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topicnews · October 7, 2024

2024 NBA training camp: Storylines, extensions, depth charts

2024 NBA training camp: Storylines, extensions, depth charts

It’s time to gear up for the 2024-25 NBA season with training camps beginning on Tuesday — exactly three weeks before opening night.

Before the Boston Celtics tip off the season by raising their 18th NBA championship banner against the New York Knicks on Oct. 22, there are storylines, transactions and decisions to monitor across the league over the next few weeks.

To get you ready, we break down all 30 teams and answer the top question for each as it prepares for the regular season.

We also include each team’s full depth chart going into training camp and explain how certain contracts — Exhibit 9, Exhibit 10 and two-way deals — will work.

Notes: Any players on a non-guaranteed contract will begin to incur a per-day cap hit if not waived by 5 p.m. ET. on Oct. 19. A player with an asterisk has an Exhibit 9 in his contract.

Jump to a team:

ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WSH

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Who starts next to Trae Young?

While extension talks for forward Jalen Johnson are a priority off the court, there is an open competition for Young’s backcourt partner.

Atlanta made it a priority to split up the Young and Dejounte Murray backcourt this offseason, picking up two first-round picks from New Orleans and a package of players including Dyson Daniels, who started 16 games last season and gives Atlanta more of a defensive presence.

“[Daniels’] defensive versatility is something that really stands out,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields said in the offseason. “His shooting has gotten better. It is something that we think can get an uptick in him as time goes on with his development.”

Per Cleaning the Glass, Daniels ranked in the top 10% of all NBA players last season in steals and offensive rebounds.

The Hawks last season ranked 17th in 3-point percentage allowed and 27th in defensive efficiency.

The other option is for Atlanta to start Bogdan Bogdanovic, who started 33 games and finished fifth in voting for NBA Sixth Man of the Year last season.

The Hawks were plus-7.6 points per 100 possessions when Bogdanovic and Young shared the court last season.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contracts of Johnson and Young.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Kobe Bufkin and fourth-year team options of Daniels and David Roddy.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Starter minutes and a final roster spot for the champs

The Celtics are the favorites to win a second straight championship, but that does not mean there aren’t roadblocks in their way.

Kristaps Porzingis underwent surgery in late June to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. He told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne he is targeting a return to action in December.

Three starters — Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Jayson Tatum — played deep into June with Boston and then into mid-August with Team USA at the Paris Olympics. It will be important to monitor each player’s workload.

The Celtics — carrying a projected $233 million payroll next season — also have to decide if carrying a 15th player on their roster is beneficial both financially and on the court.

“Right now, I’d say it’s unlikely,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told The Boston Globe in August. “We’re still looking to sign a couple of Exhibit 10s, that their most likely path will be to play [with the G League team] in Maine. But we’ll see.”

The Celtics then proceeded to sign guard Lonnie Walker IV to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.

Walker averaged 9.7 points last season with Brooklyn and gives Boston a veteran presence off the bench.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Buy-in from the veterans after a summer of change

The Nets have embraced rebuilding.

They reacquired two future first-round picks from the Houston Rockets originally sent in the James Harden trade in 2021. The Nets also traded their best player, Mikal Bridges, to the New York Knicks for a package that includes five future first-rounders and a first-round pick swap.

While the focus remains on the development of Brooklyn’s eight players who are under age 23, first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez’s training camp goal is to establish a winning culture.

“It’s going to take time, it’s going to take direction and structure,” Fernandez said at his introductory news conference on April 24.

The structure starts with getting buy-in from the four veterans (Dennis Schroder, Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith and Bojan Bogdanovic) who are in the last years of their contracts and returning starter Cameron Johnson.

Schroder, Finney-Smith and Johnson all started for Brooklyn last season while Simmons played 15 games.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: A new team identity and the availability of LaMelo Ball

The Hornets made sweeping changes last season, first hiring Jeff Peterson to oversee basketball operations and then Charles Lee as their next coach.

Lee brings a championship pedigree from his time as an assistant coach in Milwaukee and Boston, but that alone is not enough to turn around a franchise that finished 28th in offense and 29th in defense.

Creating an identity for a roster that returns Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams is the first priority for Lee.

“The biggest thing it’s going to come down to, I think, is how competitive are we going to be? That’s a mental competitiveness, a physical competitiveness and then also the component of how much are we going to do for one another,” Lee said this offseason.

How the Hornets improve is dependent on Ball’s availability, because when he’s healthy, he’s one of the league’s top guards.

