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Southeast Notes: D. Smith, Heat, Wizards, Djurisic

July 29th, 2025 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

While Dru Smith had been considered the favorite to claim the Heat‘s final two-way slot, that can’t actually happen, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, since a CBA rule prohibits a player from being on a two-way contract with the same team for four seasons.

Smith hasn’t spent the entirety of the past three years on two-way deals with Miami, but he has been on a two-way contract for at least part of each of the past three seasons since 2022/23, making him ineligible to do so again in ’25/26.

The Heat did tender Smith a qualifying offer in June, but that offer is for a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small partial guarantee (approximately $102K), rather than another two-way deal. Miami has just 14 players on standard contracts for now, so Smith could be the club’s 15th man, but team salary is already over the luxury tax threshold, so it’s unclear whether or not the front office plans to carry a full 15-man roster into the regular season.

Meanwhile, there’s still a two-way spot open on the Heat’s roster alongside Vladislav Goldin and Myron Gardner.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • It hasn’t been an especially eventful offseason for the Heat — they’ve made modest additions like Norman Powell, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Simone Fontecchio, but will bring back a roster pretty similar to last year’s group. With that in mind, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests that internal improvement represents Miami’s best hope of taking a step forward and identifies Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier, and Nikola Jovic as a few of the top candidates to give the team more in 2025/26 than they did in ’24/25.
  • Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum are the only two players on the Wizards‘ roster who are older than 26 or earning more than $14MM in 2025/26, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who says the front office views the two veterans as positive influences and potential role models for the team’s younger players. Acquiring Middleton and McCollum also put Washington in position to create significant 2026 cap room, since both players are on expiring deals.
  • Nikola Djurisic, a 2024 second-round pick who signed his first NBA contract earlier this month with the Hawks, was left off Serbia’s roster for the upcoming EuroBasket tournament. As Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com relays (via Twitter), Serbian head coach Svetislav Pesic referred to the 21-year-old forward as part of “the future of Serbian basketball” in explaining that decision. “There was a thought to include him (on the roster) as well, but we have a lot of experienced players in that position,” Pesic said. “Let him take a break from everything now. He spent a whole year in America.”
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Clippers Waive Patrick Baldwin Jr.

July 29th, 2025 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Clippers have waived forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., according to the NBA’s official transaction log.

A report over the weekend indicated that Baldwin would be waived to open up a two-way contract slot for Jordan Miller. That report, from Law Murray of The Athletic, noted that the Clippers would have interest in bringing back Baldwin on an Exhibit 10 contract if he clears waivers.

The 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Baldwin played limited minutes as a rookie in Golden State before being sent to Washington in the Jordan Poole/Chris Paul trade during the summer of 2023. He also played a limited role in D.C. across a season-and-a-half until he was dealt to the Spurs at the 2025 trade deadline. San Antonio waived the 22-year-old shortly after acquiring him and he finished last season on a two-way contract with L.A.

In 93 total NBA outings, Baldwin has averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .405/.373/.658. The 6’9″ forward has played more of a featured role in the G League, including in 2024/25, when he put up 17.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG on .489/.364/.594 shooting in 23 games for the Capital City Go-Go and San Diego Clippers. He also filled up the box score with 2.4 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals per contest.

Baldwin still has one more year of two-way eligibility remaining.

The Clippers, meanwhile, can now officially move forward on their new two-way agreement with Miller, who will join Kobe Sanders and Trentyn Flowers as the team’s two-way players.

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Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 7/29/2025

July 29th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included the Wizards' potential interest in Josh Giddey, the Celtics' limited center options, the Bulls' stagnant offseason, a possible Victor Oladipo comeback and more!

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Tracy McGrady Joining NBC As NBA Analyst

July 29th, 2025 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

NBC Sports is adding another Hall of Famer to its NBA coverage for the 2025/26 season, announcing in a press release that Tracy McGrady has joined the network as a studio analyst.

McGrady, a former NBA star who made seven consecutive All-Star teams from 2001-07 and twice led the league in scoring, has prior broadcasting experience, having worked as an analyst for both ESPN and TNT Sports after his retirement as a player.

