Heat Sign-And-Trade Duncan Robinson To Pistons
July 7: The sign-and-trade deal sending Robinson from Miami to Detroit in exchange for Fontecchio is now official, according to a press release from the Pistons (Twitter link).
July 1: Free agent wing Duncan Robinson is headed to the Pistons on a three-year, $48MM contract via a sign-and-trade, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). Detroit is sending backup forward Simone Fontecchio to Miami in the deal, Charania adds in another tweet.
While there are no options on the third year of the deal, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter links), it’s only partially guaranteed in year two and non-guaranteed in year three. Contracts signed via sign-and-trade must cover at least three seasons.
Robinson terminated his contract with the Heat in order to become a free agent. Had Robinson opted into the final year of his deal, his $19.9MM salary for ’25/26 would have become partially guaranteed for $9.9MM, which would have forced Miami to decide whether to guarantee his remaining $10MM or waive him in order to create $10MM in savings.
He’ll now join a Pistons team in need of shooting after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder in free agency while their top three-point threat this past season and another unrestricted free agent, Malik Beasley, is under investigation on gambling allegations.
Beasley was said to be in serious talks with the Pistons about a three-year, $42MM contract before word broke about the gambling allegations. It seems that money – and potentially a little extra, if he plays out the full contract – is going to Robinson instead.
Detroit secured a two-year agreement on Monday with Hawks free agent wing Caris LeVert, who like Robinson played his college ball at the University of Michigan. The LeVert deal is expected to be completed using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Robinson, 31, brings one major talent to the table — the ability to stretch the floor. He has knocked down 39.7 percent of his three-point tries during his 423-game NBA regular-season career.
Robinson made 74 appearances this past season, half of which were starts. He averaged 11 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 24.1 minutes per game. He shot 43.7 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from distance.
Fontecchio appeared in 75 games with the Pistons, all off the bench. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game but made a disappointing 33.5 percent of his threes after knocking down 40.1 percent in 66 games with Utah and Detroit the previous season. Fontecchio has one year and $8.3MM left on his contract.
Detroit needed to send out at least $7.5MM in matching salary to make the sign-and-trade work and Fontecchio’s contract fits nicely, cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (Twitter links). The Heat will also come out with a trade exception in the deal, which Gozlan estimates will be worth $6.9MM.
The Heat now have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, while the Pistons are still operating with a few open roster spots and plenty of spending flexibility below the tax threshold.
FA Rumors: Rollins, Kings, Westbrook, Robinson, Pistons, Lakers, Horford
The Bucks are rescinding their qualifying offer to free agent guard Ryan Rollins, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Rollins opened the new league year as a restricted free agent, but this decision will make him unrestricted.
The move is probably more about maximizing the Bucks’ cap room than an indication the team no longer has no interest in retaining Rollins. Milwaukee is making a series of moves in order to open up the space necessary to sign Myles Turner to a four-year, $107MM contract.
Still, it means that the Bucks will no longer have the right of first refusal on Rollins, so he could sign outright with a new team without Milwaukee having a chance to match.
Rollins had a bit of a breakout season in 2024/25, registering 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. He had only made 25 appearances across two NBA seasons prior to ’24/25.
We have several more items of interest relating to free agency:
- After reportedly discussing a deal with the Pistons, the Kings won’t be sending out Malik Monk as part of their Dennis Schröder addition, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter links). Schröder could still be acquired via sign-and-trade, since Sacramento has a trade exception large enough to accommodate his three-year, $45MM deal, but it sounds like he may end up just going into the team’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
- With Monk staying in Sacramento, the Kings are less likely to sign free agent point guard Russell Westbrook, Stein adds (via Twitter).
- After opting out of his contract on Sunday, free agent forward Duncan Robinson appears unlikely to return to the Heat, multiple league sources tell Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami is exploring sign-and-trade opportunities and the Pistons are among the interested teams, an Eastern Conference source tells the authors. Robinson is the franchise leader for most made three-pointers, but his playing time declined this season and the Heat may consider it too costly to bring him back. A contract agreement with Davion Mitchell gives Miami $173.8MM committed to 14 players for next season, about $14MM away from the luxury tax. Chiang and Jackson suggest the team might re-sign free agent Alec Burks to fill Robinson’s role as a three-point specialist.
