The Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers saga refuses to go away, so we’ll take one final stab at attempting to solve this dilemma, this time via a contract restructure. It’s been said by very smart people that “money is the answer to all problems”, and “deadlines spur actions”, so let’s assume that the closer we get to training camp, the more likely it becomes that the Packers offer an aggressive cash flow restructure to try to lure their future Hall of Fame quarterback back into the facilities. Here’s a look at what that may look like:

37-Year-Old Quarterback Pay

I recently tweeted out a list of notable QBs who played at the age of 37, and their respective compensation during that season. That list was led by Ben Roethlisberger, who scored $40M on a restructure with the Steelers back in 2019. The average team cash payroll that year was $194,600,000, meaning Ben scored just north of 20% of that.

The major difference? Ben Roethlisberger was entering the final year of his contract with the Steelers when they agreed to a restructure. Aaron Rodgers has three years left on his contract, which is generally a no discussion zone for starting over (as Xavien Howard is finding out).

The only recent precedent for pulling future money up in a contract that’s three years from expiring is Julio Jones, who held out the spring of 2018 for a new contract, then agreed to a compromised restructure that saw $2M of this 2019 salary converted to an immediate signing bonus. It’s probably safe to assume that won’t get this situation fixed.

When evaluating Aaron Rodgers as if he were in position for a new contract, our projection tool calculates a near $42M figure. We’ll use this as our ceiling for this restructure.

The Packers’ Thought Process

If the plan is (and maybe has been) to keep Rodgers in the fold through 2021, then trade him and subsequently hand the keys to Jordan Love, then this contract restructure can be treated as a 1 year deal - except it isn’t.

There are two things to keep in mind here:

• Cash flow. The “sell” to Rodgers will be frontloading a proper amount of cash into the 2021 season, which currently stands at $22M.

• 2022 Dead Cap. Currently speaking, the Packers would take on a $17.2M dead cap hit to trade Rodgers next March, a feasible number. Any new signing bonus will add to this figure, so there’s a bit of a balancing act to be performed here.

So the plan here now is to pull $42M cash into the 2021 season, while still making him a tradable entity next March, both from the Packers and a new team’s perspective.

Current Contract

The current contract is laid out as such, with $22M built into this season, and $25M+ into each of the next two. For our restructure, we’ll chop off the 2023 year, and pull the $25M base salary from it up into a signing bonus, paid out in 2021.

Restructured Contract

We’ll also tack on 3 void years to the new contract to allow this signing bonus to prorate over a maximum term for cap purposes. Here’s how things look with these changes in place.

The 2021 season now contains $42M cash, including that new signing bonus, as well as almost $1M of cap space for the upcoming season.

I’ve split up the base salary in 2022 into a corresponding roster bonus that will pay out in early March 2022. This is a move for Rodgers, to ensure that he’s not kept on the Packers’ roster until June 2nd before being traded for dead cap purposes.

Trading Aaron Rodgers

Once Rodgers is traded next March, the Packers will take on a $37.2M dead cap hit for the 2022 season, $3.4M more than Carson Wentz’ hit to the Eagles this year, which currently stands as the most in NFL history.

The receiving team in the trade will acquire Rodgers at 1 year, $25.5M, with a $15M roster bonus set to be paid just days after his acquisition, meaning a restructured contract with the new team is very likely (another win for Rodgers). If Rodgers is traded to a team he doesn’t particularly care for, he simply plays out the one year term, and hits free agency thereafter.

Concluding Thoughts

This is certainly not an ideal situation for the Green Bay Packers, both as a contending football team and in terms of business. It should also be noted that Aaron Rodgers has in no way publicly demanded a new contract, nor has he stated that he will or will not play football in 2021.

Is a $37M dead cap hit tenable for the Packers in 2022?
It’s not great, but it’s not set in stone either. If the Packers feel they can take on more cap in 2021, then removing the void years or keeping more of the $42M as base salary instead of bonus would allow them to eat more cap today, and less next season.

Will Davante Adams extend his contract knowing Aaron Rodgers will be one and done?
This is a fascinating aside to the Rodgers drama. Adams is due for a top flight WR contract, upwards of $25M a year. If the Packers offer it, it’ll be hard for Adams to say no, even if it leads to him demanding a trade in 18 months. But it’s also plausible that he plays out his current contract, and lets himself hit free agency, offering him endless options - including linking back up with Rodgers.

