Brooks Koepka wins the twelfth LIV Golf event of 2024 at Greenbrier earning himself $4 million, plus $750,000 from his team finishing first. 

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2024 Earnings Leaders Update

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This offseason the NBA split into five distinct groups, as far as their approaches to roster-building. One-fifth of the league dealt with second-apron issues, as they were either over or dancing around that ominous barrier. The second bundle of teams had the same challenges, but slightly less so, with the first apron.

The third group found themselves just over or just under the tax line. A fourth set found that sweet spot of operating over the cap, but far enough under the tax that the extra penalties weren’t really a concern.

Then there was a last group: the cap space teams. The Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets all used cap space this offseason to build out their rosters.

But not all cap space is created equal.

The NBA offseason is full of harsh realities, especially for cap space teams. Some are good enough that they use their room to propel themselves to a new level. Some are so bad that their space is merely a dumping ground for others to get off undesirable contracts. And some…well…they just sort of flounder around without seemingly having much of a plan.

We’re going to look at how each of the six 2024 cap space teams handled their offseasons. The idea is to examine how circumstances, and not just money available, drove the summer for teams who used cap room.

Philadelphia 76ers

Acquisitions

Paul George (signed via cap space), Andre Drummond (signed via cap space), Caleb Martin (signed via cap space), Eric Gordon (signed via Minimum Exception), Reggie Jackson (signed via Minimum Exception), Jared McCain (2024 first-round pick), Adem Bona (2024 second-round pick)

Re-signings

Tyrese Maxey (signed via Bird rights), Kelly Oubre Jr. (signed via Room Exception), K.J. Martin (signed via Bird rights), Kyle Lowry (signed via Minimum Exception)

Analysis

The Sixers spent a full year planning to use their cap space to make a big splash. That’s a risky play, but Daryl Morey pulled it off. Philadelphia wouldn’t have been as successful without Tyrese Maxey foregoing a rookie scale extension and holding off to re-sign as a free agent this summer. Sure, Maxey got paid the same max deal in the end, but he took on all of the risk.

As for the other signings, once Paul George agreed to a max (the only All-Star level player to change teams via free agency this offseason), things came together pretty well for Philadelphia. Andre Drummond took $5 million to back up Joel Embiid. Caleb Martin took the rest of the cap space (and reportedly less than the Miami Heat were offering) to be a part of the wing rotation.

From there, Morey filled out the roster by re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr. via the Room Exception and Kyle Lowry via the Minimum Exception. The 76ers also added Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson via the Minimum Exception, and Jared McCain and Adem Bona through the draft.

The last move we want to address was re-signing K.J. Martin to a two-year, $16 million deal. Martin got just under $8M guaranteed for this season, with next season fully non-guaranteed at just over $8 million. That makes him a perfect trade chip up to the trade deadline. But where Morey was really smart was that he didn’t use Martin in a sign-and-trade this offseason. That would have hard-capped the Sixers at the first apron, under which things were starting to get a little tight. Instead, Morey re-signed Martin and will likely trade him later this season in a deal which won’t trigger a hard cap.

That’s delayed gratification, for sure. But after a year of waiting to use cap space, Philadelphia fans can wait a little while longer.

The 76ers summer started with Joel Embiid, Ricky Council IV and Tyrese Maxey’s free agent rights. Over $62 million in cap room spent later, Philadelphia finds themselves near the top of Eastern Conference projections. That’s money well spent, especially when you consider the amount of roster spots the Sixers had to fill.

Related: Philadelphia Transactions

Oklahoma City Thunder

Acquisitions 

Alex Caruso (acquired by trade via salary-matching), Isaiah Hartenstein (signed via cap space), Nikola Topic (2024 first-round pick), Dillon Jones (2024 first-round pick)

Re-signings 

Isaiah Joe (signed via Bird rights), Aaron Wiggins (signed via Bird rights)

Analysis

Unlike the Philadelphia 76ers, the Thunder didn’t have to build an entire roster around a couple of returning players. The Thunder were able to make a targeted signing to fill a rotation weakness.

After acquiring Alex Caruso in a deal that took on money, but didn’t require using cap space, the Thunder filled out their rotation by using the bulk of their cap space to sign Isaiah Hartenstein.

Is $30 million for Hartenstein an overpay? Yes. Is that a bad thing? Not at all.

With Caruso already in the fold, Oklahoma City clearly felt that adding a starting-level center was their biggest need. Hartenstein was the best starting-level center on the market this summer. In order to get Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks (and possibly others), the Thunder had to go all Godfather and make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

OKC had to spend some money this summer to hit the salary floor, and they didn’t have many roster spots to fill. So, it makes perfect sense to overspend on Hartenstein on a short-term deal. And that’s the key. This is a three-year, $87 million deal, but the final season is a team option. So, that makes it really more like a two-year, $58.5 million deal. That’s still an overpay for Hartenstein, but it’s a savvy one. More on that in a bit.

To finish up their summer, the Thunder used the old “decline the team option and re-sign” trick to retain both Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Both players have grown into rotation players for Mark Daigneault, and both players got really smart deals from the Oklahoma City side.

Just as Sam Presti can get out of the deal with Hartenstein as his team starts to get expensive (extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are looming, as well as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s next deal), the Thunder used a smart structure for both Joe and Wiggins. Both of their contracts decline in value year to year. And, as is a trademark of Presti when he can get it, the deals both include a team option. That gives Oklahoma City tremendous flexibility when they have their young stars locked into max and near-max extension.

The Thunder only needed to fill one rotation spot, and they did it in a big way. Hartenstein will help as a starter or off the bench. Joe and Wiggins will continue to play key roles off Oklahoma City’s bench. Oh, and Sam Presti is still sitting on a bundle of future draft picks that he can use in future deals. This was as quick of a bounce back from contender to rebuild to contender as we’ve seen in NBA history.

Related: Oklahoma City Transactions

Detroit Pistons

Acquisitions

Tobias Harris (signed via cap space), Tim Hardaway Jr. (acquired by trade via cap space), Malik Beasley (signed via cap space), Paul Reed (acquired through waiver claim via cap space), Wendell Moore Jr. (acquired by trade via cap space), Ron Holland II (2024 first-round pick), Bobi Klintman (2024 second-round pick)

Re-signings

Simone Fontecchio (via Bird rights)

Analysis

Detroit didn’t have the same recruiting tools as the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pistons had the cap space, but they didn’t have the promise of winning. Despite that, new front office leader Trajan Langdon still upgraded his roster to start moving the rebuild forward.

The Pistons brought back old friend Tobias Harris with the bulk of their cap space. Is Harris a worth $26 million AAV over the next two seasons? Probably not. Unlike the Thunder, who spent to add Isaiah Hartenstein as the rotation player to put them over the top, the Pistons overpaid Harris when no one else was likely to beat their offer.

But that’s what you have to do sometimes as a bad team. And, despite being overpaid, Harris will help Detroit. He’s reliable as far as availability goes, he can hit a jumper and he’ll give the team a likeable, veteran presence. That’s all valuable for a team that all too often couldn’t get out of their own way last season.

Acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley follows a similar thought process. Both have good track records health-wise, both can hit shots and neither will cause a stir in the locker room.

The good news? None of these deals run past two seasons. Harris is on a two-year deal, while Hardaway and Beasley will come off the books after this season. The Pistons didn’t really sacrifice any long-term flexibility. And, as Tom Gores challenged the team with, Detroit took on contracts, but for guys who can actually play. Minus maybe Wendell Moore Jr., who was more of a straight salary dump. But his contract is so small, that it doesn’t really matter.

