The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite the Los Angeles Lakers making a late push to rebuild their roster ahead of training camp.

Teams are mostly adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Southeast Division is a mix of contenders, middle-of-the-pack squads and rebuilding teams. The Miami Heat are annually in the mix to the make the NBA Finals, and this season shouldn’t be any different. The Atlanta Hawks are looking to rebound and make an Eastern Conference Finals run like they did in 2021. The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards seem perpetually stuck around the Play-In picture. The Orlando Magic are the worst team in the division, but their future is arguably the brightest of any Southeast Division team.

Atlanta Hawks

Additions: A.J. Griffin (2022 NBA Draft), Maurice Harkless (trade), Aaron Holiday (free agency), Justin Holiday (trade), Frank Kaminsky (free agency), Tyrese Martin (2022 NBA Draft), Dejounte Murray (trade), Trent Forrest (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Sharife Cooper (waived), Gorgui Dieng (Spurs via free agency), Danilo Gallinari (Celtics after being waived by Spurs after trade), Kevin Huerter (Kings via trade), Kevin Knox (Pistons via free agency), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (unrestricted free agent), Skylar Mays (unrestricted free agent), Lou Williams (unrestricted free agent), Delon Wright (Wizards via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis:  The Hawks have retooled their rotation around mainstays Trae Young, John Collins and Clint Capela. Atlanta brought in what they hope will be more defense and shooting, as they attempt to get back into contention after a down season.

Dejounte Murray was by far and away the biggest addition the Hawks made this summer. It cost Atlanta Danilo Gallinari and multiple first-round picks, but it should be worth it. The only reason it’s a “should” is because Murray’s fit alongside Young will take a little while to sort out. Murray is used to having the ball a lot, and he’s not great off-ball. Young is also a ball-dominant playmaker and scorer. Assuming they can mesh, the Hawks will have dual point-of-attack players that can score and create looks for others. And Murray is easily best defender on this roster already.

Beyond adding Murray, Atlanta swapped Kevin Huerter for Maurice Harkless and Justin Holiday. This move was driven by luxury tax concerns, but the Hawks did well to land Holiday. He’s a dependable shooter and should see plenty of minutes off the bench. Huerter’s shooting and scoring, as well as his passing and defense (both are better than you probably think), will be missed. But essentially, Murray is replacing Huerter, while Holiday replaces Gallinari. It’s a different look, and a smaller team, but it’s not likely to be any sort of downgrade.

None of the other changes, many as they were, screams huge upgrade or downgrade. The Hawks filled out the back of the bench with some veterans, which should help if there are injuries. The team still has their full MLE, but they are already pushing up against the tax line. That one may remain whole for a while, but could see a portion used during buyout season after the trade deadline.

To this point, despite many, many rumors to the contrary, Collins remains in Atlanta. That’s a good thing, as the Hawks didn’t really have a replacement ready in house for all Collins does for them. If De’Andre Hunter can stay healthy, and Bogdan Bogdanovic gets over offseason knee surgery quickly, Atlanta has the star power and depth to challenge for a top-6 spot in the East.

Charlotte Hornets

Additions: Mark Williams (2022 NBA Draft), Bryce McGowens (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Miles Bridges (restricted free agent), Montrezl Harrell (unrestricted free agent), Isaiah Thomas (unrestricted free agent), Arnoldas Kulboka (Greece via agency), Scottie Lewis (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: Charlotte’s offseason was fairly uneventful in terms of players coming and going, but that wasn’t really the Hornets fault. And it definitely wasn’t the team’s plan for this offseason.

Shortly before free agency opened, both Miles Bridges and Montrezl Harrell ran into legal issues. Those situations are currently ongoing and have impacted the free agency for both players. It’s impossible to know what the Hornets plans were, had Bridges or Harrell not run afoul of the law, so we’ll keep the focus to what the team actually did roster-wise.

Mark Williams was added at the draft. Williams looks like a good value pick in the middle of the first round, as well as filling an immediate need on the roster. Like a lot of young bigs, it’s going to take him a little while to adjust to the NBA game, but once Williams does, he should be good. The Duke product is a solid finisher around the rim, and the Hornets are filled with good passers to set him up. Eventually, Williams should also fill the role of rim protector and rebounder that this team desperately needs.

The only other addition of note was bringing back Steve Clifford as the team’s head coach. But even that process was fraught, as the Hornets thought they had Kenny Atkinson in the fold, before Atkinson changed his mind and chose to stay with the Golden State Warriors. That pushed the team back to Clifford for a second run in the Queen City.

Clifford has a history of cleaning things up with his teams and getting them to play as a more organized and cohesive group. Charlotte has been a good team the last couple of years, but sloppy play, combined with injuries, has seen them capped as a Play-In team.

The Hornets were able to re-sign Cody Martin on a nice value contract. He’ll play a big role as the team’s primary backup wing. That’s a key spot, considering Gordon Hayward’s continued troubles staying on the court.

Charlotte does have their full MLE remaining, but the free agent pool is pretty shallow at this point. Considering the team is sitting $22.5 million under the tax line, and the Bridges situation seems likely to remain unresolved for quite some time, it feels like the team missed a chance to add an impact player there.

Overall, this offseason seems really “meh” for the Hornets. The legal issues hung over everything and have left this roster feeling very unfinished. Unfortunately, that’s likely to continue well into the season at this point.

Miami Heat 

Additions: Nikola Jovic (2022 NBA Draft), Darius Days (Two-Way), Marcus Garrett (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Markieff Morris (unrestricted free agent), P.J. Tucker (76ers via free agency), Mychal Mulder (waived), Ja’Vonte Smart (waived)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $4 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: Miami’s offseason was focused on retaining their own free agents, despite one key player getting away. Yet, the Heat will still be good. The question now becomes: How good?

P.J. Tucker left Miami for Philadelphia and the full Non-Taxpayer MLE. Miami could have given the same deal to Tucker, but it would have caused constraints elsewhere with the roster. It’s a big loss for the Heat, as they haven’t replaced Tucker in any sort of meaningful way.

Of all the teams that can be considered Finals contenders, Miami arguably has the biggest hole of anyone. They don’t really have a power forward on the roster, but they don’t seem overly concerned about it either. The Heat believe they can get by with smaller lineups that feature more offensive versatility.

Of the team’s offseason additions, Nikola Jovic is the biggest one, but he’s unlikely to have much of an impact this season. The young forward will log time in the G League, but he’s got a ton of potential to be a contributor down the line.

Miami was able to bring back all of Victor Oladipo, Caleb Martin and Dewayne Dedmon. Oladipo looked good in the playoffs last year, and should give Miami some scoring punch, whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Martin blossomed into a legitimate rotation player last season. He’ll start this year as one of Miami’s better 3&D options. Dedmon is back to provide frontcourt depth, but don’t be surprised if he’s surpassed by Omer Yurtseven in the rotation this season.

The major outstanding item for the Heat is an extension for Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro. The question there seems to be: How much can you pay a bench player? Of course, Herro has the potential to be much more than a bench player, but that’s his role for now. Projecting his impact as a full-time starter will drive how much Miami is willing to offer in a new deal.

The Heat have poked around trades for superstars like Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, but nothing has come to fruition… yet. Some of that has to do with a lack of big, tradable contracts for Miami, as well as lacking some draft assets moving forward.

It feels like there’s another move or two to come for the Heat. This is especially true with adding more size to the frontcourt. But don’t count out Miami. They’ll play hard and they’ll find a way to get what they need by the trade deadline. They always do.

Orlando Magic 

Additions: Paolo Banchero (2022 NBA Draft), Caleb Houstan (2022 NBA Draft), Kevon Harris (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Ignas Brazdeikis (Lithuania via free agency), Robin Lopez (Cavaliers via free agency), 

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $8.5 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: The Magic kept it simple this summer. They selected Paolo Banchero first overall at the 2022 NBA Draft. Then Orlando re-signed some of their own free agents. The team is committed to the rebuilding process and isn’t looking for shortcuts with their roster.

Banchero was the right selection for Orlando at the top of the draft. He’s got the highest floor of the top prospects, while also having a high ceiling. Banchero’s ability to shoot, score and pass will be an immediate boon to a Magic offense that struggles to create easy offense. And Banchero moves well enough on defense that he’ll hold his own on a team that has a lot of solid defenders already.

In the second round, the Magic snagged Caleb Houstan in part because his rep as a shooter. Orlando struggled at times to convert open jumpers, so having someone who can help open up the floor for the bigs and drivers is a key. Houstan will get his chances to fill that role.

In free agency, the Magic re-signed Mo Bamba, Gary Harris and Bol Bol. All three got fully non-guaranteed second seasons. That’s a key, because it makes them very attractive trade chips up to the trade deadline, should Orlando choose to go in that direction.

Bamba had a breakout season last year. He was better around the rim, but the big improvement came with Bamba consistently knocking down three-pointers. He was also better as a rim protector and rebounder, finally making good on some of that potential he had flashed as an interior defender.

Harris had a bounce-back season for the Magic. Many missed it, as Harris toiled in relative obscurity in Orlando, but he averaged 11.1 points on better shooting than he had shown in the last few years. Harris’ no-nonsense approach also fits in well with the team’s really young backcourt.

Markelle Fultz is fully recovered from a torn ACL after returning late last season. Jonathan Isaac should finally be back on the floor as well. He’s missed two-plus seasons with a variety of knee and leg injuries. And Jalen Suggs is healthy after an injury-plagued rookie season.

Having those players back, along with Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter and Cole Anthony, should give the team plenty of opportunities to see how this group fits together on the court. This year is about developing the kids, while figuring out how all of these players fit together. That’s the focus for now. Wins will come, but that’s at least a year away in Orlando.

Washington Wizards 

Additions: Will Barton (trade), Johnny Davis (2022 NBA Draft), Taj Gibson (free agency), Monte Morris (trade), Delon Wright (free agency)

Subtractions: Thomas Bryant (Lakers via free agency), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Nuggets via trade), Raul Neto (Cavaliers via free agency), Tomas Satoransky (Spain via free agency), Ish Smith (Nuggets via trade) Cassius Winston (Germany via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $2.7 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million of Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: The Wizards big move was re-signing Bradley Beal. That was priority one and it was accomplished about as soon as free agency opened. But Washington made other moves that should make a big impact on the team’s success this season.

