2024 NBA Contract Guarantees To Watch

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertJanuary 05, 2024
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© USA TODAY Sports

January 7 isn’t a well-known date on the NBA calendar, but it should be. Many know that on January 10, all NBA contracts become fully guaranteed. What isn’t as well-known is that in order for a team to not have a fully guaranteed deal land on their books for the rest of the season, they have to make a decision by January 7.

Teams must waive players on partial/non-guaranteed deals by January 7 in order for them to clear waivers before January 10. (The waiver period is 48 hours). Thus, while January 10 is the technical date that all contracts become fully guaranteed, January 7 is the functional deadline.

There are 34 players in limbo before the January 7 deadline. Here are the decisions NBA teams must make. (All salary amounts reflect the player’s fully guaranteed cap hit.)

 

Atlanta Hawks

No guarantee decisions

Boston Celtics

Dalano Banton - $2,019,706

Banton’s contract is already half-guaranteed at just over $1 million. Boston is also already sitting on an open roster spot. Banton isn’t going anywhere.

Luke Kornet - $2,413,304

Kornet is a regular rotation player, and a key backup at the center spot when Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis need a night off. His deal will become fully guaranteed.

Svi Mykhailiuk - $2,019,706

Mykhailiuk has had an inconsistent role with the Celtics, but he’s been fairly productive when called up. He’s in the same boat as Banton with just over $1 million already guaranteed. He’ll stick around.

Lamar Stevens - $2,019,706

Stevens is in a similar spot as Banton and Mykhailiuk as veteran bench depth, minus the $1 million guarantee. His deal doesn’t have a fixed guarantee, but he’s not going anywhere either.

Brooklyn Nets

Harry Giles III - $2,019,706

Giles is one of the best feel-good stories in the NBA, as he’s made it back from several injury-plagued years. He hasn’t played a lot, but unless the Nets need a roster spot, Giles will see his deal become guaranteed.

Trendon Watford - $2,019,706

Watford’s deal is already guaranteed for $700,000. Until recently, he was also a regular rotation player. Given the Nets seem likely to do some frontcourt shuffling at the trade deadline, expect Watford to have his deal guaranteed, and to find his way back into the rotation.

Charlotte Hornets

Frank Ntilikina - $2,019,706

Ntilikina was given a $200,000 initial guarantee with the hope that he’d replace Dennis Smith Jr. in the Hornets backcourt. Unfortunately, a fractured leg has caused him to miss the entire season to date. This seems like a 50-50 decision for Charlotte, who could use some backcourt depth, but is going nowhere this season standings-wise. A lot may depend on what Ntilikina’s injury timeline looks like.

Ish Smith - $2,019,706

Smith has been an integral rotation player for Charlotte this season, in part due to the guy above being out and LaMelo Ball missing time. Smith will stick around. The real question? Will Smith get traded to a team he hasn’t played for yet, which would be a 14th team on his career ledger.

J.T Thor - $1,836,096

Thor is a regular rotation for Charlotte. He’s also still youngish at 23 years old. He’s not going anywhere.

Chicago Bulls

Terry Taylor - $2,019,706

Taylor has $700,000 of his deal already guaranteed, and the Bulls already have an open roster spot. He’s also playing a lot with Nikola Vucevic sidelined, albeit as the smallest small-ball five in the league at just 6-foot-5. Unless Chicago needs to clear some additional room under the tax, Taylor will stick around.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Sam Merrill - $1,997,238

Given Cleveland is just under the tax line (before the Ricky Rubio buyout is finalized), Merrill looked like he could be waived. But he’s playing real rotation minutes for the banged-up Cavaliers and he’s played well. He’ll stick.

Tristan Thompson - $2,019,706

Thompson has surprisingly become a key frontcourt backup for the Cavs. He’s also a respected locker room voice. Thompson will see his deal guaranteed.

Dallas Mavericks

Markieff Morris - $2,019,706

Morris has played more than was expected, due to injuries in the Mavs frontcourt. He’s someone Jason Kidd likes to use when the team needs to get a little nasty too. He’ll stick around and see his deal become fully guaranteed.

Denver Nuggets

No guarantee decisions

Detroit Pistons

Kevin Knox - $2,019,706

There was a point where it looked like Knox was a filler player, on almost a pseudo-10-day type of deal. Then he started playing rotation minutes, including a handful of starts. Knox will probably stick and could see his role further increased if Detroit moves some vets at the trade deadline.

Golden State Warriors

Gui Santos - $1,119,563

Santos was signed because Golden State had to fill their 14th roster spot. As a former Warriors draftee, they also get some luxury tax savings, because he hits the books at his actual salary vs the veteran minimum amount. That’s a long way to say Santos is safe.

Houston Rockets

Aaron Holiday - $2,019,706

Holiday has been the Rockets backup point guard this season. He’s also turned in a really underrated season for a better-than-expected team. He’s not going anywhere.

Boban Marjanovic - $2,019,706

Marjanovic is one of the best teammates and locker room presences in the NBA. Enough said. He’s safe.

Indiana Pacers

James Johnson - $1,416,116

Unless Indiana thinks they might need a roster spot, Johnson will stick around. They value his toughness and veteran presence on a somewhat young roster.