Entering Year 1 of a $204 million extension that he signed in 2023, Ball played in 22 games last season and has missed a total of 144 since entering the NBA in 2020.

Despite the absences, Ball is one of five players to average at least 20 points and 7 assists in the past three seasons.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contract of Tre Mann.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team options of Miller and Nick Smith Jr. and the fourth-year team option of Mark Williams.

Extension candidates:

Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Will Josh Giddey, Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine play together?

There is no shortage of storylines in Chicago, but it starts with how the Bulls build an offense to best complement new guard Giddey.

Acquired from Oklahoma City for All-NBA defender Alex Caruso, Giddey is at his best with the ball in his hands. In his first two seasons with the Thunder, Giddey averaged 6.4 and 6.2 assists per game. Last season, that average dipped to 4.8.

Coby White started at point guard last season and had a career year. He had a usage rate of 22.7% (his highest since his rookie season) and averaged career highs in points (19.1), assists (5.1) and rebounds (4.5).

The Bulls’ backcourt will get more crowded if Ball, who was cleared to play 5-on-5 in August, returns.

The former starter, who has undergone three separate knee procedures, has not played an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022.

LaVine, who underwent right foot surgery in early February, was subject to trade rumors before his season-ending injury. He has three years and $138 million left on his contract.

Speaking on 670 The Score before the start of training camp, Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas said that LaVine “is finally healthy” and “looks great.”

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: Last day to extend the contracts of Giddey and Chris Duarte.

  • Oct. 22: The protection for Onuralp Bitim increases from $0 to $350K.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 11
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Taking advantage of a stable roster

New coach Kenny Atkinson takes over a Cleveland roster that, unlike his first stop in Brooklyn for a team in the beginning stages of a rebuild, is built for a postseason run. Cleveland won 49 games last season and reached the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The team returns 13 players and will rely on its continuity and its defense.

The Cavaliers ranked seventh in defensive efficiency and fifth in field goal percentage allowed at the rim in 2023-24.

Atkinson’s top challenges will be whether the Darius Garland-Donovan Mitchell backcourt can work and if he should stagger the Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen minutes in the paint.

If there is a roster concern of note, it is the Cavaliers’ depth at two key positions: point guard and center. Ty Jerome and Craig Porter Jr. will back up Garland at point guard, although Jerome is coming off a right ankle injury that limited him to two games last season.

The Cavaliers signed Tristan Thompson, 33, as an insurance policy and can use Dean Wade or slide Mobley to the center position when Allen is out.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 2

play

1:13

More realistic for LeBron: 5th ring or owning an NBA team?

Tim Bontemps breaks down whether it’s more realistic for LeBron James to own an NBA team or win a fifth title.

What to watch for: Who starts at center and the final roster spot

Give coach Jason Kidd credit for balancing playing time between big men Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II last season.

Acquired at the deadline from the Washington Wizards, Gafford started 21 games and played a role in Dallas’ improvement on defense. Prior to Feb. 8, Dallas ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency, and after the trade, the Mavericks improved to sixth.

Gafford started all 22 playoff games and led all players in blocked shots. But in the Finals, he saw his minutes decrease to 14.8, playing a total of 20 minutes in Games 4 and 5.

Lively started 42 regular-season games and was named NBA All-Rookie second team. He finished the conference finals shooting 16-for-16 from the field, the most attempts without a miss by any player in a playoff series since the shot clock era began in the 1950s.

The additions of Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes improved the Mavericks’ roster but also left Dallas pressed against the first apron. Because they are $493,000 below the first apron, the Mavs will need to waive A.J. Lawson or Markieff Morris — who both have non-guaranteed contracts — by Oct. 19.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contracts of Grimes, Gafford and Maxi Kleber.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year options of Lively and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Who’ll be the fifth starter and shooting off the bench

The Nuggets made a calculated financial decision to let starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave in free agency.

The reliable Caldwell-Pope had played in 96% of regular-season games since 2023 and had never missed more than four consecutive games. During the regular season, opponents shot 40.6% when Caldwell-Pope was the closest defender, according to Second Spectrum, which led the NBA among players to defend 500-plus shots.

Christian Braun is the likely replacement for Caldwell-Pope, but coach Michael Malone told ESPN in July that he’s not ready to concede the starting shooting guard role to the 2022 first-round pick.

“We have Christian Braun — who as you mentioned helped us win a championship his rookie season and he has won at every level he’s been at — his energy, his toughness, all the intangibles are things that I love with Christian,” Malone said. “And then I tell you what, I’m not giving that spot to anybody. There is going to be a competition. I told Julian Strawther they need to push each other. Let’s see who’s going to win that spot.”

