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.

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, we’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.

Chicago Bulls

Matas Buzelis

Contract Status: Four-years, $23.9M, 2024 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 16.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 33.7% FG%, 21.4% 3P%, 74.1% FT%

Analysis: Buzelis came in with a chip on his shoulder and then played angry. That’s a good thing. He’s clearly not upset with being on his hometown Bulls, but Buzelis isn’t happy about slipping in the draft. He looked fine athletically. The shot, which was questionable in the G League, continues to be the real question.

Marcus Domask

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

Stats: 2.3 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 11.3 MPG

Analysis: Domask barely played in Las Vegas. He’s coming off a very solid all-around college career. Domask has good size for a wing. But he didn’t shoot well in college. If he can’t knock down shots, he’ll be a G League guy.

Henri Drell

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Stats: 7.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 37.1% FG%, 26.7% 3P%, 62.5% FT%

Analysis: Drell suffered from the same fate as a lot of the Summer Bulls as far as shooting goes. He’s already proven that he’s at least a solid player on a two-way contract. Right now, Chicago doesn’t have a two-way spot open, so Drell may be looking elsewhere for his next roster spot.

Andrew Funk

Contract Status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 2.4 points, 16.7% FG%, 17.6% 3P%

Analysis: The Bulls used Funk like a shooting specialist in Las Vegas. The issue was that Funk didn’t hit many shots. He’s on a two-way deal, but as a second-year two-way guy, consider that spot a little tenuous.

Julian Phillips

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

Stats: 13.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 40.5% FG%, 36.8% 3P%, 70% FT%

Analysis: Phillips was one of the Bulls best players in Las Vegas. He was confident and pulled several shots off the dribble. That’s a good development, after a rookie year where he was mostly a stationary shooter. Phillips may have to fight for minutes this season, but don’t bet against him.

Adama Sanogo

Contract status: One-year, Two-Way Contract

Stats: 15.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 62.2% FG%, 87.5% FT%

Analysis: Sanogo solidified his status as a solid developmental big. He’s a good finisher, a tough rebounder and he’s got just enough lift to block and challenge shots. The Bulls don’t have a ton of depth at the center spot, so Sanogo could eventually work himself into a conversion to a standard deal.

D.J. Steward

Contract status: One-year, Two-Way Contract

Stats: 17.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 47% FG%, 40% 3P%, 86.7% FT%

Analysis: Steward balled out for the Summer Bulls. So much so that he landed a two-way contract from Chicago. Steward was aggressive as both a driver and a pullup shooter. He did a better job as a playmaker than he’s shown to date in the G League. That’s encouraging, because to stick in the NBA Steward will have to be more than just a scorer.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Emoni Bates

Contract status: Restricted Free Agent

Stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 36.2% FG%, 28.6% 3P%, 100% FT%

Analysis: Bates built on a strong rookie season by looking physically overpowering for a lot of summer defenders. We’re not going to worry too much about the missed shots. Bates was being tasked with creating a lot of his own looks. He was largely able to do so, for the most part. One really encouraging sign: Bates made some passes that he wouldn’t have attempted last year. That’s good stuff.

Pete Nance

Contract status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Stats: 11.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 46.8% FG%, 34.8% 3P%

Analysis: Nance was basically the same guy he was in the G League last year. He’s a solid big who can space the floor a bit. The Cavs would do well to bring Nance back on another two-way deal for frontcourt depth.

Craig Porter Jr.

Contract status: Three-years, $6.5M

Stats: 13.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 39.4% FG%, 21.4% 3P%, 71.4% FT%

Analysis: Porter made sort of a cameo appearance in Las Vegas. He’s already an established NBA guy, so the Cavs didn’t need to see much out of him. It would have been nice to see Porter hit more shots, but he was kind of playing a bombs-away style without anyone to set him up.

Luke Travers

Contract status: Draft Rights Retained

Stats: 8.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 48.1% FG%

Analysis: Travers is a Summer League veteran at this point. He did his all-around thing in Vegas, but with less usage, as the Cavs focused on some younger players. Ideally, Travers would shoot it better, but he might be able to break through as an NBA rotation guy anyway. If he doesn’t come over this season, it’s probably worth wondering if Travers will ever come to the NBA.

Jaylon Tyson

Contract status: Four-years, $16.1M, 2024 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 15.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 58.8% FG%, 40% 3P%, 91.7% FT%

Analysis: Tyson wasn’t just the Cavs best player at Summer League, he was one of the best players in Las Vegas period. He looked calm, confident and composed. Tyson used his physical gifts to overpower lesser defenders to get into the paint over and over. He did a solid job as a finisher once at the rim. When that was shut off, he showed some surprising passing skills. The Cavs wing depth in a little shaky, especially beyond this upcoming season. Look for Tyson to claim a regular rotation spot before long.

Detroit Pistons

Ron Holland

Contract status: Four-years, $37.5M, 2024 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 18.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 40.8% FG%, 23.5% 3P%, 65% FT%

Analysis: Starting with the good, Holland is NBA-ready as an athlete. He can more than hang in that aspect. He also has pretty good basketball IQ. Holland took a few risks in Vegas, but they were ones worth taking. He also showed up as a competitive rebounder, which is always a plus for a wing. On the downside, Holland couldn’t get shots to fall. He missed open looks, contested looks and everything in between. For him to become what the Pistons need him to, Holland has to shoot it better.

Daniss Jenkins

Contract status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 9.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 34.9% FG%, 33.3% 3P%, 91.7% FT%

Analysis: Jenkins is super competitive for his size. He’s got good athleticism, which allows him to compete for rebounds and to take a shoulder, but stay in the play in on-ball defense. Jenkins needs to pick his scoring spots better, but he’s a good passer. Detroit has an interesting player to work with in the G League.

Bobi Klintman

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

Stats: 11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 42% FG%, 41.9% 3P%

Analysis: Everything from Klintman was encouraging at Summer League, minus his finishing inside. He’s got enough size that he may eventually become a solid stretch-four option. That’s big for a Pistons team that is lacking somewhat in frontcourt depth. Apprenticing under Tobias Harris, who has a similar physical makeup and came in with a similar skillset, will be great for Klintman.

Wendell Moore Jr.

Contract status: Two-years, $7.1M, 2022 First Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 5.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 25% FG%, 16.7% 3P%

Analysis: Moore made a cameo appearance for the Pistons in Las Vegas. His spot on the team is mostly related to financial/cap matters, as opposed to Moore’s talent. We’ll see if that changes, but he has a lot of competition for minutes at either wing position.

Marcus Sasser

Contract status: Three-years, $10.8M, 2023 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 12.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, 33.3% FG%, 25% 3P%, 79.3% FT%

Analysis: Sasser’s Summer League was like his rookie season: Flashes of brilliance around moments of inconsistency. Sasser was too quick, strong and smart for most point guard in Las Vegas. He got to the free throw line repeatedly. He also did a nice job defensively and made some plays as a passer. Unfortunately, Sasser was unable to build on a semi-encouraging shooting season as a rookie. The Pistons have more depth in the backcourt now. Sasser will have to fight to get consistent minutes this season.

Indiana Pacers

Kendall Brown

Contract status: Two-years, $4.4M

Stats: 9.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 41.5% FG%, 20% 3P%, 70.6% FT%

Analysis: As a third-year Summer Leaguer, Brown should have dominated. Alas, he didn’t. At moments, Brown looked really good. He was able to get by opposing forwards off the dribble and into the paint. At other times, he couldn’t get past anyone and settled for contested jumpers. Brown’s spot on the Pacers roster is probably contingent upon a two-way guy beating him out or the team needing a veteran upgrade.

Enrique Freeman

Contract status: Draft Rights Retained

Stats: 8.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 60.7% FG%, 45.5% FT%

Analysis: Freeman plays bigger than his 6-foot-7 size. That’s good, because he’s not ready to play on the perimeter in the NBA right now. Freeman’s shot is very much a work in progress. But when you compete as hard as he does, and you know how to play, betting on a guy like Freeman is always a solid move.

Johnny Furphy

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

Stats: 14.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 37% FG%, 28.6% 3P%

Analysis: Furphy was every bit the athlete he was advertised to be. He did a nice job running the floor. Furphy was competitive defensively and did a nice job getting on the glass on both ends. The shot will look better eventually too. The Pacers have a nice player to develop through the G League this season.

Quenton Jackson

Contract status: Restricted Free Agent

Stats: 11.0 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 62.5% FG%, 45.5% 3P%, 66.7% FT%

Analysis: Jackson looked good in his third run through Summer League. He was confident at getting into his shots and he drilled them at a high rate. It’s easy to see why the Pacers have held his restricted free agent rights. He could be back on a two-way contract, but maybe something more opens up for him.

Tristen Newton

Contract status: Draft Rights Retained

Stats: 9.0 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 20% FG%, 18.2% 3P%, 89.3% FT%

Analysis: This space is a huge fan of Newton and wanted to see him look better. On the plus side, he showed he can really run a team. That stood out even on a Summer Pacers team with some NBA vets. Newton also got to the free throw line regularly and knocked them down at a good clip. Unfortunately, Newton shot like crap from everywhere else. He couldn’t finish in the paint and couldn’t get his jumpers to fall. A season in the G League will do him wonders.

Ben Sheppard

Contract status: Three-years, $10.5M, 2023 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 7.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 25% FG%, 25% 3P%

Analysis: After he played in each of the Pacers playoff games, it was a surprise to see Sheppard make even a cameo appearance at Summer League. Sheppard shot it terribly, but this was apparently just getting a little extra run in. He’ll be battling for wing minutes in Indiana’s rotation this season.

Oscar Tshiebwe

Contract status: Restricted Free Agent

Stats: 11.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 61% FG%, 44.4% FT%

Analysis: Tshiebwe is who he is at this point. He’s an outstanding rebounder. He can finish around the rim at a decent clip. He’s ok defensively, but his lack of footspeed leaves him vulnerable on switches. Expect him back on a two-way deal this season. He’s good enough to provide emergency minutes in the frontcourt if necessary.

Jarace Walker

Contract status: Three-years, $21.5M, 2023 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 18.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 42.6% FG%, 45.8% 3P%, 78.9% FT%

Analysis: Walker is ready for real minutes in the NBA. This summer, the Pacers clearly wanted to see him shoot threes and get to the free throw line. Mission accomplished. Walker also got on the glass and did a nice job as a playmaker. If he can shoot it consistently, he might crack Indiana’s wing rotation this season. Otherwise, it’s time for a trade to a team that can let him be a playmaking four.

Milwaukee Bucks

MarJon Beauchamp

Contract status: Two-years, $7.5M, 2022 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 12.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 32.7% FG%, 30.4% 3P%, 84.6% FT%

Analysis: Beauchamp should have been better as a third-time Summer Leaguer. The physical tools are good, but not good enough to make up for a shaky shot. We’re on the verge of the Bucks possibly declining their fourth-year rookie scale team option for Beauchamp to create some apron wiggle room for 2025-26.

Hugo Besson

Contract status: Draft Rights Retained

Stats: 7.8 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 RPG, 33.3% FG%, 18.2% 3P%, 72.2% FT%

Analysis: Besson looked better physically in his second Summer League. He was creating contact vs simply absorbing it. He’s an ok playmaker, but struggled a bit at breaking down defenses off the bounce. And the shot was really, really shaky. He’ll be playing overseas again next season.

Jaylin Galloway

Contract status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 2.4 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 41.7% FG%, 28.6% 3P%

Analysis: Galloway’s summer was weird. He barely played, despite heading into Year 2 as a two-way player for the Bucks. There’s not much to analyze here.

Andre Jackson Jr.

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

Stats: 4.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 50% FG%, 14.3% 3P%

Analysis: Jackson is never going to look good in this setting. He’s not an individual standout. Jackson shows up in the system/scheme. That said, it would have been nice to see him shoot it a bit better or even to be more aggressive hunting his shot. But that’s just not who he is.

A.J. Johnson

Contract status: Four-years, $14.6M, 2024 First-Round Rookie Scale

Stats: 11.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 32.3% FG%, 32.3% 3P%

Analysis: Johnson looks the part physically. He also understands pro-level spacing, which is a product of playing in Australia’s NBL last season. The big thing for Johnson will be figuring out NBA defense and refining his jumper. That’ll come in the G League, as the Bucks wing rotation is packed with veteran options.

Chris Livingston

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

Stats: 14.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 53.7% FG%, 42.9% 3P%, 62.5% FT%

Analysis: Livingston was a nice surprise this summer. After a non-descript rookie season, he looked more NBA-ready this summer. Livingston was too much for a lot of his opponents to handle inside. He finished well, and flashed an improved jump shot too. He also got on the glass more too. The Bucks could use another frontcourt body. Livingston might be it.

Ryan Rollins

Contract status: One-year, Two-Way contract

Stats: 12.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 47.8% FG%, 33.3% 3P%, 76.5% FT%

Analysis: Rollins looked pretty good in Las Vegas. He was able to create space for his shot. He did a nice job getting to the rim to shoot or to find passes. Rollins also knocked in a few pullup jumpers too. Defensively, he was fairly physical and flashed some quick hands. Solid summer for the Bucks two-way guard.

Tyler Smith

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

Stats: 9.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 40.4% FG%, 28% 3P%

Analysis: Smith has the stretch-big skills that everyone wants…in theory. He didn’t shoot it well in Las Vegas, but got the attempts up with ease. That’s a positive. He also did a really nice job on the boards and contesting shots around the rim. The skills are there and he’ll develop further in the G League this season.

TyTy Washington Jr.

Contract status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Stats: 11.3 PPG, 2.3 APG, 43.6% FG%, 36.4% 3P%, 87.5% FT%

Analysis: It seems that the Bucks wanted Washington to work more as a scorer this summer. That’s a change in role for him, but he did ok with it. Washington’s size works against him in a scoring role, but he did a good job hunting shots anyway. As a third-year Summer Leaguer, ideally things would have been a bit easier for Washington. Another G League season or a trip overseas is likely coming.

The bulk of the offseason work is done around the NBA. There are a handful of impact free agents still available, but the vast majority of big names are off the board. Some teams are still looking at trades.

But we’re mostly done with the offseason. That means it’s time to start figuring out where teams are and what they’ve done this summer. (You can find the Eastern Conference here.)

