Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Starter Criteria

April 7th, 2024 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s rookie scale, which determines how much first-round picks earn during their first four NBA seasons, also dictates how much the qualifying offers will be worth for those players once they’re eligible for restricted free agency after year four. However, the value of those qualifying offers can fluctuate depending on whether or not a player has met the “starter criteria.”

Here’s how the starter criteria works:

A player who is eligible for restricted free agency is considered to have met the starter criteria if he plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency.

A player can also meet the criteria if he averages either of those marks in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency. For instance, if he makes 30 starts in his contract year after making 52 starts the season before, he would meet the starter criteria.

A player’s ability or inability to meet the starter criteria impacts the value of the qualifying offer he receives as a restricted free agent, as follows:

A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 15th overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
- Note: For the summer of 2024, the value of this QO will be $7,744,600.
- Example: Pacers forward Obi Toppin (2020’s No. 8 overall pick) won’t meet the starter criteria this season. As a result, he’ll be eligible for a QO worth $7,744,600 instead of $9,170,460.
A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the ninth overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
- Note: For the summer of 2022, the value of this QO will be $8,486,620.
- Example: Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (2018’s No. 19 overall pick) has met the starter criteria this season. As a result, he’ll be eligible for a QO worth $8,486,620 instead of $6,498,258.
A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 21st overall pick would receive if he signed for 100% of the rookie scale.
- Note: For the summer of 2022, the value of this QO will be $5,216,324.
- Example: Pistons wing Simone Fontecchio (an undrafted free agent) has met the starter criteria this season. As a result, he’ll be eligible for a QO worth $5,216,324 instead of $3,806,090.
For all other RFAs, the standard criteria determine the amounts of their qualifying offers.

Extending a qualifying offer to a player who is eligible for restricted free agency officially makes that player an RFA, ensuring that his team has the right of first refusal if he signs an offer sheet with another club. It also gives the player the option of signing that one-year QO.

Generally, the value of a restricted free agent’s qualifying offer isn’t hugely important, since very few RFAs accept those offers outright. There are exceptions though.

One notable example occurred in 2020 when Kris Dunn met the starter criteria, which ensured that his qualifying offer would have been worth $7,091,457 instead of $4,642,800. The Bulls opted not to extend that $7MM+ QO, making him an unrestricted free agent, and he ended up signing a two-year, $10MM contract with Atlanta.

If Dunn hadn’t met the starter criteria, Chicago likely would’ve been more comfortable issuing a $4.6MM qualifying offer, which would’ve significantly changed the way Dunn’s free agency played out.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Information from Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post. Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years.

Community Shootaround: Who Will Win The West?

April 6th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics currently hold a 14-game lead for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, making them a very strong favorite to reach the NBA Finals, though that outcome is far from assured.

The standings are much more competitive in the West though. The seedings are still up for grabs, but the top 10 teams are all but secured after Golden State beat Houston on Thursday.

The Timberwolves are currently the No. 1 seed due to a tiebreaker over the defending-champion Nuggets, who hold an identical 53-24 record. The upstart Thunder are one game back at No. 3, followed by the Clippers, Mavericks and Suns.

The Pelicans, Kings, Lakers and Warriors are currently the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds, meaning they’d be in the play-in tournament if the season ended today. Only two games separate Phoenix and the Lakers, however, so things could certainly change between now and April 14, when the regular season concludes.

Each of the top teams in the West has question marks ahead of the postseason, mostly due to injuries. Minnesota may not have Karl-Anthony Towns back before the first round, and the team has only advanced past that stage one time in franchise history. Denver, which went 16-4 in last year’s playoffs en route to its first title in 2023, has been playing without star guard Jamal Murray of late, though he may return soon.

Oklahoma City is young and is not playoff tested, plus MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been sidelined recently with a quad injury. Kawhi Leonard is currently dealing with a knee injury for the Clippers.

The Mavericks have dealt with injuries to rotation players throughout the season, though they’re the hottest team in Conference at the moment. Phoenix’s “big three” has only played in 36 games together in 2023/24. New Orleans, Sacramento, the Lakers and Golden State have all been inconsistent throughout the season.