- Signing Deandre Ayton once he clears waivers remains a possibility, but the Lakers are also exploring other options in free agency and trades, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Al Horford is getting “serious consideration” from both the Lakers and Warriors.
Arthur Hill contributed to this story.
Free Agent Rumors: Ayton, Westbrook, Horford, Heat, Beasley
Exploring the Trail Blazers‘ decision to buy out Deandre Ayton so early in the offseason, Jason Quick of The Athletic cites sources who say that Ayton’s attitude was a factor in Portland’s willingness to move on.
As Quick details, the former No. 1 overall pick was reportedly late to team flights and practices, skipped injury rehab appointments, and threw “tantrums” in the locker room when he was benched for poor effort. He also had little self-awareness about his role, says Quick, having envisioned himself as the team’s “cornerstone” when he joined the Blazers ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Teams with interest in the veteran center will have to weigh whether or not Ayton’s baggage is worth his talent after Phoenix and Portland both eventually determined it wasn’t, Quick writes.
Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- Although they’ve reached a deal to sign Dennis Schröder to their backcourt, the Kings still have interest in signing free agent point guard Russell Westbrook too, league sources tell NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).
- Stein also notes (via Twitter) that Al Horford continues to be a top target for the Warriors, as reported on Monday. One source who spoke to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe suggested Golden State is the frontrunner for Horford, though several other teams remain in the mix. The Warriors are in the market for frontcourt help following the departure of Kevon Looney to New Orleans.
- While Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga would “love” for the Heat to pursue him, they haven’t done so to this point, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Miami also hasn’t been seeking a trade for Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, Jackson adds.
- Malik Beasley‘s offseason has been a nightmare so far. In addition to being the subject of an investigation related to gambling allegations, the free agent wing is facing a lawsuit from his former marketing agency, Hazan Sports Management Group, which is seeking $2.25MM in damages and legal fees for breach of contract. David Purdum of ESPN, who has the full details on the suit, says Hazan Sports alleges Beasley was dealing with “financial issues” when it took him on as a client in 2023.
Giannis ‘Not Pleased’ With Bucks’ Decision To Waive Lillard?
Superstar Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is “not pleased” with the team’s decision to waive Damian Lillard, league sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
In a shocking pair of moves, the Bucks will waive Lillard and stretch the $112MM+ remaining on his contract after the star point guard suffered an Achilles tear in April, and will sign standout free agent center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107MM deal using the newly created cap room.
The Bucks’ aggressive approach to the offseason was certainly fueled by a desire to stay in contention in the short term and take advantage of Antetokounmpo’s prime years, with Lillard likely to miss most or all of 2025/26. So if Giannis isn’t happy about any of their moves, that’s problematic.
Still, it’s worth noting that ESPN’s Shams Charania has indicated Antetokounmpo was on board with the acquisition of Turner. Within his story on the Bucks’ moves, Charania writes that Antetokounmpo and Turner “both valued the opportunity to partner on the court.”
During an appearance on NBA TV (Twitter video link), Haynes suggested that Antetokounmpo may simply be reacting to the coldness of waiving Lillard – an accomplished and respected veteran star – shortly after he suffered such a major injury.
“He just didn’t like how it was handled,” Haynes said.
For what it’s worth, Lillard might view the situation as a win-win, Marc J. Spears of Andscape tweets, since adjusting to Milwaukee away from his family after spending the first 11 years of his NBA career in Portland had been a challenge for him. Now, he’ll still be paid in full by the Bucks while getting to become an unrestricted free agent, which will give him the ability to pick his own situation.
Lillard is expected to take some time to decide whether he wants to sit out this season or sign a multiyear contract and spend the season rehabbing with a team, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Heat are among the teams expected to have interest, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though Jackson says the Oakland native will be “open to considering everything presented.”
As for Antetokounmpo, we’ll see whether he comes around on viewing the Lillard release as a necessary evil to land a player like Turner or whether the situation escalates from here. During his NBA TV spot, Haynes referred to it as “one more thing added to the equation” for Giannis as he considers whether he wants his future to be in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
Lakers Rumors: DFS, Ayton, LeBron, Wiggins, LaRavia
After Dorian Finney-Smith turned down his $15.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season, the Lakers offered him a new contract, but it only covered two seasons, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic. The veteran forward instead agreed to a four-year, $53MM deal with Houston.