It’s no secret that Baker Mayfield & the Cleveland Browns don’t appear close to reaching a contract extension, but which side is holding up the process? The answer very well may be both.

The former #1 overall selection in 2018 posted a strong rookie campaign, but a forgettable year two in Cleveland, putting a huge monkey on his back heading into the 2020 season. He responded admirably, posting 26 TDs, 8 INTs, while completing 63% of his passes, despite a career low 3,560 yards. More importantly the 11-5 Browns found the postseason, & officially dug themselves out of regular season purgatory.

Statistically Speaking

When comparing quarterback numbers from 2018-2020 (min. 25 starts), Baker ranks as follows:

Passer Rating (89.1): 23/28
Yards/Game (241.6): 18/28
Pass TDs (75): 10/28
Interceptions (43): T2/28
Completion % (61.8): 25/28

Provided by Stathead

Not great, but also not exactly the whole story. It’s easy to use the law of averages here and claim that the full sample size for Baker is well below average. But 2018 was good, and 2020 was great. 2019 was so bad, that it’s stinking up the whole thought process. So which Baker Mayfield should the Browns be considering when preparing to discuss his long term status with the team? The correct answer should probably be: TBD.

The Browns’ Rebuild

The fact of the matter here is that the Browns have done an excellent job building up this roster around Baker, including a massive offensive line overhaul, an influx for defensive pass rushers, and this year, upgrades to their secondary. Cleveland has used all avenues possible to rebuild this team, and it’s shown both on the field, and within their financial breakdowns. At the time of this piece, the Browns carry the fourth most cap space in the league.So is Baker Mayfield’s recent success more a product of the players around him, or a result of him settling into the league, this team, and his role as a franchise QB? The correct answer should probably be: TBD.

Baker’s Financial Future

As shown below, Baker holds a guaranteed $5.1M in 2021, + a fully guaranteed $18.8M 5th year option for 2022 that has already been exercised.

This option is nearly $5M less than that of Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, as Mayfield hasn’t been selected to a Pro Bowl (yes, that’s how much power that arbitrary game now has financially). So everything’s fine, right? Baker can make his $24M over the next two years while the Browns can get a more thorough look at what kind of quarterback he’s really settling into during that span.

Sure, but the answer to the often asked question, “Why are teams constantly paying their superstars as soon as possible rather than waiting until a contract expires?” is: They’re trying to grab value before other players at a similar position or situation further the market. This is especially true at the quarterback position, where Patrick Mahomes has already broken through the ceiling, and Allen/Jackson will soon surpass Dak Prescott & Deshaun Watson’s $40M+ mark, with $100M fully guaranteed extremely likely.

But is Baker Mayfield really in line for the same contract as Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson?

As it currently stands, no, but if Baker builds on his 2020 success both individually and in terms of winning (Browns currently hold the 7th best Super Bowl odds), any thoughts of a contract in the $35M per year range can be thrown out the window. If a realistic valuation for Baker Mayfield includes $70M guaranteed today (6th among active QBs), a successful 2021 campaign can increase that value to $95M+ (Dak Prescott’s current league high).

A Conversative Browns Approach

If the Browns believe the seasonal inconsistency isn’t a fluke, rather a trend, then the conversation likely changes completely. No longer should the Browns be concerned about a massive increase in what could be, because their internal thinking will never include that long-term offer. In my personal opinion, Baker Mayfield’s worst case scenario over the next 4 seasons is to fall into a Kirk Cousins’ lane. In this scenario, Baker plays out his rookie contract, earning another $24M for his efforts, after which Cleveland slaps a franchise tag on him in 2023 which could be in the $32M range based on cap projections. This gets Baker to $56M earned, offering Cleveland an out as needed. A second franchise tag for Mayfield then comes in at around $39M, which brings us to $95M, the exact amount referenced above currently attached to Dak Prescott as the most guaranteed money at signing in NFL history.

Will Baker and his camp like this route? Most likely not, but Dak Prescott proved that even the occurrence of injury during this pay-as-you-go process won’t stop an above average quarterback from earning his payday. The rookie contract + two franchise tag plan means high cap hits for those two back years, but the NFL should see an immense jump in league salary cap come 2023, giving the Browns breathing room to handle such a process. Should this play out as proposed, Baker Mayfield would see approximately $123M over his first 7 seasons, with a chance to further his career at age 29.

