2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division
With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.
With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?
We’ll begin our series today with the Atlantic Division…
Boston Celtics
- 2023/24 record: 64-18
- Over/under for 2024/25: 58.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Baylor Scheierman
- Lost: Oshae Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk
How many games will the Celtics win in 2024/25?
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Over 58.5 70% (413)
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Under 58.5 30% (180)
Total votes: 593
New York Knicks
- 2023/24 record: 50-32
- Over/under for 2024/25: 53.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Knicks win in 2024/25?
-
Over 53.5 59% (326)
-
Under 53.5 41% (228)
Total votes: 554
Philadelphia 76ers
- 2023/24 record: 47-35
- Over/under for 2024/25: 52.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Sixers win in 2024/25?
-
Under 52.5 52% (282)
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Over 52.5 48% (264)
Total votes: 546
Toronto Raptors
- 2023/24 record: 25-57
- Over/under for 2024/25: 30.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Raptors win in 2024/25?
-
Under 30.5 59% (306)
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Over 30.5 41% (215)
Total votes: 521
Brooklyn Nets
- 2023/24 record: 32-50
- Over/under for 2024/25: 19.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Nets win in 2024/25?
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Over 19.5 54% (252)
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Under 19.5 46% (212)
Total votes: 464
Just One Team Has Used Full Non-Taxpayer MLE So Far
As long as a team is operating below the second tax apron, it has access to at least some form of the mid-level exception, a tool designed to allow clubs to add talent without using cap room to do so. As we outline in more detail within our glossary, one of the following MLEs is available to a team below the second apron of $188,931,000:
- Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,183,000): For teams operating between the first and second tax aprons.
- Non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,822,000): For teams operating above the cap and below the first apron.
- Room exception ($7,983,000): For teams who operate under the cap and use up all their room.
While four teams – the Celtics, Suns, Timberwolves, and Bucks – currently have salaries above the second tax apron, the other 26 clubs have access to one of these three mid-level exceptions. However, only a small handful of those clubs have actually taken advantage of the exception, as our tracker shows.
The Warriors are the lone team to use the full portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception so far in 2024/25, having signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton a one-year contract worth $12,822,000.
Four other teams have used at least some portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but still have a chunk left over for one or more signings later in the league year. That group includes the Bulls (approximately $4.25MM remaining), Mavericks ($4.25MM), Clippers ($3.3MM), and Wizards ($6.38MM). They used part of their MLEs to sign Jalen Smith, Naji Marshall, Derrick Jones, and Saddiq Bey, respectively.
The Nuggets used the entire $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add Dario Saric in free agency, while the Sixers re-signed Kelly Oubre using their full $8MM room exception.
The remaining 19 teams have yet to dip into their mid-level or room exceptions at all.
In some cases, it’s not practical to do so. For example, the Heat and Lakers technically have access to the taxpayer MLE, but are so close to the second apron that they can’t realistically use it without shedding some salary.
Other teams are close enough to the luxury tax line that it wouldn’t make sense for them to spend their mid-level exception and become a taxpayer. The Nets and Hawks, for instance, have yet to touch their MLEs, but they’re each less than $2MM away from the tax threshold, so it’s safe to assume neither team is on the verge of bringing in an MLE-level free agent.
Still, there are plenty of teams that have more than enough spending flexibility to use some or all of their exception. That group includes every club with access to the room exception, including potential contenders such as the Thunder and Magic.
The 2024/25 season represents the first league year in which teams are permitted to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the room exception to acquire a player via trade rather than just to sign a player to a contract, so some clubs may be waiting until mid-season to see if a better opportunity arises on the trade market. Others may use some of their leftover exception money to pursue a free agent on the buyout market in February.
NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Oklahoma City Thunder
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Free agent signings
Isaiah Hartenstein: Three years, $87,000,000. Third-year team option. Signed using cap room.- Isaiah Joe: Four years, $48,000,000. Fourth-year team option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights after team option was declined.
- Aaron Wiggins: Five years, $45,000,000. Includes an additional $2MM in unlikely incentives. Fifth-year team option. Re-signed using Bird rights after team option was declined.
