the offseason but didn’t ultimately gain serious traction toward an agreement.

Golden State’s offer was rumored to be in the neighborhood of $30MM per year, whereas a maximum-salary extension for Kuminga would have been worth in the $43-45MM range. He’ll bet on himself this season in hopes of securing a huge payday in restricted free agency.

Giddey and Thomas are among the other notable extension candidates who didn’t get new deals and could be targets for lucrative offer sheets in July of 2025. I had viewed players like Aldama, Grimes, Jackson, and Mann as potential candidates for modest extensions, but they’ll have to prove their worth this season too.

A few players in this group – like Duarte, Springer, and Williams – never looked like serious extension candidates and will need to make their case this season that they’re worthy of qualifying offers in 2025 free agency.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that there were six players selected in the first round of the 2021 draft who weren’t eligible at all for rookie scale extensions entering this offseason, for various reasons. Those players are as follows:

• James Bouknight: Fourth-year option declined by Hornets in 2023; waived in 2024.
• Josh Christopher: Waived by Grizzlies in 2023.
• Usman Garuba: Waived by Thunder in 2023.
• Keon Johnson: Waived by Suns in 2023.
• Kai Jones: Waived by Hornets in 2023.
• Joshua Primo: Waived by Spurs in 2022.

Of these six players, only Johnson is currently on a standard NBA contract — he has a non-guaranteed deal with the Nets. Christopher (Heat) and Jones (Clippers) are on two-way contracts, while Garuba is playing in Spain for Real Madrid. Bouknight and Primo aren’t on a roster and may open the season in the G League.

NBA teams have until Monday night (Oct. 21) to officially set their rosters for the 2024/25 regular season. However, a majority of NBA teams will likely have their rosters ready to go on Saturday, with far more roster cuts expected today and tomorrow than on Sunday or Monday.

Why is that? Well, releasing a player on Saturday will ensure he clears waivers on Monday, before the regular season gets underway.

Players who are cut during the season are also paid for each day they spend on waivers, so a player who hits waivers on Sunday and doesn’t clear until the first day of the season on Tuesday would technically earn one day’s worth of pay, even if his contract isn’t guaranteed. A player released on Monday would spend two regular season days on waivers.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Roster Counts]

For players with partial or full guarantees, spending the first day or two of the regular season on waivers doesn’t really matter, since they’re getting their full 2024/25 salary (or their partial guarantees) no matter when they’re released. But if a team waits until Monday to cut a player with a non-guaranteed salary, that team will be on the hook for two days’ worth of dead money for the player.

Two days’ worth of dead money won’t exactly break the bank — it would range from about $13K to $38K for a minimum-salary player. Still, most teams already know which players are in and which are out, so there’s no need to take the decision down to the wire on Monday. They’ll make those cuts sooner rather than later to avoid adding extra cap charges to their books for ’24/25. Even that small amount of savings could be important for teams who are right around the tax line or up against a hard cap.

While many teams will make their cuts on Saturday, a handful of clubs can afford to wait an extra day or two if they want to, since they’ll be waiving (or trading) players who have full or partial guarantees.

The Timberwolves, for instance, have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus PJ Dozier on a partially guaranteed contract, so unless they can find a trade involving one of those 16 players, they’ll need to waive one of them. Waiting until Sunday or Monday to make that cut won’t affect their cap outlook at all, since everyone is assured of receiving his full-season salary either way (except Dozier, who is assured of earning at least his $1MM partial guarantee).

Additionally, teams whose final roster moves won’t involve placing a player on waivers can afford to wait until Monday to complete those moves.

For example, the Magic currently have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, one on a two-way contract, and five on Exhibit 10 deals. While we don’t know exactly what the team’s plan is, Orlando could cut three of those Exhibit 10 players today, then convert the other two to two-way contracts on Monday in order to set its roster for the regular season.

As we noted when we passed along word earlier today that the Pistons have officially signed Aaron Estrada to an Exhibit 10 contract, that signing was initially reported months earlier — 101 days ago, to be specific.

That’s not an uncommon pattern during the offseason, especially if an agreement between a team and a player is an Exhibit 10 deal primarily designed to secure the player’s G League rights and/or to ensure he’ll receive a bonus by spending at least 60 days with the club’s NBAGL affiliate. The two sides could agree to terms relatively early in the offseason but be in no rush to officially complete that deal until the fall.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Exhibit 10 Contract]

That’s likely what’s happening with Estrada. If the Pistons intended to have him vie for a spot on their 18-man regular season roster, they probably would’ve brought him to training camp last week and given him every opportunity to compete in those practices and scrimmages. So his deal is presumably more about his G League rights and his Exhibit 10 bonus.

