2024 NBA trade season just keeps on spinning. This time around, it was the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat swapping veteran guards in a move that makes sense for both franchises.

Here are the particulars:

Charlotte Hornets acquire: Kyle Lowry, lottery-protected 2027 Heat first-round pick

Miami Heat acquire: Terry Rozier III

This is a fun trade between two division rivals. Let’s dive in!

Miami Heat

Incoming salary: $23.3 million in 2023-24

• Terry Rozier III (PG/SG, three years, $74.8 million, $23.3 million in 2023-24)

Outgoing salary: $29.7 million in 2023-24

• Kyle Lowry (PG, one year, $29.7 million)

The Miami Heat’s season hasn’t gone exactly as hoped for. The Heat haven’t been bad, but they are in a battle to stay in the top-six and out of the Play-In Tournament. One issue for Miami has been their guard play.

That’s solved by acquiring Terry Rozier III.

Rozier is having the best season of his nine-year NBA career. He’s averaging a career-high 23.2 points and 6.6 assist per game. And they aren’t empty stats either, as Rozier has been efficient this season. He’s shot 45.9% from the field and 35.8% from behind the arc. That’s even more impressive when you factor in that he’s spent long stretches of the season as Charlotte’s best on-ball creator.

On defense. Rozier has slipped some from his days with the Boston Celtics. He’s no longer the bulldog defender he was in Boston, but Rozier is better than he’s showed with Charlotte. He should fit in nicely with the Heat, where having good defenders around him, and something to play for, will help him lift his game.

Losing Lowry is probably more of a shock to the system than it is an on-court impact. Lowry has continued a four-year trend of taking fewer shots than the season before. He’s around his career shooting percentages from the field and on three-pointers, but creating shots has become a challenge. He’s no longer able to create good shots for himself, and that has also limited his ability to create good looks for his teammates.

Lowry’s defense has also slipped considerably. He’s not quick enough to keep up with the better guards, so he gets by on positioning, guile and veteran know-how. But that only goes so far, especially with the Heat dreaming about making another deep playoff run. Rozier will be an upgrade over Lowry on defense, even in his diminished state.

On the cap sheet, Miami is taking on a decent chunk of change long-term. The Heat moved off almost $6.5 million for this season. That gets Miami within about $4.1 million of dropping below the first tax apron. 

That’s important if the Heat wanted get involved on the buyout market. Under the new CBA, teams that are above the apron are prohibited from signing buyout players who made more than the Non-Taxpayer MLE on their previous contract.

Long-term, Miami adds $24.9 million for Rozier for 2024-25 and $26.6 million for 2025-26. The final season of Rozier’s deal is partially guaranteed for nearly the full amount. That season also becomes fully guaranteed if Rozier’s team (now the Heat) makes the second round of the playoffs in either 2024 or 2025, and if Rozier appears in at least 70 games. Essentially, consider both of Rozier’s seasons beyond this one to be fully guaranteed.

That’s not really a big concern for the Heat. Miami projects to be well over the cap for the next two seasons. Acquiring Rozier will have the Heat dancing around the tax apron again next season, but that’s something the Miami front office has become used to.

For what it’s worth, the Heat also created a $6.5 million Traded Player Exception (TPE) in this deal. Miami could use that TPE to absorb a smaller-salaried player ahead of the trade deadline.

Charlotte Hornets

Incoming salary: $29.7 million in 2023-24

• Kyle Lowry (PG, one year, $29.7 million)

Outgoing salary: $23.3 million in 2023-24

• Terry Rozier III (PG/SG, three years, $74.8 million, $23.3 million in 2023-24)

This trade was about creating future flexibility for the Hornets. It’s been reported that Kyle Lowry and Charlotte won’t agree to an immediate buyout. The Hornets will look to trade Lowry in an addition deal, as they look to continue to add to their asset base.

It’s also been reported that the Hornets are open to moving other players, as they look for draft picks and increased flexibility ahead of the 2024 offseason. It’s assumed that the only off-limits players on Charlotte’s roster are LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams. Everyone else is likely available for the right price.

On the court, this trade will have little impact for the Hornets. They are a bad team, and will continue to be so. What this does in the immediate is free up a bit of a logjam when everyone is healthy. For however long they are all on the roster, Charlotte now has starting spots and minutes for all of their guards and wings. To that end, it will be somewhat of a surprise if Lowry suits up for the Hornets before the trade deadline, if ever.

On the cap sheet, the Hornets have freed up a considerable amount of flexibility. Pre-trade, Charlotte was projected to have about $21.7 million in cap space this offseason. Now, the Hornets project to have around $45.5 million in cap space this summer.

No, Charlotte isn’t a prime free agent destination. But cap space can be used to acquire players via trade, or to make the trade process far easier. The Hornets could also take a longer-term approach and “rent out” some cap space in exchange for draft picks and/or young players.

Mostly, the Hornets have created a lot of flexibility for a team that has been basically capped out over the last few seasons. If Charlotte continues to move veteran players like Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington and others, they’ll have a chance to rebuild their roster around Ball, Miller, Williams and a bunch of draft picks and young players.

The key? The Hornets can’t get impatient this time around. They were in cap jail for years, got free and immediately signed Hayward to a questionable contract. If Charlotte sells off their vets, they can’t turn around and sign Tier C free agents to long-term, big-money contracts. Stay the course, build around your cornerstones and find values through your signings and trades. That’s the winning playbook for a small market team. And the Hornets are now set up to be on their way.

NBA trade season is off to a raucous start! The upstart Indiana Pacers made a major move by acquiring Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors. This move should put Indiana firmly in the mix for homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs, after a three-year playoff drought. At the end of December, Toronto had traded OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickly. Now, Masai Ujiri and his front office staff are continuing the reshaping of the Raptors roster around Scottie Barnes. This deal also includes the New Orleans Pelicans, as they have made a tax-avoidance trade. In actuality, this will end up being two separate trades.

Trade 1:
Indiana Pacers acquire: Kira Lewis Jr., least favorable 2024 second-round pick from the Pelicans or Bulls
New Orleans Pelicans acquire: Cash Considerations

Trade 2:
Indiana Pacers acquire: Pascal Siakam
Toronto Raptors acquire: Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis Jr., Jordan Nwora, 2024 Pacers first-round pick, least favorable 2024 first-round pick from the Rockets (5-30), Clippers, Thunder or Jazz (11-30), 2026 Pacers first-round pick

Since the Pacers are acquiring Lewis with cap space, they will be able to reaggregate him in the trade to the Raptors immediately. Let’s dive into what it these trades mean for each team!

Indiana Pacers

Incoming salary: $37.9 million in 2023-24

• Pascal Siakam (PF/C, one year, $37.9 million)

Outgoing salary: $30.7 million in 2023-24

• Bruce Brown (SG/SF, two years, $45 million (team option for 2024-25), $22 million for 2023-24)
• Kira Lewis Jr. (PG, one year, $5.7 million)
• Jordan Nwora (SF, one year, $3 million)

The Pacers are off to a 23-17 start and looking to break a three-year streak of missing the playoffs. With Pascal Siakam in the fold, Indiana can start thinking even bigger. Indiana is in a battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Miam Heat and Orlando Magic for the fourth through eighth position in the Eastern Conference. This trade should put the Pacers near the top of that group, which would mean homecourt advantage.

All season long, the Pacers have made it work at the power forward position. They tried Obi Toppin for 28 games, but it never quite fit perfectly. Indiana then reverted back to the four-smalls around Myles Turner looks they had some success with last year, but that isn’t ideal either. In recent weeks, Jalen Smith has stepped in as the second big next to Turner, but that look leaves Pacers less versatile than they want. Enter Siakam. And not just for the second half of this season, either.

There’s already been reporting that Siakam is thrilled with the trade to Indiana and will look to re-sign with the Pacers this offseason. Let’s pause from the on-court analysis to take a look at what Siakam’s next contract could look like. Because of this trade, Siakam is limited to extending with Indiana for no more than is allowable by the extend-and-trade rules. That would look like this:

• 2024-25: $39,788,078
• 2025-26: $41,777,482
• Total: two years, $81,565,560

In the summer, the Pacers will have full Bird Rights for Siakam. That means they’ll be able to offer him a five-year max deal that looks like this:

• 2024-25: $42,600,000
• 2025-26: $46,008,000
• 2026-27: $49,416,000
• 2027-28: $52,824,000
• 2028-29: $56,232,000
• Total: five years, $247,080,000

That’s the 30% of the cap maximum with 8% raises. If Siakam was to leave for another team, his max deal would look like this:

• 2024-25: $42,600,000
• 2025-26: $44,730,000
• 2026-27: $46,860,000
• 2027-28: $48,990,000
• Total: four years, $183,180,000

That’s starting at the same 30% of the cap maximum, but with 5% raises and capped at a four-year deal.

The extension option feels a bit light for Siakam, especially in terms of years. The full max seems a bit much for the Pacers. The guess here is that he’ll get some form of four-year deal that pays him in the range of $180 to $190 million. That gets Siakam close to, or more than, the max he could get from another team, but without either side having to lock into a full maximum contract.

One important note: Even if Siakam makes All-NBA this season, he’s no longer eligible for a Designated Veteran Contract, which would start at 35% of the salary cap. A player can only get a Designated contract from the team that drafted them, or a team that acquired them while still on their rookie contract.

Let’s get back to the on-court part of this trade for the Pacers. Indiana now has their power forward of the present and, presumably, the future. Siakam will be a major upgrade over any of the options the Pacers have used over the last two seasons. His three-point shooting has regressed back to the low 30% range over the past two seasons, but Siakam has also limited his attempts from distance too.

As a scorer, Siakam takes over 59% of his shots in/around the paint, with a healthy 28% of them coming right at the rim. He’s also shooting a robust 76.8% at the rim this year. Of the Pacers who attempt more than four field goals per game, no one matches Siakam’s combination of volume and efficiency inside.

Siakam also remains a solid rebounder, which will help an Indiana team that ranks in the bottom-five of the NBA in defensive rebounding. He’s also a good transition player, which fits in the Pacers high-octane offense. And Siakam is a good shot-creator and passer too.

The biggest upgrade might be on defense. Prior to this trade, Indiana didn’t have a four that could defend both on the perimeter and the interior. While Siakam isn’t the shot-blocker he was in his first few seasons, he’s still a solid on-ball and help defender. While no one is stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid, Siakam can at least take his turn making them work. That will free up Myles Turner to roam as a help defender, which is where he really excels. In addition, Siakam is a very good double-teamer, as he uses his length and quickness to make it hard for opponents to find passing outlets.

The Pacers lose some perimeter defense in this deal with Bruce Brown headed to Toronto. But it’s not a massive loss. Indiana still has Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard who can pick up opposing ballhandlers on the wing. On offense, Brown wasn’t shooting as well as the last couple of seasons, and his playmaking was a bit muted in his spot-up role. That means he should be replaceable for the Pacers.

Essentially, Brown’s contract accomplished a few things. First, it helped Indiana to get to the salary floor, which all teams have to be at by the start of the season under the new CBA. Second, it was the exact type of tradable salary the Pacers envisioned it would be if a big move came their way. And last, but not least, Brown is making more money in this one season than he had made his first five years of his career combined.

Jordan Nwora hasn’t been able to lock down a consistent rotation role in his four NBA seasons. He’s a talented shooter and scorer, but Nwora doesn’t offer much else. Maybe he’s a late-bloomer, but it wasn’t going to happen in Indiana.

As for the draft picks…Yes, it’s a significant investment for a pending free agent. But these aren’t premium draft picks, at least not right now. This season’s Pacers pick should land around the early-to-mid 20s. The other 2024 pick is destined to be in the late-20s, pending where the Thunder or Clippers finish in the standings. The 2026 first-rounder Indiana is sending Toronto is more of an unknown, but a team built around a prime Tyrese Haliburton should be able to stay a playoff team.

If Siakam walks, it’ll sting for Indiana for sure. But they didn’t send everything that wasn’t tied down to Toronto here. They made a significant investment in a player who can lift them this season, and likely for the next few years, as well. If it doesn’t work out, the Pacers are out a couple of picks, but still have tremendous cap flexibility moving forward.

Toronto Raptors

Incoming salary: $30.7 million in 2023-24

• Bruce Brown (SG/SF, two years, $45 million (team option for 2024-25), $22 million for 2023-24)
• Kira Lewis Jr. (PG, one year, $5.7 million)
• Jordan Nwora (SF, one year, $3 million)

Outgoing salary: $37.9 million in 2023-24

• Pascal Siakam (PF/C, one year, $37.9 million)

OG Anunoby (who didn’t play in that title run) and Pascal Siakam were the last links to the 2019 champs. That alone signals how much of a reset this is for the Raptors. And make no mistake, this is reset, not a rebuild.