McGrady will be joining an NBC studio team that also includes his cousin Vince Carter, as well as former NBA star Carmelo Anthony. Maria Taylor and Ahmed Fareed will serve as the studio hosts for NBC’s NBA coverage, while Michael Jordan will be a special contributor to the network’s coverage.

“Tracy has performed at the highest level both on and off the court and has already demonstrated his ability to deliver his unique perspective on air,” NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said in a statement. “Whether paired with Carmelo, Vince, or both, we’re excited to see how this team of Hall of Famers comes together and breaks down the game.”

The hiring of McGrady is the second major announcement by NBC within the last week. The network also revealed a series of new hires last Thursday, including Derek Fisher, Austin Rivers, Brad Daugherty, Robbie Hummel, and Brian Scalabrine as game analysts.

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Pistons Sign Colby Jones To Two-Way Contract

July 29th, 2025 at 10:08am CST by Arthur Hill

July 29: The Pistons have officially announced their two-way deal with Jones, confirming the signing in a press release (Twitter link). Jones and Tolu Smith are now on two-way contracts with the Pistons, who still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Daniss Jenkins too.

July 23: Free agent shooting guard Colby Jones will sign a two-way contract with the Pistons, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jones, 23, had a strong finish to last season in Washington after being acquired from Sacramento in a three-team trade at the deadline. In 15 games with the Wizards, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.7 minutes per night while posting .466/.308/.657 shooting numbers.

Jones was traded to Oklahoma City last month, but the Thunder immediately waived his non-guaranteed $2.22MM contract for the upcoming season.

Jones began his career with the Kings after being selected with the 34th pick in the 2023 draft. This will be his first time on a two-way contract.

The Pistons have a two-way opening, so no corresponding roster move will be required before Jones can be signed.

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NBA Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2025/26

July 29th, 2025 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, since a player must meet a specific set of criteria in order to qualify for one. And even those players who become eligible may not have the leverage to demand a no-trade clause, which significantly limits a team’s flexibility in future trade negotiations.

To be eligible to negotiate a no-trade clause, a player must have at least eight years of NBA experience and has to have spent at least four years (not necessarily the most recent four years) with his current team. He also must be signing a free agent contract, rather than an extension.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: No-Trade Clause]

For the second consecutive season, multiple players will have no-trade clauses in their contracts during the 2025/26 league year. In addition to LeBron James, who got his no-trade clause when he signed his current contract in 2024, Damian Lillard negotiated a no-trade clause into his new deal with the Trail Blazers.

A year ago, it was James and Bradley Beal who had no-trade clauses, but Beal gave his up when he agreed to a buyout with the Suns this offseason.

Prior to 2024/25, the last time more than one player had an actual no-trade clause in his contract was in ’17/18, when three players – James (as a Cavalier), Dirk Nowitzki, and Carmelo Anthony – had them.

Although James and Lillard are the only players who have explicit no-trade clauses in their current deals, there are several others who will have implicit no-trade clauses in 2025/26, giving them the ability to veto trades during the current league year.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with an option year – is given no-trade protection, unless he agrees to give up that protection when he inks his deal. That group doesn’t include players on two-way contracts, but it does include players who accept standard (non two-way) one-year qualifying offers.

A player who signs an offer sheet and then has that offer matched by his previous team also has the ability to veto a trade for a full calendar year.

With those criteria in mind, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the ’25/26 league year:

Players with a no-trade clause:

Players whose offer sheets were matched:

  • None

Players who re-signed for one year (or two years, with a second-year player/team option):

If any player who re-signed for one year approves a trade during the 2025/26 league year, he’ll have Non-Bird rights at season’s end instead of Early Bird or full Bird rights.

Any player who approves a trade will retain his veto ability on his new team, and would have to consent to any subsequent deal during the 2025/26 season.

