Lakers Re-Sign Austin Reaves To Four-Year Contract
JULY 6: Reaves is officially back under contract with the Lakers. The team issued a press release announcing the signing.
JULY 1: Restricted free agent guard Austin Reaves will be returning to the Lakers, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who hears from agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry that Reaves will be signing a four-year contract worth the full Early Bird amount to remain in Los Angeles.
The deal will be worth just shy of $54MM. It will include a fourth-year player option, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), and will feature a 15% trade kicker, according to Charania (Twitter link).
It’s a great outcome for the Lakers, who only held Reaves’ Early Bird rights and couldn’t legally offer him any more than approximately $54MM over four years. Because he was an Arenas provision free agent, Reaves would have been eligible for a back-loaded offer sheet worth in excess of $100MM from a rival suitor, which Los Angeles could have matched.
However, either that offer sheet didn’t materialize or Reaves simply opted to negotiate directly with the Lakers in order to stay with the club that helped facilitate his breakout season in 2022/23.
The No. 12 free agent on our top-50 list, Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game with an excellent .529/.398/.864 shooting line in 64 regular season appearances last season. He was a full-time starter in the postseason and played even better, putting up 16.9 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 4.4 RPG on .464/.443/.895 shooting in 16 contests (36.2 MPG).
It has been a busy 24 hours for the Lakers, who also reached agreements to re-sign D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura and lined up deals with Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and Jaxson Hayes.
Assuming they sign Maxwell Lewis to a rookie-minimum contract, the Lakers will be right up against the luxury tax line with at least one roster spot still to fill, tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. However, they’ll have plenty of breathing room below the first tax apron ($172.3MM), which will be their hard cap for the season.
The Lakers will likely seek one more big man with their 14th roster spot and will plan on keeping the 15th slot open to begin the 2023/24 season, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Bucks To Re-Sign Brook Lopez To Two-Year Deal
The Bucks have agreed to terms on a new deal for All-Defensive center Brook Lopez, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the free agent big man will return to the team on a two-year, $48MM deal.
There had been rumblings leading up to free agency that the Rockets were preparing a two-year offer in excess of $40MM for Lopez, so the Bucks used their Bird rights to make an aggressive bid for the big man, ensuring that the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up will continue his career in Milwaukee. Charania confirms (via Twitter) that Houston had indeed made a similar offer.
Lopez, 35, has been a huge part of the Bucks’ recent success. After spending the first portion of his career as an old-school post scorer with an aversion to rim protection, he remade his game in Milwaukee, evolving into a 3-and-D center on a perennial title contender. He won his first NBA championship with the club in 2021.
In agreeing to re-sign Lopez and All-Star swingman Khris Middleton, the Bucks have now held onto their two most important free agents this summer. Milwaukee has thus far let two rotation players, reserve point guard Jevon Carter and backup forward Joe Ingles, walk during this free agent window.
Last year for a 58-24 Bucks club — the league’s top overall seed heading into the playoffs — Lopez averaged 15.9 PPG on .531/.374/.784 shooting splits, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 BPG and 1.3 APG. That block rate was third overall for the season.
Trail Blazers Sign Scoot Henderson To Rookie Deal
The Trail Blazers have officially signed Scoot Henderson to his rookie scale contract, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
With Damian Lillard‘s trade request perhaps signaling the end of an era in Portland, the Blazers have formally locked up the player whom they’ll build around as they enter their next era. The No. 3 overall pick, Henderson is considered to have All-NBA potential and figures to be the team’s lead guard of the future.
Henderson will earn approximately $9.8MM in the first season of his four-year rookie scale contract, which will be worth over $44MM in total.
Although there’s a transaction freeze during the NBA’s July moratorium, which runs from July 1-6, there are a few kinds of moves that can still be completed during the moratorium period. Rookie contract signings are one of them, so many of this year’s first-rounders will likely ink their first NBA deals in the coming days.
Magic Sign Anthony Black, Jett Howard To Rookie Deals
The Magic have officially signed rookie lottery picks Anthony Black and Jett Howard, the team has announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Based on the 2023/24 rookie scale, Black’s first-year salary is expected to be worth about $7.25MM, while Howard’s will be approximately $5MM. The first two years of both contracts will be guaranteed, while the Magic will hold team options on the third and fourth seasons.
The Magic selected Black, an SEC All-Freshman shooting guard out of Arkansas, with the sixth pick in last month’s draft. During his lone NCAA season, the 6’7″ swingman averaged 12.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.1 SPG and 0.6 BPG.
Howard, a 6’8″ wing out of Michigan, was drafted with the No. 11 selection. The 2022/23 All-Big Ten honoree averaged 14.2 PPG on .414/.368/.800 shooting splits, along with 2.8 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.7 BPG, while a Wolverine under father and head coach Juwan Howard.
