Appreciation Thread, Anton Watson (Boston/Maine) – (Waived March 2, 2025)

[ConstableGeneva]

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I could've sworn this was Derrick White dishing to Payton Pritchard for the ATB3 after getting a swing pass from Sam Hauser via a Tatum drive-and-kick.

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[Hal14]

Update. Over his last 57 games (5 SL games, 1 g league elite camp game, entire 23-24 season & last 16 games of 22-23 season), he's 36/89 from 3 (40.4%).

Also, FWIW here is the contract status of the last 26 picks in this year's draft..



Lots of Celtics reporters are hinting that he's gonna get a 2-way. But I think his agency (he's rep'd by Lil Wayne's agency, Young Money) will push for a standard contract..his agency's case to get a standard contract will probably be:

-23 yrs old, 5 yr college player so ready to contribute now...not some young kid project who needs lots of time to develop in g league (which would make more sense for a 2-way slot)
-Porzingis out for half the season..he's injury prone, Al is old..need the depth up front
-Watson played very well in Summer League

Guys don't really want to sign 2-ways (unless they really have no other option) since the pay is so low, the contracts are non-guaranteed (can get waived at any time and then poof, you have no job) and they are typically only 1 year contract so no peace of mind hat you have a job beyond the current season

Bronny James signed a 4 year, $7.9 mil rookie contract and he was picked 1 spot after Watson. There's a good chance Watson's agency will use this as leverage and be like, "no way you're having Anton sign a $600K 2-way contract when Bronny just got $7.9 mil" ..

[shackles10]

Update. Over his last 57 games (5 SL games, 1 g league elite camp game, entire 23-24 season & last 16 games of 22-23 season), he's 36/89 from 3 (40.4%).

Also, FWIW here is the contract status of the last 26 picks in this year's draft..



Lots of Celtics reporters are hinting that he's gonna get a 2-way. But I think his agency (he's rep'd by Lil Wayne's agency, Young Money) will push for a standard contract..his agency's case to get a standard contract will probably be:

-23 yrs old, 5 yr college player so ready to contribute now...not some young kid project who needs lots of time to develop in g league (which would make more sense for a 2-way slot)
-Porzingis out for half the season..he's injury prone, Al is old..need the depth up front
-Watson played very well in Summer League

Guys don't really want to sign 2-ways (unless they really have no other option) since the pay is so low, the contracts are non-guaranteed (can get waived at any time and then poof, you have no job) and they are typically only 1 year contract so no peace of mind hat you have a job beyond the current season

Bronny James signed a 4 year, $7.9 mil rookie contract and he was picked 1 spot after Watson. There's a good chance Watson's agency will use this as leverage and be like, "no way you're having Anton sign a $600K 2-way contract when Bronny just got $7.9 mil" ..

Regarding the last point, if I were Brad I’d kindly ask his agent what team Anton’s dad plays for, offer the 2-way, then ask him if he’d like to go play ball with his dad instead and walk out like a total gangster. Then I would promptly update my resume as I wait for the Woj bomb saying I’d been fired.

[ConstableGeneva]

Celtics own Watson's draft rights. There is no leverage to speak of. Cs will just stash him if he doesn't want the two-way.

EDIT: Dunno how long Cs own draft rights if they can't come to an agreement. But I've seen drafted players not seeing NBA action and remain unsigned way into their 40s.

[cl2117]

Yeah I don't think Watson really has any leverage here. Despite his impressive showing in SL, it just doesn't really benefit the Celtics to offer him anything beyond a two-way.

He's restricted in his options, it's cheaper for the C's, it gives them more flexibility in case they need the open roster spot to add depth elsewhere due to injuries, it protects them from wasting a roster spot on Watson if he were to tear his achilles next week for example. There's just too many benefits for Brad in keeping it a two-way to start the season and converting later on when they want/need to and not enough benefits.

The only real benefit for Brad would be that he'd keep Anton and his team happy. I guess he could go play overseas and then we lose the ability to use him this year, but we'd still ultimately retain his rights. And I'm not sure that there's a huge risk of that (especially if it seems more likely than not that he gets converted later). 54th pick, turning 24 in October, I don't think he's going to pass up a two-way with potential for him to be called up to the defending champs.

