2019 Draft Class Rookie Scale Extension Updates and Predictions

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertJune 30, 2022
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The 2019 NBA Draft class is eligible to sign Rookie Scale contract extensions this offseason. Each player has until late-October to agree to an extension. If no agreement is reached, the player will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2023. A handful of players are ineligible to sign an extension, because they had team options declined or were waived at some point during their rookie scale contract.

By pick, here’s where things stand for each player. We’ll make a prediction on what happens before the late-October extension deadline.

For reference: The standard maximum contract (25% of the cap) these players can sign projects to be $197,229,725 over five years. The Designated Rookie Extension amount (30% of the cap) projects to be $236,675,670 over five years. We’re projecting this off a 10% increase in the salary cap from 2022-23 to 2023-24.

In order to qualify for the Designated Rookie Extension, a player must make All-NBA this coming season, or they can also qualify by winning MVP or Defensive Player of the Year this coming season.

Related: Spotrac's NBA Extension Tracker

  1. Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans


    In terms of talent, Williamson is worthy of a max extension. The challenge is that he’s played 85 games over three seasons. But those 85 games were incredible. We went in depth on Williamson here (Note: contract estimates have updated since written), so we won’t go as deep here. All the thoughts remain the same.
    Prediction: five years, $197.2 million, protections against injury specified, 5th year player option (largely in exchange for the injury protection language)

  2. Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies


    Morant is a superstar. He’s going to get paid like one too. He’s the only player in this class to have already made an All-NBA team. If he makes one more, he’ll qualify for the Designated Rookie Extension at this point, and he’s probably going to get it.
    Prediction: five years, $197.2 million, 5th year player option, with Designated Rookie language to bump him to five years, $236.7 million, 5th year player option if he makes All-NBA again

  3. RJ Barrett – New York Knicks


    Barrett is going to ask for a max extension. The Knicks probably don’t want to go there…yet. Barrett is coming off a good season, but his shooting slipped. Unless the Knicks agree to a max now, Barrett should bet on himself and play for a max deal this season and revisit things next summer.
    Prediction: No extension

  4. De’Andre Hunter – Atlanta Hawks


    Hunter has a lot of potential, but he’s had a lot of trouble staying healthy. Atlanta invested a lot to acquire Hunter in the first place, and now they’ve reportedly removed him from trade discussions. That signals an intention to extend him this offseason.
    Prediction: four years, $80 million, no options

  5. Darius Garland – Cleveland Cavaliers


    Garland is coming off his first All-Star season. If he can keep that upward trajectory going, he could be an edge candidate to make All-NBA next season. Unless the Cavs offer a full max extension, Garland might bet on himself and earn one this season. Cleveland won’t mess around with their young star, especially after getting a nice value deal on Jarrett Allen last summer.
    Prediction:five years, $197.2 million, 5th year player option

  6. Jarret Culver – Memphis Grizzlies


    Culver had his fourth-year rookie scale team option declined after he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s not eligible to sign an extension and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

  7. Coby White – Chicago Bulls


    White has talent, but he hasn’t quite put it all together in his first three years in the league. He has improved as a shooter each year, so some smart team might swipe him in in a trade to lead their bench unit. But there’s no extension coming for White.
    Prediction: No extension

  8. Jaxson Hayes – New Orleans Pelicans


    Hayes’ potential remains through the roof, but it’s still potential vs production. The Pelicans probably let this one play out, unless Hayes is willing to sign something really, really team-friendly. And he shouldn’t do that yet.
    Prediction: No extension

  9. Rui Hachimura – Washington Wizards


    Hachimura looked really good when he finally played last season. In a crowded Wizards frontcourt, he managed to average 11 points per game on 49/45/70 shooting splits. This might be one of those “surprise” extensions that ends up looking really good for the team.
    Prediction: four years, $52 million, no options

  10. Cam Reddish – New York Knicks


    Reddish is on team two since being drafted. He’s got potential, but everything is theoretical right now, since Reddish hasn’t played much. This one will play out to next summer.
    Prediction: No extension

  11. Cameron Johnson – Phoenix Suns


    Remember when it looked like Johnson was drafted way too early? Good times! He’s become a deadeye shooter off the bench for Phoenix, and he seems ready for a bigger role. The Suns generally like to lock their players up early. Look for something similar with Johnson.
    Prediction: four years, $60 million, no options

  12. P.J. Washington – Charlotte Hornets


    Washington has come along as a player, but he’s still been unable to fully crack the starting lineup. His role remains somewhat up in the air. That’s not a great combo when talking extensions.
    Prediction: No extension

  13. Tyler Herro – Miami Heat


    Herro is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. How much is that worth in an extension? We wrote in depth on Herro here (Note: contract estimates have updated since written), so we won’t go as deep here.
    Prediction: five years, $197.2 million, no options

  14. Romeo Langford – San Antonio Spurs


    Langford is hanging on in San Antonio, but he’s kind of approaching “last chance saloon” time. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and now he’s part of a very crowded guard/wing mix with the Spurs. He’s playing out this deal, assuming even he sticks on the San Antonio roster.
    Prediction: No extension.