With so many unknowns, it makes it difficult to pick a favorite. That leads us to our question of the day: Who do you think will advance out of the West and make the NBA Finals? Head to the comments and let us know what you think.

Community Shootaround: Sixth Man Award

April 2nd, 2024 at 8:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Monk appeared to have the Sixth Man of the Year award locked up.

Monk emerged as the heavy favorite for the award among the betting public with a career year. The Kings guard has posted averages of 15.6 points and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc. However, he will be sidelined for at least the remainder of the regular season due to a right MCL sprain.

The Sixth Man award is one of the few that isn’t subject to the 65-game minimum, which Monk surpassed anyway. But his absence down the stretch due to a knee injury could open the door for another candidate.

Monk’s main competitor for the award, Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, is receiving heavy minutes due to Karl-Anthony Towns’ knee injury. He averaged 16.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game last month.

Overall, Reid is averaging 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 blocks in 73 games, including eight starts.

The only other candidate who’s taking betting action is the Clippers’ Norman Powell. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 70 games, while coming off the bench in all but one of those contests.

The Bucks’ Bobby Portis is also posting solid numbers – 13.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 74 games (one start).

That brings us to our topic of the day: Who is your choice for this year’s Sixth Man award – current favorite Malik Monk, Naz Reid, Norman Powell or Bobby Portis? Is there another player who’s worthy of consideration for the award?

Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.

2024 NBA Draft Dates, Deadlines To Watch

March 31st, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re still nearly three months away from the 2024 NBA draft, but before we get to June 26, there are several other important dates and deadlines on the calendar. Here are some of those dates and deadlines worth keeping an eye on:

April 27 (11:59 pm ET): Deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft

College players and international early entrants have until the end of the day on April 27 to submit their names into the 2024 NBA draft pool. They can withdraw their names later if they decide they’re not quite ready to go pro, though if college players want to maintain their NCAA eligibility, they can’t hire an agent who’s not certified by the NCAA.

Once the early entrant list is set, NBA teams can begin conducting or attending workouts for those players.

May 11-12: NBA G League Elite Camp

In 2019, the Elite Camp – having recently been revamped by the NBA – consisted of 40 veteran G League invitees participating in the first half of the event, followed by 40 top draft-eligible players (who weren’t invited to the actual combine) taking part in the second half.

After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elite Camp returned in 2021, but only featured 40 draft-eligible prospects, without the G League players. That format carried over to 2022, with 44 prospects in attendance, and to 2023, when 50 prospects were invited. It’s safe to assume the event will focus exclusively on draft-eligible players again this season.

May 12: NBA draft lottery

The 2024 draft lottery will be the sixth one employing the format that was introduced in 2019. With the lottery odds flattened out, the NBA’s worst team has a 14% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, as opposed to the 25% chance it had prior to ’19.

While the new system reduced the odds that the league’s very worst teams would claim the picks at the top of the draft, it has been several years since we saw any real long shots become big winners on lottery night.

One of the NBA’s worst three teams has been awarded the No. 1 spot in each of the last four lotteries, including when the Spurs won the 2023 lottery for the right to draft Victor Wembanyama.

Maybe we’re due for a surprise on lottery this May, though it’s also worth noting that this year’s draft class doesn’t feature a clear-cut top prospect like Wembanyama in 2023. Winning the 2024 lottery would still be a boon, but it won’t necessarily be a franchise-altering moment like it was in San Antonio a year ago.

May 12-19: NBA draft combine

This week-long event, which takes place annually in Chicago, allows NBA teams to get a first-hand look at many of the year’s top draft-eligible players.

The combine is often particularly important for early entrants who have yet to decide whether or not to stay in the draft. The feedback they get at the combine could go a long way toward dictating whether they keep their names in the draft or return to school for another year.

In past years, the draft lottery has taken place after the conclusion of the combine. Interestingly, the two events are flipped this year, which may have an impact on which teams are focusing on which lottery-caliber players in Chicago.