I will say, I wouldn't be mad if they gave him the 15th spot. He was that impressive in SL. People use the term "triple single" to mock stars who have off nights, but that's exactly the kind of player I think we could use on this team. A guy who gives you a little bit of everything, but doesn't try to do too much. The latter part of that is SO huge because of how good our roster is overall. Every ill-advised shot a guy puts up is one less shot for our starters. We just needs guys who are going to hustle, be where they're supposed to be, take advantage of opportunities created by playing with multiple stars at the same time.

I know there's been some question about his motor/energy levels and I think that's something that should be watched, but one thing that's really stood out to me that is adjacent to that is his economy of motion. He's got active/quick hands, but he's not one to flail about or overreact to an offensive players moves. Watch Baylors feet and Walsh's arms and you get an idea of that kind of undisciplined movement that I'm talking about that's often prevalent in rookies/young guys. Watson is much smoother than that. Sometimes I think it can give the impression that he's not being active, but I think he uses his length to recover even when he's not in position and his quick hands let him stay in ball handlers space even if they're not ever-present.

I think that means he's going to be able to play stout defense while not getting into foul trouble. That combined with being reasonable/solid on the boards and you've got a "triple single" roleplayer aka our utility man going forward. Could be huge for us.

[brackdan70]

Update. Over his last 57 games (5 SL games, 1 g league elite camp game, entire 23-24 season & last 16 games of 22-23 season), he's 36/89 from 3 (40.4%).

Also, FWIW here is the contract status of the last 26 picks in this year's draft..



Lots of Celtics reporters are hinting that he's gonna get a 2-way. But I think his agency (he's rep'd by Lil Wayne's agency, Young Money) will push for a standard contract..his agency's case to get a standard contract will probably be:

-23 yrs old, 5 yr college player so ready to contribute now...not some young kid project who needs lots of time to develop in g league (which would make more sense for a 2-way slot)
-Porzingis out for half the season..he's injury prone, Al is old..need the depth up front
-Watson played very well in Summer League

Guys don't really want to sign 2-ways (unless they really have no other option) since the pay is so low, the contracts are non-guaranteed (can get waived at any time and then poof, you have no job) and they are typically only 1 year contract so no peace of mind hat you have a job beyond the current season

Bronny James signed a 4 year, $7.9 mil rookie contract and he was picked 1 spot after Watson. There's a good chance Watson's agency will use this as leverage and be like, "no way you're having Anton sign a $600K 2-way contract when Bronny just got $7.9 mil" ..

Bronny is an anomaly though. Not many guys picked in the 50s get standard contracts. All the rest though…the stars are aligned so that it’s possible.

[Hal14]

2nd round pick exception rule, which was put in place to make it more advantageous for teams to sign their 2nd round picks to multi-year standard contracts. Probably because players don't want to be on 2-way contracts, for the reasons I mentioned a few posts up..

When an NBA team selects a player in the first round of the draft, there’s never any concern about how the player will be signed, regardless of how far over the salary cap the team might be. The rookie scale exception allows teams to sign as many first-round picks as they need to, within a predetermined salary range, without requiring cap room.

However, there hasn’t historically been a similar cap exception for second-round picks. That means clubs intent on locking up their second-rounders to three- or four-year contracts have had to use cap space or a portion of the mid-level exception to do so. If a team wanted to give its second-round pick more than the minimum salary, it would require cap room, the mid-level, or another exception such as the room or bi-annual.

In the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NBA and NBPA addressed this issue by adding a new second-round pick exception, which looks like a win for both sides. Teams will have more freedom to sign their young players to multiyear contracts without having to worry about carving out cap room or exception money for them.

Players, meanwhile, don’t have to worry that their new team’s cap situation might force them to accept a minimum-salary contract or a two-way deal. Of course, some late second-rounders will still sign a two-way deal or for the minimum salary, but a team will no longer be able to point to its lack of spending power to explain why that’s the only offer on the table.