Toronto created an incredible amount of future flexibility for themselves, while gaining some long-term assets in terms of players and draft picks in their two recent trades. This deal, in particular, is likely to deliver more on the cap sheet and in the draft pick vault than on the court.

Sure, Bruce Brown could be a nice player for Toronto. But the Raptors already have a pretty crowded wing rotation. In fact, it’s so crowed that it’d a surprise to see both Brown and Gary Trent Jr. still in Toronto after the trade deadline. Brown can’t be reaggregated with any other players in a pre-deadline move, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have trade value all on his own. As a 3&D wing, who can also handle it some and pass, Brown has a lot of value. It’s likely Toronto is already getting calls to see what it will take to get him.

Lewis and Nwora are flyers as the Raptors reset the rest of this season. It’s not clear how much either will play, as Lewis is behind both Immanual Quickley and Dennis Schroder at point guard and Nwora is behind several other wings and forwards. But if subsequent trades free up playing time, Lewis or Nwora could pop with an increased opportunity.

However, this trade was as much about picking up some additional draft picks, which give Toronto replacements for the ones they sent to San Antonio in the Jakob Poeltl trade. None looks like a truly prime pick, but you never know what will happen, especially a couple of years out.

This trade could have the added benefit of makin Toronto’s own pick better for this year. As it stands right now, the Raptors on the cusp of keeping their own 2024 first-round pick, as it’s top-6 protected. The chances of the Raptors “catching” the Portland Trail Blazers or Charlotte Hornets are pretty low, but again, you never know.

As for the cap sheet, the Raptors books are now pretty clean. They can reasonably create up to $31.5 million in cap space for the upcoming offseason. That would mean clearing the decks of all but their guaranteed salaries, plus cap holds for Quickley and their first-round picks. But that’s not really a big deal, as none of the Raptors pending free agents seem overly likely to return.

Overall, Toronto has set themselves up to build around a new core of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and whatever they do with their newfound flexibility. That’s why this is a reset and not a rebuild.

New Orleans Pelicans

Incoming salary: None
Outgoing salary: $5.7 million in 2023-24

• Kira Lewis Jr. (PG, one year, $5.7 million)

This trade is pretty simple for New Orleans. The Pelicans were $2.9 million over the luxury tax line for this season. The Pelicans have never paid the tax in franchise history. This year wasn’t going to be the first. That meant finding a trade partner to move some salary too, with Lewis always being the most likely candidate. That’s in part due to moving only his salary being enough to dodge the tax, while also creating a little wiggle room for future transactions. It’s also in part due to Lewis not being a part of the rotation in New Orleans, while being a pending free agent this summer.

The Pelicans will have 14 days to sign a 14th player to a standard contract. That’ll eat into a little bit of the wiggle room they’ve just created. The guesses here for how New Orleans fills that spot are:

• Another trade. This one seems a bit less likely, but could be on the table.
• Converting Matt Ryan to a standard contract. This is possible. The Pelicans like Ryan quite a bit and could get him on a multi-year deal by using part of their remaining Non-Taxpayer MLE.
• Converting Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a standard contract. Less likely than Ryan, but it would work the same way.
• Signing a player, or players, to 10-Day contracts. This seems most likely, especially in the immediate.
• Signing a player, or players, for the rest of the season. This is also possible, if there is a free agent available that New Orleans feels like they have to get. This could also come after the team undergoes a series of 10-Day “tryouts”, if you will.

Overall, for the cost of one second-round pick, the Pelicans got out of the tax. That’s probably a swing of somewhere between $17 and $20 million to the New Orleans ownership group. That’s big, and will hopefully be remembered when the team has to re-sign some key players down the line.

Notes

As of the writing of this article, the following items hadn’t been fully confirmed:

• Who the Indiana Pacers are waiving to complete the Kira Lewis Jr. acquisition. Even thought Indiana is trading Lewis to the Raptors, they have to create a roster spot for him first. It’s likely that spot will be created by waiving James Johnson, but this has not been confirmed as of yet. UPDATE: The Pacers chose to waive James Johnson.
• Who the Toronto Raptors are waiving to complete the 3-for-1 trade. Toronto has one open roster spot, but will need to free up an additional spot to bring in Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis Jr. and Jordan Nwora. It’s likely that spot will be created by waiving Garrett Temple, but this has not been confirmed as of yet. UPDATE: The Raptors chose to waive Christian Koloko.
• Created Traded Player Exceptions. The Raptors should create a TPE of $7.2 million for Pascal Siakam in this trade. The Pelicans should create a TPE of $5.7 million for Kira Lewis Jr. in this trade. UPDATE: The Raptors chose to use part of the Precious Achiuwa TPE to bring in Jordan Nwora. This created a $10.2 million TPE for Pascal Siakam. The Pelicans did create a $5.7M TPE for Kira Lewis Jr.

The 2024 NBA trade deadline is about one month away.  So far, we’ve seen three in-season trades. The Philadelphia 76ers traded James Harden to the LA Clippers just a few days into the season. The Toronto Raptors traded OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks in a deal that saw RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley head to Toronto. And last week, the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards hooked up in a salary-clearing trade for the Pistons.

Two weeks or so out from deadline day is when things usually start to pick up. Teams that insisted on multiple first-round picks for their players come down to a single first-round pick, while their partners in trades come up from offering a couple of second-rounders to offering that single first-rounder. As desperation increases, so does reasonability in trade talks.

Here’s what each of the 30 NBA teams are working with to trade as we sit a month from the deadline.

Atlanta Hawks

Cap/Tax Picture: $9.7 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $23.0 million (John Collins)

Draft Pick Situation: Hawks owe two future firsts (2025 and 2027) to the Spurs, as well as a swap in 2026. Atlanta is owed a first-round pick from Sacramento, which should come this year or next. Hawks have at least four tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Dejounte Murray or Saddiq Bey. If Atlanta goes for a big reset, Murray will be traded. If it’s a smaller deal, then it’ll be Bey.

Boston Celtics

Cap/Tax Picture: $5.6 million over the second tax apron

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $6.2 million (Grant Williams)

Draft Pick Situation: Boston owes a 2029 first to Portland. They also have a top-1 protected swap with the Spurs in 2028. Boston has at least eight tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Take your pick of Dalano Banton, Svi Mykhailiuk or Lamar Stevens. All are on minimum deals, and that’s probably how the Celtics are working at this deadline. All of their significant salary is tied up in key players who aren’t getting traded.

Brooklyn Nets

Cap/Tax Picture: $8 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $19.9 million (Joe Harris), $18.1 million (Kevin Durant), $6.8 million Patty Mills, $4.5 million (Kyrie Irving)

Draft Pick Situation: Sean Marks refilled his draft pick coffers when he traded away James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Nets still owe two of their own picks to the Rockets, along with a couple of swaps. But Brooklyn has added five extra first-round picks. The Nets have at least six tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Royce O’Neale. He has the easiest deal to move at $9.5 million. Maybe Brooklyn goes bigger, but even then, O’Neale is probably a part of any trade.

Charlotte Hornets

Cap/Tax Picture: $29.8 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: Hornets owe a protected first-rounder to the Spurs, but own all the rest of their own first-round picks. Charlotte has at least nine tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Miles Bridges. Bridges’ signing the one-year qualifying offer was a signal this is probably a short-term relationship between him and the Hornets. If a team can get past the off-court issues, Bridges won’t cost all that much in trade. Gordon Hayward would be a strong second choice here, but his contract may prove to be too large to move in-season.

Chicago Bulls

Cap/Tax Picture: $1.7 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $10.2 million (Lonzo Ball – Disabled Player Exception)

Draft Pick Situation: Bulls owe a protected first-round picks to San Antonio in the coming years. Chicago doesn’t have a fully clear first-rounder until 2028. Chicago has a lottery-protected first owed to them from the Trail Blazers. The Bulls also have two truly tradable second-round pick, as others all have conditions attached.

Most Likely to be Traded: Zach LaVine. The star guard has already asked for a trade, and he’s back from injury now. It’s a massive contract to move, but feels like Chicago will eventually find a taker from a playoff team that is desperate for some scoring.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cap/Tax Picture: $3.2 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: Cleveland owes three future first-round picks to the Jazz, as well as two years of swap rights to Utah. The Cavs have at least seven tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Isaac Okoro. There isn’t a great choice here, after Ricky Rubio took a contract buyout. Okoro is in the final year of his contract, so maybe Cleveland looks to move him before he hits restricted free agency in July. As for Donovan Mitchell…that’ll be a summer thing, if even then.

Dallas Mavericks

Cap/Tax Picture: $3.5 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $4.9 million (Davis Bertans)

Draft Pick Situation: Dallas owes a first to New York that should convey this season. The Mavericks also owe a pick to Brooklyn in 2029, and the Spurs have swap rights in 2030. Dallas has at least three tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Tim Hardaway Jr. or Richaun Holmes. The Mavs don’t have any large expiring contracts, so that means moving Hardaway or Holmes is the best path toward and upgrade, likely combined with a draft pick or two.

Denver Nuggets

Cap/Tax Picture: $4.7 million under the second tax apron

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: Denver owes future first-round picks to Orlando and Oklahoma City. They won’t be able to trade a first-round pick at this deadline. The Nuggets have at least three tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Reggie Jackson. There isn’t a great choice for Denver. They like and need their kids, because they are a source of production on value contracts. Jackson waived his no-trade clause when he re-signed, but the Nuggets seem more like to stand pat at the deadline.

Detroit Pistons

Cap/Tax Picture: $27.7 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: Detroit owes a heavily protected first to New York that may not convey for at least a couple of seasons. The Pistons have at least six tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Bojan Bogdanovic or Alec Burks. We find ourselves here again. Detroit is the worst team in the NBA. They don’t really need these two veteran wings, but they keep hanging onto them. Maybe this is year?

Golden State Warriors

Cap/Tax Picture: $26.6 million over the second tax apron

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Warriors owe a 2024 top-4 protected first-round pick to the Trail Blazers (via the Grizzlies and Celtics). Golden State also owes the Wizards a top-20 protected first-round pick in 2030. The Warriors have at least three tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Chris Paul. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have agitated about playing time recently, but Paul’s pseudo-expiring $30.8 million contract is a huge trade chip. This is also the last season the Warriors can take on money in a trade. Maybe they take one more big swing at fortifying their title core.

Houston Rockets

Cap/Tax Picture: $22.0 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $4.5 million (Kevin Porter Jr.)

Draft Pick Situation: Houston has a couple of first-rounders coming from Brooklyn. They also owe two protected picks to Oklahoma City, and there are swap rights in the mix too. The Rockets should have at least at least seven tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Victor Oladipo. There’s little to no chance Oladipo ever suits up in this second run through Houston. His contract was kept specifically as a tradable asset.

Indiana Pacers

Cap/Tax Picture: $8.3 million under the cap

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Pacers also have all of their own first-round picks, plus an additional 2024 pick that will likely be in the mid-to-late 20s. Indiana has at least 10 tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Bruce Brown or Buddy Hield. This one is semi-easy. Hield asked for a trade on the eve of the season, but has continued to play without causing even the smallest stir. Brown and Hield are also the largest expiring contracts (Brown has a 2024-25 team option) the Pacers will probably put in play via trade. If they make a big move, it’s highly likely Brown and/or Hield will be involved.

LA Clippers

Cap/Tax Picture: $17.3 million over the second tax apron

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Clippers owe two more first-round picks to the Thunder (or 76ers), plus two years of swap rights. They also an additional first-round pick, plus a potential swap to the 76ers. LA has at least three tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: P.J. Tucker. The Clippers haven’t used Tucker as a rotation player since he came over in the James Harden trade. If they make a deal to further fortify their rotation, he’s likely to be involved.

Los Angeles Lakers

Cap/Tax Picture: $1.3 million over the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: Los Angeles owes New Orleans first-round pick in either 2024 or 2025, pending a Pelicans potential deferment. The Lakers owe a top-4 protected first to Utah in 2027. That means they can really only trade their 2029 first-round pick. Los Angeles has five tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: D’Angelo Russell. When Russell waived his right to block a trade by signing a 1+1 deal with the Lakers last summer, it set him up to be trade. His $17.3 million contract is likely to be the best piece of salary-matching Los Angeles has in a trade.

