The NBA Draft was a month in the past, most main free-agent offers have been finished for 3 weeks and summer season league is within the books. (Congratulations to Kon Knueppel, Ok.J. Simpson and the remainder of the Summer season Hornets by the way in which — those rings are pretty nice.) Which means that a lot of the league is in trip mode, with coaching camp nonetheless a few months away.
It doesn’t, nevertheless, imply that the offseason is (utterly) over. There are restricted free brokers who stay in limbo, veterans who’re nonetheless in the marketplace and extension-eligible gamers who have not gotten offers finished. There’s additionally the chance that, in between now and the beginning of the season, there can be one other massive commerce. One of 2024’s biggest blockbusters befell in October.
There’s nonetheless loads of time to evaluation all the pieces that has occurred this offseason. What follows is a take a look at what nonetheless hasn’t.
The RFA stalemate
The shortage of cap house across the league made this summer season even harder than regular for restricted free brokers. Of the seven 2021 first-round picks who grew to become RFAs, three have signed offers: Memphis Grizzlies ahead Santi Aldama (three years, $52.5 million), Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (two years, $24 million) and Indiana Pacers heart Isaiah Jackson (three years, $21 million). The 4 who stay unsigned — Quentin Grimes, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Cam Thomas — are in search of far more cash than that.
There hasn’t been a lot buzz about the potential for Grimes leaving the Philadelphia 76ers. Pressured right into a higher-usage function as a consequence of accidents in Philadelphia, he seemed extra assured and succesful with the ball in his arms late final season than at another level in his profession. Daryl Morey’s entrance workplace is unquestionably hoping subsequent 12 months’s iteration of the staff will not want any 40-point video games from Grimes, however, even with the backcourt wanting a bit crowded, he initiatives to play an necessary function. Morey has constantly mentioned the Sixers need him again, however, with no one forcing them right into a bidding warfare, how a lot will they be prepared to pay?
Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors appear prepared for a breakup, however, if no viable sign-and-trade resolution emerges, may they re-sign him to a short-term deal? It will be a wedding of comfort, however perhaps it may work out for each events the way in which that Jalen Green‘s short-term extension did for the Houston Rockets. (The Rockets included him within the Kevin Durant deal.) Kuminga has been linked to the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, however any sign-and-trade situation can be difficult. Past the issue of base-year compensation, this is not nearly discovering a staff that’s prepared to pay Kuminga like a possible star. It is about discovering a staff that’s so enthusiastic about paying him like a possible star that they’re prepared to ship actual belongings to the Warriors so as to take action.
(The unresolved Kuminga state of affairs has held up Golden State’s other business, just like the reported additions of Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton. Signing Horford to the taxpayer midlevel exception would hard-cap the Warriors on the second apron, and taking again greater than Kuminga’s outgoing wage in sign-and-trade would hard-cap them on the first apron. In the event that they have been hard-capped, a staff that opens up cap house — or the Brooklyn Nets — may theoretically provide Kuminga a first-year wage that they could not match with out first opening up cap house of their very own.)
Sometimes, when a staff acquires a participant a 12 months earlier than he turns into a restricted free agent, it does so with the intention of protecting him. Provided that Giddey had seen his function with the Oklahoma City Thunder diminish within the 2024 playoffs, although, it was comprehensible that he and the Chicago Bulls did not attain an extension earlier than the 2024-25 season. After placing up massive numbers within the second half of the season, Giddey should count on his wager on himself to repay. A number of experiences point out that he is in search of a brand new contract value about $30 million per season, however the Bulls have stood agency at nearer to $20 million. It’s attainable that, a 12 months after re-signing ahead Patrick Williams to a five-year, $90 million contract that appears disastrous, Chicago has determined it is time to play hardball.
Thomas got mad at The Ringer’s Zach Lowe on social media, however the podcast he was peeved about featured an evenhanded dialogue of his recreation. Whereas the Nets can greater than afford to pay him, however there is not any approach they’re going to give him the roughly $30 million per season that he is reportedly asking for. There seems to be a disconnect between the way in which Thomas sees himself and the way in which he is seen across the league.
The most effective obtainable UFAs
Even in case you do not depend Horford, Melton or Malik Beasley (whose short- and long-term NBA future is up within the air as a result of he is underneath federal investigation for allegedly playing on NBA video games), you possibly can put collectively an honest roster of function gamers who stay unsigned.
Here is a beginning lineup:
- Malcolm Brogdon: After a few years in Portland and Washington, it feels prefer it’s time for the veteran guard to get again on a successful staff. If wholesome, he might be an actual discount for a contender — it was solely two years in the past that he gained Sixth Man of the 12 months in Boston.
- Gary Payton II: Everyone desires to stress opposing ballhandlers nowadays, so it’s kind of stunning that he’s nonetheless on the market. Payton suits properly in Golden State’s system, so do not rule out a return.
- Amir Coffey: The 28-year-old wing performed the sixth-most minutes of any Clipper final 12 months, however the rotation is now extremely crowded, so he doubtless has to depart to discover a constant function. Coffey made 42.1% of his catch-and-shoot 3s final season.
- Trey Lyles: Want a rotation-caliber 4/5 who can stretch the ground a bit? Lyles has been quietly doing that job in Sacramento for the previous few years.
