Eight NBA Teams Have Open Two-Way Contract Slots
As of Friday evening, 52 of the NBA’s 60 two-way contract slots are filled. Given how flexible those two-way slots are, it’s possible – and, in fact, very likely – that not all 52 of those players will still be under contract when the regular season begins in a month. But for now, there are just eight two-way spots up for grabs around the league.
[RELATED: 2022/23 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
A team with a two-way opening doesn’t necessarily need to decide how it will fill that spot before training camps begin in 10 days. Some of those clubs may decide to bring a handful of players to camp on Exhibit 10 contracts and then let those players compete for a two-way deal, since Exhibit 10s can be converted into two-ways before opening night.
Listed below are the eight teams that still have open two-way slots, along with some potential candidates to fill those openings.
Charlotte Hornets
With second-round pick Bryce McGowens occupying one two-way slot, the Hornets have no obvious candidate to fill the other, so it’s possible the team will hold a preseason competition. Currently, Jalen Crutcher, Jaylen Sims, Anthony Duruji, and Isaiah Whaley are signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, and all are eligible to have those contracts converted into two-way deals.
Dallas Mavericks
With their first two-way slot, the Mavericks signed Tyler Dorsey, who has high-level international experience and could earn a rotation role in Dallas this season. We’ll see if the team wants to use its second slot on another player who could contribute right away or if that spot will go to someone who is more of a developmental project.
McKinley Wright IV, Mouhamadou Gueye, and Tyler Hall are signed to Exhibit 10 deals and Marcus Bingham will reportedly receive one as well. All could be two-way candidates.
Houston Rockets
Bruno Fernando is the only Rocket who currently has an Exhibit 10 contract, and he remains eligible for a two-way deal. However, Houston has some roster cutdowns to make, which could open up opportunities for other camp invitees to emerge as two-way contenders. For now, undrafted rookie Trevor Hudgins is the club’s lone two-way player.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers were the last team to sign a player to a two-way contract this offseason, completing a deal with Kendall Brown on Friday. With Brown holding one two-way slot, the other remains open.
Deividas Sirvydis, Gabe York, Bennie Boatwright, and David Stockton are the two-way candidates currently on the roster, but the team has also reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts with Tevin Brown, Eli Brooks, Fanbo Zeng, and Jermaine Samuels, so there will be no shortage of options.
Los Angeles Clippers
Moses Brown, who has 92 career regular season appearances under his belt and could provide much-needed frontcourt depth, is the most intriguing two-way candidate on the roster at the moment, but he’s hardly the only one. Like Brown, Xavier Moon and Keaton Wallace also have Exhibit 10 deals, while Justin Bean, Lucas Williamson, and Michael Devoe will reportedly receive them too.
For the time being, second-rounder Moussa Diabate is Los Angeles’ only two-way player.
Portland Trail Blazers
Given that the Trail Blazers don’t have a G League affiliate, it’s hard to see why they’d sign four players to Exhibit 10 contracts unless they want to have the option to convert one or more into a two-way deal. None of those four players – Jared Rhoden, Isaiah Miller, Devontae Cacok, and Olivier Sarr – has more than three years of NBA experience, meaning all of them are two-way eligible.
Portland’s lone current two-way player, Brandon Williams, is a holdover from last season, so his roster spot may not be as secure as a player who has signed a two-way deal since the offseason began.
Utah Jazz
Like Williams in Portland, Xavier Sneed was in the second year of his two-way contract before he was waived on Friday. The move leaves Johnny Juzang as the only two-way player on the Jazz’s roster.
Utah has a roster logjam to clear and could still make a trade or two before the regular season begins, so it’s too soon to name an obvious candidate to take Sneed’s spot. However, the team has reportedly agreed to sign Kofi Cockburn, Darryl Morsell, and Jeenathan Williams to Exhibit 10 contracts.
Washington Wizards
Jordan Schakel is in the second year of his two-way deal, so he may have to prove this preseason that he deserves to make the 17-man roster. Makur Maker, Quenton Jackson, Davion Mintz, and Jordan Goodwin are all on Exhibit 10 contracts in D.C. and could be in the two-way mix. Second-rounder Yannick Nzosa is also unsigned, but is expected to spend the 2022/23 season in the Spanish League.
Sengun, Garuba Look Sharp In EuroBasket
The Rockets are pleased with the offseason efforts of young big men Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.
“Our guys have really been in the gym. They’ve been working really hard,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said. “Even the guys that haven’t been here, which is Alperen and Usman, have done great overseas. So, it’s been a good summer.”
Sengun and Garuba have been playing in Eurobasket, and Sengun projects as a starter this season for the Rockets. “I think both of them have gotten better game-by-game-by-game, and that’s rewarding,” Stone said. “Some of the stuff we’ve asked them to work on, they’ve worked on, and in real time, you can see some of the results.”
Rockets' G League Team Hires New Head Coach
- The Rio Grande Valley Vipers — G League affiliate of the Rockets — have hired Kevin Burleson as head coach, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Burleson replaces Mahmoud Abdelfattah, who was promoted to become a Rockets assistant coach. Burleson was most recently an assistant coach with the Timberwolves.