Braun played in all 82 games last season, averaging 7.3 points and shooting 38.4% from 3. In the 99 possessions he shared on the court with regular starters Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic, Denver was plus-16.3 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass.

There are also questions about Denver’s bench. The Nuggets’ reserves last season ranked 25th in points per game, and during the playoffs they shot 34.5% from the field and 30.3% on 3-pointers.

Denver signed Russell Westbrook but sent Reggie Jackson to Charlotte in a salary cap dump and elected not to bring back Justin Holiday. Malone will now rely on Westbrook, Jalen Pickett and Strawther as depth in the backcourt.

Westbrook, 35, is a career 30.4% shooter from 3, worst of the 48 active players who have attempted at least 4,000 3-pointers. And Strawther shot 29.7% from 3 last season, averaging 4.5 points in 11 minutes per game.

Dates to watch:

  • Sept. 27: The window to extend Gordon opens.

  • Sept. 29: The window to extend Porter opens.

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend Porter’s contract.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Strawther and fourth-year team options of Braun and Peyton Watson.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: How can Bickerstaff unlock the roster’s potential?

In less than a month, J.B. Bickerstaff went from coaching Cleveland to the second round of the playoffs to taking over the worst team in the NBA.

The Pistons return seven players, including Cade Cunningham, from a roster that won 14 games. But they improved in the offseason by adding Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, Paul Reed and Ron Holland II.

The Harris and Beasley additions should improve a team that ranked 26th last season in 3-point shooting. It was the fourth consecutive season Detroit ranked in the bottom 10 in 3-point field goal percentage.

The offense might have improved, but does this roster fit Bickerstaff’s coaching identity? In Bickerstaff’s final three seasons in Cleveland, the Cavs ranked fifth, first and eighth in defensive efficiency. The Pistons have ranked 24th or worse during that span.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 12
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Roster flexibility in the post-Splash Brothers era

Fresh off leading Team USA to a gold medal in the Paris Olympics, coach Steve Kerr enters his first training camp without Klay Thompson on the Warriors’ roster.

The decision to move on from Thompson and acquire Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton has positioned Kerr to have multiple options in the starting lineup and on the bench.

For example, Kerry can start Melton in the backcourt alongside Stephen Curry, then have the option of Brandin Podziemski, Hield and Moses Moody off the bench. The Warriors also have Gary Payton II.

As for the frontcourt, Kerr can go small with Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green. Or start Trayce Jackson-Davis or Kevon Looney at center and have Kuminga come off the bench.

In over 800 possessions last season, Golden State had a plus-11.1 per 100 possessions with Wiggins, Kuminga and Green in the lineup. The Warriors also held teams to 106.4 points per possession when those three shared the court, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Off the court, Kuminga and Moody are both eligible to sign an extension. Either player becomes a restricted free agent if an agreement isn’t reached by Oct. 21.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Rookie extensions and Steven Adams’ role

Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley and Franz Wagner all signed five-year, $224 million rookie extensions with their respective teams early on in free agency.

The two names missing from that list are Houston’s Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, who both have been in holding patterns since July and have until Oct. 21 to reach new deals.

During the Rockets’ 11-game winning streak in March, Green averaged 30.2 points while shooting 50% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers. At age 22, he was the youngest player to average 30 points over an 11-game winning streak, passing Bob McAdoo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Sengun averaged career highs in points (21.1), rebounds (9.3), assists (5.0) and steals (1.2), and had the league’s fifth-most points in the paint by averaging 14.7 this past season. The last center to sign a rookie max extension was Bam Adebayo in 2020.

The Rockets’ trade for Adams in January went under the radar because the center was out for the season recovering from right knee surgery. When healthy, Adams gives Houston a veteran presence and insurance policy behind Sengun.

In his last two seasons with Memphis, Adams averaged 10 and 11.5 rebounds per game, respectively.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 1
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: The return of Bennedict Mathurin

The NBA’s most productive bench will only get stronger with Mathurin’s return.

Named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 2023, Mathurin underwent season-ending surgery in March to repair a torn right labrum and missed the Pacers’ postseason. Mathurin averaged 19 points on 41.4% from 3 in his final five games, finishing the season averaging 14.8 points.

The return of Mathurin and another year of development for 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker have Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confident there is room to grow with a roster that reached the Eastern Conference finals.