As Woike explains, the Lakers want to maintain as much future cap flexibility as they can in order to be able to pursue a star-level player to pair with Luka Doncic following LeBron James‘ eventual retirement.
That point has also been made by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, who writes that the Lakers want to preserve 2027 cap room in the hopes of landing a maximum-salary player, and by Shams Charania, who discussed the subject on SportsCenter late on Monday night (Twitter video link).
“They are really prioritizing two-year contracts right now,” Charania said. “They want to have max-salary space in 2027.”
How that stance affects the Lakers’ search for a center remains to be seen. While Brook Lopez committed to the Clippers on Monday and Clint Capela agreed to a deal with Houston, it’s Deandre Ayton who has been the team’s top priority, according to Woike, who points out that Ayton and Doncic share the same agent (Bill Duffy).
It sounds like the Lakers are unlikely to offer more than two years to Ayton, so if there’s a rival suitor willing to put a longer deal on the table, that could be problematic for Los Angeles. However, I’d be a little surprised if that’s the case after his time in Portland ended via buyout.
Woike points to the Bucks as one team to watch for Ayton, noting that they should have access to most of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and lost their starting center (Lopez) on Monday.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- ESPN’s Dave McMenamin spoke on NBA Today on Monday about where things stand with James following agent Rich Paul‘s Saturday statement about evaluating “what’s best for LeBron” as the star forward opted into the final year of his contract. “(Paul) has not had any discussion with the Lakers about wanting a trade, on the back end of this statement,” McMenamin said (YouTube link). “He did say that four teams have contacted him in the last 24 hours wanting to take trades, but Rich didn’t have any substantive conversations with those teams either. Right now, LeBron is focused on playing on a championship-caliber roster. Rich told me there’s no guarantees in building a championship-caliber roster, but we know what it looks like and what it doesn’t look like. And we’ll see if in a week from now – when Rob Pelinka‘s finished doing his work with this roster – if it looks like a winning, realistic situation.”
- According to Jovan Buha (Twitter video link), the rumored trade talks between the Lakers and Heat about Andrew Wiggins haven’t gained any real momentum due to a “pretty high” asking price on Miami’s end. “We’re talking basically everything or close to everything that the Lakers could offer from a top-end asset standpoint,” Buha said. “So I don’t think that is going to happen. I don’t think the Lakers are trading Rui (Hachimura), a first, and Dalton (Knecht) for Andrew Wiggins. That’s not fair value. That’s not a realistic trade. I think Miami’s playing hardball. We’ll see if they soften their stance.”
- League sources tell Woike that Jake LaRavia, who agreed to a two-year, $12MM deal with the Lakers on Monday, was the team’s first call when free agency opened, and that the free agent forward was impressed by the way Pelinka sold the Lakers’ strength and JJ Redick‘s “detailed” plan for how he would be used. One executive who spoke to Woike about the move lauded LaRavia for his toughness, shooting, and burgeoning play-making skills, while another said, “Everyone can use a player like him.”
Pre-FA Rumors: LeBron, Ayton, Knicks, Kennard, Rozier
Despite the fact that Rich Paul‘s statement accompanying LeBron James‘ opt-in on Sunday raised eyebrows around the NBA, that doesn’t mean that there are any active trade talks involving the Lakers star, NBA insider Chris Haynes said during an appearance on NBA TV (Twitter video link).
“(Paul) told me there have been no trade discussions, there have been no trade talks with the Lakers,” Haynes said. “People have been speculating on certain teams that he might be interested in. I’m told all that talk is false. There has been no trade talks.
“… He clearly opted in and he wants to win. He believes the Lakers have what it takes to maximize Luka (Doncic)‘s timeline, but also maximize and prioritize his timeline.”
While trade speculation has run rampant since Paul asserted that James will be closely monitoring the Lakers’ offseason moves, it hasn’t been uncommon over the years for LeBron to publicly or privately put pressure on his teams to upgrade their respective rosters — he never requested a trade in any of those instances. This may simply be a case of him making sure Los Angeles does all it can to build a roster capable of contending in what could be James’ final NBA season.