Instead of grades, we’re going to bucket teams into one of four categories:

• Liked: Their moves or non-moves were solid and made sense 
• Disliked: Their moves or non-moves were questionable or didn’t make sense 
• Confused: What are they doing? 
• Incomplete: Feels like there has to be more to come
  
  

Let’s dive in!

Western Conference

Dallas Mavericks: LIKED

The Mavericks offseason moves were low in volume, but high in impact. Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes all joined the team. Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Green and Tim Hardaway Jr. all departed. In terms of straight comparisons, those are upgrades for Dallas.

Thompson is clearly the signature acquisition here. His shooting alone will be an upgrade for Dallas. He’s not the athlete he once was on defense, but Thompson is still pretty solid. The biggest difference is that he’s no longer picking up opposing point guards, but instead is better against bigger wings and forwards. Mostly, this was about adding shooting and some championship experience. When Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving turn the corner, they know Thompson will hit off a kickout pass. That’s huge to open up the floor.

Grimes is essentially a version of what Green was for Dallas: a wing with 3&D potential. If Grimes can get healthy, he should be able to get on track. Don’t expect a rookie scale extension here, unless it’s very team-friendly. The Mavs are going to want to see Grimes on the floor first.

Marshall was an outstanding signing for only part of the MLE. If you believe in the shooting (was it contract-year focus or finally figuring it out?), then Marshall was one of the best values of the summer. He’s a switchable defender, and as a bit more heft than Jones. That’s good for a team that doesn’t have enough defensive versatility against wings.

Overall, the Mavs got better this summer. They still have a couple of holes to fill. (Who defends opposing point guards? If Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving are out, who can step up as an additional on-ball creator?) But the defending Western Conference champs still have a move or two left in them too. This team is well positioned to make another run.

Denver Nuggets: DISLIKED

This one is pretty simple: Denver lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and it was for no reason other than not wanting to go deeper into the tax. Don’t let any “The second apron is so restrictive!” foolishness tell you otherwise here. The Nuggets didn’t have a lot of holes to fill. They could have signed Caldwell-Pope, but chose to save some money. That’s bad form for a title contender.

The additions were all fine. Dario Saric will help the frontcourt. His passing ability will allow the Nuggets to run some of the same stuff through Saric that they do with Nikola Jokic. DaRon Holmes II was a steal of a draft pick, but a torn Achilles during Summer League will cost him the season.

Even Trey Alexander and P.J. Hall were good gets on two-way deals. They are probably better than Jalen Pickett and Tyson Hunter, who both have two fully guaranteed seasons left on their deals. That’s something Denver will eventually have to figure out.

We’re going to factor in Russell Westbrook as an addition, as well. He’ll help the bench a lot more than most are giving him credit for. The Nuggets have very little behind Jamal Murray as far as ballhandling goes. Westbrook will help juice the Denver bench in non-Jokic and Murray minutes.

Speaking of Murray…What exactly is the holdup with his extension? If fears were so great of him getting hurt while playing with Canada at the Olympics, maybe he shouldn’t be playing? If that’s not it, then why not get him locked up and get this over with? It’s probably fine, but it’s a lingering to-do and that’s always a little worrisome.

The Nuggets still have a very good team. If Christian Braun is ready to start, they’ll be fine. But a questionable bench is still questionable. And Braun isn’t the defender or shooter that Caldwell-Pope is. Unless some of the kids pop in a way they haven’t yet, this summer feels like a miss for Denver.

Golden State Warriors: LIKED

It’s hard to have a good summer when you lose a franchise icon, but the Warriors bounced back just fine. Klay Thompson had slipped some, but he was still a good starter and he meant so much to the franchise’s rise. But the NBA calendar moves forever forward. Chris Paul and Dario Saric were also losses, but Golden State replaced them too.

The trio of Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton are different from the guys they are replacing, but all are capable players.

Anderson will give the Warriors all the passing-related connectedness that Saric did. He’s also a better-than-you-think defender against forwards. Anderson can’t shoot like Saric, so Golden State does lose a bit of that stretch-big element.

It’s a little unfair to think of Hield as the Thompson replacement. Most of that will come from more minutes for Brandin Podziemski. But Hield will help replace some of Thompson’s shooting ability. When the Warriors need to open up the floor, Hield will be a big part of it.

Lastly, Melton should be a better fit for the team than Paul was. Paul is still a productive player, but he’s a primary creator. That never meshed well in a Warriors offense keyed around Stephen Curry opening actions and Draymond Green’s playmaking. Melton’s ability to play off-ball, but still attack as a secondary creator should fit better. And, if he’s healthy, Melton is a defensive upgrade over Paul at this point too.

Houston Rockets: Incomplete

There is no criticism here for the Rockets offseason. They nailed the draft pick of Reed Sheppard. Not only can he play (Sheppard is going to be a multi-time All-Star), but he also gives Houston some optionality in their backcourt. Sheppard can play as the primary point guard. Or he can shift over to play off-ball. Defensively, he’s competitive, even if a bit undersized.

But that was pretty much all the Rockets did this summer. Picking up A.J. Griffin was a solid enough flyer, but it’s not going to move the needle.

Houston seems to be holding off on extending either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, to increase their cap flexibility for the summer of 2025. That’s a fine plan. Green needs to play at a higher level for a longer period to prove he should land a big next contract. Sengun has shown that he deserves the big extension, but his smallish cap hold can be used to maximize cap space a lot like Philadelphia used Tyrese Maxey’s this summer.

As a result, this Rockets teams feels like they’re still a work in progress. And that’s ok! There are still a bunch of kids who have already shown a lot, with a lot more growth to come (something will eventually have to give with all of the forwards). Being patient is a choice, and it’s often the correct one. Next summer is the time for this team to really push things forward.

LA Clippers: DISLIKED

When you lose the only All-Star to change teams this summer, it’s going to be hard to have your offseason come up as one that we liked. Paul George has age- and injury-related concerns. He’s also really, really good!

Because there aren’t many movies about GMs and front offices, a favorite film of this space is Money Ball. When the Oakland A’s are trying to replace Jason Giambi, Billy Beane (as played by Brad Pitt) says, “Guys, you're still trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can't do it, and we can't do it. Now, what we might be able to do is recreate him. Re-create him in the aggregate.”

Even with the flexibility George’s departure created for the Clippers with the tax aprons and potential hard-caps, they still didn’t have cap space. So, to replace George, they had to think about recreating him in the aggregate.

Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Kevin Porter Jr. are all pretty good attempts at recreating some of what was lost in George. However, you can’t play six or seven players at once to replace the guy you lost. Also, in the NBA, four quarters rarely equal a dollar.

Batum and Jones will do well giving the Clippers some forward depth. Jones is the athletic big wing defender the team needed to replace George. Batum will give the Clippers a veteran who can defend bigger forwards, as well as providing some reliable shooting.

Dunn and Porter can recreate some of the on-ball ability lost in George’s and Russell Westbrook’s departures. If Porter’s head is right and he’s in a controlled system, he could put together a season that far outproduces his minimum contract. Dunn is a terrific defender and he’s been a much-improved shooter. He should be an upgrade over Westbrook, as either a starter or off the bench.

But the Clippers lost the best player to change teams this summer. Even if they did ok with bringing in guys to fill holes, this team is no longer on contender level. That’s a falloff from where LA has opened each of the last several seasons.

Los Angeles Lakers: DISLIKED

The Lakers drafted Dalton Knecht in the first round and Bronny James in the second round. They signed both players to standard first- and second-round contracts.

And that’s it.

Yes, LeBron James re-signed with the Lakers. And a handful of others picked up their options, because the Lakers give out player options like they’re candy on Halloween.

But as far as players in and out, it’s Knecht and the younger James in and Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince out.

That’s simply not good enough for a team that isn’t good enough. Sure, Knecht was a steal at the draft. He shouldn’t have fallen as far as he did. But Knecht alone isn’t turning around a poor offseason.

When LeBron James offered to take a good deal less than his max, the Lakers couldn’t close the deal to sign an impact player. They are now over the first apron and dancing around the second apron. That makes finding a trade that works a difficult task.

This offseason would have been termed “Incomplete” if it weren’t the culmination of several mismanaged offseasons in a row, dating back to the Russell Westbrook trade. While nothing has approached the disaster that deal turned out to be, it’s been a series of nicks and cuts to the cap sheet. That’s left the Lakers with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and a collection of role players, some of whom are overpaid and have overlapping skillsets. That’s why this summer of relative inaction gets a thumbs down.

Memphis Grizzlies: LIKED

The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t have a lot to do this summer. This offseason was mostly about getting healthy for several key Grizzlies. Another season of playing 30-plus different players simply can’t happen again.

That said, Memphis did do some nice work this summer. Zach Edey should be an outstanding fit at the center position. Memphis needed to get a five, and a long-term one, in the fold. Edey will need some time to adjust to the NBA, but he’s going to stumble into 10 points and eight rebounds per game just by being enormous. And his brief Summer League moments showed he could be a whole lot more.

The trade to clear out Ziaire Williams was a two-fold winner. One, it cleared out one of the many contenders for minutes at small forward. Now, Memphis can move forward with some combination of Marcus Smart, Vince Williams Jr., GG Jackson and Jake LaRavia at the three.

Just as importantly, Memphis now has the wiggle room around the tax line to re-sign Luke Kennard. The Grizzlies need Kennard’s shooting. They now have the ability to re-sign him without worry of tripping too deep into the tax or brushing up against the first apron.

Also, keep an eye on Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer. Both second-rounders can play. Memphis has done a better job than most with developing players through the G League. Wells and Spencer might be next.

Minnesota Timberwolves: LIKED

As one of the NBA’s most expensive teams, what the Timberwolves could do this summer was pretty limited. But Tim Connelly and crew got creative at the draft and landed a big-time talent in Rob Dillingham.

There are few restrictions on trades for second-apron teams when they don’t involve salaries. Draft picks don’t involve salary in trade until the player is signed. Minnesota used this “loophole” to trade high into the first round to snag Dillingham.

The rookie point guard is going to get a nice apprenticeship under Mike Conley this season. Dillingham should be able to play through his mistakes as a backup, while figuring out the NBA. He’s going to have to be more of a playmaker for the Wolves than he was in college. Dillingham showed good signs of making that adjustment during Summer League. He was looking to create for others more than just trying to find his shot. That’s a positive start.

Terrence Shannon Jr. looks like a steal late in the first round. He went through some legal issues during his final collegiate season and the pre-draft process. Shannon was eventually cleared of the charges, and landed in Minnesota. He might need a season to adjust to the NBA, but eventually, Shannon will give the Timberwolves another wing scorer.

Joe Ingles was a terrific pickup to replace Kyle Anderson. Ingles is a better shooter and passer than Anderson. And he’s not far off Anderson as a forward defender. He’ll help keep things calm and composed on a second unit that will be led by a rookie point guard.

Without the ability to do much, Minnesota nailed the draft in a way we weren’t expecting. And then they picked up Ingles to replace Anderson. That’s a pretty productive summer.

New Orleans Pelicans: Incomplete

There might not be a team in the NBA who feels like they have more left to do than the Pelicans do. The team has a bunch of talented players, but they overlap positionally in a major way. As things stand, Willie Green has to find a way to play Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III. Oh, and none of those guys are a center.

That means that two of that talented bunch are ticketed for a bench role. Maybe the team can squeeze another year out of Murphy coming off the bench, but the clock is ticking on that one. All of the others are established starters. And this isn’t a championship level of team calling upon a veteran to sacrifice for the greater good either.

Maybe an Ingram trade will deliver a center and clarity to the starting lineup. But it’s late-July now and no such trade has come yet. And the market doesn’t exactly seem to clamoring to trade value for Ingram and to sign him to a contract extension.

Despite the weird spot the Pelicans are in, getting Murray for some players who didn’t seem to have much future in New Orleans and a couple of picks was good work. He’ll be terrific for them, once the rest of the roster is sorted out.

As of now, Daniel Theis will probably start at center. Theis was a nice pickup, and he can be a solid spot-starter. But if he’s your every-game option at the five, that’s not good enough for a team that wants to be a solid playoff team. Yves Missi was a nice upside pick in the draft, but he’s going to need time before he’s ready to contribute to a winner in the NBA.

The other shoe hasn’t dropped in New Orleans yet. It’s now starting to feel like it might not either. It’s just kind of dangling there, hanging onto the end of the foot. We keep waiting for it to fall, but there’s been no movement yet.

Oklahoma City Thunder: LIKED

The Thunder were really good last year, even if it felt like it came a year early. They announced to the world that they were here and ready to win, regardless of whatever timeline we all might have put on them.

This summer, Oklahoma City got even better.

Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso were fantastic pickups for Sam Presti’s squad. And the Thunder sacrificed very little to get the two veterans.

Hartenstein gives Mark Daigneault lineup versatility he didn’t have before. When OKC faces off against the bigger centers in the league. Daigneault can go to Hartenstein for the extra bulk on the interior. And for those clamoring on about how “Chet Holmgren is best at the five because he’s a matchup nightmare for defenses!”, the Thunder can, and will, still use Holmgren as their five plenty. Hartenstein just gives the ability to go bigger when the occasion calls for it.

As for Caruso, his defensive ability gives Daigneault another ball-hawking guard/wing to throw at opponents. If Lu Dort is the bulky wing defender, Caruso is the quicker, point-of-attack version. Caruso’s connectiveness as a passer is also big. The Thunder will occasionally miss Josh Giddey’s on-ball creation and passing, especially when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is sitting. But some of those reps can be taken on by Jalen Williams, who is ready for more on-ball duties, and Cason Wallace, who should improve in Year 2. And Caruso’s defense and better shooting are welcomed additions in place of Giddey.

At the draft, Nikola Topic was a sneaky pick and might not pay off for a year. But Oklahoma City has experience with that with Holmgren. Dillon Jones is the kind of smaller-school, long, playmaking wing that the Thunder have developed already. And Ajay Mitchell is a funky, herky-jerky on-ball guard to develop on a two-way contract.

If all that wasn’t enough, the Thunder structured their moves this summer to leave flexibility for down the line too. The future is bright for Oklahoma City,  but the Thunder are already here and ready to contend now.

Phoenix Suns: LIKED

Like the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns didn’t have much they could do this summer. In a different way, the Suns also made the most of their limited resources.

