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Nikola Jokic, Nuggets Agree To Super-Max Extension

June 30th, 2022 at 6:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic have agreed to terms on a five-year, super-max extension that projects to be the richest contract in NBA history, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jokic has one year remaining on his current contract, so his new deal will begin in 2023/24 and will be worth 35% of that year’s cap, with subsequent 8% raises.

With the NBA now projecting a $133MM cap for ’23/24, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), Jokic is on track to earn a starting salary of $46.55MM and a total of $269.99MM across five seasons.

The contract will include a player option in the fifth year, per Charania. Jokic’s salary for that season (2027/28) projects to be worth $61.45MM.

Jokic, who met the criteria for a super-max extension a year ago when he won his first Most Valuable Player award, wasn’t technically eligible to sign such a deal until this year, when he had seven years of NBA experience under his belt.

He cemented his case for that super-max deal by winning a second MVP award in 2021/22, establishing new career highs in PPG (27.1), RPG (13.8), and FG% (.583) while also averaging 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 74 contests (33.5 MPG).

This extension agreement had long been anticipated. Jokic’s agent Misko Raznatovic said earlier in the year that he anticipated his client would sign a super-max extension, and the center himself confirmed in April that he’d accept the offer if the Nuggets put it on the table.

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Lakers To Sign Lonnie Walker, Damian Jones, Troy Brown Jr.

June 30th, 2022 at 6:28pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers are signing Lonnie Walker to a one-year, $6.5MM deal, Damian Jones to a two-year deal with a player option, and Troy Brown Jr. to a minimum deal for an unknown duration, according reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (All Twitter links here).

Walker, 23, was the 18th pick of the 2018 draft and spent his first four seasons with the Spurs. He’s a very athletic guard and has shown glimpses of potential, but struggled with efficiency last season (.407/.314/.784 shooting line).

In 70 games (23 MPG) with San Antonio last season, Walker averaged 12.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 2.2 APG. The Spurs decided to withdraw his qualifying offer just before free agency opened, making him unrestricted and free to sign with any team. The move wasn’t very surprising considering the Spurs were better with him off the court (+2.1 net rating) than on it (-3.0), so he’ll be looking to build up his value in Los Angeles after an up-and-down tenure in San Antonio.

Jones, who turns 27 today, had a solid season with the Kings in 2021/22 after struggling to find a standard roster spot in ’19/20. In 56 games last season (18.2 MPG), Jones averaged 8.1 PPG and 4.4 RPG while shooting 65.8% from the field and 71.8% from the line.

After being drafted 30th overall in 2016 by the Warriors, Jones spent his first three seasons with Golden State but struggled to find a consistent role. He’s long and athletic, but was raw coming out of college. He made stops in Atlanta, Phoenix and L.A. from 2019-21 before landing with Sacramento, where he developed into a solid backup center.

Brown, 22, was the 15th pick of the 2018 draft and spent his first two-plus seasons with Washington before being traded to Chicago last year. The Bulls declined his qualifying offer after he struggled to make an impact last season, averaging 4.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .419/.353/.769 shooting in 66 games (16 MPG).

By using the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Walker, the Lakers will be limited to a minimum contract for Max Christie, whom the team selected with the 35th pick of the draft last week. Christie’s deal will be limited to two years, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks relays (via Twitter).

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Nets To Re-Sign Nic Claxton, Patty Mills

June 30th, 2022 at 6:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets are re-signing a pair of key rotation players from their 2021/22 squad, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links), who reports that center Nic Claxton is receiving a two-year, $20MM contract, while guard Patty Mills gets a two-year, $14.5MM deal.

Brooklyn had Claxton’s Bird rights and won’t need to use another cap exception to sign him. Mills’ deal appears to be the maximum amount he can receive on a Non-Bird deal, as Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype tweets.

More to come…

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Pistons To Re-Sign Marvin Bagley III To Three-Year Agreement

June 30th, 2022 at 6:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons have agreed to bring back restricted free agent power forward Marvin Bagley III on a three-year, $37MM contract, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

After being selected by the Kings with the second pick in the 2018 draft over multiple future All-Stars, Bagley struggled through erratic playing time and a variety of injuries with Sacramento, but produced on offense when given some leeway by the team. He holds career averages of 13.6 PPG, on 50.1% shooting, and 7.4 RPG.

Bagley was traded to the Pistons in a four-team deal this February. In 18 games with Detroit, Bagley averaged 14.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.1 APG and 0.7 SPG across 27.2 MPG. The 6’11” big man, still just 23, has yet to become a plus defender, but has value as a scorer on a rebuilding young Pistons team.

Detroit has already enjoyed a busy 2022 offseason. In this year’s NBA draft lottery, the club selected guard Jaden Ivey and center Jalen Duren. The team also traded for veteran shooting guard Alec Burks and reserve center Nerlens Noel from the Knicks. These new additions will join Bagley, 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, an All-Rookie First Team selection, promising young center Isaiah Stewart, and former lottery pick Killian Hayes as the Pistons continue to look toward the future.

