Checking In On Two-Way Contract Slots Around NBA
NBA teams are each permitted to carry up to three players on two-way contracts, which means at any given time there could be a maximum of 90 players on two-way deals around the league.
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We can expect the NBA-wide total to hover at or near 90 for much of the regular season, but we’re only one month into the 2025/26 league year, so many teams have yet to fill all of their two-way slots.
Still, some clubs haven’t wasted much time in signing players to two-way contracts. At the moment, as our tracker shows, 70 of the 90 slots around the league are occupied and two more are reportedly spoken for — Amari Williams is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Celtics and Branden Carlson is expected to complete a two-way deal with the Thunder.
We’re still more than two-and-a-half months away from the 2025/26 regular season tipping off, and since two-way deals don’t affect a team’s cap situation, it won’t be a surprise if many teams rotate players in and out of those roster spots up until the season begins (and after that). But for the time being, there are just 20 open two-way slots across the league. Here’s the breakdown:
Teams with multiple open two-way slots
- Golden State Warriors (2)
- New York Knicks (3)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
- San Antonio Spurs (2)
Some of these spots may already be spoken for. As we noted above, Carlson is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Thunder. The Warriors have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Taran Armstrong, while the Knicks (Kevin McCullar Jr.) and Spurs (Harrison Ingram, Riley Minix) also have two-way restricted free agents who have yet to sign.
Some of these clubs also have second-round picks from this year’s draft who look like logical candidates for two-way spots. Golden State selected Alex Toohey at No. 52 and Will Richard at No. 56 — it would be a surprise if at least one of them doesn’t end up on a two-way deal. New York has yet to sign No. 51 pick Mohamed Diawara, though he’s a candidate for a standard roster spot, as we discussed earlier today.
Still, with multiple openings to work with, some of these teams are in position to identify Summer League standouts whom they want to bring to training camp. They could offer them two-way deals or could try to sign several players to Exhibit 10 contracts and create an open competition for two-way spots this fall.
Teams with one open two-way slot
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat
- Orlando Magic
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
As with some of the teams in the first section, there are a few cases here where there’s an obvious candidate to fill a team’s two-way opening.
The Pistons, for example, still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Daniss Jenkins. The same is true of the Jazz with Oscar Tshiebwe (Utah also has No. 53 overall pick John Tonje still unsigned). And as we observed earlier, Williams is expected to get the Celtics‘ last two-way spot.
There’s not a single clear-cut candidate for all of these openings though, so agents whose clients are seeking an 18-man roster spot will likely reach out to these clubs to see how they intend to use their third two-way contract slots.
Teams with no two-way openings
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
In theory, these 15 teams are good to go for training camp. In actuality, I won’t be surprised if a number of them make two-way changes by the start of October. We saw the Timberwolves do just that on Friday when they reportedly waived Jesse Edwards – whose two-way contract carried over from last season – in order to accommodate newcomer Enrique Freeman and another returning player, Tristen Newton.
Houston, it’s worth noting, still has a two-way qualifying offer on the table for N’Faly Dante. If Dante accepts that qualifying offer, a roster move would be necessary for the Rockets, who have signed three players to two-way contracts since the start of July.
Knicks Prospect James Nnaji Parts Ways With Barcelona
Barcelona and center James Nnaji have opted out of a contract that was scheduled to run through the 2026/27 season, according to an announcement from the Spanish club. The team put out a statement thanking Nnaji for his contributions over the past five seasons and wishing him luck in the future.
Nnaji, who will turn 21 later this month, was the 31st overall pick in the 2023 draft. His draft rights were traded multiple times after he was officially selected by Detroit and are now held by the Knicks, who acquired them from Charlotte in last October’s three-team Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster.
On loan from Barcelona to Spanish club Girona last season, Nnaji averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game across 14 Liga ACB appearances, making 75.7% of his field goal attempts but just 48.6% of his free throws.
While Nnaji’s exit from Barcelona doesn’t necessarily mean his next stop is the NBA, he confirmed earlier this summer that he intended to explore his NBA options, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, and he was a member of the Knicks’ Summer League roster last month in Las Vegas, averaging 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game across five outings.
The Knicks’ current roster situation makes Nnaji a viable option. New York has 12 players on standard contracts and doesn’t have enough room below a second-apron hard cap to fit two minimum-salary veteran free agent signings. That means one of the team’s last two roster additions will likely have to be a players whose draft rights the club holds, since that player could get a rookie minimum salary without being affected by the tax variance that would apply to a rookie free agent.
Nnaji and 2025 second-rounder Mohamed Diawara – who also recently parted ways with his team in Europe – are among the players who fit the criteria and who look like candidates for the Knicks’ 14th roster spot. 2024 second-rounder Kevin McCullar Jr. gained a year of NBA experience in 2024/25 and would therefore no longer be eligible for a rookie minimum deal, so he wouldn’t fit below the second-apron hard cap if New York adds a 13th man on a veteran minimum contract.