Phoenix did well to get Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee in free agency. Both players will fill rotation spots while on the veteran minimum. That’s huge for a team that doesn’t have a lot of ways to upgrade.

The Suns also got a little creative and daring with re-signing Royce O’Neale and Josh Okogie. O’Neale’s contract is pretty fair value, even if it runs out a year longer than is ideal. Okogie got overpaid to turn him into a “human trade exception”, but not by an amount where his contract is untradable or anything. That’s good work to create some tradable salary by the Phoenix front office, and good for Okogie to get a nice bump in pay he otherwise wouldn’t have seen.

Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were considered two of the best defensive players in this year’s draft class. The Suns got both of them. Dunn and Ighodaro both have a long way to go to improve offensively, but Phoenix isn’t lacking for offense. If the two rookies play defense, run the floor and finish at the rim, that’ll be enough to get them on the floor this season.

Part of evaluating an offseason is looking at what a team could do with the resources available to them. The Suns did a terrific job making the most of what they could do this summer.

Portland Trail Blazers: Incomplete

Portland traded Malcolm Brogdon to get themselves under the tax. In the process, they gave up a couple of draft picks, but also got back Deni Avdija. That’s a win.

And then the Blazers just kind of stopped making moves. And there’s still a lot more to do here.

Donovan Clingan was a great pick in the first round. He could, and arguably should, have been picked at least a few picks earlier. He should be a great fit in Portland, because Clingan can clean up for the guards (none of whom are great defenders), while giving them a big target on the interior.

The challenge? He’s now crammed into a center rotation that already includes Deandre Ayton (who is going to start) and Robert Williams III, who is back from another knee surgery. Something has to give there, because Clingan needs minutes.

The Trail Blazers also still have all of Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle and Anfernee Simons. There are other, younger players behind each of these veterans. That’s not necessarily a problem, but it’s a little crowded.

Mostly, Portland feels like a home that is being renovated one room at a time, as opposed to tearing it down to the studs and rebuilding from there. That’s not really a bad thing, but it makes the entire rebuilding process drag out longer than is ideal, and you have to live with some messiness while you rebuild.

Sacramento Kings: Confused

What exactly are the Kings building here? This team has a whole lot of offense, but not much defense. The offense also features a bunch of on-ball guys and not enough shooting.

DeMar DeRozan is a very good player. He’s also an upgrade over Harrison Barnes in a vacuum. But is he an upgrade for this particular Kings team? Only time will tell.

Sacramento started the summer off strong with a really great value deal for Malik Monk. He’s awesome and can excel as a starter or coming off the bench. For the way this roster is built, Monk should probably come off the bench. But he’s made some noise about wanting to start. We’ll see how that plays out.

Mostly, Sacramento has gone all-in on offense. There’s a ton of passing and creation on this roster now. DeRozan is adaptable and smart enough that he’ll find a way to mesh his game with the two-man excellence of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Monk’s shooting will get him on the floor too. In some lineups, Keegan Murray is the fifth offensive option, which is a role he’s highly overqualified for.

Maybe that will make the Kings a regular season monster. It worked for the Indiana Pacers, who were differently built, but similarly offensive-focused. You won’t be able to take nights off against Sacramento, because they’ll score enough to challenge you.

But what is the ultimate goal here? They broke the playoff drought a couple of years ago. Are the Kings trying to advance into title contention? Or are they just trying to get back to the playoffs again?

San Antonio Spurs: Confused

The Spurs are going to be better next season. Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes will help this team grow up a lot quicker than they might have otherwise. Also, Victor Wembanyama is going to terrorize the league in whole new ways, now that he’s not adjusting to the NBA anymore.

But what’s the endgame? Are the Spurs trying to make the playoffs? If so, why not move a couple more of the kids and some draft picks and get another veteran to really push things forward? Are they just trying to be better, but not really cash in just yet? That seems like it was coming anyway.

This space begged for the Spurs to play a point guard to help Wembanyama and others last season. Paul is enormous upgrade if for that reason only. He’ll get everyone organized and create easier looks for a bunch of guys who were a DIY project last year.

Barnes will take the young forwards under his wing. He can teach them the value of defending, knowing when to stay rooted to your spot and when to make that late cut into space. Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan should both benefit from going against and working with Barnes every day.

Stephon Castle can now apprentice under Paul for a year, because he and San Antonio seem hellbent on making Castle into a point guard. The bet here is that he makes the adjustment to primary lead guard, because Castle is too talented to not figure it out.

But the Spurs run the risk of improving enough that they’ll be out of range for another high draft pick. Is that really the best decision, given the strength of the 2025 draft class? And if it is, why not trade for someone like Lauri Markkanen or Brandon Ingram, who could lift this team into postseason contention this season?

Instead, it feels like the Spurs are caught kind of in between right now. No longer bad enough to get another great pick before Wembanyama lifts them into playoff contention all by himself. But maybe San Antonio knows Wembanyama was making that lift this season anyway, so why not give him a little help to get there? We’ll find out soon enough.

Utah Jazz: Incomplete

As of this writing, Lauri Markkanen is still a member of the Utah Jazz. And Utah still has over $30 million in cap space to work with this summer, should they want to go that direction.

However, Markkanen is still on the trade market. And the Jazz are still open to renegotiating-and-extending the All-Star forward’s deal when they are eligible on August 6. Or Utah could still make a move to trade for a high-salaried player and make a playoff push this season, then re-sign Markkanen next summer.

Starting to get that “Incomplete” feeling yet?

No one seems to have a real good sense for what exactly Utah is doing, beyond the fact that Danny Ainge isn’t done. Almost anything is on the table here of the above options. That also includes, renegotiating-and-extending Markkanen as soon as they can on August 6, so that the team could trade him when his six-month trade restriction lifts on trade deadline day of February 6.

As for what we can evaluate, the Jazz have done well. Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski were one heck of a draft class. Williams looks like he’s the kind of versatile wing that ever team wants nowadays. Collier was once considered to be the potential first overall pick, so the talent is there. And Filipowski had a first-round grade from most teams, until some weirdness ahead of the draft caused him to fall.

In free agency, the Jazz picked up Drew Eubanks, who is a nice addition at the center spot. Given Utah is still shopping Walker Kessler for whatever reason, Eubanks is nice to have in the fold. Johnny Juzang also got a nice contract after outplaying his two-way deal over the last two seasons.

Something more is coming for the Jazz. We have no idea what that is, which is probably just how Ainge wants it. Until then, this offseason and this roster is incomplete.

The Memphis Grizzlies needed to clear some room under the luxury tax to re-sign a key rotation player. The Brooklyn Nets are in rebuilding mode. That made them ideal trade partners in a smaller late-July deal that could pay big dividends down the line.

Here are the particulars of the trade:

Brooklyn Nets acquire: Ziaire Williams, 2030 Dallas Mavericks second-round pick

Memphis Grizzlies acquire: Mamadi Diakite, draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic

Let’s dive in!

Brooklyn Nets

Incoming salary: $6.1 million in 2024-25

• Ziaire Williams (SF, one year, $6.1 million)

Outgoing salary: $2.3 million in 2024-25

• Mamadi Diakite (PF, one year, $2.3 million)

The Nets are taking a flyer on Ziaire Williams. This is the exact type of move a rebuilding team should be making. And this is the kind of no-risk move that has paid off big for Sean Marks in the past.

After a promising rookie year, where he played well in the second half of the season, Williams has suffered two injury-plagued seasons and never found his rhythm. As a rookie, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 8.1 points on 45% shooting. From January onward, it seemed Williams had found his footing in the NBA, as he averaged 9.6 points on 48% shooting.

The next two seasons were a mess with injuries and inconsistent play. By the end of last season, Williams was back on the shelf with an injury, and had been passed in the rotation by Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson.

Still, Williams has good size and is a good athlete. He’s only turning 23 before next season. He’s extension-eligible, but it’s unlikely the Nets will look to sign Williams to a new deal.

It feels like Brooklyn is only just getting started with moving on from veterans this offseason. If they trade any of Dorian Finney-Smith, Bojan Bogdanovic or Cameron Johnson, Williams will have a clear path to all the minutes he can handle. At the cost of taking on about $5 million in guaranteed salary, that’s a no-risk flyer with upside.

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming salary: $2.3 million ($1.4 million guaranteed) in 2024-25

• Mamadi Diakite (PF, one year, $2.3 million ($1.4 million guaranteed))

Outgoing salary: $6.1 million in 2024-25

• Ziaire Williams (SF, one year, $6.1 million)

No offense to Mamadi Diakite, but this trade wasn’t about him. Nor was this deal about acquiring the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic either.

Diakite may stick around in Memphis for a while. They could use another frontcourt player, and Diakite is a hard worker who plays with great energy. Considering his deal is guaranteed for $1.4 million, the Grizzlies might as well bring him to camp to see what he can do.

As for Dangubic, the 31-year-old forward is unlikely to ever come to the NBA. He’s found a role as a journeyman backup shooting forward on various European clubs over the years. That’s likely to continue for the next couple of years.

For Memphis, this deal was about clearing some additional room under the luxury tax. The Grizzlies didn’t want to pay the luxury tax this season, and potentially start the clock towards being a tax repeater down the line. But Memphis did want to re-sign Luke Kennard. Something had to give.

Now, the Grizzlies can have the best of both worlds. Memphis is about $10 million clear of the luxury tax. That’s enough room to re-sign Kennard to a fair-value contract. Memphis could even start Kennard’s deal high and have it decline in value from year to year. That might mean shedding another salary along the way, but that’s hardly an impossible task.

This is also a good sign that the Grizzlies are open to cutting bait on former draft picks as necessary. Memphis has historically been reluctant to move on from players they invested in as former draft picks. And the Grizzlies also did swing a trade to acquire Williams, adding to their attachment. But sometimes, when the roster starts to get full, you have to move on, no matter the investment made.

Kennard will play a bigger and more important role in any success the Grizzlies have this season and beyond. Memphis has other options at the small forward spot now too. This was a good, smart move that should pay off in better roster balance with Kennard back in the fold.

The Denver Nuggets had been on the lookout for a backup point guard all offseason. The LA Clippers and Russell Westbrook had been headed towards a breakup, meaning they needed another guard themselves. With the help of the Utah Jazz, all three teams came out ahead.

We’ll cover on Westbrook’s fit with the Nuggets at the end, but first the particulars of the trade.

LA Clippers acquire: Kris Dunn via sign-and-trade

Utah Jazz acquire: Russell Westbrook, draft rights to Balsa Koprivica, 2030 second-round pick swap, $4.3 million in cash

Let’s dive in!

LA Clippers

Incoming salary: $5.4 million in 2024-25 (estimated)

• Kris Dunn (PG, three years, $17 million (estimated))

Outgoing salary: $4.0 million in 2024-25

• Russell Westbrook (PG, one year, $4.0 million)

The Clippers and Westbrook were headed for a breakup just about as soon as he picked up his player option. Westbrook didn’t want to leave a couple million on the table, but also didn’t want to stay with the Clippers. LA seemed to be of the same mind, so they immediately set about finding a trade. It took a bit to land on one, but eventually they got there.

Dunn has done a wonderful job getting his NBA career on track. After looking like he was headed out of the league, Dunn became a much-improved shooter. He also because a better playmaker. And his defense is at an elite level.

For roughly the Taxpayer MLE amount, the Clippers get a solid third guard for their rotation. Dunn can also start if/when necessary. On a team where some other guards and wings are older and/or injury-prone, this is an excellent get for LA. Don’t be surprised if Dunn passes some of his more notable teammates in the rotation fairly early in the season.

Utah Jazz

Incoming salary: $4.0 million in 2024-25

• Russell Westbrook (PG, one year, $4.0 million)

Outgoing salary: $5.4 million in 2024-25 (estimated)

• Kris Dunn (PG, three years, $17 million (estimated))

The Jazz seemed to be moving on from Dunn this summer, one way or another. They have a lot of other guards, and added another in Isaiah Collier at the draft. So, for renting out a bit of their cap space (and no actual money paid, because the Clippers covered Westbrook’s salary by sending cash), the Jazz picked up the rights to swap 2030 second-round picks.

Utah also received the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica in this draft. The 7-foot-1 inch center has spent the last three seasons playing for Partizan in Serbia. Koprivica has done well for Partizan, but hasn’t established himself as a regular starter. Because he’s only 24 years old, Koprivica could still have a future in the NBA, but it seems unlikely.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets weren’t involved in this trade, but will still land Russell Westbrook in the end. Denver could have acquired Westbrook directly, by absorbing his salary into the trade exception they have from sending Reggie Jackson to the Charlotte Hornets. But waiting to sign Westbrook after he’s waived by Utah is the more cost-effective strategy.

By waiting, Denver will sign the Westbrook to a veteran minimum salary worth about $2.1 million. That’s roughly a $2 million savings over the $4 million that will now land on Utah’s books. For Denver, who is dealing with a luxury bill and apron issues, they actually save nearly $5 million this way. And, the Nuggets also have the Jackson TPE, should they want to use it later.

On the court, Westbrook will play a big role for the Nuggets. The point guard depth behind Jamal Murray was pretty shaky. Jackson was salary-dumped, Jalen Pickett doesn’t appear to be ready to step in and Trey Alexander is a rookie on a two-way contract. Westbrook should have a clear runway to the backup job.

In the regular season, the veteran point guard will probably play around 20-25 minutes a night. That’s fine for a team that can use some juice on their second unit. In the postseason, when Westbrook’s lack of shooting shows up in glaring ways, his role will probably be reduced to 10 minutes a night. Michael Malone should be able to spot Westbrook minutes in lineups where his lack of a reliable jumper won’t matter as much.

The bulk of the offseason work is done around the NBA. There are a handful of impact free agents still available, but the vast majority of big names are off the board. Some teams are still looking at trades.

But we’re mostly done with the offseason. That means it’s time to start figuring out where teams are and what they’ve done this summer. Instead of grades, we’re going to bucket teams into one of four categories:

• Liked: Their moves or non-moves were solid and made sense 
• Disliked: Their moves or non-moves were questionable or didn’t make sense
• Confused: What are they doing?
• Incomplete: Feels like there has to be more to come

Let’s dive in!

