NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Wolves Sign Enrique Freeman To Two-Way Contract

August 1st, 2025 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

4:18 pm: The Timberwolves have made the Freeman signing official, according to a team press release.

9:12 am: The Timberwolves and free agent forward Enrique Freeman have agreed to terms on a two-way contract, agents Keith Kreiter and Sam Cipriano tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Freeman, who turned 25 on Tuesday, was the 50th overall pick in the 2024 draft and appeared in 22 NBA games as a rookie for Indiana, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per contest.

While Freeman’s impact at the NBA level was very limited, he played well in the G League, averaging 16.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game in 14 outings for the Indiana Mad Ants last season. He also had a strong Summer League showing in Las Vegas this month, registering averages of 16.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.8 BPG with an incredible 72.5% mark on field goal attempts, including 55.6% on three-pointers.

However, the Pacers had no two-way slots available for Freeman and pulled their qualifying offer to him last week, allowing him to reach unrestricted free agency. Now he has a new deal in place with the Timberwolves.

Second-year center Jesse Edwards and 2025 second-rounder Rocco Zikarsky currently occupy Minnesota’s two-way slots, so Freeman projects to fill the third and final opening.

The Timberwolves also still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for 2024 second-rounder Tristen Newton — if they don’t rescind that QO (with Newton’s approval), the Wolves would have to waive one of their current two-way players should he accept it.

Precious Achiuwa Reportedly Drawing Interest From Panathinaikos

August 1st, 2025 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Having failed to land Jonas Valanciunas last month, the Greek club Panathinaikos remains on the lookout for frontcourt help and reportedly has NBA free agent big man Precious Achiuwa on its radar.

Kevin Martorano of Sportando shares the details, citing a report from Vasilis Papatheodorou of SDNA, who says Achiuwa is on Panathinaikos’ short list of potential targets.

Achiuwa, who will turn 26 in September, has spent the past season-and-a-half with the Knicks after being traded from Toronto to New York along with OG Anunoby in December 2023. In 57 games in 2024/25, he averaged 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 20.5 minutes per contest, with a .502/.278/.594 shooting line.

Achiuwa is a bit undersized for a center and isn’t a threat as an outside shooter, but he’s an athletic, high-energy player who rebounds well and is a versatile, switchable defender. Still, he remains unsigned a month into free agency and a reunion with the Knicks appears off the table after New York signed Guerschon Yabusele to take his spot on the depth chart.

There’s no indication yet that there’s serious mutual interest between Achiuwa and Panathinaikos, but this is the first real rumor we’ve heard about him in several weeks, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Exhibit 9 Contract

August 1st, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

When NBA teams are in the process of filling out their training camp rosters, the most common form of deal signed by players around the league is the Exhibit 10 contract. An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted into a two-way deal or puts a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Many of those non-guaranteed training camps also include an Exhibit 9 clause in addition to – or in place of – Exhibit 10 language.

An Exhibit 9 clause protects an NBA team in the event that a player suffers a significant injury in training camp.

If a player on a standard non-guaranteed contract without an Exhibit 9 clause suffered such an injury, his club would be required to pay him his salary until he’s healthy enough to play or until the end of that season, whichever comes first. For example, a player on a non-guaranteed rookie minimum deal who sustained a season-ending ACL tear would be owed his full $1,272,870 salary.

If the injured player’s contract includes Exhibit 9 language, however, his team could waive him and only be on the hook for a one-time payment of $15K. That amount increased from $6K when the NBA completed its latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

An Exhibit 9 deal, which is non-guaranteed and doesn’t count against the salary cap until the start of the regular season, can only be a one-year, minimum-salary contract. A team can carry up to six players on Exhibit 9 deals, but can’t sign a player to such a contract unless it has at least 14 players already under contract (not including two-way deals).

In most cases, if a team plans to have a player on a non-guaranteed contract participate in training camp and/or the preseason, his contract will include an Exhibit 9 clause in order to limit the club’s liability.

If a player signs a contract that includes Exhibit 10 language but not an Exhibit 9 clause, it’s usually a signal that he’s just being added for G League rights/bonus purposes and won’t actually be participating in training camp with his team. Conversely, an Exhibit 9 contract that doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language suggests the player will probably be taking part in camp but may not be a candidate to join his team’s G League affiliate if he’s waived.

So far this offseason, we’ve confirmed the contract details on a dozen Exhibit 10 contracts that have been officially signed and all 12 of them also include an Exhibit 9 clause. At least one contract – the Suns‘ deal with Jared Butler – is an Exhibit 9, but not an Exhibit 10.

An Exhibit 9 contract that also includes Exhibit 10 language can be converted into a two-way deal. In that scenario, the Exhibit 9 clause would become null and void, so the team would no longer have injury protection.

In the event that a player with Exhibit 9 language in his contract makes his team’s regular season roster, his deal would be converted to a standard non-guaranteed contract. The Exhibit 9 protection wouldn’t carry over into the regular season.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier version of this article were published in 2014 and 2023.

Pelicans Sign Jaden Springer

August 1st, 2025 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

2:47 pm: Springer’s contract is a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who tweets that the guard will compete for a roster spot in training camp.

7:22 am: The Pelicans have signed free agent guard Jaden Springer, the team announced in a press release.

The No. 28 pick in the 2021 draft, Springer played a limited role in Philadelphia across two-and-a-half seasons before being sent to Boston at the 2024 trade deadline. He spent roughly a full calendar year with the Celtics, then was rerouted to Houston in a salary-dump deal in February 2025.

