Chris Paul Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Beal, Suns, CP3, Bucks, Lillard, Heat

July 3rd, 2025 at 10:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns and Heat had exploratory talks this week about the possibility of a Bradley Beal trade, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, those discussions “ultimately collapsed,” resulting in a rising belief that the veteran guard will ultimately be bought out by Phoenix.

If the two sides do end up working out a buyout agreement, expect the Heat to show interest in signing Beal as a free agent, per Fischer and Stein, who say the Bucks would also be interested in adding the three-time All-Star if he reaches free agency.

Here’s more from The Stein Line duo:

In addition to looking more seriously at a possible Beal buyout, the Suns have also engaged in conversations with teams about various trade scenarios involving center Nick Richards and wings Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, Stein and Fischer say.
After turning away interest from the Mavericks and Hornets earlier in free agency, Chris Paul continues to consider the Suns and Clippers. Stein and Fischer confirm he’s also receiving interest from the Bucks, who have been on the lookout for another point guard in the hopes of filling the sizable hole left by Damian Lillard‘s Achilles injury (and impending release). ESPN’s Shams Charania said during a Thursday SportsCenter appearance that Paul, who is known to prefer playing closer to his family in Los Angeles, spoke to Bucks officials on Wednesday (hat tip to Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report).
Speaking of Lillard, Stein and Fischer classify the Heat‘s interest in signing the Oakland native as “serious,” but acknowledge that the injured star will likely be in no rush to sign his next contract.
The Pacers, Kings, and Pelicans are among the other teams who remain on the hunt for another point guard, Stein and Fischer write.

Free Agent Rumors: Kuminga, CP3, Horford, Westbrook, Lillard

July 2nd, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are “very engaged” on Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, according to Matt George of ABC 10 in Sacramento (Twitter links).

While the Kings have seemingly been extremely willing to discuss Malik Monk in trade scenarios, Monk likely wouldn’t be involved in any deal for Kuminga, says George, noting that Golden State doesn’t appear to have much interest in the veteran guard.

George has heard that the Kings have explored sending out guard Devin Carter, forward Dario Saric, and draft compensation as part of a deal to acquire Kuminga via sign-and-trade (Twitter link). If a deal along those lines came to fruition, it would likely be combined with Sacramento’s Saric/Jonas Valanciunas swap with Denver in order to maximize the Kings’ outgoing salary, which would allow them to give Kuminga a more lucrative deal.

However, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), there’s no agreement imminent at this point. Conversations on the Kuminga front with the Warriors and “several” teams are ongoing, Slater adds.

Here are a few more items of interest on some of the top free agents still on the board:

After starting all 82 games for San Antonio this past season, veteran point guard Chris Paul is hoping to be a starter again in 2025/26, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), which is one reason why he’s still weighing his options in free agency. Reynolds says the Clippers are hoping Paul will join them, while Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter video link) views the Suns as his most likely landing spot. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) believes Paul would like to return to Phoenix, but thinks there would be a very limited role for him with the Suns, so he considered a reunion unlikely.
The Warriors have been “very aggressive” in trying to recruit Al Horford to Golden State, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter video link). Windhorst believes Horford could end up in the West Coast if he continues his career, noting that the Lakers are among the other teams pursuing him. Windhorst’s report came before the Lakers reached an agreement with Deandre Ayton, but Los Angeles could still use frontcourt depth and still has its $5.1MM bi-annual exception available.
Russell Westbrook, an L.A. native, would like to “be closer to home,” according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter video link). Multiple reports this week have linked Westbrook to the Kings, but it sounds like that would only become a viable option if Sacramento ends up trading Monk.
In ranking what he believes are the top five best landing spots for Damian Lillard once he becomes a free agent, Spears places the Timberwolves atop his list (Twitter video link). Mike Conley is still penciled in as Minnesota’s starting point guard, but he’ll be 38 in October and struggled in the postseason, and the Wolves don’t have much reliable depth at the position behind him. Lillard could be a perfect fit, though he’ll miss most or all of the 2025/26 season while recovering from his Achilles tear.
In addition to previously reported suitors like Milwaukee and Indiana, the Knicks, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Nuggets also expressed some level of interest in Ayton before he agreed to join the Lakers, Shams Charania of ESPN said on SportsCenter (Twitter video link). Charania added that several suitors reached out to Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin to ask about Ayton and got “rave reviews of him as a teammate.”

Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents

July 2nd, 2025 at 7:17am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s free agent period officially opened less than 40 hours ago, but the list of this year’s top available players has already been pretty picked clean, with 35 of the players from our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents having already agreed to terms with a team.