Langdon used a chunk of cap space to claim Paul Reed off waivers. That’s a smart, no-risk pickup for Detroit. If he doesn’t work out, both years of Reed’s deal are non-guaranteed. The Pistons can get off of this contract at minimal to no cost.

Re-signing Simone Fontecchio was a bit of an interesting process. Detroit didn’t wait until they used all over their remaining cap space to bring the veteran shooting forward back into the fold via his free agent rights. Instead, the Pistons re-signed Fontecchio and ate up some cap space. While that’s probably not ideal, Langdon was about out of ways to use his cap space anyway.

As it stands, the Pistons still have about $10.2 million left in cap room. That’ll make them popular as the third-team-in as trade talks happen around the league. Detroit can help facilitate deals using that space, while picking up another asset or two for themselves.

The Pistons summer didn’t have the blockbuster feel of the Sixers. Nor did it even have the smart-overpay feel of the Thunder. But Detroit got better this offseason and they didn’t dip very far into any future flexibility. And there’s probably more to come before the trade deadline. The Pistons simply aren’t walking the same path as the Sixers or Thunder yet.

Related: Detroit Transactions

San Antonio Spurs

Acquisitions

Chris Paul (signed via cap space), Harrison Barnes (acquired by trade via cap space), Stephon Castle (2024 first-round pick)

Re-signing

Charles Bassey (via Minimum Exception), Sandro Mamukelashvili (via Minimum Exception)

Analysis

The Spurs are kind of in between the Detroit Pistons and the contenders in terms of cap space teams. San Antonio’s record has them closer to Detroit, but the presence of Victor Wembanyama has them closer to the contenders.

No, we’re not saying San Antonio is competing for a title. Just making the playoffs is an uphill task in a very deep Western Conference. But Wembanyama is here, he’s only getting better and the Spurs aren’t far off from contention.

Because they’ve drafted so many players, and re-signed a few players, in recent years, San Antonio wasn’t working with max cap space like the previous three teams. Still, the Spurs made savvy upgrades that will improve their team next season.

In order to fit Harrison Barnes’ deal into their remaining cap space, the Spurs wisely structured Chris Paul’s deal to include some incentives. Paul got a base salary that is roughly $10.5 million, with some unlikely bonuses that can push his deal up to just over $12 million. That difference of just over $1.5 million was enough for San Antonio to acquire Barnes.

Barnes’ $18 million contract slid into the remainder of the Spurs cap room. For taking on Barnes, who can still play and will actually help San Antonio on the court, the Spurs also picked up a potentially valuable 2031 pick swap.

Both Paul and Barnes will help some young players mature. Paul will help a young backcourt, as well as just making sure everyone is in the right spots to execute Gregg Popovich’s schemes. Barnes will be a boon to a young forward group that will benefit from seeing how he’s been such a consistent performer year over year.

When you are shy of max cap space, and you don’t want to push your building blocks into lesser roles, you have to be really careful. Brian Wright and the Spurs did a great job of using their room to add two additive vets to a roster that really needed them. That’s a productive offseason.

Related: San Antonio Transactions

Charlotte Hornets

Acquisitions

Josh Green (acquired by trade via cap space), Devonte’ Graham (acquired by trade via cap space, then waived), Reggie Jackson (acquired by trade via cap space, then waived), Taj Gibson (via Minimum Exception), Tidjane Salaun (2024 first-round pick)

Re-signings

Miles Bridges (via Bird rights), Seth Curry (via Minimum Exception)

Analysis

The Hornets split the difference this summer with the cap space. They used some room to take on unwanted contracts in Devonte’ Graham and Reggie Jackson, who were both later waived. Charlotte also used some cap space to bring in Josh Green in a six-team trade.

For new front office executive Jeff Peterson to pull off his moves, he had to work around Mile Bridges’ cap hold. Peterson had to keep Bridges on the books, in order to re-sign him later via Bridges’ Bird rights. That made things a bit more complicated, but the Hornets made it all work.

In exchange for renting out some cap space, Charlotte added Green, who should slot in as a potential 3&D wing in a lineup that can use those skills. The Hornets also added a second-round pick in the Graham deal. In the six-team deal that brought Green and Jackson to Charlotte, Peterson was able to add two future Denver second-round picks by trading away a 2025 second-round pick that should be near the end of the round.

Was it the “fresh start” summer that Hornets fans were dreaming of? Kind of. They have a new front office and a new coaching staff. But outside of Green, the roster is pretty similar to last season’s downtrodden group. 

Many were split on bringing back Bridges, given his past domestic violence issues. Strictly basketball-wise, the Hornets got a terrific deal on Bridges with a non-max declining contract year to year. But it would be silly to suggest such a deal would have happened without the past domestic violence issues. In the end, if the organization believes Bridges is a changed person and continuing to work on improving himself off the court, then this is a solid value deal. Given the Hornets paid him, it’s fair to suggest that’s exactly how they feel about Bridges.

Tidjane Salaun looks like he’s at least a year away from contributing. Seth Curry and Taj Gibson will probably contribute more in the locker room than on the floor. Everyone else is returning from a season that was wrecked by injuries and the inconsistency of youth.

All that said, Peterson did a nice job in his first offseason. The Bridges situation wasn’t an easy one to navigate right out of the gate. Charles Lee seems to be a perfect hire to grow with this still-young roster. And the Hornets did a fine job using cap space to pick up a helpful player in Green and a couple of long-term assets. As a bad team that is figuring things out on the fly with all new leaders in charge, Charlotte made out alright this summer.

Related: Charlotte Transactions

Utah Jazz

Acquisitions

Drew Eubanks (signed via cap space), Svi Mykhailiuk (signed via cap space), Cody Williams (2024 first-round pick), Isaiah Collier (2024 first-round pick), Kyle Filipowski (2024 second-round pick, signed via cap space)

Re-signings

Lauri Markkanen (renegotiated-and-extended via cap space), Johnny Juzang (signed via Bird rights)

Analysis

Utah’s offseason was going to go in one of two directions. Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik said the Jazz were going to go big-game hunting. If that path failed, they were prepared to make moves to keep some talent home in Utah long-term.

Utah ended up walking that second path, and used the bulk of their cap space to renegotiate-and-extend Lauri Markkanen’s contract. Markkanen’s salary went from just over $18 million for this season, up to the maximum allowable of just over $42 million. From there, the Jazz tacked on four new years at nearly $196 million for Markkanen.

Some have questioned the size of the deal, but Markkanen has proven to be an All-Star. And, most importantly, he really wanted to stay in Utah. That’s huge for the Jazz. Having Markkanen in the fold now precludes a trade this season, as Markkanen delayed signing the deal by a day to give himself a trade restriction that runs until after the trade deadline. However, Utah could always trade Markkanen next summer. His deal is large, but it’s far from untradeable, due to Markkanen’s talent and skillset. Given Ainge is running the team, never count out anything trade-wise.

The Jazz used the rest of their cap room to shore up a few roster holes. Drew Eubanks got what amounts to a one-year, $5 million deal to provide some center depth. Svi Mykhailiuk brings a championship ring and outside shooting to Utah on what is essentially a one-year, $3.5 million contract. Ainge also used cap space to sign Kyle Filipowski to a bigger deal than is allowed via the Second Round Pick Exception. The Jazz also re-signed Johnny Juzang to a four-year deal via his free agent rights, which has only this season guaranteed.

Even with Markkanen off the market for this season, the Jazz are still a team to watch in trade talks. Utah has a collection of veterans like John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, who could all be of interest to various playoff teams. Walker Kessler has also reportedly been dangled in trade discussions this offseason. There are even some deals out there that could return a big name (Brandon Ingram? Zach LaVine? A deal no one sees coming?) in a rebalancing or shedding long-term salary kind of trade.