May 29 (11:59 pm ET): NCAA early entrant withdrawal deadline

College underclassmen – and seniors who are eligible to play for more one season – who want to retain their NCAA eligibility will have to withdraw their names from the draft pool by May 29. NBA rules call for a later withdrawal deadline, but the NCAA has its own set of rules that say the deadline is 10 days after the combine ends.

An early entrant could technically wait until after May 29 to withdraw from the draft and could still retain his NBA draft eligibility for a future year. However, he would forfeit his amateur status in that scenario, making him ineligible to return to his NCAA squad. College players who want to play overseas for a year or two before entering the NBA draft could take this route.

June 16 (5:00 pm ET): NBA early entrant withdrawal deadline

This is the NBA’s final deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the draft pool and retain their draft eligibility for a future year.

By this point, we generally know whether or not a college player decided to keep his name in the draft, but this is an important deadline for international players, who aren’t subject to the same restrictions as college players. We’ll likely hear about several international early entrants withdrawing from the draft during the days leading up to June 16.

June 26 and 27: NBA draft days

The most exciting few weeks of the NBA offseason unofficially get underway on draft day, which is often when several of the first major trades of the summer are completed and when we get a sense of which direction certain teams are heading.

In 2024, for the first time, “draft day” actually refers to two days: Wednesday, June 26 and Thursday, June 27. The NBA and NBPA have agreed to make the draft a multi-day event, with the first round occurring on Wednesday and the second round taking place on Thursday.

The hope is that the move will benefit teams, who will get to regroup halfway through the draft to reset their boards and will have more time to consider possible trades; the NBA’s broadcast partners, who will be able to devote more attention to second-round picks that are often made when the television broadcast is in the midst of an ad break; and fans, who won’t have to stay up so late into the night to see the end of the second round.

The hours and days after the second round ends will be hugely important for many of this year’s draft-eligible prospects — a ton of players who aren’t selected with one of the 58 picks in the draft will reach agreements shortly thereafter to play for an NBA team’s Summer League squad, to attend training camp with a club, or to sign a two-way contract.

2024 NBA Draft Early Entrants List

March 31st, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2024 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Saturday, April 27 to make that decision official.

Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on May 29 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, is on June 16 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2024 draft, which will be extended to two days for the first time, will take place on June 26-27.

Since 2021, the annual list of “early” entrants has become even bigger than usual because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of either declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.

Last year, 242 prospects initially declared as early entrants, with 92 of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. Those totals have been even higher in some recent years, so we’re expecting them to end up at least in the same neighborhood this time around.

We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.

The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Last updated 5-18-24 (7:02am CT)

College Underclassmen

Expected to remain in draft:

Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (junior)
Mark Armstrong, G, Villanova (sophomore)
Adem Bona, F/C, UCLA (sophomore)
Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (sophomore)
Carlton Carrington, G, Pitt (freshman)
Devin Carter, G, Providence (junior)
Stephon Castle, G, UConn (freshman)
Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (sophomore)
Isaiah Collier, G, USC (freshman)
Mohamed Diarra, F, North Carolina State (junior)
Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky (freshman)
Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia (sophomore)
Justin Edwards, G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke (sophomore)
Kyshawn George, G/F, Miami (FL) (freshman)
Bronny James, G, USC (freshman)
Jared McCain, G, Duke (freshman)
Judah Mintz, G, Syracuse (sophomore)
Yves Missi, C, Baylor (freshman)
Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara (junior)
Ugonna Onyenso, C, Kentucky (sophomore)
Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (freshman)
KJ Simpson, G, Colorado (junior)
Jaylon Tyson, G, California (junior)
Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor (freshman)
Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana (sophomore)
Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (junior)
Cody Williams, F, Colorado (freshman)

Testing the draft waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools.

