I write and talk about the NBA, especially the salary cap, CBA and roster construction stuff. I do these things for Spotrac, NBA Front Office Show and The Basketball Bulletin. Any nonsense you see here is from me, not my employers.
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Among centers, here were the highest usage rates in the NBA last season per @basketball-reference.com: 1. A. Davis: 30.4 V. Wembanyama: 30.4 3. N. Jokic: 29.5 4. J. Jackson Jr: 28.1 5. K. Towns: 27.4 6. A. Sengun: 26.2 7. B. Adebayo: 23.5 A. Sarr: 23.5 Gotta imagine Bam nudges up some here.
Starting NOW!
He's already got the ball a lot. And unless he shows even more improvement as a shooter, they've probably about maxed out what he can do as an offensive fulcrum.
I highly doubt it.
LIVE @frontofficeshow.bsky.social Friday is back at 12 noon ET today! Join @trevorlanenba.bsky.social and I to talk all things NBA as we wrap up the final week before camps start opening next week. Let's go! Link below. Don't be late, so you don't miss the yell! www.youtube.com/live/jtoWTpo...
Depending on how long Tyler Herro is out, Norman Powell takes on a much bigger role for the Heat. Not having Herro is a major blow to Miami's offense. Powell will help cover that, but who picks up the rest? Spo has a lot of work to do to get this offense into even a decent spot.
Town Fair Tire
Pretty much all we can do. Hang in there. I have to believe better days will be ahead.
I kind of understand what you mean, but this is how they win too. They get one off the air and then get people boycotting the rest because they are mad. I'm personally not going to play their game like that, because everyone but them loses.
I know some of you need to read/hear this as much as I do: Two weeks from now we'll be watching preseason NBA hoops!
The Detroit Pistons have signed Charles Bediako, Dawson Garcia, John Ukomadu and Brice Williams to training camp deals.
Something isn't totaling right there. We'll take a look.
NBA teams spent nearly $5B (billion with a B!) in new salary this offseason. For @spotrac.com, I broke down how that money was spent and who were the ones spending it! 🏀Extensions 🏀Free Agents 🏀Rookie Signings Read more: www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/29...
New @frontofficeshow.bsky.social is up! @trevorlanenba.bsky.social and I are back! We talked Kawhi, Kuminga and the Dubs, Giddey’s new deal, Nets and Knicks roster moves, EuroBasket and more! Watch, like and subscribe below! youtu.be/1cZ9-owIT9Y?...
ARK. Always. Read. Keith.
NBA teams spent nearly $5B (billion with a B!) in new salary this offseason. For @spotrac.com, I broke down how that money was spent and who were the ones spending it! 🏀Extensions 🏀Free Agents 🏀Rookie Signings Read more: www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/29...
The New Orleans Pelicans signed and waived Johnny O'Neil. This was an Exhibit 10 deal to get O'Neil to the Birmingham Squadron of the G League.
It's more about the Nets roster crunch. They have a bunch of guards/ballhandlers and it's better to make the move now for all parties involved.
Johnson got his NBA career on track while with Brooklyn. He showed he can play and be a helpful NBA player. Hopefully he catches on somewhere with available minutes. The Nets will eat about $272K in dead money for Johnson. They are still well under the cap, so no issue there.
The Brooklyn Nets announced they have waived guard Keon Johnson.
Bismack Biyombo waived his implicit no-trade clause in his new Exhibit 9 deal with the San Antonio Spurs, a league source told @spotrac.com.
Bones Hyland waived his implicit no-trade clause in his new deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a league source told @spotrac.com.
After all of the Knicks roster shuffling today, here's where the team stands: 3 on two-way contracts: T. Evbuomwan T. Jemison III K. McCullar 6 on Ex. 9 or 10 contracts: M. Brogdon M. Diawara A. Len G. Mathews M. Ryan L. Shamet 2/2
After all of the Knicks roster shuffling today, here's where the team stands: 12 on standard contracts: OG Anunoby M. Bridges J. Brunson J. Clarkson P. Dadiet J. Hart A. Hukporti (non-guaranteed) T. Kolek M. McBride M. Robinson K. Towns G. Yabusele 1/2
David Muoka's contract with the Brooklyn Nets was guaranteed for $85,300, a league source told @spotrac.com. That's the same as most Exhibit 10 contracts, but this amount will be applied to the Nets books as dead money since Muoka was waived today. Ex. 10 deals don't hit the cap/tax.
The New York Knicks have waived Dink Pate and Bryson Warren. Both players were signed to Exhibit 10 deals to get them to the Westchester Knicks of the G League.
