Bobby Wagner's tumultuous exit from Seattle becomes the defending champion Los Angeles Rams' next prized possession. Our look at how his 5 year, $50M contract breaks down in terms of guarantee, cash flow, & available incentives.

On June 21, 2012 the Miami Heat finished a 4-1 NBA Finals victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite losing, it seemed like the Thunder were poised for a decade-long run atop the NBA. Oh, how things have changed in the last 10 years.

OKC had then 23-year-old Kevin Durant, 23-year-old Russell Westbrook and 22-year-old James Harden leading that Finals team. In that shortened 2011-12 season, that trio had played in nearly every game and had rolled to the Finals before meeting the Big Three Heat in their second season together.

Shortly before the next season, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets. Durant and Westbrook were still great, but that Thunder team lacked the third star and lost in the second round. In two of the three seasons that followed, Oklahoma City got painfully close to getting back to the Finals, but fell just short. Then Durant left for the Golden State Warriors. Westbrook became a triple-double machine, but the team couldn’t get out of the first round. Before the 2019-20 season, Westbrook was sent to Houston to team back up with Harden.

That Westbrook trade was meant to be the start of a rebuilding process, as the Thunder had also traded away Paul George that same offseason. But a funny thing happened. Chris Paul was rejuvenated in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took a leap and the Thunder bowed out 4-3 to those Harden-Westbrook Rockets in a competitive first-round series in the bubble.

Still, Sam Presti wasn’t going to let one season influence his long-term plan. The long-time OKC general manager moved Paul to the Phoenix Suns and leaned heavy into the rebuilding process. Now, it’s been two years of full rebuilding, but really three years since Presti started collecting draft picks as if they were Pokémon. Now, nearly three years after the process began, we’re still asking the same question: How many draft picks are enough?

The Draft Picks

After trading Paul George in the deal that netted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and up to five first-round picks plus two swap options, Presti began a process that sees OKC still sitting on pile of up to 12 extra first-round picks through the 2026 NBA Draft:

1. 2022 from LA Clippers
2. 2022 from Phoenix Suns
3. 2023 from Denver Nuggets (with protections)
4. 2023 from Detroit Pistons (with protections)
5. 2023 from Washington Wizards (with protections)
6. 2024 from Houston Rockets (with protections)
7. 2024 from LA Clippers
8. 2024 from Utah Jazz (with protections)
9. 2025 from Miami Heat (with protections)
10. 2025 from Philadelphia 76ers (with protections)
11. 2026 from Houston Rockets (with protections)
12. 2026 from LA Clippers

In addition to those 12 picks, Oklahoma City also owns all of their own first-round picks. That’s a possibility of 17 first round picks over the next five drafts, with "up to" being the operative phrase here.

Which Picks Will Actually Convey?
Only 5 of the extra 12 firsts are guaranteed to convey to the Thunder (the 2025 Miami pick becomes unprotected after one season of lottery protection). All the rest could turn into assets on paper that don’t look as good when reality comes around.

The 2023 Denver Pick
This pick is lottery protected from 2023 to 2025. As it's hard to see the Nuggets dropping out of the playoffs for three straight seasons, given the presence of Nikola Jokic, we'll assume this pick is well on its way to conveying next year, so, we’re up to six picks that will convey for sure.

The Houston, Utah & Philly Picks
It’s also highly likely the Rockets picks will convey, as they are both top-4 protected. The protections on the Jazz and Sixers picks range from top-4 to top-10 protected. Let’s be optimistic for the Thunder and say all of those picks eventually convey, so we’re at 10-of-12 picks likely going to OKC.

The Detroit Pick
This selection may take a while to convey. The Pistons would have to be one of the 12 best teams in the league over the next two seasons for OKC to get the pick, and that seems unlikely. Then, the protections slide enough that the Thunder should get the pick somewhere between 2025 and 2027.

The Wizards Pick
This selection has some sliding protections (lottery protected in 2023 down as far down as top-8 protected in 2026), but it could take a while for that one to convey too. And here’s the thing, Oklahoma City wants some of these picks to take a while to convey. Otherwise, they’re getting non-lottery picks that don’t hold a ton of value.

How do we know those picks don’t hold a ton of value? At the 2021 NBA Draft, GM Sam Presti tried very hard to move up in the draft. Armed with the sixth, 16^th and 18^th pick in the 2021 draft, the Thunder reportedly offered all of those picks in an effort to get into the top-4 of the draft. Reports were that Oklahoma City also offered to add in some of their future stash, but were rebuffed.

In the end, not only did the Thunder not move up, but instead traded the 16^th pick to the Houston Rockets for even more future first round picks (the Pistons and Wizards picks). The Rockets drafted Alperen Sengun, who looks like a long-term starting center, which is the one position Oklahoma City doesn’t have any young building blocks at.

Valuing the Draft Picks Stash

Now that we’ve gone over what OKC owns, let’s start looking at the value of some of those picks. To be fair, this a very inexact science. For example, who would have thought that the Los Angeles Lakers 2022 pick would look so valuable when the New Orleans Pelicans got it for Anthony Davis only a few years ago? But we can do some projecting.

The Clippers Picks (2024/2026)
Let’s begin with the known picks, starting the Clippers picks. Barring LA missing the playoffs this season and jumping way up in the lottery, the best that pick will be is 11^th. If they make the playoffs, that pick will very likely be 15th. Looking down the line, we don’t know what the Clippers will be in 2024 or 2026. It’s pretty likely they’ll be a good team in 2024. They’ve got their key players signed and they should still have at least two more top-tier seasons in them. In 2026, who knows? But it’s fair to note that LA has one of the richest owners in the sport and that he is highly competitive. Don’t expect them to necessarily bottom out in post-Paul George/Kawhi Leonard years. None of these three picks projects to be better than a mid-round pick at best, without some lottery luck.

The 2022 Suns Pick
A 30th overall pick is still a first rounder technically,  but it’s the worst first you can have.

The Heat Pick
That future Heat pick could be pretty juicy. They’ll likely have aged out by 2025 or 2026. Ideally for OKC, Miami would be kicking off a rebuild in 2024-25 and wouldn’t deliver a non-lottery pick in 2025. But if the Heat rebuild on the fly, as they are prone to do, that could be exactly what the Thunder get.

The Rest

• For the unknowns, the Denver pick is certainly going to be a non-lottery pick and probably in the mid-to-high 20s.
• By the time the Pistons and Wizards picks might actually convey, those teams could be pretty good. That means another couple of non-lottery picks.
• The Rockets are basically on the same time horizon as the Thunder. Maybe they still aren’t good if their current rebuild fails and OKC gets a couple of lottery picks. But they’ll never be the best picks, because both are top-4 protected.
• As for the Jazz and Sixers, who knows? But those picks are protected enough that they’ll be mid-lottery at best.

Add it all up, and that stash all of a sudden is a lot more quantity than quality. It’s no wonder Presti had such a hard time moving up the board in 2021.

2022 Cap Space

This is a bit more complicated than many realize. Yes, Oklahoma City is currently sitting on over $22 million in available cap space as this season winds down. But that space has a clock on it. If the Thunder don’t make a deal to take on money at or around the 2022 NBA Draft, that space will evaporate when the league changes over on July 1. But what about when the league year changes to 2022-23? Surely OKC projects to have among the most cap space in the NBA for next season. Not so fast, my friend!

Assuming Derrick Favors opts in for $10.2 million, the Thunder have $65 million in guaranteed money on the books against a cap of $122 million. Nearly half of that comes from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s rookie scale extension kicking in at $30.5 million in first-year salary in 2022-23. Still, that’s $57 million in space. Let’s get spending! Again, not so fast.

Sticking with players on the roster, it’s highly unlikely the Thunder will move on from any of Theo Maledon, Isaiah Roby or Kenrich Williams. All are on great value contracts for their production/potential. Given he’s shown a little something lately, let’s also add Vit Krejci in too. That adds another $7.4 million to the books for those four players. OKC seems like to Mike Muscala and values having him around. $3.5 million is more than fair for what he brings them. Add him in too.

That brings us to nearly $76 million in committed salary. That’s still $46 million in available cap space. But again…not so fast, my friend! The Thunder have $28.4 million in combined dead money on their 2022-23 cap sheet for Kemba Walker and the final year of the five years of stretched money for Kyle Singler. All of a sudden, we’re down to $17.6 million in available space. Not bad, but not great either. And we’re not done adding yet!