Michael Ajayi, F, Pepperdine (junior)
Adama-Alpha Bal, G/F, Santa Clara (junior)
Brooks Barnhizer, G/F, Northwestern (junior)
Jalen Blackmon, G, Stetson (junior)
Jaden Bradley, G, Arizona (sophomore)
Dion Brown, G, UMBC (sophomore)
Nimari Burnett, G, Michigan (junior)
Wesley Cardet, G/F, Chicago State (junior)
Cam Christie, G, Minnesota (freshman)
Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (junior)
Cedric Coward, G/F, Eastern Washington (junior)
Anthony Dell’Orso, G/F, Campbell (sophomore)
Malik Dia, F, Belmont (sophomore)
Garwey Dual, G, Providence (freshman)
RJ Felton, G, East Carolina (junior)
Frankie Fidler, F, Omaha (junior)
Rasheer Fleming, F, St. Joseph’s (sophomore)
Johnny Furphy, G/F, Kansas (freshman)
Keyshawn Hall, G, George Mason (sophomore)
Tyler Harris, G/F, Portland (freshman)
DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (junior)
Harrison Ingram, F, UNC (junior)
Arthur Kaluma, F, Kansas State (junior)
Alex Karaban, F, UConn (sophomore)
Miles Kelly, G, Georgia Tech (junior)
Toibu Lawal, F, VCU (sophomore)
Xaivian Lee, G, Princeton (sophomore)
Kino Lilly Jr., G, Brown (junior)
Javian McCollum, G, Oklahoma (junior)
Robert McCray, G, Jacksonville (sophomore)
Igor Milicic Jr., F, Charlotte (junior)
Baba Miller, F, Florida State (sophomore)
Jalon Moore, F, Oklahoma (junior)
Shahid Muhammad, C, Southern Idaho (sophomore)
Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech (freshman)
Carlos Nichols, G, Southern Crescent Tech (GA) (freshman)
Great Osobor, F, Utah State (junior)
Wooga Poplar, G, Miami (FL) (junior)
Will Richard, G, Florida (junior)
Jordan Riley, G, Temple (junior)
Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (junior)
Payton Sandfort, G/F, Iowa (junior)
A.J. Staton-McCray, G, Samford (junior)
Jarin Stevenson, F, Alabama (freshman)
AJ Storr, G/F, Wisconsin (sophomore)
Saint Thomas, F, Northern Colorado (junior)
JT Toppin, F, New Mexico (freshman)
Milos Uzan, G, Oklahoma (sophomore)
Deshawndre Washington, G/F, New Mexico State (junior)
Jaylen Wells, F, Washington State (junior)
JZ Zaher, G, Bowling Green State (sophomore)

Withdrawing from draft after testing waters:

Jonas Aidoo, F/C, Tennessee (junior)
Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
KJ Lewis, G, Arizona (freshman)
Scotty Middleton, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)

College Seniors

Expected to remain in draft:

Reece Beekman, G, Virginia
Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor
Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State
Jalen Cook, G, LSU
Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado
Eric Dixon, F, Villanova
Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Eric Gaines, G, UAB
Tyon Grant-Foster, G, Grand Canyon
Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois
Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette
Sion James, G, Tulane
Dillon Jones, F, Weber State
Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette
Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona
Norchad Omier, F, Miami (FL)
Jaxson Robinson, G/F, BYU
Jamal Shead, G, Houston

Testing the draft waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools.