Here are the players from our list remain available:

Josh Giddey, G, (Bulls RFA)
Jonathan Kuminga, F, (Warriors RFA)
Cam Thomas, G, (Nets RFA)
Quentin Grimes, G, (Sixers RFA)
Deandre Ayton, C (waivers)
Chris Paul, G
Russell Westbrook, G
Al Horford, C
Malcolm Brogdon, G
Moritz Wagner, F/C
Chris Boucher, F/C
De’Anthony Melton, G
Amir Coffey, G/F
Precious Achiuwa, F/C
Ryan Rollins, G

While four of our top 10 free agents are still on the board, all four are restricted, which means it may take some time for their situations to play out. Sign-and-trades are always a possibility, but few clubs are in position to make an aggressive play for any of these restricted free agents, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN pointed out during a TV appearance on Tuesday evening (Twitter video link).

“If this isn’t the worst market for restricted free agents in the last generation, I don’t want to see it,” Windhorst said. “There’s just no money out there for cap space, and sign-and-trades are very tough to pull off…with restricted free agents, because the team that has the rights isn’t motivated to play ball.”

There have essentially been no rumors linking Giddey, Thomas, or Grimes to any rival suitors since free agency began, so there’s still a widespread expectation that those three players will ultimately end up returning to their current teams.

That may happen with Kuminga too, but there has certainly been more chatter about alternative landing spots for the Warriors forward. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) checked in on Kuminga’s market late on Tuesday night, suggesting that the Heat, Bulls, Pelicans, and Kings are still being monitored as teams to watch for the 22-year-old, despite an apparent absence of traction on any of those fronts so far.

According to Fischer, Miami has also been linked to potential forward trade targets like DeMar DeRozan and John Collins; Chicago still has Giddey’s own restricted free agency to resolve, and Golden State appears to have “moved away” from past trade interest in Nikola Vucevic; New Orleans doesn’t have an obvious path to make a realistic offer for Kuminga; and while Sacramento would have interest in sending out Malik Monk as part of a sign-and-trade, no momentum has developed there.

With those top four RFAs in limbo for the time being, Ayton – who will clear waivers at 4:00 pm Central time on Wednesday – may be the most intriguing option on the board. According to Fischer, a number of front offices around the NBA expect the former No. 1 overall pick to end up with the Lakers, but the Pacers have also shown interest, as did the Bucks before they agreed to a surprising deal with Myles Turner. Indiana, notably, is the team that signed Ayton to a maximum-salary offer sheet in free agency three years ago, and the same decision-makers are still running that front office.

Paul and Westbrook are two of the most accomplished NBA point guards of the last two decades. Paul is known to want to play close to his home in Los Angeles, so while the Bucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in him, per Chris Haynes on NBA TV (Twitter video link), a team like the Clippers or Suns may be a more realistic landing spot. Haynes adds that he thought Westbrook would land with the Kings, but as long as Monk remains on Sacramento’s roster, that looks like a long shot.

It’s worth noting there’s one big name who was not on our pre-free-agency top 50 because he has only become available since then: Damian Lillard.

The Bucks haven’t officially waived Lillard yet, but he’s expected to reach the open market in the near future, and according to Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, many teams – including the Lakers, Celtics, and Warriors – have reached out and registered interest in signing him even while he recovers from his Achilles tear.

Still, Jamal Collier of ESPN hears that there’s no guarantee that Lillard will sign anywhere for the 2025/26 season, which he’ll likely miss most or all of. He’s reportedly expected to remain based in Portland while doing his rehab work.

Among the other names in the back half of our top 50, Horford is the most intriguing. He has been linked to several teams, including – most consistently – Golden State. The Warriors are still a leading contender to land the veteran big man, per Fischer.

Finally, we should mention Malik Beasley, who ranked 15th on our initial top-50 list before word broke that he was under investigation for gambling allegations. Beasley was reportedly discussing a three-year, $42MM deal with Detroit prior to that news, but it’s hard to imagine any team signing him until that legal situation is resolved, which is why we took him off our list entirely. Since that investigation was reported, a pair of follow-up reports have detailed Beasley’s financial issues, though it’s crucial to note that he doesn’t currently face any charges.

All of the free agent deals agreed upon so far can be found within our 2025 free agent tracker. The full list of free agents still available can be found right here (or here, if you prefer to sort by team rather than by position/type).

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Finney-Smith, Turner, Russell, T. Jones, Paul

June 30th, 2025 at 8:49am CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies appear to be the leaders in the race to sign free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Jerome is coming off a breakout season, but his salary demands are too high for a Cleveland team on the brink of the second apron, so he’s considered a “lock” to leave in free agency. Stein previously mentioned Charlotte and Utah as other teams to watch for Jerome, but Memphis might be separating itself from the pack.