“Mathurin was injured during the playoffs, and so we get to add him. And Jarace has had an incredible offseason. We have high hopes for Jarace to come in. So, there is some more organic growth left,” Pritchard said in July. “But we’re all still a very young team. And if everybody gets a little better, I think we stack up against anybody.”

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The deadline to extend the contract of Isaiah Jackson.

  • Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team options of Ben Sheppard and Walker and fourth-year team option of Mathurin.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Life after Paul George, Kawhi Leonard’s health and key extensions

While four of the five starters who lost to Dallas in the first round make their return, there is a newness to this Clippers roster.

Gone is George, but replacements include Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr. and Mo Bamba.

The Clippers ranked 16th in defensive efficiency last season and should improve with Jones moving into the starting lineup.

Last season with Dallas, Jones ranked in the top 10 in total defensive half-court matchups vs. 2024 All-Stars and effective field goal percentage allowed vs. 2024 All-Stars to defend 150+ shots, according to Second Spectrum. He also recorded at least 50 blocks and 50 steals in a season for the first time in his eight-year career.

Leonard’s health continues to be a main priority. Clippers president Lawrence Frank said the six-time All-Star will be held out the first week of training camp.

“We’re just really going to focus on strengthening and loading,” Frank said. “We learned some lessons. Just if you think about it, he desperately wanted to come back and play in that Dallas series, and within a game and a half, the inflammation came where it wasn’t manageable, so we don’t want to put ourselves in that position.”

Besides coach Tyronn Lue’s on-court options, pay attention to possible contract extensions for Norman Powell.

Powell ranked fifth in the NBA in 3-point percentage during the past regular season, shooting a career-high 43.5%. He has two years left ($19.2 million and $20.5 million) on his deal, and the Clippers can extend him for an additional three seasons starting in 2026-27.

The Clippers already signed center Ivica Zubac to a three-year, $59 million extension and last week gave Terance Mann a three-year, $47 million extension.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The deadline to extend the contracts of Powell and Bones Hyland.

  • Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Kobe Brown.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Managing the workload for LeBron James and Anthony Davis

Davis and James are coming off an extended summer of playing with Team USA, and how new coach JJ Redick manages their workload will be critical.

Davis, 31, played and started a career-high 76 games last season, and James, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, appeared in the most games (71) since the 2017-18 season when he played all 82. Last season marked the first time as teammates in which they played at least 66 games.

Redick will be tested with a shortage of options when Davis is not on the court.

Jarred Vanderbilt missed 38 games, including the playoffs and continues to recover from procedures on his feet in the offseason. And Christian Wood had left knee surgery in early September and will be reevaluated in eight weeks.

The injuries leave the Lakers with Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, two-way player Christian Koloko and James as Redick’s best options in the frontcourt.

The Lakers were a minus-4.1 and allowed 118.9 points per 100 possessions last season with Hayes at center.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Ja Morant’s return, Zach Edey’s fit and roster stability

After two tumultuous seasons that resulted in two separate suspensions and then season-ending shoulder surgery, two-time All-Star Morant should be a healthy participant as camp begins.

Morant is one of six players to average 25 points and 7 assists over the past three seasons.

However, Morant played only a total of 130 minutes alongside Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane. Smart also missed the final months of the regular season with a finger injury.

Edey now gives Memphis a center to complement Jaren Jackson Jr. and flexibility in how coach Taylor Jenkins can use the roster.

“We now have — from a size standpoint, from a physicality standpoint — that’s something that other teams are going to have to grapple with,” Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said in late June. “We want to have looks that we can throw out there that give us the advantage.”

In two summer league games, Edey averaged 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

The Grizzlies are a contender for a top-six seed in the Western Conference, but only if there is not a rotating door of players sitting on the sideline. Memphis last season used 51 different starting lineups and had 577 games missed because of injuries. The only starter who played more than 60 games was Jackson.

GG Jackson II averaged 14.5 points last season but had surgery in early September to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contracts of Jackson, Smart and Santi Aldama.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the fourth-year team option of Jake LaRavia.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Jimmy Butler’s future and backcourt questions

Expect player availability and roster stability to be talking points this season for the Heat, who rolled out a franchise-record 35 starting different lineups last season, tied for fifth among all teams.

Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo played 27 regular-season games and a total of 499 minutes together. Butler and Terry Rozier missed the first-round loss to Boston because of injuries.

Butler, for the fourth time in five seasons, played fewer than 60 games, and his future with Miami is a focal point. He is owed $48.8 million this season and holds a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season. He is eligible to sign a one-year, $58.6 million extension (keeping the current 2025-26 salary intact) up until Oct. 21 or a two-year, $112.9 million extension (voiding the player option) by June 30.