Memphis Grizzlies

Cap/Tax Picture: $5.8 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $12.4 million (Ja Morant – DPE (pending approval)), $7.4 million (Dillon Brooks), $6.3 million (Steven Adams – DPE)

Draft Pick Situation: The Grizzlies have all of their own first-round picks, including favorable swap rights on two picks in 2024 and 2020. Memphis has two tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Luke Kennard or John Konchar. This one is a little messy, because the wheels have really come off the season for Memphis due to several injuries. If they want to add a younger player, or some draft capital, Kennard could be moved. A smaller deal for Konchar could be likely to bring back a second-round pick or a young player who has washed out elsewhere.

Miami Heat

Cap/Tax Picture: $28,840 under second tax apron

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $9.5 million (Victor Oladipo), $7.2 million (Max Strus), $4.7 million (Dewayne Dedmon)

Draft Pick Situation: The Heat owe one lottery-protected first to the Thunder, but own all of their other first-round picks. The Heat have at least two tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: No one. This might be cheating, but unless Miami is making a big move, they probably aren’t trading anyone. And big moves are usually something the Heat save for the summer. 

Milwaukee Bucks

Cap/Tax Picture: $3.1 million over the second tax apron

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Bucks don’t own any of their own first-round picks outright. From 2024 through 2027, they are controlled by the Pelicans. From 2028 through 2030 they are controlled by the Trail Blazers. Milwaukee has at least two tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: No one. The Bucks have no real tradable salary at the deadline. Any significant salary belongs to rotation players. And the smaller salaries aren’t enough to get Milwaukee any real upgrades. They’ll probably stand pat at the deadline.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Cap/Tax Picture: $2.4 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $3.7 million (D’Angelo Russell)

Draft Pick Situation: Minnesota owes Utah three future first-round picks (and one swap), only one of which is lightly protected. Because of the Stepien Rule, the Wolves can’t deal another first. The Timberwolves have four tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Shake Milton. The Wolves don’t have a lot of tradable salary that isn’t attached to rotation players. Milton’s $5 million could be a deal to get Minnesota an additional rotation player, as Milton hasn’t filled the bench-scoring role the Wolves had in mind for him.

New Orleans Pelicans

Cap/Tax Picture: $2.9 million over the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Pelicans own all of their own first-round picks and two extra first-rounders courtesy of the Lakers and Bucks. They also have swap rights on two other years with Milwaukee too. New Orleans has at least two tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Kira Lewis Jr. The Pelicans have never paid the tax in franchise history. It’s highly unlikely they’ll break that streak this season. Look for New Orleans to move Lewis in a tax-avoidance trade, probably using a second-round pick to do so.

New York Knicks

Cap/Tax Picture: $6.0 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $6.8 million (Obi Toppin), $5.2 million (RJ Barrett)

Draft Pick Situation: The Knicks own all of their own first-round picks. They have some extra picks coming their way, but all are encumbered with protections. The most likely picks New York will see will come from Dallas in 2024 and Milwaukee in 2025. It’s unclear if Detroit or Washington will ever convey first-rounders to New York, but they could move them to another team to wait out. The Knicks have at least nine tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Evan Fournier. If New York makes another big trade before the deadline, Evan Fournier and his $18.8 million pseudo-expiring contract will be involved. If Fournier isn’t traded ahead of the deadline, don’t be surprised if the Knicks pick up their $19 million team option for next season, simply to keep him as a tradable salary for 2024-25.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Cap/Tax Picture: $12.2 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: Oklahoma City has seven extra first-round picks headed their way from a combination of the Rockets, Clippers, Jazz, Heat, 76ers and Nuggets. In addition, the Thunder have all of their own first-round picks, or can swap them for better picks in several years. Oklahoma City has at least 21 tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Davis Bertans or Tre Mann, Aleksej Pokusevski. Bertans will be involved if the Thunder are making a big move. If it’s a smaller move, Tre Mann or Aleksej Pokusevski could be traded. None are regular rotation players and none have a place in Oklahoma City long-term either.

Orlando Magic

Cap/Tax Picture: $34.3 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Magic have an extra first coming from the Nuggets, in addition to all of their own first-round picks. Orlando has at least 12 tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Chuma Okeke. We could have picked someone flashier like Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris or Jonathan Isaac, which would indicate a big trade. But something smaller like moving Okeke seems to be more likely, if not quite as fun.

Philadelphia 76ers

Cap/Tax Picture: $4.3 million over the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $6.8 million (James Harden)

Draft Pick Situation: The Sixers first-round draft picks in the closer-in years are tied up because they owe protected picks to both the Thunder and Nets. In 2028, Philadelphia picks up an extra pick from the LA Clippers, and they have their own picks in 2029 (can swap with LAC 4-30) and 2030. The 76ers have at least six tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Robert Covington/Marcus Morris or Furkan Korkmaz. The former pairing will likely be involved if the Sixers pull the trigger on a big trade before the deadline. They combine for over $28.8 million in outgoing salary. If Philadelphia is delaying the big moves to the summer, then look for Furkan Korkmaz to get moved in a tax-avoidance trade.

Phoenix Suns

Cap/Tax Picture: $4.9 million over the second apron

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $6.5 million (Cameron Payne), $4.9 million (Dario Saric)

Draft Pick Situation: Phoenix’s draft pick situation is unique and a mess. Every Suns first-round pick is either owed to another team or tied up in complicated swap rights. Phoenix has at least six tradable second-round picks, but it cost them swap rights for several years of first-round picks to acquire them.

Most Likely to be Traded: Nassir Little. There isn’t a great choice for the Suns. Nine players are on minimum contracts and five non-minimum salaries are tied to starters. That leaves Little as the only non-minimum salary that belongs to a non-starter. That makes him the most tradable guy.

Portland Trail Blazers

Cap/Tax Picture: $5.5 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $8.8 million (Damian Lillard), $8.3 million (Gary Payton II)

Draft Pick Situation: Portland owes a lottery-protected pick to Chicago. Those protections carry out through 2028, but the pick should likely convey before then, if Portland’s rebuild goes the way they hope. The Trail Blazers have extra first-round picks coming from the Warriors, Bucks and Celtics, plus swap rights in two years with the Bucks. The Blazers have at least seven tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Malcolm Brogdon. Portland is flush with younger guards and Brogdon could return younger players and/or draft picks to add to the rebuilding stash. If, for some reason, Brogdon isn’t traded by the deadline, look for a deal to come over the summer.

Sacramento Kings

Cap/Tax Picture: $18.0 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Kings owe a protected first-round pick to the Hawks, but own the remainder of their own first-rounders. Sacramento has at least five tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Davion Mitchell. Sacramento is looking for upgrades and they’ve reportedly offered Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter to teams. But that’s going to be in a pretty big trade. Mitchell has fallen out of the rotation. So, if he’s not part of a bigger deal, the Kings could move him in a smaller deal to get him to a place where he can play.

San Antonio Spurs

Cap/Tax Picture: $28.2 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: The Spurs own all of their own first-round picks. They have extra protected firsts coming from the Hornets, Raptors and Bulls. They also own two unprotected Hawks first-round picks, and swap rights in separate years with Atlanta, Boston and Dallas. San Antonio has at least 16 tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Doug McDermott or Cedi Osman. Both veteran players are reportedly on the market. Neither will net a huge return for the Spurs, but could see San Antonio pick up a couple of extra second-round picks.

Toronto Raptors

Cap/Tax Picture: $1.9 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $4.4 million (Precious Achiuwa)

Draft Pick Situation: Toronto owes a protected first-round pick to San Antonio, but owns all the rest of their own first-rounders. The Raptors have at least four tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Pascal Siakam. It seems almost inevitable at this point that Siakam is getting moved. The real question: Who else follows him out the door?

Utah Jazz

Cap/Tax Picture: $29.3 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: None

Draft Pick Situation: Utah owes one protected pick to Oklahoma City. Beyond that, the Jazz have eight additional first-rounders coming their way, mostly from the Cavaliers, Lakers and Timberwolves. Utah has two tradable second-round picks.

Most Likely to be Traded: Talen Horton-Tucker. If the Jazz do a big deal to add to what has been a surprisingly good team, Horton-Tucker will probably be a part of it. If Utah does some rebalancing and asset-collecting, keep an eye on Kelly Olynyk getting moved.

Washington Wizards

Cap/Tax Picture: $21.2 million under the tax

Notable Traded Player Exceptions: $12.4 million (Kristaps Porzingis), $9.8 million (Monte Morris), $5.4 million (Bradley Beal), $3.5M (Mike Musala)

Draft Pick Situation: The Wizards owe a protected first-round pick to the Knicks, but own all of their other first-rounders. They also have the ability to swap several years of picks with the Suns, plus they own a top-20 protected Warriors pick in 2030. Washington as has least 14 tradable second-round picks. 

Most Likely to be Traded: Take your pick. The Wizards are about six months into a long-awaited rebuild. They could trade just about anyone, minus Deni Avdija, Bilal Coulibaly and maybe Corey Kispert. The most likely guys are Tyus Jones or Delon Wright, but don’t be surprised if multiple Wizards get moved.

NBA trade season is picking up about three-and-a-half weeks out from the trade deadline. The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards linked up on a small, but still important deal. Both sides accomplished different things in the deal, but it gives us some insight into the direction both franchises are headed in.

Here are the particulars:

• Detroit Pistons acquire: Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala
• Washington Wizards acquire: Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers, two conditional second-round picks

Both the Pistons and Wizards are bottom-dwellers in the Eastern Conference. It’s likely this trade will have very little on-court impact for either team, at least for the remainder of this season. But this trade sets both up for further moves down the line. Let’s dive in!

Detroit Pistons

Incoming salary: $10.3 million in 2023-24

• Danilo Gallinari (PF/C, one year, $6.8 million)
• Mike Muscala (C, one year, $3.5 million)

Outgoing salary: $14.3 million in 2023-24

• Marvin Bagley III (PF/C, two years, $25 million, $12.5 million in 2023-24)
• Isaiah Livers (SF/PF, one year, $1.8 million)

The Pistons primary objective in this trade was clearing out additional cap space for the 2024 offseason.

Mission accomplished.

Detroit shed the only salary that extends beyond this season in this deal by moving Marvin Bagley III’s $12.5 million salary to Washington. That puts either of the following scenarios in play (without factoring in any other potential trades):

• $50.3 million in cap space – keeping Bojan Bogdanovic on the books for next season

Or

• $66.1 million in cap space – eating a $2 million dead money cap hit for Bogdanovic for next season

That’s what this trade was about for Detroit. They now have the most projected cap space in the NBA in either scenario. The question now becomes: How do the Pistons use that cap space?

During the Troy Weaver era, Detroit has largely used their cap space to eat undesirable salary from other teams while picking up fairly middling assets. Just this past offseason, the Pistons used most of their cap space to take on the contracts of Joe Harris and Monte Morris in salary-clearing deals for the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, respectively. The Pistons return for eating nearly $30 million in salary in those deals? Three second-round picks.

However, things seem to be pointing in a different direction for Detroit now. Whether it’s impatience or trying to take advantage of an uncertain marketplace, the Pistons seem poised to add players who will actually be expected to deliver on the court. And it’s probably going to happen in the next six months between now and the February 8 trade deadline or this summer.

With somewhere between $50 and $66 million to spend next summer, the Pistons are in play to either sign free agents or make trades in July. Detroit could also do a form of “pre-agency” and make a trade now that uses up some of their future flexibility.

Being realistic, there isn’t a trade the Pistons could make before the deadline that would fix this current season. Things are too far gone for that. But Weaver could make a deal, or two or three, that sets Detroit up for the future with win-now (now being 2024-25, of course!) players. The key? Don’t get silly with trading assets, whether they be young players or future draft picks. That’s true leading up to the deadline or this summer.

The Pistons still have plenty of matching salary they can send out in trades. Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Joe Harris, Monte Morris and James Wiseman are over $72 million in easily-tradeable expiring (or pseudo-expiring in the case of Bogdanovic) salary. Detroit could also be about $2.5 million under the cap after this deal (pending how they structure the trade, the Pistons could create a mid-sized trade exception), which gives them a bit more wiggle room, if needed, in any potential trades.

So, let’s say Zach LaVine’s trade market is really as barren as reports suggest, Detroit could theoretically sneak in and grab him by sending the Bulls some expiring salary for veteran players. In theory, Chicago could be looking to reset their cap sheet a bit, while also adding reinforcements for a postseason push. If the Pistons grease the skids by offering up a single first-round pick, in addition to two or three vets, is that enough to push a deal through? We don’t know that answer, but that’s the sort of thing Detroit could be looking at doing right now. In the summer, trade options will expand even more.