The main question, according to the authors, is how much the Grizzlies are willing to pay Jerome, who is believed to be seeking a deal starting around the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to Jerome. Memphis has been operating recently with the goal of creating enough financial flexibility to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. while matching any offers for restricted free agent forward Santi Aldama, so any offer for Jerome couldn’t get in the way of those goals.

League sources tell Stein and Fischer that the Grizzlies tried to find a taker for Cole Anthony over the weekend. Sending out Anthony’s $13.1MM contract could enable Memphis to acquire Jerome via sign-and-trade.

There’s more inside information from Stein and Fischer:

As reported on Sunday, the Rockets appear to be the top threat to sign Dorian Finney-Smith away from the Lakers. Houston has the $14.1MM MLE available, but the authors hear that its offer may cover four years at a little less than the full amount. L.A. is still hoping to re-sign the 32-year-old forward, who was a part-time starter after being acquired from Brooklyn in December. Finney-Smith turned down a $15.4MM player option on Sunday, and Stein and Fischer report surprise throughout the league that his announcement wasn’t accompanied by a new deal with the Lakers.
There’s “no tangible expectation” that Myles Turner will leave the Pacers in free agency, according to Stein and Fischer. There was some speculation that Indiana might reconsider a new deal with its starting center in the wake of Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles injury, but coach Rick Carlisle seemed to squash that when he said on a radio interview last week that re-signing Turner remains the team’s “No. 1 priority.”
The Mavericks are expected to use their $5.7MM taxpayer MLE to sign Nets guard D’Angelo Russell to a two-year deal, Stein and Fischer add. Even with that addition, which would be the team’s 15th standard contract, they state that Dallas still hopes to open a roster spot to re-sign Dante Exum. The authors expect the Mavs to search for a team willing to take on Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s $3MM contract for next season. The 2023 first-round pick has a $5.3MM team option for 2026/27, so it’s potentially a one-year commitment.
The Magic‘s decision on Sunday to decline an $11MM option on Moritz Wagner and a $2.1MM option on Caleb Houstan could create an opportunity to sign free agent point guard Tyus Jones. If Jones leaves Phoenix, Stein and Fischer speculate it could lead to Chris Paul returning to the Suns, as they first reported on Sunday.

Point Guard Rumors: Paul, Suns, Clippers, Hornets, Ty. Jones, Magic

June 29th, 2025 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A return to the Suns is a possible outcome for Chris Paul in free agency, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Stein and Fischer explain, the Suns are likely to be in the market for point guard help if Tyus Jones exits in free agency. Paul, meanwhile, is known to prefer to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. While an earlier report suggested the veteran point guard would like to play in L.A., it sounds like he’ll consider other options out west as well.

That doesn’t mean that playing with a Los Angeles team is off the table for Paul, however. According to Stein and Fischer, the Clippers are “weighing” a reunion with Paul, who played for the organization for six seasons from 2011-17. Even with James Harden expected to return, the Clips are known to be in the market for another guard, having been linked to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, among others.

While the Mavericks‘ interest in Paul has been reported for weeks, it doesn’t sound like CP3 is enthusiastic about spending another year in Texas, away his family, after playing in San Antonio in 2024/25. As Stein and Fischer note, there’s also a sense that the Mavs might be headed for a deal with D’Angelo Russell to address the point guard hole created by Kyrie Irving‘s ACL tear.

The Hornets had been mulling a run at Paul, a North Carolina native, but recognized that he was unlikely to have interest in playing for a rebuilding team so far away from his home, per Stein and Fischer. Charlotte pivoted to another veteran guard, having made a deal with Utah this afternoon to acquire Collin Sexton.

Meanwhile, with Jones seemingly headed for a split with the Suns, one of the teams with interest in him is the Magic, according to The Stein Line’s duo. While Jones wasn’t an ideal fit in Phoenix, the 29-year-old still put up solid offensive numbers, including 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game with a 41.4% mark on three-point attempts.

Free Agent Notes: Rollins, CP3, Aldama, Grimes, Wolves, E. Miller

June 29th, 2025 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have tendered a qualifying offer to guard Ryan Rollins, making him a restricted free agent, a league source tells Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After starting the 2024/25 season on a two-way contract in Milwaukee, Rollins was promoted to a rest-of-season standard deal in March. He played a regular role in the backcourt, especially when Damian Lillard missed time for health reasons, and had a solid season, with averages of 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800.

His qualifying offer is worth a projected $2.58MM and will give the Bucks the right of first refusal in the event that he signs an offer sheet with a rival team.