The Thunder currently project to have the fourth, 15^th and 30^th picks in the draft. Those three picks come with a combined salary of $13.7 million in cap holds.

One more! The Thunder are likely to decline their team option for Lu Dort, so that they can make him a restricted free agent. That will come with a cap hold of about $2.2 million or so. Add that to the books too. That takes us to less than $2 million in cap space. Once a team is that low on cap space, they’ll choose to operate as an over-the-cap team to have access to the full Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception and the Bi-Annual Exception.

2022 Roster Flexibility

If the offseason plays out more or less as listed as above, the Thunder’s roster flexibility is all but gone too. As a matter of fact, they’d have to make some moves just to create enough space to bring in the three first-rounders they may draft. That’s where you could see a decision made to decline Mike Muscala’s team option. Or waive someone like Vit Krejci or Isaiah Roby. But those moves would be about roster spots and not about creating cap space.

Future Cap Space and Roster Flexibility

Without knowing what they’ll do over the next year or so, the Thunder will likely hit the 2023 offseason with somewhere in the range of $95 million in committed salary on the books. They’ll have all their recent first-rounds picks, plus Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and likely a new contract for Lu Dort. By that point, a handful of roster decisions will have been made on other players, but it’s likely Oklahoma City will still have 11 or 12 players on their roster.

At the 2023 NBA Draft, the Thunder will probably add a couple more draft picks and probably somewhere in the range of $10 million in salary for those two players. That’s leaves enough left over to go shopping in the summer of 2023 for a player or two. After that, things get way to cloudy in this crystal ball. But there are a couple of moments of clarity.

First, roster spots are getting tight in OKC, even when we get a couple of years out. There’s no real way to add up to 17 more players over the next five years, while still retaining players who were recently drafted. That’s going to lead to some tough roster decisions for Sam Presti and crew. They’ve done a good job developing their young talent, but may need to part with some of them simply because of roster constraints.

Second, you may notice we haven’t mentioned second-round picks even one time in this analysis. The Thunder have a bushel of extra seconds, in addition to all their extra firsts. Expect those to be packaged together in trades to move up, even if just slightly, in coming drafts. And there may be copious amounts of drafting-and-stashing happening over the next few years.

Overall

None of what we wrote above is to suggest that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sam Presti have done anything wrong with their team building approach. Outside of San Antonio, Presti has built the model of small market stability in the NBA. He nailed the Kevin Durant pick when the team was still in Seattle, then shepherded the team through the move to Oklahoma City, while drafting Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Beyond that, Presti has hit on several late-round draft picks, while making shrewd trades that resulted in making the playoffs in all but one season before leaning into the rebuild two years ago.

But now it seems like Presti and the Thunder have pushed things as far as they can go. Adding more draft capital via trades would be irresponsible. The Thunder already can’t bring in all the picks they have. And packaging those picks together in trades isn’t as easy as it sounds. Unless the team is willing to move off some young players they’ve drafted and developed, it’s going to be hard to keep all of those players. That’s both roster spot-wise and cap-wise. The cap isn’t nearly the clean sheet it was a couple of seasons ago. There are still no bad deals on there, but as young players get paid, they are no longer the tremendous values they once were.

None of this is to say the Thunder are in a bad spot. They can still overwhelm teams in terms of offering picks in trades. But rival teams know that puts them in the quantity vs quality spot OKC is in now. Eventually, Presti is going to have to part with some young players and some of those picks in deals. That’s probably how this gets pushed forward in the next year or two. It will allow for some rebalancing of the roster in terms of both size and salaries. And that will take on increased importance, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won’t be this patient forever. He’s blossoming into an All-Star and All-Stars want to win. Gilgeous-Alexander has been patient through two down seasons, and might have one more in him, but after that, he’s going to want to get back to the playoffs. If that doesn’t happen in Oklahoma City by 2024, it’s likely SGA will be the next on a long list of small market stars to ask for a trade. And, hey, that would likely fetch the Thunder a whole bunch of first-round draft picks.

But…yeah. Let’s starting winning OKC. Sooner, rather than later.

Related Links

• Oklahoma City Thunder Transactions
• 2022-23 NBA Cap Tracker
• NBA Draft Tracker

2022 Financial Details

Purse (est.):

$11.5 million

Top 10 Payouts (based on 2021 purse):

Winner - $2,070,000

2nd place - $1,242,000

3rd place - $782,000

4th place - $552,000

5th place - $460,000

6th place - $414,000

7th place - $385,250

8th place - $356,500

9th place - $333,500

10th place - $310,500

Past Winners

Career Earnings

Related: Full Career Earnings at the Masters

Since 2017 - Last 5 Years

Since 2012 - Last 10 Years

World Series Odds vs. Opening Day Payrolls

The Dodgers are basically 1-2 favorites over the rest of baseball right now, while the Blue Jays, White Sox and Astros begin the year fairly even as the AL favorite. Only 3 of the Top 10 betting favorites don't possess a Top 10 payroll for 2022 currently.
Related: Current 2022 Payrolls

Masters Odds vs. 2020-21 Cash Rankings

Jon Rahm finished last season as the PGA money king, and he’ll enter Augusta as the favorite this week. The #2 money man, Patrick Cantlay, holds the 11th best Masters’ odds, while the 3rd highest earner, Bryson DeChambeau, sits 14th currently.
Related: 20-21 PGA Cash Rankings

Super Bowl LVII Odds vs. 2022 Cash Payrolls

Here’s how the last 5 top cash spenders have fared in that respective season:
2017: Carolina, 11-5 regular season, Wild Card loss
2018: Chicago, 12-4 regular season, Wild Card loss
2019: Atlanta, 7-9 regular season
2020: Houston, 4-12 regular season
2021: Tampa Bay, 13-4 regular season, Divisional loss

Related: 2022 NFL Cash Payrolls

NBA MVP Odds vs. Season Pay Rank

Here’s how the last 5 MVPs have ranked financially in that respective season:
2016-17: Westbrook, $26.5M (5th)
2017-18: Harden, $28.2M (9th)
2018-19: Antetokounmpo, $24.1M (28th)
2019-20: Antetokounmpo, $25.8M (41st)
2020-21: Jokic, $29.5M (25th)

Related: 2021-22 NBA Salary Rankings

Financially speaking…

Every few years the Oakland Athletics (among other teams) sell off a few notable pieces to lower their cash allocations, and reset their prospect pool. 2022 has officially become one of those years. In the past few weeks the Athletics have shipped out starting pitchers Chris Bassitt & Sean Manaea, first baseman Matt Olson, & third baseman Matt Chapman to the Mets, Padres, Braves, & Blue Jays respectively.

In doing so, Oakland has sent away over $40M of projected cash salary, bringing back 12 young players all in pre-arbitration contract statuses. It’s a significant cash dump, and a significant prospect build up, as the following details.

Related
Oakland Athletic's 2022 Payroll
MLB Trade Tracker

To Toronto…

Matt Chapman (28, 3B)
Chapman was in the A’s long-term plans just 2 seasons ago, as Ken Rosenthal reported that Oakland made a 10 year, $150M offer to their 3rd baseman following the 2019 campaign. He turned the deal down, suffered a serious hip injury the following season, and now finds himself on a great Toronto team, having scored a 2 year, $25M extension to buy out the rest of his team control. Chapman has 25 HR/75 RBI potential every year, but the batting average has dropped immensely over the past few seasons, putting him into a boom or bust situation at the plate. Chapman was slotted for around $10M this year in terms of arbitration salary, but his extension pays him $13M this year, and another $12M in 2023.

To Oakland…

Kevin Smith (25, 3B/OF)
ETA: Starting 3B, 2022
A fourth round pick back in 2017 by Toronto, the 25 year old saw action in 18 games last season as a late September callup. He figures to slot in as the starting third baseman for Oakland immediately, taking the spot Matt Chapman has held down since 2017. With just a quarter year of service under his belt, his minimum salary fits the price mold of the 2022 Athletics.

Kirby Snead (27, P)
ETA: Bullpen, 2022
With just 7 MLB appearances under his belt, and no significant prospect ratings to speak of, Snead becomes the biggest wild card in this package. He’s a bullpen arm for life, but with quality pitches in his arsenal, there’s a very good chance that he makes the A’s out of the gate, and sticks for the majority of 2022. Snead should carry a near minimum salary, and holds 2 minor league options as well.