Like the rookie scale exception, the second-round pick exception isn’t limited to a single use. It can be deployed as many times as needed in a given league year.

The second-round exception can be used to sign a player to either a three-year contract that includes a third-year team option or a four-year contract that features a fourth-year team option.

Players who are signed using the second-round pick exception won’t count against a team’s cap between July 1 and July 30 of their first season. That will allow teams to preserve all the cap room they need until July 31 without having to worry about their second-rounders cutting into it. And it will position those players to sign their first NBA contracts before taking part in Summer League games.

The introduction of the second-round exception doesn’t mean that teams must use it to sign their second-round picks. They’re still permitted to use cap room or another exception to negotiate deals with those players. That would be necessary in situations where the player has the leverage to command a salary greater than the two-year veteran’s minimum.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/hoops-rumors-glossary-second-round-pick-exception.html

Worth noting that since this rule was put in place, the Celtics have signed all of their 2nd round picks (just Walsh) to multi-year standard contracts, using the 2nd round pick exception.

[hugepatsfan]

What's in it for BOS to give him a standard deal? I made this point earlier, but I think it really hurt him that no one else really impressed in summer league. I think for the team to be motivated to sign him to a standard deal out the gate, there would need to be someone that they felt they absolutely had to give a 2-way spot that they'd miss out on because they were giving Watson one of those slots and leaving the last NBA spot open.

If they leave the 15th spot open and give him a 2-way then they pay a good chunk extra in taxes. It's unfortunate for him, but the smart move for the team is to leave him on a 2-way and then just convert it to a standard deal right at the end of the year like they did with Queta last year. Saves the team like $5M and possibly makes it easier to maneuver at the deadline this year without needing to clear a roster spot if you make a move. The "downside" is that they just can't use that 2-way spot on someone else.

I'd like to see the NBA correct this. Obviously I'm a team guy first, but seems like they could add some sort of rule around leaving the 15th NBA spot open but filling out with 2-ways. Like maybe for that 50 game limit 2-way guys have before needing to be on standard deals, you could say the games count double if they're played with the NBA roster not filled out to discourage teams from foregoing NBA deals for these guys and keeping them on 2-way deals instead. Or maybe for every game you play without a 15th player on the roster, a pro rated portion of the minimum has to get divided up between your 2-way players (can still leave that of tax considerations, but at least the 2-ways get something).

[cloverleaf]

What's in it for BOS to give him a standard deal? I made this point earlier, but I think it really hurt him that no one else really impressed in summer league. I think for the team to be motivated to sign him to a standard deal out the gate, there would need to be someone that they felt they absolutely had to give a 2-way spot that they'd miss out on because they were giving Watson one of those slots and leaving the last NBA spot open.

If they leave the 15th spot open and give him a 2-way then they pay a good chunk extra in taxes. It's unfortunate for him, but the smart move for the team is to leave him on a 2-way and then just convert it to a standard deal right at the end of the year like they did with Queta last year. Saves the team like $5M and possibly makes it easier to maneuver at the deadline this year without needing to clear a roster spot if you make a move. The "downside" is that they just can't use that 2-way spot on someone else.

I'd like to see the NBA correct this. Obviously I'm a team guy first, but seems like they could add some sort of rule around leaving the 15th NBA spot open but filling out with 2-ways. Like maybe for that 50 game limit 2-way guys have before needing to be on standard deals, you could say the games count double if they're played with the NBA roster not filled out to discourage teams from foregoing NBA deals for these guys and keeping them on 2-way deals instead. Or maybe for every game you play without a 15th player on the roster, a pro rated portion of the minimum has to get divided up between your 2-way players (can still leave that of tax considerations, but at least the 2-ways get something).

I think if someone else looked that good to them for the 2-way, they'd just replace Drew. If they give Anton a standard contract it will be to assure more years of control.

[playa-hater]

I want him on the roster outright. F the 2 way rule. I could see him in the rotation if needed and Boston doing just fine with him.. So long as he hits a decent amount of 3s when left open, I believe he is the most able to "fit" right in as any rookie since Tatum perhaps.