Let’s start with Beal. Did the Wizards give him everything they possible could? They sure did. He got a no-trade clause, a trade bonus, a player option and one of the largest contracts in NBA history. Did Washington have to give Beal all of that? That’s a bit more complicated.

Beal is the Wizards franchise player. He wants to be in Washington. Those are important things that often get overlooked. He’s also really good…when he’s healthy. And that last part is the challenge. There’s a good chance that Beal’s deal looks bad by the fifth season, when the veteran guard will be 33 years old. And that’s when the no-trade clause might come into play.

But those are all things to worry about later for Washington. For this season, they have their guy back and that’s going to be huge for the Wizards.

Helping Beal will be reinforcements at point guard and on the wing. Washington traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith to get Monte Morris and Will Barton. Morris will step in and give the team the solid point guard play they lacked for most of last season. He did well when filling in for Jamal Murray as a starter the last two seasons in Denver, and he looks poised for an even bigger role in Washington.

Backing up Morris will be Delon Wright. Wright has bounced around some the last few seasons, but remains a good backup point guard. He’s also got enough size to play alongside Morris in some lineups, if necessary.

Barton will replace Caldwell-Pope as a different look on the wing. Barton is a slashing scorer, whereas Caldwell-Pope was the archetypical 3&D wing. On those nights when the jumpers aren’t falling, Barton is a guy who can go get you a bucket.

Washington is looking forward to a full season with Kristaps Porzingis, as well as development from a host of young players including Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura and Corey Kispert. Kyle Kuzma is also back after turning his best all-around season in the NBA.

The Wizards need everything to fit right, as well as injury-prone players to stay healthy. If that happens, this team will challenge for a playoff spot. If the fits are off, or injuries strike again, it’ll be back to the lottery for Washington.

The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite Donovan Mitchell and a few others still being on the trade market, even if Kevin Durant no longer is.

Teams are adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Southwest Division was one of the best in the NBA last season. Four of five teams made the postseason. The Dallas Mavericks made a run to the Western Conference Finals, while the Memphis Grizzlies finished with the second-best regular season record in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans made it through the Play-In Tournament before pushing the heavily-favored Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. And the Spurs managed to squeak into the last Play-In spot. Finally, the Houston Rockets might have had the NBA’s worst record, but it was by design as they leaned heavy into the second year of their rebuild.

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Jaden Hardy (2022 NBA Draft), JaVale McGee (free agency), Christian Wood (trade), Tyler Dorsey (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Sterling Brown (Rockets via trade), Jalen Brunson (Knicks via free agency), Trey Burke (Rockets via trade), Marquese Chriss (Rockets via trade), Boban Marjanovic (Rockets via trade), Moses Wright (China via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis:  The Mavericks didn’t make a lot of changes to their roster this summer, but the few they did make should have major impacts. Let’s start with adding Christian Wood.

Dallas traded four players for Wood, but none were regular rotation players by the end of last season. Wood is an immediate upgrade over the Mavs other big men. He’s the best inside-outside scorer of the group and should give Luka Doncic a versatile pick-and-roll partner. The other Dallas bigs are either rollers or poppers. Wood can both roll to the rim and finish, or he can pick-and-pop. That gives the Mavericks a more offensive versatility.

One of the reports out of Dallas is that Wood may start the year coming off the bench, and that’s because the Mavs other big addition this summer was reportedly promised a starting spot. Should JaVale McGee be getting that sort of promise? Probably not. But McGee should help shore up the interior defense for a team that was solid everywhere else. Thus, McGee starts, at least to open the season.

No matter what the lineup constructions are, both Wood and McGee are going to play a lot and that’s going to help the Mavericks. They traded some perimeter scoring, ballhandling and playmaking for size, but the hope is Dallas has enough of the former still on the roster.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will likely take back his starting spot, and he’ll give the team another offensive creator alongside Doncic. While not an actual addition, Hardaway missed the entire playoffs, so he’s kind of a like a new face from when we last saw the Mavericks.

Still, Jalen Brunson is a big loss. He really came into his own last season, especially in the postseason. Replacing Brunson will be a combination of Hardaway being back, a little more from Spencer Dinwiddie and further growth from Josh Green. Just don’t expect much from Jaden Hardy in his rookie year. He’ll probably log more G League minutes than NBA minutes, even if he’s got the potential to be a rotation player down the line.

The Mavs are probably one tier below the best teams in the West, with Golden State, Phoenix, the LA Clippers and Denver ahead of them. But if any of those teams slide, Dallas is poised to step forward, much like they did a season ago.

Houston Rockets

Additions: Sterling Brown (trade), Trey Burke (trade), Marquese Chriss (trade), Tari Eason (2022 NBA Draft), Trevor Hudgins (Two-Way), Boban Marjanovic (trade), Jabari Smith Jr. (2022 NBA Draft), TyTy Washington (2022 NBA Draft)

Subtractions: Anthony Lamb (unrestricted free agent), Trevelin Queen (76ers via free agency), Dennis Schroder (unrestricted free agent), John Wall (waived), Christian Wood (Mavericks via trade)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception, $3.1M Traded Player Exception for Christian Wood

Analysis: The Rockets were awful last season. But that wasn’t unexpected. Houston was supposed to be bad. Yet, it was somewhat of an odd season.

The Rockets had losing streaks of 15 games, 12 games, eight games, seven games and five games. They also, oddly, had a winning streak of seven games. As a matter of fact, that streak immediately followed the 15-game losing streak.

At any rate, Houston landed near the top of the lottery where they selected Jabari Smith Jr. The 6-foot-10 combo forward is flush with talent. He’s got just as much potential as either of the players selected before him (Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren), but Smith’s fit with the Rockets might be even better.

Houston has added a whopping seven first rounders in the last two drafts. Smith should slot in as a stater next two one of last year’s picks, Alperen Sengun, in the frontcourt. While Banchero and Holmgren would have been good fits with Sengun too, Smith’s athleticism should pair even better with the ground-bound big man.

On the wing, the Rockets re-signed Jae’Sean Tate to a great value contract. Tate has become Houston’s best perimeter defender and his off-ball ability is a boon to the team’s offense.

Tate’s ability to play without the ball is important because the Rockets guards get a lot of usage. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are both solid scorers and playmakers. As they continue to grow and refine their games, they’ll likely become even better at setting up their teammates for scoring.

Houston also added Tari Eason and TyTy Washington at the draft. They’ll combine with a couple of last year’s first rounders, Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba, to make up what should be a very youthful bench. There’s a ton of potential there, even if will be a little wild and unharnessed at times.

After trading away Christian Wood to open up frontcourt playing time for the kids, Eric Gordon is somehow the last vet standing in Houston. Gordon is coming off another productive season, but as he’s now on a de facto expiring contract, it would be a surprise to see him remain with the Rockets past the trade deadline.

It’s probably going to be another year filled will losses for Houston. But their young core is as exciting as any in the NBA. And this team is going to have a few years to continue growing together, as so many of them were added in just last few seasons. Oh…and the Rockets project to have over $70 million in cap space next summer. So, yeah, the future is very bright in Houston.

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: Kennedy Chandler (2022 NBA Draft), Danny Green (trade), Jake LaRavia (2022 NBA Draft), David Roddy (2022 NBA Draft), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Two-Way), Vince Williams (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Kyle Anderson (Timberwolves via free agency), Jarrett Culver (unrestricted free agent), De’Anthony Melton (76ers via trade), Yves Pons (France via free agency), Tyrell Terry (waived)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $9.3 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: There was a thought that the 2022-23 season would be when the Grizzlies would start pushing forward after rebuilding. Memphis blew past those expectations by challenging for a playoff spot in the bubble, a playoff appearance two seasons ago and then by finishing with the NBA’s second-best record last season.

This offseason was about adding a bit more youth, while mostly keeping their cap space powder dry for future flexibility. In the process, Memphis lost a couple of rotation players, but they’re hopeful that some kids are ready to take on bigger roles.

At the draft, the Grizzlies traded De’Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers. Memphis got back Danny Green, but the real get was adding a second first-round draft pick. After draft night was over, the Grizzlies left with Jake LaRavia, David Roddy and Kennedy Chandler. The team hopes all three will eventually be rotation players.

Free agency was a similar mixed big. The team re-signed Tyus Jones. That was big, as Jones is a critical player being the backup to Ja Morant. But the Grizzlies lost do-everything forward Kyle Anderson. That one could come back to hurt them given some questions in the frontcourt.

Most importantly, Memphis got Morant to ink a five-year, max contract extension. Crucially, that is a full five-year deal without a player option on the end. The Grizzlies have their superstar and he’s in Memphis for the long haul.

The moves around the rotation leave the roster feeling a bit incomplete. Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the beginning of the season, adding to that incomplete feel. Last year’s first rounder Ziaire Williams will be asked to do more this season, while the Grizzlies hope one of LaRavia or Roddy is ready for some rotation minutes right away. A bounce-back season from Brandon Clarke will also go a long way towards helping replace Jackson’s production, along with what was lost with Anderson leaving.

Because the rest of the Western Conference is so strong, and Memphis will be missing Jackson for a while, the Grizzlies might take a bit of a step back this season. But that’s not the end of the world. They’re still away ahead of schedule and they’ve got a lot of flexibility to keep adding in the future.

New Orleans Pelicans

Additions: Dyson Daniels (2022 NBA Draft)

Subtractions: Tony Snell (unrestricted free agent), Gary Clark (unrestricted free agent), Jared Harper (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: No team had a quieter offseason than the New Orleans Pelicans. They added exactly one player to the standard roster and lost exactly one player from the standard roster. But that’s because New Orleans got a jump on the offseason at the trade deadline. Oh…and they’ve got a pretty big “addition” coming back too.