And-Ones: Expansion, Seattle, Vegas, Draft Assets, Ignite
Is the NBA ready to move forward on its long-rumored plans to expand to Seattle and Las Vegas? Willie G. Ramirez of The Associated Press (Twitter link) says he has heard from multiple sources that the league wants to announce expansion when those two cities hosts preseason games this fall. The Clippers will play in Seattle on September 30 and October 3, while the Lakers are set to play in Vegas on October 5 and 6.
Despite Ramirez’s report, it’s still probably premature to get excited about an impending announcement. Rumors of possible expansion have simmered off and on for years, and the NBA has repeatedly shot them down, indicating that any plans to add more teams are on the back-burner. Still, it seems increasingly likely that expansion is coming sooner or later, with Seattle and Las Vegas atop the league’s list of potential destinations.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- As rumors about expansion resurface, Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com considers what an expansion draft might look like if the NBA uses the same rules it did for its last expansion draft (the Bobcats in 2004). Of course, Sidery’s hypothetical expansion draft is based on teams’ current rosters, and any expansion team is unlikely to enter the league for a few years, but it’s still an interesting exercise that shows what kinds of players might go unprotected.
- Following the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell blockbuster trades, the Jazz have the strongest collection of future draft picks of any NBA team, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), who ranks Utah’s draft assets slightly ahead of the Thunder‘s. The Spurs have the third-best stash of future picks, per Marks. The Pelicans, Rockets, Knicks, Magic, and Pacers round out his top eight, in that order.
- The G League Ignite have officially announced the additions of Australian prospect Mojave King and Canadian prospect Leonard Miller, confirming the signings today in a press release. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony previously reported that King and Miller would be joining the Ignite.
2022/23 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division
The 2022/23 NBA regular season will tip off next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to continue an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.
With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites – including Bovada, BetOnline, and Betway – 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 2021/22, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’22/23?
We’ll continue our series today with the Southwest division…
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2021/22 record: 56-26
- Over/under for 2022/23: 49.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, Kennedy Chandler, Danny Green
- Lost: De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Jarrett Culver
How many games will the Grizzlies win in 2022/23?
-
Over 49.5 69% (323)
-
Under 49.5 31% (147)
Total votes: 470
Dallas Mavericks
- 2021/22 record: 52-30
- Over/under for 2022/23: 48.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Mavericks win in 2022/23?
-
Over 48.5 64% (316)
-
Under 48.5 36% (180)
Total votes: 496
New Orleans Pelicans
- 2021/22 record: 36-46
- Over/under for 2022/23: 44.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Dyson Daniels
- Note: Zion Williamson is also expected to be healthy for the Pelicans after missing the entire 2021/22 season.
- Lost: Tony Snell
- Added: Dyson Daniels
How many games will the Pelicans win in 2022/23?
-
Over 44.5 61% (279)
-
Under 44.5 39% (177)
Total votes: 456
Houston Rockets
- 2021/22 record: 20-62
- Over/under for 2022/23: 24.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, TyTy Washington, Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Willie Cauley-Stein
- Note: A handful of these five veterans are unlikely to make the regular season roster.
- Lost: Christian Wood, Dennis Schröder , John Wall
- Added: Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, TyTy Washington, Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Willie Cauley-Stein
How many games will the Rockets win in 2022/23?
-
Under 24.5 62% (290)
-
Over 24.5 38% (179)
Total votes: 469
San Antonio Spurs
- 2021/22 record: 34-48
- Over/under for 2022/23: 23.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Spurs win in 2022/23?
-
Under 23.5 68% (316)
-
Over 23.5 32% (152)
Total votes: 468
Previous voting results:
- Miami Heat (50.5 wins): Under (56.6%)
- Atlanta Hawks (46.5 wins): Over (53.6%)
- Charlotte Hornets (36.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
- Washington Wizards (35.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
- Orlando Magic (26.5 wins): Over (55.3%)
Iko Examines Second Part Of Rockets Fans Survey
- In the second part of a series, Kelly Iko of The Athletic examined the results of his Rockets fans survey. Among the questions Iko asked was which Rockets player needs to take the biggest leap next season, with Jalen Green finishing first. Green averaged 17.3 points during his rookie campaign last season, shooting 43% from the floor and 34% from deep.
EuroBasket Notes: Brown, Vezenkov, Sengun, Micic, Fernandez
Mike Brown is among the NBA head coaches who fully endorse having their players take part in international competitions, writes Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. Brown is attending the EuroBasket tournament to watch and support two Kings players, Domantas Sabonis of Lithuania and Alex Len of Ukraine.
“There’s nothing better in my opinion than getting yourself ready for an NBA season than playing and practicing at the level that these guys [in the EuroBasket] do,” Brown said. “You know you always worry about injury and that’s a concern of all of ours, but these guys are so passionate about playing for their country that it’s hard to not support them. You want them to do what they’re passionate about because that’s what life is about.”
Stroggylakis notes that the Kings had interest in signing another international player, Sasha Vezenkov, for the upcoming season after acquiring his rights from the Cavaliers on draft night. Brown said the organization invited Vezenkov to visit Sacramento this summer, but he declined due to his commitment to the Bulgarian national team. Vezenkov will play this season for Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece.
