Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Parts With Agents, Will Rep Himself
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has parted ways with his agents at Wasserman and will represent himself as he prepares to become extension-eligible this offseason, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).
Gilgeous-Alexander had been represented by Thad Foucher and Joe Smith, per RealGM.
Having made All-NBA teams in both 2023 and 2024, Gilgeous-Alexander has met the performance criteria for a super-max contract and will become eligible to sign that extension with the Thunder this July.
The 2024 MVP runner-up still has two years left on his current deal and can’t exceed six years in total, so the maximum value of his extension would be a projected $293.4MM over four years, beginning in 2027/28.
That projection is based on the cap increasing by the maximum allowable 10% for each of the next three seasons, so it’s possible the final figure will come in a little lower — the deal would start at 35% of the ’27/28 cap and would include 8% raises.
Unlike with Luka Doncic in Dallas, there has been no indication that the Thunder aren’t prepared to put that full super-max offer on the table for Gilgeous-Alexander this summer, which means the negotiation should be fairly straightforward.
While he’ll serve as his own agent as he negotiates that contract with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander will continue to be represented by Simon Gebrelul of Isla Management for marketing and off-court ventures, according to Haynes.
Gilgeous-Alexander is currently the betting favorite to be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season. The 26-year-old guard is averaging a league-leading 32.5 points per game on .523/.359/.897 shooting while also contributing 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.0 block per night for the 44-10 Thunder.
Eastern Notes: Williams, Russell, Suggs, Banchero, Knicks
In an ironic twist, Hornets center Mark Williams is listed as probable to play against the Lakers on Wednesday, Charlotte’s PR department tweets.
Williams would be playing in his first game since the Hornets-Lakers trade was rescinded after he failed to pass Los Angeles’ physical due to “multiple issues.” The probable status is due to “return to play reconditioning.”
The Lakers front office thought it had solved their starting center issue by acquiring Williams. They had agreed to give up rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap. Knecht and Reddish returned to the Lakers along with the draft capital when the team decided to void the deal.
Williams, who has battled injuries throughout his young career, is averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in 22 contests this season.
We have more Eastern Conference news:
- While the Nets gave all the appearances of tanking earlier this season, their young core isn’t cooperating. They are within range of a play-in spot, trailing the 10th-place Bulls by just 1.5 games. They’ve gotten a boost from D’Angelo Russell in his second stint with the organization. Russell led them to an unlikely postseason berth five years ago and it could happen again, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Russell is averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 assists in 16 games since he was acquired from the Lakers. “Last time it just … kind of happened,” Russell said. “So I think if it’s gonna happen, it will. We definitely have the chance. We definitely have a nice group, definitely have all the coaches and everything to give it that. So we’ll keep preparing like that’s in the plans. But as far as getting ahead of myself and trying to do things out of the ordinary, that’s not really … it’s kind of out of my control, I would say. So [we’ve] just got to go one game at a time, one win at a time.”
- Even with added rest and recovery time, Jalen Suggs is still not 100 percent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) on Tuesday that the Magic guard was “able to go through running portions of practice but no contact still.” Suggs missed the last nine games before the All-Star break due to a left quad contusion.
- Expect better results from Paolo Banchero after the All-Star break, Beede opines as he examines five storylines to watch for the remainder of the Magic‘s season. After missing 34 games due to a torn right abdominal muscle, Banchero has averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 turnovers per game while shooting 28.9% from 3-point range over the past 18 contests. Banchero said his main issue after recovering from the injury was getting back into top shape to play with the same energy and effort on a nightly basis.
- The Knicks got good grades on their midseason report card. The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy gives Josh Hart an A-plus, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns earning As.
Dennis Smith Jr. Departs Real Madrid, Eyes NBA Return
Dennis Smith Jr. has left Real Madrid with the intent of returning to the NBA this season, league insider Chris Haynes tweets.
Smith signed with Real Madrid in mid-January. According to Ramon Alvarez de Mon of Radio Marca (hat tip to Eurohoops.net), Smith hadn’t adapted well in Madrid. Though the club was satisfied with his attitude, his physical condition reportedly wasn’t up to par. He only made two EuroLeague appearances and wasn’t even included on the team’s roster during the recent Spanish Copa del Rey tournament.
The ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, Smith has appeared in a total of 326 regular season games for the Mavericks, Knicks, Pistons, Trail Blazers, Hornets, and Nets over the course of seven NBA seasons.
He made 56 appearances last season for Brooklyn, averaging 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 18.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .435/.294/.741.
Smith signed a G League contract in December, expecting to be claimed by the Austin Spurs. However, the Bucks’ affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, claimed him instead. He didn’t play in a game for the Herd.
Pacific Notes: Doncic, Lakers Offense, Suns Arena, Durant
With the shock of getting traded wearing off, Luka Doncic is eager to see how this Lakers season will play out. The time off during the All-Star break should have him at full throttle. Doncic averaged only 15 points in his first two games with the club after recovering from a calf injury.
“I think we can go very far,” Doncic said, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link). “Obviously, (last week) I felt a little bit rusty, two games in after my injury—turnovers, missed free throws, so I’ve got to do way better.”
Doncic was encouraged that he had no health-related setbacks after playing two games.
“It’s good. Still getting back in rhythm,” Doncic said. “You can’t really practice that five-on-five stuff. It’s way different in the game, but I’m just happy to be back out there and trying to win and play games.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- With Doncic developing chemistry with LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the Lakers should become a top-three offense and aim for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes. He notes in that limited sample of back-to-back games against Utah, the Lakers scored 116.7 points per 100 possessions with Doncic on the court, higher than their season average. That could improve to the 120 points per 100 possessions range once Doncic settles in, in Buha’s estimation.
- The Suns’ arena will be called PHX Arena on an interim basis as the naming rights go on the market, John Gambadoro of 98.7FM Phoenix tweets. The arena will be the host site for the 2027 All-Star Game. The franchise ended its naming rights agreement with Footprint.
- Could Kevin Durant finish out his playing career in Europe? The Suns superstar didn’t dismiss the possibility during All-Star weekend. “I play in the NBA, but I also love watching the EuroLeague,” he said, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. “Barcelona would be a great place. Monaco would be nice too. For now, I love Phoenix. I’m staying.”
Durant: No Beef With Warriors, Just Didn’t Want Midseason Trade
Kevin Durant had no interest in being traded anywhere this season and wasn’t simply avoiding a Warriors reunion, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews (video link).
Golden State reportedly made numerous offers to the Suns for Durant prior to the trade deadline. Durant was “blindsided” that his name came up in trade talks and reportedly didn’t want a second stint with the Warriors. Head coach Steve Kerr said last week that he didn’t blame Durant for that stance.
“He took so much s— for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon,'” Kerr said. “And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?
However, Durant says his motivation to stay put was about not wanting to be uprooted during the season.
“People talk crazy about me all the time,” Durant said when asked about Kerr’s comments. “That’s not the reason why I didn’t come back. I just didn’t want to get traded midway through the season. It was nothing against my time with the Warriors, or I heard it was because I don’t like Draymond (Green). At the end of the day, I just didn’t want to move. And I wanted to see it through with my team in Phoenix. And see what we can do through the rest of the season, so I’m glad I’m still there.”
The Suns currently sit in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 26-28 record and had a three-game losing streak entering the All-Star break.
“We expect a lot out of ourselves individually and it just hasn’t materialized the way we want it to,” he said. “I know it’s disappointing to see us play this way. Our fans and people watching the game want more from us but you can’t think about it. We’ve got to think about the day ahead of us and trying to get better and figure out how we’re going to win the next game.”
It’s quite possible Durant’s name could come up in trade talks after the season. The 36-year-old forward remains one of the league’s premier players. His current contract runs out after next season.
“You have to ask the front office about that. I never planned on leaving or getting traded,” Durant said about the possibility of getting traded. “I didn’t ask for a trade from Phoenix. But, obviously, when you pay so much for a team and we’re not playing up to our expectation, someone has to go. Probably should check in with those guys in the front office throughout the rest of the season to see how they’re feeling about the team. I know I’m going to try to keep bringing my best every single day. I’ll let the higher-ups focus on what’s next.”
Durant admits he thinks “all the time” about the end of his playing career. However, he still enjoys the grind and isn’t planning to hang up his uniform any time soon.