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks: Disliked 

The Hawks did ok in the Dejounte Murray trade. He was the only player of consequence that they lost. But they still traded him less than a year after signing him to a fair-value extension. That’s not great. Of the players the Hawks brought in, there’s a chance that only Dyson Daniels sticks and has a role. Larry Nance Jr. could be flipped in another trade, and E.J. Liddell and Cody Zeller might not make the opening night roster.

Murray was the only player of consequence that Atlanta lost this summer. The big addition for the Hawks was Zaccharie Risacher. It’s not Atlanta’s fault that they got the first overall pick in the weakest draft in a decade. But Risacher looks like he’ll be a player. However, that’s a crowded forward group that’s he’s trying to crack.

Mostly, this feels like the Hawks could and should have picked more of a direction. Instead, they feel like they are still somewhere around the Play-In Tournament. Not good enough to be a real playoff team. Not bad enough to get another high pick in a great draft. Just sort of stuck in the middle.

Boston Celtics: Liked 

Boston was miles above the second apron, so what they could do this summer was pretty limited. They re-signed Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Neemias Queta at the center spot. That’s big, considering Kristaps Porzingis is likely to be out until the holidays and Al Horford will have his minutes and games managed. All three of Kornet, Tillman and Queta contributed at various points during the title run.

Most importantly, the Celtics extended both Jayson Tatum and Derrick White without even a hesitation on the part of the players or the team. Yes, the core is insanely expensive, and the team may not have a super long window with this group. But the champs are running it back. That’s great for Boston.

Adding Baylor Scheierman at the draft seems like a solid value with the 30th pick in the draft. And he played in South Dakota for part of his college career, so the cold weather in Maine won’t be anything new for him!

Brooklyn Nets: Liked 

The Nets are probably going to be awful next season. Maybe worst-in-the-NBA awful. But that’s ok! At least they have a direction.

Keeping Mikal Bridges and making some moves around him probably puts Brooklyn where Atlanta is: Play-In Tournament, but without much upside. That’s…not great.

Now, the Nets have their own picks back in the next two drafts, which look to be very deep. They have control over most of the New York Knicks draft future. That probably won’t yield much in the next few seasons, but things flip fairly quickly in the NBA. Having picks five-to-seven years out is huge.

The Nets have another trade or two in them too. Bojan Bogdanovic, Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson won’t bring back monster returns, but all should net Brooklyn some assets.

This is going to be an ugly season. But an ugly season with purpose is a good thing.

Charlotte Hornets: Disliked 

This one is best termed as a pretty mild dislike. The Hornets didn’t really do anything bad. But they didn’t do anything great either. So, we’re just kind of in the same spot as before, but with a bit more salary on the books.

Miles Bridges’ contract isn’t bad. It declines in value year over year, which is nice. If he really pops, it’ll be hard to extend him, but that’s tomorrow’s problem. The bigger issue is whether or not Charlotte should have cut ties with Bridges entirely. It’s hard to argue against that, but they’ve already taken the PR hit that came from welcoming him back. If they believe Bridges is truly changing who he is, then it makes sense to keep working with him.

Josh Green was a pretty good flyer for the Hornets. His contract is fine and he’s already the best perimeter defender on the roster. If he shoots it well enough, Green will fit in nicely as a 3&D wing.

The knock on the offseason is two-fold. First, drafting Tidjane Salaun felt like a bit of a reach. Salaun is very young, so this is all about potential. Maybe he learns to shoot, and Salaun and Branon Miller become a like-sized switchable perimeter duo. But there were other players on the board with just as much upside, and far less downside.

The second knock is that the Hornets didn’t maximize their cap space. They took on Green, which was fine. But they ate Reggie Jackson’s contract for a second time. They got some second-round picks out of that, which is ok. But why not use that space to bring in someone who can actually help?

Chicago Bulls: Disliked 

If we were ranking the worst offseasons, the Bulls would near the top, if not at the very top, of the list. This is a real mess.

Trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey may end up working out fine. Giddey is good. He’ll have even more on-ball freedom in Chicago. We’re going to find out what he can really be this season. The downside, beyond his inability to shoot? Giddey is extension-eligible right now. That’s a tough needle to thread. It’s probably best to let it play out, but that could backfire if Giddey has a great season. Pay him now and he doesn’t play well, you’re stuck with his contract. Oh…and how do you not get even a single pick when making a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder? They gave five second-round picks to the Knicks for a single late first-round pick. The Bulls couldn’t have gotten a second or two in this deal? Sheesh.

As for the rest of the summer, there were things that look good. Matas Buzelis looks like a steal. He’s incredibly competitive and he’s skilled. That’s a great combination. Plus, Buzelis is playing with a giant chip on his shoulder after slipping in the draft.

Patrick Williams’ contract is fine. There’s been some handwringing about the deal, but it’s fine. By the end, Williams will be making MLE money. He should at least deliver that kind of value. At least!

Jalen Smith’s deal is also a good one. The value is very fair at $9 million AAV. He’s young enough to fit on a rebuilding team, or good enough to fit on a team making a push for the Play-In Tournament.

And therein lies the rub: What is the plan here? Did the Bulls get caught trying to bottom out, but couldn’t find trades for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic? Do they not want to trade one of both of those guys?

As it stands, Chicago is going to be bad, but if they have both LaVine and Vucevic, they won’t be really bad. And really bad is where they want to be in this draft. This is more of the same, half-in stuck-in-the-middle stuff. That’s not good enough, nor bad enough and not what Bulls fans deserve.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Disliked 

This assessment is strictly about a summer of mostly inaction. Cleveland did well to get Donovan Mitchell extended, even if he’ll hit the market earlier than hoped for. The Cavs also didn’t cave to pressure and trade away Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland. Making no deal far outweighs making a bad deal.

But making no deals at all, of any kind, that’s not a good thing. The only new player Cleveland has added is first-round pick Jaylon Tyson.

That’s the whole list.

And it’s not like Boston, who re-signed a bunch of guys off a title, or Memphis, who is welcoming back players who missed large chunks of last season.

The Cavs are just the Cavs.

That’s not necessarily bad, but as the rest of their Eastern Conference standings neighbors got better, Cleveland didn’t. That sort of doing nothing isn’t helpful. And it’s likely to cost the Cavaliers this season.

Detroit Pistons: Confused 

Look, the Pistons had to add some veteran talent. That part makes sense. Especially adding a couple of shooters. The worst thing you can do for young playmakers is to tell them to drive and kick, only to watch the jumpers repeatedly clank of the rim. Those drive-and-kicks become contested off-the-dribble shots instead. No one gets better that way.

Adding Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. makes sense. They should both help open the floor the Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and rookie Ron Holland II (who was a good upside pick for Detroit).

But did they really have to sign Tobias Harris? And who were the Pistons competing against? And don’t say “Well, they need to hit the salary floor!” One, they don’t. That’s a choice. Two, there are a lot of other ways to hit the salary floor. And that’s true even if we recognize Harris isn’t nearly as bad as some pretend and that he’ll help the Detroit this season.

Swinging back to positives…Simone Fontecchio got a really good deal. Paul Reed was a terrific waiver claim. Bobi Klintman might be a steal in the second round.

Are the Pistons better? They should be. Are they good? Nope. Not yet. Did this knock them out of the running for a top-five pick in a deep draft? Unclear. And that’s where the confusion comes in.

Indiana Pacers: Disliked 

This one is really probably more of a “Meh” than a true dislike. Did the Pacers do anything truly bad? Nope. Did they do anything really good? Not really.

Some of this is the nature of Indiana making a pre-agency move by trading for Pascal Siakam last year. They were always going to re-sign him. He was always going to get the max or really close to it. So, good on the Pacers for making it for only four years. That part is probably a minor win.

This space also really likes Obi Toppin. And he got a pretty team-friendly deal too. If he played around 30 minutes per game, this deal would probably look even better.

But that’s the problem! The Pacers gave almost $250 million over the next four years to two guys who play the same position and can’t really play together. Maybe they’ll start putting Siakam and Toppin on the floor together, but in 17 playoff games (when Indiana was missing players due to injuries), the two power forwards logged only 8.9 minutes together. That was up from 6.0 minutes per game together in the regular season.

If Siakam and Toppin can’t play together, having that much money invested in overlapping players isn’t a good use of resources. That’s especially true of a team that has often acted with the luxury tax as a self-imposed hard cap.

To close on some positives: James Wiseman was a terrific flyer. Indiana did really well with Jalen Smith, who had failed to live up to his draft position. If they can work similar magic with Wiseman, they’ll have a steal for a partially guaranteed contract. Also, Johnny Furphy was a nice pickup in the second round. Most had a first-round grade on him, so he seems like a good value pick.

Miami Heat: Disliked 

The Heat lost a key rotation player in Caleb Martin, and it’s not entirely clear why. Martin ultimately took less money from the Philadelphia 76ers than the Heat reportedly offered him. This may have been about playing time or a bigger role. No matter what, Miami lost a good player and they lost him to a conference competitor.

Alec Burks was a nice pickup for the veteran minimum. He’ll play a big role while Josh Richardson works his way back. Richardson said recently that he’s hoping to be ready for training camp. That gives Burks an immediate avenue to playing time.

The draft delivered Kel’el Ware. He’s got talent for days, but his work ethic and hustle were question marks. It’s a good bet Miami believes they can correct that. Summer League has been a good indicator that they were right.

In the end, the Heat are kind of bringing the same team back as last year. And the year before that. But some of their key guys are older and just as injury-prone as before. And Jimmy Butler doesn’t seem happy. That’s never a good sign for a team.

Milwaukee Bucks: Liked 

When you start the process of considering, or grading, NBA offseasons, you have to keep in mind what the team had to work with in the first place. In Milwaukee’s case, they didn’t have much to work with, but made the most of their limited resources.

Adding Gary Trent Jr. (who should start), Taurean Prince (who will probably start when forwards miss time), and Delon Wright (ditto for when Damian Lillard is out) all on veteran minimums is great work. All three can play and are upgrades over the players they are replacing.

A.J. Johnson and Tyler Smith were upside picks at the draft. Doc Rivers isn’t about to play either rookie, so we’ll be tracking their development through the G League this season.

The Bucks probably didn’t close the gap on the Celtics by a significant margin or anything. And the Knicks and Sixers are now on the same tier as the Bucks are. But Milwaukee got deeper and better with only minimums to work with. That’s a solid summer.

New York Knicks: Liked 

The Knicks gave up a lot to get Mikal Bridges, but it was probably worth it. Especially if Bridges being in the fold influenced Jalen Brunson to sign such a team-friendly extension. They probably overpaid a tad to re-sign OG Anunoby, but it’s not by a glaring margin or anything.

The only real hole on this roster is at backup center. It’s kind of a big one, given Mitchell Robinson’s track record of missing games. But New York has enough tradable players to fill that spot when they find the right guy to acquire. In the interim, re-signing Precious Achiuwa to a reasonable deal is more than a serviceable get-by, should that come to pass.

There are some long-term questions, even with Brunson leaving some money on the table. Will Mikal Bridges do the same? What happens with Julius Randle? What if there are too many overlapping players for everyone to play enough?

But none of those questions are “right now” questions. The Knicks are deep, versatile and better. This is the best team New York has entered a season with in several years.

Orlando Magic: Liked 

The Magic had a busy summer. The big move was that they essentially replaced Markelle Fultz with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. As much as Fultz is a feel-good story for making it back from injuries to become a solid rotation player, Caldwell-Pope is a huge upgrade. He’s probably the best shooter on the roster now. And a Caldwell-Pope and Jalen Suggs backcourt is going to make life really difficult on opposing ballhandlers.

Beyond that, Orlando took care of their own guys. They re-signed Moe Wagner, Gary Harris, Goga Bitadze and renegotiated-and-extended Jonathan Isaac. All four of those players got fair-value deals. And the Magic have some level of team control/protection on Wagner, Harris and Isaac too. That’s good for future flexibility as the team gets more expensive.

Part of that “getting more expensive” is because the Magic extended Franz Wagner on a max deal. That might be a bit of an overpay, but it’s probably fine. Even in a terrible shooting year, Wagner played pretty well. If he can rediscover his shot, and he should be able to, Wagner is an All-Star candidate. And Wagner was the first to extend of a trio that also includes Suggs (this summer) and Paolo Banchero (next summer).

Orlando still needs to extend Suggs too, but unless they make a major mistake there, this was an outstanding summer for the Magic.

Philadelphia 76ers: Liked 

The Sixers put together their plan a year in advance. For a year, Daryl Morey made moves while preserving 2024 cap space. It all paid off in a monster summer for Philadelphia.

Paul George is the headliner, obviously. He’s the best player to change teams this summer, and it’s by a decent margin too. George is the only All-Star to jump to a new team. Even at his age, a max deal is perfectly fine.

Are there injury concerns for George and Joel Embiid? 100%. Anyone saying otherwise is trying to convince themselves that an alternate timeline has merged with ours.

Injury issues being acknowledged, George is an outstanding fit. He’s the big versatile wing the 76ers needed between Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. He can carry the offense when Embiid or Maxey are off the floor or missing a game. George is also a good, versatile defender, which Nick Nurse will love.

Beyond landing George, Morey worked some cap magic to fill out the roster. Maxey got his max deal, as we all knew was coming. Well-earned by him. Kelly Oubre Jr. was re-signed via the Room Exception. Andre Drummond is a luxury when Embiid plays, but a necessity when Embiid doesn’t play. That’s $5 million well spent.

Caleb Martin for the remaining cap space? Perfect fit. Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon as the backup backcourt for the minimum? Yes, please! Jared McCain and Adem Bona as developmental players from the draft? Sign me up!

Even re-signing K.J. Martin to a perfectly tradable “human trade exception” contract is a win for both player and team.

The Sixers have been good before, but always a touch overrated. Is this team a title favorite? No. But they are close. Closer than ever since getting Embiid, actually. It’ll all depend on health come April, May, and Philadelphia hopes, June.

Toronto Raptors: Confused 

The Raptors have a nice collection of players. You look at the roster, and you’ll probably say to yourself, “I like him!” about at least 10 guys. But is this really a team?

They’ve got wings for days. Big wings, small wings, shooters, defenders, playmakers. It’s a grab-bag of talented guys who we have no idea if they fit together.

Maybe this one should have gotten more of the “Incomplete” moniker. But it’s more confusing than it is incomplete.