  15. Sekou Doumbouya – out of the NBA 


    Doumbouya is out of the NBA. He didn’t even really make it to the third year of his rookie scale deal before being waived after being traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Brooklyn Nets to the Houston Rockets.

  16. Chuma Okeke – Orlando Magic


    Okeke isn’t eligible for an extension yet. Even though he was drafted in 2019, Okeke didn’t sign until before the 2020-21 season, as he was rehabbing from a torn ACL throughout the entirety of the 2019-20 season.

  17. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Utah Jazz


    The Jazz took a shot on Alexander-Walker as a trade deadline acquisition last season. He barely played for Utah, but could crack the rotation this upcoming season. But there’s no extension coming for NAW.
    Prediction: No extension

  18. Goga Bitadze – Indiana Pacers


    Bitadze has had flashes at times for Indiana, but hasn’t played enough to put it all together yet. He probably won’t get extended, but if he can have a big season, Bitadze could earn a nice deal next summer.
    Prediction: No extension

  19. Luka Samanic – out of the NBA


    The San Antonio Spurs waived Samanic after his second season. He spent most of last year on a Two-Way deal with the New York Knicks, but didn’t appear in an NBA game.

  20. Matisse Thybulle – Philadelphia 76ers


     Thybulle is in a weird spot. He’s made the All-Defensive Team two years in a row. That’s quite the accomplishment for a young player. But Thybulle’s offensive game hasn’t really grown at all, and seems to have regressed some from his rookie year. He can’t shoot at all. Worse? He’s becoming a non-shooter. Teams simply don’t guard him. How much is an all-defense, no-offense player worth?

    Prediction: No extension unless he’s traded before the extension to a team that really values his defense. If traded: 4 years, $48 million, no options

  21. Brandon Clarke – Memphis Grizzlies


    Clarke had a nice third season after a bit of a sophomore slump. He’s the Grizzlies best backup big, and that’s a key role given injury histories of the starters. If his jumper continued to show the promise of his rookie season, he’d be a more interesting extension candidate. Alas, he’s probably headed for restricted free agency next summer.
    Prediction: No extension

  22. Grant Williams – Boston Celtics


    Boston likes to lock their draftees up when they can. Williams probably won’t be any different. He’s become a key rotation player for the Celtics and he’s one of the better stretch-4 options in the league right now. Look for an incentive-laden deal that could hit bigger if Williams keeps improving.
    Prediction: four years, $44 million with incentives to push it to $50 million, no options

  23. Darius Bazley – Oklahoma City Thunder


    Bazley has improved over the first three years of his career, but the Thunder seem to be setting up to make a big run in 2023 free agency. Unless Bazley inks an incredibly team-friendly extension, this one will go to restricted free agency with a reasonable cap hold next summer.
    Prediction: No extension

  24. Ty Jerome – Oklahoma City Thunder


    It’s a little surprising that Jerome made it even this far, but the Thunder had the ability to be patient after they got him from the Suns. But he won’t get extended.
    Prediction: No extension

  25. Nassir Little – Portland Trail Blazers


    Little showed he’s a scalable player in his third season. He maintained most of his efficiency while playing a bigger role. The Blazers might try to get him on a deal like Grayson Allen or Landry Shamet got last year. But Little should bet on even more playing time in a shallow wing rotation in Portland and a bigger, better deal next summer.
    Prediction: No extension

  26. Dylan Windler – Cleveland Cavaliers


    Windler missed his entire first year in the NBA while recovering from a leg injury. He’s been unable to find a lot of traction since then. He’s nominally a shooter, but needs more time to prove that on the NBA level.
    Prediction: No extension

  27. Mfiondu Kabengele – out of the NBA


    Kabengele is out of the league. He never really found a home with the LA Clippers. He showed some in a callup with the Cleveland Cavaliers last year, but he’s a camp guy for now.

  28. Jordan Poole – Golden State Warriors


    The Warriors missed out with the 28th pick a season before with Jacob Evans in 2018, but they hit the jackpot with Poole in 2019. Now, Poole is set to cash in. He’s a key player now, but also as part of that group that will bridge the Warriors veterans from their current run into whatever the future brings. We went deep on Poole here(Note: contract estimates have updated since written), and not much has changed.
    Prediction: four years, $100 million, no options

  29. Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs


    Johnson has developed into a terrific, yet under-the-radar player for the Spurs. He’s a solid defender, but a terrific inside-outside scoring forward. Under normal circumstances, Johnson should get a big, new deal. But San Antonio seems to be pivoting in a different direction after trading Dejounte Murray. That puts this one in flux.
    Prediction: four years, $80 million, no options IF traded before the extension deadline

  30. Kevin Porter Jr. – Houston Rockets


    Porter can play. He’s got a ton of talent. But that talent comes with continued personal challenges. During this time in Houston, Porter has occasionally run afoul of the team. Given the Rockets have time as a rebuilding team, and they’ve got a ton of young talent, they’ll pass on an extension and let things play out to restricted free agency next summer.
    Prediction: No extension

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