As expected, nearly all of the NBA teams made their roster cuts on Saturday and didn’t wait until Monday’s deadline to set their regular season rosters.
Making those moves on Saturday will make sure the players on non-guaranteed contracts clear waivers on Monday, before the regular season begins. If a team had waited until Monday to waive a player on a non-guaranteed deal, he wouldn’t clear waivers until Wednesday, and the team can be on the hook for 2 days’ price of his salary.
After yesterday’s flurry of roster moves, here’s where things stand across the NBA…
Teams whose rosters are throughout the regular season limits
Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 26 have rosters that comply with the league’s regular season roster limits, which state that clubs can’t carry greater than 15 players on standard contracts or two on two-way contracts.
The next 16 teams are right on the limit, carrying 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-ways:
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Chicago Bulls
- Denver Nuggets
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Latest York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
Simply because these rosters look ready for the regular season doesn’t mean they’re fully locked in. In reality, it could be a surprise if a minimum of one or two of those teams don’t make minor tweaks before Monday’s regular season roster deadline. That may very well be so simple as swapping out one two-way player for an additional.
The Sixers are one team to look at, since Michael Foster Jr. – who’s on an Exhibit 10 contract – stays on the roster. It’s possible Philadelphia intends to convert him to a two-way deal on Sunday or Monday, which might mean the club would should waive one among its current two-way players (Charlie Brown Jr. or Julian Champagnie).
The next seven teams are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and two on two-ways:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Miami Heat
- Phoenix Suns
Nearly all of these teams have luxury tax concerns and can open the season with an open roster spot to maintain their projected tax bill in check, though that’s not the case for all of them.
The Hornets are well clear of the tax, as an illustration, and will comfortably make a roster addition in the event that they need to. They may be leaving a spot open for Miles Bridges, though his NBA future is up within the air because of his legal situation.The Mavericks, meanwhile, are within the tax but are still expected to sign veteran guard Facundo Campazzo before the regular season begins.
We’ve covered 23 teams up to now. That leaves three more who’re in throughout the regular season limits. Those teams are as follows:
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 14 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
- Latest Orleans Pelicans: 15 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
- Portland Trail Blazers: 14 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
The Trail Blazers are right up against the tax line and can likely keep their fifteenth spot open to begin the season, however the Cavaliers could add a fifteenth man in the event that they so select. All three teams may very well be maintaining a tally of players who were waived in recent days as they mull find out how to fill their open two-way slots.
It’s price mentioning that the Pelicans still haven’t signed second-round pick E.J. Liddell, who suffered a torn ACL during Summer League play. I think Latest Orleans wants Liddell to sign a G League contract and rehab with the Birmingham Squadron this season in order that the team can use its second two-way slot on someone who can actually contribute on the court, nevertheless it stays possible that Liddell could fill that two-way opening.
Teams that also have moves to make before Monday’s deadline
The next teams haven’t yet made their needed cuts to get throughout the regular season roster limits:
Detroit Pistons: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
The ultimate cut might be pretty easy for the Pistons. They still haven’t officially waived Kemba Walker, but they’re expected to accomplish that before the beginning of the season. Because Walker’s salary is fully guaranteed, Detroit can afford to attend until Monday as an alternative of waiving him on Saturday, since there might be no additional financial penalty.
Houston Rockets: 17 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
The Rockets‘ final moves also looks pretty straightforward. Derrick Favors, who has a guaranteed salary, and Darius Days, who’s on an Exhibit 10 contract, remain on the team’s roster for now. Favors will reportedly be waived on or before Monday. The deadline to convert players from Exhibit 10 deals to two-way contracts is Monday, so if Houston converts Days to a two-way today or tomorrow, the club might be set for the season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: 17 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
The Thunder will actually should waive three players, not only two, because they’re also reportedly signing Isaiah Joe to their 15-man roster. David Nwaba is reportedly one among the players being cut, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the opposite two are also players the Thunder acquired from Houston last month: Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss.
San Antonio Spurs: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
The Spurs could have to waive one player to get to the 15-man limit. Keita Bates-Diop and Tre Jones don’t have fully guaranteed salaries, however the undeniable fact that San Antonio didn’t finalize its cuts on Saturday suggests that a player with a guaranteed contract might be the odd man out. Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News reported on Saturday that Joe Wieskamp and Romeo Langford are “on the bubble.”
Reported Exhibit 10 signings that never materialized
There are a handful of free agent contract agreements that were reported in some unspecified time in the future in the course of the offseason and, so far as we will tell, never actually materialized. Those agreements are as follows:
These players and teams could still technically finalize these deals on Sunday or Monday, nevertheless it’s also very possible they simply fell through for one reason or one other. As an example, reporting in September indicated that Montero’s buyout from his Spanish team is perhaps a problem.
We’re now not assuming that these signings going to occur.
Hoops Rumors’ roster resources
We consistently maintain and update a lot of lists and trackers which might be designed to provide help to keep tabs on NBA rosters. They’re all up up to now following Saturday’s cuts. Those resources, which might be found on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site or on the “Features” page inside our mobile menu, include the next:
