The NBA Draft was a month ago, most major free-agent deals have been done for three weeks and summer league is in the books. (Congratulations to Kon Knueppel, K.J. Simpson and the rest of the Summer Hornets by the way — those rings are pretty nice.) This means that much of the league is in vacation mode, with training camp still a couple of months away.
It does not, however, mean that the offseason is (completely) over. There are restricted free agents who remain in limbo, veterans who are still on the market and extension-eligible players who haven’t gotten deals done. There’s also the possibility that, in between now and the start of the season, there will be another big trade. One of 2024’s biggest blockbusters took place in October.
There is still plenty of time to review everything that has happened this offseason. What follows is a look at what still hasn’t.
The RFA stalemate
The lack of cap space around the league made this summer even tougher than normal for restricted free agents. Of the seven 2021 first-round picks who became RFAs, three have signed deals: Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (three years, $52.5 million), Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (two years, $24 million) and Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson (three years, $21 million). The four who remain unsigned — Quentin Grimes, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Cam Thomas — are looking for much more money than that.
There hasn’t been much buzz about the possibility of Grimes leaving the Philadelphia 76ers. Forced into a higher-usage role due to injuries in Philadelphia, he looked more confident and capable with the ball in his hands late last season than at any other point in his career. Daryl Morey’s front office is surely hoping next year’s iteration of the team won’t need any 40-point games from Grimes, but, even with the backcourt looking a bit crowded, he projects to play an important role. Morey has consistently said the Sixers want him back, but, with nobody forcing them into a bidding war, how much will they be willing to pay?
Kuminga and…
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