Keeping Markkanen, while adding talent on short-term or pseudo short-term deals, is a solid summer for the Jazz. They didn’t sacrifice any long-term flexibility in any kind of harmful way. And there’s still the potential for another big move.

Oh, and let’s not forget the Jazz are sitting a bunch of extra draft picks, including as many as three first-round selections in the talent-rich 2025 NBA Draft. This is exactly where Danny Ainge wants to be. Ainge has the flexibility to keep rebuilding and adding assets, right up until he feels like it’s time to cash in and go for it.

Related: Utah Transactions

With the 2024 regular season just a few weeks out, teams are taking one last crack at locking in notable expiring contracts before the threat of free agency creeps in.

While a few extensions are sure to get done, we’ll take an extra early look at which players from each position group could be headed to the open market when the 2025 league year begins next March 12th.

RELATED: 2025 NFL Free Agents

QUARTERBACKS

Quite a few moving targets here, none bigger than Prescott and his potentially historic looming extension in Dallas, but the (year long?) QB1 battle in Pittsburgh will certainly have ramifications on this free agent class next March. J.J. McCarthy’s knee surgery should pave the way for Sam Darnold to showcase himself for a potential 2025 starting role elsewhere.

Dak Prescott (DAL, 31)

Justin Fields  (PIT, 25)

Russell Wilson (PIT, 36)

Mac Jones (JAX, 26)

Jameis Winston (CLE, 30)

Sam Darnold (MIN, 27)

Zach Wilson (DEN, 25)

Trey Lance (DAL, 24)

RUNNING BACKS

This list currently offers much less to be desired than the 2023 class presented, but there’s no question that it will be bolstered by a few likely cap casualties next March. Dobbins, Harris, & Williams all have legitimate chances to reset their free agent values this winter with productive, healthy campaigns.

James Conner (ARI, 29)

Nick Chubb (CLE, 29)

Najee Harris (PIT, 26)

A.J. Dillon (GB, 26)

Javonte Williams (DEN, 24)

JK Dobbins (LAC, 26)

Aaron Jones (MIN, 30)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Higgins & Cooper seem highly likely to find themselves on the open market next March, while long-term questions surrounding Lamb & Aiyuk continue to dominate the news streams. Newcomers Allen (Chicago) & Johnson (Carolina) could play themselves into multi-year extensions if the fit is right.

CeeDee Lamb (DAL, 25)

Brandon Aiyuk (SF, 26)

Stefon Diggs (HOU, 31)

Tee Higgins (CIN, 25)

Keenan Allen (CHI, 32)

Amari Cooper (CLE, 30)

Brandin Cooks (DAL, 31)

Diontae Johnson (CAR, 28)

DeAndre Hopkins (TEN, 32)

Mike Williams (NYJ, 30)

Marquise Brown (KC, 27)

Chris Godwin (TB, 28)

TIGHT ENDS

Freiermuth & Johnson are looking for bounce-back walk years in Pittsburgh & New Orleans respectively, while Noah Gray’s stock could rise internally if Travis Kelce decides to hang up the cleats after 2024.

Pat Freiermuth (PIT, 26)

Tyler Conklin (NYJ, 29)

Noah Gray (KC, 25)

Mo Alie-Cox (IND, 31)

Juwan Johnson (NO, 28)

Brevin Jordan (HOU, 24)

Harrison Bryant (LV, 26)

Austin Hooper (NE, 30)

Mike Gesicki (CIN, 29)

Zach Ertz (WAS, 34)

OFFENSIVE TACKLES

The Jags are likely banking on Walker Little to spell Robinson in 2025 & Bolles could be on the move out of Denver if the wheels continue to fall off there. Stanley needs a healthy 2024 to recoup some of his All-Pro value, but Mekari could very well be the benefactor if he becomes Baltimore’s focal point going forward.

Cam Robinson (JAX, 29)

Garett Bolles (DEN, 32)

Ronnie Stanley (BAL, 30)

Tyron Smith (NYJ, 34)

Patrick Mekari (BAL, 27)

Jedrick Wills (CLE, 25)

Morgan Moses (NYJ, 33)

Chukwuma Okorafor (NE, 27)

Trenton Brown (CIN, 31)

Spencer Brown (BUF, 26)

GUARDS

Massive contracts for Joe Thuney & Robert Hunt in recent free agencies have to have players like Trey Smith & Teven Jenkins smiling but all of these players (maybe sans Martin, who could be eyeing retirement) should be headed for strong pay days in the coming months.

Zack Martin (DAL, 34)

Kevin Zeitler (DET, 34)

Trey Smith (KC, 25)

Teven Jenkins (CHI, 26)

Will Hernandez (ARI, 29)

Will Fries (IND, 26)

James Daniels (PIT, 27)

CENTERS

Dalman & Humphrey were classified as Top 5 centers in 2023 according to PFF and should be eyeing a market reset for the position. Kelly is looking to stay in Indy for the right price, while Corbett’s move over from guard is one to watch this season.

Drew Dalman (ATL, 26)

Creed Humphrey (KC, 25)

Ryan Kelly (IND, 31)

Coleman Shelton (CHI, 29)

Hjalte Froholdt (ARI, 28)

Austin Corbett (CAR, 29)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

A rash of extensions leaves this crop with a little more to be desired, but McNeill had a breakout campaign in 2023 and might price out the now loaded Lions, while Odighizuwa might be left out of Dallas’ expensive future plans as well.

Alim McNeill (DET, 24)

Armon Watts (NE, 28)

Osa Odighizuwa (DAL, 26)

Cameron Heyward (PIT, 35)

B.J. Hill (CIN, 29)

Harrison Phillips (MIN, 28)

Jarran Reed (SEA, 32)

EDGE DEFENDERS

Reddick & Judon are deep into contract disputes with their respective teams, Mack took a haircut to remain in LA, and both Lawrence & Omenihu appear headed for the open market as their teams have plenty of other mouths to feed.

Khalil Mack (LAC, 33)

DeMarcus Lawrence (DAL, 32)

Chase Young (NO, 25)

Matt Judon (ATL, 32)

Haason Reddick (NYJ, 30)

Charles Omenihu (KC, 27)

LINEBACKERS

It’s been a tough go for off-ball linebackers on the open market & many of the names on the 2025 list were also on the 2024 free agency list as well. Greenlaw’s Super Bowl injury annexed what was looking like the next big LB contract, but there’s still time for him to regain some of that value back. Jones was the breakout star in LA last season, and could make himself a lot of money with a repeat campaign in 2024.

Dre Greenlaw (SF, 27)

Tyrel Dodson (SEA, 26)

Bobby Wagner (WAS, 34)

Ernest Jones (LAR, 25)

Robert Spillane (LV, 29)

Eric Kendricks (DAL, 32)

Lavonte David (TB, 34)

Elandon Roberts (PIT, 30)

CORNERBACKS

This might be the deepest list positionally speaking, headlined by three key cogs in the 49ers secondary, and a former first rounder in Terrell who along with Sameul Jr., are looking to maximize value heading toward free agency.

Charvarius Ward (SF, 29)

Isaac Yiadom (SF, 28)

Deommodore Lenoir (SF, 25)

A.J. Terrell (ATL, 26)

Asante Samuel Jr. (LAC, 25)

Rasul Douglas (BUF, 30)

Michael Carter (NYJ, 25)

Paulson Adebo (NO, 25)

D.J. Reed (NYJ, 28)

Mike Hilton (CIN, 30)

Jonathan Jones (NE, 31)

SAFETIES

A largely devalued position was financially reset this offseason by Antoine Winfield Jr. in Tampa Bay. Jevon Holland has a chance to position himself for that belt with another big year in Miami, while Justin Reid becomes yet another big member of the Chiefs in need of a new deal in the coming months.