*Also think about the spacing and versatility Boston has If Watson played with Al or Waston and X-man.. 5 man out with still some size for rebounding.

[cl2117]

What's in it for BOS to give him a standard deal? I made this point earlier, but I think it really hurt him that no one else really impressed in summer league. I think for the team to be motivated to sign him to a standard deal out the gate, there would need to be someone that they felt they absolutely had to give a 2-way spot that they'd miss out on because they were giving Watson one of those slots and leaving the last NBA spot open.

If they leave the 15th spot open and give him a 2-way then they pay a good chunk extra in taxes. It's unfortunate for him, but the smart move for the team is to leave him on a 2-way and then just convert it to a standard deal right at the end of the year like they did with Queta last year. Saves the team like $5M and possibly makes it easier to maneuver at the deadline this year without needing to clear a roster spot if you make a move. The "downside" is that they just can't use that 2-way spot on someone else.

I'd like to see the NBA correct this. Obviously I'm a team guy first, but seems like they could add some sort of rule around leaving the 15th NBA spot open but filling out with 2-ways. Like maybe for that 50 game limit 2-way guys have before needing to be on standard deals, you could say the games count double if they're played with the NBA roster not filled out to discourage teams from foregoing NBA deals for these guys and keeping them on 2-way deals instead. Or maybe for every game you play without a 15th player on the roster, a pro rated portion of the minimum has to get divided up between your 2-way players (can still leave that of tax considerations, but at least the 2-ways get something).

I think if someone else looked that good to them for the 2-way, they'd just replace Drew. If they give Anton a standard contract it will be to assure more years of control.

That's kind of the point though right? Both JD and Drew are guys you wouldn't cry about losing if push came to shove. Brad would probably take the flexibility/savings over getting to carry either of them.

If guys like Ramsey or House played really well in addition to our current two-way guys, you'd be stuck having to drop a guy you've got high hopes for. But for us it's looking like we're running back two guys who we're only luke warm on and then Watson if we want. There's no one else on the SL roster that you're going to regret not getting on a two-way. Might as well put Watson on one and take the benefits that go along with that.

And if they convert him to a standard contract mid-season they can still get the years of control on him anyway. As good as Watson has looked, he's not turning down a 3-4 year deal as a 24 year old rookie after starting out on a two-way.

[165bows]

What's in it for BOS to give him a standard deal? I made this point earlier, but I think it really hurt him that no one else really impressed in summer league. I think for the team to be motivated to sign him to a standard deal out the gate, there would need to be someone that they felt they absolutely had to give a 2-way spot that they'd miss out on because they were giving Watson one of those slots and leaving the last NBA spot open.

If they leave the 15th spot open and give him a 2-way then they pay a good chunk extra in taxes. It's unfortunate for him, but the smart move for the team is to leave him on a 2-way and then just convert it to a standard deal right at the end of the year like they did with Queta last year. Saves the team like $5M and possibly makes it easier to maneuver at the deadline this year without needing to clear a roster spot if you make a move. The "downside" is that they just can't use that 2-way spot on someone else.

I'd like to see the NBA correct this. Obviously I'm a team guy first, but seems like they could add some sort of rule around leaving the 15th NBA spot open but filling out with 2-ways. Like maybe for that 50 game limit 2-way guys have before needing to be on standard deals, you could say the games count double if they're played with the NBA roster not filled out to discourage teams from foregoing NBA deals for these guys and keeping them on 2-way deals instead. Or maybe for every game you play without a 15th player on the roster, a pro rated portion of the minimum has to get divided up between your 2-way players (can still leave that of tax considerations, but at least the 2-ways get something).

Yup, these are all good points - I think the one thing that we tend to leave out pretty frequently, Brad has alluded to a few times. They keep that 15th spot open to stay flexible for deals (and obviously the savings is a help), but they also like the space to be able to pivot for a back up guy in the case of injury.

Ie, say eg they put Watson in that 15th spot and then (no jinx!) White gets seriously injured in Olympic play. In that example, the need for a ball handler on the bench goes way up and they just don't know when something like that may occur so that open spot is their sort of flexible contingency plan.