On the court, the direct impact from this trade is pretty negligible. Gallinari has largely fallen out of the Wizards rotation over the last few weeks. In his age-35 season, Gallinari looks like he’s near the end. He can’t move the way he once did on defense, and defense was never his strength in the first place. Gallinari is also shooting only 31% on three-pointers this season.

One thing to keep mind: Gallinari’s agent is Michael Tellem, who is the son of Pistons executive Arn Tellem. Gallinari is a prime buyout candidate. There’s a good chance he works a deal to get set free before even suiting up in Detroit. Because he’s only making $6.8 million this season, Gallinari would be eligible to join any team after a buyout as some veteran frontcourt depth.

Muscala is in a somewhat similar situation, in that he’s a veteran frontcourt player who might not offer much to the Pistons. However, Muscala is a few years younger than Gallinari and history shows he has some value as a stretch five. He could stick in Detroit to give them a shooting center to plug into the rotation with Jalen Duren and James Wiseman.

As for what Detroit gave up, we have to start with Bagley. Giving up two second-round picks to shed Bagley’s salary is an admission that signing him to a fully-guaranteed three-year $37.5 million contract was a mistake. At the time, it seemed like the Pistons were bidding against themselves. That’s only become clearer over the last season-and-a-half.

Bagley hasn’t been bad this season, especially on offense. He’s shooting a career-high 59% from the field, and he’s averaging 10.2 points. But Bagley’s lack of shooting range (he’s all but stopped taking threes) makes him a poor fit next to the Pistons centers. That limits him to backup duty behind Duren, and even that’s inconsistent with Wiseman still around.

Mostly, Detroit made a mistake in paying Bagley what they did. It wasn’t a crushing one by any means, but it was still salary that could have been better spent elsewhere. That’s now rectified at the cost of a couple second-round picks.

Livers never really built on the promise he showed as a rookie. In that first season, Livers looked like he could be a swing forward with a good three-point shot. Since then, he’s shot worse in each of the next two seasons, and Livers hasn’t improved as a defender or rebounder.

One minor part of this trade that could be getting a little overlooked is that Troy Weaver removed a couple of clubs from Monty Williams’ bag. Instead of throwing minutes (and, worse, starts!) to Bagley or Livers, Williams will now be forced to play other players instead. It’s the equivalent of the “Can’t play Pena” trade from the film version of Moneyball.

Washington Wizards

Incoming salary: $14.3 million in 2023-24

• Marvin Bagley III (PF/C, two years, $25 million, $12.5 million in 2023-24)
• Isaiah Livers (SF/PF, one year, $1.8 million)

Outgoing salary: $10.3 million in 2023-24

• Danilo Gallinari (PF/C, one year, $6.8 million)
• Mike Muscala (C, one year, $3.5 million)

Washington’s side of this trade is less intriguing. But it still gives us some hints of where the Wizards might be headed.

Washington took on about $4 million in salary this season, but they are miles under the luxury tax anyway. The bigger, and more interesting thing, is that the Wizards took on $12.5 million next year. That amount takes Washington from being a projected cap space team at around $25 million to functioning as an over-the-cap team in 2024.

Now, the Wizards have been clear that they are playing the long game in rebuilding. So, this was mostly about getting a couple of second-round picks. Bagley is also young enough that perhaps there is some late-bloomer upside still there if you squint hard enough. Washington has also been dreadfully thin at the five behind Daniel Gafford this season. Bagley gives them a little cover there, and potentially even more cover if Gafford himself is traded.

Livers enters a pretty crowded forward/wing rotation in Washington. He’s not going to play over Kyle Kuzma or Deni Avdija, who have started for the Wizards all season. Livers also is behind Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert, who are former first-rounders and part of Washington’s future.

If it feels like this is kind of a sideways trade for the Wizards, that’s probably true. The second-rounders they have coming to them are tied up with all kinds of swap conditions. That means it’s not even fully clear what they’ll have there. But by taking on Bagley’s $12.5 million for 2024-25, it’s a sign that Washington isn’t planning any quick fixes by using cap space next summer.

Maybe the next trade, or two or three, swing that back in the other direction. But, for now, it looks like Washington is committed to a slower rebuild. And that’s ok, given how long the franchise sat stuck in the middle. It’s also a sign that Michael Winger and crew aren’t done with shuffling players in and out of the nation’s capital. The Wizards likely have an active few weeks ahead of them before the February 8 trade deadline.

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

During the week before Christmas, the NBA world descended upon Orlando. This time it was a more-welcomed trip, as opposed to arriving in the summer of 2020 to complete the season in the Walt Disney World bubble.

The NBA showed up in Orlando this time for the 2023 G League Showcase. The Westchester Knicks took home the Showcase Cup, but the main reason for the event was for NBA front office to mingle together. It’s considered the cousin to Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings, as a space where NBA trade talks take off in full. It’s not clear if being together at the Showcase sparked the New Year’s weekend trade between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors, but it’s highly likely trade talks did take place in Orlando.

The other purpose of the event is for G League players to show out for NBA front office personnel. Many rostered players have stood out during the first part of the G League season. This includes players on standard contracts and players signed to two-way deals. But it’s the other guys, the free agents, who need the Showcase to earn an NBA callup.

These callups could occur via a 10-day contract. Teams are allowed to sign players to 10-day deals starting on January 5. The other option is further shuffling of two-way contracts.

As it stands, as of this writing, nine teams have an open standard roster spot:

• Boston Celtics
• Chicago Bulls
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Golden State Warriors
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Miami Heat
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• New Orleans Pelicans
• Toronto Raptors

In addition, the New York Knicks have an open Two-way spot. Other roster spots will open up as teams make trades (the trade deadline is February 8) or if teams waive players (the last day to waive players before contracts guarantee is January 7).

The following players have stood out, both in the early part of the G League season and at the Showcase event in Orlando. A handful were also players mentioned regularly by NBA scouts and front office executives as players who might garner a callup from the G League.

(Note: This list is presented in no particular order. It is not a ranking of any kind!)

All stats as of January 1, 2024 and provided by RealGM’s G League Database

Guards

Mac McClung – Osceola Magic, PG, 6’2’’, 25 years old

McClung has dominated as a scorer on the G League level. His quickness stands out, as minor league defenders have trouble staying in front of McClung. His efficiency is down a bit from deep, but McClung is taking 8.8 three-pointers per game and still hitting 37% of them. He’s also averaging 6.1 assists per game. If he were a bit bigger, McClung would be on an NBA roster already. As it stands, he should be very high on the list of guys teams look at who need a ballhandler/playmaker at the lead guard spot.

Jason Preston – Memphis Hustle, PG, 6’3’’, 24 years old

Preston is probably too good for the minors, sort of the equivalent to an MLB 4 A player. He may be the best pure playmaker in the league. He’s averaging 8.9 assists per game and consistently generates good looks for his teammates. The thing that holds Preston back is that he’s hitting just 27% from behind the arc. He’s still an interesting guy if a team needs an additional guard in the second half of the season.

Scotty Pippen Jr. – South Bay Lakers, PG, 6’1’’, 23 years old

Pippen has been one of the best scorers in the G League this season. He’s averaging 21 points per game on 51/39/84 shooting splits. He’s also snagging a couple of steals per game, and handing out six assists a night. Pippen can get a little wild with the ball, as his 3.6 turnovers per game will attest to. And his size works against him some. But Pippen is worth a look for a team that needs some juice in the backcourt.

Jalen Crutcher – Birmingham Squadron, PG, 6’1’’, 24 years old

Crutcher is a third-year G League player. His experience shows, as he’s done a nice job as a scorer and playmaker. Crutcher is averaging 19.7 points, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals. What’s really exciting is that Crutcher has shot 42.7% on 8.7 three-point attempts per game. That’s a third consecutive year over 40% from deep on increasing volume each season. If he was only a bit bigger, Crutcher would be on an NBA roster already.

Javonte Smart – Delaware Blue Coats, PG/SG, 6’4’’, 24 years old

Smart has been stuffing the stat sheet in the G League. He was recently waived from his two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that seemed more about the Sixers getting Kenneth Lofton Jr. than anything to do with Smart’s play. The third-year player has averaged 21.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Smart has also put up 48/43/95 shooting splits, on an impressive 8.1 three-point attempts per game. That’s NBA-level stuff.

Brandon Goodwin – Westchester Knicks, PG, 6’0’’, 28 years old

Goodwin has four years of NBA experience, so he’s leading off the veteran section here. As Westchester rolled to the Showcase Cup championship, Goodwin led the way. He’s averaged 19.1 points and 8.6 assists this season. Even more impressive? Goodwin is grabbing 5.3 rebounds per game, despite being just 6-feet tall. But it’s that lack of size on the defensive end, plus a lack of a consistent shot, that has Goodwin on the fringes of the NBA. He’s also out of two-way eligibility. But Goodwin can help a team immediately on a 10-day. Perhaps more than most on this list.

Shaquille Harrison – South Bay Lakers, PG/SG, 6’4’’, 30 years old

Harrison has already logged some NBA time on a hardship callup with the Memphis Grizzlies this season. Teams keep calling Harrison, because he’s an NBA-level guy. He knows his role is to defend and keep the ball moving. If Harrison shot it a little better, he’d be signed to a standard contract. As it is, he’s probably the most “plug-and-play” option on this list for a callup.

Elfrid Payton – Indiana Mad Ants, PG, 6’3’’, 29 years old

Payton is one of the more recognizable names on this list, as a former lottery pick. The same issue remains for Payton as always: He’s not a consistent shooter. But he’s a proven NBA-level playmaker and he can hold up defensively against most point guards. Payton has averaged 10.6 points, 8.6 assists and 1.8 steals in the G League this season. If a team needs an experienced ballhandler, Payton could handle some NBA action immediately.

Wings

Ethan Thompson – Mexico City Capitanes, SG/SF, 6’5’’, 24 years old

Thompson has been one of the G League’s best scorers this season. He’s averaging 23.1 points on 45% shooting. Thompson has also hit 39% of his 7.2 three-point attempts per game. It looks like Thompson has been a more active and competitive defender than during his first couple of professional seasons too. And he’s getting on the glass more, with 5.6 rebounds per game. Thompson could be a candidate for a two-way deal, for a team looking for some organizational wing depth.

Quenton Jackson – Windy City Bulls, SG/SF, 6’5’’, 25 years old

Jackson saw some limited NBA run with the Washington Wizards last season. He’s parlayed that into a strong start in the G League this season. Jackson has averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He’s a very competitive defender. Unfortunately, Jackson is hitting only 24% from behind the arc. If he were a more consistent shooter, Jackson would already be on an NBA roster.

Matthew Hurt – Memphis Hustle, SF/PF, 6’9’’, 23 years old

Hurt showed signs in his G League run a year ago, but has really broken out this season. He’s got good size for a wing, and he’s strong enough to guard up at the four. Hurt has been an improved finisher this season, as he’s averaging 13.2 points on 54% shooting. He’s also hit 39% of his 4.9 three-point attempts per game. The best thing? Hurt is one of the better help defenders in the G League, as he’s averaged 2.3 blocks per game.

Adonis Arms – Memphis Hustle, SF/SG, 6’6’’, 25 years old

As his name might suggest, Arms is a strong defender. He’s been one of the best defensive wings in the G League this season. He’s also flashed an improved shot, as he’s at 40% from behind the arc on 3.9 attempts per game. In addition, Arms is a stronger rebounder for a wing at 5.3 boards per game. He’s another candidate for a potential two-way contract for a team that needs a defensive-minded wing.

Maozinha Periera – Mexico City Capitanes, SF, 6’8’’, 23 years old

Periera is an under-the-radar guy, but he flashes when you catch Mexico City play. He’s a bouncy athlete who can really finish around the basket. He’s also an active rebounder at 10.3 boards per game. Most of his defense seems to be on instinct, but those instincts are good ones. Pereira averages 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s someone NBA teams should be looking to snag as a two-way project.

Darius Bazley – Delaware Blue Coats, SF/PF, 6’9’’, 23 years old

Bazley hasn’t been in the G League very long, but he’s already made a major impact. He’s averaging 21.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.0 blocks per game for Delaware. It’s clear that Bazley’s athleticism is NBA-level. He’s too quick and too strong for most G League players to defend. The challenge is that Bazley is still a shaky shooter, as witnessed by 27.6% on 6.4 three-pointers per game. If that improves, Bazley could be a late-bloomer (third draft?) callup for an NBA team.