Dyson Daniels was the lone addition this offseason, and he may not see regular rotation minutes until next season at the earliest. Daniels is a combo guard with enough size to play the three, but the Pelicans rotation minutes 1-3 are basically spoken for. Look for Daniels to log a lot of development time with the Birmingham Squadron of the G League, which is good for him and a good sign of how much depth New Orleans has.

The big “addition” the Pelicans have coming is the return of Zion Williamson. After missing all of last season after a fractured foot, Williamson appears to be full-go for the start of this season. He’s arguably the best player any team has added to their rotation compared to last year.

Equally as important as Williamson being back this season is the five-year extension he signed with New Orleans. The Pels even have some protections against injuries in the deal, along with Williamson having to meet weight requirements. And if Williamson comes back and dominates like he did two seasons ago, he can qualify for Designated Player status and get a bump from 25% of the cap to 30%. It’s a win-win deal for both player and team.

New Orleans will also get a full season with C.J. McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. in the rotation. Those two, combined with Williamson, give the Pelicans a legitimately 10-deep rotation. And that’s with a few useful players in deeper reserve too.

New Orleans probably isn’t quite ready to break through to challenge the Warriors, Suns, Clippers and Nuggets at the top of the conference…yet. But if they have good health, and things mesh together well, this is probably the last year for a while that the Pelicans aren’t fighting for a spot at the top of the West.

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: Malaki Branham (2022 NBA Draft), Gorgui Dieng (free agency), Isaiah Roby (waivers), Jeremy Sochan (2022 NBA Draft), Blake Wesley (2022 NBA Draft), Dominick Barlow (Two-Way), Jordan Hall (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Devontae Cacok (unrestricted free agent), Jock Landale (Hawks (subsequently Suns) via trade), Dejounte Murray (Hawks via trade), Lonnie Walker IV (Lakers via free agency), D.J. Stewart Jr. (unrestricted free agent), Robert Woodard II (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $30 million in cap space, $5.4 million Room Exception (after cap space is used)

Analysis: The San Antonio Spurs appear to be finally leaning into rebuilding. At last year’s trade deadline, the Spurs traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics, and this summer they traded Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for three first round picks. San Antonio also let Lonnie Walker IV leave in free agency, which meant three former first-round guards left in the span of about five months.

Replacing those three? Three rookies who were selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Jeremy Sochan is the mostly highly-regarded of the three. He’s an NBA-ready defender, and a developing offensive player. Essentially, Sochan is exactly the kind of player the Spurs turn into an All-Star.

Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley both have a good deal of potential in the backcourt. Branham is more of a pure two-guard, as he’s a score-first player. Wesley has shown flashes of point-guard potential, and that’s likely where he’ll be developed initially. San Antonio doesn’t have a lot at the point guard spot beyond Tre Jones and sometimes point guard Josh Richardson.

The Spurs made a sneaky offseason pickup when they snagged Isaiah Roby off waivers after he was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Roby showed signs of being rotation-level big at times with the Thunder. San Antonio can afford to give him some more minutes in what appears to be a developmental year to see if there’s really a player in there or not with Roby.

The other big move by San Antonio was to ink Keldon Johnson to a team-friendly extension. Johnson got $74 million in a semi-descending contract. If you aren’t familiar with Johnson, you will be soon. He averaged 17 points on good shooting efficiency last season. This year, he’ll likely be the centerpiece of the Spurs offense, so those scoring numbers should climb even more. Johnson is really good and more people should know it.

Finally, the Spurs, along with the Indiana Pacers, will be everyone’s favorite “third team in” on multi-team trades. San Antonio is sitting on nearly $30 million in cap space. Next offseason, the Spurs should have over $45 million in cap space. If you need to move some money to make a deal work, San Antonio should be your first call.

Spurs fans have been begging the team for the last few years to stop chasing spots at the bottom of the playoff picture or in the Play-In Tournament. The team finally seems to have agreed and has kicked off a rebuild. They’ve got some solid young talent and a ton of flexibility, both cap-wise and with future drafts picks. They might be rebuilding right now, but don’t bet on San Antonio staying down for long.

The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Despite a few big names languishing on the proverbial trade vine as the change from summer to fall approaches, rosters are largely finished.

Teams are adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Central Division was one in some flux last season. The Milwaukee Bucks remained title contenders, while the Chicago Bulls took a big step forward towards playoff relevancy. The Cleveland Cavaliers turned in their best post-LeBron season, while Detroit Pistons continued their rebuilding project around rookie Cade Cunningham. And the Indiana Pacers kicked off a long-awaited reset (rebuild?) and fell out of the playoff picture for the second straight season after a run of nine postseason appearances in the previous 10 years.

Chicago Bulls

Additions: Goran Dragic (free agency), Andre Drummond (free agency), Dalen Terry (2022 NBA Draft), Justin Lewis (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Troy Brown Jr (Lakers via free agency), Matt Thomas (unrestricted free agent), Tristan Thompson (unrestricted free agent), Tyler Cook (unrestricted free agent), Malcolm Hill (restricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $7.29 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE

Analysis:  The Bulls didn’t make many changes, but the ones they did make should be impact moves. After injuries ruined what was shaping up to Chicago’s best season in years, Arturas Karnisovas firmed up depth at some key positions.

Before we get to the additions, the Bulls key move was to re-sign All-Star Zach LaVine. Chicago and LaVine agreed to a max deal worth $215 million over five seasons. Had he stayed healthy, LaVine might have turned in an All-NBA season last year. The Bulls also re-signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a team-friendly deal for some additional forward depth behind DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams.

Andre Drummond gives Chicago a viable backup behind Nikola Vucevic. Ideally, with Vucevic turning 32 years old early in the season, he’ll see his minutes drop from the 33.1 per game he played last season. Drummond remains a good rebounder and solid play-finisher, so he should provide quality play when Vucevic sits.

Goran Dragic gives the Bulls incredible depth at the guard position. With Lonzo Ball’s availability after last season’s knee surgery still in question, Chicago didn’t want to be caught short at the lead guard spot. Dragic is 36 years old, but he’s still a solid shooter and scorer. On the nights when the veteran point guard doesn’t have it, Billy Donovan can lean more on Alex Caruso and last year’s second-round find Ayo Dosunmu for more minutes. Coby White also remains in the mix, but his future with the Bulls seems to be very uncertain.

Dalen Terry was a nice upside selection in the middle of the first round. He gives Chicago some size on the wing, which they lack behind their starters. This will probably be mostly a developmental year for Terry. Expect him to log plenty of time with Windy City of the G League.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Additions: Ochai Agbaji (2022 NBA Draft), Robin Lopez (free agency), Raul Neto (free agency), Ricky Rubio (free agency), Isaiah Mobley (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Moses Brown (Clippers via free agency), Ed Davis (unrestricted free agent), Rajon Rondo (unrestricted free agent), Brandon Goodwin (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $4.6 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: The Cavaliers took a major step forward in 2022. They landed in the Play-In Tournament before falling to the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks. Despite the disappointment of not making the playoffs, the future is brighter than it’s been in a while in Cleveland.

The Cavs were in position to make the playoffs outright for a lot of the season, but some late injuries caused them to slip in the standings. Last season’s injuries at both the center spot and the point guard spot seem to have been the impetus for the team’s offseason signings.

Robin Lopez was brought in to provide depth up front. Lopez probably won’t log a lot of time unless another center is out, but he’s become adept as a “stay ready” big.

Ricky Rubio was brought back after a mid-season trade sent him away to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Caris LeVert. Rubio was having a terrific season for Cleveland before tearing his ACL in late-December. He probably won’t return until around the holidays, but when he does, Rubio will give the Cavs terrific depth behind Darius Garland.

Until Rubio is back, Raul Neto will likely hold down the backup point guard spot. Neto is also very good at playing off-ball, so he may feature in some lineups with Garland and Rubio at times too.

Ochai Agbaji was a good flyer in the middle of the first round of the draft. Cleveland continues to look for wing depth, so Agbaji could find minutes if he plays well enough. The competition isn’t all that stout, so keep an eye on the rookie playing his way into the rotation.

The only real remaining question for Cleveland is with guard Collin Sexton. Sexton remains unsigned, and the restricted free agent and the Cavs reportedly aren’t close on a deal. Talks have remained ongoing and there’s no animosity, so hopefully this deal gets done sooner rather than later. Sexton’s scoring off the bench would be a boon to a team hoping to make a real playoff run this season.

Detroit Pistons

Additions: Alec Burks (trade), Jalen Duren (2022 NBA Draft trade), Jaden Ivey (2022 NBA Draft), Kevin Knox (free agency), Nerlens Noel (trade), Kemba Walker (trade), Buddy Boeheim (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Carsen Edwards (Fenerbahce via free agency), Luka Garza (unrestricted free agent), Frank Jackson (unrestricted free agent), Jamorko Pickett (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $5.5 million in cap space, $5.4 million Room Exception (after cap space is used)

Analysis: Despite having nearly $50 million in cap space available to them this offseason, the Pistons continued the rebuilding process. It was the right move for Detroit too, as taking shortcuts could have undone the progress Troy Weaver and crew have made over the last couple of years to clean up the cap sheet.

This summer’s work started at the draft. Detroit added Jaden Ivey with their own pick, and then picked up Jalen Duren by agreeing to eat Kemba Walker’s salary from the New York Knicks. Ivey should be an immediate starter alongside Cade Cunningham in the backcourt. Ivey’s scoring game should mesh nicely with Cunningham’s playmaking.

Duren might take a bit longer to join the starting lineup, but when he does, he should stick for a long time. Duren will be the athletic frontcourt weapon on both ends to finish plays for Cunningham and Ivey on offense, and to help cover for them at the rim on the other end.

The Pistons biggest move in free agency was re-signing Marvin Bagley III. While the deal was an overpay, it’s hardly a cap-crusher. Bagley played some of his best ball after landing in Detroit at the trade deadline. He’s still young enough to fit with the team’s youthful core. And Bagley fills a need for frontcourt size.

Kevin Knox was added as a low-cost flyer. Detroit has had some success with rehabbing players over the last couple of seasons. If Knox works out, the Pistons have a nice frontcourt player on a team-friendly deal. If not, Weaver can move on with nothing lost.

