Can you believe it's already July 1st? If 2018 seems like it's flying by too fast to keep up with all of the NBA news, I've got you covered with everything that went down in the last week with my draft recap. Now, the real fun begins with free agency already going wild just 24 hours in, and I'll try to recap every bit of movement. I probably won't have as many live updates as what I did last year in two parts, but this will be a one stop shop for all the news with guesses at the contract structures. My estimations have been pretty close, but if exact numbers are unknown, they’ll be in bold italics while player options, team options, and non-guaranteed years will be colored as such.
Kevin Durant to re-sign with the Warriors: 1 year, $30 million with a player option (Stein)
Kevin Durant
|
$30,000,000
|
$31,500,000
|
I’ve talked a lot before about the options Durant had, and it’s not too dissimilar to last year. Although going with another 1+1 deal through Non-Bird rights limits him to a 20% raise on last season’s $25 million salary, it provides him leverage with some financial security, and next year as he turns 31, he will finally have full Bird rights to lock in a 5 year deal at the max should he so choose. I’m sure Golden State would’ve preferred giving him his full max now instead of leaving the possibility that he could leave next year, but on the bright side, this saves them at least $23 million or so between salary and luxury tax payments. The $5.65 million difference between Durant’s max salary this year and what he chose more than covers the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception of $5.34 million, so they may be more inclined to use it now despite the tax implications. After all, there are other ways of saving salary like keeping an open roster spot for much of the season so that they don’t have another situation where they have to cut Omri Casspi to convert Quinn Cook’s two-way contract.Updated #'s for Durant's options this summer now that we know this year's cap and the $109M/$116M projections for the next two years (per @EricPincus).— David Giovanazzi (@SF_DavidGio) July 1, 2018
As I said above, the 1+1 would help the #Warriors' tax bill and allow him to lock in potentially $91.5M more in a year pic.twitter.com/c01ufO9CwY
Will Barton
|
$12,053,571
|
$13,017,857
|
$13,982,143
|
$14,946,429
|
After Chris Mannix broke the news with a $50 million figure, Chris Haynes had the full amount, and Zach Lowe added that the last year is a player option. All of that is to say that this is quite the coup for one of my favorite underrated players in Barton, who turned town a 4 year, $40 million offer at the start of the season. Traditionally a shooting guard, he has developed into a well-rounded small forward that Denver couldn’t afford to lose as Wilson Chandler slows down and enters the last year of his contract. I wasn’t sure if they would go this high since it currently puts them well into the luxury tax now that Jokic is officially on a max contract.
Nikola Jokic's new max deal becomes official: 5 years, $147.7 million (Woj)
Nikola Jokic
|
$25,467,250
|
$27,504,630
|
$29,542,010
|
$31,579,390
|
$33,616,770
|
Jokic had the unusual experience of being both his team’s best and lowest paid player since he was a 2nd round pick, and Denver actually had a cheap $1.6 million team option that they could’ve kept him on. However, they did what most of us expected and declined that option to give him his max now in restricted free agency (as Shams reported they would last week) instead of risking him being unrestricted next summer. As Lowe reported, in exchange for this huge raise, Jokic isn’t getting a player option at the end, so it’s a fair deal all around to keep the star 23 year old center in the Rockies for the foreseeable future at his market rate. The Nuggets’ next move will be interesting because I currently project them to be about $22.6 million over the tax line with Chandler ($12,800,562), Kenneth Faried ($13,764,045), Darrell Arthur ($7,464,912) all on expiring deals. They still have the Taxpayer MLE to use, but a salary dump would likely have to come first.
Paul George re-signs with the Thunder: 4 years, ~$137 million (Woj)
Paul George
|
$30,560,700
|
$33,005,556
|
$35,450,412
|
$37,895,268
|
Well that all came together quickly after the talk around George for over a year was that he was determined to return home to Southern California. Perhaps most the most surprising aspect is the structure: I expected a full 5 years of guaranteed money or 2 years plus a player option so that he could hit the market again as a 10 year veteran for the 35% max when he’s 30 in 2020. Going 3+1 means that the exact amount guaranteed is $136,911,936 compared to the $131,411,010 he could’ve received with this same structure elsewhere, but not having the 5th year means $40,340,124 was left on the table for a bit of flexibility. In any case, this is a huge win for Sam Presti to keep an All-NBA caliber player in their small market after trading for him last year.
Rudy Gay re-signs with the Spurs: 1 year, ~$10 million (Shams)
Rudy Gay
|
$10,087,200
|
I’m estimating that the exact salary is the full Non-Bird rights amount to give Gay a slight raise on the $8.8 million he opted out of. He was a solid role player playing both forward positions in his first year as a Spur, and he could be even better now that he’s another year removed from his torn Achilles. Given the uncertainty around the Kawhi Leonard situation and Kyle Anderson’s restricted free agency, it was smart of San Antonio to get this taken care of quickly, especially with just a one year commitment required.
Doug McDermott signs with the Pacers: 3 years, $22 million (Woj)
Doug McDermott
|
$6,984,127
|
$7,333,333
|
$7,682,540
|
This feels like a deal we’ll look back on at the end of the summer and say it was a nice job by McDermott’s agent to get mid-sized guarantee done early before the market dries up. The 26 year old is a solid shooter off the bench, and he can prevent Bojan Bogdanovic from being overworked as the only small forward in the rotation. Given that he doesn’t bring much else to the table, I’m not sure he was worth quite this much, though.
Joe Harris signs with the Nets: 2 years, $16 million (Woj)
Joe Harris
|
$7,692,308
|
$8,307,692
|
After struggling for consistency his first couple of years in the league, Harris really found his niche these last two seasons in Brooklyn, and he’s being rewarded for it on a reasonable contract with the coaching staff that developed him. In fact, I’m a little surprised it's not the full $18.47 million he could've gotten with Early Bird exception given every team’s need for wings who can shoot well, finish decently at the rim, and hold his own defensively. Given his small $1.5 million cap hold, I’d expect them to wait on officially signing this until they use up their cap space, and as Nate Duncan pointed out, it could be prudent to have it front-loaded to maximize space next year, in which cases it might look like $8,333,333 and $7,666,667.