Trades
- Acquired Alex Caruso from the Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey.
- Acquired the draft rights to Dillon Jones (No. 26 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for either the Celtics’ or Grizzlies’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable); the Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick; the Timberwolves’ 2027 second-round pick; either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is third-most favorable).
- Acquired the draft rights to Quinten Post (No. 52 pick) from the Warriors in exchange for Lindy Waters.
- Acquired the draft rights to Oso Ighodaro (No. 40 pick) from the Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to Quinten Post (No. 52 pick) and cash.
- Acquired the draft rights to Ajay Mitchell (No. 38 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Oso Ighodaro (No. 40 pick) and cash ($500K).
Draft picks
- 1-12: Nikola Topic
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $23,030,849).
- 1-26: Dillon Jones
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $13,460,725).
- 2-43: Ajay Mitchell
- Signed to two-way contract.
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Bismack Biyombo (unsigned)
- Gordon Hayward (retired)
- Keyontae Johnson (Hornets)
- Mike Muscala (retired)
- Olivier Sarr (unsigned)
Salary cap situation
- Went below the cap to use room.
- Now operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
- Carrying approximately $159.2MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
- Full room exception ($8MM) available.
The offseason so far
Despite maintaining significant cap flexibility and controlling the NBA’s deepest collection of draft assets, the Thunder have operated extremely patiently in recent years, preserving most of those future picks and continuing to gradually build their roster through the draft.
That patience was on display again this June, when Oklahoma City used its lottery pick (No. 12 overall) in the 2024 draft to select Nikola Topic, a player who will spend his rookie season recovering from an ACL tear. Topic isn’t expected to make his NBA debut until the fall of 2025, which is perfectly fine with the Thunder.
The Thunder’s patient approach has reflected the front office’s desire to avoid skipping steps and its goal of building a roster capable of contending for the next decade — not just for a two- or three-year window. But after the team took a huge step forward in 2024/25 by winning 57 regular season games (the most in the Western Conference) and a playoff series (the club’s first series win since 2016), Sam Presti and his top lieutenants acknowledged with a pair of offseason moves that it was time to push down on the gas pedal at least a little bit.
The first of those two moves was a trade that sent former lottery pick Josh Giddey to Chicago in exchange for three-and D standout Alex Caruso. Giddey showed real promise as a ball-handler and play-maker in his first three NBA seasons, but his subpar outside shooting and defense made him a playoff liability, and he was never an ideal fit on a roster led by another ball-dominant guard (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).
With Giddey eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, the Thunder were faced with a choice on whether to pay him or trade him. They took the latter route and got terrific value by finding a trade partner – the Bulls – who badly wanted to land a young point guard.
Caruso is on an expiring contract himself, so he’ll be due a pay raise for 2025 too. But unlike Giddey, he’s not the type of player who will be played off the floor in the postseason. In fact, he should thrive in big games as a shooter, cutter, and secondary ball-handler next to Gilgeous-Alexander, lessening the burden on Oklahoma City’s star by defending opponents’ top guards. The Thunder had the NBA’s fourth-best defensive rating last season and Caruso should only make them better on that end of the floor.
The Thunder’s other major offseason move saw them use up virtually all of their cap room ($30MM) to sign center Isaiah Hartenstein away from the Knicks. Hartenstein will help shore up a frontcourt that was led admirably by Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren last season but needed another rebounder — OKC placed 28th in the NBA last season with a rebounding rate of just 48.4%.
It will be interesting to see exactly how the Thunder intend to use Hartenstein. NBA teams typically don’t award $30MM salaries to players they plan to bring off the bench, but Holmgren obviously won’t be moved to the second unit either. Whether or not Hartenstein starts, it’s a safe bet he and Holmgren will share the court frequently, which should make for some fascinating looks on both ends of the court.
The former Knicks center will also provide OKC with crucial insurance at the five in the event of a Holmgren injury, though the big man didn’t miss a game in 2023/24 after sitting out the entire ’22/23 season with a foot issue.