The following players were re-signed to one-year contracts (or two-year deals with an option year), but have agreed to forfeit their right to veto a trade in 2025/26:

Giving up the right to veto a trade was introduced as an option in the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

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Latest On Luka Doncic

July 29th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star Luka Doncic, who has faced criticism over the years for his conditioning, weight, and workout habits, is on the cover of the latest issue of Men’s Health and is the subject of a handful of feature stories from the magazine as a result of the work he has put in this offseason.

In addition to their cover story on Doncic, Men’s Health published separate articles about the star guard’s intense summer training regimen and the gluten-free, low-sugar diet he has been on since the Lakers’ season ended.

As Andrew Heffernan and Ebenezer Samuel of Men’s Health detail, Doncic let manager Lara Beth Seager know the day after Los Angeles was eliminated from the playoffs that he wanted to dedicate this offseason to improving his body and his conditioning — and that he wanted to start that work immediately.

“Every summer I try my best to work on different things,” said Doncic, who took a month off from any basketball activities after the season as he focused on his training. “Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.”

As Dan Woike of The Athletic observes, Doncic began working with trainer Anže Maček and physiotherapist Javier Barrio back in 2023, so the idea of embarking upon a stricter workout program didn’t materialize overnight — some sources in the 26-year-old’s inner circle believe he would’ve taken this path toward a physical transformation even if he was still in Dallas, according to Woike.

But calf issues last season set Doncic back, and the fact that the Mavericks cited his conditioning and work habits after making the shocking decision to trade him in February provided some extra fuel as he began his new training program this spring. The photos shared by Men’s Health show a more toned, slimmed-down version of the five-time All-Star.

“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” Doncic acknowledged.

After spending much of the offseason in Europe, Doncic is back in the United States this week doing promotional work for Jordan Brand. According to Woike, Doncic is headed to Chicago and then to Los Angeles after making multiple appearances in New York City.

It’s likely not a coincidence, Woike writes, that Doncic’s stop in L.A. will line up with August 2, the day the restrictions on his contract extension eligibility lift.

While there has long been a sense that Doncic would likely sign some form of extension with the Lakers this offseason, there was speculation that it might happen later in the year, once his obligations to the Slovenian national team had wrapped up. But it now looks like there will be an opening for a deal to get done as soon as this weekend, before he heads back overseas for EuroBasket.

As he gears up for this year’s EuroBasket tournament and the coming NBA season, Doncic made it clear that he intends to keep up his new regimen, since he doesn’t work his work this offseason to “all (be) for nothing.”

“This year, with my team, I think we did a huge step,” he said. “But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can’t stop.”

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Latest From Stein, Fischer: Paul, Smart, Thomas, Kuminga

July 28th, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Paul returned to Los Angeles and signed with the Clippers on a one-year deal last week. Paul showed strong interest in playing for one of his other former teams before making his decision, according to the latest Substack article from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

The other team that Paul considered rejoining was the Suns. The team’s star, Devin Booker, was intrigued by the potential reunion, given how they meshed during Phoenix’s run to the 2021 NBA Finals. There was also seemingly a spot for Paul at the point, since Tyus Jones chose to sign with Orlando.

The Suns’ front office decided to go in another direction. Phoenix was much more interested in defensive stalwart Marcus Smart, who chose to sign with the Lakers after reaching a buyout with Washington. Phoenix’s brass also had some concerns how the future Hall of Famer’s presence might create some awkward situations for first-year head coach Jordan Ott.

The Suns wound up claiming Jordan Goodwin off waivers and signing Jared Butler to a non-guaranteed contract. Paul also drew interest from the Hornets, Mavericks and Bucks, as previously reported.

Citing a source, Stein said Dallas had D’Angelo Russell higher on its wish list than Paul. The Mavs’ brass believed Russell would be more comfortable in a complementary role once  Kyrie Irving returns from his knee ailment. They also felt Russell was a better fit with Anthony Davis, considering they had played together with the Lakers. Russell signed a two-year deal with the Mavs.