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Rockets To Re-Sign Jae’Sean Tate To Three-Year Deal

June 30th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have reached an agreement to re-sign forward Jae’Sean Tate to a three-year contract, agents E.J. Kusnyer and Jordan Cornish tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tate’s new deal will be worth $22.1MM.

Houston made the unusual decision to turn down Tate’s minimum-salary team option for 2022/23 this week, despite the fact that he still would have been a restricted free agent a year from now if that option had been exercised. The move signaled that the Rockets were confident in their ability to lock up Tate to a new multiyear deal — tonight’s news confirms it.

More to come…

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Bucks Agree To Deals With Joe Ingles, Wesley Matthews, Jevon Carter

June 30th, 2022 at 6:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Joe Ingles has agreed to a one-year contract with the Bucks worth $6.5MM, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Ingles’ wife Renae first broke the news on Twitter.

The Bucks have also agreed to bring back a pair of their own free agents, agreeing to a one-year deal with swingman Wesley Matthews and a two-year pact with guard Jevon Carter, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

The $6.5MM salary for Ingles indicates he’ll be getting the team’s taxpayer mid-level exception. That means Matthews and Carter are likely signing minimum-salary contracts, though it’s possible they could get slightly more than that via Non-Bird rights.

More to come…

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Clippers To Bring Back Nicolas Batum On Two-Year Contract

June 30th, 2022 at 5:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran Clippers forward Nicolas Batum has agreed to return to Los Angeles on a two-season, $22MM contract, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

After being selected with the No. 25 pick in 2008, Batum first established himself as a switchable, reliable 3-and-D wing with the Trail Blazers. After becoming a full-time starter on multiple Portland playoff teams, Batum was eventually traded to the Hornets in 2015.

Following a lackluster run with the Hornets on a lucrative five-year, $120MM deal, Batum was waived by Charlotte ahead of the 2020/21 season, which would have been the final year on his deal. Batum promptly joined the Clippers on a minimum contract in 2020, and promptly rebuilt his NBA value as a solid forward on both ends of the floor, capable of playing either small or power forward.

During the 2021/22 season, Batum averaged 8.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.7 BPG for the Clippers across 59 games, including 54 starts. He posted a shooting line of .463/.400/.658. Batum declined a $3.3MM player option with L.A. ahead of the start of free agency today.

Los Angeles is gearing up for an anticipated deep playoff run, with All-Star wings Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both projected to be healthy during the 2022/23 season. In addition to bringing back 33-year-old Batum, the Clippers also are set to add 31-year-old former five-time All-Star John Wall to a team-friendly contract as they shore up veteran depth.

The Clippers are re-signing Batum using the Early Bird exception, which requires the deal to be for at least two years, with no options.

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Raptors, Thaddeus Young Agree To Two-Year Contract

June 30th, 2022 at 5:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors are re-signing forward Thaddeus Young, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), who hears from agents Jim Tanner and Max Wiepking that Young will get a two-year, $16MM deal that includes incentives.

Toronto held Young’s Bird rights after acquiring him from San Antonio at February’s trade deadline.

More to come…

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Sixers To Sign P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, Trevelin Queen

June 30th, 2022 at 5:42pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s fair to say Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has a type. Philadelphia has reportedly agreed to terms with three players who used to play for Morey’s former team in Houston.

Free agent forward P.J. Tucker is finalizing a three-year, $33.2MM fully guaranteed deal with the 76ers, agent Andre Buck tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). That long-rumored agreement will use the team’s full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

The Sixers have also agreed to sign free agent forward Danuel House, tweets Charania. House is getting a two-year, $8.5MM deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

House’s deal, which will be completed using the bi-annual exception, has a second-year player option, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Finally, Philadelphia has reached a deal with G League MVP Trevelin Queen, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The guard will sign a two-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee ($300K) in year one, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic.

As a result of using their full MLE and BAE, the Sixers will be hard-capped for the coming season.

The 76ers were able to use those exceptions in full due to James Harden opting out of his contract and planning to accept a lower first-year salary on a new deal with the team. If Harden’s $47MM+ option had been on Philadelphia’s books, the club would’ve been hard-pressed to remain under a hard cap.

The Sixers have been mentioned as Tucker’s most likely landing spot for much of the last week. Star center Joel Embiid singled out Tucker in his comments to the media after the team lost to Miami in the playoffs, stating that Philadelphia needed a tough, versatile player like that in its frontcourt. Needless to say, Embiid will be happy that the Sixers went out and got the 37-year-old.

House, 29, helped shore up the Jazz’s perimeter defense and hit 41.5% of his three-pointers in a 25-game stint with the club this past season. He’ll give the Sixers another three-and-D rotation player.

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