Gunnar Hoglund (22, P)
ETA: Starting Rotation, 2024
The #19 overall selection in 2021 by the Blue Jays is now 10 months into his Tommy John surgery recovery, but was still Toronto’s top pitching prospect at the time of this move. He’ll now complete his rehab and begin his way onto the mound with an A’s organization that has built up legitimate MLB arms for the better part of two decades now.

Hoglund immediately slots in as the A’s #7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, with above average control to boast. Financially, his team control has yet to begin, and he projects to hit the show around 2024.

Zach Logue (25, P)
ETA: Bullpen, 2022
The career minor leaguer was a 9th round pick by Toronto back in 2017, but had risen to the Blue Jays’ 27th best prospect last season, showing much better control and a spike in strikeouts. He joins Oakland as their #22 prospect, and could make the squad out of the gate this year based on the fire sale, and a few injuries.

To Atlanta…

Matt Olson (1B, 28)
He’ll forever be linked to Freddie Freeman per this move, and filling those shoes will be a mammoth ask for anyone - but Olson’s power numbers (both traditional and advanced) tower over Freeman’s in the past few seasons. The 2021 All-Star starter grew up near Atlanta, who almost immediately turned around and extended him to a, 8 year, $168M contract extension, buying out his final two arbitration years and then some. He’s now contract-controlled through age 36 - the exact age Atlanta was hoping to keep Freddie Freeman’s next contract limited to. Freddie got the age 37 year offer from LA, and bolted. 

To Oakland…

Christian Pache (23, CF)
ETA: Starting CF, 2022
Pache’s entrance into Oakland fills another immediate hold, as he slots into the starting CF role vacated by Ramon Laureano’s PED suspension (27 games still left to be served). Defensively he’s about as good as it comes in the oufield, and while his offense hasn’t found much life yet (including at bats throughout the NLCS in Atlanta last fall), his ceiling there is more than adequate to stick at the MLB level.

Shea Langeliers (24, C)
ETA: Depth C, Late 2022
The #54 prospect in America at the time of the deal, Langeliers slots in as the #2 prospect for Oakland immediately (behind Tyler Soderstrom, another catcher). He possesses an A+ arm, B+ plate management, and average offensive ability right now. He’ll begin the year off the 40-man roster in AAA, but could find his way on this team later in the summer if his bat heats up there. Long-term, current starting catcher Sean Murphy has 3 full years of arbitration ahead of him (2023-2025), but could price himself out of Oakland in 2024, paving the way for Langeliers.

Joey Estes (20, P)
ETA: 2024+
The young arm was Atlanta’s #14 prospect at the time of the move, drafted in the 16th round out of high school back in 2019. He’s a fringe starter right now based on early development, but at just 20 years old, and already with A+ swing and miss heat, there’s a real chance he becomes a name to watch in the next 18 months. He’ll start 2022 at the High-A minors level.

Ryan Cusick (22, P)
The #24 overall pick in 2021 brings a big-time heater, and strong spin rate measurables to the A’s, where he slots in as the #9 prospect currently. As with many players his age, it’s about learning how to control the offspeed stuff with regularity, but there’s a real sense that he’s in this rotation come 2024.

To the Mets...

Chris Bassitt (33, P)
At the time of this move, Bassitt was being added as an outstanding #3 option out of the Mets’ starting rotation. A Jacob deGrom shoulder flare up and Max Scherzer hamstring tweak later, and this acquisition becomes a front and center necessity for New York. Bassitt’s career got off to a slow start, but following 2018 Tommy John surgery, he’s been one of the more efficient arms in the league (29-14, 3.23 ERA, nearly 400Ks in 412 innings). Unlike the majority of arms in the league, Bassitt isn’t an overpowering pitcher, built more for control, and throwing to contact. The 33-year old filed for a $9M arbitration salary this season, his final year of team control before free agency.

To Oakland...

J.T. Ginn (22, P)
ETA: Starting Rotation, 2023
The #52 pick overall in 2022 by the Mets, he slots in as the #8 prospect for Oakland per the trade. Ginn had Tommy John surgery in 2020, but put in a strong 2021 campaign in High A ball, and is expected to join the A’s Double-A squad to start 2022. He’s an offspeed pitch magician, and can defend his position off the mound well to go with it. There’s a clear path to see him in the 2023 opening day rotation.

Adam Oller (27, P)
ETA: Starting Rotation, 2022
A 20th round selection for Pittsburgh back in 2016, he was Rule 5 drafted by the Mets last winter and started to draw plenty of attention immediately thereafter. From a grading standpoint, none of his three pitches (fastball, slider, change) rate above the 50 mark right now, but his grinder mentality could make him an innings eater at the backend of a rotation for a few years. Injuries to the A’s current rotation should allow Oller to make this squad out of camp.

To San Diego...

Sean Manaea (30, P)
The 30-year old made 32 starts last season in Oakland, by far a career high. He posted a strong .391 ERA, with 194 strikeouts, and just 41 walks in 179 innings. Manaea will slot in as the #3 arm on a loaded Padres staff, joining Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell, & eventually Mike Clevinger for the upcoming season. Manaea’s final  year of team control comes with a $9.75M, putting him in line for free agency after 2022.

To Oakland...

Euribel Angeles (19, SS)
The #8 prospect from San Diego joins Oakland as a bit of a patchwork utility infielder defensively, but a player with a real idea of what he’s doing at the plate despite being just 20 years old. He’ll start 2022 in High-A ball, but could progress quickly if the hitting production comes in where it’s anticipated to.

Adrian Martinez (25, P)
The Padres #18 prospect joins Oakland after a slow grind up the minor league system. He pushed his way up to the AAA level last year, but is primarily a two-pitch arm right now. It’s tough to put a definite timeline on his future in the system.

A look at the estimated Top 51 cap space needed for each team to sign its draft class during the offseason. These figures consist of the projected 2022 cap figure for each slotted draft pick in next month's draft.

Related
2022 NFL Cap Tracker
NFL Draft Tracker

When Deandre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns couldn’t come to an agreement on a rookie scale contract extension, it was fair to question the commitment from one party to the other. While the breakdown seemed to be more about years than dollars, there was still a gap that couldn’t be overcome.

Now, Ayton is wrapping up his best season, while the Suns have rampaged to the NBA’s best record. That begs a chicken/egg set of questions: Is Ayton good because of the Suns? Or are the Suns good because of Ayton?

As with most things, the answer probably lies somewhere in between. Ayton has obviously benefitted from playing with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges and in the Suns system. But Phoenix has also clearly benefitted from having one of the game’s best young centers as their paint anchor on both ends of the floor.

So, where does that leave things for Ayton’s next contract? There are really only a few options to choose from. Let’s break them down.

Signing the Qualifying Offer

We broke this down as a potential option for Zion Williamson in a previous piece. Given Williamson’s health issues, it’s not a lock that he and the New Orleans Pelicans will reach an agreement on an extension. That could put him in the same spot as Deandre Ayton is now.

For Williamson, that’s a next year thing. For Ayton, he’s here. But to sign the qualifying offer would signify that Ayton’s relationship with the Suns is unsalvageable. It doesn’t seem that’s anywhere close to the case.

But for posterity’s sake, if Ayton were to sign the qualifying offer for 2022-23, he’d be on a one-year deal worth $16,422,835. Following that deal, Ayton would be eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Even in a depressed market for free agents where only five teams may have cap space, Ayton can command far more than $16.4 million for next season. Again, unless things have hit a point with Phoenix where he has to get out, Ayton won’t sign the qualifying offer.

Signing an Offer Sheet with Another Team

Now, this is where things get interesting. Phoenix will tender Ayton a qualifying offer to retain match rights for him as a restricted free agent. No chance they simply forgo that process and let Ayton become an unrestricted free agent.

Using the most recent cap projection of $121 million for 2022-23, Ayton will be eligible for a first-year salary of $30,250,000 with either Phoenix or another team via offer sheet. Unless Ayton surprisingly makes All-NBA (not going to happen given the depth of the center position this season), there’s no chance Ayton will jump up a tier as a Designated Player.