All of that said, Scottie Barnes is worth the max. He’s an All-Star level guy and the franchise building block. Immanuel Quickley’s deal might seem like some massive overpay, but he’s the 16th highest-paid point guard in the NBA this season. Deal doesn’t look so bad now, right?

They haven’t traded Bruce Brown yet, so that will probably linger into the season and maybe to the trade deadline. The Sasha Vezenkov situation is still playing out. It’s unclear how there will be minutes for so many wings, or which players will miss out.

None of these are necessarily bad things. They are just things that need sorted out that don’t have clear answers. Thus, the confusion about where this team is and where they are headed.

Washington Wizards: Incomplete 

The Wizards are on a path. They’re still working on the teardown process. Rather than simply letting players walk for nothing, Washington has retained players on tradable contracts, while making trades for others. The Jordan Poole acquisition, might have been a misstep, but that was last year.

This summer, it sort of feels like the Wizards aren’t done yet. Kyle Kuzma and Poole are both still around. Poole is probably going to stick for a while longer, but Kuzma could be on the move at any moment.

The same is true of Malcolm Brogdon, who was acquired this summer for Deni Avdija and draft picks. Heck, Richaun Holmes was extended on a deal that is specifically designed for him to get traded.

The Wizards did well at the draft with Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George. Saddiq Bey was a nice flyer on a good contract. But those guys won’t pay dividends this year, beyond development for the rookies and ACL rehab for Bey.

So, we’re just sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop. And that might carry on for a bit. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just sort of incomplete.

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks signed a Veteran Extension to much hullaballoo. Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension. That was the maximum that Brunson was allowed to sign for at this moment.

It’s that last part that is the key: “at this moment”.

As has been reported, Brunson could have signed for more money had he waited and re-signed with the Knicks as a free agent a year from now. By now, you’ve probably read that Brunson gave up $113 million by extending with New York now.

But did Brunson really leave $113 million on the table?

Yes…well kind of…but not really.

Let’s break it down!

The Veteran Extension

Here’s what Jalen Brunson did sign for:

• 2025-26: $34,944,001
• 2026-27: $37,739,521
• 2027-28: $40,535,041
• 2028-29: $43,330,561 (Player Option)
• Total: four years, $156,549,124

In Brunson’s case, he signed under the Veteran Extension rules. This allows for him to extend for 140% of his previous salary. To sign a four-year extension, Brunson declined his 2025-26 player option, so this extension is based off his current salary for 2024-25 of $24,960,001.

From there, Brunson can add four new years of salary with 8% raises off the first year. That’s how we get to figures above.

For now, we can assume that Brunson will opt out of his contract to become a free agent in 2028. That would allow him to sign for the 35% of the cap maximum, because he’ll have 10 Years of Service following the 2027-28 season. But more to come on that later!

Re-signing with New York in 2025

Here’s what Jalen Brunson could have signed for next summer:

• 2025-26: $46,394,000
• 2026-27: $50,105,628
• 2027-28: $53,817,156
• 2028-29: $57,528,684
• 2029-30: $61,240,212
• Total: five years, $269,085,780
• This contract reflects the 30% of the cap max, with 8% raises for Brunson. Had he played out this upcoming season, opted out of his contract, this is the maximum amount he could have signed for in July of 2025.

Breaking down the differences

This is where things get interesting!

If you compare what Brunson did actually sign for vs what he could have signed for, you get a difference of roughly $112.5 million. So, that’s where that “Brunson gave up $113 million” line-of-thinking came from.

But it’s not really that simple.

If you’ve ever read one of our “Next Contract” pieces here on Spotrac, you know we try to present things in a lens of what a player could get by extending vs re-signing vs leaving for another team. In this case, we’re going to do it, but within the lens of Brunson extending vs re-signing with the Knicks.

We’re not going to pretend that it’s inaccurate to say Brunson left nearly $113 million on the table. Instead, we’ll say that’s a little misleading. Because the chances of Brunson ever getting to that $113 million number are pretty low.

Instead, let’s first look at a four-year vs four-year comparison:

• Extending: four years, $156,549,124
• Re-signing: four years, $207,845,568
• Difference: $51,296,444

Already, we’ve cut the amount Brunson gave up by over half. This is much like why it’s not always a fair comparison to look at what a player can re-sign for with their own team vs what they can get by leaving for a new team. Only their own team can give them a fifth year. In this case, Brunson could only get a fifth year by delaying and re-signing next summer.

Now, let’s go a step further!

In Brunson’s new deal, he has a player option for Year 4 in 2028-29. It’s already been suggested that part of his motivation by extending vs re-signing was to get back into free agency in 2028. So, we’re going to assume he’ll opt out.

That means, the real comparison point here is Extension Years 1-3 vs Re-signing Years 1-3.

• Extending: three years, $113,218,563
• Re-signing: three years, $150,316,884
• Difference: $37,098,321

Now, we’re down to about 33% of the original $113 million that Brunson actually gave up.

Let’s pause for a moment here…

Giving up over $37 million is still a lot of money to leave on the table. For reference, during 2024 NBA free agency to date, only 21 of over 90 players got more than $37 million in total in their new contracts.

So, even as we try to pushback on reported $113 million sacrifice that Brunson made, we’re still going to recognize that the Knicks star did give up a large sum of money.

What does this mean for the Knicks?

For New York, this is big, but let’s not get too crazy here either.

For one, the Knicks now have their All-Star, All-NBA, MVP-candidate leader locked up on a below-max deal. No matter how you spin it, that’s a pretty big win.

But here’s what the Knicks save over the next three seasons after this upcoming one (Remember, we’re assuming Brunson opts out in 2028) by Brunson extending vs re-signing:

• 2025-26: $11,450,099
• 2026-27: $12,366,107
• 2027-28: $13,282,115

Those per-year amounts will certainly help the Knicks, but they aren’t necessarily life-changing for New York.

Here’s how much the Knicks have on the books for each of those three seasons and for how many players:

• 2025-26: $186,683,839 for 10 players (including Julius Randle, who has a player option for 2025-26)
• 2026-27: $129,935,530 for seven players
• 2027-28: $126,983,155 for five players

In each of the first two years, the Knicks are well above the cap. In 2026, they’ll potentially be facing free agency for Mikal Bridges, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, assuming all three are still on the roster.

What giving up $11.5 million and $12.4 million in 2025 and 2026 does do is gives the Knicks some wiggle room under the now infamous tax aprons. That’s some welcomed flexibility, but won’t necessarily be the difference in making a huge addition. The reason for this is that making a big trade would likely still result in becoming hard-capped at either the first or second apron. This is basically the same dance New York did this summer with the Mikal Bridges trade.

But if we go out to the summer of 2027, this is where things could get really fun for the Knicks.

By that summer, New York could be down to Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek on the roster. And that would be the final year of Brunson’s contract before he can opt out in the summer of 2028. Let’s add Mikal Bridges on a salary of $45 million for that season too, since the Knicks didn’t trade for him to watch him walk.

If New York kept the rest mostly as-is for the next couple of seasons, in the summer of 2027, they could have around $40 million in cap space. That’s a nice chunk of spending power, but that’s well shy of the projected first-year max salary of $65.5 million for that season.

Now, if the Knicks let Mikal Bridges walk (they likely won’t, but let’s live in Fantasyland for a moment!), they could have as much as $85 million in cap space that summer. That would be enough to get a max free agent and have some leftover money to spend. That’s starting to look a lot like the offseason the Philadelphia 76ers just had.

In summary: Jalen Brunson took less, which helps the Knicks create wiggle room to do their work. But this isn’t likely to result in a major addition in the next two seasons that New York couldn’t have made anyway. Three years from now, we could be in an entirely different place.

How does Jalen Brunson make back the money he gave up?

In short: he can’t.

Even on the most-accurate comparison of Extension Years 1-3 vs Re-signing Years 1-3, Brunson gave up over $37 million. He’s never getting that back.

What did happen by going this route is that Brunson will get into the free agent market a year earlier than he could have by re-signing for a full five-year deal. In this scenario, Brunson opts out in 2028. At that point, he’ll have 10 Years of Service and he’ll be eligible for a full 35% of the cap maximum salary. That contract will start with Brunson’s Age-32 season. Let’s say the Knicks do want to give him the full five-year max, that projects to look like this:

• 2028-29: $72,042,250
• 2029-30: $77,805,630
• 2030-31: $83,569,010
• 2031-32: $89,332,390
• 2032-33: $95,095,770
• Total: five years, $417,845,050

Whew, boy!

Let that sink in for a moment…

Yeah, that’s what a max contract will look like in just four years. Mind-blowing, right?

Will the Knicks want to give Brunson a five-year maximum contract when he’s on the other side of 30 years old? Historically, small guards haven’t aged that well in the NBA, but that’s been changing over the years. Maybe Brunson will hold up just fine and will cash in. But even if it’s not the full max, it’s safe to say that Brunson will get paid, and paid handsomely when he hits 10 Years of Service in 2028.

But here’s the thing (there’s always a thing!):

Brunson could have gotten this exact same deal by signing only a four-year deal in free agency next summer. Nothing says he would have had to sign a full five-year deal. He could have signed for four years, with a player option on the last year, and gotten back on the market in 2028.

Why couldn’t the Knicks and Brunson sign one of those Super Max Extensions?

The Designated Veteran Extension, or so-called Super Max Extension, is only available to players who were drafted by their current team or acquired while still on their Rookie Scale deal. Because Brunson changed teams as a free agent, he is not eligible for a Super Max Extension.

This is bad for all other NBA players, right? Owners will want everyone to take discounts?

Eh…maybe, but probably not. This situation is fairly unique. Most players aren’t going to look at this situation and see themselves in the same place as Brunson. Most front offices and owners will understand that, and will get that their teams are not in the same place either.As far as those screaming from the rooftops that “The players lost in this new CBA! The owners won!”, that’s not really an accurate assessment at all. At the end of the day, the players still get their 51% of Basketball Related Income (BRI). So, even if some contracts come in a little lower, the players are all still getting their fair share of the money. And, let’s not forget that a bunch of players have also signed maximum extensions worth hundreds upon hundreds of millions this summer.

Also, without boring everyone to tears, the BRI calculation was updated to include even more revenue streams. And the players have additional investment outlets available to them under the new CBA, as well.

Simply put: Half of a watermelon is better than a whole grape. NBA BRI is now one giant watermelon. NBA players and NBA teams are making more money than ever, even if those distribution channels may be evolving.

Summary

Jalen Brunson should be lauded for leaving a lot of money on the table. No, it wasn’t really $113 million. Nor was it even really $51 million. But $37 million is still a lot of money.

Brunson is clearly the toast of the town in New York. He’s arguably as big of a sports star as the city has. In a lot of ways, he’s everything Knicks fans want in a star: he’s tough, he plays with heart, he’s an underdog due to his size, and, mostly importantly, he loves New York and playing for the Knicks.

Brunson also clearly values playing with guys he enjoys being around. We’ve all made the jokes about the Villanova Knicks, but there is truth there. You can’t put a price on what it’s worth to play with your friends, even if that price is apparently something like $37 million.

Lastly, the Knicks win here. Not by an overwhelming margin, but things are starting to get really tight on their cap sheet. As we’ve seen in several situations this summer, including New York’s own, any extra wiggle room can make a major difference.

In the end, things got overblown as to how much Brunson really gave up, and how he’ll recoup it eventually. Instead, let’s just focus on the perfect marriage of player, team, time and place that resulted in Brunson making a sacrifice and the Knicks getting a great deal. That’s more than enough without turning this into a fairytale about a conquering hero sacrificing it all to save the kingdom.

A running list of notable 2024 NBA Free Agents agreements and signings throughout the free agency period, ordered by agreement date.

Franz Wagner – Orlando Magic

Status:

Agreed on July 5, 2024 – Designated rookie extension

Terms:

5 year, $224.23 million (AAV: $44.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2025-26: $38,661,750

2026-27: $41,754,690

2027-28: $44,847,630

2028-29: $47,940,570

2029-30: $51,033,510

Deal contains Designated Rookie language for 30% of the 2025-26 cap

Taurean Prince – Milwaukee Bucks

Status:

Agreed on July 3, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $2.99 million (AAV: $2.99 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,988,550

Thoughts:

The Bucks only have minimum contracts to offer, but this looks like a steal for Milwuakee. They needed to add some form of frontcourt depth, as it was a bunch of unproven and/or undersized options behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. Taurean Prince will give the Bucks a combo forward who can score and hold his own defensively. As the Bucks have an older roster, they’ll likely be looking to spot players rest days when they can. Prince gives Doc Rivers a veteran he can count on when others are out.

PJ Dozier – Minnesota Timberwolves

Status:

Agreed on July 3, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $2.6 million (AAV: $2.6 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,613,120

Thoughts:

The Timberwolves are looking to fill out their bench with minimum signings. Front office leader Tim Connelly has a comfort level with P.J. Dozier, as he’s signed him to a few different contracts over the years. Dozier had a solid year playing in Serbia last season. He should give the Wolves another perimeter player for their bench.

Alec Burks – Miami Heat

Status:

Agreed on July 3, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $3.3 million (AAV: $3.3 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,303,771

Thoughts:

Burks will add some nice backcourt depth for the Heat on a veteran minimum deal. He showed in the playoffs that he’s still got some scoring punch left. Miami’s bench is in transition at the moment. Burks should work with Josh Richardson, who picked up his option, to give Erik Spoelstra another ballhandler off the bench.

Thomas Bryant – Miami Heat

Status:

Agreed on July 3, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $2.8 million (AAV: $2.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,800,834

Thoughts:

Bryant never really made much of an impact for Miami last season. Mostly, he’ll be good competition for rookie Kel’el Ware for frontcourt minutes behind Bam Adebayo. That’s fine for a veteran minimum salary.

Joe Ingles – Minnesota Timberwolves

Status:

Agreed on July 3, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $3.3 million (AAV: $3.3 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,303,771

Thoughts:

Joe Ingles really helped a young Orlando Magic grow up last season. He was also pretty solid on-court too. Ingles is a good passer and a really nice connective player. He’ll take on the role Kyle Anderson had for the Timberwolves last season, but with far better shooting.

Damion Lee – Phoenix Suns

Status:

Agreed on July 3, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $2.8 million (AAV: $2.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,800,834

Thoughts:

The hope was that Damion Lee would give the Suns a sniper off the bench last season. A knee injury cost him all of last year. So, the Suns and Lee are running it back for another try for the minimum, or possibly slightly more with his Non-Bird rights.

LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers

Status:

Agreed on July 3, 2024 – Maximum free agent

Terms:

2 year, $103.97 million (AAV: $51.99 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $49,987,718

2025-26: $53,986,735

Thoughts:

The only real question for LeBron James was if he would take his max?Or was he going to give the Lakers a discount to make other moves. After a handful of James’ reported preferred targets went elsewhere, he went for the max. There’s still a possibility James takes a little less to help the Lakers out, but it won’t be a meaningful amount. Now, we get to see how a Lakers team, one that has made very few changes to their roster to date (veterans Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince out, rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in), can upgrade with limited resources to do so.

Kyle Anderson – Golden State Warriors

Status:

Agreed on July 2, 2024 – Free agent via Sign-and-Trade with Minnesota

Terms:

3 year, $27 million (AAV: $9 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $8,571,429

2025-26: $9,000,000

2026-27: $9,428,571

Thoughts:

Golden State is continuing to rebuild their roster as a non-tax team for the first time in years. After adding De’Anthony Melton for backcourt depth, the Warriors are adding Kyle Anderson to the frontcourt. He’s an ideal for the Warriors, because he can do a little of everything. Anderson’s pass-and-move style of play is a great fit for Golden State’s movement-based offense. For barely more than the Room Exception, this is a really good addition for the retooling Warriors.

Jonathan Isaac – Orlando Magic

Status:

Agreed on July 2, 2024 – Renegotiation-and-extend

Terms:

5 year, $84 million (AAV: $16.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: TBD

2025-26: TBD

2026-27: TBD

2027-28: TBD

2028-29: TBD

Thoughts:

Orlando made good use of their remaining cap space to get Jonathan Isaac signed long-term. The Magic will up Isaac’s salary for this coming season. In return, Isaac will take less per season on the four new years he’s adding to his contract. A renegotiation-and-extension deal is the only form of extreme front-loaded contract in the NBA. It’s smart cap management to use the space while you have it, to keep things in line later, when the rest of the roster will start getting more expensive.

Xavier Tillman – Boston Celtics

Status:

Agreed on July 2, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $4.78 million (AAV: $2.4 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,237,692

2025-26: $2,546,675

Thoughts:

Boston is now running it back with their entire big man rotation from last season. Xavier Tillman Sr. joins Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta as staying with the champs. Tillman will be relied upon heavily this upcoming season. Kristaps Porzingis is out until sometime around the holidays, and Boston will aggressively manage Al Horford this season. Getting Tillman back on the minimum is big for the Celtics. Now, if he can keep refining that three-point shot…

Monte Morris – Phoenix Suns

Status:

Agreed on July 2, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $2.8 million (AAV: $2.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,800,834

Thoughts:

Phoenix had to get a real point guard on the roster. Monte Morris more than fills that need. He won’t start when everyone is healthy, but given that Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are a good bet to miss some time, Morris will probably start some games. On the other nights, the veteran ballhandler will play a big role off the bench.

Mo Wagner – Orlando Magic

Status:

Agreed on July 2, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $22 million (AAV: $22 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $10,576,923

2025-26: $11,423,077

Thoughts:

Orlando is running it back in the frontcourt. This deal probably looks similar to Wagner’s last one, where the second year will be a team option or carry some non-guaranteed money. The main thing is that Orlando’s best backup big man is still in the fold. With the Magic reportedly listening to offers for Wendell Carter Jr., it was really important to bring back Wagner, along with Goga Bitadze.

James Wiseman – Indiana Pacers

Status:

Agreed on July 2, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: TBD

2025-26: TBD

Thoughts:

Perfect flyer for the Pacers. Wiseman will be asked to rebound, run the floor and finish around the rim. Occasionally, Indiana might want him to hit a pick-and-pop jumper. The Pacers did a great job getting Jalen Smith’s career on track. With Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson in place, Wiseman can work on his game without having to play big minutes. This is a great spot for him to figure things out. There’s a lot of talent there and he’s young. Never bet against the late-blooming big man.

Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers

Status:

Agreed on July 2, 2024 – Maximum veteran extension

Terms:

3 year, $150.3 million (AAV: $50.1 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2025-26: $46,394,100

2026-27: $50,105,628

2027-28: $53,817,156 (Player Option)

Thoughts:

Cleveland and Donovan Mitchell get some clarity for at least a few seasons. Because he was traded after his rookie scale deal ended, Mitchell wasn’t able to sign a supermax extension with the Cavs. This is a nice middle ground. Cleveland keeps him around for a while longer, and Mitchell has the opportunity to get back on the free agent market when he’ll be eligible for the 10 Years of Service, 35% of the cap max. That’s a win-win compromise for both Mitchell and the Cavaliers.

Mo Bamba – LA Clippers

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $2.6 million (AAV: $2.6 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,613,120

Thoughts:

This is fine. One year for the minimum isn’t going to hurt anyone. The Clippers frontcourt rotation seems to be very much in flux behind Ivica Zubac. Bamba is a different look from Mason Plumlee, as he can step out and shoot it, but he hasn’t been as productive with his minutes as Plumlee. But for the minimum, it’s a worthy flyer, even if LA will probably continue to work on their center depth.

Kris Dunn – LA Clippers

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

TBD

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: TBD

Thoughts:

We’re still waiting on the terms for Kris Dunn’s deal with the Clippers, and also the path for him to get to LA. It’s been reported that this may be a sign-and-trade. Strictly keeping it on the court, this is a terrific addition for LA. Dunn can back up James Harden at point guard, plus play alongside Harden in lineups too. With Russell Westbrook reportedly headed out, the Clippers did well to replace him with Dunn.

Gary Harris – Orlando Magic

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $14 million (AAV $7 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $6,730,769

2025-26: $7,269,231

Thoughts:

Really good value for the Magic here. Gary Harris was a starter for Orlando for most of last season, and he was the team’s most consistent shooter. He’ll likely back up Kentavious Caldwell-Pope now, but this gives the Magic four good guards with Harris, Caldwell-Pope, Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony. And Orlando has Anthony Black in the development pipeline as well. Don’t be surprised if the second season of this deal involves some form of team control, such as a team option or non-guaranteed season.

Goga Bitadze – Orlando Magic

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

3 year, $25 million (AAV $8.3 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $7,716,049

2025-26: $8,333,333

2026-27: $8,950,617

Thoughts:

Orlando did well to keep Goga Bitadze in the fold. He was excellent as a spot starter when Wendell Carter Jr. had to miss time. This coming season, Bitadze may be in for a bigger role as a regular backup. Getting him for roughly the Room Exception is a win for both Bitadze and the Magic.

Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Designated Veteran extension

Terms:

5 year, $314 million (AAV $62.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2025-26: $54,126,450

2026-27: $58,456,566

2027-28: $62,786,682

2028-29: $67,116,798

2029-30: $71,446,914 (Player Option)

Thoughts:

As expected, Jayson Tatum got the full supermax extension from the Celtics. No surprises here. Tatum earned this deal by becoming one of the best players in the NBA.

Klay Thompson – Dallas Mavericks

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent via Sign-and-Trade with Golden State

Terms:

3 year, $50 million (AAV $16.7 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $15,873,016

2025-26: $16,666,667

2026-27: $17,460,317

Thoughts:

(Note: When we get the full sign-and-trade details, we’ll do a full trade recap for this deal.)

It’s hard to believe Klay Thompson is leaving the Warriors. But landing with the Mavericks is a really solid outcome. Thompson will likely replace Derrick Jones Jr. in the starting lineup. Thompson isn’t the defender he once was, but he’s still a really good shooter. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving coming off screens will love having Thompson spacing the floor for them. As long as folks have tempered expectations that this isn’t All-Star-level Klay Thompson, but instead wily veteran shooter Klay Thompson, this addition will be a hit.

De’Anthony Melton – Golden State Warriors

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $12.8 million (AAV $12.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $12,822,000

Thoughts:

If De’Anthony Melton didn’t have concerns about his back, he gets a far larger deal than this. As it is, this is a good get for the Warriors. Golden State needed another ballhandler behind Stephen Curry. If healthy, Melton will give Golden State solid depth at both guard spots. Also, non-Bird rights should be enough to re-sign Melton with after this season.

Aaron Holiday – Houston Rockets

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $9.56 million (AAV $4.78 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $4,668,000

2025-26: $4,901,400

Thoughts:

This is a small, but solid value for Aaron Holiday and the Rockets. Holiday gave Houston good minutes at times last season, as Amen Thompson got healthy and adjusted to the NBA game. The second season of this deal is reportedly a team option, which gives the Rockets an easy out if they are going the cap space route next summer.

Delon Wright – Milwaukee Bucks

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Veteran extension

Terms:

1 year, $3.0 million (AAV $3.0 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,003,427

Thoughts:

The Bucks had a backup point guard problem for lots of last season. That’s not good, considering Damian Lillard is older and tends to miss games now. Wright gives Milwaukee a solid backup. He’s also got starting experience, if necessary. Good add for the minimum for Milwaukee.

Derrick White – Boston Celtics

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Veteran extension

Terms:

4 year, $125.9 million (AAV $31.5 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $28,100,001

2025-26: $30,348,001

2026-27: $32,596,001

2027:28: $34,844,001

Thoughts:

Monster win for the Boston Celtics. Derrick White could have probably gotten $35-$40 million on the open market. Instead, he’s back in Boston for at least the next three years, as the fourth year is a player option. White said he loves it in Boston and didn’t want to leave the Celtics. Some things, like comfort and winning, are more important than getting every last penny in a deal.

Luke Garza – Minnesota Timberwolves

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $4.5 million (AAV $2.26 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,162,606

2025-26: $2,349,578

Thoughts:

Garza is well-liked because he stays ready and is a hard worker. For the minimum, you can’t ask for much more. That’s why he’s headed back to Minnesota. Expect this deal to ultimately include some non-guaranteed money.

Drew Eubanks – Utah Jazz

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $10 million (AAV $5 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $4,878,049

2025-26: $5,121,951

Thoughts:

This is a version of the Jalen Smith deal, where it works if the Jazz are making a playoff push or if they are rebuilding. If it’s the former, Eubanks is nice depth for not much over the minimum. If it’s the latter, Eubanks can play and is a nice trade chip down the line. Also: Walker Kessler has been in a lot of trade rumors. This gives the Jazz cover if they move on from the young center.

Tobias Harris – Detroit Pistons

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $52 million (AAV $26 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $25,365,854

2025-26: $26,634,146

Thoughts:

This one looks a little strange. But when you step back and realize the Pistons have to spend money on someone, it makes more sense. Is Harris going to make Detroit a contender? Nope. Will he help them be a more functional, competitive basketball team? Yes. That’s what this is about. This deal would look a lot better if the second season was a team option, but if it’s at least a partial or non-guaranteed year, that will suffice. But, as it is, this is fine. Neither good, nor bad. Just sort of meh.

Isaiah Hartenstein – Oklahoma City Thunder

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

3 year, $87 million (AAV $29 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $30,526,316

2025-26: $29,000,000

2026-27: $27,473,684

Thoughts:

The Thunder are doing work. This is a big contract, but an important signing for Oklahoma City. They needed to add some additional size and to get more versatile in the frontcourt. Now, the Thunder have the option to go big against teams like Denver and Minnesota. Isaiah Hartenstein has experience starting or coming off the bench. He’s also going to immediately improve the defense and rebounding. Is this an overpay? Perhaps a bit, but the Oklahoma City cap sheet can afford it for a couple more years.

Jalen Smith – Chicago Bulls

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

3 year, $27 million (AAV $9 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $8,571,429

2025-26: $9,000,000

2026-27: $9,428,571

Thoughts:

Outstanding value signing for the Bulls. Smith is only 24 years old, so he fits if Chicago flips towards a rebuild, or if they chase a postseason spot. He was probably a bit above his head with his shooting last year, but not so much so that it was a fluke. For $9 million AAV, this one of the best values of 2024 free agency so far.

Isaiah Joe – Oklahoma City Thunder

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

4 year, $48 million (AAV $12 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $10,714,286

2025-26: $11,571,429

2026-27: $12,428,571

2027-28: $13,285,714

Thoughts:

I could just repeat the Aaron Wiggins analysis here, but won’t. The Thunder plucked Joe off the free agent market when he was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers. The promise Joe flashed with Philadelphia fleshed out in Oklahoma City. He’s an elite shooter. For less than the Non-Taxpayer MLE on an annual basis, the Thunder keep him around. Another step in building a sustainable small-market winner.

Aaron Wiggins – Oklahoma City Thunder

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

5 year, $47 million (AAV $9.4 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $8,103,448

2025-26: $8,751,724

2026-27: $9,400,000

2027-28: $10,048,276

2028-29: $10,696,552

Thoughts:

Aaron Wiggins is a player development success story for the Thunder. And, as they have so many times before, they reap the reward of that success by signing a good player to a team-friendly contract. Wiggins is a terrific depth player on the wing, and he’ll be playing for what is essentially the Room Exception. That’s how you build a sustainable winner in a small market.

Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

5 year, $203.58 million (AAV $40.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $35,147,000

2025-26: $37,958,760

2026-27: $40,770,520

2027-28: $43,582,280

2028-29: $46,394,040

Thoughts:

As expected, after a year of waiting, Tyrese Maxey got his max deal. There was some thought that to thank Maxey for delaying signing so that they could use cap space, that Philadelphia might have given him a player option. That didn’t happen (and wouldn’t have in a regular extension either), so that’s a win for the Sixers. Philadelphia now has their star trio locked up long-term.

Paul George – Philadelphia 76ers

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

4 year, $212 million (AAV $52.9 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $49,205,800

2025-26: $51,666,090

2026-27: $54,126,380

2027-28: $56,586,670 (Player Option)

Thoughts:

The major free agent domino has fallen. The Sixers got their guy. After lining up for over a year to add a third star around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Daryl Morey pulled it off. When healthy, George is a perfect fit with Embiid and Maxey. He’s a big wing to slide right in between the center and the ballhandler. George is very good playing off-ball, which he’ll have to do quite a bit to give Embiid and Maxey reps. The lone question is George’s track record of missing games and his age. Given those same questions exist for Embiid, there’s a chance this could go sideways a bit. However, the upside and fit are too good to pass up, simply because of health concerns. This is a tremendous addition for the 76ers, who vault themselves back into title contention in the Eastern Conference.