Heat Sign Thomas Bryant To Two-Year Contract
JULY 2: The Heat have formally announced Bryant’s deal with the team, issuing a press release to confirm that it’s official.
JULY 1: The Heat and free agent center Thomas Bryant have agreed to a two-year contract, agents Mark Bartelstein and Zach Kurtin tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
It’ll be a minimum-salary contract with a second-year player option, according to Wojnarowski. The first-year cap hit will be about $2.53MM, then Bryant will make a decision on a $2.85MM salary for 2024/25.
Bryant, who will turn 26 later this month, signed with the Lakers in free agency a year ago after returning from an Achilles tear that limited him to 37 total games for the Wizards in the prior two seasons. He played well in Los Angeles, averaging 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 41 games, including 25 starts. However, when his rotation role was cut back, he reportedly sought a change of scenery.
The Lakers acquiesced, sending him to the Nuggets in a trade-deadline deal. Bryant didn’t end up playing much in Denver either, averaging just 11.4 MPG in 18 appearances down the stretch, but he got to part of the team’s championship run this spring.
In Miami, Bryant figures to get an opportunity to play rotation minutes behind Bam Adebayo at center, with centers Cody Zeller and Omer Yurtseven both on the open market and seemingly unlikely to return. The Heat’s newest center will bring some floor-stretching ability, having made 36.6% of his career three-pointers.
A strong season would put Bryant in position to opt out and return to free agency a year from now.
NBA Maximum Salaries For 2023/24
Now that the NBA has set its salary cap for the 2023/24 league year at $136,021,000, we have a clear idea of what maximum-salary contracts will look like for the coming season.
Listed below are the maximum-salary contracts for players signing contracts that start in 2023/24.
The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous team can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player signing with a new team.
These figures will apply to a number of players who signed maximum-salary contract extensions that will go into effect in 2023/24: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and Darius Garland. They’ll also apply to anyone who signs a maximum-salary contract with his own team as a free agent in ’23/24, though there likely won’t be anyone who fits that bill.
A player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players.
In the charts below, the “6 years or less” column details the maximum contracts for players like Morant, Williamson, and Garland, as well as what a free agent like Miles Bridges is eligible for; the “7-9 years” column applies to free agents like Fred VanVleet and to players who qualified for a Rose Rule rookie scale extension, though no one did this year; and the “10+ years” column applies to the league’s most experienced vets, like James, or those who qualified for the super-max, such as Jokic and Embiid.
Here are the maximum salary figures for 2023/24:
A player re-signing with his own team (8% annual raises, up to five years):
| Year | 6 years or less | 7-9 years | 10+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | $34,005,250 | $40,806,300 | $47,607,350 |
| 2024/25 | $36,725,670 | $44,070,804 | $51,415,938 |
| 2025/26 | $39,446,090 | $47,335,308 | $55,224,526 |
| 2026/27 | $42,166,510 | $50,599,512 | $59,033,114 |
| 2027/28 | $44,886,930 | $53,864,316 | $62,841,702 |
| Total | $197,230,450 | $236,676,540 | $276,122,630 |
A player signing with a new team (5% annual raises, up to four years):
| Year | 6 years or less | 7-9 years | 10+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | $34,005,250 | $40,806,300 | $47,607,350 |
| 2024/25 | $35,705,513 | $42,846,615 | $49,987,718 |
| 2025/26 | $37,405,775 | $44,886,930 | $52,368,085 |
| 2026/27 | $39,106,038 | $46,927,245 | $54,748,453 |
| Total | $146,222,575 | $175,467,090 | $204,711,605 |
It’s worth noting that none of the maximum-salary figures listed above will apply to extension-eligible players whose new contracts will start in 2024/25.
This group includes players like Tyrese Haliburton and Desmond Bane, who agreed to maximum-salary extensions with the Pacers and Grizzlies, respectively. It also includes players who signed maxextensions in previous years that will begin in ’24/25, such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker.
The exact value of those players’ contracts will depend on where the cap lands for 2024/25, which won’t be officially announced until next June.
Spurs Officially Sign Victor Wembanyama
The Spurs have officially signed 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, the team announced in a press release.
While the terms of the contract were not disclosed, Wembanyama will have a $12,160,680 salary in 2023/24, which is the maximum he can receive in the first year of his rookie scale contract. As with all first-round picks, San Antonio will hold team options in years three and four.
Wembanyama, a 7’3″ big man, was MVP and Defensive Player of the Year of the LNB Pro A, France’s top basketball league. He averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.0 blocks in 34 games last season (32.1 minutes per contest).
The 19-year-old is widely considered to be the best NBA prospect since LeBron James was selected first overall 20 years ago. Wembanyama will participate in Summer League with the Spurs later this month, per the team.
Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard Requests Trade
Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has requested a trade out of Portland, sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The team is expected to work to accommodate the request, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link).