Outside of trading for Caruso, signing Hartenstein, and drafting Topic, the Thunder made a handful of interesting under-the-radar moves this summer, including turning down team options on both Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins in order to re-sign the two rotation wings to team-friendly long-term contracts. The threat of exercising those team options presumably gave Oklahoma City some leverage in negotiations with Joe and Wiggins, who will now earn eight-figure salaries instead of the veteran’s minimum in 2024/25.
Oklahoma City also surrendered a whopping five future second-round picks in order to acquire the No. 26 pick in the draft to select Dillon Jones. It’s the third straight year in which the Thunder took advantage of their excess draft assets to make a trade to nab a player they really like.
That strategy worked out well in each of the past two years. In 2022, the Thunder were reportedly concerned that Jalen Williams wouldn’t make it to them at No. 12, so they traded for the No. 11 pick (they technically used that one on Ousmane Dieng, but the deal ensured Williams was available at No. 12). In 2023, Oklahoma City traded up in the lottery to select Cason Wallace, who emerged as a reliable rotation player as a rookie, making 41.9% of his three-pointers and playing excellent defense.
Will Jones become the Thunder’s next draft-day-trade success story? Maybe, but I wouldn’t necessarily pencil him in for a substantial role in year one, given how deep the roster looks.
Up next
A pair of key Thunder guards are technically extension-eligible, but likely won’t sign new deals before the regular season begins. Gilgeous-Alexander has met the super-max criteria but needs one more year of service in order to officially signed a designated veteran extension, so he’ll almost certainly wait until 2025 to re-up with Oklahoma City.
Caruso, meanwhile, could be extended anytime, but until December 21 (six months after the trade), he’ll be limited to a maximum deal of three years and $48.9MM. Those numbers would increase to four years and $81.1MM at the six-month mark. While it’s not necessarily a sure thing that he’ll receive that maximum four-year offer, Caruso is better off waiting until Dec. 21 to maximize his bargaining position in negotiations.
Big man Jaylin Williams may actually be the best OKC candidate for a preseason extension, but with his role projected to decline following the arrival of Hartenstein, it would likely have to be a pretty team-friendly deal for the Thunder to pull the trigger.
The Thunder actually have one open spot on their projected 15-man roster and plenty of flexibility to make a move using that roster spot, since they’re still more than $11MM below the luxury tax line.
There aren’t really any free agents left worth splurging on (OKC’s $8MM room exception wouldn’t be enough to pry Isaac Okoro away from the Cavs), so I expect Presti and the front office to continue scouring the trade market to see if there’s a target who makes sense. The team can afford to be patient, perhaps starting the season with a 15th man on a non-guaranteed contract and then revisiting the trade market in January or February.
Teams Limited To Minimum Salary Contract Offers
There won’t be a ton of free agents who sign for more than the veteran’s minimum between now and the end of the NBA’s regular season. The majority of the players whose markets exceeded the minimum came off the board pretty quickly in July, and teams aren’t looking to spend big on the players who are still available.
Still, that certainly doesn’t mean every signing for the next seven months will be of the minimum-salary variety. In some cases – especially on the buyout market in February – being able to offer a couple million dollars more than the minimum could be the difference between a team landing a free agent and missing out on him.
With that in mind, it’s worth checking in on which teams don’t currently have the ability to offer more than the minimum. By our count, a third of the NBA is in this boat, though some of those clubs could generate some spending flexibility by making cost-cutting trades.
Here’s a breakdown of the teams currently limited to minimum-salary contract offers for free agents:
Teams above the second tax apron:
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Phoenix Suns
Teams operating above the second tax apron, which comes in at $188,931,000 in 2024/25, face a series of roster-building restrictions, including being prohibited from using any form of the mid-level exception, as well as the bi-annual exception.
The Celtics, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Suns all fall into that group of teams above the second apron and therefore don’t have any cap exceptions available to use on free agents besides the minimum salary exception.
Teams very close to the second tax apron:
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
Because their team salaries are below the second apron, the Lakers and Heat each technically have the ability to use their taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $5,168,000 this season.