Jevon Holland (MIA, 24)

Budda Baker (ARI, 28)

Justin Reid (KC, 27)

Tyrann Mathieu (NO, 32)

Camryn Bynum (MIN, 26)

Talanoa Hufanga (SF, 25)

Trevon Moehrig (LV, 25)

Julian Blackmon (IND, 26)

RELATED: 2025 NFL Free Agents

Who did we forget? Drop a note on X or Threads @spotrac to keep this list as fresh as possible through the 2024 season.

Almost halfway through the NWSL’s month-long secondary window, it’s a great time to look at last year’s secondary window signings, a breakdown of signings in the current window, and what teams still have space to sign more players (or what teams may need to get back down to 26).

2023  - 16 signings, 1 trade

Last year’s NWSL secondary window ran a month earlier than the 2024 window, from the end of June to the end of July ahead of the 2023 FIFA World Cup. During this time there were 16 players added across the league, and a single trade–which sent a 2023 International Spot from San Diego to Kansas City for allocation money. 

The breakdown of signings by position was a fairly even split with five forwards, five defenders, and six midfielders joining the league. Surprisingly, there were no goalkeepers added. Out of the 12 teams, only nine were active in the space. The future NWSL Championship winning Gotham FC—who when the window opened were fifth in the table—led the charge signing three new players: Spanish forward Esther Gonzalez, American forward Katie Stengel, and Spanish midfielder Maitane Lopez. Houston (then 8th), Washington (4th), Orlando (10th), Kansas City (11th), and North Carolina (2nd) all had two players added, while Portland (1st) , Angel City (9th), and San Diego (6th) all had one. 

When the dust settled at the end of decision day, the standings changed seven times, and San Diego had won the NWSL Shield for being top of the table, while Gotham would go on their impressive postseason run and take home the Championship. 

2023 NWSL Table Standings at the end of the regular season

2024 -  21 signings, 1 trade 

This year, the leagues secondary window coincides with the end of the 2024 Paris Olympics and runs from August 1st to August 30th. With the window overlapping less with the ending of the traditionally european seasons, which run from September to June, there were a lot of signings announced ahead of the actual window opening where players are expected to make their debuts once the window officially opens. So far, the signings have already surpassed the number of signings for the entire window last year and the sole trade of the window was player related as it sent Seattle defender Alana Cook to Kansas City for cash. 

Positionally, things aren’t too skewed in any one space with the 21 signings consisting of seven midfielders, seven forwards, five defenders, and two goalkeepers. 

Current NWSL table ahead of regular season restarting for the final ten matches

Seattle, who currently sit second to last, have thus far had the most signings in the window with four as they look to turn their season around. North Carolina (6th) has had three signings; Chicago (7th), Utah (14th), and Washington (3rd) all have had two signings, while Angel City (11th), Gotham (4th), Orlando (1st), Portland (5th), and San Diego (10th) have added one player. Kansas City has also signed one new player, as well as acquiring a second via trade from Seattle. 

Bay FC, Houston, and Racing have yet to add additional players thus far in the window. 

For more details on each team’s 2024 Secondary Window signings, check out the window tracker: here

Comparing 2023 and 2024 secondary window signings 

Current Active Roster Situation

The Olympics have now concluded and some teams are already announcing the release of their NTRPs (National Team Replacement Players). NWSL roster rules state that teams must keep at least 22 players on their active roster, and no more than 26. 

Assuming that all of the current NTRP’s are released and the players off at the Olympics return to active player state (keeping North Carolina’s Sydney Collins on the D45 list), below is the current state of teams’ active roster spots. Note: North Carolina would’ve been at 26 before Kerolin’s SEI designation was removed. 

At this point in the season, if team’s want to add more players than spots they have, there are a few mechanisms for releasing players including waiving a player, mutual termination of a contract, buying out an NWSL contract, sending players out on loan (seeing a number of these to the USL Super League right now), trading a player to another NWSL team, or another league. 

Aaron Rai wins the Wyndham Championship. Rai earns $1.42 million bringing his 2024 on-course earnings to $3.8 million and his career on-course earnings to $7.6 million. 

Wyndham Championship Top 10 Payouts

Full Results

2024 Earnings Leaders Update

Full List

NBA Summer League season has now come and gone. Leagues in California, Salt Lake City and the big one in Las Vegas have wrapped up. That means it’s time to look back at how things went.

In this exclusive series for Spotrac, I’ll be looking at how each rostered player performed in Summer League this year.

A “rostered player” is someone who is either:

• Signed to a standard contract
• Signed to a two-way contract
• Signed to a training camp deal (or rumored to be signing one)
• Has their draft rights retained by the team

On occasion, another player may sneak in here if they did something that stood out. We’ll be going division by division, so that the articles don’t get too unwieldy. The hope is that series will give you a sense of how players looked, while giving you something to consume while we wait for NBA training camps to begin in a couple of months.

Previously covered:

Central Division

Golden State Warriors

Reece Beekman

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 7.0 PPG, 30.8% FG%, 66.7% 3P%

Analysis: Beekman only appeared in two Summer League games, seemingly due to an injury of some sort. He was fine in those two games. Beekman hit a couple of three-pointers, did an ok job getting to his shot and his on-ball defense solid enough. There just wasn’t a lot to evaluate here with only 44 minutes played.

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Contract Status: Three-years, $6.5M, 2023 Second Round Pick Exception

Stats: 12.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 63.2% FG%, 73.7% FT%

Analysis: It was a short summer for Jackson-Davis, who became an established rotation player for the Warriors as a rookie. He was dominant on the interior as a scorer and did a nice job on the boards. 19 free throw attempts in 74 minutes were also a solid sign of development for Jackson-Davis.

Kevin Knox

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Stats: 16.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 47.1% FG%, 35.1% 3P%, 79.2% FT%

Analysis: Knox looked overpowering at times, which is to expected for a six-year NBA veteran. However, Knox is still only 24 years old, so maybe he’s a later bloomer? This was the most aggressive Knox has been hunting three-point shots, as more than half of his shots came from behind the arc. He hit them at a decent clip too. Maybe a camp invite somewhere comes for Knox off a strong summer.

Daeqwon Plowden

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 14.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 47% FG%, 39.6% 3P%

Analysis: It was an impressive summer for Plowden both in the California Classic and in Las Vegas. He got up 48 threes in 196 minutes, and nailed them at nearly 40%. Plowden has solid size for a wing shooter too. He was competitive defensively, but nothing jumped off the screen. He’ll be 26 years old when the season starts, so it’s more about showing he can help immediately if necessary vs being a developmental prospect.

Brandin Podziemski

Contract Status: Three-years, $12.9M, 2023 First Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 17.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 43.2% FG%, 40% 3P%, 80% FT%

Analysis: Like Trayce Jackson-Davis, Podziemski had a short summer. Also like Jackson-Davis, Podziemski was terrific. Podziemski showed off the all-around skills he had flashed as a rookie. He did a nice job as the Summer Warriors primary playmaker when he played. The shooting was down a touch, but that mostly Podziemski working on his off-the-dribble shots, which looked good. He also got the line five times per game. All around, Podziemski looks poised for a big second season.

Quentin Post

Contract Status: Draft Rights Retained

Stats: 10 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 63.6% FG%, 40% 3P%

Analysis: Post only got into two games, but he was fairly effective. He’s got terrific touch, and his shot looked solid out to the NBA line. Only grabbing five rebounds in nearly 30 minutes wasn’t great. And Post didn’t show up defensively, but nothing was glaringly bad either. At the very least, Post is going to be a solid NBA backup center for his offensive game.