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Echoing other recent reporting, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link) says the belief around the NBA is that veteran point guard Chris Paul will play at least one more season and wants to do so in Los Angeles to be close to his family. It’s unclear whether that means the Clippers and Lakers will be the only options he considers or whether other West Coast teams might be in play.
Zach Lowe of The Ringer (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM) says he has heard that Grizzlies restricted free agent Santi Aldama will have “full mid-level deals waiting for him” when he hits the market. Memphis would have the ability to match any offer sheet Aldama signs or could simply directly negotiate a new deal with him.
Within a story that examines the challenges the Sixers will face as they try to retain both Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, Tony Jones of The Athletic cites sources who say Grimes is hoping to sign a contract that averages $25MM annually. An earlier report indicated the restricted free agent guard is expected to land a starting salary worth at least $16MM.
The Timberwolves, who are expected to lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency, would like to add another ball-handler if they can, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota likely won’t be able to offer outside free agents more than the veteran’s minimum due to the team’s position relative to the second tax apron.
The Bulls have issued a two-way qualifying offer to forward Emanuel Miller, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The move makes Miller a restricted free agent after he had a solid 2024/25 season in the G League with the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls.

Stein’s Latest: Mavs, D-Lo, Paul, Exum, Sixers, Hawks

June 27th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest NBA rumor round-up for The Stein Line (Substack link), Marc Stein reiterates a report he published on Twitter earlier this week, writing that the Mavericks are “increasingly regarded as the favorites” to sign point guard D’Angelo Russell.

Dallas will likely be limited to offering free agents the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception, and Stein suggests Chris Paul will be another Mavs target using that MLE. However, there’s a growing belief that Paul would want to play somewhere closer to his home in Los Angeles if he continues his career, Stein explains.

Meanwhile, while the Mavericks still have interest in re-signing him, there’s a chance that a roster crunch could spell the end of Dante Exum‘s time in Dallas. Assuming Brandon Williams – who is on a non-guaranteed contract – is retained, the Mavs will have 14 players on standard contracts even before adding a free agent point guard.

According to Stein, a handful of EuroLeague teams – including Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahce, and Partizan Belgrade – are interested in trying to lure Exum back overseas. But the former No. 5 overall pick is still focused on trying to stick in the NBA even if there’s no pathway back to the Mavs for him, Stein writes.

Here’s more from Stein:

Providing updates on a couple of popular Mavericks assistant coaches, Stein says the Nuggets are now among the teams with interest in hiring Jared Dudley away from Dallas, joining Memphis and Cleveland, while the Magic continue to put on a “full-court press” in the hopes of poaching God Shammgod from Jason Kidd‘s staff.
Despite rumors and speculation in recent weeks suggesting that the Sixers explored the prospect of moving off Paul George‘s contract and trading down from No. 3 in the draft, a league source familiar with the team’s thinking called that “nonsense,” according to Stein. Jake Fischer reported several weeks ago that Philadelphia wasn’t trying to get rid of George using that lottery pick.
Although they had interest in Masai Ujiri earlier in their front office search, the Hawks aren’t expected to circle back now that the longtime Toronto executive is out of work, Stein says. One source close to the process tells Stein that Atlanta is operating under the assumption that general manager Onsi Saleh will be the team’s head of basketball operations for the foreseeable future.

Kings Viewed As A Leading Suitor For Dennis Schröder

June 25th, 2025 at 7:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are viewed as a leading suitor for free agent point guard Dennis Schröder, according to league sources who have spoken to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Sacramento is in the market for a point guard after having traded De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio earlier this year and has been considering potential targets on the trade market and in free agency. Schröder, according to Stein and Fischer, is expected to command a contract that starts in the neighborhood of the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which projects to be worth $14.1MM. The Kings, who have plenty of breathing room below the luxury tax line, should be in position to offer most or all of that exception.

It was an up-and-down 2024/25 season for Schröder, who thrived in Brooklyn, struggled in Golden State, then helped fill a Jaden Ivey-shaped hole in Detroit down the stretch. On the season, he averaged 13.1 points and 5.4 assists in 28.1 minutes per game across 75 outings for those three teams, posting a shooting line of .406/.342/.838.

The Kings won’t be Schröder’s only suitor. The Pistons have expressed interest in re-signing him, and he’s also expected to be an option for a Mavericks team in need of a point guard while Kyrie Irving recovers from his ACL tear. Sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN that Schröder, D’Angelo Russell, Chris Paul, and Malcolm Brogdon are among Dallas’ point guard targets.

However, the Pistons have other free agents – Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. – to try to re-sign, so it’s possible Schröder won’t be a top priority with Ivey on his way back from his broken leg. As for the Mavs, they’ll likely only be able to offer the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception.