Here’s what a full max offer sheet would look like with another team:

• 2022-23: $30,250,000
• 2023-24: $31,762,500
• 2024-25: $33,275,000
• 2025-26: $34,787,500
• Total: Four years, $130,075,000

That’s the max another team could offer Ayton. An offer sheet has to be for at least two seasons (not including any option years), but to have any shot at getting Ayton, a team would have to give him a full max offer sheet. That’s the deal above, starting at the max salary with 5% raises. It’s also likely the deal would include a player option on Year 4, a 15% trade bonus and likely some up-front actual payments (these do no impact the cap hit). Essentially, all the bells and whistles to make the Suns think about matching or not.

This is also the max deal Ayton could receive via sign-and-trade. That’s probably the more likely path, as if the Suns weren’t going to match, they’d rather receive something for their troubles for their talented young center. But if Phoenix wasn’t going to play ball, and they forced Ayton’s hand, he could go the offer sheet route as a restricted free agent.

The Full Max with Phoenix

This is what Ayton wanted during extension negotiations. Reporting at the time was that the Suns had no qualms about giving Ayton the max salary, but they did not want to go to a fifth year. Ayton’s camp was insistent on the five-year deal and that’s where things broke down.

Because this is likely to be starting point in negotiations this summer from Ayton’s side, here’s what the full max deal looks like:

• 2022-23: $30,250,000
• 2023-24: $32,670,000
• 2024-25: $35,090,000
• 2025-26: $37,510,000
• 2026-27: $39,930,000
• Total: Five years, $175,450,000

That’s a five-year deal starting at the max with 8% raises. It’s also likely Ayton would want a player option on that fifth year, simply to be able to get back on the market as a 28-year-old in 2026. At that age, and as a center, Ayton would likely be hoping to land one more max deal. Whether he would get that is a question, as player options on five-year deals are generally reserved for All-Stars who are pushing All-NBA level.

The Max Compromise

Let’s say the Suns won’t budge and give Ayton that fifth season, but he still wants something in exchange for signing a four-year deal, there is a compromise we could see. It would be a four-year max deal, but with a twist:

• 2022-23: $30,250,000
• 2023-24: $32,670,000
• 2024-25: $35,090,000
• 2025-26: $37,510,000
• Total: Four years, $135,520,000

That’s a four-year deal at the max salary with 8% raises. Where the twist could come in is that Ayton could demand a player option on the fourth year. That would allow him to get back on the market before his age-27 season, while also freeing the Suns of the five-year commitment.

This isn’t perfect because it leaves Phoenix exposed a bit, but it’s possible that both sides could get to this point.

Summary

You’ve probably thought a little bit about the chicken/egg questions by now. Is Deandre Ayton a product of Monty Williams and the Suns? Or are the Suns driven by Ayton?

But there’s another set of questions you have to answer now. They existed this past summer, when extension negotiations played out, but now there’s a little more data.

Is Ayton better now than he was a year ago? Have his production projections over the next four to five seasons changed at all?

As of this writing, Ayton has played in 54 of 75 games this season. He’s missed time with injuries, but when healthy he’s been productive. Ayton’s counting stats are down a bit, but that’s more a reflection of the Suns overall improvement as a team, as opposed to anything Ayton is doing.

And it’s that overall improvement that has to be factored in as well. Do the Suns need Ayton? Or can they redirect that money elsewhere and bet on the players currently on the roster to pick up the slack, while cobbling together the center position?

Phoenix has just over $128 million committed to next season’s team for nine players, and that’s before re-signing Ayton. That leaves the Suns $19 million under the tax line. With that many roster spots to fill, plus re-signing Ayton, makes it very likely Phoenix will be a tax team next season.

But that’s a short-term issue. And there are remedies that can be taken to lessen the tax bill, if not duck out of the tax entirely. If necessary, the Suns can salary-dump a contract or two to get down around the tax line.

But long-term, the cost of the roster is increasing. In 2023-24, the Suns have just a tick under $68 million committed to just Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet. In addition, they’re on the hook for at least $17.8 million for Chris Paul and Cameron Payne, but that’s only if Phoenix waives the veteran point guards. If they keep them, that overall salary commitment rises to $105 million for five players.

And the above doesn’t factor in a new deal for not only Ayton, but also rising forward Cameron Johnson. You could say they could let Johnson walk, but that would presumably mean re-signing Jae Crowder and his contract, you guessed it, expires after the 2022-23 season.

So, Phoenix has to balance the short-term against the long-term. Short-term, maxing out Ayton is basically a no-brainer. The team even seemed to think so, as they reportedly made that offer.

Long-term, you better be really certain that the trio of Booker, Bridges and Ayton is ready for more as Paul eventually declines. Otherwise, you get locked into a roster that is good, but not quite good enough.

We don’t know yet if the Phoenix Suns will win the 2022 NBA Finals or not. By the time they’ll have to re-sign Deandre Ayton, the Suns will know if that happened or not. They’ll know if it’s a “keep the band together” situation. Or if it’s a “time to head in a different direction” circumstance.

Look for Phoenix to make a deep enough run, with Ayton being a major part of it, that they’ll give him the full five-year max. That may lead to paying the piper down the line, but that’s a question for another day, and hopefully one you answer after raising the franchise’s first banner.

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Now more than 10 days old, our look at players who were added, subtracted, retained, or still remain in the balance with every NFL franchise this offseason.

Related

• NFL Offseason Spending
• NFL Free Agent Tracker
• NFL Team Salary Caps

Arizona Cardinals

Not a lot of new faces to speak of just yet, but the Cardinals still have 12 free agents still without a home for 2022. Christian Kirk and Chandler Jones priced themselves out of favor pretty quickly, but keeping Conner and Ertz in tow keeps the ship afloat. It’ll be a big draft for the Cardinals.

In: Nick Vigil (LB, MIN)

Back: James Conner (RB), Zach Ertz (TE), Maxx Williams (TE), Colt McCoy (QB), Dennis Gardeck (LB), Michael Dogbe (DE), Andy Lee (P), Aaron Brewer (LS), Ezekiel Turner (LB)

Out: Christian Kirk (WR), Chandler Jones (OLB), Chase Edmonds (RB), Jordan Hicks (LB), Jordan Phillips (DT)

Still Remaining

Atlanta Falcons

Obviously the story here is the QB. Matt Ryan exits ATL after 14 solid seasons, making way for Marcus Mariota, who may be tasked with steering a sinking ship in 2022. There are some likable pieces on this roster (Pitts, Jarrett, Terrell), but it feels like this season is a setup for 2023.

In: Marcus Mariota (QB, LV), Casey Hayward (CB, LV), Lorenzo Carter (DE, NYG), Damien Williams (RB, CHI), Elijah Wilkinson (G, CHI), Jalen Tabor (CB, CHI), Khadarel Hodge (WR, DET)

Back: Cordarrelle Patterson (RB), Younghoe Koo (K), Isaiah Oliver (CB), Colby Gossett (G), Erik Harris (S)

Out: Matt Ryan (QB), Foyesade Oluokun (LB), Russell Gage (WR), Josh Harris (LS), Hayden Hurst (TE), Dante Fowler Jr. (DE), Duron Harmon (S)

Still Remaining

Baltimore Ravens

It feels like the Ravens are still a move or two away this offseason, though the two new additions are seismic upgrades. The elephant in the room that is Lamar Jackson’s next contract still looms over the franchise, but they’ll be relevant in 2022 regardless.

In: Marcus Williams (S, NO), Morgan Moses (OT, NYJ), 

Back: Patrick Ricard (FB), Tony Jefferson (S)

Out: Anthony Averett (CB), Bradley Bozeman (G), Chris Board (LB), Justin Ellis (DT)

Still Remaining

Buffalo Bills

For a team that was seconds from an AFC Championship berth, the Bills certainly added a lot of new faces this offseason. There was a concerted effort to flip the defensive line, and at least some of the right side of the offensive line, and Buffalo has successfully done so (at least on paper). 

In: Von Miller (OLB, LAR), DaQuan Jones (DT, CAR), Tim Settle (DT, WAS), Rodger Saffold (G, TEN), Jordan Phillips (DL, ARI), O.J. Howard (TE, TB), Jamison Crowder (WR, NYJ), Duke Johnson (RB, MIA), Greg Mancz (OL, MIA), Marquel Lee (LB, LV), Case Keenum (QB, CLE)

Back: Taiwan Jones (RB), Isaiah McKenzie (WR), Jake Kumerow (WR), Siran Neal (S), Tyrel Dodson (LB)

Out: Harrison Phillips (DT), Mitchell Trubisky (QB), Levi Wallace (CB), Jon Feliciano (G), Vernon Butler (DT), Efe Obada (DE), Matt Breida (RB)

Still Remaining

Carolina Panthers

Despite a QB situation that remains in question, the Panthers have been active both in adding new faces, and retaining many of their own. Two large losses on the defensive line could loom large for 2022 however.