Jackson Rowe

Contract Status: One-year, non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 training camp deal

Stats: 9.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 49% FG%, 31.3% 3P%

Analysis: Rowe looks the part of a solid wing. He’s got good size, he’s strong and he’s quick enough. Rowe got better as the summer went along too. Rowe will go to camp before landing with Santa Cruz this season.

Pat Spencer

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 15.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 74.3% FG%

Analysis: Spencer was impressive as a playmaker for the Summer Warriors. He was also unstoppable when he drove the ball. Right now, Spencer is like a Poor Man’s T.J. McConnell. He’s a reluctant shooter unless he is in/around the paint, but the jumper doesn’t look bad. Spencer is also a terrific athlete, but he’s also 28 years old. Any prospect shine is all but gone at this point.

LA Clippers

Kobe Brown

Contract Status: Three-years, $9.9M, 2023 First Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 16.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 49.2% FG%, 22.7% 3P%, 78.3 FT%

Analysis: After a non-descript rookie season, Brown showed up again this summer. He did some things well, while struggling in other areas. Brown was much-improved as a playmaker. He saw and made passes that he didn’t attempt as a rookie. He’s a solid finisher and scorer around the basket. The jumper remains inconsistent, and Brown is still only so-so in terms of on-ball defense. He doesn’t look ready to claim any NBA minutes yet.

Cameron Christie

Contract Status: Four-years, $7.9M, 2024 Second Round Pick Exception

Stats: 11.4 PPG, 37.3% FG%, 40.5% 3P%

Analysis: Christie showed the early look of a potential 3&D wing. He struggled to finish around the rim (just 4-of-14 on two-point shots), but he knocked down 15-of-37 three-pointers. For the 3&D role to come to pass, Christie is going to have to defend a bit better. He got better on that end as the summer went along, so that’s encouraging heading into training camp.

Moussa Diabate

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract with the Charlotte Hornets

Stats: 12.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 64.1% FG%, 91.7% FT%

Analysis: Diabate was well-known to the Clippers, after two years of two-way deals. He did the same stuff he’s always done, as far as finishing around the rim and hitting the glass. The defense still needs work, but that’s something for the Hornets to work on with Diabate now.

Elijah Harkless

Contract Status: One-year, non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 training camp deal

Stats: 7.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 39.3% FG%, 31.3% 3P%

Analysis: Harkless’ best skill this summer was some pesky on-ball defense. It didn’t result in a lot of steals, but he was fairly disruptive. Offensively, Harkless is point-guard-sized, but he’s still more scorer than playmaker. He’ll return back to the G League Clippers after the preseason.

Jordan Miller

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 25.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 54.9% FG%, 60% 3P%, 80.4 FT%

Analysis: Miller was dominant throughout Summer League. This wasn’t just a case of being bigger, strong and quicker than those defending him, either. There was plenty of that, but Miller flashed a nice off-the-dribble jumper, as well as knocking in spot-up shots. He also got to the free throw line with regularity too. Miller is a good bet to be converted off his two-way deal at some point this season.

Los Angeles Lakers

Colin Castleton

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 11.0 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 53.1% FG%

Analysis: Castleton was again solid in Summer League. He’s on the verge of being an NBA backup center. If the defense was a touch better, Castleton would already be there. As it stands, his touch, good hands and basketball IQ will have him rolling through G League until that NBA chance comes.

Blake Hinson

Contract Status: Two-years, Two-Way contract

Stats: 10.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 34.1% FG%, 32.8% 3P%

Analysis: Hinson was as advertised coming in. He’s a three-point gunner, who can defend a little bit. He gets up this three-point attempts with relative ease off catch-and-shoots. Defensively, Hinson is competitive, but looked overmatched with the better athletes in the summer setting. As an older prospect, development will have to come quickly for Hinson.

Dalton Knecht

Contract Status: Four-years, $18.5M, 2024 First Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 18.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 36.7% FG%, 34.2% 3P%, 76.7% FT%

Analysis: We’re not going to worry too much about the shooting percentage. It’s such a small sample size, that an off game or two can completely swing things. All of that said, Knecht looked the part of NBA rotation player all summer. He knows how to play. It’s little things like driving, kicking and not watching, but relocating to an open spot for the return pass. Knecht also showed a knack for drawing fouls. And he did a good job getting his shot off against some tough defense. He should be a rotation player for the Lakers from Day 1, provided he can hold up defensively.

Bronny James

Contract Status: Four-years, $7.9M, 2024 Second Round Pick Exception

Stats: 7.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 32.7% FG%, 13% 3P%

Analysis: James looked as most unbiased observers expected. His shot is a major work-in-progress, as his feel as a playmaker. He’s got good physical gifts, but those mostly show up on defense right now. The good news? James gets a normal summer to work on his game. That’s a plus, before he’ll probably head to the G League for lots of minutes with South Bay.

Maxwell Lewis

Contract Status: Three-years, $6.5M, 2023 Second Round Pick Exception

Stats: 9.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 32.1% FG%, 21.7% 3P%

Analysis: This was a mess of a summer for Lewis. As a second-year guy, the expectation is that Lewis would have been one of the better Lakers. Instead, he couldn’t get any shots to fall. More worrisome was Lewis not being able to create his own looks. He’ll have to get better quickly, or Lewis will be a throw-in player/salary in a trade, or off the roster entirely.

Armel Traore

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 6.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 48.7% FG%, 57.7% FT%

Analysis: Traore has NBA size and athleticism for a forward. He was solid enough finishing around the basket, but the jumper needs a lot of work. Traore was also able to get to the free throw line, but didn’t make many. Still, players with this kind of size/athleticism combo are worth developing through the G League, which is where Traore will spend this season.

Phoenix Suns

Jalen Bridges

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 10.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 42.9% FG%, 40% 3P%

Analysis: As a senior, Bridges showed some signs of being a potential 3&D forward. That continued with the Summer Suns. Bridges was pretty competitive defensively, even if it was tough to standout on defense with two other NBA-ready defenders on the roster. Most impressive was Bridges hit 40% from deep on seven attempts per game. That’s worth keeping an eye on with the Suns new G League affiliate.

Ryan Dunn

Contract Status: Four-years, $12.9M, 2024 First Round Rookie Scale 

Stats: 5.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 34.4% FG%, 0.77% 3P%

Analysis: Starting with the positives, Dunn is ready to defend in the NBA today. He’s got the size, skill and athleticism to guard almost any NBA wings and forwards. On the downside, Dunn has no jump-shot to speak of. And he struggled to finish in Las Vegas. The offense is going to take a while to come around.

Oso Ighodaro

Contract Status: Four-years, $7.9M, 2024 Second Round Pick Exception

Stats: 7.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 50% FG%, 90% FT%

Analysis: Ighodaro stuffed the stat sheet at Summer League. Like Dunn, he’s ready to defend in the NBA right now. He might get overpowered by the biggest centers, but Ighodaro will hold up against everyone else. He showed decent touch on his floater, and knocked down 9-of-10 free throws. Most impressive was Ighodaro’s decision-making as a passer. The Suns can use him as facilitator and short-roll passer on Day 1.

David Roddy

Contract Status: Two-years, $7.7M, 2022 First Round Rookie Scale (traded to Hawks after Summer League)

Stats: 14.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 45.8% FG%, 36.7% 3P%

Analysis: Roddy looked good, but this was his third Summer League. He’s too strong for guards, and he hit enough shots that simply stashing a forward on him didn’t really work. The problem for Roddy is that his lack of size and athleticism shows up against real NBA players. The Suns traded him to the Hawks, so maybe he can break through a crowded forward group in Atlanta.