Lillard’s future in Portland has been the subject of speculation for several years, as the team hasn’t made it out of the first round of the postseason since 2019 and has missed the playoffs entirely in each of the last two seasons.
The seven-time All-Star, who has spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the Trail Blazers, has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the organization and conveyed a desire to stick it out in Portland. However, Lillard – who will turn 33 later this month – has also made it clear that he wants to have a chance to contend for a championship during his remaining prime years.
Lillard spoke earlier this year about his preference that the Blazers look to build out their roster with veterans rather than prioritizing youth. So when the franchise landed the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, there was a sense that what Portland did with that selection would significantly influence Lillard’s next move.
Rather than trading the No. 3 pick for an impact player, the Blazers kept it and drafted Scoot Henderson, a 19-year-old guard who has superstar upside but who will need some time to develop at the NBA level. Portland also reached an agreement on a five-year, $160MM deal with free agent forward Jerami Grant on Friday, but Lillard has apparently determined that the team’s moves early in the offseason won’t substantially increase its chances of contending in the short term.
According to Shelburne (Twitter link), Lillard considered asking for a trade when he met with the Blazers’ front office on Monday, but wanted to give them every opportunity to make roster upgrades this week. He decided on Friday night to request a move, Shelburne adds.
Haynes initially reported (via Twitter) the Heat and Nets are the preferred landing spots for the former No. 6 overall pick. Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports adds (via Twitter) that no other teams – including the Sixers – are on Lillard’s wish list for now, though Shelburne (Twitter link) adds that he has a “deep respect” for the Spurs.
While Brooklyn could put together a competitive offer of players and draft picks, it sounds like Lillard is focused specifically on Miami. League sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the Blazers were told that Dame wants to end up with the Heat.
Lillard spoke to some Heat players recently about how a deal might work, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the star guard loves the city of Miami, is good friends with Bam Adebayo, has “great respect” for Jimmy Butler, and views the Heat as a legitimate contender.
Lillard doesn’t have a no-trade clause, so he could be dealt to any team, but the Blazers likely won’t want to reward his 11 years of service to the franchise by sending him somewhere he doesn’t want to be. If Portland does open up the Lillard sweepstakes to other suitors, Philadelphia would have interest in exploring a deal, as would the Clippers, tweets Wojnarowski.
The Heat are expected to “vigorously” pursue a trade for Lillard, according to Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami was reportedly in the mix for Bradley Beal in June, but after Phoenix traded for the longtime Wizards star, reports indicated that the Heat were focused on Lillard and were willing to wait for him to ask out of Portland.
A Miami offer for Lillard would almost certainly include at least two of Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, and Duncan Robinson. The Heat also have at least two tradable future first-round picks (2028 and 2030) and could sweeten their offer by attaching young prospects such as Nikola Jovic or 2023 first-rounder Jaime Jaquez, or a veteran on a team-friendly contract like Caleb Martin. They could also offer multiple first-round pick swaps.
According to Wojnarowski, the Trail Blazers will prioritize young players and draft picks in their Lillard trade negotiations. In Henderson and 2022 lottery pick Shaedon Sharpe, the club already has two young potential cornerstones to build around.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Draymond, Preston, Duarte, Kings
The Lakers made some roster changes yesterday, agreeing to free agent deals with guard Gabe Vincent and forwards Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish. They’re also signing big man Jaxson Hayes to fortify their frontcourt depth.
Vincent will replace Dennis Schröder, who wound up signing with Toronto after the Raptors lost Fred VanVleet in free agency. That transaction came after the Vincent deal was reported.
Team sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic that the Lakers contemplated re-signing Schröder, but believe Vincent is a better player and will provide more value. According to Buha, head coach Darvin Ham was one of the people “strongly in favor” of bringing Schröder back.
Despite waiving Mohamed Bamba before his $10.3MM salary became guaranteed, the center is still interested in returning to Los Angeles, a source tells Buha. However, Buha’s article was released before the team agreed to sign Hayes, and the Lakers still have Wenyen Gabriel and Tristan Thompson as free agents.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Draymond Green and the Warriors both had negotiating wins for his new four-year, $100MM contract, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. As Slater explains, the Warriors got significant tax savings for 2023/24 by Green taking a first-year pay cut compared to his declined player option, while Green got a fourth year tacked on to the end of the deal.
- Clippers and guard Jason Preston mutually agreed to push back his salary guarantee date to July 18, a source tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The 33rd pick of the 2021 draft out of Ohio University, Preston missed his entire rookie season after undergoing right foot surgery. Preston only appeared in 14 regular season games for a total of 124 minutes this past season. The 23-year-old spent most of ’22/23 in the G League with the team’s G League affiliate. His salary will remain non-guaranteed for now.
- The Kings and Pacers were reportedly nearing an agreement Friday morning on a trade that would send wing Chris Duarte to Sacramento in exchange for draft compensation. However, as of Friday night, the two teams had yet to agree to terms, a league source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
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.