Ersan Ilyasova signs with the Bucks: 3 years, $21 million (Woj)
Ersan Ilyasova
|
$6,666,667
|
$7,000,000
|
$7,333,333
|
This is a pretty nice payday for the 31 year old Ilyasova to go back to where he started his career 12 years ago, although the last year is non-guaranteed, per Lowe. Using the majority of the full MLE hard caps Milwaukee, so that could complicate the negotiations with restricted free agent Jabari Parker. Getting a stretch big who is a solid defender and rebounder fills a need, though, given Thon Maker’s lack of progress and the scary lung issues of Mirza Teletovic.
Chris Paul re-signs with the Rockets: 4 years, ~$160 million (Woj)
Chris Paul
|
$35,654,150
|
$38,506,482
|
$41,358,814
|
$44,211,146
|
This is a scary commitment to a small 33 year old guard with an injury history, but it was basically to be expected after Paul exercised his $24.6 million option last year to be traded to Houston. Doing it this way allowed the Rockets to maintain depth instead of having to create space for him to receive a 4 year, $149.1 million contract, and with his max this year totalling $159.7 million, he essentially added one year and $35.2 million onto the back end of his career. The real question was whether he’d get a 5th year or not, but this is a fair compromise to help them maintain their status as the likely second best team in the league.
DeAndre Jordan signs with the Mavericks: 1 year, "approaching" $24.1 million (Stein)
DeAndre Jordan
|
$22,897,204
|
Dallas finally gets their man after the 2015 fiasco and talks with the LA about trading Wesley Mathews’ expiring contract for him to clear more space. Instead, they still get the soon to be 30 year old with just a one year commitment, and he is the ideal lob threat for Luke Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. Stein didn’t provide an exact salary, but signing him outright within range of his $24.1 million player option requires them to renounce the cap holds of Dirk Nowitzki, Nerlens Noel, and either Seth Curry or both of Salah Mejri and Aaron Harrison, with Nowitzki of course set to re-sign afterwards.
Update: At $22.9 million, per Tim MacMahon, it’s for slightly more than I originally estimated due to them now waiving Kyle Collinsworth. There are still some moving parts with Yogi Ferrell’s qualifying offer, the non-guaranteed salaries of Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber, and waiting on officially re-signing Dirk, but $22,897,204 is my exact estimation now. That’s based on wanting to give the big German the full $5 million that was originally declined on his team option rather than the $4,449,000 Room MLE, so it just depends on the official timing and the price of whoever else they might sign.
Aron Baynes re-signs with the Celtics: 2 years, ~$11 million (Shams)
Aron Baynes
|
$5,193,600
|
$5,453,280
|
If you want to be technical, this is likely for $10,646,880 through Baynes’ Non-Bird rights rather than dipping into the MLE, and it’s certainly a fair deal for the occasionally starting center, especially with the second year being a player option. With Gordon Hayward coming back healthy, Baynes is likely to come off the bench the majority of the time with Jayson Tatum and Al Horford as the starting front court in a smaller configuration, but the veteran big man will still have a role to play as a banger inside.
Jerami Grant re-signs with the Thunder: 3 years, $27 million (Woj)
Jerami Grant
|
$8,333,333
|
$9,000,000
|
$9,666,667
|
I’ve always liked Grant as a versatile forward, but I didn’t expect him to get this kind of money and especially not from the Thunder as they face the repeater tax. He is still just 24, though, and while he’s a streaky shooter, having the ability to hit from the outside to go along with the energy he brings on defense makes him a useful player. Maybe this kind of commitment shows that they will be willing to play him more over Carmelo Anthony in crunch time due to that versatile defense.
Trevor Ariza signs with the Suns: 1 year, $15 million (Shams)
Trevor Ariza
|
$15,000,000
|
This is probably the first real stunner of free agency because it’s a bit of a questionable choice from both sides. The part that makes the most sense is that the 33 year old Ariza gets a large payday and gets to hit the market again next summer, but I figured that he’d go for a multi-year deal at his age, ideally on a contender. He can fit in basically anywhere as the ideal 3-and-D wing, but Phoenix is the one place I wouldn’t expect since they just drafted Josh Jackson 4th overall last year, traded up for Mikal Bridges at 10th overall this year, and gave an extension to T.J. Warren. I know they want to try and build a winning culture now rather than continuing to be patient, but their young guys need minutes.
Ed Davis signs with the Nets: 1 year, ~$4.4 million (Woj)
Ed Davis
|
$4,449,000
|
Another surprising deal but only because it’s such a bargain to me. I know the market is especially rough for big men, but since Davis has always been a strong rebounder and finisher inside, I thought he’d get more than just the Room MLE without even a player option for a second year. At least, based on the reported terms I’m guessing it is for that amount, and like with Harris, they’ll likely hold off on finalizing the signing. Depending on how much money they get back in the expected Dwight Howard buyout, they could still have upwards of $6 million in space to use.
Derrick Rose re-signs with the Timberwolves: 1 year, minimum contract (Shams)
Derrick Rose
|
$1,512,601
|
Shams' tweet surprisingly listed $2.1 million, but Rose’s minimum as a 10 year veteran is $2,393,887. Not that it particularly matters since the NBA pays the difference between that and the amount Minnesota has to pay above for one year minimums. He had some moments in the playoffs, but hopefully he doesn’t continue to take away minutes from Tyus Jones, who is the superior shooter and distributor. He could play more as a shooting guard in Jamal Crawford’s departed role, although he would present the same issues on defense. For the minimum, though, you can’t really find fault in this.