Jaylen Nowell – Stockton Kings, SG, 6’4’’, 24 years old

Nowell is an NBA veteran. He’s also already played in the NBA this season, as he joined the Memphis Grizzlies on a hardship callup. Because of that, Nowell has played only five games in the G League. Those games have been enough to show he should be in the NBA. Nowell has scored with relative ease in the minors. The only thing holding him back remains an inconsistent jumper. Nowell fell from 39% from deep two seasons ago to 29% last season. And he hasn’t hit threes in the G League or NBA this year. If that corrects, Nowell will be back on an NBA roster for good.

Bigs

Trey Jemison – Birmingham Squadron, PF, 6’10’’, 24 years old

Jemison has the look of an NBA player. He’s big, quick, athletic and fairly smooth. He’s also a smart player who plays to his strengths and stays close to the basket. The scoring stats won’t jump out at you, but the G League is a guard’s league. Jemison is a solid enough finisher. Where he really shines is on defense. Jemison has grabbed 11.2 rebounds and blocked 1.8 shots per game. If a team needs an emergency big, Jemison should get a call. He’d be a sneaky addition a two-way project too.

Ruan Miranda – Mexico City Capitanes, PF/C, 6’9’’, 22 years old

Miranda is a capital “P” project, but he might be worth it. He’s extremely raw, but Miranda has the athletic tools. In just 15.5 minutes per game, he’s grabbing 4.8 rebounds and has been a terror on the offensive glass. The jumper is non-existent, but Miranda’s free throw form is alright. A big challenge will be teaching him how to use his athleticism without fouling. If a team has room for a two-way project, Miranda might be worth it.

Mouhamadou Gueye – Raptors 905, PF, 6’9’’, 25 years old

Gueye is a little older than some others on this list and his game is pretty old-school too. But he’s a player. This season, Gueye has flashed improved finishing around the basket. He’s up to 61% from the floor, which has led to 15.4 points per game. He’s also grabbing 7.4 rebounds. But what’s really stood out is Gueye is a natural shot blocker. The big man is at an impressive 2.9 rejections per game. He’s both good in straight-up defense and coming over from the weakside. Gueye might be ready to step in and help an NBA team with his energy and shot-blocking ability right away.

Chris Silva – College Park Skyhawks, PF, 6’8’’, 27 years old

Silva has been around the fringes of the NBA for years now. He’s undersized and a bit ground-bound to play on the interior in the NBA, and Silva can’t really step out and shoot it. But he’s incredibly strong and a solid screener, in a league where that’s a lost art. Silva is averaging 17.4 points on 61% shooting. He’s also grabbing 9.2 rebounds per game and handing out three assists. If an NBA team needs someone to come in and play a few frontcourt minutes per night on a 10-day deal, Silva is more than ready.

Jordan Bell – Indiana Mad Ants, PF, 6’7’’, 29 years old

The prospect shine is long-since gone from Bell, but he’s a better player now than during his NBA time. Bell has vacillated between starting and coming off the bench for the Mad Ants. In either role, he’s brought great energy to the floor. Bell is averaging only 11.1 points, but he’s mostly focused on defending, screening and moving the ball. Bell has pulled down 7.9 rebounds, blocked 2.6 shots and dished out 3.6 assists per game. He’s not two-way eligible, but Bell could help a team on a 10-day callup.

Non-G League Veterans to Watch

DeMarcus Cousins – Taiwan Beer Leopards, C, 6’11’’, 33 years old

Cousins signed on to play in Taiwan for a series of games. Following his initial contract, the team and Cousins will decide if he’ll sign a longer deal or not. If all goes well, Cousins could find his way back to the NBA. Last summer, in 19 games in Puerto Rico, Cousins averaged 19 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game. He still wants to play and could potentially help an NBA team as a backup center. The way back will come through proving he belongs in the league via a 10-day contract or two.

Austin Rivers – Free Agent, SG, 6’4’’, 31 years old

Rivers was good enough to appear in 52 games last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He averaged 4.9 points and hit 35% of his three-pointers for the Wolves, but Rivers rarely played after the trade deadline. He recently worked out for teams in Orlando and many came away feeling he looked good physically. Keep an eye on Rivers getting a 10-day deal or two to prove he deserves another NBA contract.

John Wall – Free Agent, PG, 6’3’’, 33 years old

Wall was traded from the LA Clippers at least season’s trade deadline, and subsequently waived. About a month prior to that, Wall had lost his rotation spot for the Clippers. He also worked out for NBA teams in Orlando. Some were surprised at how quick Wall looked, with a handful remarking he looked physically good enough to play in the NBA. Like Cousins and Rivers, Wall’s path to the league is via taking a 10-day deal or two and proving he can still contribute.

On a sleepy pre-New Year’s Eve Saturday afternoon, the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks swung a massive NBA trade. This trade agreement makes six consecutive seasons the NBA has seen a trade happen within weeks of trade season unofficially opening on December 15.

Here are the particulars:

• New York Knicks acquire: OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, Malachi Flynn
• Toronto Raptors acquire: RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, 2024 Detroit Pistons second-round pick

This is a somewhat rare trade between division rivals. This is especially true when both teams are currently pursuing postseason spots this season. And, if that wasn’t enough, both teams are embroiled in a lawsuit over a front office employee taking proprietary information with him when the left New York for Toronto this past summer.

However, none of that kept the two from coming together on what looks like a win-win trade. Let’s dive in!

New York Knicks

Incoming salary: $26.9 million in 2023-24

• OG Anunoby (SF, two years, $38.6 million, 2024-25 player option, $18.6 million in 2023-24)
• Precious Achiuwa (PF/C, one year, $4.4 million)
• Malachi Flynn (PG, one year, $3.9 million)

Outgoing salary: $28 million in 2023-24

• RJ Barrett (SG/SF, four years, $107 million, $23.9 million in 2023-24)
• Immanuel Quickley (PG, one year, $4.2 million)

The New York Knicks have not been a Tom Thibodeau style of defensive team over the last three seasons. After finishing third in the NBA in defensive rating in 2020-21, the Knicks have been 11th and 19th the last two seasons and currently sit a pedestrian 16th this season.

In addition, the Knicks have been an average or below-average three-point shooting team over the last few years.

Enter OG Anunoby.

Anunoby has been one of the NBA’s premier 3&D wings throughout his seven-year career. He’s consistently hit in the high-30% range on a healthy volume of attempts from deep. Defensively, he uses his 6-foot-7 frame to guard anyone 2-4. Anunoby is also quick enough to switch onto point guards, while being strong enough to switch onto centers.

The challenge is that Anunoby’s game has never leveled-up the way many hoped it would. When he signed his rookie extension, the hope was Anunoby would grow into more of an on-ball threat. That’s never really materialized.

Despite being a solid ball-mover, Anunoby isn’t a shot-creator. He’s dependent on others to get him good looks. That’s limited his upside as an offensive player.

On defense, Anunoby is a very good defensive player. However, as a wing, he’s not someone you can build your entire defense around. So, while he may continue to earn accolades for his individual defense, he’s not someone who can lift an average team defense from poor to good or good to great all by himself

In New York, Anunoby shouldn’t have to worry about doing any of those things on either end of the floor.

On offense, the Knicks have enough creators that Anunoby’s ability to consistently hit open threes will be welcomed. He’s a major upgrade over RJ Barrett in the phase of the game. Barrett is more likely to put the ball on the floor and to create something, but that’s less of a need when Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are around.

On defense, Anunoby being a bit bigger than Barrett is helpful. He’ll be able to slide up a position to play the four when Randle needs to sit, which is something Barrett can’t do. Anunoby’s ability to lock down one perimeter player, will also help the Knicks in hiding Brunson, while letting everyone else stay home more.

Expect New York’s starting lineup to look like this now:

• Isaiah Hartenstein
• Julius Randle
• OG Anunoby
• Donte DiVincenzo
• Jalen Brunson

Behind that group, New York will have Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes, Precious Achiuwa and Taj Gibson.

It’s the second-unit where the Knicks downgraded. Malachi Flynn has played better this year, but he’s not a replacement for Immanuel Quickley. That’s a big loss for New York. One silver lining: This does clean up the guard/wing rotation quite a bit. The Knicks had been trying to fit six players into what were really two spots. Someone was always getting shorted minutes, and that’s no longer an issue.

Achiuwa will help with frontcourt depth. Thibodeau is likely use him exclusively as a backup center, as opposed to having him play the four, which Toronto dabbled in. Mitchell Robinson is out for the season, which has pressed veteran Gibson into service behind Hartenstein. Putting it kindly, Gibson’s best days are behind him. Achiuwa will bring energy and the ability to run the floor behind Hartenstein.

Looking beyond this year, this trade has the initial feel of cleaning up New York’s cap sheet. However, that’s taking way too simplistic of an approach.

Yes, the Knicks shed over $100 million in salary for Barrett. And New York doesn’t have to pay Quickley in restricted free agency this summer, where the rumor was he wanted at least $100 million of his own. But the Knicks will need to pay Anunoby, and that’s going to eat into their cap flexibility a good deal.

There are basically three options for Anunoby’s next contract. He could sign an extension right now, but he’s limited to coming in under the extend-and-trade parameters. That would mean declining his player option for next season and signing a two-year extension worth about $40.1 million. Under the extend-and-trade rules, Anunoby would be limited to a 5% raise off his current $18.6 million deal. That would be about $19.6 million for next season, followed by a second year in 2025-26 at $20.5 million.

That’s a little light for what Anunoby could expect to get in free agency or via a standard veteran extension.

If this trade is completed on December 30 (and it’s expected it will be), Anunoby will be eligible to sign a standard veteran extension on June 30, when his six-month extension restriction would lift. That extension would be worth as much as $116.9 million over four years. That would see Anunoby declining his player option for next year, but extending for the max of four years, with a 40% raise from his current salary and then 8% raises after that.

That’s an average annual value (AAV) of about $29.2 million. That AAV is far more in range of what Anunoby could be looking at on his next deal, compared to the $20 million AAV he could extend for right now.

But, there’s a complicating factor here. Anunoby could choose to not extend and to play things out to unrestricted free agency this summer. He’d be eligible for a projected first-year max of $42.6 million as a free agent. That’s either from the Knicks or another team. Because New York has his full Bird rights, should Anunoby opt out this summer, they can give him up to that $42.6 million, and could add a fifth year onto the deal.

Now, Anunoby probably isn’t a max player. But he’s close to one. And because his skillset as one of the best 3&D players in the league can fit anywhere, he’ll be a prime free agent target for any cap space team. There are teams that have enough cap space to make Anunoby a max or near-max offer. That could force the Knicks to pay a bit more than Anunoby could fetch via an extension on June 30.

Putting it all together, there is no way Anunoby extends now. He’d be leaving too much money on the table. By the time June 30 rolls around, he’ll know if he should extend with the Knicks for just shy of $30 million AAV, or if he’s got bigger offers waiting for him in free agency. Or if he can simply get more, or a fifth year, from New York as a free agent.

As for Achiuwa and Flynn, they are both eligible for restricted free agency this summer. The Knicks will likely take a wait-and-see approach with both players. Achiuwa could be someone New York will invest in as a restricted free agent. Hartenstein will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Mitchell Robinson will be returning from a season-ending injury. If Achiuwa plays well the rest of this season, it’s easy to envision a world where he sticks in New York.

Flynn will probably be allowed to leave, as the Knicks already have other guards. And they like Miles McBride, who they’ve developed over the last few years and is in a similar spot to Flynn as a restricted free agent point guard.

Jumping back to this year: don’t expect New York to be done tinkering with their roster. This trade saved them some money on this year’s books. The Knicks are about $5 million below the luxury tax line and about $10 million under the tax apron, at which they are hard capped. That should be enough wiggle room to make additional moves, should the opportunity arise.

New York still has Evan Fournier’s pseudo-expiring $18.8 million contract (there is a $19 million team option for Fournier for 2024-25) to dangle in trade talks. If New York decides they need to upgrade another spot (center perhaps?), they’ve got that contract and enough room under the tax and apron to make it happen.

Toronto Raptors

Incoming salary: $28 million in 2023-24

• RJ Barrett (SG/SF, four years, $107 million, $23.9 million in 2023-24)
• Immanuel Quickley (PG, one year, $4.2 million)

Outgoing salary: $26.9 million in 2023-24

• OG Anunoby (SF, two years, $38.6 million, 2024-25 player option, $18.6 million in 2023-24)
• Precious Achiuwa (PF/C, one year, $4.4 million)
• Malachi Flynn (PG, one year, $3.9 million)

This trade signals the start of a reset for the Raptors. No more clunky three-forward lineups. No more searching for a long-term answer at point guard. This trade made Toronto more balanced, and they might not be done making moves.