A @frontofficeshow.bsky.social tidbit to share: Today at 6:49 PM ET, you'll be able to find @trevorlanenba.bsky.social and I talking West Tiers in the official @nba.com app! You can catch a replay at 1:54 AM ET. Click on the "Discover" tab, then "Streaming Channels" and you'll find us there!
Not going to happen.
This isn't a "new CBA ruined everything!" thing either. Teams have been using their 15th roster spot less and less over the years. I wrote about it last year for @spotrac.com: www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/24...
Malcolm Brogdon only getting a camp deal is something else.
Back in a couple of days!
Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors remain stuck in a staring contest waiting to see who will blink first. NEW for @spotrac.com, I broke down where we stand and the short- and long-term implications for Kuminga and the Warriors and his next deal: www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/29...
The San Antonio Spurs waived guard Isaiah Miller, who was signed to an Ex. 10 contract over the weekend. This was to make room for Bismack Biyombo, who was re-signed today. Miller is expected to join the Austin Spurs of the G League this season.
Hawks will create a $4.5M TPE by trading Kobe Bufkin to the Nets without any salary coming back. Atlanta will be $7.7M under the luxury tax and $15.8M under their first-apron hard cap. Nets will have roughly $11.6M left in cap space, with the ability to create up to $19.9M in cap space.
I went deep on the situation between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors including: 🏀Golden State's cap sheet and filling out the roster 🏀The Qualifying Offer 🏀Sign-and-Trade complications 🏀A Nets offer sheet 🏀Re-signing with Golden State 🏀Where I think we're heading with Kuminga and the Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors remain stuck in a staring contest waiting to see who will blink first. NEW for @spotrac.com, I broke down where we stand and the short- and long-term implications for Kuminga and the Warriors and his next deal: www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/29...
The Brooklyn Nets have signed David Muoka, a league source told @spotrac.com.
Today is the final day for NBA teams to sign a player and have that player become trade-eligible on December 15, which is the unofficial opening of trade season. After today, any player signed will have a three-month trade restriction before they can be dealt.
If Bismack Biyombo is on a standard (non-camp) deal, he'll bring the Spurs to the max of 15 players on standard contracts for this season. 13 of the 14 Spurs on standard deals have fully guaranteed contracts. Lindy Waters has a partial guarantee of $500K for the upcoming season.
Yeah, basically. It's gross to compare a human being to a car, but it kind of works like car insurance. If he's injured and loses out on future contract value, the insurance can cover some of it.
Really feels like the Jonathan Kuminga-Warriors situation is a case of who blinks first. No matter what happens with the next deal, I'd be surprised if that relationship continues beyond the upcoming season, if it lasts that long.
If you can pull yourself away from football, the EuroBasket Final has been really good!
That is correct.
The Toronto Raptors signed-and-waived Jarkel Joiner today. E10 deal set up to get Joiner to Raptors 905 of the G League.
That'll be a veteran minimum deal for Landry Shamet. Knicks had space under the second-apron hard cap for one veteran minimum signing and one rookie minimum signing, without making another move. New York has 13 players on standard contracts. Need to eventually get to 14 players.
New @frontofficeshow.bsky.social is up! While @trevorlanenba.bsky.social and I take some time off, we prerecorded our Eastern Conference Tiers for you! All 15 East teams put into tiers. Watch, like and subscribe below! youtu.be/FrNRhYk2Kb0?...
NBA training camp signings yesterday: 🏀Charles - Bassey - ATL 🏀Cormac Ryan - MIL 🏀Osayi Osifo - SAS 🏀Tyreke Key - TOR (signed and waived)
Ok. And? They'll waive some guys, eat some money and still will have a bunch of cap space and they'll hit the floor.
Those are partial and non-guaranteed contracts. And they aren't going to waive all of those guys. They won't create more space than what they have, unless they really need to. Also, Beekman is off the books now, since he signed in Orlando.
After re-signing Cam Thomas, Day'Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams in the last week the Brooklyn Nets have $16.1M in salary cap space. Nets also have the $8.8M Room Exception. Brooklyn is ~$650K under the salary floor. They'll go over the floor when they sign Ricky Council IV.
Ziaire Williams waived his impilicit no-trade clause in his new two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, a league source told @spotrac.com. Williams was eligible for a NTC because his deal includes an option (team option in this case) on the second season.
🤷♂️😂 Always felt like this is where we would land!