Sacramento Kings

Adonis Arms

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Stats: 20.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.7 SPG, 55.6% FG%, 21.4% 3P%, 69.2% FT%

Analysis: Arms was physically dominant in Summer League. He’s overpowering as an older, developed player at this level. The outside shot is what’s keeping Arms from cracking an NBA roster at this point.

Isaiah Crawford

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 6.6 PPG, 52.6% FG%, 57.1% 3P%

Analysis: Crawford didn’t play a ton of minutes, but he showed enough that he’s worth developing as a potential 3&D guy. He knocked down 8-of-14 three-pointers, which carried over from two straight solid shooting seasons in college. The Kings might have found a real player, especially if Crawford flashes more of his all-around skills in the G League.

Boogie Ellis

Contract Status: One-year, non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 training camp deal

Stats: 10.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 46.8% FG%, 47.1% 3P%

Analysis: Ellis looks the part as a scorer. He gets to his spots and his shot has nice touch. He gets nice lift on his jumper, and he’s a pretty good finisher too. The questions are his playmaking and defense. He’s going to have to become a better passer to make it in the NBA, and his lack of size really works against him on defense.

Keon Ellis

Contract Status: Two-years, $4.4M

Stats: 20.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 52.4% FG%, 38.9% 3P%, 76.9% FT%

Analysis: Ellis didn’t really need to play Summer League. He’s an established NBA guy. What was good to see is that Ellis looked like an established NBA guy. He got to his shots with ease and he hit everything at a good clip. Ellis should probably start for the Kings, as his offense-defense combo is a good fit with the other starters.

Colby Jones

Contract Status: Three-years, $6.7M, 2023 Second Round Pick Exception

Stats: 8.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.0 SPG, 30% FG%, 30% 3P%

Analysis: Jones couldn’t get any shots to fall, but he did a lot of everything else. His defense was terrific, he hit the boards and he showed up as a passer. Given he shot it well in the G League last season, we’ll give that a pass in favor of praising his all-around play. The Kings may need one more wing/forward and Jones could be it.

Isaac Jones

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 9.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 49.2% FG%, 23.5% 3P%, 75% FT%

Analysis: Starting with the positives, Jones looks like he’s NBA-ready physically. He’s quick, he’s strong and he gets up to challenge shots. Jones showed he has a good feel for rebounding, both timing and positioning. Offensively, it’s clear the Kings challenged Jones to shoot jumpers, as he took more threes in eight Summer League games than he took in his entire senior season at Washington. That’s a good focus for Jones, because he needs to be able to shoot to stick in the NBA. Keep an eye on that progress in Stockton this season.

Mason Jones

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 13.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 47.8% FG%, 38.9% 3P%, 89.7% FT%

Analysis: Jones’ shooting and scoring wasn’t much of a surprise. As an experienced player in this setting, that’s be somewhat expected. Everything else jumped off the screen. Jones got on the glass better than we’ve ever seen. And his passing was outstanding. He was also a more competitive, active defender. Maybe everything is clicking for Jones now. If so, the Kings have a real player to watch on a two-way deal.

As new quarterback contracts continue to hit the books at historic costs, the separation between deals that were signed just a few years ago becomes greater and greater. There may be no better example of this than Josh Allen, who’s contract with the Buffalo Bills now looks like a rookie wage scale deal in comparison to a few of the more recently signed.

Allen is entering Year 4 of an 8 year, $284.5M contract that was signed in August of 2021, set to earn $30M cash for the upcoming season. In total, the deal has 5 years, $189.5M remaining on it through 2028.

When looking at the QB contract landscape over just the next three seasons, Allen’s cash flow currently ranks 15th. And with a new contract for Dak Prescott looming (now or next March), it’s safe to drop Allen down to 16th for practical purposes.

QB Cash Available 2024-2026

• 1. Jared Goff, $153.6M
• 2. Patrick Mahomes, $152.5M
• 3. Tua Tagovailoa, $149M
• 4. Jordan Love, $143M
• 5. Justin Herbert, $140M
• 6. Deshaun Watson, $138M
• 7. Joe Burrow, $136M
• 8. Kirk Cousins, $135M
• 9. Jalen Hurts, $133M
• 10. Lamar Jackson, $127M
• 11. Derek Carr, $120M
• T12. Trevor Lawrence, $114M
• T12. Kyler Murray, $114M
• T12. Daniel Jones, $114M
• 15. Josh Allen, $108M

As deals for Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, & Tua Tagovailoa are spelled out across the internets, the urge to compare the shiny new numbers to the ghosts of nfl contracts past from Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen becomes irresistible. But the Chiefs agreed to (actually) restructure Mahomes’ cash flow last offseason to sweeten his current pot, while keeping him under term through 2031 (for now).

As shown above, only Jared Goff (who scored a ridiculous $80M payout in 2024) is set to earn more than Mahomes from a cash perspective over the course of the next three seasons.

Of course, the Chiefs felt a bit of an obligation to address their QB1’s cash flow after back to back Super Bowl victories in 2022 & 2023. Josh Allen’s current resume includes 4 straight AFC East titles (2020-2023), but he’s been unable to get his Bills teams over the AFC Championship hump and into a Super Bowl as of yet.

So as talk about the widening gap between Allen’s current contract (which he agreed to) and its place almost exactly in the middle of the starting QB contract landscape increases - will the Buffalo Bills front office feel pressured into reacting? Will Allen and his camp put their foot down at some point over the next 12 months despite a considerable amount of term left on his current deal?

Let’s play out a few scenarios.

A Cash Flow Restructure

Allen doesn’t have a Mahomes resume to boast, but he’s garnered enough clout to bring the “sweeten the pot” convo to the table. Let’s keep something in mind here however.

Here’s the current cash breakdown for Josh Allen’s remaining contract:

2024: $30M
2025: $39.5M ($25M roster bonus)
2026: $38.5M ($15M roster bonus)
2027: $40M ($25M roster bonus)
2028: $41.55M ($25M roster bonus)

I’ve highlighted the included roster bonuses because that seems to be the most logical path to bringing money forward on the deal (without having to process a brand new deal from scratch). Per the list of 3-year payouts above, Allen sits about $45M below the very top of the pay class, and around $20M from cracking the Top 10 (he’s currently 15th per this metric).

If the Bills agree to pull forward Allen’s $25M roster bonus from 2028 into 2025 & 2026, will it be enough to keep him on the deal until the 2027 offseason?

Potential Updated Cash Flow:
2024: $30M
2025: $51.5M
2026: $51.5M
3-Year Total: $133M (ties Jalen Hurts for 9th)

Is Josh Allen the 9th best quarterback in football? No. But that’s not how the financial rankings ever play out. Timing is everything, and unfortunately for Allen, he agreed to a contract that was (at least) 3 years too long.

A Complete Do-Over

Before we get here, it should be noted that the Bills (or any NFL front office) will want absolutely nothing to do with a rip-up-and-start-over contract for a player that has 4 years remaining on his current deal. And nor should they quite frankly.

However, for purposes of this exercise, we’ll assume that Allen has another Allen type season in 2024, and Buffalo feels compelled to explore every option to keep their franchise QB1 at peak happiness (especially with a big, new, expensive stadium in the process of being built).

Here’s a quick look at every NFL veteran contract that has been ripped up with 4+ years left on it in order to sign the player to a bigger, better contract:

None. The answer is none.

Current Market Value

As the QB money ladder continues to climb, so do the valuations for players nearing their next big contract. For Allen, our math tells us he projects toward a 5 year, $299.8M contract, or just a sliver under $60M per year.

However, for this exercise, we’re going to build in the idea that Allen & his camp will take a slight “average salary” discount as concession for Buffalo going the extra-extra mile to rip up their first swing and a miss of a contract and start fresh here.