Mocking a Traditional Contract Extension for Baker Mayfield

If the Browns would prefer to stick to a traditional extension, one could be negotiated as early as the middle of the upcoming season, as Browns beat Mary Kay Cabot has mentioned often. It’s possible Cleveland simply wants a taste of 2021 Baker to ensure the player they saw in 2020 is the real deal, after which a long-term contract negotiation could come into play.

Mayfield carries a $35.2M valuation in our system at the time of this piece, but as noted above, this will increase when Josh Allen and/or Lamar Jackson lock in a new deal. Our projection tool places a 4 year, $141M extension on the table, $70M fully guaranteed at signing. We’ll round things up for the most part when building out a mock contract extension here for Baker Mayfield. New Years: 4

New Money: $144M
Signing Bonus: $25M
Guaranteed at Sign: $68M
Potential Guarantee: $108M
Total Contract: 6 yrs, $168M

Arizona Cardinals

J.J. Watt (DT, 32)
The Cardinals struck early, plucking Watt off the street after he was granted a release from Houston in Mid-February. Watt won’t be the most dominant player on the field most weeks, but he’ll bring plenty of clout to a defense that is looking to keep up with a young, explosive offense in Arizona.

Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones (WR, 32)This one shouldn’t have surprised Spotrac listeners too much, as the writing was on the wall immediately after 2020. Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, & newly drafted Kyle Pitts will be Matt Ryan’s lead arsenal going forward. 

Baltimore Ravens

Sammy Watkins (WR, 28)
With limited capital to work with, the Ravens couldn’t missed out on a few of the bigger WR fish this offseason, but still landed a potential upgrade in Watkins, who brings talent, and playoff experience from LAR/KC to Lamar’s offense. 

Buffalo Bills

Extending Their Own
LB Matt Milano, OT Daryl Williams, OG Jon Feliciano, CB Levi Wallace all remain in the fold, while their most important in-house extension is still pending - QB Josh Allen. WR Emmanuel Sanders should be a value upgrade as a WR2/WR3 piece as well.

Carolina Panthers

Sam Darnold (QB, 24)
At $23M over the next two seasons, Carolina essentially gets a do-over on the Bridgewater experience with a younger, different style QB. There’s a good chance that a change of scenery and scheme bring out the best in the former #3 overall.

Chicago Bears

Allen Robinson (WR, 27)
There were plenty around the game (myself included), who thought there was no chance Allen Robinson would stick with this franchise past 2020, even if a healthy franchise tag was offered. But Robinson signed the tag, and will give Andy Dalton/Justin Fields a legit WR1 weapon to rely on for the season.

Cincinnati Bengals

Highly Drafted Offensive Weapons
The Bengals’ “fantasy” lineup now contains 6 players who were drafted in the first two rounds. Joe Burrow/Ja’Marr Chase in the first, Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and Drew Sample in the second. If this core gels, it could mean big things from a scoring standpoint over the next 4-5 seasons.

Cleveland Browns

John Johnson (S, 25), Troy Hill (CB, 29)
Anytime you can add two highly regarded players from the Rams defense, things are going well for you. Toss in a late addition of Jadeveon Clowney, and this already solid Browns D should be geared up for big things in 2021. 

Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott (QB, 27)
We didn’t learn much from the NFC East last year, but we all found out just how important Dak Prescott is to the Dallas Cowboys. Dak is back, he’s well-paid, and his offensive weapons are nothing short of outstanding heading into 2021. Did the defense improve enough, and is there enough left in the O-Line to make it all work?

Denver Broncos

The Secondary
With Justin Herbert, and Patrick Mahomes in the division, the Broncos have loaded up on defensive backs the past two offseasons, extending Justin Simmons, adding Ronald Darby & Kyle Fuller via free agency, bringing back Kareem Jackson, and drafting Patrick Surtain II. Will they also acquire a QB that will put other defensive backs on their heels in 2021?