However, both clubs are operating so close to the second apron that using any portion of the taxpayer MLE would push team salary above that threshold, which isn’t permitted — a team that uses the taxpayer MLE can’t have a salary above the second apron upon the completion of the signing (or at any time after that).
Therefore, unless they make a move to shed salary, the Lakers and Heat will be limited to minimum-salary signings from here on out.
Over-the-cap teams that have used all their cap exceptions:
- Denver Nuggets
- Philadelphia 76ers
The Nuggets are currently operating between the first and second tax aprons and have already used their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Dario Saric. Because the bi-annual exception isn’t available to teams above the first apron, Denver can no longer offer more than the veteran’s minimum.
The Sixers, meanwhile, used their entire room exception to re-sign Kelly Oubre after spending all their cap space. They’re now well over the cap and only have the minimum salary exception left to sign a free agent outright.
It’s worth noting that acquiring a player via sign-and-trade is technically a possibility prior to opening night for teams who have used up all their cap exceptions and want to add a free agent for more than the minimum. However, that’s not currently a practical option for either Denver or Philadelphia, who are both above the first tax apron.
Teams right up against their hard caps:
- Dallas Mavericks
- Golden State Warriors
The Mavericks have about $4.25MM of their mid-level exception still available after using a portion of it to sign Naji Marshall, and both Dallas and Golden State still have their full bi-annual exceptions on hand.
Based on the roster moves they’ve made so far this summer though, both the Mavs and Warriors are hard-capped at the first apron of $178,132,000 and are less than $1MM away from that hard cap. In other words, unless they shed salary by trading or waiving one or more of their current players, those two teams aren’t just prohibited from using their remaining exceptions — they’re also unable to add another minimum-salary player on a standard contract.
Dallas and Golden State are each carrying at least one player with a non-guaranteed salary, so it would technically be possible for, say, the Mavs to cut A.J. Lawson and then use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign a free agent. However, their breathing room below the hard cap is so limited that any signings above the minimum are unlikely, unless a cost-cutting trade generates more flexibility — the same goes for the Warriors.
Two 2024 Draft Picks Remain Unsigned
Of the 58 players who were selected in June’s draft, 54 have signed their first NBA contracts since the start of July. As our tracker shows, the breakdown is as follows:
- First-round picks signed using the rookie scale exception: 30
- Second-round picks signed using the second-round pick exception: 13
- Second-round picks signed to two-way contracts: 10
- Second-round picks signed using cap room: 1
Two second-round picks — Juan Nunez (No. 36) and Melvin Ajinca (No. 51) — will continue their professional careers in Europe. Their draft rights are controlled by the Spurs and Mavericks, respectively.
That leaves two players from the 2024 draft class who have yet to sign with their respective NBA teams. Here are those players:
- 43. Atlanta Hawks: Nikola Djurisic, G, Mega Basket
- 52. Golden State Warriors: Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College
The Hawks‘ plans for Djurisic remain unclear. The 20-year-old sustained a left foot fracture during a Summer League game in July; the injury required surgery, with another update on his status slated for November. That means he is expected to miss the beginning of the 2024/25 regular season, which opens in late October.
Atlanta has 15 players signed to guaranteed standard contracts, and all three of the team’s two-way spots are currently filled. It’s possible the Hawks could waive one of their two-way players to create room for Djurisic, but there are other possibilities, both in North America and overseas.
When our Luke Adams wrote about Djurisic last month, he wondered whether the young guard might consider signing a G League contract to rehab and get back into game shape with the College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate). Going that route could potentially earn Djurisic a promotion to the NBA roster later in the season, perhaps after Atlanta opens up a spot on its standard roster with a trade or two.
As for Post, Adams believes the most likely outcome is Golden State eventually waiving Pat Spencer, opening a two-way contract spot for the Dutch big man. If the Warriors make a multiplayer trade, a standard deal for the 24-year-old is another possibility, but nothing appears imminent on that front.
Nine NBA Teams Have Two-Way Contract Openings
Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to carry three extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. These players generally bounce back and forth between the NBA and G League, but remain under team control and can’t be poached by rival franchises.