Estrada won’t be the last Exhibit 10 recipient to join an NBA team this fall. Those signings will continue all the way up until October 19, which is the last day that a player on a non-guaranteed contract can be waived without counting against a team’s salary cap for the 2024/25 season.

With that in mind, here are several of the non-guaranteed training camp contracts reported over the course of the offseason that have not yet been finalized but still could be completed within the next couple weeks:

• Brooklyn Nets: Mark Armstrong (story)
• Brooklyn Nets: KJ Jones (story)
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Brown II (story)
• Denver Nuggets: Charles Bediako (story)
• Indiana Pacers: Jahlil Okafor (story)
• Los Angeles Lakers: Sean East II (story)
• New Orleans Pelicans: Elfrid Payton (story)
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Buddy Boeheim (story)
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Javonte Cooke (story)
• Orlando Magic: Robert Baker (story)
• Phoenix Suns: Boo Buie (story)

It’s entirely possible that one or more of these deals was reported erroneously or has since fallen through. That usually happens at least a handful of times every year.

But in all likelihood, most or all of these signings will still be completed by October 19. We haven’t seen any reporting indicating they’ll no longer happen. And in some cases, the teams’ G League affiliates have acquired the returning rights for these players, signaling that those players remain very much in those teams’ plans.

We’ll be keeping an eye out in the coming days and weeks to see if these moves are announced by teams or if they show up in the NBA’s transaction logs. If they don’t happen before opening night, it’s safe to assume they’re not going to get done after all.

For a second straight fall, Lakers star LeBron James will enter the NBA season as the league’s oldest player.

James will turn 40 before the calendar year is over, making him the only active NBA player in his 40s — and the first one since longtime Heat big man Udonis Haslem retired a year ago.

It’s an impressive feat, given the high level James is still performing at. Most of the other names on our list of the 10 oldest players on NBA training camp rosters are role players at this stage of their careers. A handful of them will spend much of their time this season sitting on their respective teams’ benches and providing “veteran leadership.” LeBron is the only one still supplying star-level production.

While this group doesn’t feature a ton of star power beyond James, that could change in the not-too-distant future — Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are among the NBA players born in 1988 who could find their way onto this list in the next year or two as some older vets call it a career.

It’s also worth noting that this list is subject to change. Maybe a veteran like Wesley Matthews finds a new NBA home by opening night. Maybe one of these players will be cut in the coming weeks — I wouldn’t expect that to happen, but it’s worth noting that a couple of the veterans listed below don’t have fully guaranteed salaries.

For now, here’s the list of the oldest players in the league heading into the 2024/25 NBA season:

1. LeBron James, Lakers (born 12/30/1984)
2. P.J. Tucker, Clippers (born 5/5/1985)
3. Chris Paul, Spurs (born 5/6/1985)
4. Taj Gibson, Hornets (born 6/24/1985) *
5. Kyle Lowry, Sixers (born 3/25/1986)
6. Garrett Temple, Raptors (born 5/8/1986)
7. Al Horford, Celtics (born 6/3/1986)
8. Jeff Green, Rockets (born 8/28/1986)
9. James Johnson, Pacers (born 2/20/1987) *
10. Joe Ingles, Timberwolves (born 10/2/1987)

Note: Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on partially guaranteed contracts.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, nine of this year’s 10 youngest NBA players were selected in the 2024 draft, while the 10th was an undrafted free agent.

The Wizards and Clippers each have two players on this list. That’s not a shock for a Washington team that’s in the midst of a thorough rebuild and is willing to be patient as it looks to develop long-term cornerstones. It’s a little more surprising for a Clippers team that has been one of the league’s oldest in recent years, but it’s perhaps a signal of the club’s changing priorities following the offseason loss of Paul George.

Here are the 10 youngest players currently on NBA rosters:

1. Ulrich Chomche, Raptors (born 12/30/2005) *
2. Tidjane Salaun, Hornets (born 8/10/2005)
   Nikola Topic, Thunder (born 8/10/2005)
4. Pacome Dadiet, Knicks (born 7/27/2005)
5. Cam Christie, Clippers (born 7/24/2005)
6. Carlton Carrington, Wizards (born 7/21/2005)
7. Ron Holland, Pistons (born 7/7/2005)
8. Alex Sarr, Wizards (born 4/26/2005)
9. Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks (born 4/8/2005)
10. Trentyn Flowers, Clippers (born 3/8/2005) *

Note: Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on two-way contracts.

Only 11 players currently on NBA rosters were born in 2005 — the 11th is Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham, whose birthday is January 4.