Detroit Lions

Jared Goff (QB, 26)
Goff fell out of favor rather quickly despite a ton of team success with the Rams. Will his style translate better elsewhere? The Lions don’t exactly boast the best passing game weapons in the league right now, so the odds are likely stacked against him.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Jones (RB, 26)
To me, extending Jones to an at-value contract was a warning shot that the Packers believe they have the right team to push this thing to the top. There are very few reasons to pay a 26 year old running back these days, but pushing the chips all in is one. Did they foresee a massive PR disaster for the next 10-12 months at the QB position? Likely not. But common logic says the restless will calm down come football time, and this roster will return to legit NFC contender standing.

Houston Texans

Tyrod Taylor (QB, 31), Davis Mills (QB, 22)
Sure, Houston could just be covering their bases for the upcoming season with the understanding that it’s most likely Deshaun Watson will be sent to the commissioner’s exempt list and/or suspended. But the selection of Mills also tells me there’s a very realistic possibility that once the dust settles a bit, Houston will indeed seek out and grant Watson the trade demand he pushed on them just a few months ago. The Dolphins are patiently waiting.

Indianapolis Colts

Carson Wentz (QB, 28)
Unlike Goff, Wentz enters a team where he’s familiar with the coaching, and will be offered a solid group of pass catchers to toss to. But the retirement of Anthony Castonzo seems a huge red flag for the Colts and Wentz’s immediate success.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence (QB, 21)
The Jaguars out-tanked the Jets for the rights to select Lawrence, and while health remains an issue this offseason, all signs point to an exciting uptick for the Jaguars. Urban Meyer and Co. have held onto and added a lot of speed and versatility in terms of weapons around him - but is the O-Line deep and strong enough to protect a young QB?

Kansas City Chiefs

Joe Thuney (OG, 28, Kyle Long (OG, 32), Orlando Brown Jr. (OT, 25)
Quite a response to what was an obvious deficiency in KC’s Super Bowl repeat bid last season. Mahomes loses a weapon in Sammy Watkins, and there are some contractual question marks on the defensive side of the ball (Frank Clark, Tyrann Mathieu), but this is a rock solid AFC team as per usual on paper.

Las Vegas Raiders

Kenyan Drake (RB, 27)
This was one of those “huh??” signings at first sight, but once the dust settled (and the Raiders chopped off about $15M from their O-Line), it’s understandable to see them acquire a proven player who can catch a few passes, but also greatly improve their red zone production, without sacrificing Josh Jacobs 100% of the snaps. The Raiders offensive was sneaky good last year, and there’s reason to believe they’ll be better. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert’s New Offensive Line
Every season this team on paper gets me believing that their odds in Vegas are crazy off. Then 11 preseason injuries later, I’m feeding my kids bread and water for a few weeks. The difference this year? The notable upgrades all came on the offensive line, and the guy they’re protecting is trending toward a generational talent level. Slater, Aboushi, Linsley, Feiler, Bulaga could finally be the piece to this puzzle that pushes LAC forward. 

Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford (QB, 33)
It was the right time for a change, and there aren’t many better landing spots than a Sean McVay led Rams offense for Stafford. Will he hit the ground running with a team ready to win? Tom Brady seems to think that’s possible. Conventional thinking says it usually takes a year to gel and find the rhythms, but this will be a highly bet on team heading into 2021. 

Miami Dolphins

Jaylen Waddle (WR, 22)
The Alabama connection QB/WR should have real value, & when tossing in a 1 year flier on Will Fuller, the Dolphins’ passing game is geared to take that next step - assuming Tua has the capacity to take them there. The QB situation in Miami could be on high alert in the coming months, assuming Deshaun Watson’s status changes in Houston.

Minnesota Vikings

Dalvin Tomlinson (DT, 27)
The Vikings made it a point to address the defensive side of the ball via free agency, while shoring up offensive line depth via the draft. A third round QB selection also adds a new wrinkle for next offseason. Tomlinson outplayed his ability to be re-signed to the Giants, and it’ll be the Vikings’ gain. 

New England Patriots

Jonnu Smith (TE, 25), Hunter Henry (TE, 26)
The QB situation remains very much fluid in New England, but nothing feels more stable and nostalgic than the return of a two tight end set offense with two prominent offensive weapons in those roles. Will the Patriots wildly uncommon spending spree this offseason translate to a contending team?