RJ Barrett is a more versatile offensive player than OG Anunoby. Barrett is a better off-the-dribble creator than Anunoby is, and he’s a better playmaker than his assist numbers show. If he’s given a chance to do a little more on-ball creating in Toronto, Barrett could shine.

Barrett isn’t nearly the shooter Anunoby is, and that’s tough for a Raptors team that all too often struggles to make jumpers. Outside of hitting 40% in his sophomore season, Barrett has been a below-average three-point shooter. This season he’s ticked up slightly, but the idea of him becoming a good shooter is a thing of the past.

Defensively, Barrett is a notch or two below Anunoby too. He’s smaller, so he’s not as fully switchable as Anunoby. He’s much more of a pure wing defender. But Barrett is a good defender and should fit in well alongside Toronto’s other wings and forwards.

Where the Raptors did well on the court in this trade was snagging Immanuel Quickley. After breaking out last season and nearly winning Sixth Man of the Year, Quickley has been even better this season. And that’s despite losing playing time and some shots in a crowded Knicks backcourt.

Essentially, Quickley is a player whose profile screams a need for a bigger role. He’ll get it in Toronto. Dennis Schroder has played well for the Raptors, but he’s best as a backup at this point in his career. (Coincidentally, Toronto had recently moved Schroder to the bench in the last week.)

Simply put: Quickley can be the Raptors long-term answer at the point guard position.

Quickley is a score-first player, but there are some playmaking chops there that didn’t get a chance to shine in New York. As a scorer, Quickley excels in using screens to create his own looks. He’s a good pullup shooter and he’s got one of the best floaters in the game.

Just as importantly, Quickley is a good off-ball player too. In New York, where the ball is controlled by Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle most of the time, Quickley has learned how to spot-up for jumpers. Or he attacks hard closeouts to get into the paint himself for his floater, or to find a teammate.

That will be important in Toronto too, as Scottie Barnes has become the Raptors main offensive engine. Pascal Siakam will continue to drive the offense a lot too, for however long he’s still there (more on that in a bit). And it’s fair to expect Toronto to let Barrett run the show for some possessions too.

But Quickley is going to get a chance to show what he can do. He’s a major upgrade over Schroder. And his presence should allow Schroder to go back to the bench role where he excels.

On defense, Quickley is competitive against opposing ballhandlers. No pun intended, but he uses his quickness to stay in front of them, and to challenge for steals. Like most smaller guards, Quickley can get overwhelmed inside against bigger players. Toronto should have enough size on the floor to counter that, however.

One bonus with Quickley: He’s a very good rebounder for his size. He’s terrific at snagging a defensive board and triggering transition offense by himself. Look for that to be something that Toronto emphasizes.

Long-term, Barrett is in the fold for next several seasons. He’s under contract through 2026-27 with no options. Provided Barrett proves he can fit with Barnes as a forward/wing pairing, the Raptors should be set for a while at that spot. If that pairing doesn’t work, Barrett’s contract isn’t so onerous that he couldn’t be moved as the Raptors continue to find players to maximize Barnes.

Quickley will be a restricted free agent this summer. He reportedly wanted an extension in the range of $25 million AAV, and $100 million overall. That’s fair, but not something the Knicks were likely to do. Locking up that kind of money for Quickley, when Brunson was already in the fold and entrenched as the starting point guard, would have been somewhat questionable for New York.

Toronto doesn’t have those worries. They can give Quickley that type of deal to bring them stability at the point guard position for the next several years. If bidding gets a little higher for Quickley as a restricted free agent, the Raptors can control the process by matching any offer sheet he signs.

As for the rest of this season, there are reports that Toronto will continue to look to trade Pascal Siakam. He’s a pending free agent, and both he and the Raptors had reportedly set a tentative deadline of December 30 to reach an agreement on an extension. If that comes to pass without a new deal, then Toronto could look to move Siakam before risking losing him for nothing this summer.

As of now, there is reportedly no traction on a trade for Siakam, but that could change quickly. Several teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors have expressed interest in Siakam over the past two years. If Toronto chooses to move on from Siakam, they’ll have no problem finding a trade partner.

The key will be what kind of deal the Raptors make. Adding Barrett and Quickley in this trade signals the Raptors are resetting, not rebuilding. Expect a similar type of return for Siakam, in terms of players who can play now.

Assume Toronto will also explore the trade market for Gary Trent Jr., as he’s likely to return to a bench role after this deal. Trent, like Siakam, is set for unrestricted free agency this summer. He’s also extension-eligible, but nothing seems to be moving forward in that area.

Toronto also has over $14 million in expiring salary for Otto Porter Jr. and Thaddeus Young, which would go a long way towards matching contracts in trades. Both are players to keep an eye on ahead of the February 8 trade deadline. As it stands, Toronto is about $2 million under the luxury tax line now. That’s tight, but they should have enough room to make moves, if they want to take on a bit more money.

The Raptors also acquired what looks like it will be the best second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft in this trade, as they are getting the Detroit Pistons 2024 second-round pick via the Knicks. That pick projects to be the 31st pick, as the Pistons remain mired in a record-setting losing streak as of this writing. That’s a great value for pick for Toronto to have, whether they use it themselves or dangle it in trade talks.

Long-term, the Raptors took on over $100 million in this trade. That figure is likely to jump to over $200 million, once they re-sign Quickley. But the franchise now has a sense of stability with those two in the fold. If they extend Siakam and/or Trent, that stability only increases. If they trade either Siakam or Trent, they’ll have fully reset both the team on the floor and the cap sheet.

Mostly, Toronto now has a sense of optionality that didn’t exist prior to this trade. They can go in a lot of different directions, and it feels like Masai Ujiri might just be getting started in reshaping the Raptors.

The Detroit Pistons made the kind of history on Tuesday night that no one wants to make. The Pistons lost their 27th consecutive single-season game. Next up is the overall record of 28 straight losses, which was set by the “Process” Philadelphia 76ers over two seasons.

Things in Detroit are a mess. And that’s being kind.

The Pistons haven’t sniffed a .500 season since 2018-19. They haven’t had a winning record since 2015-16.

This once-proud franchise hasn’t won a single playoff game since Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals.

Only a couple of four-game sweeps as the eighth seed in a woeful Eastern Conference separate the Pistons from a Sacramento Kings-like run of futility.

So…what needs to happen to fix this?

Detroit’s governor Tom Gores scoffed at the idea that he should sell the team. Under his stewardship, the Pistons have posted a .348 winning percentage. He can tout his and his team’s philanthropic work in the community all he wants, but no Detroit fan is really going to care. All NBA teams do great work in the community. What fans really want is an owner who will hire the right people and write checks that lead to winning.

Assuming Gores is going nowhere, we’ll have to work within the construct that he’s running things. In a recent interview, Gores said he’s deeply involved in trying to help the Pistons snap the losing streak, both this season and overall. The Detroit owner said conversations are happening at such a granular level that he’s talking rotations with Monty Williams.

So, that’s kind of where we’ll start: honest conversations.

Troy Weaver

Troy Weaver took over the Pistons front office in June of 2020. His immediate deals made it clear that Weaver was resetting the franchise in a major way.

While we all laughed at Weaver’s apparent proclivity for acquiring centers, the Pistons were on a path. Detroit’s new general manager was acquiring assets by shipping out players and renting out cap space to take on undesirable salary. Weaver also landed a good free agent signing in Jerami Grant. That seemed contradictory to the teardown process, but he got Grant on a solid value contract. Grant’s deal was immediately deemed tradable, and he eventually was.

Sadly, that was probably the high point of Weaver’s run to date.

The losing continued, which was to be somewhat expected. It’s the rate it’s continued at, with an ever-increasing feeling of hopelessness that wasn’t expected.

That means it’s time for Tom Gores to have an honest conversation with and about Weaver. If there is any doubt that Weaver is the one who should lead this team beyond this season, it’s imperative that Gores fire him now.

The number one enemy of a stable franchise is a bad owner. Right behind that is the hot seat GM.

If Gores isn’t 100% sold that Weaver is the guy to handle an offseason where the Pistons project to have close to $40 million in cap space, then he needs to pull the plug right now. Letting Weaver handle a trade deadline, where he’s fighting for his job, could result in a series of deals and non-deals that set the Pistons even further back then they are now.

Isn’t that a scary thought?

This space will rarely campaign for anyone to lose a job, outside of abhorrent non-basketball behavior. But this space is also realistic enough to know that sometimes it’s just time for change.

Weaver has had three-and-a-half seasons. The Pistons have a .233 winning percentage during that time. They win roughly once every four games. The initial losing was a byproduct of starting over. But it’s only gotten worse.

Weaver has continued to rent out cap space, but he’s never acquired that great package of assets to do so. His free agent signings have been somewhere between irrelevant and bad since inking Grant. The draft has been his sole “success” and that’s still a very open question.

Gores needs to hear Weaver’s plan for today, tomorrow and the next several years. If there is a single part of that plan that doesn’t feel right, it’s time to move on.

Monty Williams

Tom Gores, and whoever is running the front office, next need to have an honest conversation with and about Monty Williams. And the “whoever is running the front office” part is of paramount importance here. If Gores isn’t going to involve the front office in picking a coach, then this entire exercise is futile. Nothing will change if there isn’t synergy at the top of the organization.

Gores is a business man at heart. All business men know you can’t continue to throw good money after bad. Sometimes you have to take your losses and move on.

That’s where it seems like the Pistons might be with Williams.

Yes, Williams is only 30 games into a reported six-year deal that is worth at least $80 million. But he’s lost 28 of those games, including 27 in a row (and counting).

It should have been a red flag/blaring alarm/flashing warning signal when Detroit had to keep going back to Williams to take the job in the first place. Not taking no for an answer is a tenet of business, but knowing when to walk away is just as important.

Now, Detroit is locked into a six-year deal for a ton of money with a coach who doesn’t fit. Some days, Williams seems to want to be anywhere else. Other days, he’s engaged, but is prioritizing all the wrong things.

Is it going to be easy to eat one of the richest coaching contracts in NBA history? Nope. Might it be necessary? Yup.

If Gores can’t have honest conversations with and about his GM and coach, and then make the changes necessary, Pistons fans might as well pick a new team. Nothing is going to change.

The Veterans

Now we get into the on-court stuff. The Pistons have some veteran players that should be desirable trade pieces as we approach the trade deadline. Detroit should be able to get some assets back for these players.

Sound familiar?

It should, because it’s the exact same conversation we had last year. And it’s about some of the exact same players too.

The Pistons didn’t trade Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks last season. A year later, the same conversation about the same players can’t have the same result.

Maybe no one met Detroit’s asking price for either guy last year. Maybe Troy Weaver wanted too much. Maybe it was just that the Pistons really thought they’d be better this year and that those guys would aid in a postseason push.

That’s all fair. We aren’t going to beat them up too much for last year’s decisions. This year, however, it has to be different.

Bogdanovic missed some time with injuries, and he’s not much of a defender anymore, but he’s still a terrific scorer and shooter. His contract is also very movable at $20 million for this season, and only $2 million of his $19 million deal guaranteed next season.

Burks is a different story. He’s having a miserable season. Detroit might have missed their best opportunity to sell high on Burks a year ago.

Detroit should be able to get a protected first-round pick for Bogdanovic. Burks is probably only fetching a second-round pick, and that’s only if a team is convinced that he can get back to being a good shooter.

How the Pistons could improve their return is by putting the two together and taking back some undesirable long-term salary. Would that eat into their cap space this summer? Yes. Does that matter? Not really. Detroit isn’t positioned to be a real free agency player, and this free agent class isn’t that good anyway.

The Pistons should also be looking to see if there is any trade interest in Monte Morris (who has yet to play this season due to a quad injury), Joe Harris and Marvin Bagley III. Playoff teams are always looking for bench help and Morris and Harris both have postseason experience. Both are also on expiring contracts. Bagley has another year left, so he’s probably going to be harder to move. It’s still worth exploring though.

The return for any of Morris, Harris and Bagley won’t be great. Maybe a second-round pick (or two for Morris) is what the Pistons can hope for. Again, if Detroit puts them together and takes on some questionable long-term salary in a trade, the return should go up.

The Kids

For a team in the spot the Pistons are in, we’d usually point to their young players as reason for optimism. For example, the San Antonio Spurs are also terrible, but at least they have Victor Wembanyama and a host of other interesting young players.

For Detroit, that’s much more of a mixed bag.

