Wolves face elimination after Game 4 loss to Thunder [RAW]
Wolves Mike Conley on his future
Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley spoke with the media as the team's season came to an end Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. He reflected on the loss and talked about his future role with the team.
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Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Why NBA Free Agents Should Consider Signing Shorter Contracts For Now
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 6: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to ... More the basket around Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Paycom Center on April 6, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) From a financial perspective, there's never been a better time to be an NBA player. Just ask Naz Reid, who plans to re-sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a five-year, $125 million contract, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The free-agent market projects to be bleak for players hoping to change teams this offseason because the Brooklyn Nets are the only team expected to have significant salary-cap space. But the cap itself has skyrocketed over the past decade, bringing player salaries right along with it, as Reid can newly attest. In 2015-16, the salary cap was $70 million flat. The non-taxpayer mid-level exception was roughly $5.5 million, while the taxpayer MLE was not even $3.4 million. The 2025-26 cap is expected to land at roughly $154.6 million, which would put the non-taxpayer MLE at $14.1 million and the taxpayer MLE at $5.7 million. Yes, you read that right. The taxpayer mid-level exception in 2025-26 is expected to be roughly $200,000 higher than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception was a decade ago. That stratospheric growth isn't expected to stop anytime soon, either. Thanks to the NBA's new 11-year, $75 billion national TV contracts and the cap-smoothing proposal that the league office and the players' union agreed to as part of the new collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap will likely rise by the full 10% that it's allowed to increase year-over-year for at least the next few seasons. Although it may be hard for NBA players to turn down nine-figure contract offers, they should think twice before locking in long-term deals this offseason. No matter what contract they sign, the salary cap projects to increase at a faster pace than their new deals will. The Compounding Problem Any NBA player looking to maximize their earning potential over the next half-decade needs to familiarize themselves with the concept of compounding. When a player re-signs with his own team, he's eligible for as much as 8% annual raises. However, that's a fixed rate after the first season. However much his salary increases year-over-year from the first season to the second is exactly how much it will rise in the ensuing years, too. For instance, say a player's new contract begins at $30.0 million and has 8% annual raises. It would jump to $32.4 million in the second year of the deal, but it would not increase by another 8% the following season. Instead, it would again rise by $2.4 million. It's even worse for players who sign with other teams in free agency. Those players are only eligible for four-year deals and have only 5% annual raises at most. Theirs work the same way as the 8% group, namely that the increase between the first and second seasons is equivalent to how much their salary will rise in future years. The NBA salary cap itself has no such issue. Not only is it projected to rise by 10% each year for the foreseeable future, but unlike the annual increase in contracts, those raises compound. As a result, long-term contracts will take up a slightly smaller portion of the cap each year, even if players get the full 8% max annual raise by re-signing with their own teams. If a player signed a five-year, $313.9 million max deal this summer, his salary would start at $54.1 million, increase to nearly $58.5 million in 2026-27 and then rise by another roughly $4.3 million over the remaining years of the deal. But if the cap does go up a full 10% annually over the lifespan of that contract, said deal would go from being 35% of the cap this coming season to only 31.6% in 2029-30. A contract starting at 35% of the salary cap will take up a smaller percentage of the cap each year. Granted, those smaller-than-the-cap-increase raises could ultimately benefit both players and teams. Given the new CBA's harsh team-building restrictions for the league's most expensive rosters, teams must be more cautious than ever while building around players on max contracts, particularly if they have two or more players on 35% max deals. Having those players take up an increasingly smaller portion of the salary cap each year could give teams extra wiggle room under the aprons to build out a championship-caliber supporting cast. Contracts are growing so massive that not every player will care about milking their respective teams for every dollar possible. For instance, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension last summer rather than testing free agency in 2025, when he could have been eligible for a five-year, $269.1 million contract. Knicks wing Mikal Bridges, Brunson's college teammate, could potentially follow suit this offseason. Thus far, Brunson has been the exception to the rule. Jimmy Butler forced his way off the Miami Heat after they refused to give him the two-year, $110-plus million extension that he received upon landing on the Golden State Warriors. Anthony Davis signed a three-year, $175.4 million max extension in August 2023 that runs through the 2027-28 campaign (player option). Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Franz Wagner and Scottie Barnes all received max deals fresh off their rookie-scale contracts last year, too. As Reid just demonstrated, some players might prefer to lock in long-term financial security over fully maximizing their earning potential. After all, one major injury could threaten their ability to secure another nine-figure payday. Look no further than Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins, both of whom were in line for massive contracts within the past decade before a hip injury (Thomas) and Achilles tear (Cousins) derailed their careers. However, players who want to earn the most money possible during their NBA careers should be open to taking shorter-term contracts given the salary-cap outlook over the next few years. In fact, they should try to line up their deals to coincide with when they become eligible for a new earning tier. (Players with 7-9 years of NBA experience can receive up to 30% of the cap as their starting salary, while players with at least 10 years can receive up to 35%.) That approach comes with clear injury risk, but it also features more financial upside. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Follow Bryan on Bluesky.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