So I do think Brad looks at that last spot like that, as in they don't know for sure what they might need and it being open helps that way than pre-determined depth at a certain place.

[cloverleaf]

What's in it for BOS to give him a standard deal? I made this point earlier, but I think it really hurt him that no one else really impressed in summer league. I think for the team to be motivated to sign him to a standard deal out the gate, there would need to be someone that they felt they absolutely had to give a 2-way spot that they'd miss out on because they were giving Watson one of those slots and leaving the last NBA spot open.

If they leave the 15th spot open and give him a 2-way then they pay a good chunk extra in taxes. It's unfortunate for him, but the smart move for the team is to leave him on a 2-way and then just convert it to a standard deal right at the end of the year like they did with Queta last year. Saves the team like $5M and possibly makes it easier to maneuver at the deadline this year without needing to clear a roster spot if you make a move. The "downside" is that they just can't use that 2-way spot on someone else.

I'd like to see the NBA correct this. Obviously I'm a team guy first, but seems like they could add some sort of rule around leaving the 15th NBA spot open but filling out with 2-ways. Like maybe for that 50 game limit 2-way guys have before needing to be on standard deals, you could say the games count double if they're played with the NBA roster not filled out to discourage teams from foregoing NBA deals for these guys and keeping them on 2-way deals instead. Or maybe for every game you play without a 15th player on the roster, a pro rated portion of the minimum has to get divided up between your 2-way players (can still leave that of tax considerations, but at least the 2-ways get something).

I think if someone else looked that good to them for the 2-way, they'd just replace Drew. If they give Anton a standard contract it will be to assure more years of control.

That's kind of the point though right? Both JD and Drew are guys you wouldn't cry about losing if push came to shove. Brad would probably take the flexibility/savings over getting to carry either of them.

If guys like Ramsey or House played really well in addition to our current two-way guys, you'd be stuck having to drop a guy you've got high hopes for. But for us it's looking like we're running back two guys who we're only luke warm on and then Watson if we want. There's no one else on the SL roster that you're going to regret not getting on a two-way. Might as well put Watson on one and take the benefits that go along with that.

And if they convert him to a standard contract mid-season they can still get the years of control on him anyway. As good as Watson has looked, he's not turning down a 3-4 year deal as a 24 year old rookie after starting out on a two-way.

Feels like pretzel logic you're rolling out here. You think it is more likely Brad would give Anton a regular contract if there were another tempting 2-way candidate out there. I still hold that the decision would be more about Anton himself, given that even if they had someone else they were hot for a 2-way, but who obviously wouldn't require competitively or compel on merit a regular contract, such a candidate, if they wanted Anton on a 2-way, would just lead to Drew getting replaced instead.

I still don't see your case here.

[hugepatsfan]

I think if someone else looked that good to them for the 2-way, they'd just replace Drew. If they give Anton a standard contract it will be to assure more years of control.

That's kind of the point though right? Both JD and Drew are guys you wouldn't cry about losing if push came to shove. Brad would probably take the flexibility/savings over getting to carry either of them.

If guys like Ramsey or House played really well in addition to our current two-way guys, you'd be stuck having to drop a guy you've got high hopes for. But for us it's looking like we're running back two guys who we're only luke warm on and then Watson if we want. There's no one else on the SL roster that you're going to regret not getting on a two-way. Might as well put Watson on one and take the benefits that go along with that.

And if they convert him to a standard contract mid-season they can still get the years of control on him anyway. As good as Watson has looked, he's not turning down a 3-4 year deal as a 24 year old rookie after starting out on a two-way.

Feels like pretzel logic you're rolling out here. You think it is more likely Brad would give Anton a regular contract if there were another tempting 2-way candidate out there. I still hold that the decision would be more about Anton himself, given that even if they had someone else they were hot for a 2-way, but who obviously wouldn't require competitively or compel on merit a regular contract, such a candidate, if they wanted Anton on a 2-way, would just lead to Drew getting replaced instead.

