Roster deadline day: Grizzlies, Lakers, Bucks and Rockets still have cuts to make before the 15-man limit

Four NBA teams reached the final afternoon of the offseason still carrying more than 15 players on standard contracts. The Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets have until 5 p.m. ET on Monday, October 19, to trade, waive or convert their way down to the league limit before the regular season opens Tuesday.

Every club may carry 15 players on standard deals plus three on two-way contracts. Most of the league finished its cuts on Saturday, so that camp players on non-guaranteed deals would clear waivers before opening night and leave no dead money behind. The four holdouts all face harder choices, because each cut that is still possible involves either guaranteed salary or a player the team would rather keep.

Who still has to move

Memphis has the biggest squeeze. The Grizzlies count 16 guaranteed salaries, and Jaylen Wells is set to make the roster even though his deal is not guaranteed, so two players must go. Murray and Peavy, both added in offseason trades, have been viewed as the likeliest cuts if no deal comes together. With guaranteed money, the cap charge does not change by waiting, so Memphis has kept looking for a trade.

The Lakers are trying to avoid eating money as well. Knecht, the 17th pick in 2024, has been named most often as the odd man out after a preseason in which he made just three of his 11 field-goal tries. Jake Fischer reported that the Lakers, Bucks and Grizzlies were all shopping for trades, and talks between Los Angeles and Milwaukee have centered on a Knecht deal.

Milwaukee’s most-discussed name is LeVert, whose $14.8 million salary expires after this season. Houston has the cleanest exit: Tshiebwe and Phillips are on Exhibit 10 deals, and turning one of them into a two-way contract would fill the club’s open two-way slot and bring the standard count to 15 without releasing anyone.

Moves already made on deadline day

The Mavericks got to 15 on Monday morning by waiving Dwight Powell, whose $1 million guarantee made him the cheapest release. The Suns waived two-way guard Koby Brea, opening the two-way spot Duop Reath is expected to take when his Exhibit 10 deal is converted. Boston made its moves a day earlier, announcing four Exhibit 10 releases after turning Devin Carter’s camp deal into a two-way contract on Saturday.

Open spots once the dust settles

Fifteen teams were sitting at 14 standard contracts entering the weekend, among them Boston, Chicago, Denver, Miami, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento and San Antonio. Not all of those vacancies can be filled. Cleveland, Indiana, Philadelphia and Toronto are working under hard caps, and a 15th player would push the Knicks past the second apron. That leaves a short list of buyers for whoever Memphis, Los Angeles and Milwaukee let go, and veterans such as Powell will clear waivers on Wednesday if no team claims them.

What comes next

Two more deadlines close later Monday: rookie-scale extensions for the 2023 draft class at 6 p.m. ET and veteran extensions for players with non-expiring deals just before midnight ET. The season opens Tuesday, and the full opening-week slate is on the schedule page.