OKC Thunder selects Georgetown center Thomas Sorber 15th overall in 2025 NBA Draft
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder selected Thomas Sorber with the 15th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The Trenton, New Jersey, native declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman season with the Georgetown Hoyas. Sorber averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season. Advertisement "I think I'm bringing a defensive-minded type of intensity," Sorber told reporters Wednesday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. "Just giving them all I've got on the defensive end. And then on the offensive end, just being a great player, a great offensive player. Just reading the right things, reading the right things to do. Reading the things on defense, hedging or coming back. Just being there at all times, just being able to be a good defender." The 6-foot-10 center spent his high school career in two separate Catholic schools, originally at Trenton Catholic Academy in his hometown before moving to Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia. Driven by faith and family, Sorber filled his school's trophy cabinet with all-Catholic, all-state and Philadelphia Catholic League championship trophies. One year after his graduation, he became the school's first NBA draftee. With a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Sorber tied Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner for second-largest wingspan in the 2025 NBA Combine. Here are five things to know about Sorber: Advertisement Get your Thunder championship keepsakes OKC Thunder draft picks: Grades for Thomas Sorber selection, Kings trade in 2025 NBA Draft Thomas Sorber underwent foot surgery Thomas Sorber dealt with a left-toe injury that ended his lone season with Georgetown in February against Butler. He's been unable to participate in workouts due to his recovery and is expected to miss the NBA Summer League. More: New Orleans Pelicans select Jeremiah Fears No. 7 overall in 2025 NBA Draft Thomas Sorber was a seven-time Big East Freshman of the Week In a conference with teams like UConn, Marquette and Villanova, Sorber stood out. The Georgetown star earned Big East Freshman of the Week seven times, averaging 14.5 points per game before his injury. He eventually lost the Freshman of the Year title to UConn's Liam McNeely. Advertisement Despite the injury, he earned a spot in the conference's All-Freshman team and All-Big East third team. More: 2025 NBA Draft live updates: Cooper Flagg goes 1st to Mavs; Thomas Sorber 15th to Thunder Thomas Sorber was a top-50 prospect out of high school A graduate of the Archbishop Ryan High School in Pennsylvania, Sorber was ranked No. 50 overall in the class of 2025 and No. 3 in the state of Pennsylvania. Before the draft, Sorber returned to his old school to give back to the community and talk to young kids in the school's summer camp. He tallied 18.9 points per game as a senior. More: OKC Thunder trading No. 24 pick Nique Clifford to Sacramento Kings in 2025 NBA Draft Get to know Thomas Sorber's family Thomas Sorber's dad, Peter, was a soccer player at 6-foot-5. Advertisement Sorber's parents fled Liberia in the 1990s during the nation's civil war, and since then have endured hardship to ensure the best life for their three kids. Sorber is not the first to play basketball, as the second oldest kid, Peter Jr., also took on the sport and committed to Morgan State University. Their older sister, Regina, played at Alabama A&M. Peter Sr. lost his battle to colon cancer when Thomas was 6. His mother, Tenneh, dedicated her life to giving the best to Thomas, and when his named was called by the NBA commissioner, she proudly stood by his side waving the Liberian flag. More: What to know about OKC Thunder offseason: Draft picks, contracts after winning NBA title Thomas Sorber is an 'everything' guy His own words. Advertisement Thomas Sorber wanted to make sure he highlighted his versatility when talking to NBA teams. He gets rebounds, blocks, shots, steals, anything that is asked of him. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder selects Thomas Sorber 15th overall in 2025 NBA Draft
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
NBA Summer League schedule 2025: When does OKC Thunder play in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas?
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. NBA Summer League play is right around the corner. The NBA champion OKC Thunder will begin with the Salt Lake City Summer League, which is set for July 5-8. It'll then play a minimum of five games in the Las Vegas Summer League, which is set for July 10-20. Advertisement Here's a complete look at OKC's Summer League schedule, including time, TV schedule and streaming information: Pre-order our new book on Thunder's run to NBA title More: What to know about OKC Thunder offseason: Roster, contracts after winning NBA title OKC Thunder 2025 NBA Summer League schedule All times are Central Salt Lake City Summer League Saturday, July 5: OKC vs. Memphis at 6 p.m. (ESPNU) Monday, July 7: OKC vs. Philadelphia at 6 p.m. (ESPN) Tuesday, July 8: OKC vs. Utah at 8 p.m. (ESPN+) Las Vegas Summer League Thursday, July 10: OKC vs. Brooklyn at 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Saturday, July 12: OKC vs. Indiana at 4:30 p.m. (NBA TV) Tuesday, July 15: OKC vs. Orlando at 5:30 p.m. (NBA TV) Wednesday, July 16: OKC vs. New Orleans at 8:30 p.m. (NBA TV) Undrafted NBA free agents tracker: Signings for OKC Thunder, players with Oklahoma ties This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Summer League 2025: OKC Thunder schedule, game times, TV, stream
