Modest Free Agent Moves Shield Them From Tax
- The Timberwolves, after extending Naz Reid, made a number of under-the-radar moves in free agency to help them avoid future tax issues, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes. They divvied up their mid-level exception to acquire Shake Milton and Troy Brown, as well as re-signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker via his Bird rights. All of the contracts were two-year deals. Thus, their roster is almost all set for next season and the combined salaries are below the luxury tax threshold.
Raptors’ Thaddeus Young Among Players Earning Salary Guarantees
Veteran forward Thaddeus Young got good news on Friday when the Raptors opted to keep him on their roster rather than waiving him. Because he’s still under contract, Young’s $8MM salary for the 2023/24 season has become fully guaranteed, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It was previously only partially guaranteed for $1MM.
Young didn’t initially look like a great bet to earn that full $8MM, since Toronto was facing a cap crunch and he didn’t play a major role in 2022/23. The 35-year-old, who appeared in 54 games for the Raptors last season, averaged just 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per night — all three numbers were career lows.
However, the Raptors gained significant cap flexibility when Fred VanVleet opted to leave Toronto for Houston in free agency. With no risk of surpassing the luxury tax threshold, the team opted to hang onto Young, whose expiring salary could come in handy in a trade at some point during the 2023/24 league year.
Young was one of several players who had a salary guarantee deadline on Friday, as our tracker shows. Hoops Rumors can confirm that Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of the Thunder ($1.9MM) and Brandon Boston Jr. of the Clippers ($1.84MM) also remain under contract and have fully guaranteed salaries for 2023/24, as does Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin ($2.32MM), which was anticipated.
Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford was the only roster casualty among Friday’s group, having been cut before his $1.84MM salary became guaranteed. The Magic postponed their decision on big man Bol Bol, though his new salary guarantee date has yet to be reported.
Shake Milton To Sign Two-Year Deal With Timberwolves
Free agent guard Shake Milton is leaving the Sixers, having agreed to a two-year, $10MM deal with the Timberwolves, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The 54th pick of the 2018 draft after three seasons at SMU, Milton originally signed a two-way deal with Philadelphia, which was converted into a four-year, minimum-salary contract after his rookie season. That expired after 2022/23, making Milton an unrestricted free agent.
While Milton isn’t a great athlete or a defensive stopper, he has been quite productive when given a chance at a bigger offensive role throughout his pro career. For example, in 11 starts (38.3 minutes) last season, he averaged 20.8 points, 7.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds on a sparkling .518/.413/.970 shooting line.
His overall numbers have been more modest, with the 26-year-old averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds on .458/.368/.830 shooting in 234 games (45 starts, 21.4 MPG) over the past four seasons. Still, that’s solid production for a reserve.
Based on the contract value, it appears as though Milton will be getting part of Minnesota’s mid-level exception. The team also re-signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker and added Troy Brown, so the Wolves have been quite active in free agency, prioritizing young players to fill out their backcourt and wing depth.
Timberwolves Sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Troy Brown
JULY 9: Both signings are now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
JUNE 30: The Timberwolves have reached agreements with free agents Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Troy Brown.
Alexander-Walker is re-signing with Minnesota on a two-year deal, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Brown is leaving the Lakers to join the Timberwolves, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
The Wolves declined to give Alexander-Walker a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent but will re-sign him using his Bird rights on a two-year, $9MM deal, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
According to Mike Singer of Denver Post (Twitter link), Brown will get a two-year contract worth north of $8MM, with a second-year team option. The Wolves will have to use a cap exception – either the mid-level or bi-annual – to complete that signing.
Alexander-Walker, acquired in a deadline deal from Utah, appeared in 23 games off the bench for Minnesota last season. He averaged 5.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 15.5 minutes. He’ll add depth behind starting shooting guard Anthony Edwards.
Brown, 23, played a prominent role for Los Angeles last season, appearing in 76 games, including 45 starts. He averaged 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 24.5 minutes and made a career-best 38.1% of his 3-point attempts. The 6’6” Brown previously played for Washington and Chicago and could start or play a second-unit role with the Timberwolves.
In essence, he swapped places with former Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Lakers.