Achor Achor, F, Samford
Chibuzo Agbo, G/F, Boise State
Posh Alexander, G, Butler
Joe Bamisile, G, VCU
Aziz Bandaogo, C, Cincinnati
Jesse Bingham II, G/F, Indianapolis
Koby Brea, G, Dayton
Jack Brestel, F, Roanoke College
Lamont Butler, G, San Diego State
Andrew Carr, F, Wake Forest
Isaiah Crawford, G/F, Louisiana Tech
DJ Davis, G, Butler
Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic
Xavier DuSell, G, Fresno State
Noah Farrakhan, G, West Virginia
PJ Hall, C, Clemson
A.J. Hoggard, G, Michigan State
Ben Humrichous, F, Evansville
Chase Hunter, G, Clemson
CJ Huntley, F, Appalachian State
Andrej Jakimovski, F, Washington State
Meechie Johnson, G, South Carolina
David Jones, F, Memphis
Chaz Lanier, G, North Florida
Caleb Love, G, Arizona
Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco
Tiras Morton, G/F, Lubbock Christian
Matthew Murrell, G, Mississippi
Zarique Nutter, G/F, Northern Illinois
Toby Okani, G/F, UIC
Kasean Pryor, F, South Florida
Jeremy Roach, G, Duke
Mark Sears, G, Alabama
Max Shulga, G, VCU
Jason Spurgin, C, Bowling Green
Jahmyl Telfort, G/F, Butler
Yacine Toumi, F, Evansville
Trey Townsend, G/F, Oakland
Jaykwon Walton, G/F, Memphis
Marques Warrick, G, Northern Kentucky
Amari Williams, F/C, Drexel
Terrance Williams II, F, Michigan

Withdrawing from draft after testing waters:

Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton

International players

Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.

Melvin Ajinca, G/F, France (born 2004)
Miguel Allen, F, Spain (born 2003)
Roberts Blums, G, Latvia (born 2005)
Luka Bogavac, G, Montenegro (born 2003)
Gael Bonilla, F, Spain (born 2003)
Malik Bowman, F, Portugal (born 2004)
Michael Caicedo, G/F, Spain (born 2003)
Milhan Charles, F, Holland (born 2004)
Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa (born 2005)
Yongxi Cui, G/F, China (born 2003)
Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Germany (born 2005)
Thijs De Ridder, F, Spain (born 2003)
Brice Dessert, C, France (born 2003)
Mohamed Diawara, F, France (born 2005)
Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
Ruben Dominguez, G, Spain (born 2003)
Ugo Doumbia, G, France (born 2003)
Lucas Dufeal, F, France (born 2003)
Quinn Ellis, G, Italy (born 2003)
Mouhamed Faye, C, Italy (born 2005)
Trentyn Flowers, G/F, Australia (born 2005)
Andrija Jelavic, F, Serbia (born 2004)
A.J. Johnson, G, Australia (born 2004)
Ilias Kamardine, G, France (born 2003)
Bobi Klintman, F, Australia (born 2003)
Gustav Knudsen, G/F, Denmark (born 2003)
Konstantin Kostadinov, F, Spain (born 2003)
Liutauras Lelevicius, G/F, Lithuania (born 2003)
Timotej Malovec, F, Serbia (born 2004)
Bogoljub Markovic, F, Serbia (born 2005)
Eli Ndiaye, F/C, Spain (born 2004)
Ousmane Ndiaye, C, Spain (born 2004)
Juan Nunez, G, Germany (born 2004)
Noah Penda, G/F, France (born 2005)
Zacharie Perrin, F, France (born 2004)
Zaccharie Risacher, F, France (born 2005)
Musa Sagnia, F/C, Spain (born 2003)
Tidjane Salaun, F, France (born 2005)
Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
Nikola Topic, G, Serbia (born 2005)
Armel Traore, F, France (born 2003)
Cezar Unitu, G, Romania (born 2005)
Fedor Zugic, G, Germany (born 2003)

Other players

Abdullah Ahmed, C, Westchester Knicks (born 2003)
Izan Almansa, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
Somto Cyril, C, Overtime Elite (born 2005)
Thierry Darlan, G, G League Ignite (born 2004)
Reynan Dos Santos, G, Overtime Elite (born 2004)
Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
Jahzare Jackson, C, Overtime Elite (born 2004)
Djordjije Jovanovic, F, Ontario Clippers (born 2003)
Jalen Lewis, F/C, Overtime Elite (born 2005)
Malique Lewis, F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2004)
Babacar Sane, F, G League Ignite (born 2003)
Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
Bryson Warren, G, Sioux Falls Skyforce (born 2004)

Checking In On 10-Day Contracts

March 29th, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

As our tracker shows, there are currently seven 10-day contracts active around the NBA, though that number will dip to three in less than 24 hours. Here are the details on those active 10-day deals:

Detroit Pistons: Chimezie Metu (runs through 3/29)
Memphis Grizzlies: DeJon Jarreau (runs through 3/29) *
Memphis Grizzlies: Maozinha Pereira (runs through 3/29) *
Phoenix Suns: Isaiah Thomas (runs through 3/29)
Chicago Bulls: Javonte Green (runs through 4/1) *
Philadelphia 76ers: D.J. Wilson (runs through 4/2)
Toronto Raptors: Kobi Simmons (runs through 4/2)

(* Contracts marked with an asterisk were signed via a hardship exception.)