Cade Cunningham is still a very good prospect. He’s may not hit the heights once hoped for as the first overall pick, but Cunningham is only 22 and he’s showing real signs this year of his all-around ability. Cunningham is still worth building around.

Jalen Duren is the next best prospect on the team. Despite battling injuries this season, Duren looks like a nightly double-double threat who can also protect the rim. He’s a worthy running mate for Cunningham.

Ausar Thompson is also a definite keeper. It’s all semi-unharnessed chaotic energy right now, but there’s a real player in there. Thompson’s skillset already looks like someone who might be the NBA’s most versatile defender someday. And if the shot comes around…

After those three, there are questions. Marcus Sasser shows the most potential. At the very least, he looks like he can be a high-end backup point guard. He’s a keeper.

Isaiah Stewart is fine. On a good team, he’d be an ideal third big. Stewart plays with great energy and his outside shot looks real. But he’s about to be at least slightly overpaid on his rookie scale extension. That puts his true value in a weird place. Detroit should keep him unless they get a good offer, but that’s probably a down-the-line thing.

For Killian Hayes (despite Monty Williams obsession with starting him), James Wiseman and Isaiah Livers, the shine is off them as prospects. Hayes has improved from a terrible shooter to a simply bad one. That’s not good enough. Wiseman remains a complete mystery box. He looks like a keeper one game; then like he’ll be on the fringes of the NBA for the next five games. And, after a promising rookie season, Livers has gotten worse for two consecutive seasons. None are going to be a part of the future in Detroit.

Last, but not least, is Jaden Ivey. He’s truly the hardest player to evaluate of the young Pistons. Ivey had a pretty good rookie season. He wasn’t very efficient, but Ivey could create his own shot, and he was a better playmaker for others than anticipated. This season, Ivey’s role has fluctuated and he’s been kind of a mess. The guess here is that Ivey is closer to the rookie version than what we’ve seen this season.

So, there are five keepers among the kids on the roster. That’s actually pretty solid. It’s also fine to keep Stewart as the rest of the roster sorts out. The rest can be added into trades or deprioritized as the rest of the season plays out.

The Rotation

This is where the Pistons can make the most immediate impact. It won’t translate in wins this year, but that hardly matters anymore. The idea is to build for the future.

One of Tom Gores immediate conversations with Troy Weaver and Monty Williams should be about the goals for the rest of this season. Those should be:

• Maximizing spacing around Cade Cunningham, as best as possible, to see what he can really be. By April, the Pistons should know if Cunningham is a true number one in progress, or a very good complementary player.
• Letting Ausar Thompson have some on-ball reps every game. It might be really messy. Actually, it will be really messy. But that’s fine. This is all about him learning.
• Challenging Jalen Duren with different defensive responsibilities. Play him in drop coverages. Play him at the level of the ball. Switch with him and see what happens. He’ll get burned some, but the idea is to know what works with him as a defensive anchor and what doesn’t.
• Getting Jaden Ivey more minutes and touches. Play him with Cunningham as a secondary creator. Play him as the lead playmaker for stints. Find out if Ivey is the guy he looked like as a rookie, or if he’s a nice, but replaceable rotation player.
• In order to do this, Gores or Weaver, or both, have to take some of the tools out of Williams’ tool bag.

Remember the “Can’t play Pena” scene from Moneyball? Brad Pitt’s version of Billy Beane tells Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Art Howe that he can no longer play Carlos Pena over Scott Hatteberg, because Beane has traded Pena.

If Williams won’t stop giving rotation minutes, let alone starts, to guys like Killian Hayes and Marvin Bagley, then it’s probably time to get them off the roster. Those are wasted opportunities to evaluate players who will be a part of the Pistons future.

Beyond that, it’s time to stop giving minutes to guys like James Wiseman, Isaiah Livers, Kevin Knox and Joe Harris. Again, none are going to be a part of the next good Pistons team. Stop wasting minutes and opportunities.

The team should focus on the core guys and the guys who maximize them, while they are still in Detroit. Here’s a proposal for the Pistons rotation for the rest of the season:

Starters

• Cade Cunningham
• Jaden Ivey
• Ausar Thompson
• Bojan Bogdanovic
• Jalen Duren

Bench

• Marcus Sasser
• Alec Burks
• Isaiah Stewart
• Marvin Bagley III or James Wiseman (but for no more than 10-12 minutes per game)
• Veteran X (game-by-game need)

That’s it. If you want to mix in Joe Harris over Alec Burks, no real complaint here. If you want to see if Isaiah Livers can figure it out with more opportunity, fine. If you want to bring Stanley Umude up from his two-way deal and give him 15 minutes per game, that’s probably even better. Burks is more of a placeholder at this point, than he is a building block.

As for everyone else, they are trade fodder or they sit until their contract runs out. Or, if desired, they can attempt to work a buyout. In that case, Detroit can cycle through their two-way players and G League callups to see if someone pops as a potential long-term roster piece.

That rotation gives the Pistons a good mix of guards, wings and bigs. There’s still not enough shooting, but that’s a handicap of the current roster. The idea is to put the best players around Cunningham to open games, while also making sure the young building blocks see as many minutes as they can handle.

The Offseason

The Pistons can create around $40 million in cap space for the 2024 offseason. That figure could climb even higher, pending what moves are made at the trade deadline and in advance of free agency.

We already outlined what the trade deadline strategy should be for Detroit. We’d move on from as many of the vets as possible, while taking on some money to plus-up returns where possible.

Whether that happens by February 8’s trade deadline or not is almost irrelevant. The strategy should remain the same, no matter what. Detroit isn’t going to be in the mix for the best free agents, assuming any of them even hit the market. It won’t benefit the Pistons to go all-in on a secondary or tertiary free agent option.

That isn’t to suggest the Pistons can have only kids on the roster. Some veteran presence is necessary. But that can be found as free agency winds down and money dries up. Detroit could overpay a veteran or two, or even three, on deals that run for only one or two years.

Players that could fit this mold are Gary Harris, Tauren Prince, Doug McDermott or maybe even Gordon Hayward. For some frontcourt depth, the Pistons could target undervalued players like Moritz Wagner, Drew Eubanks, Mike Muscala or Vlatko Cancar.

None of those players would be headline signings, but all would fit what the Pistons need, while not detracting from any of the kids. All can, at least, shoot or defend. All are professionals who can help the younger players, without stepping on them. And all are attainable, without having to grossly overpay.

Ideally, Detroit will use their cap space by taking on some salary in trades. The key? They need to come away with real assets this time. No more renting out cap space for middling returns. Get valuable draft picks and/or young players. If they can’t, then focus on signing undervalued free agents that can fill roles.

Summary

There is no point in continuing to bail out a boat that has already sunk to the bottom. The only recourse is to get a new boat. Salvage what you can and start your journey anew.

That’s the goal for the Detroit Pistons. There are no quick fixes here. This team might end up being one of the worst in NBA history. So be it. It is what it is.

The goal is to move forward. There are kids who can be a part of the next good Pistons team. There are tradable vets who can return real assets. Managing the cap flexibility is key. Whether it’s smart free agent signings or taking on salary for help returns, the front office has to get that right.

If Troy Weaver and Monty Williams can’t get behind the plan laid out above, then Tom Gores needs to swallow hard and wish them well in their future endeavors. And if Gores isn’t willing to make the hard decisions to get the team headed in a new direction, then those “Sell the team!” chants are only going to get louder and even more persistent.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got dealt a double dose of bad news on Friday afternoon. First, it came out that Darius Garland is set to miss several weeks due to a fractured jaw. Garland was injured in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis early in the second half of the Cavaliers loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday. It was subsequently reported that Garland would likely miss a month.

Roughly an hour later it was reported that Evan Mobley would miss six-to-eight weeks due to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Mobley has already missed the Cavs last four games due to the knee injury.

It’s tough to lose a single starter to injury. Losing two of them in the span of an hour is even harder to swallow. And when those starters are an All-Star (Garland) and an All-Defensive team player (Mobley), it’s really hard to fathom.

As of Friday, Cleveland is 13-12 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They’ve had only 11 games with their five starters available. After finishing 51-31 and fourth in the Eastern Conference a season ago, this season has been an injury-marred disappointment.

But all hope isn’t lost for Cleveland. They’ve still got Donovan Mitchell. Jarrett Allen is still backing the NBA’s eighth-best defense. Max Strus could take more shots. Caris LeVert is perfectly capable of increasing his scoring and playmaking. Dean Wade and Georges Niang can help hold down the power forward spot until Mobley returns.

However, it’s rarely about the next man up in the NBA. It’s usually more about who is the “next” next man up. Who steps into the roles behind the backups who have to do more? That’s where problems tend to lie.

For Cleveland, the answers aren’t really clear. When they were in this situation in 2021-22 and needed point guard depth, Koby Altman swung a small trade to pick up Rajon Rondo from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Cavs have some internal options they could look at, beyond the players already in the rotation that will be asked to do more. And maybe a couple of other players who are out will make their way back into the fold.

One thing is clear: Cleveland needs to find some additional depth for the next several weeks to stay in the playoff hunt. Let’s take a look at where the Cavaliers might find it.

Internal Options

At point guard, Cleveland has some pretty capable options already in the fold. Unfortunately, two of those players are also currently unavailable. Ty Jerome is recovering from a severe ankle sprain that’s kept him out for a month-and-a-half. Ricky Rubio has yet to play this season, as he’s handling a personal situation. It’s unclear when, or if, Rubio will return.

If either Jerome or Rubio were able to go, and the Cavs certainly won’t pressure either of them before they are ready, they’d step in for Dairus Garland. As it stands, the only other actually healthy point guard on the roster is two-way player Craig Porter Jr.

Porter has appeared in 14 games for Cleveland already. The 6-foot-2 playmaker has held up fairly well in backup duty, as he’s averaged 7.2 points in 14.3 minutes per game. Porter isn’t much of a threat from deep, but he’s tough and a good finisher. He’s also got more passing chops than he’s shown in the NBA to this point.

Porter can handle more minutes. But he’s all the Cavs have left at the position at the moment. Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert can play point guard, but both are score-first guys. And neither is ideal for defending opposing ballhandlers.

Also, as a two-way player, there are some issues with relying on Porter to take on a key role over the next several weeks. Players signed to a two-way contract are limited to being on the active roster for 50 games per season. Porter is already at 23 games this season. That’s nearly half of his allotted games. If Garland is out just one month, that would be 13 more games.

That’s not exactly untenable. Cleveland would just have to hope that Garland is back after missing only a month. And, for the rest of the season, they’d have to manage the 14 or so NBA games Porter would have left to be active for.

Up front, the story is a little different. Dean Wade has started the last four games in place of Evan Mobley. It’s likely that will continue. Georges Niang will continue to play a key role off the bench as the backup four and small-ball five.

An additional downside to Mobley being out is that he functions as the Cavs de facto backup center too. Niang can only do so much as a backup for Jarrett Allen. That means some additional minutes could be available for Damian Jones behind Allen.

Jones has been up and down throughout his career. He played well for the Sacramento Kings two seasons ago. Then Jones struggled with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, before remerging with some good games after being traded to the Utah Jazz. Look for Jones to get the first crack at additional minutes, but Cleveland needs to prepared to look elsewhere.

If Niang can hold up to some extent as the backup five, the Cavaliers could have two other two-way players step forward.

Odd as it may be, Isaiah Mobley could benefit from his brother being out. The elder Mobley has seen limited action in his two NBA seasons, but he’s been excellent in the G League over that time. The 6-foot-8 forward has proven to be a double-double threat, as he averaged 22.1 points and 9.9 rebounds over 17 games with the Cleveland Charge. He’s also a decent shot-blocker with 20 blocks over that same set of games.

If Cleveland wants even more scoring punch with upside, they could hand some minutes to rookie two-way player Emoni Bates. The 6-foot-8 wing has seen limited NBA action in seven games, but he’s been tearing up the G League this season. In nine games with the Charge, Bates has averaged 24.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks. Even better than his counting stats: Bates has shot 46.3% from the field, and an impressive 42.2% on a whopping 10 three-point attempts per game.

Outside of the two-way players, Cleveland’s only real hope from their internal options is a return to play for Jerome or Rubio. Otherwise, they’re looking outside of the organization to get by.

Free Agent Options

Cleveland is sitting on an open roster spot. Part of the reason the Cavaliers have an open roster spot is that they are just $752,133 beneath the luxury tax line. The Cavs haven’t paid the tax outside of the LeBron James years in their history. That’s acted as a de facto hard cap on adding salary in recent years.