“I’m still having fun preparing for games, preparing for practices, being a good teammate, being coached,” he said. “I still enjoy all of that stuff. So, I don’t see an end right now.”
Patrick Baldwin Jr. Joins San Diego Clippers
The San Diego Clippers have acquired former NBA first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. from the G League player pool, the team announced today in a press release.
Baldwin, 22, was selected 28th overall in the 2022 draft by Golden State and spent his rookie year with the Warriors before being traded to the Wizards during the 2023 offseason in the Chris Paul/Jordan Poole deal.
Baldwin didn’t see much playing time in either Golden State or Washington — to date, he has appeared in 91 total NBA regular season games, averaging 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per night. The 6’9″ forward posted a .401/.366/.658 shooting line across those 91 contests.
After originally appearing on track to be sent to the Bucks as part of the Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton trade earlier this month, Baldwin was rerouted to San Antonio when more teams got involved in that deal, turning it into a four-team trade. The Spurs waived Baldwin shortly after acquiring him.
Today’s announcement from the Clippers‘ G League affiliate suggests that Baldwin signed an NBAGL contract shortly after becoming an unrestricted free agent. Since no team held his G League rights, he was subject to the waiver process — San Diego either put in a claim or waited until after he cleared waivers and then added him to the team’s roster.
While Baldwin’s minutes at the NBA level have been limited, he has seen a little more action in the G League, including in seven outings for the Capital City Go-Go this season. He averaged 15.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG on .488/.349/.571 shooting in those seven games (27.2 MPG).
Southwest Notes: Morant, Powell, Wemby, Castle
Several of the stars who were traded ahead of this month’s deadline – including Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Brandon Ingram – were on the block for a while, while others – such as Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, and De’Aaron Fox – were either total surprises or (as in Fox’s case) weren’t necessarily expected to be on the move this soon.
So which stars might emerge as new trade candidates ahead of the 2025 offseason? Howard Beck of The Ringer said during a live episode of The Real Ones podcast over the weekend that one executive he spoke to about that subject offered up an interesting prediction.
“I’m constantly checking in with executives around (the) trade deadline about what we saw, what we didn’t see, what’s next,” Beck said (Twitter audio link). “And in this league, you are always, always, always on the lookout for who’s the next wave of stars that are going to get dealt, right? … And somebody out of the blue said, ‘Keep an eye on Ja [Morant] this summer.’
“… I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m not saying it should happen. I’m just saying it’s one of those things I’m just kind of keeping an eye on if they were to flame out (of the playoffs) early.”
At this point, the idea that Morant will emerge as a trade candidate seems more like wishful thinking on the part of an opposing executive than something likely to actually happen. The Grizzlies‘ star point guard is just 25 years old, is still under contract in Memphis for three more years beyond this season, and has stayed out of trouble off the court since being suspended twice in 2023 for wielding a gun in social media videos.
Still, in the wake of Dallas’ decision to deal Doncic, team executives will likely be loath to assume that any rival star is entirely untouchable.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The Mavericks haven’t shared an official update on Dwight Powell‘s health for over a week, but Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link) hears that the big man has been doing full workouts during the All-Star break. Powell, who has been out since January 17 due to a right hip strain, doesn’t typically play a significant role for the Mavs, but the team would love to have him available with frontcourt regulars Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, and Anthony Davis all sidelined due to injuries of their own.
- Michael C. Wright of ESPN takes a behind-the-scenes look at Victor Wembanyama‘s first All-Star appearance, noting that the Spurs flew their massage therapist, physical therapist, and performance coach to San Francisco to run the big man through his usual pregame routine, since he wanted to win every event he was involved in. That included Saturday’s skills challenge, in which Wembanyama and teammate Chris Paul attempted to exploit a loophole and were ultimately disqualified. “I don’t regret it,” the first-time All-Star said of the scheme to intentionally miss their required shot attempts as quickly as possible. “I thought it was a good idea.”
- After a busy All-Star weekend, first-year Spurs guard Stephon Castle spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his experience in San Francisco, what he has learned from Paul, and what it’s like to play with Wembanyama, among other topics. Castle also expressed optimism about his ability to play alongside new San Antonio point guard De’Aaron Fox going forward. “I love playing with D-Fox,” the rookie told Spears. “He plays super-fast. That is how I like to play. Super unselfish. He can go get a bucket whenever you need him to. Yeah, he’s super cool and a great guy off the court, too.”