Walker is expected to bought out before training camp starts. Detroit has no reason to waive Walker just yet, and will exhaust any trade possibilities where Walker could be salary-matching first. Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel are in more interesting spots. Both could be nice veteran depth for a young team that is looking to take steps forward. Or either could be on the move. As long as they don’t take away too many minutes from the kids, almost anything Detroit gets out of either Burks or Noel is fine.

As for the kids, the Pistons collection features several other promising youngsters beyond the ones we already mentioned. Saddiq Bey has proven he’s a more than solid two-way player. Isaiah Stewart will be a terrific rotation piece as an energy big, at the very least.  And Detroit still hopes that Killian Hayes, Isaiah Livers and Saben Lee might pop and take their place as useful rotation players.

Sure, the Pistons didn’t make a splash in free agency. But just like sometimes the best trade is one you don’t make, the money you don’t spend is often the best too. This group is going to get another season of developing together and next summer might feature the spending spree Detroit fans have been waiting on.

Indiana Pacers

Additions: Bennedict Mathurin (2022 NBA Draft), Andrew Nembhard (2022 NBA Draft), Aaron Nesmith (trade), Daniel Theis (trade)

Subtractions: Malcolm Brogdon (Celtics via trade), Ricky Rubio (Cavaliers via free agency), Lance Stephenson (unrestricted free agent), T.J. Warren (Nets via trade), Duane Washington Jr. (waived), Nate Hinton (unrestricted free agent), Gabe York (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $29.6 million in cap space, $5.4 million Room Exception (after cap space is used)

Analysis: The Pacers have had a semi-quiet offseason, but not for lack of trying. And with nearly $30 million in leftover cap space, Indiana remains a team to watch leading up to the start of the season.

Indiana’s big addition was Bennedict Mathurin at the draft. Mathurin is a supremely confident wing that can shoot and score. He showed in Summer League that he should fit in perfectly as a long-time running mate for Tyrese Haliburton.

At the start of the offseason, the Pacers swapped Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics for Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis and a first-round pick. (Three other players were also acquired that have since been waived.) Nesmith struggled to find consistent playing time with Boston, but should have a shot at minutes in Indiana. With regular minutes, Nesmith may find the shooting rhythm that caused him to a lottery selection only a few years ago.

The Pacers biggest move was one that didn’t end up landing them the player they were chasing. Indiana gave a four-year, max offer sheet to free agent center Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns. The Suns quickly matched the offer. This was one where the Pacers would have landed a nice centerpiece had Phoenix not matched, but are out nothing since the Suns did match.

Indiana did re-sign big man Jalen Smith to a team-friendly deal for $15 million over three seasons. Smith played his best basketball after joining the team at the trade deadline, and he’s got plenty of upside left. Considering the Pacers were capped at how much they could pay Smith, they did well in this re-signing.

With nearly $30 million in remaining cap space, Indiana joins the San Antonio Spurs as everyone’s favorite “third team in” to make multi-team deals work. The Pacers are also still listening to offers for veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. They might be calling it a “reset” in Indiana, but it’s at least a partial rebuild. However, starting that rebuild with Haliburton and Mathurin, along with a boatload of cap space, is a pretty good spot to be in.

Milwaukee Bucks

Additions: Marjon Beauchamp (2022 NBA Draft), Joe Ingles (free agency), A.J. Green (Two-Way)

Subtractions: None

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis: The Bucks are running it back and no one should blame them for it. Milwaukee lost Khris Middleton during their first-round playoff series and then bowed out to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the second round. Had Middleton been available, we might be talking about the Bucks as repeat champions.

This offseason was mostly focused on re-signing their own players. Milwaukee gave Bobby Portis slightly more than $48 million over the next four seasons. That’s more than fair value for everything Portis brings the Bucks. With Brook Lopez aging, Portis can start or handle heavy minutes as the team’s third big.

The Bucks also re-signed Jevon Carter, who should give them solid depth behind Jrue Holiday at the point guard spot. George Hill is still around, but by the time the playoffs rolled around, it seemed clear that Carter should be getting the backup lead guard minutes.

Wesley Matthews and Serge Ibaka are both also back. Matthews’ role should lessen, assuming the Bucks are healthy on the wing this year. But Matthews is still a capable 3&D wing, even if he’s starting to struggle some with the quicker players. Ibaka is the team’s fourth or fifth big. That’s a role he can capably play, especially if he’s over the back issues that plagued him last season.

Milwaukee’s main offseason addition was Joe Ingles. We may not see Ingles take the floor until after the holidays, as he’s rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered in late-January. When he does play, don’t be surprised if Ingles takes on more of a role as a 3/4 player, as opposed to the 2/3 role he’s had in his career. Ingles is strong enough to defend backup fours, and his passing should be a boon to the backup units.

Marjon Beauchamp was a bigtime upside selection at the draft. If he can make shots and defend, the Bucks will have found themselves a player. He’s probably a couple of years away from making an impact as a rotation player, so look for Beauchamp to log lots of G League time this season.

Everything is in place for the Bucks to be a title contender next season. They’ll need better injury luck, but when you start you team around Giannis Antetokounmpo, you’re in a better place than the vast majority of the NBA.

Jaylen Brown is freshly eligible for a contract extension from the Boston Celtics. Brown is halfway through the four-year, $110 million-plus extension he signed during the 2019 offseason. Now, it’s time for Brown to start thinking about his next deal.

Because Brown is in a bit of a unique spot, we’re going to break down a lot of different options here. What puts Brown in that unique spot is that he’s not coming off a Designated Rookie Extension. When Brown re-signed with Boston in the summer of 2019, he extended for four years (as opposed to five under the Designated Rookie Extension rules) and less than the full max.

First, let’s understand what Brown has left on his current deal:

• 2022-23: $28,741,071
• 2023-24: $30,723,214

By virtue of his own performance and Boston making a run to the 2022 NBA Finals, Brown triggered several bonus clauses that pushed his salary up. Yet, because he didn’t sign a max extension in 2019, Brown’s salary is still below the maximum amount it could be.

It’s important to note, it’s rare for an NBA contract be to renegotiated, unlike in the NFL or MLB. The circumstances to do so are rarely met, and the Celtics haven’t found themselves in that position since they inked Brown to his current deal. Long story short: Brown is playing on a slightly under-value deal, since he’s on a non-max contract.

All of the above puts Brown in an interesting spot. He’s not coming off a max deal, so his options are more varied than usual for a player of his status. Let’s dive in.

The Veteran Extension

Because Jaylen Brown is now two years into his original four-year extension, he’s eligible this summer to sign an extension that is three years years in length. During the 2023 offseason, Brown would be able to add four years via Veteran Extension. Because he’s not currently on a Designated Rookie Extension, Brown isn’t eligible to extend for the maximum amount possible. (At least not yet. We’ll cover that next!).

That means Brown is eligible to do a standard Veteran Extension. And therein lies the rub.

A standard veteran extension allows Brown to extend for a 20% raise off the final year of his current deal with 8% raises in the subsequent seasons. In this case, Brown is set to make $30.7 million in the 2023-24 season. That would make the three-year extension look like this:

• 2024-25: $36,867,857
• 2025-26: $39,817,286
• 2026-27: $42,766,715
• Total: Three years, $119,451,858

It’s highly unlikely Brown would sign a Veteran Extension before the 2022-23 season starts. It would combine the worst facets of being both under his market value, while also being shorter than the max years he could get in free agency or via an extension at a later point.

The four-year veteran extension looks like this:

• 2024-25: $36,867,857
• 2025-26: $39,817,286
• 2026-27: $42,766,715
• 2027-28: $45,716,144
• Total: Four years, $165,168,002

It’s very likely the final year of that deal would be a player option, given Brown’s status as a former All-Star who is expected to make more All-Star teams in the future. That would give Brown the opportunity to get back on the market for a fourth contract before his age-31 season in 2027.

The Designated Veteran Extension

In order to qualify for a Designated Veteran Extension, Jaylen Brown would have to wait to sign this extension until the summer of 2023. This is because players signing a Designated Veteran Extension have to have at least seven years of service at the time the extension is signed. Brown currently has just six years of service. (A year of service isn’t tacked on until the season completes. While this is Brown’s seventh season in the NBA, he doesn’t receive credit for seven years of service until after the 2022-23 season is completed.)

There are also criteria Brown must meet to qualify for the Designated Veteran Extension. To qualify Brown would have to achieve at least one of the following:

• Win MVP in 2022-23
• Win Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23
• Named to All-NBA in 2022-23

If Brown were to qualify for the Designated Veteran Extension, his salary would jump the 30% of the salary cap maximum tier and would go to the 35% of the salary cap maximum tier. We’re using a conservative projection of $143 million for the 2024-25 season. That extension would look like this:

• 2024-25: $50,050,000
• 2025-26: $54,054,000
• 2026-27: $58,058,000
• 2027-28: $62,062,000
• 2028-29: $66,066,000
• Total: Five years, $290,290,000

That’s 35% of the $143 million projected cap for 2024-25 with 8% raises on subsequent seasons.

As you can see, the Designated Veteran Extension is significantly more lucrative for Brown than the standard Veteran Extension. It does involve Brown betting on himself to meet the criteria, but making All-NBA isn’t really a far-fetched scenario.

The Designated Veteran Contract

If Brown doesn’t meet the criteria for the Designated Veteran Extension in the summer of 2023, he could still qualify to sign for 35% of the cap with a big 2023-24 season. That deal would look exactly like the one above.

In order to qualify for a Designated Veteran Contract (as opposed to an extension), Brown would have to meet one of the same criteria. The difference here would be Brown would have to qualify during the 2023-24 season.

In effect, Brown has two chances to qualify for Designated Veteran status over the next two seasons. He either makes it in 2023 and can sign a Designated Veteran Extension, or he meets the criteria in 2024 and can sign a Designated Veteran Contract.