Omri Casspi signs with the Grizzlies: 1 year deal (Woj)
Omri Casspi
|
$1,512,601
|
It’s likely for the minimum like Rose based on Woj not specifying the amount, and Casspi is potentially a really good get at that price. He disappointed in Golden State last season due to a shocking reluctance to shoot despite his strong efficiency, but he still had nice moments as a cutter and rebounder. If he gets back to launching from deep, Memphis got a useful forward.
Marco Belinelli signs with the Spurs: 2 years, $12 million (Woj)
Marco Belinelli
|
$5,853,659
|
$6,146,341
|
Based on the reported amount, this is slightly more than the Taxpayer MLE, so using part of the full MLE hard caps them, which is a surprising use of resources. After all, San Antonio just drafted guards Lonnie Walker and Derrick White the last two years, so you’d think they want to get more of a look at them in the rotation. Not that this is bad value for an accomplished shooter like Belinelli, who first proved himself as a valuable contributor in San Antonio when they won their last title, and they probably will just play three guard lineups a lot with the defensive versatility of Danny Green and Dejounte Murray. I just thought that they’d pursue another front court player given their uncertainty there.
Gerald Green re-signs with the Rockets: 1 year, minimum contract (Berman)
Gerald Green
|
$1,512,601
|
After being such a valuable midseason pickup, Green stays with his hometown team and will make $2,393,887 as an 11 year vet. Besides being a useful bench scorer, getting him for just one year at the minimum will likely be huge for Houston again since he’ll only count at the $1.5 million number as they get into the luxury tax once Clint Capela is re-signed.
Nik Stauskas signs with the Trail Blazers: unknown terms (Haynes)
Nik Stauskas
|
$1,512,601
|
Again, I’ll assume it’s the minimum given the vague reporting and Portland’s proximity to the tax line. Stauskas hasn’t lived up to his potential since being overdrafted in 2014, but he’s certainly worth a cheap flier as a shooter off the bench who can create a little. He’s only turning 25 in October and could be in line for guard minutes early on given the rawness of rookie Anfernee Simons.
Fred VanVleet re-signs with the Raptors: 2 years, $18 million (Shams)
Fred VanVleet
|
$8,653,846
|
$9,346,154
|
I like that this deal got done quickly in a way that makes sense for both sides rather than playing out the restricted free agency string. VanVleet emerged as a key 6th man last year and is getting paid nearly the maximum his Early Bird rights would allow, and Toronto gets to keep him on a deal that doesn’t require a huge commitment since he’s still only had one proven season. The next question is whether or not they pull another salary dump because this now puts them over $12 million past the luxury tax threshold.
Luke Kornet re-signs with the Knicks: 1 year, ~$1.6 million (Berman)
Luke Kornet
|
$1,619,259
|
Kornet getting his maximum amount with Non-Bird rights rather than just minimum is a nice little reward after showing well as a two-way player. He was an average rebounder and shooter with a decent block rate in a small sample size of 20 games, and this way he’ll still be a restricted free agent again next summer with a better idea of what he’s worth as a stretch big.
Derrick Jones Jr. re-signs with the Heat: 2 years, minimum contract (Jackson)
Derrick Jones
|
$1,512,601
|
$1,645,357
|
Best known for his highlight dunks, Jones shot a decent 35.6% from 3 with the Sioux Fall Skyforce once Miami signed him to a two-way contract, so there’s some potential that the 21 year old can harness his raw athleticism into a 3-and-D role. It’s a pretty risk-free move by the Heat since they need to fill out their roster cheaply as they’re now about $2.8 million away from the luxury tax with only 11 player under contract. If he works out, they have a cheap contributor for two seasons, and if it doesn’t, the second year is non-guaranteed.
Glenn Robinson III signs with the Pistons: 2 years, $8.3 million (Shams)
Glenn Robinson III
|
$4,048,780
|
$4,251,220
|
Speaking of developing into a 3-and-D player, Robinson has improved his accuracy from deep every year while Indiana defended better with him on the floor, per NBA.com, so he is now getting reward for it. This is a little higher than I thought he’d get, but having the second year as a team option negates the risk for Detroit. Having his starting salary at just over $4 million also allows them to use the rest of the Taxpayer MLE to sign one of their second round picks, Khyri Thomas or Bruce Brown, to a 3 year contract instead of just the 2 with the minimum. They could also elect to use the full MLE to sign both to up to 4 years, but that would hard cap them like last year.
Dirk Nowitzki
|
$5,000,000
|
Although this isn’t finalized yet, giving Nowitzki the full amount of the team option that Dallas declined for more flexibility rather than the $4.449 million Room MLE likely means that they have to renounce Seth Curry. Even if it is less than a million dollar difference, it’s nice to see the face of the franchise get that back since he’s been so willing to be flexible with his salary over the years for the sake of the team.
Salah Mejri
|
$1,512,601
|
It will be $1,567,007 to Mejri based on his 3 years of experience, but this likely won’t be official until Dallas uses the last of their cap space, likely on one of their 2nd rounders to try and lock in more than the 2 years that the minimum exception allows. He’s already 32 but is a nice rotation player at this price, knowing his role as a strong rebounder and defender who can finish inside.