“That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night. That’s the truth,” Heat president Pat Riley said this offseason.

While Butler could be a free agent if an extension isn’t reached, he could also enter a restrictive market. Outside of the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, there are no teams projected to have more than $30 million in salary cap space.

There is also the unknown on whether the backcourt of Rozier and Herro can produce. In the 378 possessions when both were on the court, Miami was minus-4.8 per 100 possessions.

Defensively, the Heat allowed 121.4 points per 100 possessions, ranking in the bottom 12th percentile, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: The health of Khris Middleton — again

Middleton missed 82 games the past two seasons and had arthroscopic surgery on both ankles in mid-July, so his health status becomes a major Bucks storyline for the second straight training camp. He has played in 62 games or more twice since the 2019-20 season.

Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have played in 42 games together and only eight since coach Doc Rivers took over the team in late January.

The Bucks had a plus-17.5 net efficiency with the three on the floor together, second best among the best trios who played 600-plus minutes together during the 2023-24 season.

With Antetokounmpo sidelined during the Bucks’ first-round appearance, Middleton averaged 25 points per game and shot 48.2% from the field. He played 34 minutes or more in all six playoff games.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: How the Timberwolves will rely on two rookies after last week’s trade

The Wolves continue to go all-in with a talented roster that features superstar guard Anthony Edwards but no longer includes four-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns.

After Friday’s blockbuster trade that sent Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for guard Donte DiVincenzo and three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle (as well as a top-13 protected first-round pick), the Wolves now enter a pivotal training camp.

Even before that trade, Minnesota’s offseason focused on immediately improving the roster after reaching the Western Conference finals last season. On the first night of the draft in June, Minnesota traded an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and the right to swap firsts in 2030 to San Antonio to move up to the No. 8 spot and select Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham.

With its other first-round pick at No. 27, Minnesota drafted guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who is expected to fill the void left by veterans Jordan McLaughlin and Kyle Anderson.

“We don’t want to put too much on any young guy’s shoulders, but we’re going to put a lot on their shoulders,” Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly told KFAN’s Darren Wolfson in August.

Dillingham looked good in the Las Vegas summer league, during which he averaged 13.6 points and 7.6 assists. But the team still wanted to alleviate some of the pressure those two rookies could face this season.

Therefore, the addition of DiVincenzo brings stability and perimeter shooting to the young Minnesota bench. Last season with New York, the six-year veteran made 283 3-pointers, the most in a season in Knicks history. His 241 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season were the most in the NBA, per Second Spectrum.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Solving Brandon Ingram’s impasse, finalizing a starting lineup

In the past two months, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Lauri Markkanen and Jamal Murray signed long-term extensions with their respective teams.

The one name not on that list is Ingram, who is eligible to sign a four-year, $208 million extension. Ingram, 27, and the Pelicans are at an impasse with regard to his next contract.

“There is a financial reality to this,” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said on Sirius XM this summer. “And where I think we can go in terms of keeping this group together, might not be as far as he and his agency would like us to be able to go. So, for now, we’re going to play it out.”

The trade to acquire Dejounte Murray this summer has New Orleans positioned with $122 million in committed salary next year, which is $66 million below the luxury tax.

However, a max contract for Ingram that starts at $46 million and a possible extension for Trey Murphy III would put New Orleans in the luxury tax and near the first apron.

Both sides will need to weigh what is next because Ingram could be a distraction in camp and try to force a trade like James Harden did last year.

Ingram is eligible to sign the same $208 million extension with a new team in six months if he were to be traded.

The second option is a compromise between the two parties, but at the cost of Ingram taking less than the maximum allowed.

And then there is a scenario in which Ingram plays out the season on an expiring contract and attempts to join Paul George as the only All-Star in the past five years to sign with a team that has salary cap space.

On the court, the Pelicans need to decide their starters. New Orleans could go small with Zion Williamson at center or Daniel Theis if it needs size.

Last season, New Orleans ranked 23rd in rim protection, and the Pelicans were in the bottom two in the league the three prior seasons.

Starting Theis could force CJ McCollum to come off the bench. The last time McCollum wasn’t a starter was in 2014-15.

Dates to watch:

  • Sept. 26: The window to negotiate an extension for McCollum opens.

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contracts of McCollum and Murphy.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Jordan Hawkins

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 12
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 0
Two-way: 3

play

2:02

Kendrick Perkins praises Daryl Morey for handling Joel Embiid’s extension

Kendrick Perkins joins “NBA Today” to discuss Joel Embiid’s contract extension and commends Daryl Morey for executing the deal flawlessly.