Of those seven players, only Jarreau is on his second 10-day deal with his current team, meaning he’ll be ineligible to return to the Grizzlies on another 10-day contract after this one expires.

Since he was signed using a hardship exception, the only way for Jarreau to remain with Memphis beyond Friday would be for the team to waive one of its 15 players on standard contracts to make room on the roster to sign him for the rest of the season, which likely isn’t happening.

Pereira could sign a second 10-day contract with Memphis though, and as long as they continue to qualify for a second hardship exception, I’d expect the Grizzlies to bring in a new player on a 10-day deal to replace Jarreau.

Each of the non-Grizzlies players in this group is eligible to sign a second 10-day contract with his team, and since the regular season doesn’t end until April 14, there’s more than enough days left in the season to accommodate such arrangements. That doesn’t mean that Metu, Thomas, Green, Wilson, or Simmons are locks to stick around, but they’re in good position to do so if they make a positive impression during their initial 10-day stints.

The last day to sign a standard 10-day contract this season is one week away. After April 5, teams would still be able to sign “10-day” contracts using a hardship exception, but any standard deal would be a rest-of-season or multiyear agreement.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Proration

March 27th, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The concept of proration is one used in variety of fields and professions, and isn’t specific to the NBA. The term, which shows up frequently in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, refers to the practice of calculating a figure proportionately.

In the NBA, the most common examples of proration apply to players on non-guaranteed contracts who are waived before their salaries become guaranteed, or players who sign minimum-salary contracts partway through the season. In each instance, the player would receive a prorated portion of his salary based on the number of days he was under contract during the season.

For example, when Taj Gibson signed with the Pistons on March 16, he received a minimum-salary contract. For the 2023/24 season, the minimum salary for a player with Gibson’s years of NBA service (10+) is $3,196,448, though such a deal would only count against his team’s cap for $2,019,706, as we explain here. However, since Gibson wasn’t with the Pistons since the start of the season, he wasn’t entitled to that full minimum salary from the team.

The ’23/24 NBA season is 174 days long and Gibson signed his contract on the 145th day of the season, meaning his “one-year” contract will span 30 days. Due to proration, his minimum-salary deal is worth only 30/174ths of a full minimum salary. So instead of earning $3,196,448, he’ll make $551,112. And instead of counting for $2,019,706 on Detroit’s books, Gibson’s cap charge is 30/174ths of that amount: $348,225.

If the Pistons had signed Gibson using cap space or a cap exception, his salary wouldn’t necessarily have been prorated, but the minimum salary exception begins to prorate after the first day of the regular season.

The same principle of proration applied to a contract that Gibson signed earlier this season with the Knicks. Gibson finalized a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal with New York on December 15, the 53rd day of the regular season. That deal was initially worth $2,241,188 (122/174ths of $3,196,448), but Gibson was waived on January 7 before it became fully guaranteed.

Gibson was officially under contract with the Knicks for 24 days, and the NBA also pays players for the two days they spend on waivers, so the veteran center was credited with 26 days of service. That means, due to proration, he was entitled to 26/174ths of a minimum salary — that amount worked out to $477,630.

A 10-day contract serves as another example of proration, with a player on a 10-day deal earning a salary that is prorated based on his full-season minimum salary — the player makes 10/174ths of the full-season amount. For instance, when Gibson signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Knicks, he earned $183,704 on each deal (10/174ths of $3,196,448), with the team taking on a prorated cap hit of $116,075 in each instance (10/174ths of $2,019,706).