LeBron James
|
$35,654,150
|
$37,436,858
|
$39,219,565
|
$41,002,273
|
After over a year of speculation, the only surprises about James going to LA were that he announced it on the first day of free agency, did so through just a simple tweet from his agency’s Twitter account, and that it’s on a 3+1 contract after never committing to Cleveland that much upon his return. On the specifics, it may have been announced as “$154 million,” but the max contract for a player joining a new team this year is $153,312,845, and the last year being a player option for flexibility was confirmed by Shams. There was some thought that he needed to be sure of another star joining him there, but this wasn’t necessarily made for just basketball reasons, no matter how intriguing their young talent is. His family bought a second mansion in the area, it’s where Klutch Sports is based out of, the location helps him pursue his other business pursuits, and it’s the Lakers, the glamor franchise of the NBA. The league’s biggest star going there is never a shock, even if joining the more difficult conference will most likely break his streak of eight consecutive Finals appearances. Given that he did commit to at least 3 years rather than having all the leverage with opt outs like with the Cavs, how the team comes together around him these next few years will fascinating to watch.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
|
$12,000,000
|
As another Klutch client, Caldwell-Pope getting an inflated 1 year, $17.75 million contract from LA in a cool market last year made sense as they built that agent relationship. Using up a large chunk of their remaining cap room on him this year is less expected, although it still keeps the books clean again for next summer and is a reasonable price for a 3-and-D wing of his caliber. He is only 25; can guard all three perimeter positions well; and finally gained some consistency as a shooter with a career high 38.3% mark from deep, including 42.5% from January on once he got past his legal troubles. This just about exhausts the rest of their cap room with Julius Randle’s $12.4 million cap hold included, and if you connect the dots a little with how much KCP got, they’re probably hoping to re-sign the restricted free agent to a deal that will only be for around $12.5 million next season. That way, they could still maintain enough cap room to add a max free agent if they dump Luol Deng’s expiring contract at that time (based on the projected $109 million cap).
Mario Hezonja
|
$6,500,000
|
There was some hesitation by Enes Kanter, but once he exercised his $18.6 million player option as expected, New York wasn’t a cap room team. Thus, they’re using their main resource to add someone, the MLE, to add a tantalizing redemption project in Hezonja. The 5th overall pick in 2015 is still only 23 and ended up getting a larger salary than he was set to make before Orlando surprisingly declined his $5,167,231 team option. He’s struggled for consistency but looked better when he received steady playing time: in 30 starts, he averaged 14.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 46.0%/37.1%/83.3% shooting in 30.4 minutes. I still expect rookie Kevin Knox to be the starting small forward, but if they deem him better as a stretch four, then Hezonja could be an intriguing option rather than starting a guard like Tim Hardaway or Courtney Lee there again. Lastly, besides only being one year to preserve a possible max contract slot next summer (if they stretch Joakim Noah), this amount leaves $2.141 million of the MLE left to sign 2nd round pick Mitchell Robinson and/or last year’s 2nd, Ognjen Jaramaz, to a 3 or 4 year deal instead of just 2 at the minimum.
Aaron Gordon
|
$18,750,000
|
$20,250,000
|
$21,750,000
|
$23,250,000
|
It wasn’t a certainty that Gordon would stay since it was a different front office that drafted him, but Orlando couldn’t let their best player walk, even if he might not be a perfect fit with their last two 1st round picks that are also front court players. If anything, this should at least pass what Danny Leroux calls “the Nene test,” meaning it’s a contract for their own free agent that has trade value down the line. That would be especially true if it is a flat or front loaded contract, which they’re in a good position to give since they’re in that $22 million range between the cap and tax thresholds. That could look like $23,863,636, $21,954,545, $20,045,455, and $18,136,364, and they’d still be close to having max cap space next year depending on where their draft pick falls.
Lance Stephenson
|
$4,449,000
|
This is almost certainly the Room MLE to be signed after using the last of their cap space, and it’s an odd use of their last resource to add someone for more than the minimum, barring the loss of Randle or stretch of Deng’s contract. Besides Stephenson’s, uh, peculiar history with LeBron, he’s a wing who is not a good shooter and needs the ball in his hands. That kind of player can be useful to lead second units but is less of a priority than players that fit well with James, particularly bigs. Did they really need to bid more than his $2,165,481 minimum?
Elfrid Payton
|
$2,700,000
|
Again, I’m assuming the minimum given the lack of details and the fact that New Orleans hardly needs yet another point guard. That would be a great value and surprising hometown discount for Payton, who still hasn’t developed as a shooter but has shown a nice ability to create. The former 10th overall pick is only 24 years old and could cash in next year if he plays to his potential sharing a back court with the versatile Jrue Holiday.
Update: Lowe reports that it is for $2.7 million, so while Payton gets a little more than his $1,621,415 minimum, it’s still a potential bargain. That being said, dipping into the BAE for him does hard cap New Orleans, and that could potentially come into play in re-signing DeMarcus Cousins. If they are even willing to cross the luxury tax line, that is.
JaVale McGee
|
$1,512,601
|
After a nice Finals against LeBron, McGee now gets a shot at starting next to him under former Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton. He has to settle for the minimum again, but now that he’s a 10 year veteran, it’s a solid $2,393,887. While his rebounding rate has been in decline to go with the usual mental lapses, especially with defensive positioning, McGee is still a dangerous lob threat that can provide energy in limited minutes. Solid depth to fill out the roster for a year, even if he’s not a huge difference maker.
J.J. Redick
|
$12,500,000
|
Based on the reporting, I’m estimating $12.5 million, but in any case, it’s a nice 1 year salary like last year’s $23 million that keeps Redick happy while still keeping the books clean for next summer. His shooting is of course a perfect fit next to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and this still leaves Philadelphia with around $12.5 million in space depending on the exact number, whether or not they officially keep Anzejs Pasecniks stashed overseas, and the non-guaranteed contracts of rotation players T.J. McConnell, and Richaun Holmes. And depending on what else they do this summer, they’re still set to have enough cap space for a max contract next year, their last chance to sign someone before an extension for Simmons presumably goes into effect in 2020.
Nerlens Noel
|
$1,757,429
|
$1,988,119
|
Oklahoma City continues it’s stunning summer by nabbing a high upside redemption project for just the minimum. I figured that Noel would go for a 1+1 deal this summer to rebuild his value before potentially hitting free agency again next summer when more money is available, but I while I thought it might be this cheap, I wouldn’t have expected him to sign with a team that has such an established starting center. With Steven Adams gobbling up over 30 minutes a game, it will be tough for Noel to showcase his tremendous talents, so I’m surprised he didn’t join a team like the Lakers, especially since he’s another Klutch client. For the Thunder, this could be a great signing, but giving him the 2nd year option adds even more to the cost since the league only subsidizes 1 year minimum contracts. That $245 thousand difference may not seem like much, but they’re so far into the repeater tax that it gets pretty pricey. Based on my current estimates, they’re looking at about a $137 million tax bill in addition to over $157 million in salaries, and that’s just with 11 players under contract. They really might need to stretch Anthony’s $27.9 million over the next 3 years because that could save around $100 million against the tax, even if it does leave $9.3 million in dead money during each of those seasons.