Here’s more nuggets from The Stein Line:

  • The Hawks considered absorbing Smart’s contract into its $25MM traded player exception prior to his buyout. Atlanta opted instead to acquire Kristaps Porziņgis and make a sign-and-trade transaction for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Bucks explored potential trades for Smart and the Heat‘s Andrew Wiggins with the aid of Pat Connaughton‘s expiring $9.4MM contract. They instead dealt him to Charlotte for two future second-round picks.
  • Fischer reiterates that the Nets’ offers to restricted free agent Cam Thomas have yet to exceed two-year proposals featuring an annual average value in the range of the league’s $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Those offers also include a team option for the second year. Brooklyn appears to be in no rush to ramp up negotiations with Thomas’ representation, given Thomas’ lack of leverage.
  • Regarding another prominent restricted free agent, Jonathan Kuminga has not gotten an offer from the Warriors close to his reported $30MM annual asking price. The Warriors’ best offers to Kuminga have topped out in the two-year, $40MM range, per Stein. As previously reported, the Kings and Suns are regarded as the top suitors but Golden State wants a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade deal. Phoenix is unable to offer a first-rounder.
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And-Ones: Spagnolo, Storylines, Offseason Grades, Givony

July 28th, 2025 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Matteo Spagnolo, whose NBA rights are held by the Timberwolves, will continue his EuroLeague career in Spain, having signed a three-year deal with Baskonia, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

Minnesota selected Spagnolo with the 50th overall pick of the 2022 draft. The point guard’s contract with Baskonia includes NBA exit clauses, per Urbonas.

Spagnolo is coming off a second EuroLeague season with ALBA Berlin, for whom he averaged 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 21.0 minutes per game. He played for the Timberwolves’ Summer League team the year he was drafted but hasn’t since participated in any NBA contest.

Here’s more from around the international basketball world:

  • What are the big storylines still hovering over the NBA this offseason? ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks examine that topic, citing Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency, Luka Doncic‘s extension talks and Russell Westbrook‘s free agency among the issues that have yet to be resolved.
  • The Hawks, Nuggets, Rockets get the highest marks from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton for their offseason moves. Pelton hands out grades for every team in the league, with the Pelicans receiving an F for their transactions.
  • Draft expert Jonathan Givony has left ESPN after an eight-year stint with the network, he announced on his Twitter page. ESPN offered him an extension but Givony declined, stating “we were unable to find alignment on my value to the company.” He will continue to analyze the draft as well as college, high school, and international basketball for the company he founded, DraftExpress.
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Hornets Forward Brandon Miller Says Wrist Is Nearly Healed

July 28th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Brandon Miller said his surgically-repaired right wrist  is “probably around 90-95 percent now” and declared he’ll be ready to play when next season begins, Langston Wertz Jr. of the Charlotte Observer reports.

Miller underwent surgery to repair the torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist in late January.

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Miller was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2023/24 after a debut season which saw him finish third in Rookie of the Year balloting.

He was having a solid second season as well, improving his counting stats in several categories, including points (21.1), rebounds (4.9), assists (3.6), steals (1.1) and blocks (0.7) per game. Miller posted a .403/.355/.861 shooting slash line in 27 appearances (34.2 minutes).

“Playing (27) games, that was the hardest thing of my career right there,” he told Wertz. “Just watching basketball the whole season. My goal is always to play every game and play 110% in every game.”

Miller has started contact drills after the lengthy process of waiting for the wrist to heal. He knew he could ramp up when he was able to shoot without any pain.

“I’m just excited to get back out on the court with my guys,” he said, adding “not everything’s going to be a smooth route. You’re going to have ups and downs, a lot of bumps and curves.”

Miller is hopeful that he and oft-injured point guard LaMelo Ball can stay healthy and turn around the franchise’s fortunes.

“It’s always the main thing, you know, just keeping our bodies together. We know it’s a long season. Having us two on the floor can make the big difference (in having) a winning team,” Miller said.

The Hornets won the Summer League title in Las Vegas and Miller is looking forward to playing with first-round picks Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley.

“They are going to bring space, a lot of space, with their shooting ability. I feel like that’s going to help us in the long run,” Miller said. “Their confidence is going to be the biggest thing, you know, coming into this league, just building their confidence early.”

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