Situations like Gibson’s in Detroit and New York are the most frequent examples of the impact proration has on NBA finances, but there are many more instances where it pops up.

Here’s a quick breakdown of several of those other instances of proration:

Mid-level and bi-annual exceptions: These exceptions begin to prorate on the day after the trade deadline. The exact amount of proration depends on how much of the exception was unused as of January 10 and how many total days there are in the regular season. If a team had $3MM of its mid-level left on January 10 and there are 174 days in that season, the MLE would decrease in value by $17,241 per day (1/174th of $3MM).
Trade kickers: In the event a player with a trade kicker in his contract is traded during the season, the kicker only applies to his remaining (i.e. prorated) salary. If a player with an $8MM salary in his contract year has a 15% trade kicker and is dealt halfway through that season, his 15% kicker would only apply to the $4MM left on his deal, giving him a $600K bonus (15% of $4MM).
Signing bonuses: If a team gives a player a signing bonus in a free agent contract, that bonus is prorated equally over the guaranteed seasons of the contract for cap purposes. For instance, a $4MM signing bonus on a four-year contract would add $1MM to the player’s cap charge for each of the four seasons.
Salary floor calculations: When calculating a team’s payroll in relation to the league’s minimum salary floor, we count the salary that a team actually pays to a player, rather than the player’s cap hit. For example, if a team traded for a player on a $12MM contract halfway through the season and kept him the rest of the way, he would count for $6MM toward that team’s salary floor, rather than $12MM.
Active games limits for two-way players: Typically, a player who signs a two-way contract is permitted to be active for up to 50 NBA games in a season, but that limit is prorated if the player signs after the regular season has begun. A two-way player who signs on the 100th day of a 174-day season could be active for up to 22 NBA games (75/174ths of the season multiplied by 50 games, then rounded to the nearest whole number).

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Previous versions of this glossary entry were published in 2018 and 2022.

Poll: Final Western Conference Play-In Spot

March 26th, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Two weeks ago, when word broke that the Rockets would likely be without star center Alperen Sengun for the rest of the season due to injuries to his knee and ankle, it looked like we could safely pencil in the Western Conference’s 10 playoff and/or play-in teams.

At that time, the No. 11 Rockets trailed the No. 10 Warriors by five games in the standings, and with Sengun going down, it appeared very likely that Houston would be headed for the lottery, where the club would hope to get lucky and hang onto its top-four protected first-round pick.

Instead, the Rockets have been the NBA’s best team since Sengun’s injury, going 7-0 with a +15.3 net rating during that time.

After ranking in the middle of the pack in three-point attempts and pace of play for most of the season, Houston has been in the top five in both categories over the past seven games as the club has opted to play faster and spread the floor more by starting Jabari Smith Jr. as a small-ball center. Jalen Green, in particular, has thrived this month, averaging 27.8 points per game on .496/.409/.800 shooting in March.

The Warriors, meanwhile, have played up-and-down ball for much of the season, and the last few weeks have been no exception. Golden State (36-34) has lost six of its past nine games, including its last two, and now holds just a half-game lead on Houston (36-35) for the No. 10 seed in the West.

There’s some good news for the Warriors. For one, they hold the tiebreaker edge over Houston. The Rockets have also benefited from playing several of the league’s worst teams since Sengun’s injury, including the Spurs, Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Wizards (twice). Their schedule will get more difficult down the stretch — Tankathon says Houston has the seventh-most difficult remaining slate, while Golden State’s is 25th.

Still, the Rockets are on fire, and eight of Golden State’s next 10 games are on the road, including an April 4 matchup in Houston. The Warriors also can’t bet on passing another team to stay in play-in territory if the Rockets pass them in the standings, since they’ve fallen 2.5 games back of the No. 9 Lakers and are five games behind anyone else in the West.

The veteran Warriors are still considered far more likely than the upstart Rockets to participate in the play-in tournament, per BetOnline.ag, but it’s certainly no longer a lock.