Pre-FA Updates: Toppin, Cavs, Niang, Strus, Draymond, Warriors, More
With just minutes before free agency begins and a flurry of contract agreements are reported, we have a few items to pass along:
- The Pacers have emerged as the leading candidate to trade for Knicks forward Obi Toppin, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who confirms that the two sides have recently been in contact about a potential Toppin deal, says New York is seeking draft compensation and notes that Indiana could potentially acquire the forward and his $6.8MM expiring contract using cap room, so the Knicks wouldn’t have to take a player back.
- A scenario in which the Cavaliers sign Georges Niang and acquire Max Strus – either via sign-and-trade or by signing him outright – is being viewed as “increasingly likely,” according to Stein (Twitter link).
- The latest whispers Stein from has heard from his sources suggest Draymond Green may get a four-year, $100MM deal to re-up with the Warriors (Twitter link).
- Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker is back with the team that drafted him, at least for a few games in July. The Bucks announced today that Parker is on their Las Vegas Summer League roster.
- The Timberwolves have hired former NBA forward Corliss Williamson as an assistant coach, they announced today in a press release. Williams was previously a member of coaching staffs in Sacramento, Orlando, and Phoenix.
Wolves Expected To Guarantee Jordan McLaughlin’s Contract
The Timberwolves are expected to guarantee Jordan McLaughlin‘s salary for 2023/24, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North.
Chris Hine of The Star Tribune has heard similarly from a league source (Twitter link).
The veteran point guard’s $2.32MM contract was fully non-guaranteed, but it certainly sounds like the Wolves will keep him around. As our list of early salary guarantee dates shows, we’re still waiting on decisions for several other players who have a Friday deadline for their contracts to become guaranteed.
McLaughlin, 27, had a strong showing in the 2021/22 playoffs, but suffered a significant calf injury that limited him for much of last season. He ultimately appeared in 43 games off the bench, averaging 3.7 PPG and 3.4 APG on .421/.308/.833 shooting in 15.8 MPG.
Known as a player who takes excellent care of the ball, McLaughlin has spent all four of his NBA seasons with Minnesota. According to Hine, both sides are hopeful McLaughlin will have a bounce-back ’23/24 season with better health.
McLaughlin is set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024.
Free Agent Rumors: Lopez, Rockets, DiVincenzo, Warriors, Saric, Mavs, Gordon, FVV, More
Bucks center Brook Lopez is expected to be offered a two-year contract worth approximately $40MM from the Rockets, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports.
Houston, which has the most cap space this summer, has a meeting lined up with Lopez. The veteran center’s free agent decision is expected to come down to remaining in Milwaukee or joining the Rockets. The Rockets have a 20-year-old center in Alperen Sengun, a 2021 first-rounder, but Lopez could serve as a mentor to Houston’s youthful big men while stabilizing its defense and stretching the floor offensively.
We have more free agent news:
- Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo has four meetings lined up on Friday and Saturday, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets. DiVincenzo entered the market when he declined his $4.7MM option. The Knicks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Pistons, Rockets, Magic, and Bulls have all been mentioned as potential pursuers for DiVincenzo, who could command the full $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Warriors can only offer a four-year, $23.2MM deal due to cap restrictions since they only held his Non-Bird rights.
- The Warriors are likely to land unrestricted free agent Dario Saric, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Golden State is looking for a stretch four with a high basketball IQ and solid all-around skills. The 29-year-old Saric would also fit the team’s win-now approach. Saric, who tore his ACL during the 2021 playoffs, appeared in a total of 57 regular-season games with the Suns and Thunder this past season. The Warriors are generally seeking to sign swingmen and frontcourt players who shoot well on veteran’s minimum contracts, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears tweets.
- Celtics restricted free agent Grant Williams will likely have to be patient to find an interested bidder, according to Fischer. Though the Celtics have acquired Kristaps Porzingis, it’s not out of the question Boston could match an offer sheet for Williams, who reportedly will have difficulty finding an offer above the non-taypayer mid-level exception.
- The Mavericks has been linked to various wings and forwards, including Williams, Jae Crowder, Eric Gordon, and Malik Beasley, Fischer adds. League executives who have spoken to Yahoo Sports believe Gordon, who will enter the market after the Clippers decided not to guarantee his contract, could command the full mid-level or close to it.
- Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is meeting with Toronto’s brass at the start of free agency and there’s optimism within the organization they can keep him in the fold, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets. According to Grange, a four-year deal averaging $30MM might be enough to convince VanVleet, who declined a $22.8MM option in order to enter free agency, to re-sign.