With training camps set to begin in about a month, there are still nine NBA teams with open two-way spots. Two clubs — the Nets and Magic — each have a pair of two-way openings, while the remaining seven teams have one opening apiece. That means there are currently 11 two-way openings in the NBA.
Here’s the full list of NBA teams with two-way vacancies, as shown by our 2024/25 two-way contract tracker:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Chicago Bulls
- Charlotte Hornets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Orlando Magic
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Washington Wizards
Technically, the Cavaliers have yet to finalize their reported two-way deal with JT Thor, but we expect that to occur at some point before training camp — that’s why they are not included on this list.
Since two-way deals are non-guaranteed and don’t count against the salary cap, it’s pretty common to see players shuffled in and out of rosters both before and during the season. It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can be converted to two-way contracts under certain conditions — these teams may be waiting until training camp and preseason to get a better look at young players.
First introduced in 2017, two-way deals have undergone some rule changes in recent years, and the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement has updated them further. Here are some key points to remember:
- Teams can now carry three players on two-way contracts, rather than two.
- Two-way players are eligible to be active for up to 50 of their team’s 82 regular season games. If a team isn’t carrying a full 15-man standard roster, its two-way players can only be active for a combined 90 games.
- Players on two-way contracts will earn $578,577 in 2024/25, half of the rookie minimum.
- Two-way contracts can’t be signed after March 4.
You can check out our glossary entry to learn more about two-way contracts.
Highest-Paid NBA Players By Team
On Friday, we listed the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2024/25 season. Although that list presented a clear picture of the highest earners for the current season, not every NBA team was represented. Four of the league’s 30 franchises – the Pistons, Magic, Spurs, and Wizards – didn’t have a single player in the top 50.
Our list of highest-paid players for 2024/25 also only provided a snapshot for this year. For example, Ben Simmons, who cracked the top 25, will certainly be well compensated for the coming season, but he’s on an expiring contract and will fall off that list next year after reaching free agency.
Today, we’re shifting our focus to the highest-paid players by team. This will allow us to check in on the clubs that weren’t represented on our initial list, as well as identifying some of the league’s most lucrative multiyear commitments — we’ve included each club’s highest-paid player for the current season (by 2024/25 base salary) and its highest-paid player in total (by total base salary, including player options but not team options).
Let’s dive in…
Atlanta Hawks
- 2024/25: Trae Young ($43,031,940)
- Total: Trae Young (three years, $137,998,980)
- Note: Young’s final year is a player option.
- Note: Young’s final year is a player option.
Boston Celtics
- 2024/25: Jaylen Brown ($49,205,800)
- Total: Jayson Tatum (six years, $348,781,750)
- Note: The projected value of Tatum’s super-max extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26; Tatum’s final year is a player option.
- Note: The projected value of Tatum’s super-max extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26; Tatum’s final year is a player option.
Brooklyn Nets
- 2024/25: Ben Simmons ($40,338,144)
- Total: Nic Claxton (four years, $97,000,000)
- Note: Claxton could earn another $3MM in incentives.
- Note: Claxton could earn another $3MM in incentives.
Charlotte Hornets
- 2024/25: LaMelo Ball ($35,147,000)
- Total: LaMelo Ball (five years, $203,852,600)
Chicago Bulls
- 2024/25: Zach LaVine ($43,031,940)
- Total: Zach LaVine (three years, $137,998,980)
- Note: LaVine’s final year is a player option.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2024/25: Darius Garland ($36,725,670)
- Total: Evan Mobley (six years, $235,465,807)
- Note: The projected value of Mobley’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $280,313,437 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria.
Dallas Mavericks
- 2024/25: Luka Doncic ($43,031,940)
- Total: Luka Doncic (three years, $137,998,980)
- Note: Doncic’s final year is a player option.
Denver Nuggets
- 2024/25: Nikola Jokic ($51,415,938)
- Total: Nikola Jokic (four years, $228,515,280)
- Note: Jokic’s final year is a player option.
- Note: Jokic’s final year is a player option.
Detroit Pistons
- 2024/25: Tobias Harris ($25,365,854)
- Total: Cade Cunningham (six years, $238,178,959)
- Note: The projected value of Cunningham’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $283,026,589 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria.