In: Austin Corbett (G, LAR), Xavier Woods (S, MIN), Johnny Hekker (P, LAR), Damien Wilson (LB, JAX),  Matthew Ioannidis (DE, WAS), Bradley Bozeman (OL, BAL), Rashard Higgins (WR, CLE)

Back: Donte Jackson (CB), Brandon Zylstra (WR), Rashaan Melvin (CB), Juston Burris (S), Ian Thomas (TE), Frankie Luvu (LB), Marquis Haynes (DE), Zane Gonzalez (K), J.J. Jansen (LS), Julian Stanford (LB)

Out: Haason Reddick (OLB), DaQuan Jones (DT), Ameer Abdullah (RB), Jermaine Carter (LB)

Still Remaining

Chicago Bears

A new front office and coaching staff generally means plenty of turnover, and that’s exactly what 2022 seems to be looking like in Chicago. A purge year generally precedes a big push year, and with draft capital, a rising salary cap, and a potential franchise QB in tow, the Bears could be setting themselves up nicely after this season.

In: Justin Jones (DT, LAC), Al-Quadin Muhammad (DE, IND), Lucas Patrick (G, GB), Byron Pringle (WR, KC), Trevor Siemian (QB, NO), Nicholas Morrow (LB, LV), Khari Blasingame (FB, TEN), Equanimeous St. Brown (WR, GB)

Back: DeAndre Houston-Carson (S), Patrick Scales (LS)

Out: Khalil Mack (OLB), Allen Robinson (WR), James Daniels (G), Jakeem Grant (WR), Bilal Nichols (DE), Pat O'Donnell (P), Artie Burns (CB), Alex Bars (G), Damien Williams (RB), Joel Iyiegbuniwe (LB), Elijah Wilkinson (G), Jalen Tabor (CB), Deon Bush (S)

Still Remaining

Cincinnati Bengals

Rebuild the offense line, and keep as many other players as possible. It was a pretty simple gameplan for Cincy heading into March, and thus far the results look extremely favorable. They’ll look to fill a few defensive holes in the draft, but should be right back at it come Semptember.

In: Alex Cappa (G, TB), La'el Collins (OT, DAL), Ted Karras (C, NE), Hayden Hurst (TE, ATL)

Back: Jessie Bates III (S), B.J. Hill (DT), Clark Harris (LS), Eli Apple (CB), Josh Tupou (DT), Brandon Allen (QB), Michael Thomas (S), Mike Thomas (WR), Stanley Morgan (WR)

Out: C.J. Uzomah (TE), Darius Phillips (CB), Fred Johnson (G)

Still Remaining

Cleveland Browns

After underachieving according to most in 2021, the Browns will look wildly different for the upcoming season, most notably of course at the QB & WR positions. Cleveland continues to negotiate with many of their TBD free agents, hoping to build out a deep roster come camp.

In: Deshaun Watson (QB, HOU), Amari Cooper (WR, DAL), Chase Winovich (DE, NE), Jakeem Grant (WR, CHI), Jacoby Brissett (QB, MIA), Taven Bryan (DT, JAX)

Back: David Njoku (TE), Anthony Walker Jr. (LB), Chris Hubbard (OT), Austin Hooper (TE), Andy Janovich (FB), M.J. Stewart (CB), Rashard Higgins (WR)

Out: Case Keenum (QB)

Still Remaining

Dallas Cowboys

On paper it looks like the Cowboys retained the majority of their expired contracts and are primed to run it back in 2022. But the quality of players that were let go either via trade or release this offseason are certain to have an impact on Dallas one way or another. 

In: Dante Fowler Jr. (DE, ATL), James Washington (WR, PIT)

Back: Dalton Schultz (TE), Michael Gallup (WR), Malik Hooker (S), Jake McQuaide (LS), Noah Brown (WR), Jeremy Sprinkle (TE), Dorance Armstrong (DE), Jayron Kearse (S), Bryan Anger (P), Leighton Vander Esch (LB), Luke Gifford (LB), Carlos Watkins (DE)

Out: Amari Cooper (WR), Randy Gregory (DE), Cedrick Wilson (WR), La'el Collins (OT), Connor Williams (G), Greg Zuerlein (K)

Still Remaining

Denver Broncos

Denver made maybe the biggest splash of the offseason, processing a 10 piece trade to acquire QB Russell Wilson from the Seahawks. They backed it up with significant adds to the defensive side of the ball , and may not be done in that regard.

In: Russell Wilson (QB, DEN), Randy Gregory (OLB, DAL), D.J. Jones (DT, SF), K'Waun Williams (CB, SF), Tom Compton (G, SF), Alex Singleton (LB, PHI), Billy Turner (G, GB)

Back: DeShawn Williams (WR), Josey Jewell (LB), Andrew Beck (FB)

Out: Drew Lock (QB), Noah Fant (TE), Shelby Harris (DT), Teddy Bridgewater (QB), Micah Kiser (LB), Austin Schlottmann (G)

Still Remaining

Detroit Lions

The Lions haven’t made any “splashy” new signings, but did retain an awful lot of their 2021 pieces. Will they all collectively take another step forward this season, or will it be much of the same, and a bridge to a more brash rebuild - starting at the QB position in 2023.

In: DJ Chark (WR, JAX), Mike Hughes (CB, KC), Chris Board (LB, BAL), Jarrad Davis (LB, NYJ)

Back: Charles Harris (DE), Tracy Walker (S), Josh Reynolds (WR), Kalif Raymond (WR), Jason Cabinda (FB), Alex Anzalone (LB), Evan Brown (OL), Tim Boyle (QB), C.J. Moore (S), Shaun-Dion Hamilton (LB)

Out: Jalen Reeves-Maybin (OLB), Khadarel Hodge (WR)

Still Remaining

Green Bay Packers

Obviously much of the attention for this team has been placed on Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams this winter, but the Packers have seen 9 notable players exit the roster this month, with just two new faces added to the mix. Green Bay almost always waits a few weeks to get into the free agent pool, but there’s work to be done here to get deeper for 2022.

In: Jarran Reed (DT, KC), Pat O'Donnell (P, CHI)

Back: Aaron Rodgers (QB), De'Vondre Campbell (OLB), Rasul Douglas (CB), Robert Tonyan Jr. (TE)

Out: Davante Adams (WR), Za'Darius Smith (OLB), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR), Equanimeous St. Brown (WR), Lucas Patrick (G), Oren Burks (LB), Isaac Yiadom (CB), Chandon Sullivan (CB), Billy Turner (G)

Still Remaining

Houston Texans

The team of a few dozen 1 year contracts last offseason is right back at it in 2022. Plenty of players were retained, but to say this is an improved team on paper would be nearsighted. The large move of course was the trade away of their franchise QB, signaling a new era in Houston.

In: Blake Cashman (LB, NYJ), A.J. Cann (G, JAX), Jalen Reeves-Maybin (OLB, DET), Andy Janovich (FB, CLE), Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (OLB, LAR), Dare Ogunbowale (RB, JAX), Kyle Allen (QB, WAS), M.J. Stewart (CB, CLE), Scott Quessenberry (C, LAC), Isaac Yiadom (CB, GB)

Back: Maliek Collins (LB), Christian Kirksey (LB), Justin Britt (OL), Desmond King (CB), Pharaoh Brown (TE), Rex Burkhead (RB), Chris Conley (WR), Tae Davis (LB), Chris Moore (WR), Jeff Driskel (QB), Jon Weeks (LS), Antony Auclair (TE), Terrence Brooks (S), Kamu Grugier-Hill (OLB), Royce Freeman (RB), Neville Hewitt (LB)

Out: Deshaun Watson (QB), Justin Reid (S), Jake Martin (OLB), Tyrod Taylor (QB), A.J. Moore (S), Terrance Mitchell (CB), Geron Christian (T)

Still Remaining

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have done all of their damage via the trade, sending a QB & A CB away, while bringing back a pass rusher and a new QB in the process. They’ve yet to dip into the free agency pool, but with cap space and needs, they’ll get after it soon.