Derrick Favors
|
$16,000,000
|
$16,000,000
|
Right after the news broke, Tony Jones added that the 2nd year is non-guaranteed, which obviously changes this outlook, and in Shams’ actual story on the deal, he revealed that there’s actually only $16 million in base salary per year before incentives. So, maybe not necessarily the financial commitment the soon to be 27 year old was hoping for, but it’s still a nice payday even if for just one year. It makes sense for Utah since his fit with fellow colossal big man Rudy Gobert as the league goes smaller is unclear but worth still exploring. We’ll probably see more of them both starting but only playing limited minutes together with Favors essentially acting as the backup center.
Anthony Tolliver
|
$5,750,000
|
Since leaving Minnesota after his first stint, Tolliver has been a knockdown shooter, but given his declining rebounding rate and recent 33rd birthday, I don’t understand why they rescinded Nemanja Bjelica’s $4,937,499 qualifying offer in concurrence with this. Using part of the full MLE for this signing also hard caps them, so while he may provide them with a more consistent stretch four presence than Bjelica, it’s hard to get behind this likely replacement. They’re now only $5.2 million away from the luxury tax line with the BAE and $2.9 million of the MLE left to use, with ideally part of the latter going towards signing 2nd round steal Keita Bates-Diop to a 3 or 4 year contract.
Jose Calderon
|
$1,512,601
|
Another year, another team for the veteran backup point guard who turns 37 before the season starts. Despite his limitations at this point, Calderon can still shoot and take care of the ball, so you could do worse at the minimum. Ideally, Reggie Jackson stays healthy and Calderon can serve as mostly the 3rd point guard behind him and Ish Smith, but he should be passable if called to duty.
Mike Scott signs with the Clippers: 1 year (Woj)
Mike Scott
|
$4,320,500
|
There aren’t many details to go on, but Scott is likely getting a raise after having a nice season in Washington as a stretch four on the minimum. He’s not the best rebounder or defender, but he’s adequate enough to get BAE or part of the MLE.
Update: Lowe has now reported that it is for about $4.3 million, which is a touch higher than I expected but within a reasonable amount. Splitting the full MLE between him and Mbah a Moute is not a bad choice since they’re both only 1 year deals, keeping the powder dry for a max free agent pursuit next summer.
Rajon Rondo signs with the Lakers: 1 year, $9 million (Shams)
Rajon Rondo
|
$9,000,000
|
Because when you can surround LeBron with overpaid, non-shooting old rivals, you’ve gotta do it. Or at least, that’s what LA must be thinking with these puzzling first moves of the James era. Yes, Rondo has made 181/507 (35.7%) since leaving Boston, but that has been on under 2 attempts per game and usually wide open. He’s still not a floor spacer because defenses still ignore him on the outside, and he’s a far cry from the defender he used to be. Renouncing Randle’s cap hold in order to clear space to nearly triple the 32 year old Rondo’s salary from last year is hard to comprehend, especially given the presence of Lonzo Ball. Last year’s #2 overall pick is theoretically the ideal point guard for James since he is a terrific distributor without needing to be ball dominant, has nice defensive instincts with length, and can space the floor if he can shoot like he did at UCLA. Maybe Rondo can play with him for spurts as Ball gets stronger to defend wings, but this still feels like a drastic overpay for a backup. On the bright side, a 1 year deal doesn’t interfere with future plans, and they still have about $5.7 million left to spend now before finalizing the Stephenson and McGee deals.
Julius Randle signs with the Pelicans: 2 years, $18 million (Woj)
Julius Randle
|
$8,641,000
|
$9,073,050
|
Well that didn’t take long after becoming unrestricted from the Lakers, and it apparently came as a result of heavy recruitment from fellow Kentucky big man Anthony Davis, which likely means that another Wildcat, DeMarcus Cousins, is on the outs. Given New Orleans’ cap situation, this is surely the MLE that totals $17.7 million to be precise, but the 2nd year being a player option could allow Randle to hit next year’s warmer market if he has a big year. The 23 year old is an intriguing fit since it would seem to indicate that Davis is finally embracing playing center full time after the success the Pelicans had once Cousins went down and stretch four Nikola Mirotic was featured more. Randle has moonlighted as a center in the past, so I wonder if he’ll bump Mirotic back to the bench or will be the 6th man to back up both positions as the leader of the second unit. In any case, those three should absorb most of the big minutes with exciting, versatile pairings.
Seth Curry signs with the Trail Blazers: 2 years, $5.6 million (Woj)
Seth Curry
|
$2,750,000
|
$2,887,500
|
After his breakout 2017 on a bargain contract, Curry missed all of his contract year due to a tibia stress reaction that eventually required surgery. Thus, he has to settle for another deal that’s a potential bargain for Portland this time around, but at least this time he’ll have next year as a player option so that he could potentially cash in if he has another strong season. And while another undersized shooter might not have been the Blazers’ biggest need, he’s a good get for what is likely just part of the BAE.