Much like the regular Veteran Extension, if Boston is willing to commit to Brown on a Designated Veteran Extension, it’s likely the Celtics would give him a player option on the final season. In this case, that would allow Brown to hit the market again before his age-32 season in 2028.

Another note: It’s also possible (as we saw with Bradley Beal re-signing with the Washington Wizards) that a “No Trade Clause” could be added into this deal. That’s allowed because it’s a new contract. That would not be allowed to be added into an extension. As Brown would have eight years of service, and four years of service with Boston, he’d be eligible for a “No Trade Clause”. Whether he would get it or not would be a matter of negotiation.

One last thing, but it’s really, really important: The Designated Veteran Extension or Contract is only available to Brown from the Celtics. If he’s traded to another team, he’s no longer eligible to sign a Designated Veteran Extension or Contract with that team. If Brown signed a Designated Veteran Extension or Contract, he’d also be ineligible to be traded for one year.

Re-signing with Boston as a free agent in 2024

Let’s say Jaylen Brown doesn’t want to commit to any sort of extension, or vice versa, Brown will be a unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.

In that case, Brown is eligible for 30% of the 2024 cap. That would be:

• 2024-25: $42,900,000
• 2025-26: $46,332,000
• 2026-27: $49,764,000
• 2027-28: $53,196,000
• 2027-28: $56,628,000
• Total: Five years, $248,820,000

That’s 30% of the projected $143 million cap with 8% raises. Again, it’s likely a player option would be negotiated into this deal as well.

Much like with the Designated Veteran Contract, Boston and Brown could agree to add a “No Trade Clause” to a standard contract via re-signing. Again, the difference is it being a new contract vs an extension.

Signing with another team as a free agent in 2024

Let’s say Jaylen Brown doesn’t want to commit to any sort of extension with the Boston Celtics, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, for the first time, in the summer of 2024. In this scenario, let’s say Brown is ready to leave Boston after they considered at some level trading him for Kevin Durant, Brown would be one of the best free agents to be available in years.

If Brown wanted to leave the Celtics, he’d be eligible for the same 30% of the $143 million cap in Year 1 with another team. However, that deal would be limited to four years and only 5% raises. It would look like this:

• 2024-25: $42,900,000
• 2025-26: $45,045,000
• 2026-27: $47,190,000
• 2027-28: $49,335,000
• Total: Four years, $184,470,000

Again, expect that final season to have a player option. There would probably also be the maximum 15% trade bonus included here as well. Free agents rarely leave their incumbent team without getting incentives beyond just salary in the deal with the new club.

Not nearly as lucrative as the Designated Veteran Extension amount with Boston, of course, but it also falls short of what Brown could get from the Celtics simply by re-signing. Even comparing only the first four seasons, Brown would be giving up about $7.7 million by leaving the Celtics. But it’s really that potential fifth year and the extra $64 million that makes the difference.

Extending with another team after being traded

If the Boston Celtics were to trade Jaylen Brown, his new team would likely want him to stick around long-term, ideally by getting him to ink an extension. In this case, nothing changes from the initial Veteran Extension options we laid out as far as the total salary goes. As a refresher, here’s what that Veteran Extension would look like:

• 2024-25: $36,867,857
• 2025-26: $39,817,286
• 2026-27: $42,766,715
• 2027-28: $45,716,144
• Total: Four years, $165,168,002

However, there are some notable differences!

First, Brown would have to wait for six months after being traded to sign a Veteran Extension with a new team. This is because he’d be extending for more than is allowable under the extend and trade rules. In addition, Brown would then be ineligible to be traded for six months after inking such an extension.

Also, and this one is really, really important (again!): Brown would not be eligible to sign a Designated Veteran Extension or Contract with his new team. Those deals are reserved for players that were drafted by their team or acquired while still on their Rookie Scale contracts. As Brown would have been traded too late to qualify in this scenario, he’s ineligible to sign a Designated Veteran Extension or Contract with any team but Boston.

Summary

Whether he’s traded or not, it makes little to no sense for Jaylen Brown to sign a Veteran Extension either this season or next. Here’s what Brown would give up in each scenario:

• Veteran Extension vs 35% Designated Veteran Extension or Contract with Boston: $125 million-plus
• Veteran Extension vs 30% max re-signing with Boston (or re-signing): $83.6 million-plus
• Veteran Extension vs 30% max signing with another team: $19.3 million-plus

There is little chance Brown would leave that much money, and flexibility, on the table to ink a standard Veteran Extension in the next year or two. Nor should that be the expectation of him.

Because Brown signed for less than the max in his original deal, and the cap is continuing to rise, he’s highly likely to forgo signing anything this offseason. Next offseason might be a different story.

Assuming Brown remains with the Celtics, both sides could agree to a Designated Veteran Extension in the summer of 2023, if he qualifies that season.  It’s not a reach, as Brown is coming off a season where he averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in the regular season prior to a very productive run to the 2022 NBA Finals.

If Brown doesn’t qualify for a Designated Veteran Extension in 2023, then he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. He may qualify for the Designated Veteran Contract by virtue of a big 2023-24 season. If not, he’ll then look to cash in with the Celtics on a standard 30% max deal, or he could give up some money and move to a new team.

This offseason isn’t the time for Boston fans to worry about Jaylen Brown not extending. It simply doesn’t make any financial sense for a player of his ability. But if Brown makes All-NBA (or wins MVP or DPOY) in 2023 and we’re still waiting on an extension a year from now, it’s fair to get a little nervous if you’re a Celtics fan. That would mean Brown is passing on the largest contract he can possibly get.

If Brown is eligible and passes on signing a Designated Veteran Extension in 2023, it probably makes sense for Boston to consider trading Brown before he could walk for nothing in the summer of 2024. At that point, the confidence level he wants to remain with the Celtics would have to be fairly low, as no one passes up the so-called “supermax extension” when it’s offered.

NBA teams have signed nearly 200 players to new contracts totaling over $4 billion in new money. While that seems like a staggering figure, it’s important to note that the NBA business is as healthy as it’s ever been.

The NBA and NBPA navigated through three pandemic-impacted seasons and have come out of them better than anyone expected. The cap rose from $112.1 million for 2021-22 to $123.6 million for 2022-23.

The cap projects to continue that upward momentum. The conservative projection for 2023-24 is $133 million, with the luxury tax line set at $161 million. By as soon as the 2025-26 season, it won’t be a surprise if the cap is over $150 million.

But that’s something to look at down the line. Even though the 2022-23 season hasn’t tipped off yet, several teams are clearly preparing for the 2023 offseason already. We’re using the conservative cap projection of $133 million as we take our first look at what the landscape might look like in the summer of 2023.

(Note: 2023 standings projections have been used here to determine 2023 NBA Draft selections and their corresponding cap holds. Projections on options, guarantees and renouncements have also been made. No trades have been projected for any teams.)

Cap Space Teams

1. Houston Rockets - $70.1 million
2. Detroit Pistons - $62.9 million
3. Indiana Pacers - $53.1 million
4. San Antonio Spurs - $46.3 million
5. Utah Jazz - $33.4 million
6. Oklahoma City Thunder - $32 million
7. Orlando Magic - $31.7 million
8. Cleveland Cavaliers - $25.1 million
9. Memphis Grizzlies - $19.8 million
10. Charlotte Hornets - $19.7 million
11. Los Angeles Lakers - $19.1 million

11 teams project to have cap space in the summer of 2023. There’s a good chance a few others could join them too. And, of course, a few teams above could drop off this list as they continue to make roster moves.

The Rockets are looking at hitting the summer of 2023 with seven players on rookie scale contracts, Jae’Sean Tate on a team-friendly deal and another top-five draft pick. Even if Kevin Porter signs an extension, Houston will be in the mix for the most cap space in the league.

The Pistons are in a very similar boat. Six players on rookie scale deals, Marvin Bagley on a fully guaranteed deal and a likely top-10 pick. Detroit feels slightly more ready to take the next step than the Rockets (but only slightly!). That means that after a few years of collecting assets and renting out their cap space, Detroit could be a real player in free agency in 2023.

The Pacers are still sorting through their rebuild. They shipped Malcolm Brogdon off already and could do the same with Myles Turner too. That would leave Indiana without a lot of long-term salary obligations. That could make for a very quick retool of their roster, as opposed to a multi-year rebuild.

San Antonio is tearing things down almost fully. They signed Keldon Johnson to a very fair value extension. They’ve got Doug McDermott on the final year of his three-year deal at $13.75 million. Beyond that it’s basically all rookie deals. The Spurs are tanking, which has historically worked out well for them. The last two times they took this approach they ended up with David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Is Victor Wembanyama next?

Utah is in the same boat as the Spurs. This projection doesn’t factor in Donovan Mitchell being traded, but that seems likely to happen. In that case, the Jazz could be up near Rockets/Pistons territory as far as cap space goes. Cap flexibility, a ton of draft picks and some interesting young players? Sounds like a Danny Ainge rebuild is well underway in Utah.

Oklahoma City and Orlando are in the same boat. Great young talent, a few key players signed long-term and a ton of cap flexibility. They’re both on their way back up.

The final four teams are swing teams. If Cleveland re-signs Collin Sexton, they probably drop out of the cap space running. They can then stay over the cap and re-sign some key players. If they don’t re-sign Sexton, or he takes the qualifying offer, the Cavs are probably in the running to push for max cap space with another salary-clearing move.

The Grizzlies have a lot of different ways they can go, same with the Hornets. Memphis is clearly well ahead of Charlotte, because they have Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane, who are better than LaMelo Ball and question marks. But both teams could be players in 2023 free agency to add pieces around their young stars.

You might be surprised to see the Lakers land here, but with Russell Westbrook coming off the books, LA is in position to add around LeBron James (this projection reflects him either re-signing or his cap hold being retained) and Anthony Davis. There’s not much else on the books for the Lakers. If they trade Westbrook for a player signed long-term, or for a player they project to re-sign for big money, they’ll be right back in the same boat as the last couple of seasons with the Taxpayer MLE and minimums to fill out the roster.

Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

1. Brooklyn Nets
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Sacramento Kings

Cap flexibility is a bit of a division between haves and have-nots in the summer of 2023. That’s reflected by just these four teams looking like they’ll have the Non-Taxpayer MLE to use.