With free agency set to officially open at the top of the hour, here are a few rumors – about free agents and other topics – from around the NBA:
- During his NBA TV spot (Twitter video link), Haynes also said that there’s a “strong possibility” of Deandre Ayton joining the Lakers in free agency. The former No. 1 overall pick gave up $10MM in his buyout agreement with the Trail Blazers, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
- After previous reports indicated that Russell Westbrook and Jordan Clarkson are expected to be among the guards on the Knicks‘ radar in free agency, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) says the team’s interest in Westbrook is mutual, while Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link) says the same of Clarkson.
- In addition to confirming several previously reported teams who have interest in sharpshooter Luke Kennard – including Denver, Atlanta, Houston, and New York – Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) adds the Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Pistons to the list of suitors for the 29-year-old. Scotto also reiterates, as he reported earlier, that Kennard isn’t expected to return to Memphis.
- During a discussion on The Pat McAfee Show about the federal probe into Malik Beasley for gambling allegations, ESPN’s Shams Charania suggested that Heat guard Terry Rozier may be out of the woods in regard to a similar investigation into him. “Terry Rozier, as of right now, has been cleared,” Charania said. “… There’s really nothing active, as of right now, with him.” Since Charania mentioned this in passing rather than explicitly reporting it, we should probably take it with a grain of salt rather than treating it as a formal update, but it sounds like it could be a promising development for Rozier.
Warriors Rumors: Kuminga, Horford, Free Agency
Although there have been a few conversations between the two sides, the Warriors and restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga ahead of the official start of free agency on Monday evening, there’s no real traction toward an agreement, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) have published a similar report, writing that Kuminga’s free agency may be a “slow-moving process,” with no immediate resolution expected in the coming hours.
Although the Warriors will have the right of first refusal on Kuminga, giving them the ability to match any offer sheet he signs with another team, the 22-year-old will explore his options in free agency, with the Heat and Bulls still looking like the most likely suitors, league sources tell Slater.
Fischer and Stein also mention Miami and Chicago while also identifying the Kings and Pelicans as two possible teams to watch for Kuminga in sign-and-trade scenarios. While the Warriors are willing to help facilitate a sign-and-trade deal that sends Kuminga elsewhere, that scenario would have to “outweigh the benefits” of simply re-signing Kuminga themselves in order for them to move forward with it, per Fischer and Stein.
Here’s more out of Golden State:
- Veteran Celtics center Al Horford is expected to be a top target for the Warriors, league sources tell Fischer and Stein. Slater has heard similar rumblings, writing that “many in the league continue to link” Horford to Golden State. The team’s spending flexibility will hinge in large part on how the Kuminga situation resolves, but the Warriors should have some form of mid-level exception available.
- Generally speaking, a stretch center is a top priority for the Warriors, team sources tell Slater. The club will be “on the recruiting trail” when free agency opens on Monday, Slater adds.
Free Agency Notes: Rockets, Ty. Jones, Heat, Raptors, More
The Rockets are diligently working secure meetings with Dorian Finney-Smith, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard when free agency gets underway at 5:00 pm CT, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Houston is viewed as the frontrunner to land Finney-Smith after the veteran forward declined his $15.4MM player option and didn’t immediately work out a new deal with the Lakers. Marc Stein has reported multiple times that the Rockets are prepared to offer the 32-year-old a four-year deal worth most of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Alexander-Walker, meanwhile, is expected to leave Minnesota after the Timberwolves agreed to lucrative new contracts with Naz Reid and Julius Randle. The Hawks have been rumored as the favorite to acquire the versatile guard, but several teams are said to be interested in his services.
Atlanta is also rumored to have interest in Kennard, who is the third-most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history at 43.8%. He has spent the past two-plus seasons in Memphis, but is expected to leave the Grizzlies in free agency.
Here are a few more free agency-related notes and rumors:
- The Knicks could be a suitor for point guard Tyus Jones, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link). “Tyus Jones is a name that I’m keeping an eye on,” Begley said. “Last summer, there was mutual interest…Jones was even willing to take a pay cut to come to New York. He ended up choosing Phoenix thinking it would be a very good situation for him — didn’t work out, so he’s back on the market.” New York can likely only offer the taxpayer mid-level exception or the veteran’s minimum, Begley notes.