New Orleans Saints

Defensive Losses
We knew the cap crunch was going to be tough on New Orleans, and from a roster standpoint, the defensive side of the ball took the most hits. Gone are DE Trey Hendrickson (CIN), CB Janoris Jenkins (TEN), DT Sheldon Rankins (NYJ), & LB Alex Anzalone (DET), while WR Emmanuel Sanders is the notable loss on that side of the ball. Can a rebuilt defense plus a brand new starting QB for the first time in 16 years keep the Saints afloat in contention?

New York Giants

Kenny Golladay (WR, 27)
In an offseason where a plethora of WR options via free agency and the draft seemingly dropped the values to acquire one, the Giants zagged and went all in on Golladay with $40M guaranteed over the next two and a half years. It’s a statement signing to see what they have in QB Daniel Jones - barring Golladay can stay on the field to support him.

New York Jets

Zach Wilson (QB, 21)
Wilson is young and talented, but he’ll forever be the guy taken after Trevor Lawrence. Did the Jets screw the pooch by not losing enough games in 2020? Only time will tell, but they’re saying all the right things about their new QB1, and there’s a halfway decent set of pass catchers and a legitimate left tackle already on this roster to give him a fighting chance out of the gate.

Philadelphia Eagles

Turnover
You’ll find changs and turnover seemingly everywhere you look on this roster - from the coach to the QB to the WR to the OL to the DL to the secondary (and eventually to the TE position). Philly’s pre-draft trade with Miami might easily be the best thing they do in 2021, as it proved their identified who/what they are this year, and are acquiring assets to follow a year of “taking it on the chin” from a dead cap, and roster growth standpoint. With that said, Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Miles Sanders, and a few legitimate edge rushers should still raise some hell in the NFC East.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger (QB, 39)
Oh to be a fly in the wall of the Steelers’ front office this past winter, trying to decide if ripping the band-aids off and starting fresh in many regards was the proper way forward, or if patching things back together and hoping Mike Tomlin’s magic wand can do the trick one more time was worth the investment. Big Ben’s paycut & restructured contract answered that question in early March, and a surprise return from JuJu Smith-Schuster added even more juice to this team’s defiance to go downward. Massive cap casualties on the O-Line & Defensive side of the ball could tell the true story down the stretch though.

San Francisco 49ers

Trent Williams (OT, 33)
After the big pre-draft trade to go up and get their next QB, ensuring his blind spot was secured for the coming years had to be priority number two. San Fran acquired Williams for a 3rd & 5th round pick last year, then paid him $12.5M as a trial run through the 2020 season. That turned into $55M guaranteed over the next three seasons, and what they hope will be a smooth transition from Jimmy G to Trey Lance.

Seattle Seahawks

Chris Carson (RB, 27)
See Aaron Jones above. Extending the RB who was allowed to hit free agency signals one thing: We’re all in. Toss in a 2nd round selection of WR D’Wayne Eskridge, and a once disgruntled Russell Wilson at least has a good set of toys to play with - though it remains to be seen if he’ll have enough time in the pocket to see them.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The All-22

No Super Bowl winner has ever returned all 22 starters in the following season: Until Now. The Buccaneers piggy-backed off of a down league salary cap year to bring all their major pieces back on slightly team-friendly costs, with extremely team-friendly structure. Free Agent Signings | Offseason Extensions

Tennessee Titans

Julio Jones (WR, 33)
Tennessee was always on the short list of teams that would be willing to pay the price for Julio, and with an offseason of signings and draft picks focused directly on the defensive side of the ball (rightfully so), this was the right time to splash. Julio steps in for the departing Corey Davis, and now pairs up with A.J. Brown as one of the better 1-2 duos in all of football.

Washington Football Team

Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, 38)
I don’t think there’s enough praise being given to the WFT for this move, despite the fact that there were so many other QBs on the move this offseason one way or another. This Washington team has a lot of things going right for them, and were able to add a savvy WR in Curtis Samuel to up their efficient passing game. After years of overpaying at the QB position with very little return, the franchise decided to slow play this move, bringing in an experienced game manager who can still fling the ball downfield to open receivers - something this offense should have plenty of in 2021.

NBA players signed to minimum contracts are usually defined into one of three groups:

• Rookies or young players who are hoping to make a team
• Veteran players who are hoping to play a role a title contender
• Veteran players who receive a buyout and catch on late in the season with a contender

The first group regularly sees players play themselves off of a minimum contract. This offseason alone, that group includes Bruce Brown Jr., Devonte’ Graham, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson and Gary Trent Jr. All of these players are going to get more than the minimum and some are going to get considerably more.