LA Clippers

No guarantee decisions

Los Angeles Lakers

No guarantee decisions

Memphis Grizzlies

Bismack Biyombo - $5,000,000

If Memphis was going to waive Biyombo, they would have done it when they had to make a cut to bring Ja Morant off the suspended list. Biyombo isn’t going anywhere, unless it’s as part of a trade package, which also feels unlikely.

Miami Heat

Orlando Robinson - $1,801,769

Robinson has another non-guaranteed season after this one, and he’s been an interesting developmental project. No team gets more out of those guys than Miami does. Robinson will stick around.

Dru Smith - $1,801,769

Smith would have been in the same boat as Robinson, but he’s out for the season after suffering a freak injury when he fell off the side of the elevated court in Cleveland. Miami could move on from Smith to create a second open roster spot, and to save a bit under the tax line. But don’t rule out Smith being re-signed over the summer, so the Heat can continue to work with him. The other option is he stays and continues to rehab with Miami ahead of next season’s non-guaranteed contract kicking in.

Milwaukee Bucks

No guarantee decisions

Minnesota Timberwolves

No guarantee decisions

New Orleans Pelicans

Jose Alvarado - $1,836,096

Last season we wrote that Alvarado was “arguably the biggest no-brainer on the list”. Nothing has changed. He’s not going anywhere. But… the Pelicans are going to get out of the tax somehow. Keep an eye on the team moving Kira Lewis Jr. by the trade deadline, unless a bigger trade develops.

New York Knicks

Ryan Arcidiacono - $2,019,706

We’re right back in the same place as a year ago: Arcidiacono is still a favorite of Tom Thibodeau, so he’ll stick around. But will the Knicks trade him again? That $2 million is a nice little bit of salary-matching if New York makes another big move.

Taj Gibson - $1,416,116

Gibson, another Thibodeau favorite, was brought in after Mitchell Robinson went down. He’ll stick around for center depth and veteran presence purposes.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Isaiah Joe - $1,997,238

Joe is on a steal of a contract as a regular rotation player. He’s also the Thunder’s best pure shooter. He’s not going anywhere.

Aaron Wiggins - $1,836,096

Wiggins is one of the most-used bench wings the Thunder have. He’s carved out a real role. He’ll see his deal become fully guaranteed.

Orlando Magic

Jonathan Isaac - $17,400,000

We’re here again. Isaac has played more this season, which is encouraging. But he’s still missed time and he’s currently injured yet again. However, the Magic aren’t going to waive him, only to eat $7.6 million. If nothing else, Isaac is a great piece of salary-matching in a trade at $17.4 million. If he’s still on the roster after the season, and hasn’t gotten and stayed healthy, then Orlando has a real decision to make on keeping him next season.

Philadelphia 76ers

No guarantee decisions

Phoenix Suns

Jordan Goodwin - $1,927,896

Goodwin’s deal is already half-guaranteed at nearly $1 million. He’s fallen out of the rotation recently, but he remains the lone true point guard on the Suns roster. Goodwin isn’t going anywhere.

Portland Trail Blazers

Moses Brown - $2,019,706

Brown is in a somewhat interesting spot. He’s already had $500,000 of his deal guaranteed. He’s also started several games while DeAndre Ayton has been out. But Ayton will eventually come back, and the Trail Blazers have interesting options in two-way centers Duop Reath and Ibou Badji. Call Brown a 50-50 decision.

Ishmail Wainright - $1,927,896

Wainright has missed a lot of time this season. Conceivably, he can add some defense on the wing. Given Portland doesn't have a lot of defenders, Wainright will probably stick around and the Blazers will see what they have him in the rest of the season.

Skylar Mays - $1,799,163

Mays was converted from his two-way deal when Portland had a bunch of ballhandlers down with injuries. The team is mostly healthy at that spot now, and they are overstocked when healthy. A lot of guaranteeing Mays comes down to what the Blazers think will happen with trades. If they clear out some of the logjam, Mays would be a valuable guy to keep. If that’s not happening, then Mays could be waived to open up a roster spot for an upside play at another position. Call him a 50-50 decision too.

Sacramento Kings

Juan Toscano-Anderson - $1,416,116

The Kings added Toscano-Anderson to fill an open roster spot when they had some players out on the wing. Since then, Sacramento has gotten healthy, but Toscano-Anderson has still occasionally played to provide energy and defense on the perimeter. He’ll probably stick around, unless the Kings think they might need that roster spot. One factor? Keon Ellis has been a rotation guy for a lot of the season, but he’s on a two-way deal. Eventually, he’ll run out of games and need to be converted. That could factor into Toscano-Anderson’s standing on the team.

San Antonio Spurs

No guarantee decisions

Toronto Raptors

No guarantee decisions

Utah Jazz

Luka Samanic - $2,066,585

Utah thinks enough of Samanic as a developmental guy that they already guaranteed him $600,000. There’s no real reason to cut him now. He’ll stick around and maybe more minutes will open, if the Jazz trade a frontcourt player or two.

Omer Yurtseven - $2,800,000

Yurtseven has $1.4 million already guaranteed in his deal. He’s in the same boat as Samanic as far as playing time goes, and Yurtseven has a second non-guaranteed season on the books for next season too. He won’t be going anywhere.

Washington Wizards

No guarantee decisions

 


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