Golden State Warriors
- 2024/25: Stephen Curry ($55,761,216)
- Total: Stephen Curry (three years, $177,955,191)
2024/25: 
2024/25: Hoops Rumors’ Lists, Trackers, Features
In addition to passing along news, rumors, and analysis on a daily basis, Hoops Rumors provides a number of additional features and resources that can be found anytime on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Since those links are easy to overlook and aren’t readily accessible to our app users, we want to periodically highlight a number of our lists, trackers, and other features.
For instance, our lists of current free agents by position/type and by team are constantly updated, as are our lists of 2025 free agents by position/type and by team and our list of 2026 free agents.
We have a number of features related to NBA trades, including a roundup of this offseason’s deals, a recap of the trade exceptions currently available to teams, lists of the players who can’t be traded until December 15 or January 15, and details on which players can veto trades in 2024/25 and which players have trade kickers.
We have info on how teams are using mid-level and bi-annual exceptions in 2024/25, as well as which clubs are hard-capped and which have open roster spots. Our free agent tracker, two-way contract tracker and contract extension tracker provide information on most of the deals signed this summer, while our list of non-guaranteed contracts by team helps provide a more complete picture of each team’s roster.
We’ve got details on how much this season’s maximum salaries, minimum salaries, and mid-level/bi-annual exceptions are worth, as well as more details on the key cap figures for the 2024/25 season. We’ve also shared early projections for maximum salaries, minimum salaries, and mid-level/bi-annual figures for 2025/26.
The Hoops Rumors Glossary provides in-depth explanations on many concepts related to the salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement, presented in the simplest possible terms. We’ve updated the majority of our entries to reflect the changes made in the most recent CBA.
Finally, we’re in the process of breaking down all 30 teams’ summer moves in our Offseason Check-In series.
Many of our features and trackers are cyclical and will be reintroduced as the year goes on. For example, during draft season next spring, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the early entrants for the 2025 NBA draft.
Be sure to check out the sidebar on our desktop site or our Features page for all of our current resources.
NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Milwaukee Bucks
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Free agent signings
Taurean Prince: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.- Gary Trent Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Delon Wright: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- James Akinjo: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Liam Robbins: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Trades
- None
Draft picks
- 1-23: AJ Johnson
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,616,287).
- 2-33: Tyler Smith
- Signed to four-year, minimum-salary contract ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year non-guaranteed team option.
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo (unsigned)
- Malik Beasley (Pistons)
- Patrick Beverley (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
- Jae Crowder (unsigned)
- Danilo Gallinari (unsigned)
- TyTy Washington (Suns)
Other moves
- Waived Jaylin Galloway (two-way).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($140.6MM), over the luxury tax line ($170.8MM), and above the second tax apron ($188.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $191.9MM in salary.
- No hard cap.
- No form of mid-level or bi-annual exception available.
- Two traded player exceptions frozen/unavailable (both worth $2,019,706).
The offseason so far
While the Bucks’ season ended with a disappointing first-round playoff exit for a second straight year in 2024, their ability to meaningfully upgrade their roster this offseason was restricted by their proximity to the second tax apron, which hindered their ability to aggregate salaries in trades or to sign free agents to more than the veteran’s minimum.
Milwaukee could have shaken up its roster by trading one of its six highest-paid players – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, or Pat Connaughton – and reportedly at least considered the idea of moving Lopez. But that was never a practical path to upgrading the roster, since those players are generally more valuable to the Bucks on their current contracts and in their current roles than they would be as trade chips.
Instead, the Bucks added talent this summer via the draft and by shopping in the minimum-salary aisle in free agency. Faced with the departures of veterans like Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, and Jae Crowder, Milwaukee arguably upgraded each of those spots by signing Gary Trent Jr., Delon Wright, and Taurean Prince.
Like Beasley, Trent is a high-volume three-point shooter who doesn’t provide much in the way of play-making or defense. But Trent has a more well-rounded offensive game and more defensive upside than Beasley, having shown the ability to generate turnovers during his time in Toronto.
