As of Wednesday, eight of the NBA’s 30 groups are carrying at the least 15 gamers on assured contracts and are unlikely to have many further offseason acquisitions in retailer. One other 17 groups are carrying both 13 or 14 gamers on assured offers.
As our roster counts web page exhibits, that leaves 5 golf equipment carrying 12 or fewer gamers on totally assured offers. That doesn’t essentially imply all 5 of these groups will signal free brokers to assured contracts earlier than the common season begins, however it’s price checking in on them to take a better take a look at their roster conditions.
[RELATED: 2024/25 Non-Guaranteed Contracts By Team]
Cleveland Cavaliers
No NBA group has fewer gamers on totally assured salaries than the Cavaliers, who’re carrying simply 10 of them. Nevertheless, we will most likely pencil in two extra gamers for his or her customary common season roster — Craig Porter performed rotation minutes final season and has a $1MM partial assure, whereas Sam Merrill proved to be a cut price on his non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
If we assume these 12 gamers might be on the Cavs’ opening evening roster, that leaves three openings. Cleveland reportedly plans to depart one open, and one could also be earmarked for restricted free agent Isaac Okoro, however even when Okoro returns, the membership will nonetheless want so as to add yet another participant to its roster as a 14th man. It is going to be fascinating to see if the Cavs goal a particular free agent and provide him a assured contract or in the event that they’ll convey a number of non-guaranteed gamers to camp to compete for that 14th spot.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have 12 gamers on totally assured salaries, with Lindy Waters and Gui Santos additionally within the combine on non-guaranteed salaries. Golden State doesn’t at present have the pliability to signal a veteran free agent as a fifteenth man as a result of group’s shut proximity to its laborious cap of $178.1MM, however both Waters or Santos may very well be waived to make room for a substitute.
The Warriors gave up a second-round decide in June to amass Waters, so I doubt the plan is to waive him. Santos’ future is much less sure. He barely performed within the NBA final season as a rookie, and his G League numbers (together with a .437 FG% and three.1 turnovers per recreation) weren’t distinctive. If the Dubs wish to herald one other participant to fill out their common season roster (they’re reportedly figuring out Bruno Caboclo this week), Santos appears like the perfect guess to be the odd man out.
Indiana Pacers
Though the Pacers have simply 12 gamers on totally assured contracts, they’ve at the least 4 gamers within the combine for the ultimate three spots on their roster, together with two with partial ensures (James Johnson and James Wiseman) and two on non-guaranteed offers (Kendall Brown and Cole Swider).
I anticipate Johnson and Wiseman to have the higher hand for spots on the 15-man roster, with Brown and Swider doubtlessly preventing for the fifteenth spot — assuming Indiana even carries a full 15-man squad to open the common season.
For what it’s price, the Pacers have proven a willingness previously to maneuver Johnson on and off their roster. Final season, he signed 4 separate contracts with the membership, together with two 10-day offers. However the truth that Indiana gave him a $750K assure on his latest contract is a sign the group doesn’t plan on slicing the veteran ahead earlier than opening evening.
Philadelphia 76ers
Whereas the Sixers technically solely have 12 gamers on assured salaries in the interim, that quantity will improve to 13 as soon as Guerschon Yabusele formally indicators with the group. He’s possible nonetheless figuring out the logistics of the transfer, together with his buyout with Actual Madrid and clearance from FIBA.
As soon as Yabusele has signed, Philadelphia may have 13 gamers on assured contracts, plus Ricky Council on a non-guaranteed deal. I can’t think about Council goes anyplace after his promising rookie season, so the one query for the Sixers might be whether or not or not they wish to carry a fifteenth man to open the 12 months. They’re effectively into tax territory already, so they could maintain that spot open until there’s a particular participant they like and don’t wish to get away.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings at present have 14 gamers on customary contracts — 12 on assured offers, plus Orlando Robinson with a partial assure ($500K) and Keon Ellis on a non-guaranteed wage.
Ellis was a rotation participant for a lot of final season and needs to be a lock for the common season roster. On the floor, Robinson could not appear like a certain factor, however the Kings’ cap state of affairs works in his favor. The membership is at present solely under the tax line by about $1MM, so consuming Robinson’s $500K partial assure as a way to exchange him with a newcomer earlier than the season begins wouldn’t be probably the most financially prudent transfer.
I’d anticipate the Kings to maintain their fifteenth roster spot open to start out the season. In the event that they carry somebody in that spot, it could be one other participant on a non-guaranteed deal for the sake of flexibility.