In: Matt Ryan (QB, ATL), Yannick Ngakoue (DE, LV), 

Back: Tyquan Lewis (DT), Matt Pryor (OT), Zaire Franklin (OLB), Mo Alie-Cox (TE)

Out: Carson Wentz (QB), Rock Ya-Sin (CB), Mark Glowinski (G), George Odum (S), Al-Quadin Muhammad (DE), Zach Pascal (WR)

Still Remaining

Jacksonville Jaguars

Stop me if you’ve heard this already: The Jaguars are adding & spending a lot this free agency season. They’re certainly not being shy, but I wouldn’t say they’re “recklessly overpaying” either. They’re doing what a bad, small market, team has to do once they have their QB in place on a rookie contract and deem it “go time”. Will they all be slam dunks? Not even close. But there’s reason to believe Jacksonville can take a big step forward in 2022.

In: Christian Kirk (WR, ARI), Brandon Scherff (OG, WAS), Foyesade Oluokun (LB, ATL), Darious Williams (CB, LAR), Foley Fatukasi (DT, NYJ), Zay Jones (WR, LV), Evan Engram (TE, NYG)

Back: Cam Robinson (OT), Will Richardson (T), Tyler Shatley (OL), Laquon Treadwell (WR), Tre Herndon (CB)

Out: Myles Jack (LB), Andrew Norwell (OG), DJ Chark (WR), A.J. Cann (OG), Damien Wilson (OLB), Taven Bryan (DT), Dare Ogunbowale (RB), Jihad Ward (NYG), Jacob Hollister (TE)

Still Remaining

Kansas City Chiefs

Well we certainly didn’t see this one coming. The Chiefs shocked us all by moving on from stud WR Tyreek Hill, but at least have two notable signings at the position to ease the pain for now. They’re at least one addition in their secondary away from being comfortable, though a few notable pieces would make sense.

In: Justin Reid (S, HOU), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR, GB), JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, PIT), Geron Christian (OT, HOU), Jermaine Carter (LB, CAR), Ronald Jones II (RB, TB), Deon Bush (S, CHI)

Back: Orlando Brown Jr. (OT)m Chad Henne (QB), Josh Gordon (WR), Michael Burton (FB), Derrick Nnadi (DT), Blake Bell (TE), Andrew Wylie (OT)

Out: Tyreek Hill (WR), Charvarius Ward (CB), Byron Pringle (WR), Austin Blythe (G), Jarran Reed (DT), Mike Hughes (CB), Demarcus Robinson (WR), Daniel Sorensen (S)

Still Remaining

Las Vegas Raiders

New GM. New Coach. Plenty of New Players. Did the Raiders stir the pot too much this offseason to be able to maintain - let alone build upon - their small level of 2021 success? This is a franchise that liked their offensive line, saw progress in their running game, and just made significant upgrades to the pass catchers and pass rusher. If it can all come together quickly, it’ll be fun to watch.

In: Davante Adams (WR, GB), Rock Ya-Sin (CB, IND), Chandler Jones (OLB, ARI), Bilal Nichols (DE, CHI), Brandon Bolden (RB, NE), Anthony Averett (CB, LV), Mack Hollins (WR, MIA), Alex Bars (G, CHI), Jakob Johnson (FB, NE), Darius Phillips (CB, CIN), Vernon Butler (DT, BUF), Demarcus Robinson (WR, KC), Ameer Abdullah (RB, CAR), Jacob Hollister (TE, JAC), Kyler Fackrell (LB, LAC), Micah Kiser (LB, DEN), Kyle Peko (DT, TEN), Duron Harmon (S, ATL), Jayon Brown (LB, TEN)

Back: Jackson Barton (T), Brandon Parker (T), Jermaine Eluemunor (G), 

Out: Yannick Ngakoue (DE), Zay Jones (WR), Marcus Mariota (QB), Casey Hayward (CB), Quinton Jefferson (DT), Alec Ingold (FB), Nicholas Morrow (OLB), Marquel Lee (LB)

Still Remaining

Los Angeles Chargers

A good team with a young QB, and notable pieces at all the positions of power entering March with ample cap space? The Chargers were dangerous on paper from the get go, and they made a few splashes that should pay dividends come September. 

In: Khalil Mack (OLB, CHI), J.C. Jackson (CB, NE), Sebastian Joseph (DT, LAR), Austin Johnson (DT, NYG), Gerald Everett (TE, SEA), Josh Harris (LS, ATL), 

Back: Mike Williams (WR),  Chase Daniel (QB), Christian Covington (DT), Dustin Hopkins (K)

Out: Uchenna Nwosu (LB), Justin Jones (DT), Kyler Fackrell (OLB), Scott Quessenberry (OL), Kyzir White (OLB)

Still Remaining

Los Angeles Rams

Robert Woods out, Allen Robinson in was one of the bigger and more surprising moves thus far, while Von Miller choosing Buffalo over a return to LA ranks up there with it. Most of the offseason money will go to an already signed deal for QB Matthew Stafford, and an Aaron Donald extension certain to be on deck. 

In: Allen Robinson (WR, CHI),

Back: Brian Allen (OL), Joseph Noteboom (T), Coleman Shelton (OL), Brandon Powell (WR)

Out: Robert Woods (WR), Von Miller (OLB), Darious Williams (CB), Austin Corbett (G), Sebastian Joseph (DT), Johnny Hekker (P), Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (OLB), Johnny Mundt (TE)

Still Remaining

Miami Dolphins

Splashy. QB Tua Tagovailoa won’t have any excuses in terms of the pieces that have been put in front of and around him this season. Though it stands to reason that a new coaching staff plus a bevy of new players will need some time to marinade before real success can start happening.

In: Tyreek Hill (WR, KC), Terron Armstead (OT, NO), Cedrick Wilson (WR, DAL), Connor Williams (G, DAL), Chase Edmonds (RB, ARI), Keion Crossen (CB, NYG), Alec Ingold (FB, LV), Teddy Bridgewater (QB, DEN), Raheem Mostert (RB, SF), Trent Sherfield (WR, SF)

Back: Mike Gesicki (TE), Emmanuel Ogbah (DE), Preston Williams (WR), Sam Eguavoen (LB), Elandon Roberts (LB), Duke Riley (LB), Brennan Scarlett (LB), Durham Smythe (TE)

Out: Jacoby Brissett (QB), Mack Hollins (WR), Duke Johnson (RB), Greg Mancz (OL), Justin Coleman (CB)

Still Remaining

Minnesota Vikings

After plenty of speculation, the Vikings will run it back with a freshly extended Kirk Cousins, and a few much needed upgrades on the defensive side of the ball. Danielle Hunter is back in the fold, Adam Thielen is back in the fold, and there’s a sense of optimism for this franchise in 2022.

In: Za'Darius Smith (DE, GB), Harrison Phillips (DT, BUF), Jordan Hicks (LB, ARI), Johnny Mundt (TE, LAR), Chandon Sullivan (CB, GB), Austin Schlottmann (G, DEN)

Back: Jordan Berry (P), Sean Mannion (QB)

Out: Tyler Conklin (TE), Mason Cole (OL), Xavier Woods (S), Nick Vigil (OLB)

Still Remaining

New England Patriots

After a monster offseason in 2021, the Patriots have been nearly nonexistent this time around, though retaining Trent Brown seems to be good business. There are significant question marks on the rest of the offensive line, and the weapons didn’t prove to be adequate down the stretch last season, so there’s work to be done in New England. 

In: Mack Wilson (LB, CLE), Ty Montgomery (WR, NO), Terrance Mitchell (CB, HOU), Malcolm Butler (CB)

Back: Trenton Brown (OT), Ja'whaun Bentley (LB), Devin McCourty (S), Nick Folk (K), James White (RB), Brian Hoyer (QB), Matthew Slater (ST), 

Out: J.C. Jackson (CB), Ted Karras (OL), Brandon Bolden (RB), Gunner Olszewski (WR), Jakob Johnson (FB), Shaq Mason (G), Chase Winovich (DE)

Still Remaining

New Orleans Saints

The Saints have had a roller coaster few weeks, starting with $80M of cap to free up, to a retiring coach, a near major QB acquisition, all the way back to a situation that looks a lot like last year, minus a star safety and left tackle. The few offseason signings have made sense, but they’ll need to hit big with a few early draft picks to round out this roster.