Kelly Oubre Jr. –Philadelphia 76ers

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 year, $16.3 million (AAV $8.2 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $7,983,000

2025-26: $8,382,150  (Player Option)

Thoughts:

Kelly Oubre Jr. was the best ROI last summer, after the Sixers had him for the veteran minimum. Oubre cashed in on that productive season. This deal will most likely come out of the Room Exception, as Philadelphia continues to sequence their transactions. Even with the step-up in salary, this is still a great value for the 76ers. Oubre will give them scoring punch, as well as depth for when Paul George misses games.

Derrick Jones Jr. – LA Clippers

Status:

Agreed on July 1, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

3 year, $30 million (AAV $10 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $9,523,810

2025-26: $10,000,000

2026-27: $10,476,190

Thoughts:

The Clippers started re-shaping their roster a bit after they gave up on re-signing Paul George. Jones is a nice start. LA can’t replace George outright, so they have to replace him in the aggregate. Some will come from Terance Mann. Some from Amir Coffey. Now, some will come from Jones. This is a good pivot for a team that is in a bit of transition.

Naji Marshall – Dallas Mavericks

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

3 year, $27 million (AAV $9 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $8,571,429

2025-26: $9,000,000

2026-27: $9,428,571

Thoughts:

Naji Marshall is a great story. He fought his way onto the Pelicans roster and then just kept improving. He’s a 3&D wing with some size, so that’s a great fit for the Mavericks. The only question: Was Marshall’s shooting last year real? If so, this is a homerun signing. If he dips a bit, it’s still a good signing, but more like an RBI double.

Mason Plumlee – Phoenix Suns

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $3.3 million (AAV $3.3 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,303,771

Thoughts:

Mason Plumlee has dropped off some from his most productive years, but he’s still a solid backup. The Suns can’t offer free agents anything more than the minimum. That means those minimum lottery tickets have to hit. This one feels like it should. Plumlee will return at least minimum value for Phoenix behind Jusuf Nurkic.

Jonas Valanciunas – Washington Wizards

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

3 year, $30 million (AAV $10 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $9,523,810

2025-26: $10,000,000

2026-27: $10,476,190

Thoughts:

This one came a little out of leftfield, but it makes sense when you step back a little. Jonas Valanciunas will provide some protection and cover for Alex Sarr, as he figures out the NBA game. In addition, Valanciunas will be very tradable on this deal down the line. Even if it seems odd for a rebuilding team to go with a veteran center, this is a pretty good value all around.

Chris Paul – San Antonio Spurs

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $11+ million (AAV $11 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $11,000,000

Thoughts:

The Spurs have been looking for a veteran point guard and they got the most veteran one they could in Chris Paul. Paul will mentor San Antonio’s young guards, while also making the game easier for Victor Wembanyam. Also, who isn’t going to enjoy Paul playing for Gregg Popovich after all these years of going head-to-head.

Eric Gordon – Philadelphia 76ers

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 year, $3.3 million (AAV $3.3 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,303,771

Thoughts:

If Philadelphia is signing a star to a max deal (Paul George perhaps?), they’ll need to fill out some depth on the cheap. Gordon will likely outplay this deal by a decent margin. He’s still an elite shooter and good off-the-dribble scorer. This is a terrific add for the Sixers.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Orlando Magic

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

3 years, $66 million (AAV $22 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $20,952,381

2025-26: $22,000,000

2026-27: $23,047,619

Thoughts:

This is a great pickup for the Magic. They’ll have an elite defensive backcourt with Caldwell-Pope joining Jalen Suggs. Caldwell-Pope will also help with spacing, as well. And Orlando still has around $30 million in cap space to spend. The Magic aren’t done yet.

Andre Drummond – Philadelphia 76ers

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 years, $10+ million (AAV $5 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $4,878,049

2025-26: $5,121,951

Thoughts:

The 76ers had to use part of their cap flexibility this summer to add a reliable backup for Joel Embiid. It’s a luxury when Embiid is healthy, but a must when he’s not. The team has familiarity with Andre Drummond and he’s become an extremely productive backup. This is a homerun signing for not much over a minimum contract per year.

Luke Kornet – Boston Celtics

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 years, $2.8 million (AAV $2.8 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,800,834

Thoughts:

Luke Kornet was the guy Joe Mazzulla called upon most often when one of Kristaps Porzingis or Al Horford was out. Kornet almost always delivered with solid minutes. Given Porzingis will miss the start of next season, and the team will actively manage Horford’s minutes, Kornet will play a big role. The Celtics comfort level with him makes this a worthwhile re-signing.

Kevin Love – Miami Heat

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 years, $8+ million (AAV $4 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,846,154

2025-26: $4,153,846

Thoughts:

The Heat were always going to bring back Kevin Love. That this deal appears to be fully guaranteed with no options is a bit surprising. It’s not big enough that it will really matter, but Love getting two fully guaranteed years at his age wasn’t expected. But it’s fine for a guy who can give Miami solid regular season minutes.

James Harden – LA Clippers

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 years, $70 million (AAV $35 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $33,653,846

2025-26: $36,346,154

Thoughts:

James Harden isn’t an MVP-level player anymore. He may not even be an All-Star again. But Harden is still good. The Clippers invested a decent amount into acquiring him. This deal is fine, especially given that the second year is reportedly an option for Harden, who is probably going year-to-year at this point.

Max Christie – Los Angeles Lakers

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

4 years, $32 million (AAV $15 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $7,142,857

2025-26: $7,714,286

2026-27: $8,285,714

2027-28: $8,857,143

Thoughts:

Max Christie needs a consistent role to earn this contract. The good news? He may have one next year. Christie is a good athlete, solid defender and an improving shooter. If he gets regular minutes, Christie will deliver very good value on this contract.

Obi Toppin – Indiana Pacers

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

4 years, $60 million (AAV $15 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $13,392,857

2025-26: $14,464,286

2026-27: $15,535,714

2027-28: $16,607,143

Thoughts:

This is a good deal for both Toppin and the Pacers. It’s essentially the MLE, and Toppin will outproduce the MLE amount, even when he plays primarily as a backup to Pascal Siakam. Something to keep an eye on: Indiana has a lot of money invested in Siakam and Toppin. Could that make Jarace Walker gettable via trade?

Alex Len – Sacramento Kings

Status:

Agreed on June 30, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 years, $3.31  million (AAV $3.31 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,313,453

Thoughts:

Each of the last three years, Len has started out of the Kings rotation, but finished the year as Domantas Sabonis’ primary backup. There is a comfort level there and Sacramento trusts him to stay ready when his number is called. For the veteran minimum, you can’t ask for much more.

Patrick Williams – Chicago Bulls

Status:

Agreed on June 29, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

5 years, $90 million (AAV $18 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $15,517,241

2025-26: $16,758,621

2026-27: $18,000,000

2027-28: $19,241,379

2028-29: $20,482,759

Thoughts:

Williams has struggled to stay healthy in his career. When he has, he’s shown what we’ll call 3&D-plus ability. He can do a little bit off the dribble and he’s solid filling the lane on a fastbreak. Mostly, this deal is going to look a lot like the Non-Taxpayer MLE when it finishes. For a young guy who can defend and shoot, this is a pretty solid value for the Bulls, and it’s good guaranteed money for Williams.

Bol Bol – Phoenix Suns

Status:

Agreed on June 29, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 years, $2.9 million (AAV $2.9 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $2,919,013

Thoughts:

Phoenix gave Bol a slight bump over the minimum salary to stick around. This is an approach the Suns have used in the past, as a way to add a bit more tradable salary. Bol remains an enigma. He looks like a rotation big one game and like a raw project the next. For Phoenix, who just needs depth anyway they can get it, this is a fine deal.

DeAndre Jordan – Denver Nuggets

Status:

Agreed on June 29, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

1 years, $3.3 million (AAV $3.3 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $3,313,453

Thoughts:

Jordan gets a minimum deal to return as the third or fourth big for the Nuggets. Denver wasn’t likely to give this roster spot to a project, given they are a title contender. So, this is fine. The Nuggets can always move Jordan if they need to create a roster spot later.

Richaun Holmes – Washington Wizards

Status:

Agreed on June 29, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

2 years, $25.9 million (AAV $11.6 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $12,634,146

2025-26: $13,265,854 ($250,000 guaranteed)

Thoughts:

This is a weird one. Holmes hasn’t shown this kind of value in recent years. He’s struggled to get consistent minutes and hasn’t done much when he has. Washington does need to fill center minutes, though. Also, and this may be the real purpose of this contract, the Wizards gave Holmes a deal that is extremely tradable. Don’t be surprised if that happens sooner, rather later.

Royce O’Neale – Phoenix Suns

Status:

Agreed on June 29, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

4 years, $44 million (AAV $11 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $9,821,429

2025-26: $10,607,143

2026-27: $11,392,857

2027-28: $12,178,571

Thoughts:

This is a fair value deal for O’Neale. As a second-apron team, the Suns can’t let talent walk out the door, because they have no way to replace them. O’Neale is a good 3&D wing/forward for Phoenix. Just as importantly: the Suns now have a bit of salary to trade in-season, should the need arise.

Immanuel Quickley – Toronto Raptors

Status:

Agreed on June 28, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

5 years, $175 million (AAV $35 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $30,172,414

2025-26: $32,586,207

2026-27: $35,000,000

2027-28: $37,413,793

2028-29: 39,827,586

Thoughts:

Quickley checking in at $35 million AAV is exceedingly fair. There seems to be this stigma with some that he’s still a backup-level point guard. He’s not. Quickley is a good starter. He showed that in his half-season in Toronto. This is a good deal for the Raptors and they now have Quickley and Scottie Barnes both locked in as their long-term building blocks.

Nicolas Claxton – Brooklyn Nets

Status:

Agreed on June 26, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

4 years, $100  million (AAV $25 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $22,321,429

2025-26: $24,107,143

2026-27: $25,892,857

2027-28: $27,678,571

Thoughts:

Some seem to think $25 million AAV is too much for Claxton. That’s probably not the case. He’s a top-tier defensive center. He can switch and hold his own, and he’s a terrific rim protector. Claxton is a limited offensive player, but he’s been improving as a screener and passer. At no point will this contract turn sour or become untradeable for Brooklyn.

OG Anunoby – New York Knicks

Status:

Agreed on June 26, 2024 – Free agent

Terms:

5 years, $212.5  million (AAV $42.5 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $36,637,931

2025-26: $39,568,966

2026-27: $42,500,000

2027-28: $45,431,034

2028-29: $48,362,069

Thoughts: 

The Knicks are all-in on this group. They said they were confident in keeping Anunoby after surrendering a lot of talent to get him ahead of last season’s trade deadline. They certainly had to pay up to do so, but it’s worth it. Anunoby will pair with the newly-acquired Mikal Bridges to give the Knicks a dynamite defensive wing duo.

Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat

Status:

Agreed on June 26, 2024 – Maximum veteran extension

Terms:

3 years, $165.83  million (AAV $55.3 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2026-27: $51,183,000

2027-28: $55,277,640

2028-29: $59,372,280

Thoughts: 

Adebayo could have gotten more money from the Heat. A lot more money, actually. If Adebayo had waited a year, he could have added four years and a total of $229.3 million. If Adebayo had made All-NBA or won Defensive Player of the Year (neither are a stretch for him) in either 2024-25 or 2025-26, he could have signed a five-year supermax extension for $346.3 million. This deal is a massive win for the Heat. Adebayo will get back on the market in his early-30s, so he’ll get a fourth contract too. That’s nice, but still a bit strange that he passed up on a realistic chance at becoming supermax eligible in either of the next two seasons.

Scottie Barnes – Toronto Raptors

Status:

Agreed on June 24, 2024 – Rookie Scale extension

Terms:

5 years, $224.90  million (AAV $44.98 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2025-26: $38,775,000

2026-27: $41,877,000

2027-28: $44,979,000

2028-29: $48,081,000

2029-30: $51,183,000

Deal contains Designated Rookie language for 30% of the 2025-26 cap

Thoughts: 

Barnes got exactly what we predicted. He’s the face of the franchise for the Raptors now. This contract and commitment reflects that.

Malik Monk – Sacramento Kings

Status:

Agreed on June 20, 2024 – Free Agent

Terms:

4 years, $77.9 million (AAV $19.5 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $17,405,203

2025-26: $18,797,619

2026-27: $20,190,035

2027-28: $21,582,451 (Player Option)

Thoughts: 

This is a steal for the Kings. Monk could have gotten a deal between $20 and $25 million AAV in free agency. But you can’t put a price on comfort and happiness, which Monk has found in Sacramento.

Pascal Siakam – Indiana Pacers

Status: 

Agreed on June 19, 2024 – Free Agent

Terms: 

4 years, $189.5 million (AAV $47.4 million)

Estimated Salaries: 

2024-25: $42,300,000

2025-26: $45,684,000

2026-27: $49,068,000

2027-28: $52,452,000

Thoughts: 

Siakam was always destined to re-sign with the Pacers. They gave up too much to get him to let him leave after a half-season run. Indiana did well to keep this to a four-year max deal instead of the full five years they could have offered. This contract should take Siakam through the rest of his prime.

Sasha Vezenkov is somewhat of an afterthought in terms of the NBA. He signed with the Sacramento Kings to some fanfare during the 2023 offseason. After an injury-plagued and non-descript rookie season, Vezenkov was traded to the Toronto Raptors. This trade was mostly designed to clear Sacramento some flexibility under the tax aprons for future moves.

Seems like a pretty standard NBA move, right?

Not so fast, my friend!

This situation is far murkier and more complex than a simple salary-shedding trade in the NBA between a playoff contender and a rebuilding team. Most of it revolves around Vezenkov and his own desires being in conflict with the contract he signed with Sacramento a year ago.

A bit of background first, to better understand the complete situation.

Vezenkov was a two-time early entrant into the NBA Draft in both 2015 and 2016. The 6-foot-8 forward withdrew both times. In 2017, when Vezenkov was auto-eligible, he was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets with the 27th pick in the second round (57th overall).

In 2021, Vezenkov’s draft rights were traded by the Nets to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers then traded Vezenkov’s draft rights to the Sacramento Kings in 2022.