“We were hoping he could come out so we’d get to know him a little bit and take a look at him, but he had other commitments this summer, especially with the national team and all this stuff,” Brown said. “We have his rights, so we’ll circle back at him next summer. He’s big and versatile. He can shoot the ball, he’s a veteran, he’s smart. He just knows how to play the game.”
There’s more from EuroBasket:
- Rockets center Alperen Sengun is turning Turkey into a medal contender, per Semih Tuna of Eurohoops. The Turkish team is off to a 2-0 start and appears ready to challenge Spain for the top spot in Group A. “In the NBA we play a lot of games against legendary players,” Sengun said after Saturday’s win over Bulgaria. “We are learning constantly everything. We are learning about that busy schedule too, which I am used to it. Here, we play two back-to-back games and then have a day of rest, so we are ready for this. In the next season, things will be even better for me.”
- Vasilije Micic won’t be coming to the NBA this season, but he’s enjoying the chance to play alongside two-time MVP Nikola Jokic with Serbia, according to a Eurohoops story. The Thunder were willing to trade Micic’s draft rights this summer, but no one offered the first-round pick they were reportedly seeking.
- Former Trail Blazers and Nuggets guard Rudy Fernandez is nearing the career record for games played for the Spanish national team, Eurohoops notes in another piece. The 37-year-old moved into second place Saturday and is now just 13 games behind Juan Carlos Navarro.
Rockets To Retire Elvin Hayes’ No. 44
The Rockets will retire jersey No. 44 in honor of legendary Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes during halftime of Houston’s game against Indiana on November 18, the team announced.
Hayes, also known as “The Big E,” was a star in college for the University of Houston, averaging 31.0 points and 17.2 rebounds across his four seasons with the Cougars. The Rockets, then in San Diego, selected Hayes’ No. 1 overall in the 1968 draft, and he promptly led the league in scoring (28.4 points, plus 17.1 rebounds). He’s the last rookie to accomplish the feat.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Elvin Hayes’ stellar career by retiring his jersey,” said Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. “Elvin was the original basketball superstar in the City of Houston and has a lasting legacy with not only the NBA and the Rockets, but the University of Houston as well. We’re excited to honor Elvin and his family this November and see his jersey hang where it belongs, alongside the other legends from our franchise’s storied history.”
Hayes will become the seventh Rockets player to have his number retired, joining fellow Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Yao Ming, Clyde Drexler, Rudy Tomjanovich, and Calvin Murphy. Hayes played alongside both Tomjanovich and Murphy on the Rockets.
“Representing the Rockets and the City of Houston has meant so much to me throughout my life,” said Hayes. “Knowing that my number will stand with the other great players in franchise history is truly an honor. I want to thank Tilman and the Fertitta family, along with the Rockets organization, and most importantly the fans for the love they have shown me throughout my playing career and beyond. I look forward to celebrating this special moment with all of you in November.”
A 12-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA member, Hayes was selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 and earned a berth on the 75th anniversary team last season. He started and ended his career with the Rockets, averaging 27.4 points and 16.3 boards over his first four seasons.
An incredibly durable player, he missed just nine games across 16 seasons, never playing fewer than 80 games. Hayes is one of only four players to hold career averages of at least 21 points and 12 rebounds, with the others being Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Pettit, per the press release.
As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link) writes, Hayes was Fertitta’s favorite player growing up and surprised Hayes last week in a meeting to inform him of the plan to celebrate the team’s 55th anniversary, which includes throwback a throwback green jersey from the San Diego days.
“I am really so happy,” Hayes said. “I really, really had no idea. I went to the games. I really enjoy going to the games and visiting with the Rockets and players, working with the organization. It was really an honor when I was called, and this happened. I was just really shocked.”
Hayes will be honored the day after his 77th birthday, Feigen notes. In addition to his time with the Rockets, Hayes made three Finals appearances with the Washington Bullets, including a championship in 1978. Washington retired his No. 11 in 1981, so he’ll join a short list of players who’ve had their numbers retired by multiple teams.
Fans Have Confidence In GM
John Wall, who didn’t play last season for the Rockets, has looked sharp in offseason workouts, according to Marc Stein in a Substack post. Wall reached a buyout agreement this summer and signed with the Clippers after clearing waivers. Wall is expected to have a significant role with the Clippers, either as the starting point guard or as Reggie Jackson‘s backup.
- A fan survey conducted by Kelly Iko of The Athletic shows that Rockets supporters are pleased with the direction of the franchise. Even though fans anticipate Houston having little to no chance of making even the play-in tournament during the upcoming season, 90 percent of them have a positive view of the team’s “process” and a similar amount are “confident” or “very confident” in GM Rafael Stone and the front office.
Rockets, Porter Have Mutual Interest In Extension
- The Rockets and Kevin Porter Jr. are both hoping to reach an extension agreement before the new season starts, Kelly Iko of the Athletic states in a look at players around the league who have the most to prove. Whether the extension happens or not, Houston is counting on Porter to prove that he can be the team’s long-term answer at point guard.