In: Marcus Maye (S, NYJ), Daniel Sorensen (S, KC)

Back: Jameis Winston (QB)

Out: Terron Armstead (OT), Marcus Williams (S), Trevor Siemian (QB), Ty Montgomery (WR)

Still Remaining

New York Giants

A new front office/coaching staff generally means at least some roster purge in year one, and the Giants early offseason lends itself to that trend (with potentially more to come). Loading up on interior offensive linemen and a few depth weapons appears to be focused on giving Daniel Jones a bit of showcase season, which makes a lot of sense for the 2022 campaign.

In: Mark Glowinski (G, IND), Tyrod Taylor (QB, HOU), Jon Feliciano (G, BUF), Justin Ellis (DT, BAL), Jihad Ward (DE, JAX), Matt Breida (RB, BUF), Jamil Douglas (G, WAS), Ricky Seals-Jones (TE, WAS), Matt Gono (T, ATL), Richie James (WR, SF)

Back: Casey Kreiter (LS), C.J. Board (WR), Korey Cunningham (T)

Out: Austin Johnson (DT), Keion Crossen (CB), Evan Engram (TE), Lorenzo Carter (DE), Logan Ryan (CB)

Still Remaining

New York Jets

In: Laken Tomlinson (G, SF), D.J. Reed (S, SEA), C.J. Uzomah (TE, CIN), Tyler Conklin (TE, MIN), Jordan Whitehead (S, TB), Jake Martin (OLB, HOU), Greg Zuerlein (K, DAL), 

Back: Braxton Berrios (WR), Joe Flacco (QB), Dan Feeney (G), LaMarcus Joyner (S), Conor McDermott (T), Tevin Coleman (RB), Nathan Shepherd (DE), Nick Bawden (FB)

Out: Blake Cashman (LB), Foley Fatukasi (DT), Marcus Maye (S), Morgan Moses (OT), Jamison Crowder (WR), Jarrad Davis (LB)

Still Remaining

Philadelphia Eagles

With three first round picks, and a draft loaded with wideouts and offensive tackles, the Eagles focused on retaining, and adding to, their pass rush this March. They’ll be one of the teams to watch throughout the draft both for who they take, and potentially how they move around.

In: Haason Reddick (OLB, CAR), Zach Pascal (WR, IND), Kyzir White (LB, LAC)

Back: Greg Ward (WR), Derek Barnett (DE), Fletcher Cox (DL), Boston Scott (RB), Anthony Harris (S), 

Out: Hassan Ridgeway (DT), Alex Singleton (LB)

Still Remaining

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers had an offensive line problem in 2021, and have already added a few veteran pieces in that regard. Toss in a potential QB1 in Trubisky, and a few upgrades on the defensive side of the ball, and Pittsburgh is off to a good start this offseason.

In: James Daniels (G, CHI), Myles Jack (LB, JAX), Mason Cole (OL, MIN), Mitchell Trubisky (QB, BUF), Levi Wallace (CB, BUF), Gunner Olszewski (WR, NE)

Back: Chuks Okorafor (OT), Montravius Adams (DE), Miles Killebrew (S), Arthur Maulet (CB), Ahkello Witherspoon (CB)

Out: Ray-Ray McCloud (WR, SF), JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, KC), James Washington (WR, DAL)

Still Remaining

San Francisco 49ers

The Niners appear to be getting younger (and cheaper) in a lot of areas going forward, and are expected to follow suit at the QB position. Are they building for a team that might need a year or two to find its sea legs? A lack of splashy signings thus far signals that may be the case.

In: Charvarius Ward (CB, KC), George Odum (S, IND), Oren Burks (LB, GB), Ray-Ray McCloud (WR, SF), Hassan Ridgeway (DT, SF), Kerry Hyder (DE, SEA)

Back: Maurice Hurst (DT), Jake Brendel (OL), Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (LB), Jordan Willis (DE), Jeff Wilson (RB), Dontae Johnson (CB)

Out: Laken Tomlinson (G), D.J. Jones (DT), K'Waun Williams (CB), Tom Compton (G), Raheem Mostert (RB), Trent Sherfield (WR), Trenton Cannon (RB), Richie James (WR)

Still Remaining

Seattle Seahawks

The Russ era comes to a close in Seattle and with it comes a roster full of doubt - despite notable talent at the WR, TE, and safety positions. Will they concede their future in a loaded division and continue to strip down, or upgrade the QB position and build this thing back up on the fly? The Seahawks remain fascinating, even if they might not be successful this season.

In: Drew Lock (QB, DEN), Noah Fant (TE, DEN), Shelby Harris (DT, DEN), Uchenna Nwosu (LB, LAC), Quinton Jefferson (DE, LV), Austin Blythe (G, KC), Artie Burns (CB, CHI), Joel Iyiegbuniwe (LB, CHI), Justin Coleman (CB, MIA)

Back: Quandre Diggs (S), Will Dissly (TE), Al Woods (DT), Sidney Jones (CB), Rashaad Penny (RB), Kyle Fuller (OL)

Out: Russell Wilson (QB), D.J. Reed (S), Gerald Everett (TE), Jamarco Jones (OT), Kerry Hyder (DE)

Still Remaining

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With Brady back in the fold, so come plenty of once thought to be departed free agents. The O-Line and secondary still seem a piece or two away, and there’s another TE to drop into the offense at some point this offseason, but the Bucs get themselves right back into NFC South division title conversations.

In: Shaq Mason (G, NE), Russell Gage (WR, ATL), Fred Johnson (G, CIN), Logan Ryan (CB, NYG)

Back: Chris Godwin (WR), Carlton Davis (CB), Ryan Jensen (OL), Aaron Stinnie (G), Breshad Perriman (WR), Leonard Fournette (RB), William Gholston (DE)

Out: Alex Cappa (G), Jordan Whitehead (S), O.J. Howard (TE), Ronald Jones II (RB)

Still Remaining

Tennessee Titans

Bringing back a player like Harold Landry keeps the Titans relevant defensively, while a surprise acquisition of Robert Woods from LA could prove to be one of the top NFL moves of the offseason. Tennessee needs a few offensive linemen and maybe another experienced run stuffer, but this team did well to stay afloat thus far.

In: Robert Woods (WR, LAR), Austin Hooper (TE, CLE), Jamarco Jones (OT, SEA), A.J. Moore (S, HOU), Trenton Cannon (RB, SF)

Back: Harold Landry (OLB), Ben Jones (OL), Geoff Swaim (TE), Morgan Cox (LS), Randy Bullock (K), Dylan Cole (LB), Jordan Wilkins (RB), Olasunkanmi Adeniyi (LB), Dontrell Hilliard (RB)

Out: Rodger Saffold (G), Kyle Peko (DT), Khari Blasingame (FB), Jayon Brown (LB)

Still Remaining

Washington Commanders

The Wentz acquisition remains a head scratcher, but the rest of the Commander’s offseason thus far seems relatively logical. In fact one may argue that this team has retained more than probably expected, and could have a chance to succeed through the regular season if Wentz can manage games halfway decently. It might be too much to ask though.

In: Carson Wentz (QB, IND), Andrew Norwell (G, JAX), Efe Obada (DE, BUF), 

Back: Bobby McCain (CB), Troy Apke (S), Tyler Larsen (OL), Cornelius Lucas (OT), J.D. McKissic (RB), Cam Sims (WR), Danny Johnson (CB)

Out: Brandon Scherff (G), Tim Settle (DT), Matthew Ioannidis (DE), Kyle Allen (QB), Jamil Douglas (G), Ricky Seals-Jones (TE)

Still Remaining

Quarterback

Andy Dalton (QB, 34)
Dalton began 2021 as the starter in Chicago, but quickly gave way to Justin Fields after just 6 starts. There still remain a few solid backup homes for Dalton in 2022, but the Houston Texans seem like the best fit overall. Davis Mills will get every chance to be the QB1 again this season, but having a player of Dalton’s experience either to mentor and/or take over as needed makes too much sense.

Also: Blaine Gabbert, Josh Rosen, Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, ALL

Running Back

Melvin Gordon (RB, 28)
After two solid seasons, and $16M earned, in Denver, Gordon is still looking for his next home in 2022. While a return to Denver makes sense, teams like Atlanta, Tampa, Kansas City, or even Buffalo could be in the conversation as well. Gordon may have to drop his asking price into the $4M range this time around.