That means last year’s youngest player, Grizzlies forward GG Jackson, just narrowly missed making the cut for a second straight year. He won’t turn 20 until December 17.

After a couple quiet months around the NBA, October is full of important deadlines for roster and contract decisions. Here’s our round-up of the dates to keep an eye on this month:

Regular season roster decisions

The 2024/25 regular season tips off on Tuesday, October 22, which means teams must set their rosters for the season by 4:00 pm Central time on Monday, October 21. To be in accordance with regular season roster limits, a team must be carrying no more than 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

While teams have until Oct. 23 to set their their regular season rosters, many clubs will make their final cuts on or before Saturday, October 19. That’s the final day that a team can waive a player on a non-guaranteed contract and avoid paying any of his salary.

[RELATED: 2024/25 Non-Guaranteed Contracts By Team]

Because a player gets paid for the time he spends on waivers, a player who is cut on Monday, Oct. 21 wouldn’t clear waivers until Wednesday, Oct. 23, the second day of the regular season. That means that even if his contract is non-guaranteed, he’d earn two days’ worth of his salary.

Teams who intend to waive players with partially or fully guaranteed salaries are in better position to wait until the Monday before the regular season begins. For instance, if the Pacers decide to cut James Johnson, who has a $750K partial guarantee, it wouldn’t matter if they do so on October 19 or 21 — he’d receive his $750K either way.

However, if the Pacers want to waive Cole Swider, whose salary is entirely non-guaranteed, they’d likely do so on the Saturday. Waiting until the Monday would mean paying him $23,994 (2/174ths of his $2,087,519 salary).

Two-way contract conversions

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can have his deal converted into a two-way contract, but only up until Monday, October 21, the day before the regular season begins.

If a player on an Exhibit 10 contract remains on his team’s roster through that Monday without being converted to a two-way, his Exhibit 10 deal would become a standard non-guaranteed contract.

Since most players on Exhibit 10 contracts will be waived on or before October 19, it’s worth keeping tabs on which of them hang onto their roster spots through that Saturday — those players will be good bets to have their deals converted into two-ways or perhaps even to claim a 15-man roster spot.

Contract extensions

The deadline for a player to sign a rookie scale extension is Monday, October 21 at 5:00 pm Central time.

As of today, four of the 24 players who were eligible for a rookie scale extension entering the offseason have signed one, leaving 20 players who still may be seeking new deals that would keep them off the 2024 free agent market.

Rockets center Alperen Sengun, Pelicans wing Trey Murphy, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga are a few of the notable rookie scale extension candidates to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

It’s a safe bet that several players eligible for rookie scale extensions will sign them — in each of the past four offseasons (2020 through 2023), at least 10 players have done so, with a record-setting 14 rookie scale extensions signed a year ago.

As for veteran extension candidates, a player who is extension-eligible and who is in the final year of his current contract can sign an extension at any time before or after the regular season begins, all the way up until June 30, 2025.

However, a player who is eligible for a veteran extension but who is not in a contract year will only be eligible to sign a new deal up until Monday, October 21.

For instance, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram will remain eligible to sign a veteran extension even after the regular season begins, since he’s in the last year of his current contract. But Suns forward Kevin Durant, who has two guaranteed years left, can only sign an extension up until Oct. 21. After that, he’ll become ineligible to sign a new deal until next summer.

An extension-eligible veteran who holds an option for 2025/26 will remain extension-eligible after the season begins as long as his option is declined as part of any extension agreement, with his new contract beginning in ’25/26. A player like Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon would fit this bill.

Salary guarantee dates

The league-wide salary guarantee date to watch is January 7, 2025. A player on a non-guaranteed contract who isn’t waived by that date and doesn’t clear waivers before January 10 will have his 2024/25 salary become fully guaranteed.

However, certain players have contracts that call for them to receive partial or full guarantees at the start of the regular season. Our list of early salary guarantee dates shows which players fall into that boat on Tuesday, October 22, including Raptors center Bruno Fernando and Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton, among others.

Rookie scale team option decisions

A team that wants to exercise its 2025/26 third- or fourth-year option on a player on a rookie contract must do so on or before Tuesday, October 31.

As our tracker shows, the Bulls and Heat have already made their option decisions, while the Celtics, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Sixers, and Suns don’t have any to make. But the NBA’s other 22 teams will have to pick up or turn down those rookie scale team options for ’25/26 in the coming weeks.

A team that retains a player without exercising his 2025/26 option would put that player on track for unrestricted free agency next offseason. At that point, his team wouldn’t be able to offer him a salary higher than what his option would have been worth, though rival suitors could offer him more than that.