Brooklyn is obviously in a weird spot with the uncertainty surrounding Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. If both are gone, the Nets could even end up a cap space team next summer. For now, we’re going to put them here in the middle and, like everyone else, impatiently wait to see how their roster comes together.

The Bulls, Wolves and Kings are all swing teams. If they choose to move on from some of their veterans (Nikola Vucevic, D’Angelo Russell and Harrison Barnes), then they could all be cap space teams. If they retain their rights to re-sign them, or move them in deals to bring in other players, they’ll be over the cap. But all could still be far enough under the tax to use the full MLE.

Taxpayer Mid-Level Teams

1. Atlanta Hawks
2. Boston Celtics
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Denver Nuggets
5. Golden State Warriors
6. LA Clippers
7. Miami Heat
8. Milwaukee Bucks
9. New Orleans Pelicans
10. New York Knicks
11. Philadelphia 76ers
12. Phoenix Suns
13. Portland Trail Blazers
14. Toronto Raptors
15. Washington Wizards

This is a pretty huge group of teams dancing around the luxury tax line. The thing all of these teams have in common is that they’re already locked in to the core of their rosters for at least the next two seasons.

Many of these teams have re-signed players to max or near-max deals in recent years. A few have pending free agents who will be pushing for a max deal next offseason. And a handful are already all but guaranteed to be over the tax.

Of this group, the teams that could end up with a bit more cap flexibility are Dallas, Portland, Toronto and Washington.

The Mavericks have a few key free agents, plus a couple of players on partially guaranteed contracts they could move on from. If so, they’d free up some space to make moves around Luka Doncic.

The Trail Blazers are only going to be flexible if they let Jerami Grant walk. That seems unlikely to happen, unless Portland draws a hard line at what they’ll extend Grant for. They’ll probably be right around the tax.

Toronto could potentially put themselves in position to have cap space, but that would mean moving on from Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. It’s more likely they’ll have those guys back, of have moved them in a trade, and that means the Raptors will be working around the tax line.

Washington has Bradley Beal on his massive new deal, but that’s really their only substantial long-term money. Their summer really hinges on what happens with Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. If either re-signs for big money, the Wizards will be up against the tax.

As we do each year when free agency winds down, we’re going to cover the 10 worst value contracts teams signed this offseason. Full disclosure: In the opposite of the 10 Best Free Agent and Extension Values, it’s getting harder and harder to find 10 bad or even questionable contracts. More and more it trends towards a “Kind of get it, but don’t like it” thought vs a truly bad deal.

A few notes:

• Unlike the Best Values, you will see max contracts and max extensions here. Some of them are just sort of mind-boggling in terms of committed salary.
• No 2022 Rookie Scale signees will appear here. Even if we think the pick was bad, the contract is what it is with Rookie Scale deals.
• This isn’t necessarily a “worst contracts” list. That’s a different thing. We’re also limiting this to signings made during the 2022 offseason only.

Got it? On to the list!

Honorable Mentions

• Minnesota trading for Rudy Gobert: We’re already breaking the rules! This isn’t a signing of any sort, but that’s how few bad deals there were this summer. Instead, we’re covering a trade!

It’s not that the Gobert trade was really bad, especially not for this upcoming season. It was just…a lot. Five players and essentially five picks went to Utah for Gobert. A 10-for-1 deal! The Timberwolves have to hope this leads to multiple playoff appearances at least, and Finals contention at most. Otherwise, what was it all for?

• Detroit trading for Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel: The Pistons eating contracts is a great use of their cap space. Especially ones that are effectively one-year deals. But Detroit only got two second-round picks in this deal. Why is that a bad return for renting out some cap space? The Knicks HAD to do this trade to clear the cap space to sign Jalen Brunson. The Pistons should have squeezed them for more draft capital.

On to the 10 Worst Free Agent Values of the 2022 Offseason!

1. Marvin Bagley III – Detroit Pistons – three years, $37.5 million: 

Who were the Pistons bidding against here? This deal came together so quickly, that it seems like the conversation was one proposal by one side and an immediate accept from the other. Bagley played pretty good in Detroit. He may end up being a fine value at $12.5 million for each of the next three seasons. But he would have been even better value at $8-10 million for each of the next three seasons.

2. Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers – two-year, $121.8 million extension: 

We’re going to hit a couple of veterans in similar boats here. Lillard gets the first nod because of the staggering amount of money this extension is for. $61 million-plus for two seasons? His age-35 and age-36 seasons no less. It’s highly respectable that Lillard wants to make it work in Portland. And, yes, the cap is going to go way up. But this deal is linked to that rise to at least some extent. It’s just staggering to think of a small guard, who has already had several injury issues, making more than $60 million at Lillard’s age in the 2026-27 season.

3. Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards – five years, $251 million: 

This one is about the money and the extras that Beal got. He now has the NBA’s only true, negotiated no-trade clause. He also has a player option on Year 5 of his new deal. Oh, and he’ll make $50 million per year too, topping out at $57 million in Year 5. This deal runs through Beal’s age-33 season. Like Lillard, it’s respectable he wants to win in Washington. And the Wizards were a little caught here, because Beal is their franchise guy. But the money wasn’t enough? Why include the no-trade clause too?

4. Anfernee Simons – Portland Trail Blazers – four years, $100 million: 

To start off with, Simons is a terrific and improving young player. He’s also still relatively unproven. Committing $25 million per season, without any sort of team protection, is a lot. The Blazers also just split up their small, score-first backcourt. Now, they’re right back in the same spot. That makes this a bit of a questionable investment when you add it all up.

5. Jusuf Nurkic – Portland Trail Blazers – four years, $70 million: 

It’s apparently “pick on Portland” time here. But this Nurkic deal screams Bird Rights Trap more than any other this offseason. The Blazers had no other center on the roster. They couldn’t replace Nurkic for a similarly salaried player if he left. So, they re-signed him to a questionable contract. Prototypical Bird Rights Trap. If nothing else, this deal could (should?) have been a descending contract or the final year could (should?) have been partially guaranteed, if not fully non-guaranteed. It’s all just too much for a good, but not irreplaceable player.

6. JaVale McGee – Dallas Mavericks – three years, $17.2 million: 

We’re at the “Why so much for that veteran?” portion of the list. The good news? Dallas ended up giving McGee about $3 million less than was originally reported. The bad news? It was still a three-year deal for a 34-year-old center on a team that didn’t really need a center all that badly. The worse news? This might push Christian Wood to the bench. That’s just weird, given Dallas just traded for Wood. The worst news? McGee has a $6 million player option the third year, which comes just as the Mavs books clear up considerably for another run at free agents.

7. P.J. Tucker – Philadelphia 76ers – three years, $33 million: 

Tucker is a nice fit for Philadelphia, but a bit of an odd one. If he starts, Tobias Harris has to play the three. That kind of offsets Tucker’s impact defensively in the starting group. If he comes off the bench, Tucker isn’t really a perfect backup for Joel Embiid. And if Embiid misses time, the Sixers still need a real center to fill in for him. Finally, that $11.5 million player option in Year 3, when Tucker will be 40 years old already looks really bad.

8. Dewayne Dedmon – Miami Heat – two-years, $9 million: 

This one isn’t bad as much as it is weird. Dedmon seems like a minimum salary big man at this point. The Heat couldn’t even play him by the end of their playoff run. Omer Yurtseven might already be better as a backup for Bam Adebayo. Even with a fully non-guaranteed second season, $4.7 million for this year is a lot for Dedmon. But (there’s always a but with Miami) the Heat were lacking midrange tradable contracts. That’s something to keep an eye on when we get to trade season.

9. Mitchell Robinson – New York Knicks – four years, $60 million: 

The Knicks current front office has been great about smartly structuring contracts. Their deals generally include some level of team control on the final season, either a team option or a non-guaranteed year. Robinson’s deal has neither of those protections for New York. It is a descending deal, however, and the average salary is fine. The commitment is a bit odd though. Isaiah Hartenstein has less upside, but may be a more reliable player right now than Robinson. And New York made a decent-sized investment in signing Jericho Sims too. That’s a lot of money tied up in the center spot, even if none of it is truly bad money.

10. Lu Dort – Oklahoma City Thunder – five years, $82.5 million: 

Dort’s deal isn’t actually bad. It’s just kind of long. The last time OKC committed this long of a deal to a non-max player, they ended up waiving and stretching Kyle Singler’s weird contract. Given that the Thunder have a team option on the final year, this is more like $16 million a year over four years. That looks better. But, even then, it’s starting to be a crowded roster in Oklahoma City. And Dort only just barely cracked 40% shooting last year. Will playing time be so easy to come by in Years 2-4 of this deal? If not, that’s a lot of money for a “No-3&D” backup wing.

Final Thought

As you can probably tell by the reluctant inclusions of Dewayne Dedmon, Mitchell Robinson and Lu Dort on this list, it’s getting harder and harder to find bad contracts in the NBA. Teams have been smarter about not committing major money to non-max players. At least in free agency. Most of the questionable money comes from overpaying to keep their own players.

In fact, eight of the 10 deals we picked were re-signings. And they came in all sorts of manners. Extensions, Bird Rights Trap and just plain odd valuations made up that group of eight questionable deals. NBA teams find it hard to let go, even when they probably should.

The real takeaway here: none of these deals are truly bad. They belong in the questionable category, if even that. It seems that the truly bad overpays are now reserved for trades (and that’s before we see what happens with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell), as opposed to signings and re-signings.

As we do each year when free agency winds down, we’re going to cover the 10 best value contracts teams signed this offseason. Full disclosure: It’s getting harder and harder to trim this list to just 10. Teams have gotten increasingly better about finding good value deals in recent years.

A few notes:

• You won’t see any max contracts on here, nor max extensions. Even if you think it’s fair to pay a player $100 million per season, that’s not allowed. So, no matter how good it looks that teams got some players to ink max deals, they won’t show up here.
• No 2022 Rookie Scale signees will appear here either. Like a max deal, it’s nearly impossible to do better than teams already do on these deals.
• This isn’t necessarily a “best contracts” list. That’s a different thing. We’re also limiting this to signings made during the 2022 offseason only.