I still don't see your case here.

You're kind of making the argument for us here. The fact Peterson is so expendable in your mind shows how the opportunity cost of keeping him on a 2-way deal is low.

It's just simple math. If they sign Watson to a standard deal. they get to sign 3 guys to 2-way deals. If they keep Watson on a 2-way, then they only get to sign 2 other guys to 2-way deals. Keeping Watson on the 2-way deal offers the team tax savings and in-season flexibility. The opportunity cost of that i that you lose the option to keep an additional player in your control via 2-way deal. How costly that is depends on the quality of player you're missing out on with that.

[Hal14]

Keeping Watson on the 2-way deal offers the team tax savings and in-season flexibility.

I could be wrong, but I believe that is why they put in the 2nd round pick exception rule last summer - so this would not be an issue.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/hoops-rumors-glossary-second-round-pick-exception.html

In the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NBA and NBPA addressed this issue by adding a new second-round pick exception, which looks like a win for both sides. Teams will have more freedom to sign their young players to multiyear contracts without having to worry about carving out cap room or exception money for them.

Players, meanwhile, don’t have to worry that their new team’s cap situation might force them to accept a minimum-salary contract or a two-way deal. Of course, some late second-rounders will still sign a two-way deal or for the minimum salary, but a team will no longer be able to point to its lack of spending power to explain why that’s the only offer on the table.

I would also add that I think you're probably overthinking it by getting too far down a rabbit hole of comparing how good one 2-way candidate is compared to another. Regardless of how good the player is, there is value in being able to have 18 players (15 standard contracts + 3 2-ways) under team control and eligible to play/contribute for the big club, rather than only 17..

[hugepatsfan]

Keeping Watson on the 2-way deal offers the team tax savings and in-season flexibility.

I could be wrong, but I believe that is why they put in the 2nd round pick exception rule last summer - so this would not be an issue.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/hoops-rumors-glossary-second-round-pick-exception.html

In the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NBA and NBPA addressed this issue by adding a new second-round pick exception, which looks like a win for both sides. Teams will have more freedom to sign their young players to multiyear contracts without having to worry about carving out cap room or exception money for them.

Players, meanwhile, don’t have to worry that their new team’s cap situation might force them to accept a minimum-salary contract or a two-way deal. Of course, some late second-rounders will still sign a two-way deal or for the minimum salary, but a team will no longer be able to point to its lack of spending power to explain why that’s the only offer on the table.

This doesn't really help with the specifics of this situation. You still pay luxury tax on that 2nd round exception deal. It's just a mechanism to sign the player. Previously, you either had to sign 2nd round picks to 2 year minimum deals or dip into the MLE to sign them for more years and/or more than the minimum. The rookie exception rule now just lets you sign those guys to the minimum salary, but offer 4 years instead of being limited to 2. It prevents teams from needing to break up their MLE and potentially miss out on a vet player because they couldn't offer the full amount that someone else did or from triggering hard caps to do so. And the ability to offer 4 year deals makes signing those 2nd rounders more appealing because the upside potential is bigger.

For Watson, the 2nd round exception helps in the sense that we wouldn't have a MLE to use on him for a longer term deal. But the luxury tax math is still the same. If they sign him for the $1.1M starting salary they owe him that and the tax on it. So I think it ends up being like $5.5M. If they leave the 15th spot open, sign him on a 2-way, and then convert him to an NBA deal on the last day of the season or close to it like they did with Queta last year then it costs them almost nothing.

I just don't see what the motivation or incentive from the team's perspective is to give him an NBA deal now. it costs them more money and reduces some of their NBA roster flexibility. 162Bows made the great point of what if White or Holiday are out for the year and we wanted to go acquire a ball handler as a result? Having an open roster spot helps facilitate that. The smart move from the team perspective is, IMO, to just 2-way him to start the year. It means one less spot to use on other 2-way candidates, but doesn't seem we have anyone forcing the issue there that we HAVE to keep over saving $5M and in-season maneuverability.

[ConstableGeneva]

Keeping Watson on the 2-way deal offers the team tax savings and in-season flexibility.