The last group is a matter of circumstance. For all of Andre Drummond’s foibles as a player, he’s not really someone who will play on a minimum contract for very long. After his buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Drummond joined the Lakers for a shot at a ring. This summer, Drummond will make far more than the minimum, even if it means taking a role with a lesser team. Blake Griffin is another good example. If he wants to leave the Nets for more than the minimum, he’s shown he’s still got the game to earn more.

It’s the middle group where players often get stuck, sometimes forever. Around the NBA there is a thought that “Once a minimum player, always a minimum player” when it comes to veterans.

Fair or unfair, that’s how life works in the NBA. The vast majority of successful teams are built around one to three players on max contracts, a handful signed to a mid-tier contract via the Mid-Level Exception, a few Rookie Scale players and then a handful of players that were signed via the Minimum Exception. Or the bench is rounded out with young players who the team used part of an exception to sign to a three or four-year minimum contract (Minimum Exception deals are limited to two seasons in length).

This season several players stuck in that “minimum player” category seem to have played themselves out of that designation. Here’s a list of players who might be looking at a more lucrative contract in 2021-22, based on their play this year.

Reggie Jackson (PG, LAC)

Jackson turned in one of his better seasons while toiling away on the minimum for the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 10.7 points per game, while shooting 45% from the field and 43% from behind the arc. In the postseason, Jackson has been even better. He’s averaged 17.6 points on 51% shooting overall and 42% from behind the arc. With several teams looking at point guard openings this summer, Jackson has earned himself at least a large chunk of the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception from someone.

Nicolas Batum (SF, LAC)

Let’s stick with Clippers vets for a minute. Batum looked finished in 2019-20 with the Charlotte Hornets. He barely played, shot poorly and it looked like his NBA career was over. The Clippers added Batum for the minimum and he became a key rotation player for them. He stayed healthy all season and turned in 8.1 points (on some of the best shooting of his career) and 4.7 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game. He’s also shown the ability to play some small ball five, which adds to his value. It’s unclear if Batum will leave LA or not. If he stays, he probably stays on the minimum. If he wants to cash in elsewhere, he could get $4 or $5 million from a title contender for a bench role.

Cameron Payne (PG, PHX)

Going head-to-head with the Clippers is Payne, who has finally put it all together in his sixth season. The Phoenix Suns did well to add Payne on a two-year, minimum contract before the bubble last season. He played well at Walt Disney World and that’s carried over to this year. He’s been a solid backup to Chris Paul and stepped up while Paul was out to start the Western Conference Finals. Payne should get a portion of the MLE from a good team to be a high-end backup point guard that can start when necessary.

Torrey Craig (SF, PHX)

Completing our quartet of Western Conference finalists on the minimum is Craig. He’s a defense-first wing who easily fits on any good team. The Milwaukee Bucks probably should have kept him, but the Suns stole him on the cheap when the Bucks needed to clear a roster spot. Craig’s defense alone should earn him a chunk of the MLE from someone, but his offense is probably better than you think too.

Solomon Hill (SF, ATL)

Hill belongs in the same camp as Batum, even if he’s several years younger. If he wants to return to Atlanta, it’s probably for the minimum, as the Hawks payroll is starting to get a little unwieldy. But if Hill wants to cash in on his newfound “defensive stopper” reputation, he could get a nice offer elsewhere.

Austin Rivers (PG, DEN)

Rivers play for the Denver Nuggets was better than most expected. If he’s happy there as a placeholder until Jamal Murray returns, Rivers will re-sign with Denver for the minimum. Otherwise, he could leverage a poor free agent class into a bigger offer from a playoff contender seeking guard depth.

Jeff Green (PF, BKN)

Since his one-year, $15 million contract with the Orlando Magic expired in 2017, Jeff Green has played for the minimum for five different clubs over the last four seasons. If Green wants to stay with a ready-made title contender in Brooklyn, the Nets will happily bring him back on another minimum deal. If Green wants to cash in one last time, he might have a chance to snag part of the MLE from a playoff hopeful looking for a veteran forward for their bench.