Got it? On to the list!

Honorable Mentions

• Rookie Scale Extensions: We’re going to break a rule here, but just slightly. The New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers signing Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and Darius Garland to full max extensions would be breaking the “no max contracts” rule, but there’s a wrinkle. None of these guys have a player option on their fifth year. That’s a massive win for their teams and that’s why they are included here. They now have their stars for the next five years and that’s enormous for three rapidly improving small market franchises.
• Otto Porter Jr. – Toronto Raptors: Porter’s deal is going to pay him just $6 million this season. But it’s functionally a one-year deal with Porter having a player option on Year 2. Great value, but it’s very short-term. That kept it off the list.
• Bruce Brown Jr. – Denver Nuggets: Basically, the same situation as Porter. Getting Brown for the Taxpayer MLE of roughly $6.5 million is a terrific signing for the Denver Nuggets. But it’s also functionally a one-year deal, because Brown has a player option on Year 2.

On to the 10 Best Free Agent Values of the 2022 Offseason!

1. James Harden – Philadelphia 76ers – reportedly two years, $68 million: 

The Sixers and Harden are reportedly putting the finishing touches on a deal worth roughly $68 million over two seasons. Yes, Year 2 will be a player option, but that’s all by design. Normally, a deal this short wouldn’t make the list, but Harden opted out $47.4 million to take considerably less from Philadelphia. He’ll then opt out next summer and go back up to a max or near-max deal. But it was that opt out this offseason that allowed the team to add P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. That’s basically three players for $50 million or so this season. That’s tremendous value for the Sixers.

2. Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs – reportedly four-year, $80 million extension: 

When news of this one first dropped, some responses were “How much?”, but Johnson is worth every penny. $20 million average annual value (AAV) for Johnson is actually a great deal for San Antonio. Johnson averaged 17 points on 13.5 field goal attempts per game last season on 47/40/76 shooting splits. Next year, Johnson will be the face of the Spurs. Don’t be surprised when he’s a breakout player and putting up over 20 points per game on solid efficiency.

3. Kevon Looney – Golden State Warriors – three years, $25.5 million: 

Looney was just the starting center on a championship team. That alone would make you think a deal for the full Non-Taxpayer MLE starting around $10.5 million was coming for Looney. Instead, Golden State got him for three years and only $19.5 million guaranteed. Looney was one of only five players to appear in all 82 games last season. He’s a good rebounder and terrific defender. Getting him for under the MLE in AAV is tremendous value for the champs.

4. Jae’Sean Tate – Houston Rockets – three years, $20.6 million: 

Tate played well enough that Houston re-signed him a year earlier than they needed to. That’s a huge win for Tate. On the Rockets side, they got great value here, as they are paying their best defender well under the MLE in AAV. And Houston has a team option on Year 3, which is also big for them. The Rockets have a roster stacked with young talent, and more picks on the way. Having flexibility to trade or get out of a deal is important. This is a true win-win contract.

1. Tie: Cody Martin – Charlotte Hornets – four years, $31.4 million: 

It’s only fitting that the twins come in tied on our list. Cody gets the ever-so-slight nod, because his deal is really a three-year, $22.7 million contract, with a fully non-guaranteed fourth year. But that $7-8 million AAV for a good 3&D wing is terrific work by the Hornets.

1. Tie: Caleb Martin – Miami Heat – three years, $20.4 million: 

Caleb Martin gets nudged slightly behind his brother, because he has a player option on Year 3. That could put the Heat in a tough spot in a couple of years. But Miami still got great value for the Taxpayer MLE amount for a player who should have played more in the Eastern Conference Finals.

6. Gary Payton II – Portland Trail Blazers – three years, $26.1 million: 

Payton cashed in being a champion with the Golden State Warriors, but he also benefitted from the champs being a bit cost-conscience this summer. When the Warriors wouldn’t pay Payton, he headed north on a really solid contract for the Blazers. Year 3 is a player option, but for the next two years Portland gets an elite perimeter defender to put with a guard group that desperately needs a defender. Payton will fit in perfectly in the three-guard rotation with Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. And if that 36% three-point shooting holds up, Portland will look even better here.

7. Ricky Rubio – Cleveland Cavaliers – three years, $18.4 million: 

The Cavs did well to get Rubio back. He was playing great for them before tearing his ACL. Cleveland’s guard-play behind Darius Garland really fell apart after Rubio got hurt. That was a big part in the Cavaliers slipping in the standings. Rubio might not be ready to go until mid-season, but that’s fine. The Cavs will get a boost ahead of the trade deadline with an “acquisition” of sorts, just as Darius Garland might need his minutes dialed back a bit. And if Rubio can’t make it all the way back, or can’t hold up, the final year is only partially guaranteed, giving Cleveland an easy out.

8. Ivica Zubac – LA Clippers – three-year, $32.8 million extension: 

The Clippers did well to get their starting center signed to a new deal before the league year changed over. Because LA was sort of an average team last season, many may have missed just how good Zubac was. He was a nightly double-double threat, while holding down the backline of the defense. And he did so in just 24 minute per game. Look for his playing time and stats to bump up slightly, which will be good news for this year’s Clippers as a title contender.

9. Malik Monk – Sacramento Kings – two years, $19.4 million: 

This contract was a win for the Kings. Not only did a quality free agent choose Sacramento, but the Kings didn’t have to give him a player option on the second year. Sacramento needed perimeter shooting and bench scoring, and they got it in Monk for slightly less than the full Non-Taxpayer MLE. That’ll be huge as they build their roster around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis over the next two seasons.

10. Isaiah Hartenstein – New York Knicks – two years, $16 million:

Hartenstein is really good. He might even be better than Mitchell Robinson, who the Knicks paid over twice as much over the next two seasons. No matter what, New York locked down 48 quality minutes of center-play for the next two seasons. In Hartenstein, the Knicks got a big man who can defend, rebound, pass and finish. Hartenstein is also showing signs of extending his range too. For less than the Non-Taxpayer MLE, that’s tremendous value.

On Thursday, August 4, LeBron James is eligible to sign a veteran extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. Whether James will do so, or not, is a very open question. Because LeBron James will turn 38 years old this season, his next deal is going to be subject to the Over-38* rule. This is true if James signs an extension, re-signs with the Lakers as a free agent in the summer of 2023 or leaves for a new team in the summer of 2023.

At this point, because James is still in a position to command a max deal, we’re only going to entertain those as options for him moving forward. It’s unlikely he’d take less than the max, so there’s not a lot of point laying out what those scenarios look like.

Because of that, and the Over-38 rule, James is left with three real options:

• Signing an extension with the Lakers
• Playing out his deal and signing a new contract with Los Angeles in 2023 free agency
• Playing out his deal and signing a contract with another team in 2023 free agency

Extension Options

James can sign either a one-year or two-year extension with the Lakers. Here’s what those would look like:

One-Year Extension

• 2023-24: $46,698,737

Two-Year Extension

• 2023-24: $46,698,737
• 2024-25: $50,434,636
• Total: $97,133,373

It’s likely that any multi-year deal, extension or new contract, will have a player option on the final season. James has been open about his desire to retain the flexibility to play with his son Bronny in the NBA. The earliest the younger James can join the NBA is during the 2024-25 season.

In both of these options, the starting salary is 105% of James current salary for the 2022-23 season. In the two-year option, he then gets an 8% raise off that first-year salary.

New Contract with Lakers

If LeBron James lets his contract expire at the end of the upcoming season, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Lakers will have full Bird Rights for James, so they would be able to offer him a contract worth 105% of his current salary in Year 1 of a new deal. If the cap jumps enough that James’ max is more than that, then he could get up to the 35% of the cap max.

For now, we’ll stick with 105% of his current salary and build from there.

One-Year New Contract

• 2023-24: $46,698,737

Two-Year New Contract

• 2023-24: $46,698,737
• 2024-25: $50,434,636
• Total: $97,133,373

Three-Year New Contract

• 2023-24: $46,698,737
• 2024-25: $50,434,636
• 2025-26: $54,170,535
• Total: $151,303,908

As you can see, the first two options are exactly the same as the extension options. Such is life when you are already at or above the max salary.

The major difference here is the ability to offer a third year. In James’ case, it’s unclear how much that would matter, as he likely wants the flexibility to pick his spot in 2024, when his son Bronny can join the league. It’s unlikely that third-year, even at $54 million-plus would sway James.

New Contract with Another Team

It seems fairly unlikely that LeBron James will leave the Lakers this summer. But there was a point where it seemed like he would never play for the Cleveland Cavaliers again too.

Just in case James has tired of the Lakers and is ready to play somewhere else, we’ll present his options for signing with another team.

One-Year New Contract

• 2023-24: $46,698,737

Two-Year New Contract

• 2023-24: $46,698,737
• 2024-25: $49,033,674
• Total: $95,732,411

Three-Year New Contract

• 2023-24: $46,698,737
• 2024-25: $49,033,674
• 2025-26: $51,368,611
• Total: $147,101,022

By virtue of his status as a 10+ Years of Service Player, James actually qualifies for the same Year 1 salary with another team as he would with the Lakers. This only applies to players coming off a maximum salary that is at or above that year’s maximum. This allows James to get a first-year salary with a new team that is 105% of his previous salary. The new team, of course, must have $46.7 million in cap space to sign James outright in this situation, or the ability to acquire James via sign-and-trade.

The difference comes in with the raises. James can get 8% raises with the Lakers, but only 5% with another team. But, at this point in his career, $1.5 million to $4.2 million difference in total salary isn’t going to swing James either way.

If James leaves the Lakers, it won’t be about salary. Nor will the Lakers be able to overwhelm him with so much more money that staying is a no-brainer. If James leaves the Lakers, it will be because he wants to play somewhere else and for no other reason.

Summary

In other “Next Contract” pieces, the salary math has been widely varied and the options have been plentiful. Despite LeBron James still being near the top of his game, his already-max salary and his age, make his options far more limited.