Keep in mind, there’s an awful lot of bonus proration being transferred from old contract to new here, so the numbers get messy pretty quickly…

Potential Brand New, From Scratch Contract

We’re offering up a 5 year, $287.5M contract for Josh Allen that begins in 2025 and runs through the 2029 season. A void year in 2030 was added to allow a 2026 option bonus to prorate the full 5 seasons.

Bonuses
The deal includes a $45M signing bonus in 2025, a $45M option bonus in 2026, and early March roster bonuses of $25M in each of 2027-2029. Annual $1M workout bonuses are carried over from his previous deal, offering plenty of opportunities for Allen to get cash in hand throughout the calendar year.

Cash Flow
From a cash flow standpoint, the big number to note here is $155.5M. That’s the 3-year payout on this contract, and it surpasses Lamar Jackson’s current high mark of $155.25M (though Dak Prescott may soon have something to say about this). On the previous deal, Allen was set to earn $39.5M/$38.5M/$40M from 2025-2027. That’s been updated to $51M/$56M/$48.5M in our projection.

Guarantees
This breakdown includes $130M fully guaranteed at signing by way of a $45M signing bonus (2025), $45M option bonus (2026), $25M roster bonus (2027), and $15M of base salary in 2025-2026. In March of 2026, the $22.5M base salary for 2027 & $25M roster bonus for 2028 will become fully guaranteed. In March of 2027, the $23.75M of base salary for 2028 will become fully guaranteed, placing a $201.25M practical guarantee on this contract. This represents a 70% guarantee for Allen through 2028.

Cap Hits
The cap hits begin to look terrifying pretty quickly on this breakdown, but there are a few things to keep in mind here.

First, Allen’s current cap hit for 2025 is $60.7M. Per our projection, Buffalo would be clearing $24.5M of space, with another $9.5M freed up in 2026 ($56.4M down to $46.9M). A $75.9M cap hit for 2027 looks astronomical today, but with a league salary cap expected to be north of $310M that season, the Bills would only need to process a simple conversion on that $25M roster bonus to make things “doable” through Year 3 of this deal.

A similar conversation can be had about 2028, though it’s very easy to see that the dead cap and void years will begin to pile up quickly - something GM Brandon Beane has done a nice job of avoiding throughout his tenure in Buffalo.

Overall Thoughts
Obviously this is just one way to slice this loaf of bread. The deal could be constructed with a much more front-loaded outlook, make cap hits in 2027-2028 easier to work with, and making for less need to kick the can down the road. But any way you look at it, starting over fresh with Josh Allen next spring/summer comes with an awful lot of financial challenges.

A Do-Nothing Approach

At least for 2025, this seems to be the most likely scenario. Not because Josh Allen doesn’t deserve to be earning Top 10 QB money (cash, not AAV). Rather, the current deal just simply holds too much paid out bonus proration on it to tinker with next year.

2025 will be the final year of proration from the original $16.5M 2021 signing bonus, and the 2nd to last year of proration from the $42.4M 2022 option bonus. The contract has also gone through two significant cap conversions in 2023 & 2024 that have laid out bonus proration through the 2028 season.

Waiting until after 2025 to get serious about a new contract for Allen eliminates over $21M of bonus that would need to transfer over and be dealt with immediately. In 2026, Allen’s contract will have 3 years, $120M remaining on it which is still way too early for many franchises to discuss extending out of, but might be the right time for Buffalo to put their QB1 into a more competitive, representative contract for the current times.

Potential 2026 Renegotiation

For our 2026 projection, we've upped the overall value of the contract to 5 years, $300M for purposes of general inflation (and additional QB contracts that may then be on the books). This should still represent a near but not at the top of the market price point for Allen & the Bills. The signing and option bonuses have been increased to $50M each, but for the most part, the year-to-year & guarantee structure of the deal remains the same from our 2025 projection.

Prediction

Allen plays out 2024 at his $30M cash salary, further accentuates his place as a Top 2 quarterback in the league, and puts the Bills' front office in a position where they feel somewhat obligated to make a move.

The better business move for Buffalo is clearly a "sweeten the cash flow" approach, so Allen sees a significant pay raise ($10M-$12M per year)& an early guarantee on all of his 2026 compensation across both 2025 & 2026, with a penciled in plan to formally extend their QB1 during the 2027 offseason (assuming all is right and well).

Jhonattan Vegas wins the 3M Open. Vegas earns $1.46 million bringing his 2024 on-course earnings to $1.84 million and his career on-course earnings to $17.7 million. 

3M Open Top 10 Payouts

Full Results

2024 Earnings Leaders Update

Full List

The Extension Terms

Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins came to terms on a 4 year, $212.4M extension yesterday that keeps the QB under contract through the 2028 season. It easily surpasses Tyreek Hill’s $120M contract as the largest total value deal in Dolphins’ history, while the $212.4M figure ranks 11th among active NFL contracts.

The $53.1M contract average is the 2nd largest figure in NFL history, but Tua now ranks 4th in AAV behind Burrow, Lawrence, and Love - all who clock in at $55M. Against the current $255.4M league salary cap, Tua’s AAV represents 20.79%, which ranks 12th in the league (behind Lawrence, ahead of Goff).

The Guarantee Structure

Tagovailoa’s new deal contains $93.171M fully guaranteed at signing, by way of a $42M signing bonus, his 2024 salary, 2025 salary, and a $25M 2025 offseason roster bonus. The $93.171M currently ranks 12th among all contracts, while a sub 40% total value guarantee (39.5%) is quite a bit less than the recent near/top of the market QB contracts to hit the books.

It’s clear this was a major sticking point for the Dolphins amidst negotiations.

Next March, his $54M 2026 salary becomes fully guaranteed. This figure is guaranteed for injury at signing.

In March of 2026, $3M of Tua’s 2027 salary becomes fully guaranteed. $20M of this salary is guaranteed for injury at signing. The remaining $17M becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2027.

This calculates to a practical guarantee of $167.1M, (8th most) though it should be noted that the final $17M of 2027 salary should be considered a loose guarantee at this stage (is that the most oxymoronic statement ever?).

The Cash Flow

Tua will earn $43.125M in 2024, up nearly $20M from his previous $23.171M 5th-year-option.
The 2-year payout comes in at $94.1M, good enough for 5th among active contracts, while the 3-year cash flow hands Tua $149.1M, 3rd most and ahead of Joe Burrow.

Tua Tagovailoa’s Cash Flow
2024: $43.125M
2025: $51M
2026: $55M
2027: $37M
2028: $49.4M

Of note, the Dolphins compromised on a very strong early cash flow in lieu of making the 4th year of this contract more stable for Tua. When looking at the cash per year breakdown, it’s safe to assume that if all is going well after 2026, Miami will be willing to begin the re-negotiation process, when Tua will still be 28-years-old.

The Salary Cap Hits

An average signing bonus ($42M) and minimum salary for 2024 kept his cap hit for the upcoming season extremely team-friendly ($9.525M). It’s a savings of $13.6M from his 5th-year-option salary before the extension.

From there however, the onus will be put on the front office to manage Tua’s salary cap figures going forward. There’s a juicy $25M roster bonus (fully guaranteed) to be paid out next March that seems like a lock to be converted to a signing bonus for cap purposes. But the 2026 financials will need a wait-and-see approach. If the wheels are falling off on the relationship, Miami may be inclined to keep all or most of his $54M base salary intact, rather than add more dead cap to a soon to be traded or released player.

Tua Tagovailoa’s Cap Hits
2024: $9.5M
2025: $59.4M
2026: $63.4M
2027: $45.4M
2028: $57.8M

Attainable Incentives

The new deal contains incentives each of 2025-2028 that are tied to a combination of playing time and playoff success.