We want to know what you think. Will the Rockets surpass the Warriors to claim a play-in spot, or will Golden State hang onto that No. 10 spot?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: New Orleans Pelicans

March 24th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have quietly moved up in the Western Conference standings over the last two months.

New Orleans was a ho-hum 26-21 in late January after a three-game losing streak. The team is now 17 games above .500, good enough for fifth place in the conference. The Pelicans have won nine of their last 11 games after disposing of the downtrodden Pistons on Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps the biggest reason why the Pelicans look more dangerous is that — cross your fingers — Zion Williamson has remained in uniform with the end of the regular season coming in three weeks.

After appearing in only 114 games in his first four NBA seasons, Williamson has played 60 this season. He’s gotten in better shape and the results show it. He had a seven-game stretch this month in which he averaged 27.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. On Sunday, Williamson bullied the depleted Pistons with 36 points.

CJ McCollum is also finishing strong after dealing with a lung issue early this season. He racked up 30 points in two of the last five games.

Trey Murphy III has been on fire from the perimeter this month. He entered Sunday’s game averaging 19 points and making 45.1 percent of his 3-point attempts in 10 March contests.

The Pelicans also have a lockdown defender in Herbert Jones and a pesky backup guard Jose Alvarado, who had a big game (17 points, seven rebounds, six assists) in a win at Miami on Friday night.

The big concern is second-leading scorer Brandon Ingram, who could miss the remainder of the regular season with a bone bruise in his left knee.

The Pelicans aren’t far behind the Clippers for the No. 4 spot but they also have the Suns, Kings and Mavericks a short distance behind them in the standings. They have to hold off at least two of those three teams to avoid the play-in tournament.

In historical terms, the Pelicans’ postseason resume is relatively barren. They won a first round series during the 2007/08 season and another during the ’17/18 campaign.

During the last two seasons, they lost in the opening round to Phoenix in 2022, then got bounced in the play-in tournament by Oklahoma City in 2023.

That brings us to our topic of the day: What do you think the Pelicans’ ceiling is this spring? Will they avoid the play-in tournament? Are they capable of winning a first-round series and beyond, or do you think they’ll have an early exit?

Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Community Shootaround: Clippers’ Season

March 18th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George made some interesting comments following the Clippers’ 17-point home loss to the Hawks on Sunday night.

The veteran forward stated the team hadn’t established an identity.

“We want to be a team that’s consistent and we want to establish an identity,” George said, as relayed by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I’ve always spoken about having an identity and I think it’s extremely important. Right now, I don’t think we have an identity.”

If George had said that during the first half of the season, no one would have thought much about it. But with the playoffs looming in about a month, that’s not something you want to hear from one of your star players.

The Clippers haven’t exactly imploded. However, they haven’t shown any consistency after moving 19 games above .500 in early February. They’ve lost 10 of their last 18 games, including four of the last five.

The recent defeats have been troubling. They’ve lost by 18 points to Minnesota, which is playing without star power forward Karl-Anthony Towns. The loss to the Trae Young-less Hawks was preceded by an eight-point loss to New Orleans, which outscored them 58-36 in the paint.

“It’s between the ears with us,” Kawhi Leonard said of their struggles. “We got to go out and do it.”

The Clippers are playing without sixth man Russell Westbrook, who broke his hand at the end of January. He’s expected to return before the postseason.

Leonard, George and Westbrook are a little banged up but they’ve all appeared in at least 60 games. And every team at this time of year is dealing with some injuries and a certain level of fatigue.

The Clippers are fourth in the Western Conference standings, one game ahead of New Orleans and 3.5 games ahead of three other teams tied for sixth place. The Clippers, who have the oldest roster in the league, should be able to avoid the play-in tournament, though that’s no longer a given.

They have back-to-back road games against the Trail Blazers this week, which could help them get back on track. But considering how they performed against Atlanta, the Clippers can’t take anything for granted.

That brings us to our topic of the day: Where do you think the Clippers will wind up in the Western Conference standings? How do you think they’ll fare in the playoffs – will their veterans carry them on a deep run or will they flame out early?

Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Load More Posts