DeMarcus Cousins signs with the Warriors: 1 year, $5.3 million (Shams)
DeMarcus Cousins
|
$5,337,000
|
Whoa. I knew that Cousins would have limited options and was running out of them once the Mavs signed Jordan, the Lakers used up their space on Caldwell-Pope and Rondo, and the Pelicans replaced him with Randle, but I never could’ve imagined him settling for just the Taxpayer MLE. If Golden State was going to use it despite its tax ramifications for them, I thought it would be for a nice role player like Kyle O’Quinn or Dewayne Dedmon before the latter opted into a higher salary in Atlanta. If you think about it further, though, it’s understandable. Cousins wants to have postseason success since he tragically tore his Achilles before the first time his team made the playoffs; teams are worried about such a serious injury, which may keep him out of a chunk of the season, and his reputation; the Warriors can afford to be patient with his rehab; their four All-Stars got to know him with Team USA; and he can still hit free agency again next year when, as I’ve repeatedly said, there will be more money on the market. I am surprised that he didn’t at least get a player option for next year for some financial security, but perhaps Golden State didn’t want to take on that risk in case things don’t work out as they once again prove why it’s called the luxury tax with this signing. It’s worth pointing out that this will most likely be a 1 year rental in any case because they will only be able to offer him $6.4 million with Non-Bird rights and won’t have cap space to give him more barring the unthinkable loss of both Durant and Klay Thompson.
While his lumbering style may not be a perfect fit, he should mesh well with his passing, shooting, and ball handling in transitioning, although that last one could lead to even more turnovers on a team that is often casual with the ball. Their other main weakness, defensive rebounding, is something that he definitely will address once he’s healthy and joins a starting lineup of five All-Stars, though. Erring on the side of caution with his return will also allow them to get a good look at their young big men Jordan Bell and Damian Jones (and possibly Kevon Looney if he re-signs) in extended minutes early on without needing to rely only on them come pressure time. A couple of random, fun notes: Cousins joins Richard Sherman as a star athlete coming off of an Achilles tear joining a Bay Area team, and it will be interesting to see what number he chooses since Jones has 15 and restricted free agent Pat McCaw was 0. He wears 12 with Team USA, and it would be sort of fitting if he claims the number of former Warriors center Andrew Bogut since they can use him as a similar kind of passer and screen setter.
Avery Bradley re-signs with the Clippers: 2 years, $25 million (Shams)
Avery Bradley
|
$12,019,231
|
$12,980,769
|
The 2nd year doesn’t have much guaranteed, per Lowe, so this is a pretty interesting deal like Favors’. It’s not quite as nice of a payday for Bradley, but it’s reasonable considering the nagging injuries that limited him to just 46 games, including just 6 after being traded to LA. Doc Rivers knows what he’s getting, though, having coached him in Boston, and he’s definitely a useful player when healthy with his tenacious defense, solid shooting, and effective cutting. Even with the Austin Rivers trade, they still have a glut of guards after extending Lou Williams midseason, Milos Teodosic opting in, and drafting both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson, but at the very least, this contract should pass the Nene test. Their roster is filled with nice players in this transition year, so you can expect some more wheeling and dealing to come while they preserve room for next summer. They’ll have at least one max contract slot, and it could be two depending on Bradley’s guarantee and Tobias Harris’ cap hold.
Michael Carter-Williams signs with the Rockets: 1 year, minimum contract (Woj)
Michael Carter-Williams
|
$1,512,601
|
The luster has definitely worn off since Carter-Williams won Rookie of the Year in 2014, but he still only turns 27 at the beginning of the season. While he’s a bit of a surprising fit on an analytical team like Houston, especially given his shooting woes, he could find his groove as a long athlete with ball skills thriving in transition. Getting his $1,757,429 minimum as a 5 year vet might not be what he was hoping for, but he gets the opportunity to rebuild his value playing on a contender behind an aging future Hall of Famer.
Jeff Green signs with the Wizards: 1 year, minimum contract (Aldridge)
Jeff Green
|
$1,512,601
|
This will be Green’s 6th team in the last 5 seasons, but it will be a homecoming of sorts for the Georgetown product and Maryland native. He’ll get $2,393,887 to do so, too, thanks to his 10 years of experience, and getting him on the minimum isn’t bad for Washington given that they’re in the luxury tax again. The key will be his old OKC coach Scott Brooks not overplaying him because while he can be useful at times as a versatile forward who can defend a bit and chip in some buckets, he shouldn’t take away minutes from Kelly Oubre and, eventually, rookie Troy Brown Jr. as the main bench wings. Since starting small forward Otto Porter Jr. can shift down a position to play small with them, Green should be limited to a depth role as Markieff Morris’ primary backup at power forward.
Tyreke Evans signs with the Pacers: 1 year, $12 million (Shams)
Tyreke Evans
|
$12,000,000
|
This is a nice reward for Evans after his bounce back season, and it should just about use up the rest of Indiana’s cap space besides a little bit to sign 2nd rounder Alize Johnson and/or another young player to a 3 or 4 year deal. I like this way more than the McDermott deal since Evans is the better player, and they kept the books clean for next year, when they will have over $50 million in cap room even with Myles Turner’s cap hold. And they should stay in the thick of the Eastern playoff picture after getting a creative wing who can both backup and play with Victor Oladipo to really bolster their attack. As an aside, I still can’t believe Memphis didn’t flip Evans at the trade deadline since they were so limited in their ability to re-sign him with Non-Bird rights. It was dumb at the time and looks even worse now.
Wilson Chandler traded to the 76ers (Fischer)
76ers receive:
Wilson Chandler
|
$12,800,562
|
2021 2nd round pick
Right to swap 2022 2nd round picks
Nuggets receive:
“Minimal” cash considerations
Of the teams with significant cap space, I wasn’t expecting Philly to be the one who benefited most from the salary dump market, but between this and the draft night trade, their staff has done an excellent job without Bryan Colangelo. Adding extra draft assets is always a useful exercise that could pay off down the line, and they got a useful forward on an expiring contract essentially for free. It does use up basically the rest of their cap space, but they could still sign exciting 2017 2nd rounder Jonah Bolden to a 3 or 4 year deal with what they have left if they officially stash Pasecniks for another year. Besides that, they’ll still have the Room MLE to sign someone, but the real opportunity cost might be the chance to use that room to renegotiate and extend Kawhi Leonard after a trade. Chandler could still be re-packaged, though, and although rookie Zhaire Smith has already signed his contract, he can be aggregated in a potential trade after 30 days.