Also: Sony Michel, Phillip Lindsay, Darrel Williams, David Johnson, ALL

Wide Receiver

Julio Jones (WR, 33)
Recently released from Tennessee, Jones has yet to resurface as an option for many WR-needy teams. Indy, Philly, & Cleveland seem like early logical fits, but Jones’ inability to stay healthy for a full season makes him a difficult sign, despite the obvious talent. He might be a better fit in an offense already flush with help at the wideout spot (Tampa, LA Chargers, etc…) where he can be used a bit more specifically and sparingly to maximize production. $2M of his 2022 salary in Tennessee is his, so a new contract should be relatively cheap.

Also: Jarvis Landry, Will Fuller, Cole Beasley, Odell Beckham, Jr., ALL

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski (TE, 32)
Gronk put together a much more productive 2021 than 2020, despite 4 less games played. With O.J. Howard now in Buffalo, Gronk would seemingly be welcome back to Tampa Bay with open arms if he still has a desire to lace them up. His 1 year, $8M contract from last year should do the trick once again.

Also: Kyle Rudolph, Jimmy Graham, Eric Ebron, Jared Cook, Blake Jarwin, ALL

Offensive Line

Duane Brown (OT, 36)
Russell Wilson’s former left tackle is still seeking work for the 2022 season, with links to Indy, Panthers, & Seahawks all obvious choices. Brown has been earning around $11M per year since 2018, and it stands to reason that with multiple suitors, he’ll remain in the $9M-$11M mark for his next contract.

Also: J.C. Tretter, Eric Fisher, Ereck Flowers, Daryl Williams, Trey Hopkins, ALL

Defensive Tackle

Sheldon Richardson (DT, 31)
Richardson has posted 700 snaps in 4 straight seasons, with 3-5 sacks, 40-60 tackles and a few forced fumbles annually over that span. He’s a strong plug and play option for a contending team, and shouldn’t command more than the $3.6M deal he played on in 2021.

Also: Ndamukong Suh, Eddie Goldman, Brandon Williams, Star Lotulelei, Linval Joseph, ALL

Edge Defenders

Jadeveon Clowney (DE, 29)
A return to Cleveland has been widely rumored for Clowney, who finished 2021 with 9 sacks, 38 tackles, and 2 forced fumbles for the Browns. It stands to reason that Clowney and his camp will be seeking more than the 1 year, $8M deal he completed last season, though the Browns, with plenty of mouths to feed, may not be in the market to offer that. A version of Hasaan Reddick’s 3 year, $45M deal in Philly makes sense for Clowney, and the Dolphins & Rams may join the conversation at some point soon.

Also: Akiem Hicks, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jerry Hughes, Melvin Ingram, Calais Campbell, ALL

Linebackers

Bobby Wagner (LB, 31)
The long-time Seahawk has been making the rounds (Dallas, LA, Baltimore), and should soon make a decision. Wagner was released out of a $16M+ salary this March, and carries a valuation around $10M on the open market, but it’s obvious that a move to a legitimate contender is in his plans. Baltimore probably has the most need here, but the Rams seem like a match made in heaven.

Also: Nick Kwiatkoski, Danny Trevathan, Dont'a Hightower, Anthony Hitchens, ALL

Cornerbacks

Stephon Gilmore (CB, 31)
There’s not a solid financial track record for 31+ cornerbacks, though Gilmore, Joe Haden, & Patrick Peterson all offer intriguing opportunities for teams despite their age. Gilmore has been linked to the Chiefs, & Eagles, though the Colts & 49ers should also be largely in the veteran CB conversation right now. With a 2 year, $24M contract do the trick? A massive jump in WR pay signals that the CB market could be soaring again very shortly.

Also: Trae Waynes, Joe Haden, Tavon Young, Patrick Peterson, Chris Harris, ALL

Safeties

Tyrann Mathieu (S, 29)
Mathieu joins Tyreek Hill as another big name to depart the Chiefs in 2022, and is still making the rounds to secure his next home. Tyrann has been linked to at least a half dozen teams publicly, but the Steelers, Cowboys, & Broncos seem to make the most sense here. Pittsburgh needs a bevy of help in their secondary, and Mathieu’s versatility can cover plenty of that, while Dallas’ defensive backs were wildly exposed over the second half of 2021. Denver getting in the mix is on brand for how the franchise is currently operating: All-In. Mathieu is likely seeking $16M per year on the market.

Also: Landon Collins, Keanu Neal, Kareem Jackson, Rodney McLeod, ALL

Kickers

Michael Badgley (K, 26)
Badgley played 13 games for the Colts in 2021, hitting 18 of 22 fieldgoals, and 98% of his point-afters. He’s been inconsistent for sure, but he’ll still find a roster by camp.

Also: Chase McLaughlin, Sam Ficken, ALL

Punters

Kevin Huber (P, 36)
After 13 seasons in Cincy, Huber has yet to be retained for 2022. The Dolphins, Browns, & Falcons also have needs at the position, making it likely that Huber finds a gig to latch onto if he desires.

Also: Thomas Morstead, Corey Bojorquez, Riley Dixon, ALL

Forbes released their annual MLB Valuations for 2022.

Here are a few notable items:

• New York Yankees are the first MLB team to surpass $6 billion
• 5 teams are not over $3 billion (NYY, LAD, BOS, CHC, SF)
• Texas Rangers valuation increased the most year-over-year at 15%
• Baltimore Orioles were the only team to have their valuation decreased by -4%
• Miami Marlins are the only team not to reach the $1 billion mark ($990 million) AND their valuation stayed static at 0% change
• Cleveland Guardians valuation increased by 12%, the most of any team in the bottom half of the valuations

#1 New York Yankees

Valuation : $6 billion

1-Yr Change: 14%

#2 Los Angeles Dodgers

Valuation : $4.075 billion

1-Yr Change: 14%

#3 Boston Red Sox

Valuation : $3.9 billion

1-Yr Change: 13%

#4 Chicago Cubs

Valuation : $3.8 billion

1-Yr Change: 13%

#5 San Francisco Giants

Valuation : $3.5 billion

1-Yr Change: 10%

#6 New York Mets

Valuation : $2.65 billion

1-Yr Change: 8%

#7 St. Louis Cardinals

Valuation : $2.45 billion

1-Yr Change: 9%

#8 Philadelphia Phillies

Valuation : $2.3 billion

1-Yr Change: 12%

#9 Los Angeles Angels

Valuation : $2.2 billion

1-Yr Change: 9%

#10 Atlanta Braves

Valuation : $2.1 billion

1-Yr Change: 12%

#11 Texas Rangers

Valuation : $2.05 billion

1-Yr Change: 15%

#12 Washington Nationals

Valuation : $2 billion

1-Yr Change: 4%

#13 Houston Astros

Valuation : $1.98 billion

1-Yr Change: 6%

#14 Toronto Blue Jays

Valuation : $1.78 billion

1-Yr Change: 6%

#15 Chicago White Sox

Valuation : $1.76 billion

1-Yr Change: 4%

#16 Seattle Mariners

Valuation : $1.7 billion

1-Yr Change: 4%

#17 San Diego Padres

Valuation : $1.575 billion

1-Yr Change: 4%

#18 Detroit Tigers

Valuation : $1.4 billion

1-Yr Change: 11%

#19 Minnesota Twins

Valuation : $1.39 billion

1-Yr Change: 5%

#20 Colorado Rockies

Valuation : $1.385 billion

1-Yr Change: 7%

#21 Arizona Diamondbacks

Valuation : $1.38 billion

1-Yr Change: 5%

#22 Baltimore Orioles

Valuation : $1.375 billion

1-Yr Change: -4%

#23 Pittsburgh Pirates

Valuation : $1.32 billion

1-Yr Change: 3%

#24 Cleveland Guardians

Valuation : $1.3 billion

1-Yr Change: 12%

#25 Milwaukee Brewers

Valuation : $1.28 billion

1-Yr Change: 5%

#26 Cincinnati Reds

Valuation : $1.19 billion

1-Yr Change: 10%

#27 Oakland Athletics

Valuation : $1.18 billion

1-Yr Change: 5%

#28 Kansas City Royals

Valuation : $1.11 billion

1-Yr Change: 5%

#29 Tampa Bay Rays

Valuation : $1.1 billion

1-Yr Change: 4%

#30 Miami Marlins

Valuation : $990 million

1-Yr Change: 0%