Trade Rumors: Harden, Bulls, Zubac, Brogdon, Osman, Morris
There’s no urgency for the Sixers to complete a James Harden trade, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Friday in an appearance on “Get Up” (video link). Even though Harden has asked to be dealt and seems to prefer the Clippers, Wojnarowski notes that the track record of president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggests he’ll explore all available possibilities before committing to a deal.
“You may let free agency settle,” Wojnarowski said, “see where players land, see where needs arise for different teams that might not be interested today but could be in a few days. I don’t anticipate necessarily that this is going to be quick because it doesn’t have to.”
Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times also hears that a Harden trade may not happen right away. He cites league sources who said they’ll be watching how patient the Sixers decide to be and what they’ll be seeking in return. Greif names Terance Mann as a player the Clippers might be reluctant to include in a Harden deal.
There are more trade rumors to pass along:
- The Bulls may be an option for Harden, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Chicago has already explored trade scenarios regarding Zach LaVine and might be willing to part with DeMar DeRozan to acquire Harden. Fischer also cautions that Morey has a lot of options to consider before deciding how to handle Harden’s trade request.
- The Clippers, who would like to re-sign Mason Plumlee have let teams know that Ivica Zubac is available in a trade, Fischer adds. L.A. may also have interest in acquiring P.J. Tucker in a Harden deal, as Fischer notes that the Clippers previously reached out to him when he was a free agent.
- The Clippers pulled out of an original version of the three-team Kristaps Porzingis trade because of medical concerns regarding Malcolm Brogdon, but they recently contacted the Celtics about Brogdon again, according to Fischer. L.A. was also willing to offer Norman Powell to the Wizards for Chris Paul before the Warriors landed him in exchange for Jordan Poole, Fischer states.
- Fischer hears that the Cavaliers are engaged in trade talks regarding Cedi Osman and offered him to the Nets in a deal for Dorian Finney-Smith or Royce O’Neale.
- Numerous teams have reached out to the Wizards about point guard Monte Morris, Fischer adds. The Timberwolves, Bulls, Pelicans, Jazz and Nets are all considered possibilities for Morris, and Fischer believes the Heat could be added to the list if they lose Gabe Vincent in free agency.
Pacers May Offer Bruce Brown More Than $20MM Per Year
The Pacers may be prepared to offer Nuggets free agent Bruce Brown a contract worth more than $20MM per season, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Brown has become one of the hottest names on the free agent market, and several teams are hoping to land him with the $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Brown has reportedly scheduled meetings with five teams — the Knicks, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers as well as Indiana. The Cavaliers and Timberwolves also consider Brown their top target, according to Fischer.
The Pacers have roughly $30MM in cap room, so signing Brown would account for most of that and would take them out of the running for other free agents, such as Heat shooting guard Max Strus.
Returning to Denver is also in play for Brown, according to Fischer, although the Nuggets can only pay him $7.8MM next season. Brown would be eligible to earn more than $50MM over four years from Denver next summer, which is still well short of the Pacers’ reported offer.
Options Declined For Blazers’ Knox, Thunder’s Waters, Wolves’ Knight
Trail Blazers forward Kevin Knox, Thunder wing Lindy Waters, and Timberwolves big man Nathan Knight have all had their team options for the 2023/24 season declined by their respective clubs, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) reported the three option decisions.
The deadline to exercise a player or team option for ’23/24 was Thursday at 4:00 pm Central time, so the fact that there had been no word on these three options was a strong indication that they weren’t picked up. They were the last three we were waiting for confirmation on — the rest of this year’s team and player option decision had been made.
Knox’s team option with the Trail Blazers would have been worth $3MM. The former No. 9 overall pick finished the 2022/23 season in Portland after being traded from Detroit at February’s deadline. In 63 total appearances for the Pistons and Blazers, he averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per night.
Knox will become an unrestricted free agent after having his option turned down. Waters and Knight, who would’ve earned $1.93MM apiece if their options had been exercised, were eligible for qualifying offers to make them restricted free agents, but there’s no indication that either player received one. We’ll be able to confirm that on Friday before free agency officially opens.
Waters averaged 5.2 PPG on .393/.358/.800 shooting in 41 games (13.0 MPG) for the Thunder, while Knight registered 3.7 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 38 contests (7.7 MPG) for Minnesota.