No matter what James does, he’s going to give himself options for the 2024-25 season. He’s repeatedly said that playing with his son Bronny will be his priority in the season Bronny joins the league. That doesn’t mean we can rule out a two-year extension or a new two-year deal, but that second year is going to be a player option.

Don’t be surprised if August 4 comes and goes without James having signed an extension. There’s really no rush for him to do so. Keeping his options open continues to put pressure on the Lakers to make moves to be a title contender.

Whether it’s later this summer, sometime during this season, or next summer, it’s very likely LeBron James will sign a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. But with a player option on the second year, James will likely once again control free agency in the summer of 2024 as he heads into his record-tying 22nd NBA season.

*The Over-38 rule closes a loophole in the NBA where a team could give an older player a long-term contract with the intention of that player retiring before the full amount of their contract was due.

In this situation, if the player is over 38 years old, or will be during the duration of the deal, the years when the player is over-38 are handled differently salary-wise and cap/tax hit-wise. The salary for the over-38 years is actually applied to the earlier years of the contract as far as cap/tax hit goes.

In the case of LeBron James, or any other max salary player of his age, you can’t frontload the contract above the max. However, the Over-38 rule does limit James to signing a three-year contract.

For more on the Over-38 rule, see the CBAFAQ here.

Almost immediately after the Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals, the criticisms started. Their fourth title in eight years was called a “checkbook win”. There’s also been reporting that Joe Lacob’s fellow NBA governors are upset about the Warriors lavish spending.

To be fair, Golden State has outspent the rest of the NBA by a wide margin over the last half-decade or so. That’s a fact.

Last season, the Warriors were over $39 million over the luxury tax line. That amount, combined with the subsequent penalties for being so far over the tax, plus being a luxury tax repeater team, hit Golden State with a total tax bill of over $170 million.

The second-most expensive team in terms of total tax bill? The Brooklyn Nets at roughly $97.7 million. Third on the list were the LA Clippers at $83 million.

That’s $72 million to $87 million more than the next two most expensive teams in the NBA last season. Even more staggering? The Warriors paid far more in luxury taxes than the other four tax teams did combined. The Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers combined to pay approximately $131.7 million in tax payments last season. That’s more than $38 million less than the Warriors.

The other 23 teams? No tax payments at all. They all got a check from the tax teams that totaled about $11 million per non-taxpaying team.

Even if you consider the Nets and Clippers to be within range of the Warriors, that still leaves 27 teams fighting to catch the champs in terms of spending. Thus, the bellyaching that Golden State is operating in a realm the rest of the NBA can’t hope to play in.

Boo hoo. Grab a tissue and wipe your tears while the world’s smallest violin plays a somber tune for your melancholy.

Yes, small market teams probably can’t spend what the Warriors are spending. That is true. The TV and metro markets of teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies are a fraction of that of Golden State’s market. They’d have struggles keeping up that level of spending over a period of a few years, never mind over the bulk of a decade.

But the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz are in markets as small as the teams listed above and both were luxury tax teams last season. The “small market” Portland Trail Blazers have regularly been tax payers too.

Market size clearly doesn’t, and shouldn’t, dictate ownership’s willingness to pay the tax. When you have the right team, you pay for it. Compete for titles, and you get expensive. That’s just how it works in the NBA. Even the small-market-example-of-excellence Spurs regularly paid the tax when they were competing to win the Finals.

And that’s the real crux of this argument. Have the Golden State Warriors bought championships, à la the accusation often leveled at the George Steinbrenner-era New York Yankees?

No. Or, at least, not exactly.

Since the Warriors won their first title in 2016, they’ve paid the tax in five of eight seasons. In their four championship seasons, Golden State has only actually paid the tax in two of those years.

Now, this year’s tax bill got a bit out of control. But that’s come from years of spending starting to add up, as opposed to a one-year, or series of one-year, spending sprees. That’s one place where the comparisons to the Yankees fall apart.

The other place the Yankees comp comes up short? The Warriors aren’t building the bulk of their roster through free agent signings and trading for players other teams can no longer afford.

Here’s the Warriors roster from last season and how they acquired each player:

• Nemanja Bjelica – 2021 Minimum Exception
• Stephen Curry – 2009 Draft
• Draymond Green – 2012 Draft
• Andre Iguodala – 2021 Minimum Exception
• Jonathan Kuminga – 2021 Draft
• Damion Lee – 2018 Minimum Exception
• Kevon Looney – 2015 Draft
• Moses Moody – 2021 Draft
• Gary Payton II – 2021 Minimum Exception
• Jordan Poole – 2019 Draft
• Otto Porter Jr. – 2021 Minimum Exception
• Klay Thompson – 2011 Draft
• Juan Toscano-Anderson – 2020 Minimum Exception
• Andrew Wiggins – 2020 Trade
• James Wiseman 2020 Draft
• Chris Chiozza – 2021 Two-Way
• Quinndary Weatherspoon – 2021 Two-Way

Here’s how those acquisitions break down:

• Draft – 8 players
• Minimum Exception – 6 players
• Two-Way – 2 players
• Trade – 1 player

Outside of Andrew Wiggins, every player on the roster was acquirable by a means available to every other team. With eight players acquired via the draft, the Warriors are one of the more homegrown teams in the NBA. Funnily enough, the highest-drafted of those eight players, James Wiseman, didn’t even appear in a game last season.

Now, that homegrown talent has largely blossomed and they’ve signed very lucrative contract extensions, followed by second and third extensions by some of the players. That’s largely what pushes Golden State’s salary plus tax commitment into the stratosphere.

Yes, they acquired Wiggins through a chain of transactions that relates back to signing Kevin Durant as a free agent. But even that original Durant acquisition wasn’t about just overpaying and “buying” a title. That 2016 signing was aided by a cap spike and the vastly under-market deal of Stephen Curry at the time.

After his initial 1+1 deal, Durant opted out. He did the same thing one more time. In total, Durant signed three different deals with the Warriors to keep pushing his salary higher. But when Durant wanted to leave, Golden State didn’t just let him walk. They kept that salary slot alive by working a double sign-and-trade to acquire D’Angelo Russell.

About seven months later, Russell was flipped for Wiggins, and his then-seen-as toxic contract. Two-and-a-half seasons and a title later, opinions on Wiggins’ deal have softened or flipped entirely.

In total, the Warriors made one chained-together set of deals that turned Durant into Russell into Wiggins that was even remotely enabled by their ability to spend.

Beyond that Durant-Russell-Wiggins salary slot, of which you can find a similarly exorbitant deal on the books of almost every team in the NBA over the last decade, all the Warriors have done is paid to keep their own players, while largely filling out their roster with minimum signings.

Which begs the questions: Was Golden State supposed to let their own players leave? Are the Warriors to be faulted for drafting and developing, and then paying, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson? How about Jordan Poole when he’s next to sign a big new deal?

If the answer is no, then what’s the crying about? The name of the game, for all 30 NBA teams, is always “draft and develop” first. The Warriors have simply been better at that than most for a decade.

The next logical question becomes: Can, or could, any other team have continued to up their salary plus tax commitment over a long period to keep a title team together?

This one is a little more complicated. But outside of the situation where James Harden was traded from Oklahoma City to Houston, what title contender has ever failed to pay to keep an All-Star around? To go a bit further: what team, in general, has lost an All-Star in the last 20 years because of salary concerns?

Yes, that was answering a question with more questions. But the answer to number of All-Stars leaving because their teams wouldn’t pay them is exactly zero. 0. None. Nada. Nil. Zilch. When All-Stars have left teams, it’s been to try to win somewhere else, often at the cost of giving up salary by leaving.

In an era where there are often complaints about super teams and players jumping from team to team seemingly on a whim, Golden State Warriors has built a team of mostly homegrown players and they’ve won more than anyone else over the past decade.

Instead of complaining about the Warriors largesse and skyrocketing tax bills, maybe the fingers should be pointed in the other direction. Why aren’t more teams drafting and developing better? And then, if they do, why aren’t they able to keep those teams together?

The answers to those questions probably aren’t money-based. Those teams didn’t stay together because of other reasons, often driven by failures of the teams or the players on those teams to win enough to keep everyone happy and home.

In a league where every team is owned by billionaires, it’s true that the Golden State Warriors have outspent everyone else. Not because they are the only ones who can, but because they’re the only ones who have. And it’s because they’ve outplayed everyone else during that same period and kept their team together in an era where that rarely happens. That’s a combination that should be applauded and respected instead of abhorred and reviled.

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

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

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

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

Related: Spotrac's NBA Extension Tracker

1. Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans

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

2. Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies

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

3. RJ Barrett – New York Knicks

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

4. De’Andre Hunter – Atlanta Hawks

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

5. Darius Garland – Cleveland Cavaliers

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

6. Jarret Culver – Memphis Grizzlies

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

7. Coby White – Chicago Bulls

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

8. Jaxson Hayes – New Orleans Pelicans

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

9. Rui Hachimura – Washington Wizards

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

10. Cam Reddish – New York Knicks

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

11. Cameron Johnson – Phoenix Suns

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

12. P.J. Washington – Charlotte Hornets

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

13. Tyler Herro – Miami Heat

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

14. Romeo Langford – San Antonio Spurs

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

15. Sekou Doumbouya – out of the NBA 

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

16. Chuma Okeke – Orlando Magic

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

17. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Utah Jazz

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

18. Goga Bitadze – Indiana Pacers

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

19. Luka Samanic – out of the NBA

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

20. Matisse Thybulle – Philadelphia 76ers

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

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

21. Brandon Clarke – Memphis Grizzlies

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

22. Grant Williams – Boston Celtics

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

23. Darius Bazley – Oklahoma City Thunder

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

24. Ty Jerome – Oklahoma City Thunder

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

25. Nassir Little – Portland Trail Blazers

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

26. Dylan Windler – Cleveland Cavaliers

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

27. Mfiondu Kabengele – out of the NBA

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

28. Jordan Poole – Golden State Warriors

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

29. Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs

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

30. Kevin Porter Jr. – Houston Rockets

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