For Denver, it’s always disappointing to have to shed a rotation player just to cut salary, but at least it didn’t cost them too much in terms of draft picks. This should leave them less than $10 million over the tax threshold, so if they can find a taker for Kenneth Faried’s expiring contract, they’d be set.
Raul Neto re-signs with the Jazz: 2 years, $4.4 million (Shams)
Raul Neto
|
$2,115,385
|
$2,284,615
|
Neto, 26, has been an adequate point guard off the bench in his 3 years in Utah, so this is a fine deal for depth. His shooting is probably his most valuable skill as he plays off of more talented creators, and although the attempts were more limited the last two seasons, he sits at 38.8% for his career. This hardly breaks the bank for the Jazz as they are still over the cap but not close to the tax line, and they’re set to have max cap space next summer like so many teams now.
Dante Exum re-signs with the Jazz: 3 years, $33 million (Woj)
Dante Exum
|
$10,185,185
|
$11,000,000
|
$11,814,815
|
Even as one of the staunchest Exum optimists, I’m surprised at how much he was able to get in this market as a restricted free agent, especially since he’s been limited to just 162 games in 4 injury-plagued years. He’s only about to turn 23, though, and in last year’s small sample he still looked like an enticing prospect with his length, athleticism, and potential as a creator and defender. While his shooting still leaves much to be desired, pairing him with Donovan Mitchell in the back court is an exciting proposition. They can mix and match with current starting point guard Ricky Rubio and dynamic scorer Alec Burks if the two veterans on expiring contracts aren’t dealt, and rookie Grayson Allen can be worked in slowly. It should also be noted that with this contract on the books, Favors would have to be waived next year if they were to add a max free agent.
Kevon Looney re-signs with the Warriors: 1 year, minimum contract (Haynes)
Kevon Looney
|
$1,512,601
|
After occasionally starting for the champs in the playoffs, I thought Looney would at least get the $2,227,081 amount that was his declined option with with a possible player option. Instead, he has to settle for $1,567,007 as a three year veteran in this cold market, but he does get to stay with the team that drafted him and is the favorite to three-peat. He’ll also get the chance to compete for the starting center spot while Cousins is out, and he might be considered the early favorite thanks to his fundamentally sound defensive positioning. The rebounding rate that he was once known for has been in decline as he’s dealt with hip issues, though, and since he is physically limited, he’s probably best suited to be a bench player with spot minutes. That’s fine on this team with the way Steve Kerr likes to rotate his big men based on the situation, and if he continues to improve as a 22 year old, he could be in line for a bigger reward a year from now.
Raymond Felton re-signs with the Thunder: 1 year, minimum contract (Woj)
Raymond Felton
|
$1,512,601
|
I guess we really are at the point in the offseason when most of the vets settle for 1 year deals again. That’s not too shabby for Felton since his experience nets him $2,393,887, and it works out for Oklahoma City since he was a decent backup for Russell Westbrook. They actually got one of his better shooting seasons, and if the 34 year old can just fill his role adequately, they’ll be in decent shape.
Amir Johnson
|
$1,512,601
|
Another vet from the ‘05 draft sticking with his incumbent team like Felton, this is a more reflective salary of Johnson’s current play than last year’s $11 million. Philadelphia can still use him as a backup big and locker room presence, but this could likely wait until they use up their last sliver of cap space on someone like Bolden.
Nemanja Bjelica
|
$4,449,000
|
Bjelica ends up getting a little bit less than what his qualifying offer was for in Minnesota, but he joins a team that stands a better chance of making a Finals run. Like with Johnson, Philly can hold off on finalizing this, but once they do, adding another stretch four provides some valuable depth that they lost with Ilyasova. He also provides a little bit of insurance in case Dario Saric ends up being involved in a Leonard trade, even if he doesn’t have nearly as high of a ceiling.
Update: Woj reports that Apparently Bjelica has had a change of heart and will be going back to Europe. That’s a pretty damaging blow to Philly with most free agents off the board now.
There are not even any details on years for what is likely a minimum contract, but this is an interesting, outside the box signing. Briscoe was a well-regarded recruit before getting lost in the crowd a bit at Kentucky and then playing overseas last year. If the shooting he displayed for BC Kalev-Cramo is for real, then Orlando added some much needed youth at point guard with the 22 year old.
Ryan Broekhoff
|
$838,464
|
$1,443,842
|
Speaking of outside the box, I’ve been thinking about free agents playing in Europe as an untapped resource, and it’s no surprise that a team like Dallas is who adds one of the better sleepers from over there in Broekhoff. Kevin Pelton pointed him out for me when I asked about this potential market inefficiency, and if the 27 year old Australian can hold his own defensively as a sharp shooting forward, the Mavs got a steal at the minimum.
Kyle O'Quinn
|
$4,449,000
|
O’Quinn declining his player option ended up netting him an extra couple hundred thousand and a spot on a playoff squad. He’s always had strong rebound, assist, and block numbers on a per minute basis, so the 28 year old could end up being a bargain as a backup big man if he keeps that up on a winning team. At the very least, he should help Indiana avoid being among the worst in the league in defensive rebound percentage again. They’re suddenly looking pretty deep across the board as using the Room MLE here likely caps their list of impact additions at rookie Aaron Holiday, McDermott, Evans, and now O’Quinn.
Ian Clark
|
$1,512,601
|
Clark’s 1st year in New Orleans saw him produce his highest scoring average despite shooting a career worst from 3 at 31.8%. He did improve to 36.8% after the All-Star Break compared to just 29.1% before, and he followed that up by making 10 of 28 (35.7%) in 9 playoff games. Getting him back at the minimum again should be a win for a New Orleans team that needs shooters off the bench, even if he doesn’t offer much defensively as a small guard.
