WASHINGTON – The Washington Wizards have officially retained star forward Kyle Kuzma on a four year, $102 million contract. This re-signing gives the Wizards the ability to increase his trade value and potentially send him to a contending franchise near the trade deadline in exchange for prospects and draft capital, or to retain him as a long term leader for the young team, particularly for rookies Bilal Coulibaly and Tristan Vulcevich.
The Wizards also traded guard Monte Morris to the Detroit Pistons for a future second-round draft pick, trading off one of the last veterans remaining on the roster. Morris will be joining head coach Monty Williams, the highest paid coach in NBA history with his new contract.
Credit – All-Pro Reels
With reliable playmaker Tyus Jones, scoring versatility from Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma and defense from Deni Avdija and Daniel Gafford, Washington has established a young core to build around, develop or flip for other prospects and draft capital. While the Wizards are not projected to be a contender for even the play-in tournament next season, they are anticipated to get a draft pick early in the lottery next year. With skills they developed in Oklahoma City’s front office alongside Sam Presti, President Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins will likely follow the Thunder’s roadmap: acquiring assets to increase their value, making strategic trades with small returns but little risk and excellent scouting of potential prospects.
The new collective bargaining agreement is having major implications in this year’s free agency decisions.
The NBA is establishing new limits on spending, in part to improve league parity and reduce tanking.
The NFL and NHL have hard cap limits, where spending can’t be exceeded. MLB has essentially unlimited spending, but with revenue sharing penalties for high spenders.
Some teams, such as the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, exceed the traditional salary cap and even the luxury tax limit. This level of spending, frequently referred to as the “second envelope” by NBA commentators, will severely restrict the ability for teams to trade future draft picks or sign veterans. Teams also now have to pay at least 90% of the salary cap or face certain penalties.
These new rules gave the Houston Rockets incentive to sign former NBA champion and veteran guard Fred Van Vleet to a three-year, $130 million contract, All-Defense forward Dillon Brooks to a four-year, $80 million contract and DMV native Jeff Green to a one year contract fresh off his championship with Denver. Their roster is primarily young players on small contracts, so they had to pay veterans top dollar to avoid league fines.
The Phoenix Suns, who recently acquired Bradley Beal, filled out their bench early in free agency with acquisitions including sharpshooter Yuta Watanabe. The majority of their bench lineup will be playing on small salaries due to new CBA requirements.
The minimum team salary is set at $122.418 million for the upcoming season, with the First Apron Level is $172.346 million and The Second Apron Level at $182.794 million.
Within the first few minutes of free agency opening last Friday evening, numerous big money signings were announced primarily via sports cable and YouTube while Twitter was not operating at best capacity. In just the first 24 hours of free agency, 73 players were signed to new contracts with a total value of $2.8 billion.
Draymond Green, the vocal defensive anchor and longtime Warrior, returned to Golden State on a four year, $102 million contract. He was able to be re-signed as the Warriors recently traded Jordan Poole to the Wizards in exchange for Chris Paul, who is on a one-year contract.
Jerami Grant agreed to a five-year, $160 million contract to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers just before longtime Blazer Damian Lillard officially requested a trade with preference to go to Miami. Cam Johnson, who was traded last year in a deal for Kevin Durant, will stay in Brooklyn on a four-year, $108 million contract. Former NBA champion Khris Middleton will stay in Milwaukee as he agreed to a three-year, $102 million contract after declining his player option.
A few star point guards returned to their old teams.
Kyrie Irving returned to Dallas on a three year, $126 million contract. Russell Westbrook, who was bought out of his contract by the Utah Jazz last season, will play for the Los Angeles Clippers for two years, eight million dollars. De’Angelo Russell will be back on the Lakers, who originally drafted him, on a two-year, $37 million contract.
Several teams decided to retain their young stars on lengthy contracts.
Guards LaMelo Ball, Desmond Bane, and Anthony Edwards all re-signed for five-years on maximum salaries with the teams that drafted them. Kings big man Domantas Sabonis and Pacers playmaker Tyrese Haliburton, who were traded for each other in 2022, both received five year contracts that will pay at least $200 million in their new homes. The gamble of losing a talented young player to free agency is often too risky for most general managers, necessitating such lengthy contracts and high salaries. Kristaps Porzingis, recently traded to Boston, signed an extension with the Celtics to bolster their championship odds. Herb Jones, a defensive stopper on the Pelicans, declined his team option to return on a four-year, $56 million contract.
Because of the new CBA’s requirements, trade values changed drastically as well. Contracts for freshly-drafted players are small compared to veterans and easier for teams to manage, making draft picks more valuable than ever.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was traded for five players and five first-round picks last offseason. This year, it is expected that star guard James Harden will be traded from Philadelphia without the Sixers receiving serious draft compensation. All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, who requested a trade following a legendary tenure in Portland, is not expected to net more than a couple of first round picks.
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