Nnaji, Diawara, and McCullar are each eligible for a two-way contract. The Knicks have yet to sign any players to a two-way deal, so they have three open slots.
Luka Doncic’s Extension Restrictions Have Lifted
It has been six months since the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history. That means that the restrictions limiting Doncic’s first-year salary, annual raises, and total years on a contract extension no longer apply.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Veteran Contract Extension]
Doncic is now eligible to sign a contract extension with the Lakers that would be worth up to a projected $222.4MM over four years, beginning in 2026/27.
While that four-year, $222.4MM extension is the most lucrative deal Doncic could lock in at this time, it may ultimately be in his best interests financially to sign a shorter-term deal. If he agrees to a three-year, $160.8MM contract that includes a third-year player option, he’d have the ability to start his next contract in 2028, when he’ll have 10 years of NBA experience and would qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap instead of his current 30%.
“The (two)-plus-one structure is the smartest move for a player in Luka’s position,” one veteran agent told Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com. “It gives him the flexibility to hit that 10-year mark when he can sign a super-max. If I had to guess, that’s what I expect him to do. That’s what I’d advise.”
The Lakers would presumably be thrilled to get Doncic’s signature on any contract in order to ensure that their newest superstar won’t have the ability to reach free agency next summer. His current deal will pay him about $46MM in 2025/26 and he holds a player option worth roughly $49MM for 2026/27. An extension would likely replace the option, since his new maximum for ’26/27 projects to be worth $49.6MM based on the NBA’s estimated 7% cap increase.
As Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes, all signs in recent weeks have pointed to Doncic and the Lakers working out a new deal. The former Maverick helped recruit free agents Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart and has spoken about a desire to continue his career in Los Angeles.
“He obviously didn’t ask for the trade, but he’s embraced it as much as the Lakers could have hoped,” one assistant general manager of a Western Conference team told Afseth. “He’s clearly invested in the team if he’s putting in work to help recruit Smart and Ayton. You don’t recruit like that unless you’re planning to stay a while.”
There was some speculation earlier this summer that a new contract for Doncic might not get done until later in the offseason, once his obligations to the Slovenian national team had wrapped up. However, it now looks like there will be an opening for a deal to get done as soon as this weekend — Doncic is making a stop in Los Angeles as part of a week-long U.S. tour for Jordan Brand before he heads back overseas for this year’s EuroBasket tournament.
Javon Freeman-Liberty Signs With Brisbane Bullets
Javon Freeman-Liberty has joined the Brisbane Bullets in Australia’s National Basketball League, reports ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (via Twitter). He will head overseas on a one-year deal.
Freeman-Liberty played 22 games for the Raptors in the 2023/24 season, averaging 7.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per night. The 25-year-old spent last year with the Windy City Bulls G League team, for whom he averaged 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 35.6% on 7.9 three-point attempts per game.
A 6’4″ guard, Freeman-Liberty is coming off a strong Summer League with the Bulls that saw him average 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in five contests.
The Bullets came in eighth in the NBL last season out of 10 teams and are hoping that the addition of Freeman-Liberty can help boost them up the standings.
“To add a talent of Javon’s caliber to our roster at this stage is really exciting,” said head coach Stu Lash, according to the NBL website. “He’s a hungry player who’s ready to take the next step in his development as a professional. His toughness, ferocity, and willingness to compete make him a natural fit for what we value at the Brisbane Bullets.”
Trail Blazers To Fully Guarantee Duop Reath’s Contract
The Trail Blazers will fully guarantee Duop Reath‘s contract for the 2025/26 season, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Reath’s deal will pay him $2.22MM. Portland would have had to waive him on or before Friday in order to avoid guaranteeing that full amount, as our early salary guarantee tracker shows.
Reath has spent the last two seasons with the Blazers. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 35.9% from three as a rookie, but saw his playing time diminish from 17.9 minutes per night over 68 games to 10.2 minutes per night over 46 games last season following the addition of rookie center Donovan Clingan.
While previous starting center Deandre Ayton is now with the Lakers, the Blazers once again took a big man in the first round in Yang Hansen. If Hansen is able to earn minutes as a rookie, Reath’s pathway to minutes will remain somewhat blocked, especially if Robert Williams is healthy.
Spurs To Guarantee Julian Champagnie’s 2025/26 Salary
The Spurs will fully guarantee Julian Champagnie‘s 2025/26 salary, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Champagnie is set to make $3MM in the third season of his four-year contract, which also includes a $3MM team option for the 2026/27 season. August 1 represented the guarantee date for this season’s salary.
The fourth-year small forward carved out a role for himself in San Antonio over the past two seasons, playing 74 games in 2023/24 and all 82 games last year. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per night last season while shooting 37.1% from three on 5.9 attempts per game.