Tony Parker
|
$4,878,049
|
$5,121,951
|
Even with Parker no longer the player he once was as he accepted a bench role last year, it’s certainly the end of an era after 17 years in San Antonio. Now he joins former Spurs assistant James Borrego and French teammate Nicolas Batum in Charlotte, and he should be a better backup point guard behind Kemba Walker than what they’ve had. I’m not sure how much they can play together given their lack of size, but the 36 year old should be able to maintain his effectiveness with reduced minutes.
Dwight Howard
|
$5,337,000
|
$5,603,850
|
Not knowing how much of Howard’s original $23.8 million salary he gave back to Brooklyn in his buyout, this seems like a pretty hefty consolation. Getting all of the Taxpayer MLE guarantees him $10,940,850 should he not opt for free agency again next summer, and it puts Washington’s tax bill over $19 million. He allows them to not have to rely on Ian Mahinmi as a starting center, though, so he’ll be worth it if he just plays defense and accepts his role on offense playing off of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Giving him that player option is a risky proposition considering he’ll technically be on his 7th team in the last 9 years, reportedly in large part due to his personality, but they do have a lot of contracts coming off the books next year to potentially alleviate some tax concerns.
Zach LaVine
|
$19,500,000
|
$19,500,000
|
$19,500,000
|
$19,500,000
|
Shams reported $80 million at the same time as Spears, but Sacramento would need to both waive Nigel Hayes and renounce JaKarr Sampson to have enough space for a starting salary that reaches that (~$18.6 million). That’s not a huge concern, but it’s an extra step to go through just to sign an overpriced offer sheet for a player they don’t need. I just don’t understand why they’re constantly trying to add shooting guards, especially when they already have two promising young ones in Bogdan Bogdanovich and Buddy Hield. Not to mention the fact that LaVine only played in 24 games coming off of a torn ACL and is still a poor defender. Good on him and his agent using the “Sacramento Leverages” to cash out one way or another, but this contract is a serious risk in my eyes.
Update: Bulls have quickly decided to match, but I wonder if they’ll still take the full 48 hours before officially submitting the paperwork. That would allow them to still utilize the ~$8.5 million difference between LaVine’s cap hold and his new salary (while also tying up Sacramento for that time). Bobby Marks added that the deal is actually for a flat $19.5 million each year rather than the $18,139,535, $19,046,512, $19,953,488, and $20,860,465 I speculated, so that would suggest that Sacramento is in fact waiving Hayes and renouncing Sampson, along with unrestricted free agents Vince Carter and Brunco Caboclo, to have that high of a starting salary. I know LaVine’s upside is appealing with his high flying athleticism and shot-making, but he’ll have to improve a lot as a winning player to make this worth it. It feels like part of a justification for the underwhelming Jimmy Butler trade, and the surprisingly short amount of time it took to match could have been influenced by LaVine’s comments about not feeling wanted by them in restricted free agency.
Kyle Anderson signs offer sheet with the Grizzlies: 4 years, $37.2 million (Woj)
Kyle Anderson
|
$8,641,000
|
$9,073,050
|
$9,505,100
|
$9,937,150
|
Looks like there is a market for these restricted free agents after all because getting the full MLE amount in an offer sheet is quite the coup for Anderson and his agent. He had a career year as a 24 year old thanks to the absence of Leonard for the majority of the season, but this is still a surprising figure for someone who can best be described as a glue guy. Affectionately known as Slo Mo, he’ll bring solid solid passing, rebounding, and defense at the forward position, and that’s fine. I’m just not sure it’s worth such a large commitment.
Jusuf Nurkic re-signs with the Trail Blazers: 4 years, $78 million (Woj)
Jusuf Nurkic
|
$10,714,286
|
$11,571,429
|
$12,428,571
|
$13,285,714
|
And another RFA is off the board just like that. It sounds like there are incentives for up to $5 million more based on Shams’ report, so this could end up a pretty fair deal. Nurkic’s impact last year wasn’t as dominant as his first 20 games after being traded to Portland, but he still was a positive difference maker. Per NBA.com, they had a +3.1 net rating with him on the floor compared to being even with him sitting, so his interior scoring, rebounding, and defense would’ve been missed had he not been retained. This does take them about $9 million over the tax threshold, but owner Paul Allen has shown a willingness to pay up when his team has a chance to make a playoff run like this one should.
Update: The partial guaranteed in the last year is only for $4 million, per Tim Bontemps, so this really could end up being a bargain for Portland with limited risk.
Jonas Jerebko expected to sign with the Warriors: 1 year, minimum contract (Woj)
Jonas Jerebko
|
$1,512,601
|
Safe to assume it’s for just one year because even at the league subsidized minimum, this puts them at about $143.6 million in salary with $44.7 million more in luxury taxes. That $188.3 million total payroll for just 13 players so far is already substantially higher than last year’s $166.7 million.
3-way Salary Swap (Woj)
Magic receive:
Timofey Mozgov
|
$16,000,000
|
$16,720,000
|
Jerian Grant
|
$2,639,314
|
Bulls receive:
Julyan Stone
|
$1,656,092
|
Hornets receive:
Bismack Biyombo
|
$17,000,000
|
$17,000,000
|
Devin Booker signs max extension with the Suns: 5 years, ~$158 million (Shams)
Devin Booker
|
$3,314,365
|
$27,250,000
|
$29,430,000
|
$31,610,000
|
$33,790,000
|
$35,970,000
|
Based on the projected $109 million salary cap next summer.
Zaza Pachulia signs with the Pistons: 1 year, minimum contract (Shams)
Zaza Pachulia
|
$1,512,601
|
Brook Lopez signs with the Bucks: 1 year, ~$3.4 million (Haynes)
Brook Lopez
|
$3,382,000
|
Were already under a hard cap even before using the BAE here due to using the most of the MLE on Ilyasova.
Torrey Craig re-signs with the Nuggets: 2 years, “$4 million” (Shams)
Torrey Craig
|
$1,619,259
|
$1,700,222
|
Since Craig was a two-way player for Denver last year, I’m estimating that they’re using his Non-Bird rights here rather than using part of the MLE.
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