NBA Free Agency Outlook For Eight Non-Orlando Teams

For the 22 teams going to a restarted season July in Orlando, there are still varying degrees of hope that a crazy 2020 can lead to an NBA championship. But for the eight teams not good enough for their seasons to continue, the offseason’s already begun.

There’s no doubt those teams aren’t already looking to free agency in late October, so why shouldn’t we? Without further ado, here are the impending free agents and salary situations for the league’s worst eight clubs, starting with the team with the league’s worst 2019-2020 records. All monetary figures courtesy of HoopsHype.

Golden State Warriors

2020-2021 committed salary: $145.6 million

Due to long-term injuries to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors finished with the league’s worst record. They’ll have a top pick in this year’s draft, but zero wiggle room in terms of salary. Aside from a $1.76 million team option for Damian Lee and a $1.51 team option for Mychal Mulder, Dragan Bender, Jeremy Pargo, Chasson Randle and Zach Norvell all have minimum deals going off the books.

The Dubs will have to make their moves in the trade market, which they already accomplished by trading D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota in February for Andrew Wiggins.

Cleveland Cavaliers

2020-2021 committed salary: $108.9 million

The Cavs have some flexibility to work with in theory, but that goes out the window if Andre Drummond exercises his $28.7 million player option, which he’s expected to do, especially in this economic climate where the salary cap won’t be as high as once anticipated.

But Cleveland will still have Tristan Thompson ($18.5 million) and Matthew Dellavedova ($9.6 million) going off the books along with the $2.2 million of Ante Zizic, though they may want to bring him back. There are also nine other minimum deals expiring, including two-way players Matt Mooney and Dean Wade. The Cavs can definitely make some signings to build around Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.

Minnesota Timberwolves

2020-2021 committed salary: $94.4 million

The rebuilding Wolves made significant moves in February, offloading Andrew Wiggins in a deal that brought in D’Angelo Russell and trading Gorgui Dieng to Memphis in a deal for James Johnson. Johnson will almost certainly exercise his $16 million player option, bringing up the salary to over $110M.

Then you have Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez, acquired from Denver in the gigantic four-team February deal that sent Robert Covington to Houston. Both are restricted free agents, and Minnesota is expected to match any offer for Beasley, a promising young shooting guard to pair with Russell. They’ll have the room to keep both thanks to the expiring contracts of Evan Turner ($18.6 million) and Allen Crabbe ($17.8 million).

The Wolves also have a $1.66 million team option on center Jarred Vanderbilt, also acquired from Denver, and both two-way spots, currently held by Jordan McLaughlin and Kelan Martin.

Atlanta Hawks

2020-2021 committed salary: $58.2 million

No team will have more cap room than the Hawks to build on their young core of Trae Young, John Collins (who reportedly wants a contract extension), Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter and Clint Capela.

The gigantic contracts of Chandler Parsons ($25.2 million) and Jeff Teague ($19 million) will expire, as will the small veteran deals for the retiring Vince Carter ($2.5 million) and Nene ($2.5 million). DeAndre Bembry, Skal Labissiere and Damian Jones are all restricted free agents. Treveon Graham, Jabari Bird, Derrick Walton and others will all be unrestricted. If Atlanta wants, this could be the year they swoop in on a big signing, though there aren’t many big names available.

Detroit Pistons

2020-2021 Committed Salary: $67.1 million

Detroit has the second most room of any team to Atlanta, but it doesn’t have a young All-Star to build around like Young. The Pistons technically only have five guaranteed contracts next season: Blake Griffin and his ginormous deal, Derrick Rose, Luke Kennard, Sekou Doumbouya and Khyri Thomas.

Here are the contracts going off the books (deep breath): Reggie Jackson ($17.2 million), Brandon Knight ($15.6 million), John Henson ($9.7 million), Langston Galloway ($7.3 million), Josh Smith (yes, that Josh Smith, $5.3 million). Detroit will also want to re-sign free agent big man Christian Wood, who’s gonna get a significant raise from his $1.6 million deal. Tim Frazier, Markieff Morris and Jordan McRae are other notables off the books.

Tony Snell has a sizable $12.1 million player option he should exercise, and young resitricted free agents include Bruce Brown and Svi Mykhailuk. Other than that, the Pistons will have the space to sign a starting point guard like Toronto’s Fred VanVleet to help them into the future.

New York Knicks

2020-2021 committed salary: $82.8 million

Though you can argue with the highly questionable approach Steve Mills and the Knicks took during last summer’s free agency, it leaves new team president Leon Rose with a lot of options on how to approach this offseason.

New York has team options on Bobby Portis’ $15.7 million and the Knicks would only be on the hook for $1 million each if they released or renounced Taj Gibson ($9.4 million), Wayne Ellington ($8 million), Elfrid Payton ($8 million) and Reggie Bullock ($4.2 million). That could give the Knicks an extra $26 million to play with to build around Mitchell Robinson, R.J. Barrett, Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox, perhaps Christian Wood could be an option.

The Knicks also have the contracts of Moe Harkless ($11 million), Allonzo Trier ($3.5 million) and Damyean Dotson ($1.6 million) go off the books, but they may try to keep all those guys next season. With two first-round picks and a lot of tradeable assets, Rose and New York should be busy.

Chicago Bulls

2020-2021 committed salary: $106 million

A lot of Chicago’s offseason hinges on what Otto Porter does with his $28.5 million player option, and he’d be a fool not to exercise it. Otherwise the only non-minimum money going off the books is Omer Asik’s dead $3 million. So not a lot of flexibility for the Bulls assuming Porter stays.

Kris Dunn is a restricted free agent they probably want to keep after a strong defensive season, but the same probably can’t be said for RFA Denzel Valentine. It seems like a lot of Chicago’s growth for next season will have to come from within.

Charlotte Hornets

2020-2021 committed salary: $79.3 million

This is the offseason Charlotte’s been waiting for to finally get out of salary cap hell, though it’ll really be a party a year from now after Nicolas Batum’s contract is officially done. He has a $27.1 million player option that he’ll take for next 2020-2021.

The hefty deals for Bismack Biyombo ($17 million), Marvin Williams ($14 million) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($12.2 million) will all be gone, as will Willy Hernangomez’s $1.6 million contract and several minimums. Unlike the contract the Hornets gave Batum in 2016, let’s see if Charlotte spends all this newfound cap room in one place.

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