If the Cavs looked to the free agent market for help, they’d find some stopgap options. The question is if any of those players are worth going into the tax for, or leaving Koby Altman looking for a salary-shedding move to dip under the tax by the trade deadline.

If Cleveland was to sign a free agent ahead of their next game on Saturday, December 16, here’s what they’d be looking at for each tier:

• Rookie Free Agent: $778,547
• One Year of Service Free Agent: $1,252,954
• Two-Years of Service Free Agent (veteran minimum): $1,404,508

That’s the prorated amount for each tier of free agent. Even signing a rookie free agent would see Cleveland go over the tax line.

Now, there are some workarounds here. The Cavaliers could sign a free agent to a non-guaranteed contract, keep them until Garland and/or Mobley returns and then waive that player. Let’s say they need that player for 45 days (allotting a bit more time for Garland to return beyond a month), the Cavs would be on the hook for the following in guaranteed salary:

• Rookie Free Agent: $289,542
• One Year of Service Free Agent: $465,975
• Two-Years of Service Free Agent (veteran minimum): $522,338

That would keep Cleveland clear of the tax line, with a little bit of play, should they need to keep the player longer.

It’s worth noting, if Altman wanted to convert one of his two-way players, they would end up on a prorated minimum contract too. Emoni Bates and Craig Porter Jr. are rookies, while Isaiah Mobley has one year of service.

The other option Cleveland could take is to wait until teams are allowed to sign 10-Day contracts. That starts on January 5, 2024. The 10-Day contract tiers are the following for each 10-Day deal:

• Rookie Free Agent: $64,343
• One Year of Service Free Agent: $103,550
• Two-Years of Service Free Agent (veteran minimum): $116,075

That’s definitely an option for the Cavaliers to fill their open roster, while cycling through different players. Two challenges with 10-Day contracts: First, Cleveland would have to wait three weeks to sign a player to such a deal. Second, teams are limited to signing the same player to only two 10-Day deals per season, before they have to sign them for the remainder of the season.

If Cleveland wants to pursue some free agent options, here are some point guards they could look at:

• Michael Carter-Williams (Mexico City Capitanes): Carter-Williams isn’t scoring much in the G League, nor shooting well. But he’s played well in setting his team up and he’s played very solid defense. He’s also got loads of experience at the NBA level.
• Scotty Pippen Jr. (South Bay Lakers): Pippen is playing well for the G League Lakers. He’s scoring and shooting at a solid clip, and he’s been an improved playmaker in his second professional season. He looks primed for a callup.
• Jason Preston (Memphis Hustle): Preston has been one of the G League’s better playmakers this season. He’s also done a nice job getting to the basket and finishing. Preston also has good size for the position.
• Brandon Goodwin (Westchester Knicks): Goodwin is forever on the fringes of the NBA. He’s been on rosters as a standard and two-way player. Shooting remains a concern, but Goodwin is a tough defender, good rebounder for his size and a solid playmaker. The Cavs also have familiarity with him from previous stints with the team.

If the Cavs feel they need help up front more, here are some G League options worth a look:

• Mouhamadou Gueye (Raptors 905): Gueye has been one of the best shot-blockers and rebounders in the G League this season. He’s bouncy and athletic and a good finisher. It’s unlikely he makes it much past the G League Showcase next week without at least a two-way deal.
• Trey Jemison (Birmingham Squadron): Jemison is in the same vein as Gueye. He’s done a nice job blocking shots and he’s even better on the boards. He’s not quite as strong of a finisher, but he has nice touch out to about 10-15 feet.
• Maozinha Pereira (Mexico City Capitanes): Pereira is a 6-foot-8 ball of energy. He’s all over the glass on both ends and he’s a physical defender with some shot-blocking ability too. He’s also a good finisher in the paint. Pereira can also step out and shoot it a little bit.
• Meyers Leonard (unsigned): Leonard finished out the year with the Milwaukee Bucks and looked pretty solid. He seemed to work past the off-court racial slur issue that saw him out of the NBA for near two years too. If he’s in shape and wants to play, Leonard is probably worth bringing in for at least a workout to see where he’s at.

Trade Options

The same luxury tax issues exist if the Cavaliers want to make a trade. They probably be limited in how much money they’d want to bring back. Two years ago, Rajon Rondo was a very easy acquisition, because he was on a veteran minimum contract and the Cavs didn’t have to give up much to get him.

This time around, the Cavs are going to be hard-pressed to find such an easy trade target. However, if they are willing to take on some money in a deal, things will open up considerably. And the easiest way to get there is a potentially uncomfortable path, but a familiar one.

At the 2022 trade deadline, Ricky Rubio was out for the season due to a torn ACL. Cleveland used his expiring contract to acquire Caris LeVert. That July, after Rubio’s contract ended, the Cavs re-signed him to the deal he’s currently on.

If Cleveland wants to make a trade, they might be looking at a similar type of situation. Rubio’s $6.1 million contract is their best piece of salary-matching in a trade, that doesn’t belong to a current rotation player. It might be uncomfortable to trade a player who is away from the team dealing with a personal issue, but the history says it could be something Rubio is amenable to again. $4.25 million of Rubio’s $6.4 million contract is guaranteed for 2024-25, so the acquiring team could treat him as a way to get off some longer-team salary that they may not want.

If Cleveland is open to trading Rubio (and, to be clear, they might need to add someone else to plus-up the salary-matching for a bigger salary), here is a list of some players who make sense as trade targets:

Point Guards

• Alec Burks (Detroit Pistons): one year, $10.5 million remaining

• T.J. McConnell (Indiana Pacers): two years, $18 million remaining (2024-25 has $5 million of $8.3 million guaranteed)

• Jordan McLaughlin (Minnesota Timberwolves): one year, $2.3 million remaining

• Monte Morris (Detroit Pistons): one year, $9.8 million remaining

Bigs

• Mo Bamba (Philadelphia 76ers): one year, $2 million remaining (veteran minimum deal, would not require salary-matching)

• Andre Drummond (Chicago Bulls): one year, $3.4 million remaining

• Sandro Mamukelashvili (San Antonio Spurs: one year, $2 million remaining (veteran minimum deal, would not require salary-matching)

• Mike Muscala (Washington Wizards): one year, $3.5 million remaining

• Kelly Olynyk (Utah Jazz): one year, $12.2 million remaining

• P.J. Tucker (LA Clippers): two years, $22.5 million remaining (2024-25 is a $11.5 million player option)

December 15 is a big day on the NBA calendar. On that date, the vast majority of the players who signed over the summer become trade-eligible. While NBA “trade season” doesn’t have an official opening day, December 15 might as well be it. Around the league, executives refer to this period as the “Early Trade Season”.

In each of the last five years, the NBA has seen a trade made somewhere between days and weeks of “Early Trade Season” opening:

• January 5, 2023: Noah Vonleh traded from the Boston Celtics to the San Antonio Spurs in a salary-shedding/tax avoidance move for Boston
• January 3, 2022: Rajon Rondo traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal that also involved the New York Knicks
• January 16, 2021 (this season worked on an adjusted calendar due to starting a month later): James Harden was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and included seven players and multiple draft picks changing hands
• December 23, 2019: Jordan Clarkson was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Dante Exum
• December 17, 2018: Trevor Ariza was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers

Sometimes the trades involve players where the teams had to wait for the restriction to lift, and other times it’s just time for a deal to happen. Often, these deals are the results of months of trade talks that finally come to fruition in mid-to-late-December. But one thing is certain: be on the lookout for movement when “Early Trade Season” opens on Friday, December 15.

Here’s an initial list of players to keep an eye on as trade season kicks into full gear:

Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls)

Contract status: four years, $178 million
2023-24 salary: $40,064,220

Each year, there is a player we can kind of cheat on because they’ve been in the news cycle. This year, it’s LaVine. He’s currently recovering from right foot inflammation, but all reports are clear that LaVine’s time with the Bulls is coming to an end. One challenge? A LaVine trade could drag out until closer to the February 8 trade deadline, because matching salary for $40 million is tricky until more trade restrictions lift on January 15.

Jevon Carter (Chicago Bulls)

Contract status: three years, $19.5 million
2023-24 salary: $6,190,476

Sticking with Bulls for a moment…Yes, Chicago could go the full teardown route and move DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic along with Zach LaVine, but that doesn’t seem likely. What could happen is Jevon Carter being on the move. Despite being an offseason addition, Carter plays the least in a crowded Bulls backcourt. He has a very movable contract and could help a number of contenders. That’s a oft-seen recipe for a trade.

Reggie Jackson (Denver Nuggets)

Contract status: two years, $10.25 million
2023-24 salary: $5,000,000

This one might seem a little unfair, because Jackson is playing well for the Nuggets. But you have to read the tea leaves a bit in this sort of exercise. Jackson is the only salary Denver has that is large enough to potentially get them a player of value. He also waived his ability to block a trade when he re-signed with Denver this summer. The Nuggets didn’t get that concession for no reason. If Denver makes a meaningful trade, Jackson will probably be involved.

Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets)

Contract status: one year, $7.9 million
2023-24 salary: $7,921,301

It was reported over the summer that Bridges and the Hornets never got close on a long-term contract. That led to Bridges signing his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent, before serving the remainder of his suspension from the NBA for the first 10 games of the season. Bridges has played well since his return and looks like the guy who was in line for a max deal before domestic violence incidents cause him to miss last season. Bridges can block any trade, and a team will have to feel comfortable trading for him with his volatile past hanging over him (there’s another pending incident that is being investigated at some level). However, it’s clear Bridges isn’t likely to stay with Charlotte long-term, so that makes him someone teams will check in on for a potential trade.

Gordon Hayward (Charlotte Hornets)

Contract status: one year, $31.5 million
2023-24 salary: $31,500,000

Hayward is having a really good season. He’s shooting well and doing his all-around thing on both ends. Most importantly, he’s held up physically…so far. It’s a big number to trade for, but if a contender needs a player who can do a little to a lot of everything, Hayward should be in play. But it’s buyer beware, because it feels like the next injury is always lurking just around the corner.

Jerami Grant (Portland Trail Blazers)

Contract status: five years, $160 million
2023-24 salary: $27,586,207

When Grant re-signed with Portland this past summer, it felt like it was a “Convince Damian Lillard to stay” move. Lillard ended up asking for, and getting, a trade, but the Blazers maintained they were happy to have Grant staying in the fold. And he’s delivered a very solid season for Portland so far. But the Trail Blazers are rebuilding. It might be early for Grant to get traded, given the length of his contract, but it’s unlikely he’s going to see the end of this deal in Portland. And that means a trade could come while his number is lower and more easily acquirable.

Los Angeles Lakers

Players to watch: D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves

The Lakers are always active on the trade market. They rebuilt their entire roster around LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves during trade season a year ago. If Los Angeles is going to make a significant deal this time around, some package of the players listed above is going to be how it gets done. We listed them in the order of “most likely to be traded” to least likely. D’Angelo Russell waived his implied no-trade clause, likely in exchange for some additional salary. That didn’t happen because a trade is off the table. Keep an eye on the Lakers over the next month or so.

Detroit Pistons

Players to watch: Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Joe Harris, Monte Morris

Detroit hung onto Bogdanovic and Burks last season because no one met their asking price, and they intended to be a postseason contender this season. Well, after 21 consecutive losses (as of this writing), Detroit can’t afford such luxuries this time around. They don’t need to give their veterans away, but it’s time to trade them off to contenders before the deadline. That’ll see the Pistons starting over yet again, but there’s no reason to keep bailing out this boat when it’s already at the bottom of the lake.

San Antonio Spurs

Players to watch: Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman

The Spurs are almost as bad as the Pistons. They’ve lost 18 straight (as of this writing), but they at least have Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio also has a glut of wings that only kind of, sort of fit together. Recent reporting is that Johnson could be on the move to break up that logjam. McDermott and Osman are on expiring contracts and fill the ever-present need of wing shooting with size for contenders. Also worth noting: The Spurs have been a lot more active with in-season trades in recent years, after famously sitting out the trade deadline for the better part of two decades.

Washington Wizards

Players to watch: Tyus Jones, Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet

Washington is basically Detroit and San Antonio bad, minus the absurdly long losing streaks. The Wizards intentionally set upon this path though. After years of muddling around the middle, Washington’s new front office kicked off a long-awaited rebuild. Jordan Poole’s and Kyle Kuzma’s contracts might be too large to move in-season, but the Wizards have a host of tradable role players that could help playoff teams. All of the above players are on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts too. That could make them really attractive to a team that wants to make a playoff push, but doesn’t want to lock in long-term just yet.