• 50% regular season snaps + Wild Card Win: $250,000
• 50% regular season snaps + Divisional Round Win: $500,000
• 50% regular season snaps + Conf. Championship Win: $500,000
• 50% regular season snaps + Super Bowl Win Win: $1M

A Potential Out Discussion

Miami was able to draw a pretty thick line in the sand after 2026 here. Even after they convert the $25M roster bonus for next season into signing bonus (and assuming no other conversion), the Dolphins will only be strapped with $34.8M of dead cap to move on before the 2027 campaign. ($3M of that comes in the form of fully guaranteed 2027 salary)

2027 should be the line of demarcation for both sides here. If it’s not working out, the Dolphins can and will bail. If it’s still full steam ahead, Tua should be aggressively seeking a contract extension after 2026, especially with “only” $37M allocated to the 2027 season.

This will immediately become one of the more polarizing, closely-watched contracts in 2024, as Tua’s injury history and lack of playoff production kept many followers wondering if the extension should have ever happened in the first place.

So let’s play it out this way: The Dolphins and Tua don’t agree on an extension. He ends his holdout prior to Week 1, earns his full $23.1M 5th-year option salary, plays out a $43M franchise tag in 2025, and plays out a $51M 2nd franchise tag in 2026. That’s 3 years, $118M.

Under these new terms, Tua is likely to earn $149M+ over the next 3 seasons, plus a $3M buyout guarantee in 2027 to get us to $152M+. That’s a difference of $34M. Is a potential franchise QB for 3 seasons worth an extra $34M in order to keep him happy, not holding out, and in the best frame of mind to produce? Most teams would say yes.

The Extension Terms

Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers agreed to a 4 year, $220M contract extension last night. The deal adds on to his previous 1 year, $11M contract, combining for 5 years, $231M in total value. The $220M new money value ranks 10th among active contracts, but becomes the largest in Packers history by a country mile (Aaron Rodgers, $150.8M).

At $55M per year, Love is now tied with Joe Burrow & Trevor Lawrence as the highest average paid players in football, but this ranking should come with a fairly sizable asterisk. When pinning this metric against the league salary cap at the time of signing, Love/Lawrence’s AAV drops to 10th, at 21.53%. Burrow remains the leader in the clubhouse for this metric, as his $55M last offseason represents 24.47% of the league cap.

The Signing Bonus

The Packers have long operated as a franchise that hands out guarantees exclusively via the signing bonus. While Love’s new deal is one of the (very) few that contains additional salary guarantee, Green Bay handed their QB1 a record-setting $75M signing bonus. Of that, $25M will be paid next week, another $25M will be paid October 4th, and the final $25M will be paid out on December 27th. It’s an outstanding pay structure for an extraordinary bonus.

The previous breadwinner at this metric just received the belt a few weeks ago: Jared Goff, $73M per his new deal with the Lions.

Top 5 Signing Bonuses in NFL History

1. Jordan Love (GB, 2024): $75M
2. Jared Goff (DET, 2024): $73M
3. Lamar Jackson (BLT, 2023): $72.5M
4. Dak Prescott (DAL, 2021): $66M
5. Russell Wilson (SEA, 2021): $65M

The Guarantee Structure

As noted above, the Packers broke tradition by guaranteeing more than just a signing bonus. Jordan Love’s $100.8M guaranteed at signing consists of his signing bonus, 2024 salary, 2025 salary, 2026 salary. The $100.8M currently ranks 9th among NFL contracts, but at nearly 44% of the total value of the contract ($231M), this is a fairly strong number.

Next March 16th, the remaining $39.5M of Love’s 2026 compensation (an option bonus) will become fully guaranteed. All of that is guaranteed for injury at the time of signing.

On the 5th league day of 2026, $20M of Love’s 2027 compensation becomes fully guaranteed. All of that is guaranteed for injury at the time of signing, and subject to offsets.

This calculates to a practical guarantee of $160.3M, which also ranks 9th among active contracts.

The Cash Flow

Love will make $79M in 2024, which is more than his previously available $11M I’m told. Only Jared Goff & Lamar Jackson (who each secured $80M) have locked in more out of the gate.

The 2-year payout for Love comes in at $92M, good enough for 6th among active contracts, while the 3-year cash flow hands Love $143M, 5th most and just behind Joe Burrow.

Jordan Love’s Cash Flow
2024: $79M
2025: $13M
2026: $51M
2027: $43M
2028: $45M

The Salary Cap Hits

The triple-bonus structure of this contract means very tenable cap hits early on in the deal, with a fluffy finale in 2028. We’re also projecting the use of 3 void years in 2029-2031 which allows the option bonuses to prorate a full 5 years, but leaves behind $34.7M of dead cap at the expiration of the contract after 2028.

Jordan Love’s Cap Hits

2024: $20.7M
2025: $29.7M
2026: $36.1M
2027: $42.4M
2028: $74.2M

The contract extension added $8M of cap to the upcoming 2024 season.

A Potential Out Discussion

Despite early vesting guarantees into the 2027 season, this is really a “3 years and we’ll see contract”. If the wheels are falling off between the two sides at any point over the next three seasons, the Packers can walk away after 2026 - but it will cost them.

Here’s the scenario: The Packers enter the 2026 offseason realizing Love may not be the future of the franchise. The decline a $39.5M option bonus (which is already guaranteed), choosing to take it all on as guaranteed salary instead. The move raises his 2026 cap hit to $67.7M, which is high, but will be doable in a near $300M league salary cap world. After 2026, Green Bay can outright release Love, taking on $51M of dead cap all at once, or $36M in 2027, $15M in 2028 as a Post 6/1 release. The catch? $20M of that dead cap will consist of fully guaranteed salary to be paid to Love, that is subject to offset language if he were to sign elsewhere for the season.

So yea, it’s a 3 year contract for slightly practical purposes, but much more plausible as a 4 year, $186M deal through the 2027 season. At this point in time, Love will be 29-years-old, and if things are going swimmingly, both sides will be ready to engage in new contract negotiations.

If things aren’t in shape to proceed after 2027, expect a Post June 1st release in March of 2028, leaving behind $29.2M of dead cap for that season, and another $34.7M in 2029. These figures can be reduced heavily if Green Bay were to decline Love’s $31.5M option bonus, instead choosing to take it all on as 2027 salary.

Plenty of options, a few fairly decent outs halfway through, but also a pretty strong contract for a player with very few game reps or big wins in his back pocket.

A Win For “Trust the Process”

When the Packers selected Jordan Love #26 overall back in 2020, the collective groans could be heard across all of NFL Nation. Green Bay was still attached at the hip to Aaron Rodgers, and it was widely believed that they were a high prospect offensive weapon or two away from being able to reach Super Bowl aspirations again.

Instead, the Packers’ front office decided to store a potential next-QB1 in their back pocket, starting the clock on his rookie contract value immediately - to much grief from those who follow closely  (myself included). Rodgers responded with back-to-back league MVP seasons, furthering the groans, what-ifs, and whys with this draft decision.

Love would see action in just 10 games before Green Bay finally made the decision to trade away Aaron Rodgers and turn the keys over to their 2020 1st Rounder. Though the timing of the move came on the heels of another big decision: Jordan Love’s $20.2M 5th-year-option. Would they fully guarantee their QB1 through 2024 without really knowing if he’s the man for the job?

Love and the Packers agreed on a creative, bridge extension that handed him a near $6M raise in 2023 (from $4M to $9.9M), with a chance for Green Bay to move on thereafter and cut their losses. Love responded about as well as possible in his first full season at QB1, forcing his front office to turn that bridge contract into a fully developed QB contract. And here we are.