I could be wrong, but I believe that is why they put in the 2nd round pick exception rule last summer - so this would not be an issue.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/hoops-rumors-glossary-second-round-pick-exception.html

In the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NBA and NBPA addressed this issue by adding a new second-round pick exception, which looks like a win for both sides. Teams will have more freedom to sign their young players to multiyear contracts without having to worry about carving out cap room or exception money for them.

Players, meanwhile, don’t have to worry that their new team’s cap situation might force them to accept a minimum-salary contract or a two-way deal. Of course, some late second-rounders will still sign a two-way deal or for the minimum salary, but a team will no longer be able to point to its lack of spending power to explain why that’s the only offer on the table.

I would also add that I think you're probably overthinking it by getting too far down a rabbit hole of comparing how good one 2-way candidate is compared to another. Regardless of how good the player is, there is value in being able to have 18 players (15 standard contracts + 3 2-ways) under team control and eligible to play/contribute for the big club, rather than only 17..

The 2nd round exception helps a team with no cap space or usable MLE in signing a 2nd round pick with flexibility in terms of the contract amount and years. It doesn't help them with the tax savings. Signing Watson (or any minimum player for that matter) for a full year would add about $10M in payroll as opposed to filling the 15th spot near the end of regular season like they did with Queta.

[darrendaye]

Keeping Watson on the 2-way deal offers the team tax savings and in-season flexibility.

I could be wrong, but I believe that is why they put in the 2nd round pick exception rule last summer - so this would not be an issue.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/hoops-rumors-glossary-second-round-pick-exception.html

In the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NBA and NBPA addressed this issue by adding a new second-round pick exception, which looks like a win for both sides. Teams will have more freedom to sign their young players to multiyear contracts without having to worry about carving out cap room or exception money for them.

Players, meanwhile, don’t have to worry that their new team’s cap situation might force them to accept a minimum-salary contract or a two-way deal. Of course, some late second-rounders will still sign a two-way deal or for the minimum salary, but a team will no longer be able to point to its lack of spending power to explain why that’s the only offer on the table.

I would also add that I think you're probably overthinking it by getting too far down a rabbit hole of comparing how good one 2-way candidate is compared to another. Regardless of how good the player is, there is value in being able to have 18 players (15 standard contracts + 3 2-ways) under team control and eligible to play/contribute for the big club, rather than only 17..

The 2nd round exception helps a team with no cap space or usable MLE in signing a 2nd round pick with flexibility in terms of the contract amount and years. It doesn't help them with the tax savings. Signing Watson (or any minimum player for that matter) for a full year would add about $10M in payroll as opposed to filling the 15th spot near the end of regular season like they did with Queta.

I knew this, but as always kudos for the thorough breakdown on these matters. Unless there was a super-intriguing guy they wanted to make sure they locked into a 2-way, always sensed they would go the Queta route with Watson.

[ConstableGeneva]

I could be wrong, but I believe that is why they put in the 2nd round pick exception rule last summer - so this would not be an issue.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/hoops-rumors-glossary-second-round-pick-exception.html



I would also add that I think you're probably overthinking it by getting too far down a rabbit hole of comparing how good one 2-way candidate is compared to another. Regardless of how good the player is, there is value in being able to have 18 players (15 standard contracts + 3 2-ways) under team control and eligible to play/contribute for the big club, rather than only 17..

The 2nd round exception helps a team with no cap space or usable MLE in signing a 2nd round pick with flexibility in terms of the contract amount and years. It doesn't help them with the tax savings. Signing Watson (or any minimum player for that matter) for a full year would add about $10M in payroll as opposed to filling the 15th spot near the end of regular season like they did with Queta.

I knew this, but as always kudos for the thorough breakdown on these matters. Unless there was a super-intriguing guy they wanted to make sure they locked into a 2-way, always sensed they would go the Queta route with Watson.

What I'm unsure about is whether they can still use that 2nd round exception later on when they eventually decide to sign him to a standard deal. Davison would've been the first test case except they put him on his 3rd two-way.

[ConstableGeneva]

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