During this time, Vezenkov established himself as one of the best players in Europe. The dual-national of Bulgaria and Cyprus played for Barcelona in 2017-18, before moving to Olympiacos in Greece in 2018-19. Vezenkov blossomed while playing for Olympiacos.

While back in Greece, where he had previously won Greek League MVP in 2015 with Aris, Vezenkov won back-to-back MVPs for Olympiacos in 2022 and 2023. He was also named EuroLeague MVP in 2023, after leading Olympiacos to the top of the EuroLeague table and runners-up in the EuroLeague playoffs.

Following that season, Vezenkov decided to head to the NBA. He signed a three-year deal with the Kings worth $19.9 million. His per-year salaries on that deal are:

• 2023-24: $6,341,464 (season completed)
• 2024-25: $6,658,536 (current season)
• 2025-26: $6,975,609 (team option)
• Total: three years, $19,975,609

Vezenkov’s rookie season with Sacramento wasn’t what either side hoped for. Just when it seemed like the scoring forward was finding his rhythm in the NBA, Vezenkov suffered a sprained right ankle. He returned two weeks later and re-injured the same ankle. Vezenkov then returned to play out the final few weeks of the season for the Kings.

Following the season, rumors came up that Vezenkov was disenchanted with his role with the Kings and with the NBA overall. Reports were that he would seek a return to Europe, with a return to Olympiacos high on his list. Several reports went as far as to suggest that Vezenkov had already told the Kings that he wouldn’t be returning to Sacramento for next season.

That’s all well and good, minus the fact that Vezenkov is under contract for the 2024-25 season for a guaranteed $6.6 million. In order for him to leave the Kings, he’d need a buyout or trade from Sacramento. A trade from Sacramento is what he got. The Kings traded Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to the Raptors for Jalen McDaniels ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Vezenkov’s desire to leave the NBA is now Toronto’s problem.

Immediately upon the trade being completed, Toronto media reported that the Raptors were looking forward to having Vezenkov on the roster. There were also reports that Toronto had no intentions of simply waiving Vezenkov.

Still, rumors of Vezenkov wanting to leave the NBA won’t go away. So much so, that reporting hit in the wee hours of July 5 in North America, that Vezenkov had already agreed to terms with Olympiacos on a long-term contract starting with the 2024-25 season.

Again: not so fast, my friend!

There isn’t a feasible way for Vezenkov to just leave Toronto to sign with Olympiacos. He’s not a free agent, nor do the Raptors currently seem inclined to make him one.

So, where does this situation stand? Let’s answer some of the most commonly asked questions.

Can Sasha Vezenkov just leave the Toronto Raptors? Why does he have to stay?

The simple answer is: No, he can’t just leave. Vezenkov is under contract with Toronto for $6.6 million for the 2024-25 season. He has to honor those terms.

Why does he have to honor that NBA contract? Olympiacos isn’t an NBA team.

In professional basketball, clubs who fall under the jurisdiction of FIBA have a thing called a “Letter of Clearance”. This letter is essentially what frees a player up to sign with a new team. The wording reads:

“By applying for this letter of clearance and affixing my signature below, I hereby attest that I have fulfilled all contractual obligations stipulated in any and all contracts between myself and any team, club or national federation. I have read and fully understand all material within this application and have answered all questions truthfully and honestly.”

The second part of the first sentence is the most important line. In order to receive this Letter of Clearance to sign with Olympiacos, Vezenkov will have to prove he has fulfilled his contract with the Toronto Raptors. Simply walking away doesn’t fulfill that obligation.

Fine…How does Vezenkov get that Letter of Clearance?

Since NBA teams cannot trade, nor sell, contracts to non-NBA teams, Vezenkov’s options are limited. He can ask Toronto to waive him. They won’t do that, as simply eating his $6.6 million contract doesn’t make sense.

The other option is that Vezenkov asks the Raptors to work with him on a buyout. That’s a more reasonable path. He could offer to give up as much as all $6.6 million to get free of his contract with Toronto.

Walking away from $6.6 million is an awful lot to give up. But, if Vezenkov is that unhappy in the NBA, he may wish to.

In technical terms, working a buyout still results in a waiver. There is a bit of a challenge with that process, as another NBA could claim Vezenkov off waivers. At that point, that team would assume his full remaining contract, and we’d be right back in this same place.

Simply put: In order to obtain a Letter of Clearance, Vezenkov will need to get waived and then clear waivers to become a full free agent again.

Wait…Why won’t the Raptors just waive Vezenkov?

Toronto gets nothing out of simply waiving Vezenkov. They’d have $6.6 million in dead money on their cap sheet in that case.

Beyond that, the Raptors may like Vezenkov as a player. They may see a better path towards playing time, and a better roster fit with them, than the one Vezenkov had with the Kings.

Finally, if nothing else, $6.6 million is a valuable piece of salary-matching in future trades for Toronto. They aren’t likely to want to just give that up without getting back a significant return of salary through a buyout.

What if Vezenkov just left and signed with Olympiacos? What would happen?

It wouldn’t play out like this. FIBA wouldn’t approve his contract, because he hasn’t received a Letter of Clearance. That would mean he could not play for Olympiacos in any sanctioned competitions.

As for him just leaving the Raptors, he could try that path. That would be a from of holdout. That would begin to trigger some of the same things we talked about potentially happening with the James Harden and Ben Simmons situations.

Essentially, to keep it simple, if Vezenkov held out long enough, the Raptors could effectively pause his contract and could keep him from becoming a free agent.

What happens after this season? Is Vezenkov a free agent in 2025?

Kind of…The Raptors, or any NBA team that holds Vezenkov’s current contract, have a team option for the 2025-26 season. If that option is picked up by the team, Vezenkov will be on the roster for $6.9 million for the 2025-26 season.

If the team declines their option for Vezenkov next summer, he would be a free agent. The Raptors, or any NBA team that holds his contract at the time, could make Vezenkov a restricted free agent. That gives them the right to match any NBA contract he signs. But Vezenkov would be free and clear to sign with a non-NBA club, as his contract will have been fulfilled.

So, what exactly are Sasha Vezenkov’s options here?

There are a few:

• Play out the 2024-25 season with the Toronto Raptors, or another team if traded again. Vezenkov could then become a free agent in 2025, if the Raptors, or any NBA team, declines their team option for him for the 2025-26 season. If that option is picked up, we could do this whole dance again next summer.
• Work a straight waiver with the Toronto Raptors, upon which Toronto would eat $6.6 million in dead money on their cap sheet. If Vezenkov clears waivers, he could then be a free agent. If he was claimed off waivers, his contract would move in full to the new NBA team.
• Work a buyout with the Toronto Raptors. In this scenario, Vezenkov would give back some or all of his $6.6 million contract for the 2024-25 season to become a free agent. He would still need to clear waivers upon a buyout, as listed above.

Sasha Vezenkov may yet return to Greece for Olympiacos for the 2024-25 season. That’s certainly possible. But that will require the Toronto Raptors assistance to happen. And that may require Vezenkov leaving a significant amount of money on the table in a buyout from Toronto.

This isn’t a simple situation with easy decisions, for Vezenkov or the Raptors. It’s going to require a good amount of patience, working together, and ultimately, it may result in Vezenkov having to delay a return to Europe for at least another season.

The NBA offseason is fully in swing now. We’ve seen nearly 50 new contracts agreed to for more than $2 billion in new salary. There have also been several trades made, both officially executed and agreed to.

However, there some situations that remain unresolved. Here are some of the big ones we have our eyes on!

Utah Jazz

The Jazz are involved in all kinds of discussions right now. Are they saving a bunch of cap space to renegotiate-and-extend Lauri Markkanen’s contract? Are they going the other way and trading Markkanen away for even more future draft capital? Are they going to use some of their projected $37.7 million in cap space to trade for an All-Star-level player?

There’s a lot of confusion around Utah right now, maybe because they haven’t picked a direction yet themselves. They’ve got the most cap space left in the league, and they’ve got some good veterans to trade. That’s a lot of flexibility. Danny Ainge has control of the market to some extent, which is just how he likes it.

DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan is easily the best free agent who is actually available, since LeBron James is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers. After operating for months like DeRozan would simply return to the Chicago Bulls, it’s clear now that isn’t happening. The Bulls are heading in a different direction (more on them next), and so is DeRozan.

The challenge is that the teams with cap space left aren’t great fits for DeRozan, and vice versa. There has been some reporting that DeRozan may sign a one-year deal, possibly for the $12.8 million Non-Taxpayer MLE. Then, the veteran wing would hit free agency again next summer.

Chicago Bulls

What are the Bulls doing? They traded for Josh Giddey, which seems to have been a getting-younger domino that set DeMar DeRozan on a course to leave Chicago. They’ve tried to move Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, but found extremely tepid markets for both.

Jalen Smith was a good signing for part of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, because he can fit on a rebuilding team or a team chasing a playoff spot. But Chicago has a lot more work to do with this roster. The LaVine situation is still uncomfortable and won’t get better the longer it drags out. The Bulls have a lot of guards, especially if they’re going to try to play Lonzo Ball. As it stands, it feels like this offseason is half-done, at most.

Los Angeles Lakers

This one has been talked to death, so we’ll keep it simple. LeBron James offered to take less money to open up flexibility under the first apron for the Lakers to add talent. As of now, the Lakers haven’t done anything. Free agent options have dried up considerably, unless DeMar DeRozan is coming home for the Non-Taxpayer MLE.

The bigger option is to make some sort of trade where the Lakers will probably hard-cap themselves at the first apron. Otherwise, James is going to run out of patience, take his full max salary and leave the Lakers to figure out the rest with some restrictions on doing so.

Brandon Ingram and New Orleans Pelicans

Well before free agency opened, it was rumored that Brandon Ingram was on the trade market. He’s going into the final year of his contract, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of momentum towards an extension. Lots of contenders still need a wing. The Pelicans are now overstuffed with perimeter talent, with Dejounte Murray joining the team. Trading Ingram could bring some balance to the roster.

Where is that balance most needed? In the frontcourt. The big man rotation for New Orleans right now is Zion Williamson, rookie center Yves Missi and…that’s it. It may not be as easy as swapping Ingram for a center, but that’s something the Pelicans need to look at. Or maybe C.J. McCollum is the trade piece. Either way, New Orleans has to add a lot more to their frontcourt.

Expanded Trades

Speaking of the Pelicans…they are a good candidate for an expanded trade. An expanded trade is when the deal gets larger than what was previously reported. The Dejounte Murray trade isn’t complete yet, because it had to wait until the league year changed over. (Cap/CBA Nerd Alert! Because Murray has incentives that would have flipped from unlikely to likely, plus his trade bonus, the Pelicans would have ended up in the tax for 2023-24 if they completed the deal in the last league year.) That gives the Pelicans a chance to expand that trade by bringing in an additional team, or by possibly adding an additional player from the Hawks.

The Mikal Bridges deal to the Knicks is in a similar place. New York would like to avoid being hard-capped at the first apron, if at all possible. That will mean expanding this deal to send more salary out to Brooklyn, or to a third team. That’s certainly possible now, as offseason rosters expand to 21 players per team (as opposed to 15 players on standard contacts, plus three two-way players in the regular season). A handful of teams also have cap space or plenty of room under the tax to eat a small salary in a deal. The Knicks may have to pay an additional pick to avoid a first-apron hard-cap, but that’s probably worth it for the additional flexibility it would create.

Miles Bridges

It’s a bit of a surprise that Miles Bridges’ free agency has lingered into the third day. The Hornets publicly said they “made it clear” to Bridges that they wanted to keep him in Charlotte. Bridges doesn’t seem to have bigger offers to leave. So, what’s the holdup?

There are a couple of possibilities here. Maybe Bridges and the Hornets are far apart in contract terms. Charlotte is rebuilding under a new leadership group from ownership to the front office to the coaching staff. They may not want to lock in on big money for Bridges right now. As much as the Hornets have supported Bridges, that reluctance could have something to do with his past history of domestic violence. That’s not something a team can fully look past, even if Charlotte has already welcomed Bridges back.

The other possibility is that Bridges has sign-and-trade opportunities available to him. He may be looking to leave Charlotte for a contender. If so, that’s likely to take a bit to sort out.

Bruce Brown

The Raptors picked up Brown’s $23 million option, presumably to use him as a trade chip. That hasn’t happened yet. Of course, there was never a guarantee it would happening in the opening moments of the offseason. But it should happen sooner, rather than later.

Toronto has a lot of wings and wing-like players on this roster. Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji and rookie Ja’Kobe Walter all overlap on the wing with Brown, at least to some extent. If you consider Brown as an on-ball guard, then he’s overlapping with Immanuel Quickley and Davion Mitchell. That means something has to give, and ideally before the regular season starts. Otherwise, Darko Rajakovic is going to have a hard time getting everyone minutes.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers got under the tax by moving Malcolm Brogdon to the Wizards in exchange for Deni Avdija. That was a good trade for Portland, even if they did have to give up some draft capital. But that’s probably not enough movement for this roster.

The Blazers are only about $3.7 million under the tax line. That’s not a lot of wiggle room. More importantly in the immediate, Portland is out of roster spots. Something has to give with Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III at center, because the Blazers didn’t draft Donovan Clingan to sit. And, no, those guys don’t make a good double-big pairing, no matter which two you pick.

Portland also has Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Matisse Thybulle who they could look at moving. Right now, the Tral Blazers have one foot in the rebuilding pool. It’s time to fully jump in by moving another veteran or two…or three.

Veteran Point Guards

There are a lot of veteran point guards still on the market, but spots for their services seem to be drying up rather quickly. Tyus Jones is the best of the bunch. The Wizards acquired Malcolm Brogdon and Bub Carrington, but there’s still room for Jones. Brogdon is a combo guard and Carrington isn’t ready to be an NBA point guard yet. He’s probably going to get the biggest deal of the remaining free agent lead guards.

Beyond Jones, the list is flush with recognizable names for vets who still have lots to offer. Markelle Fultz, Kyle Lowry, Monte Morris, Patrick Beverley, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cameron Payne, Dennis Smith Jr., and Jordan McLaughlin are all guys who could be in NBA rotations. In a flip from previous years, backup centers flew off the market, while several teams are still looking for big man help. This year, it’s the point guards who are hanging out, while available jobs are rapidly thinning out around the league.