What to watch for: The bench, Mitchell Robinson’s return and Mikal Bridges’ extension

The blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns fills a big void left at the center position, but it came at the cost to the Knicks’ depth.

Because Donte DiVincenzo was part of the trade that also sent Julius Randle to Minnesota, New York is left with a reserve backcourt of Tyler Kolek, Miles McBride and Cameron Payne.

With Towns starting at center over Mitchell Robinson, expect Josh Hart to move from sixth man to the starting lineup.

Robinson is not expected to be ready for the start of the regular season after two procedures on his right ankle last season. His ability to stay healthy continues to be an issue, as he has missed 74 games over the past two campaigns and has played more than 61 games in a regular season only twice in his six-year career.

Precious Achiuwa, who started 18 games last season while averaging 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, will be another option at center.

The trade for Towns has also given New York little financial flexibility in how they add to its roster. The Knicks have two open roster spots but are only $3.6 million below the second apron.

One option for New York to remain under the apron is to convert one of its two-way players and keep a veteran such as Landry Shamet

Bridges, whom the Knicks acquired in a massive deal in June for five first-round picks and a pick swap to the Brooklyn Nets, is eligible to sign a two-year, $60 million extension from Oct. 1 through Oct. 21 — the day before the start of the regular season.

The versatile forward also could become eligible to sign a four-year, $156 million extension off his current deal — viewed as one of the league’s best value contracts — next offseason. The $34.8 million first-year salary would begin in 2026-27.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: How can Caruso and Hartenstein improve the West’s best team?

The additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein have heightened the expectations for an Oklahoma City team that won 57 games last season and reached the second round of the playoffs.

The Thunder are the youngest team entering training camp but are predicted in a landslide to win the Western Conference, according to a survey of front office executives and coaches conducted by ESPN.

Caruso should strengthen a team that ranked fourth in both offensive and defensive efficiency last season.

Named All-NBA in consecutive seasons (2022-24), Caruso ranked first in deflections, sixth in steals and 15th in total charges taken for the Bulls.

Offensively, Caruso’s perimeter shooting (41% from 3 last season) should thrive with a Thunder team that ranked first in drives per game and first in field goal attempts off drives.

Hartenstein gives coach Mark Daigneault flexibility with the roster while strengthening the team’s presence at the rim.

In the second round against Dallas, Oklahoma City allowed 12.5 offensive rebounds and 17.3 second-chance points in the four playoff losses.

Last season with New York, Hartenstein averaged a career-high 8.4 rebounds and held opponents to 52.5% shooting at the rim, seventh best among players to defend 250-plus shots. He has missed only seven games in the past two seasons.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 5
Two-way: 1

What to watch for: Balancing a tough defense with a better offense

Extension talks with guard Jalen Suggs headline the Magic’s next month, but there is also a focus on if the offense in Orlando can improve.

The Magic refused to sacrifice defense for offense in the offseason, using cap space to renegotiate the contract of forward Jonathan Isaac and then sign guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million contract.

Orlando also re-signed Gary Harris, Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze while extending Franz Wagner. The addition of Caldwell-Pope will strengthen a defense that ranked third last season, but Orlando will want to improve an offense that finished the regular season ranked 22nd, the worst of any team that reached the postseason.

The Magic also ranked 29th in 3-point attempts per game, 24th in 3-point field goal percentage and 28th in off-the-dribble 3-point field goal percentage. They were the only playoff team that ranked in the bottom 10 in shooting from deep.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

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Chris Paul enticed by ‘opportunity to play’ with Spurs

Chris Paul opens up about his decision to join the Spurs, citing playing time and the opportunity to play for head coach Gregg Popovich as motivations for signing in San Antonio.

What to watch for: Frontcourt depth after big summer deals

The 76ers will commit $715 million to their All-Star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey for the foreseeable future.

However, the lack of frontcourt size will be a concern. The 76ers signed several notable reserves in KJ Martin, Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond during the offseason to address the issue.

Another signing, Caleb Martin, gives them defensive versatility and shooting, but the 6-foot-5 veteran also the NBA’s shortest starting power forward this season, according to ESPN Research. But he has the experience for the task, having played close to 1,400 possessions last season with Miami at power forward.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Kevin Durant’s extension, Grayson Allen’s role

Durant, 35, has two years left on his contract ($51.2 million and $54.7 million) and is eligible to sign a one-year extension, which would pay him $59.7 million in 2026-27, when the two-time NBA champion turns 38. The deadline to extend is Oct. 21. If there is no extension in place, Durant could then sign a two-year, $124 million extension in July.

Durant averaged 27.3 points per game, the sixth most in a player’s 16th season or later in NBA history, per ESPN Research. He is one of two players (along with LeBron James) who enters this season averaging 25 points, 50% shooting from the field and 40% shooting on 3-pointers.

The signing of guard Tyus Jones could push Allen, last season’s starter, to the bench. Last season with Phoenix, Allen averaged career highs in points (13.5), field goal percentage (49.9%) and 3-point shooting (46.1%).

Allen started all but one game last season and 92% of regular-season games since 2020-21. A sixth-man role could help a Phoenix bench that last season ranked last in 3-point percentage and 28th in attempts.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 0
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Scoot Henderson’s development and a logjam at center

Henderson’s rookie season could be best described as riding a roller coaster. He struggled through inconsistent play and injuries, missing nine games early in the season due to an ankle injury and eight games after the All-Star break with an abductor strain.

When he did play, Henderson led all NBA players post All-Star break in turnovers per game (4.5) and had the worst plus-minus (minus-12.1) of any player who appeared in at least five games. He continually ranked in the bottom of field goal percentage on layups and dunks among players with at least 100 attempts. The Trail Blazers finished last season with the second-worst offense.

Entering his second season, Henderson’s response is paramount to whether this roster can take the next step in its rebuild.

Looking at the Trail Blazers’ depth chart, there is an overload of centers, namely last season’s starter Deandre Ayton and 2024 lottery pick Donovan Clingan.

One name buried toward the bottom is Robert Williams III. Acquired from the Celtics in the Jrue Holiday trade last offseason, Williams appeared in six games and had surgery in November 2023 to reconstruct a torn tendon in his left knee.

Williams has two years left on his contract ($12.4 million and $13.3 million) and when healthy is considered one of the league’s top defensive centers. He earned All-Defensive second team honors in 2021-22, the only season he appeared in more than 60 games.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contracts of Williams, Anfernee Simons and Ayton.

  • Oct. 22: The salary protection for Dalano Banton increases from $217,553 to $1,098,485.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team options of Henderson and Kris Murray and the fourth-year team option for Shaedon Sharpe.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Intriguing candidates to be the fifth starter

It is all but guaranteed that coach Mike Brown’s starting lineup in Sacramento includes De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis.

As for the fifth starter, the Kings have options among Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter and Keon Ellis.

Monk ranked first in points and assists and second on 3-pointers made among all reserves last season. He had 25 games with at least 20 points off the bench last season, 11 more than any other player. He ranked behind only Fox and Sabonis in fourth-quarter minutes and points among Kings players.

Since his arrival in 2022, Huerter has started all but five games. However, both his minutes (from 29.4 to 24.4) and 3-point percentage (40.2% to 36.1%) decreased last season. He had season-ending surgery in late March to repair a torn left labrum.

Ellis is considered the best defender of the three and started the last 15 games of the regular season after the Huerter injury.

In the play-in tournament win against Golden State, Ellis had 3 blocks, 3 steals, 5 assists and scored 15 points. He averaged 27.6 minutes and shot 45.9% from 3 last season.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Can former starters help off the bench?

With Victor Wembanyama at center along with the addition of veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, the Spurs’ reserves this season likely will feature four of last season’s starters: Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and Zach Collins.

Jones started the last 48 games of the regular season and averaged 7 assists per game. But with Paul, the Spurs expect the league’s all-time leader in assists to build an effective partnership with Wembanyama.

Sochan started all but one game but had the worst 3-point percentage of any player who played at least 25 games and attempted three or more attempts per game.

Johnson finished third on the team in points per game, but the Spurs were a net minus-7.8 when he was on the floor. He was moved to the role of sixth man in late December.

The Spurs’ bench last season ranked fifth in points per game but found itself in the bottom 10 in 3-point percentage.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Wembanyama and fourth-year team options of Sochan, Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: A new-look roster

Darko Rajakovic enters his second training camp as coach in Toronto with a stronger sense of direction to the current roster.

Instead of sitting in a holding pattern, Rajakovic can focus on a roster that has been turned over since last year’s training camp after the exits of OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. Out of the 18 players then under contract (including two-way players), only five remain.

The first task is to evaluate a starting lineup that has a small body of work.

Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl played only 501 possessions together last season, but that group had a plus-11.5 net rating per 100 possessions, ranking in the 90th percentile offensively and defensively, per Cleaning the Glass.

Rajakovic will need to decide who will be the fifth starter, with guards Bruce Brown and Gradey Dick as his primary options.

Brown started 11 out of his 34 games with Toronto last season, averaging 9.7 points and struggling from 3, shooting 31.7%. Arriving from Indiana in the Siakam trade, Brown also has a $23 million expiring contract and is a valuable trade asset. He’ll miss part of the preseason after the team announced on Sept. 20 that he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee that would keep him out until at least mid-October.

Dick, the team’s 2023 lottery pick, started 16 games after the All-Star break and averaged 12.5 points and 37.1% shooting on 3s.

First-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter will not participate in on-court activities during the first week of training camp after spraining the right acromioclavicular joint in his shoulder.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contract of Davion Mitchell.

  • Oct. 22: The contract of Bruno Fernando becomes guaranteed.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Dick and fourth-year team option for Ochai Agbaji.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Get the youngsters more playing time

The Jazz are still navigating a rebuild that started in the 2022 offseason.

Since the 2022-23 season, Utah’s post-trade deadline record was a combined 13-41, but it couldn’t secure a high lottery pick because it overachieved in the first halves of those two seasons.

The Jazz enter training camp with a mix of young players and veterans and the second-youngest roster behind the Thunder.

The Jazz have nine players under the age of 23, including six selected in the two previous drafts (Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski).

The Jazz recently committed $220 million to All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen and also have three veterans — Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and John Collins — on contracts that extend beyond two seasons.

Collins, who started 66 games last season, averaged 28 minutes per game. He had his best 3-point shooting season since 2020-21 and best rebounding season since 2019-20.

Sexton averaged 18.7 points and started 51 games, his most since the 60 games he started in the 2019-20 season with Cleveland.

But if Utah’s focus continues to be on player development, then Collins, Sexton and Clarkson will need to embrace a lesser role this season.

Dates to watch:

  • Oct. 21: The last day to extend the contract of Sexton.

  • Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team options of Keyonte George, Sensabaugh and Hendricks, and fourth-year team option of Walker Kessler.

Extension candidates:

Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 0 3
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: How to balance the young core with veterans

Wizards coach Brian Keefe benefits from being on the staff last season (he was named interim head coach during the final 39 games) and already having alignment with the front office.

“We’re always going to be looking for what’s best for our group now, but also what’s best for our group going forward,” Keefe said at his introductory news conference on June 4. “One of the things I think is, how can we best use our players? And that might not be right now. That might pay off in two years from now.”

The job for Keefe and his staff is balancing a roster of veterans (Malcolm Brogdon, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, Jonas Valanciunas, Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes) and nine players who are under 26, making the Wizards the league’s eighth-youngest roster that includes two promising rookies — No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and No. 14 pick Bub Carrington — to go with last 2023’s No. 7 overall pick Bilal Coulibaly.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

Exhibit 9, Exhibit 10 and Two-way contracts

The inclusion of an Exhibit 9 or 10 in a player contract was introduced in the 2017 collective bargaining agreement.

Exhibit 9

This type of contract protects a team in case a player is injured in training camp.

For example, the New York Knicks signed Marcus Morris and Landry Shamet to Exhibit 9 contracts in September. If either player is injured during training camp and then waived, New York is responsible for only $15K in salary.

But Tristan Thompson’s non-guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers does not have an Exhibit 9. Thompson was not eligible because Cleveland at the time of the signing had fewer than 14 players (not including two-way) under contract. If Thompson suffers a season-ending injury, the Cavaliers are then responsible for his full salary.

Exhibit 10

A player who signs an Exhibit 10 is eligible to receive up to a $77,500 bonus (on top of his G League salary) if he signs a contract with an NBA team’s G League affiliate upon being waived from the parent club. To receive the bonus, a player must remain with his G League team for at least 60 days.

Two-way contracts

Two-way contracts are considered an extension of the regular roster. Each team can have three players on two-way contracts without counting against the 15-man roster limit.

  • A two-way player will be paid a flat salary of $578,577 for the 2024-25 season.

  • The salary does not count toward the salary cap and luxury tax.

  • No player on a two-way contract may be on the active list for more than 50 games during the regular season.

  • The deadline to sign a two-way player is March 3.

  • Two-way players are not eligible for the playoffs.

Only players with three years of service or less can sign a two-way contract. A player with four years of service is also allowed to sign a two-way deal only if he missed a season because of an injury.

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