- The Magic also expressed prior interest in Tyus Jones and he could be a good fit with Orlando depending on how much money he’s seeking in free agency, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. If it’s not Jones, the Magic will likely look to add a different veteran point guard to improve their shooting and offense, Robbins writes.
- Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald released a guide for some of the options the Heat could explore in free agency. According to Chiang, guard Dru Smith is expected to return to Miami on a two-way deal after he was issued a two-way qualifying offer, but he has yet to accept that QO. Smith was on the verge of being promoted to a standard contract last season before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in late December.
- As of now, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca expects the Raptors to be “fairly quiet” in free agency (Twitter link). Toronto will likely fill out the end of its roster with minimum-salary deals. A veteran extension for starting center Jakob Poeltl remains a possibility as well, Grange adds.
- Zach Kram of ESPN.com lists seven “underrated players” who are about to hit the open market, including Chris Boucher, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Trent Jr.
Hawks Considered Favorites For Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Heading into the start of free agency, rival teams view the Hawks as the favorites to land Nickeil Alexander-Walker, likely in a sign-and-trade with the Timberwolves, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). This echoes a report on Sunday from Grant Afseth of RG.
Atlanta would be able to absorb Alexander-Walker’s new salary into the $25.3MM traded player exception it created in last summer’s Dejounte Murray deal.
Alexander-Walker is a strong two-way contributor who would bring a valuable element to an emerging Hawks team. The 26-year-old shooting guard is among the league’s top three-and-D players and connected at 38.1% from beyond the arc this season.
His expected move to Atlanta will have ripple effects on at least two other teams, Stein and Fischer add. The Pistons, who have also been considered contenders for Alexander-Walker, will turn their attention to signing Hawks free agent forward Caris LeVert, who had a productive half season off the bench after being acquired from Cleveland in February. Afseth also mentioned Detroit as a potential favorite for in LeVert in the wake of gambling allegations against Malik Beasley.
As Stein and Fischer have reported before, the Kings are working on a deal with Dennis Schröder to take over as their starting point guard. They cite projections that his new contract could approach $30MM over two years, which likely means he would receive the team’s non-taxpayer midlevel exception, which totals up to about $28.9MM over two seasons. Sources tell Stein and Fischer that Sacramento is also in the market for a second point guard to back up Schröder, possibly Russell Westbrook or Malcolm Brogdon.
The Pistons’ pursuit of a shooter to replace Beasley could involve Duncan Robinson, who opted out of his contract with the Heat on Sunday. Sources tell Stein and Fischer that Robinson made his decision with the expectation that he’ll get a longer deal with Miami or that the team will work with him on a sign-and-trade.
Heat’s Duncan Robinson Opting Out Of Contract
Heat forward Duncan Robinson is opting out of his contract for 2025/26 in order to become an unrestricted free agent, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who says the veteran sharpshooter will work with the team to either figure out a new deal or accommodate a move elsewhere.
Robinson held an early termination option ahead of the ’25/26 season rather than a traditional player option. They have similar functions, but in order to become a free agent, Robinson will technically exercise the option to terminate his contract early, rather than declining that option and playing out his contract. If it were a traditional player option, exercising it would mean opting in.
Had Robinson opted into the final year of his deal, his $19.9MM salary for ’25/26 would have become partially guaranteed for $9.9MM, which would have forced Miami to decide whether to guarantee his remaining $10MM or waive him in order to create $10MM in savings.
Now that Robinson has opted out, he’s not guaranteed any of that money. But he the Heat could potentially work out a multiyear deal that features a more team-friendly cap hit and ensures that the 31-year-old still earns that $9.9MM — and then some.
The possibility of a new three-year deal to keep Robinson in Miami is one idea that has been floated, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
One of the NBA’s best three-point shooters, Robinson has fired up 7.2 attempts per game from beyond the arc in 423 regular season appearances and has knocked down 39.7% of them. In 2024/25, he averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .437/.393/.887, across 74 outings (37 starts).
As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets, Robinson’s decision takes the Heat from $8MM over the projected luxury tax line to $12MM below it. That gives the team enough breathing room below the tax to either bring back the forward on a new contract or perhaps add a replacement via trade/sign-and-trade or the mid-level exception.