The Spurs have upgraded their roster in multiple spots this summer, adding Dylan Harper, Kelly Olynyk, Luke Kornet, and Carter Bryant, which will make it harder for Champagnie to command the same role he did in ’24/25. However, the team remains relatively light on wings and could use his three-point shooting.
Skylar Mays Signs With KK Buducnost
Skylar Mays has signed with the Montenegrin team KK Buducnost, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. The team officially announced the deal in a press release.
Mays played four seasons in the NBA, with the majority of his time coming with the Hawks. He last played in the NBA in 2023/24, suiting up for 21 games with the Trail Blazers and 17 with the Lakers. Across 105 career appearances, he holds career averages of 4.3 points and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 34.5% from three and 85.9% from the free throw line.
Mays played 19 games with the Iowa Wolves G League team last season, averaging 12.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 39% from three. He also spent time with EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce last year, averaging 3.7 PPG in 10.1 MPG during league play.
Mays will join a Buducnost roster that boasts former NBA players Juwan Morgan and Yogi Ferrell.
Mikal Bridges Signs Four-Year Extension With Knicks
August 1: The Knicks have made the extension official, per a team press release (via Twitter).
“His abilities on both sides of the court in every game made him a vital part of our team’s success last season,” team president Leon Rose said of Bridges. “We look forward to his continued growth and development as part of the Knicks family for years to come.”
July 31: The Knicks and forward Mikal Bridges have agreed to a four-year, $150MM contract extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The deal will include a player option for 2029/30 and a trade kicker.
As Charania notes in a follow-up tweet, Bridges is accepting a deal slightly lower than the max he could have received in an extension, which was $156.2MM. By taking a small discount, Bridges will help the Knicks maintain a little more roster flexibility moving forward. Teammate Jalen Brunson took a similar approach when extending last year.
Bridges was entering the last year of his current contract and would have become eligible for an additional year and a higher starting salary if he had reached free agency in 2026.
The Knicks acquired Bridges from the Nets in the summer of 2024 for a package that included five first-round picks, two of which became Ben Saraf and Nolan Traore last month. In his first season with the Knicks, Bridges averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while appearing in all 82 regular season contests. He hasn’t missed a game in his career.
Bridges’ first season in New York was up and down — his 35.4% three-point percentage was his lowest mark since his rookie season. However, he helped the Knicks make the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years and remains a key piece of the future.
Brunson, OG Anunoby and Bridges are all now under contract through at least ’27/28, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart hold player options for that season.
Bridges will be ineligible to be traded for six months once the deal is officially finalized.
Raptors Sign Olivier Sarr To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Raptors have signed free agent center Olivier Sarr, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.
According to Murphy (Twitter link), the contract is an Exhibit 1o deal, which will allow Sarr to compete for a roster spot in training camp and receive a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and joins the Raptors’ G League team.
Sarr played for the Thunder for parts of three seasons from 2021-24, averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game across 46 outings, before spending last season in the G League.
The Raptors recently extended Jakob Poeltl and signed Sandro Mamukelashvili to a minimum deal. They also drafted Collin Murray-Boyles this year and Jonathan Mogbo in 2024, both of whom can switch between center and forward spots. With two-way big man Ulrich Chomche also in the frontcourt mix, the 26-year-old Sarr is likely a long shot to earn a regular season roster spot.
Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals prior to the NBA regular season. If Sarr doesn’t get a two-way contract and is waived, he would have to spend at least 60 days with the Raptors 905 to earn his Exhibit 10 bonus.
Wolves Sign Enrique Freeman To Two-Way Contract
4:18 pm: The Timberwolves have made the Freeman signing official, according to a team press release.
9:12 am: The Timberwolves and free agent forward Enrique Freeman have agreed to terms on a two-way contract, agents Keith Kreiter and Sam Cipriano tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Freeman, who turned 25 on Tuesday, was the 50th overall pick in the 2024 draft and appeared in 22 NBA games as a rookie for Indiana, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per contest.
While Freeman’s impact at the NBA level was very limited, he played well in the G League, averaging 16.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game in 14 outings for the Indiana Mad Ants last season. He also had a strong Summer League showing in Las Vegas this month, registering averages of 16.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.8 BPG with an incredible 72.5% mark on field goal attempts, including 55.6% on three-pointers.
However, the Pacers had no two-way slots available for Freeman and pulled their qualifying offer to him last week, allowing him to reach unrestricted free agency. Now he has a new deal in place with the Timberwolves.
Second-year center Jesse Edwards and 2025 second-rounder Rocco Zikarsky currently occupy Minnesota’s two-way slots, so Freeman projects to fill the third and final opening.
The Timberwolves also still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for 2024 second-rounder Tristen Newton — if they don’t rescind that QO (with Newton’s approval), the Wolves would have to waive one of their current two-way players should he accept it.