Day'Ron Sharpe waived his implied no-trade clause in his new deal with the Brooklyn Nets, a league source told @spotrac.com. Sharpe was eligible for a NTC because his deal includes an option (team option in this case) on the second season.
Another stunning EuroBasket upset as Georgia knocks out France. Who knew September Madness was also a thing?
Absolutely monster upset by Finland over Serbia today. Major effort by Lauri Markkanen in the victory. Turkey was challenged earlier in the day but advanced. Germany rolled forward. Lithuania moved on. Finland now through too. Incredible tournament so far!
It depends on how their agreements were written. Sometimes they do. Other times they have to sell their own shares to get a piece.
The Suns have waived Alex Schumacher. Sign-and-waive transaction to get Schumacher to the Valley Suns of the G League with an E10 bonus.
Starting NOW! www.youtube.com/live/N57dWUS...
LIVE @frontofficeshow.bsky.social Friday will start around 12 noon ET! @trevorlanenba.bsky.social and I will be going over all the latest around the NBA and taking your questions to wrap up the week. See you there! Link to come when show is live.
I'm not sure what your point is.
I think that deal is very in favor of the Sixers. I get why they would want that and maybe won't go further. But if I was advising Grimes, I wouldn't take that. I'd sign the QO and hit UFA next summer.
That's not exactly how it works. He can sign the QO and then walk and leave the Bulls with nothing next summer. He loses some money, but the Bulls lose the player. Not really the place they want to be.
I'd argue that offering only the MLE is too. I get it, because the backcourt is getting a bit stuffed with a bunch of guys who can't all play at the same time. But feels like something in the middle is more commensurate with his actual value. Mostly: RFA is broken and way too team-friendly.
The Phoenix Suns signed Alex Schumacher to an Exhibit 10 contract yesterday. (Aside: Expect lots of news like this over the next couple of months ahead of the season starting!)
I haven't seen anything since, and at that time that didn't appear close to what Grimes was looking for.
Fun post from Luke Adams on @hoopsrumors.bsky.social about coach tenures. Somehow Joe Mazzulla is already in the top half of longest tenures with a team! www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/09/long...
Bulls are offering Josh Giddey $22M AAV. Giddey wants $30M AAV. Split the difference and go to $25-$26M AAV, right? Feels like this one is close enough that a deal will get signed. Not sure we're that close with Quentin Grimes or Jonathan Kuminga. QO feeling more and more likely.
The Atlanta Hawks waived Javan Johnson and Dwight Murray Jr. today. This is a common thing we will see happen regularly throughout the preseason. This is how teams line players up for the G League via Exhibit 10 contracts.
Day'Ron Sharpe's two-year contract is a flat $6.25M for each season, a league source told @spotrac.com. The Nets have a team option for the 2026-27 season.
Why wouldn't Boston just take the pick for themselves?
On Cam Thomas: 🏀Will make $5.99M this season 🏀No-Trade Clause for this season because he loses Bird Rights if traded 🏀Unrestricted free agent in 2026 🏀Not extension-eligible 🏀If traded, new team will have Non-Bird Rights. Can sign Thomas for $7.2M without using space or MLE.
After re-signing Day'Ron Sharpe and Cam Thomas, the Nets are still sitting on $22.6M in cap space. Brooklyn has pending agreements with Ziaire Williams and Ricky Council IV. Those could come from cap space or the Room Exception. Nets are currently ~$7.1M under the salary floor.
Pretty close. But they've still got some time to use more cap space before re-signing Williams.
Interesting Brooklyn Nets cap quirk: Day'Ron Sharpe re-signed, which ate into the Nets available cap space. However, Cam Thomas signing the qualifying offer (which was less than his cap hold) restores about $6M in cap space for the Nets. Brooklyn essentially comes out even here.
I have a similar feeling about cap circumvention as I do about fixing games/stats: When the foundation of fair play is compromised, it all starts to feel pointless. If you find a true loophole to exploit, good on you. Exploit it. If you are actively cheating, that's where it all falls apart.
New @frontofficeshow.bsky.social is up! @trevorlanenba.bsky.social and I talked Clippers and cap circumvention, PJ Washington extending, other Mavs moves, Giannis staying in Milwaukee, EuroBasket and more. Watch, like and subscribe below! youtu.be/JjGQNbLKlbU?...
Yet another example of the stupidity of this state. And, also, another example of Republicans caring far more about the unborn than actual children. Once they are born, they can get shot in schools or now they can die from diseases we long-since eradicated. It's not about anything beyond control.