- Chris Boucher: Want a rotation-caliber 4/5 who can stretch the ground a bit? Boucher has been quietly doing that job in Toronto perpetually, and he actually received these 3s up final season.
On the bench: Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons, Monté Morris, Dalano Banton, Cody Martin, Seth Curry, Thomas Bryant, Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet and Cory Joseph.
I suppose this leaves Delon Wright, Cameron Payne, Garrison Mathews, Markelle Fultz, Alec Burks, Torrey Craig and Talen Horton-Tucker competing for the two-way spots on this faux UFA staff.
Extensions that have not occurred (but)
On Aug. 2, Luka Dončić can be eligible to sign a lucrative, long-term extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is anticipated to decide to the Lakers this summer season, nevertheless it’s unclear how lengthy he’ll go on the deal. Relatively than taking a four-year max contract, which might run by way of the 2029-30 season and be value an estimated $222 million, he may signal a three-year cope with a participant possibility on the ultimate season, which might enable him to hit free company in 2028 with 10 years of expertise, at which level he may signal a brand new deal that begins at 35% of the wage cap.
On Aug. 3, De’Aaron Fox of the San Antonio Spurs can be eligible to signal the identical extensions. When the Spurs traded for him in February, they absolutely deliberate on getting a deal finished, however they did not know on the time that they’d land the No. 2 choose within the draft. Even with Dylan Harper on the roster, although, it might be stunning if they didn’t work one thing out with Fox. The distinction between his state of affairs and Dončić’s, although, is that he will not essentially have a no-questioned-asked max contract on the desk.
Since Nikola Jokić will not extend his contract with the Denver Nuggets this summer season, the above are the 2 greatest names who’re prone to signal extensions. They’re removed from the one ones who may, although:
- Trae Young is eligible to signal an extension and reportedly excited about what the Atlanta Hawks are constructing, however that does not imply the 2 sides are going to get something finished this offseason. His full max is identical four-year, roughly $222 million deal that Dončić and Fox are eligible for.
- The New York Knicks‘ Mikal Bridges is eligible to signal an extension value as much as $156 million over 4 years. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, one of many causes he hasn’t finished so is that the Knicks are nonetheless ready to see if Giannis Antetokounmpo may change into obtainable on the commerce market. (If Bridges have been to increase, he’d be ineligible to be traded for six months.) Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for an extension, too, however this appears far much less doubtless. Cities has three years left on his present contract.
- The Grizzlies’ Ja Morant and the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Darius Garland are in the identical boat as Cities. They’re eligible so as to add two years and $125 million to their respective contracts, which might lock them in by way of 2030. If they do not lengthen this 12 months, they are going to be eligible to signal three-year extensions subsequent summer season.
- Everyone is aware of the Los Angeles Clippers weren’t ready to mess up their pristine salary-cap state of affairs by providing Norman Powell the type of extension he would have been thinking about signing. The commerce that despatched him to the Warmth, nevertheless, could not have made an extension extra doubtless this summer season, since Miami cannot provide him greater than three years and about $80 million till he is been on the roster for six months. In January, it might probably provide him an additional 12 months and a better beginning wage.
- Extra gamers of observe who’re eligible to signal veteran extensions: Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu of the Bulls, Max Strus and Dean Wade of the Cavs, Bobby Portis and AJ Green of the Bucks and Donte DiVincenzo of the Timberwolves.
- P.J. Washington can be eligible to signal an extension with the Mavericks on Aug. 29. On Oct. 1, Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins of the Warmth, Aaron Nesmith of the Pacers, RJ Barrett of the Raptors and De’Andre Hunter of the Cavaliers can be eligible to signal extensions, too.
- There is a lengthy checklist of gamers eligible for rookie extensions till Oct. 21, most notably: Keegan Murray of the Kings, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren of the Pistons, Bennedict Mathurin of the Pacers, Shaedon Sharpe of the Blazers, Dyson Daniels of the Hawks, Jeremy Sochan of the Spurs, Ochai Agbaji of the Raptors, Mark Williams of the Suns, Tari Eason of the Rockets, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson of the Nuggets, Walker Kessler of the Jazz and Nikola Jović of the Warmth.
Trades that have not occurred (but)
Any LeBron James commerce can be tricky to pull off, and never simply because his son performs for his present staff. It isn’t inconceivable to commerce him, although, and Rich Paul’s comments to ESPN on June 29 prompt he wasn’t certain about his future with the Lakers. Since then, James has not publicly cleared the air, so the hypothesis continues: What precisely does James need? May he actually be traded? Where? It looks like the most secure wager is that he’ll stay in Los Angeles, however the actuality is that the staff is now constructing round Dončić. A lot crazier issues have occurred (not too long ago, involving the Lakers).
The Bucks have been working as if Antetokounmpo is not going wherever, and there have not been any indicators that he is about to request a commerce. I ought to observe, although, that the strongest statement he’s made about staying in Milwaukee subsequent season is, “Most likely, most likely, we’ll see.”
Regardless of all types of rumors main as much as the offseason, Lauri Markkanen remains to be with the Jazz; Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Malik Monk are nonetheless with the Kings; Zion Williamson remains to be with the Pelicans; Barrett remains to be with the Raptors; Nikola Vucevic remains to be with the Bulls and Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III are nonetheless with the Blazers. At this level, I would not wager on anyone explicit member of that group being traded earlier than the season begins. I might be reasonably stunned, although, if none of them is traded.