Beverley certainly talks a bigger game than Wright, but his fiery playing style isn’t always a plus, as he showed when he earned himself a suspension by firing a basketball at fans in Indiana during the last game of the Bucks’ season this spring. There’s little risk of that sort of temper tantrum from Wright, a consummate pro whose length and versatility on defense has long made him an underrated asset.
Crowder, meanwhile, isn’t the three-and-D dynamo he once was, and contributed next to nothing during his two playoff runs with the Bucks, making 6-of-25 shots (24.0%), including 1-of-13 three-pointers (7.7%), as the team was outscored by 43 points during his 83 playoff minutes. It’s no surprise he wasn’t re-signed. His replacement, Prince, was probably asked to do too much as a frequent starter for the Lakers last season, but as a reserve on a minimum-salary contract, the 37.6% career three-point shooter looks like a bargain.
Although the Bucks did a great job in free agency adding rotation-caliber veterans on team-friendly deals, their approach to the draft drew mixed reviews. They used the 23rd and 33rd overall picks, respectively, to select a pair of 19-year-olds, AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith. Both players will be developmental projects for the coaching staff, with neither one considered ready to earn regular minutes at the NBA level as rookies.
That’s a defensible strategy in a vacuum, but it’s a somewhat questionable approach for a team that’s looking to capitalize on a championship window and is already carrying several little-used young players on its roster (MarJon Beauchamp, A.J. Green, Andre Jackson, and Chris Livingston each averaged fewer than 13 minutes per game last season).
It may not be fair to expect the Bucks’ front office to draft this year’s Jaime Jaquez or Brandin Podziemski, but there were players in that 23-33 range who will have a better chance of contributing right away. Presumably, the club is counting on some of those returning prospects – starting with Beauchamp – to take a step forward, reducing the need for Johnson and Smith to play much until year two or three.
Financial considerations may also have factored into Milwaukee’s draft decisions — Johnson is one of the only first-round picks in recent years to accept a salary worth less than 120% of his rookie scale amount, while Smith was the lone draft pick in the top 37 who agreed to a minimum salary for 2024/25. It’s a safe bet the Bucks knew prior to drafting them that Johnson and Smith would sign those contracts, which will save ownership some tax dollars.
Up next
I’d be surprised if the Bucks make any major trades prior to opening night, but there are several contract situations to watch on this roster. Lopez is on an expiring deal, while Middleton, Portis, and Connaughton all have the ability to join him in unrestricted free agency next summer by turning down 2025/26 player options.
Lopez and Middleton won’t be extension-eligible in 2024/25, but Portis and Connaughton can both sign new deals anytime between now and June 30, 2025. They’re two of the Bucks’ best potential in-season trade chips, so it will be interesting to see whether the team decides to hold off on extensions, since signing them could make the duo ineligible to be dealt this season, depending on the terms.
Barring trades, the Bucks shouldn’t have any challenging roster decisions to make this fall. A two-way shake-up is a possibility – Stanley Umude, Anzejs Pasecniks, and Ryan Rollins occupy those spots for now – but Milwaukee’s standard roster looks pretty set, with 14 players on fully guaranteed salaries and Jackson on a partially guaranteed deal.
If the club isn’t encouraged by the progress Jackson is making, perhaps he’ll be waived to open up that 15th roster spot down the road, but there’s no point in doing it before opening night. His $946K partial guarantee ensures the Bucks will essentially get a free look at him during the first half, since that cap hit would be the same whether he’s waived on October 20 or January 7.
NBA’s Top 50 Highest-Paid Players For 2024/25
Many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, but the 2024/25 salaries for those players vary significantly depending on when the player signed his contract and how much NBA experience he has. That’s why a player like Stephen Curry will earn nearly $22MM more than Deandre Ayton in ’24/25 despite both players technically being on max deals.
When a player signs a maximum-salary contract, he doesn’t necessarily earn the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns the max in year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. In Curry’s case, his 2024/25 salary actually exceeds this year’s maximum, since the annual cap increases since he began earning the max haven’t kept pace with his annual 8% raises.