Because Washington is extending beyond the extend-and-trade parameters, he'll have a six-month no-trade restriction from the day he signs. That's means that Washington can't be traded this season, as the restriction will run past the NBA trade deadline on February 5.
PJ Washington's extension with the Dallas Mavericks should look like this (Veteran Extension at 140% raise over current salary with 8% raises after): 26-27: $19.8M 27-28: $21.4M 28-29: $22.9M 29-30: $24.6M Total: four years, $88.8M
The following players signed training camp deals yesterday: 🏀Garrison Brooks - New Orleans Pelicans 🏀Jalen McDaniels - New Orleans Pelicans 🏀Stanely Umude - San Antonio Spurs
Yes, but they can't stretch the salary. You can carry as much dead salary as you would like.
All four of them have three to five years left on their current deals. It's too far out to be thinking about that now.
The Orlando Magic announced they have signed Reece Beekman, Colin Castleton, Justin Minaya and Lester Quinones.
Dru Smith's new contract with the Miami Heat is a three-year deal. The first season is fully guaranteed, and the last two seasons are non-guaranteed with late-June guarantee dates, a league source told @spotrac.com. Heat used Smith's Early Bird rights to give him a three-year deal.
New @frontofficeshow.bsky.social is up! @trevorlanenba.bsky.social and I put each of the 15 Western Conference Teams into tiers: 🏀The Thunder 🏀West Contenders 🏀West Playoff Teams 🏀West PIT Teams 🏀West Lottery Teams Watch, like and subscribe below! youtu.be/0FRVeSLV0fY?...
It really sucks that Rokas Jokubaitis got hurt. Reportedly might be an ACL and meniscus injury. He was playing great for Lithuanian and could be an intriguing NBA guy down the line (Knicks own his NBA draft rights).
Trae Young is extension eligible. Atlanta reportedly wants to evaluate their new roster before inking Young to a new deal. That comes with a lot of risk, mostly for the Hawks. For @spotrac.com's Next Contract Series, I looked at the options for Young and the Hawks: www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/29...
It's September 1st... The NBA regular season starts next month!
The Dallas Mavericks have officially re-signed guard Dante Exum.
To keep both Coffey (unclear where things stand there) and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Bucks will have to shed two players. That will include at least one fully guaranteed contract. I think Jackson is very much an NBA player, so someone could snag a good player on waivers or via trade. 2/2
I'm interested to see how Milwaukee handles their roster. They have 15 players on standard contracts already. Andre Jackson Jr's deal is $800K guaranteed and becomes fully guaranteed opening night. Amir Coffey is on a camp deal. Everyone else is on a fully guaranteed contract. 1/2
There's another translation floating around that says "ruptured hamstring", which isn't any better.
We haven't heard the exact extent Bogdan Bogdanovic's hamstring injury, but the Serbian team described it in their release as a "hamstring tear". That's not great. He's headed to LA, where the Clippers will take care of treatment from here. Bogdanovic missed time last year with hamstring issues.
It's a pretty deep frontcourt group in Toronto but Sandro Mamukelashvili has a chance for a breakout season. Should start as the primary backup for Jakob Poeltl. Raptors have to be excited about what he's shown in EuroBasket. Really good performances from Mamukelashvili so far.
That Devin Hester does have a Devin Hester junior though. He’s still in HS.
Germany took care of Lithuania this morning. Strong games again from Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner. Daniel Theis was terrific. Took advantage of his quickness and range all game long. Jonas Valanciunas was solid. Rokas Jokubaitis (NYK holds his NBA rights) continues to play well: 20 pts & 7 ast.
Yesterday vs Serbia was tougher on Neemias Queta, as was to be expected. Not only dealing with Nikola Jokic, but all the ball and player movement from Serbia. Thought Queta held up fairly well defensively. Doesn't have anyone to get him the ball in scoring spots. Still more good than bad though.
Thoughts from yesterday's late EuroBasket games: 🏀Lauri Markkanen was unstoppable. Finished with 43 points in 23 minutes. Could have had more if he had pushed for it. 🏀Sloppy game from Serbia in a win. Nikola Jokic and Nikola Jovic were both good. All eyes on Bogdan Bogdanovic's hamstring injury.
Dallas now has enough room under their second-apron hard cap to re-sign Dante Exum to a veteran minimum contract worth about $2.3M. 2/2
Factoring in unlikely bonuses for Caleb Martin and PJ Washington (unlikely bonuses count towards the apron calculation), Dallas was just under $600K under their second-apron hard cap. After waiving-and-stretching Olivier-Maxence Prosper, the Mavs are almost $3.6M under the second apron. 1/2