Hornets Sign Elfrid Payton To Second 10-Day Deal
1:02 pm: Payton’s new 10-day contract is now official, the Hornets confirmed in a press release. It will run through next Thursday (Feb. 27).
12:45 pm: Following the expiration of his first 10-day contract with the Hornets earlier this week, veteran point guard Elfrid Payton has agreed to a second 10-day deal with the team, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Charlotte is short on point guard depth after having traded Vasilije Micic to Phoenix at this month’s deadline. Tre Mann has been out for most of the season due to a back injury and LaMelo Ball has been in and out of the lineup due to ankle issues.
A former No. 10 overall pick, Payton appeared in two games for the Hornets during his first 10 days with the team, averaging 2.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per night. He had a stint with another banged-up team – New Orleans – earlier this season and put up 6.7 PPG, 6.9 APG, and 3.4 RPG in seven outings (20.6 MPG) for the Pelicans.
The Hornets have a full 15-man standard roster, but won’t need to waive anyone to open up a spot for Payton because they qualify for a hardship exception due to longer-term injuries affecting Mann, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and Josh Okogie. That exception allows them to temporarily go beyond the usual roster limit.
Payton will earn a $171,756 salary on his new 10-day contract, while Charlotte carries a cap charge of $119,972. The Hornets have a busy schedule coming up in the next 10 days, including multiple back-to-back sets, so the 30-year-old will be available for up to six games if he officially signs on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Once Payton’s second 10-day deal expires, he won’t be eligible to sign a third one with the Hornets.
Eastern Notes: Ingram, Lonzo, Moore, E. Thompson
He hasn’t appeared in a game for his new team yet, but Brandon Ingram has already made franchise history for the Raptors, contends Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.
As Lewenberg explains, Ingram is the first All-Star player to “chart a course to Toronto in the prime of his career.” Conversely, Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, and DeMar DeRozan were drafted and developed by the Raptors; Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard didn’t view Toronto as a preferred destination when they were traded there; and Hakeem Olajuwon was in his twilight years when he chose to sign with Toronto.
Although it’s unclear whether Toronto was the No. 1 landing spot on Ingram’s wish list, the Raptors were believed to be one of the teams – along with the Hawks – the 27-year-old targeted as an ideal fit, Lewenberg writes. That was backed up by the fact that Ingram quickly signed a three-year, $120MM extension with the Raptors just days after the trade was completed.
That three-year deal will pay Ingram a salary of $38,095,238 in 2025/26 and exactly $40MM in ’26/27, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. The star forward will hold a $41,904,762 player option for the ’27/28 season.
“First thing that I heard [from the Raptors] is they want to make me an All-Star again and I’m going to be a big part of what they do moving forward,” Ingram told reporters last week. “I want to come here and learn. I want to come here and be a sponge, shift the culture, make it a winning culture and come in here and just listen. Do whatever coach (Darko Rajakovic) needs me to do and go out and try to be an example every single day.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Lonzo Ball‘s new two-year, $20MM extension with the Bulls has a flat year-over-year structure, Hoops Rumors has learned. Ball’s $10MM salary in 2025/26 is fully guaranteed, then Chicago holds a $10MM team option for ’26/27.
- Wendell Moore‘s new two-way contract with the Hornets is just a rest-of-season deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. Charlotte’s other two-way players, KJ Simpson and Damion Baugh, are under contract through next season on two-year, two-way contracts. Moore also won’t be eligible for a qualifying offer this summer — because he previously had his 2025/26 rookie scale team option declined, the third-year shooting guard will automatically become an unrestricted free agent.
- Ethan Thompson, who has played primarily in the G League since going undrafted in 2021, referred to his new two-way contract with the Magic as a “dream come true,” adding that playing for the organization – including Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic – has “felt like home,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “It was a surreal moment,” Thompson said of signing his first NBA two-way contract. “My mom instantly cried. My father is proud; my brother is proud as well. It’s a great thing to be able to share that with them.”
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 2/18/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included the Bulls' options in the draft, players to watch in the buyout market, impact free agents for this summer, Kevin Durant's next team and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