Listed below, with some help from Spotrac‘s salary data, are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2024/25 season. The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. This top 50 only considers the current league year, with the player’s ’24/25 base salary listed.
Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry or Jaylen Brown, who have trade bonuses but are already earning the maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.
Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2024/25 season:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors: $55,761,216
- Joel Embiid, Sixers: $51,415,938
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $51,415,938 - Bradley Beal, Suns: $50,203,930
- Kevin Durant, Suns: $49,856,021
- Durant can earn another $1,323,000 in likely incentives.
- Devin Booker, Suns: $49,205,800
Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $49,205,800
Paul George, Sixers: $49,205,800
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $49,205,800
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: $49,205,800 - Jimmy Butler, Heat: $48,798,677 (15% trade kicker)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $48,787,676 (15% trade kicker)
Damian Lillard, Bucks: $48,787,676 - LeBron James, Lakers: $48,728,845 (15% trade kicker)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves: $43,827,586
- Anthony Davis, Lakers: $43,219,440 (15% trade kicker)
- Zach LaVine, Bulls: $43,031,940 (15% trade kicker)
Luka Doncic, Mavericks: $43,031,940
Trae Young, Hawks: $43,031,940 - Fred VanVleet, Rockets: $42,846,615
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves: $42,176,400
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers: $42,176,400
Lauri Markkanen, Jazz: $42,176,400
Pascal Siakam, Pacers: $42,176,400 - Ben Simmons, Nets: $40,338,144
- Kyrie Irving, Mavericks: $40,000,000 (15% trade kicker)
- Irving can earn another $1,000,000 in likely incentives and $1,000,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Domantas Sabonis, Kings: $39,200,000
- Sabonis can earn another $1,300,000 in likely incentives and $1,300,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers: $36,725,670
Ja Morant, Grizzlies: $36,725,670
Zion Williamson, Pelicans: $36,725,670 - OG Anunoby, Knicks: $36,637,932 (15% trade kicker)
- Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: $36,016,200 (15% trade kicker)
Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $36,016,200 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: $35,859,950
Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: $35,859,950 - Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: $35,410,310
- LaMelo Ball, Hornets: $35,147,000
Tyrese Maxey, Sixers: $35,147,000 - Jayson Tatum, Celtics: $34,848,340 (15% trade kicker)
Bam Adebayo, Heat: $34,848,340
De’Aaron Fox, Kings: $34,848,340 - Desmond Bane, Grizzlies: $34,005,250 (15% trade kicker)
- Bane can earn another $1,141,750 in unlikely incentives.
- Deandre Ayton, Trail Blazers: $34,005,126
- James Harden, Clippers: $33,653,846 (15% trade kicker)
- CJ McCollum, Pelicans: $33,333,333
- Immanuel Quickley, Raptors: $32,500,000
- Quickley can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Khris Middleton, Bucks: $31,000,000
- Middleton can earn another $666,667 in likely incentives and $2,333,334 in unlikely incentives.
- Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder: $30,000,000
Jrue Holiday, Celtics: $30,000,000 - Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers: $29,793,104
The cutoff point for this year’s top-50 list very nearly reached $30MM for the first time in NBA history. And it’s actually possible that cutoff will exceed $30MM by the time the season concludes.
A handful of players who just missed the top 50 have the ability to earn more than Grant’s $29.8MM base salary if they achieve certain performance incentives during the coming season.
Here are the players who could break into the top 50 by season’s end:
- Jordan Poole, Wizards: $29,651,786
- Poole can earn another $3,750,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Devin Vassell, Spurs: $29,347,826
- Vassell can earn another $2,391,303 in unlikely incentives.
- Tyler Herro, Heat: $29,000,000
- Herro can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Julius Randle, Knicks: $27,561,600 (15% trade kicker)
- Randle can earn another $1,378,080 in likely incentives and $1,378,080 in unlikely incentives.
- Dejounte Murray, Pelicans: $24,799,600
- Murray earned an additional $4,017,535 via a trade bonus on top of his base salary; he can also earn another $699,999 in likely incentives and $1,399,998 in unlikely incentives.