We have more on the Kings:

Sacramento’s front office has signaled that it’s open to a wide range of trade inquiries, per Stein and Fischer, with previous reporting from The Sacramento Bee indicating the team was gauging the market for Malik Monk and Devin Carter. According to The Stein Line duo, it’s worth noting that the Jazz previously expressed interest in Carter when the Kings inquired about Lauri Markkanen last summer before he ultimately signed an extension with Utah.
The Kings are viewed by agents and rival executives as a strong candidate to trade into the back half of the first round on Wednesday, Stein and Fischer report. They point to Utah’s pick at No. 21 as one possible target for the Kings, but notes that some teams believe Sacramento is working on a deal for the Thunder‘s second first-rounder at No. 24.

Knicks Notes: Achiuwa, Tucker, Payne, Shamet, Free Agents, Brown

June 19th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Coming off a frustrating season in terms of playing time, Knicks big man Precious Achiuwa “started to see the game a lot differently” in January, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link).

Bondy notes that Achiuwa was never able to win the full trust of former head coach Tom Thibodeau, dating back to his arrival in a trade with Toronto last season. Thibodeau inserted former Knick Jericho Sims into the starting lineup instead of Achiuwa when Karl-Anthony Towns was injured, and Achiuwa saw his minutes drop even more when Mitchell Robinson returned in March.

Bondy points out that Achiuwa got off to a strong start during the preseason, but wasn’t able to claim a regular role after missing the first 21 games of the regular season with a hamstring strain.

“You don’t want to start off the season hurt,” Achiuwa said. “And I was kind of having a really good preseason. So getting hurt right there kind of throws you off your rhythm. You get back, you’re trying to get back your rhythm. And then you’re battling getting your rhythm with inconsistencies in terms of playing time, playing style. It took a while for me. But it was tough.”

Achiuwa is exploring his options as he prepares for free agency at the end of the month. Bondy believes the chances of him staying in New York may have improved slightly due to the coaching change, but the team’s salary cap situation makes a return uncertain.

“Going to take a little bit of time from my end to think about that stuff,” Achiuwa said regarding free agency. “But that’s something that’s important. So when that time comes, I have people who I pay money to handle that type of stuff, who have those type of conversations. So we’ll see how that goes.”

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks are almost certain to decline their $3.5MM option on P.J. Tucker for next season, Bondy adds in the same piece, but that doesn’t mean he won’t re-sign. Although Tucker barely played after joining the team in March, he established himself as a strong locker room leader. Bondy notes that free agent guards Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet are both close friends of Mikal Bridges, increasing the chances that they’ll return. Bondy identifies Al Horford, Nicolas Batum and Chris Paul as potential low-cost additions in free agency.
In a mailbag column, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic points to Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard as another possible free agent target. Edwards acknowledges that Kennard is likely to receive better offers than the $5.7MM he could get from New York, but adds that his status as a CAA client could give the Knicks an advantage. Edwards also names Horford as an MLE target, along with Spencer Dinwiddie and Trey Lyles.
Former Sacramento head coach Mike Brown conducted his interview with the Knicks on Wednesday, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

Lakers Expected To Keep Trey Jemison, Re-Sign Christian Koloko

June 15th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are likely to bring back two-way players Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko next season, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said in a recent video Q&A session (YouTube link, hat tip to BasketNews).

Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January, so Buha expects L.A. to keep him as one of its three two-way players. The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with the Lakers, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans last season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in 2023/24.

Koloko, who’ll turn 25 this week, joined the Lakers in September after overcoming a blood clot issue that forced him to sit out the 2023/24 season. He appeared in 37 games, averaging 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per night and shot 60.6% from the floor. Koloko will become a restricted free agent if the Lakers submit a qualifying offer, which Buha expects them to do.

“I think it would be a mistake to let him walk without at least trying to retain him,” Buha said. “Koloko makes sense as a 14th or 15th guy on the roster, a third center. And Jemison fits as a two-way guy. I think both guys would tentatively be back.”

The Lakers’ other two-way player from this season, Jordan Goodwin, was promoted to a standard contract in late March. There was speculation that Jemison or Koloko might join him to become eligible for the playoffs, but L.A. opted to keep veteran big man Alex Len, who made two brief appearances in the first-round loss to Minnesota. Coach J.J. Redick played without a center for long stretches as the series wore on.

Buha addressed a few other topics in the video, stating that Jazz center Walker Kessler is probably unrealistic as a trade target and suggesting veteran point guard Chris Paul as a free agent addition on a veteran’s minimum contract.