How are the latest deals impacting the NBA landscape? Kevin Pelton is breaking down the biggest signings, opt-ins and contract extensions.
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OCT. 30 DEAL
Bojan Bogdanovic: Two years, $39.1 million
When the Detroit Pistons acquired Bogdanovic from the Utah Jazz last month, it looked like a rental of a veteran in the final season of his contract. Instead, Bogdanovic could be sticking around a bit after agreeing to the longest possible extension he could sign so soon after the trade.
Bogdanovic has been a bright spot during a slow start for Detroit, which is 1-5 entering Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors and has been outscored by a league-worst 13.1 points per game. He's averaging 23 PPG, which would be a career high, and making an unsustainably hot 51% of his 3-point attempts.
It's easy to see the appeal of Bogdanovic to a team building around recent lottery picks Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey in the backcourt. He doesn't need the ball in his hands on a regular basis and supplies floor spacing that makes life easier for Cunningham and Ivey.
The big question is whether the Pistons are close enough to contending to justify utilizing much of next season's projected $40-plus million in salary-cap space on extending a player who will turn 34 in April. The hope was Detroit would take a step forward this season after winning 43 games over the past two combined. Instead, the Pistons have started even worse.
Of course, Detroit could still trade Bogdanovic at some point. Because his extension is for just two years and less than a 5% raise over his current salary, Bogdanovic will not be subject to extend-and-trade restrictions. (In this case, Bogdanovic wasn't eligible for that kind of an extension yet anyway because he'd recently been acquired via trade.)
Whether this extension makes Bogdanovic more tradable might depend on the team. Anyone acquiring him now gets the certainty of having Bogdanovic under contract rather than testing unrestricted free agency, albeit at a favorable salary for a player in his mid-30s.
If Bogdanovic keeps playing like he has thus far, this extension will look like a bargain. And the Pistons might not have any interest in moving him elsewhere.
OCT. 17 DEALS
Brandon Clarke: Four years, $52 million
An extension for Clarke continued the Grizzlies' focus on retaining their own talent as their young players develop. Of the 15 players under full NBA contract for Memphis entering opening night, all but two are signed through at least 2023-24: starting wing Dillon Brooks (who could still sign an extension, though he could probably make more by hitting unrestricted free agency) and injured veteran Danny Green.
With seven players on their first NBA contracts, the Grizzlies will still be well below the luxury-tax line next season and won't have to worry about the tax until an enormous anticipated raise for Desmond Bane, who will be up for a rookie extension next summer.