After being cut by Houston, Springer signed a 10-day deal with the Jazz in February and agreed to a two-year contract with the team in March following that initial 10-day audition. However, he was waived by Utah last week before his minimum salary for the 2025/26 season could become partially guaranteed.

Springer, who is known more for his perimeter defense than his offensive game, has career averages of 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per contest across 110 regular season outings. He played a significant role at the G League level during his first two years with the 76ers, but has only made two appearances in the NBAGL since the start of the 2023/24 season.

Details of the Pelicans’ deal with Springer aren’t yet known — it’s a pretty safe bet that it will be a minimum-salary contract, but it’s unclear whether or not it will include guaranteed money.

For what it’s worth, New Orleans has 14 players on standard guaranteed contracts and has enough breathing room below the luxury tax line to carry a 15th man into the regular season, so there could be a path for Springer to make the team this fall. Because he has four years of NBA experience, he’s no longer eligible for a two-way deal.

Jonathan Kuminga Rumors: Warriors, QO, Suns, Kings

August 1st, 2025 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Kuminga has been unwilling to accept a two-year, $45MM offer from the Warriors that includes a second-year team option, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, confirming reporting from ESPN. Amick also confirms that the restricted free agent forward has signaled an increased willingness to accept his one-year, $8MM qualifying offer.

Recognizing that it wouldn’t make a ton of financial sense for Kuminga to take the qualifying offer, Golden State is likely hoping that stance is a bluff, according to Amick, who says the Warriors’ “Plan A” is to convince the 22-year-old to re-sign on a short-term deal and then revisit trade options prior to February’s deadline, when it would be easier to move him.

The Suns are reportedly willing to offer Kuminga $90MM over four years, but sources tell Amick that sign-and-trade talks between Phoenix and Golden State haven’t “progressed in any serious manner,” with the Warriors not showing any real interest in the sort of package the Suns is offering. Marc J. Spears of ESPN previously mentioned Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards, and second-round picks as the primary assets Phoenix is willing to put on the table.

While the Kings have reportedly offered a package that includes Dario Saric, Devin Carter, and draft capital (reportedly multiple second-round picks or a protected first-rounder), they’ve also proposed a deal that would involve Malik Monk and a 2030 first-round pick, with Kuminga getting a three-year, $63MM contract, Amick reports. In that scenario, Amick explains, the 2030 pick would be lottery-protected and would turn into the least favorable of the Kings’ and Spurs’ 2031 first-rounders if it doesn’t convey in ’30.

The Warriors have insisted the first-round pick be unprotected, per Amick, which has been a sticking point. Additionally, other reports – including one from Matt George of Locked on Kings (YouTube link) – have indicated that Golden State doesn’t have much real interest in Monk either. Acquiring Monk without sending out any additional salary beyond Kuminga would hard-cap the Warriors at the first tax apron without the flexibility to fill out the rest of their roster, barring cost-cutting moves.

Here are a few more items of interest related to the Kuminga situation:

The Kings like the fact that Kuminga could be slotted in at the power forward position, allowing Keegan Murray to move to his preferred small forward spot, Amick writes, adding that Sacramento’s three-year, $63MM offer is designed to ensure the team avoids surpassing the luxury tax line this season.
Noting that possible Warriors free agent additions like Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton are in limbo while the team seeks resolution on Kuminga, Amick adds Gary Payton II to that list, suggesting a return to Golden State remains in play for the veteran guard.
While there has been speculation that the Kings would trade DeMar DeRozan if they acquire Kuminga, Matt George of Locked on Kings (YouTube link) says everything he’s heard suggests the front office isn’t eager to move DeRozan and would want to hang onto him even if Kuminga ends up in Sacramento. “Every single time I’ve inquired about the Kings moving on from DeMar DeRozan, I’ve been met with a pretty definitive ‘no, the Kings aren’t looking to trade him,'” George said. “But if they were to go out and get Jonathan Kuminga – which I still believe is unlikely at this point – they would ask DeRozan to come off the bench.”
Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com hears from sources that a two-year, $48MM deal that includes a player option is one framework that has been floated in talks between Kuminga and the Warriors. The report doesn’t make it clear which side has “floated” that idea (presumably it’s coming from Kuminga’s camp) or whether the forward would insist on retaining his implicit no-trade clause in that scenario.

JaVale McGee Signs With Illawarra Hawks

August 1st, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA center JaVale McGee has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN.com. The team has officially confirmed the deal (Twitter link).

McGee, 37, appeared in 909 NBA regular season games from 2008-24, spending time with nine different teams across 16 seasons in the league. He’s a three-time NBA champion, having won titles with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and the Lakers in 2020, and also won gold with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

McGee last played in the NBA during the 2023/24 season, when he averaged 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game across 46 appearances off the bench for the Kings. The big man didn’t catch on with another NBA team for ’24/25 and eventually signed joined Vaqueros de Bayamón. He averaged 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game for the Puerto Rican club, Uluc notes.

According to Uluc, longtime Illawara center Sam Froling is in the process of recovering from an Achilles injury, so the Hawks were in need of frontcourt depth for the coming season. Illawara is Australia’s reigning champion, having defeated Melbourne United in the 2025 NBL Finals.

Timberwolves Expected To Waive Jesse Edwards

August 1st, 2025 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

After reaching an agreement to sign forward Enrique Freeman to a two-way contract, the Timberwolves are expected to waive center Jesse Edwards from his own two-way deal, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Wolves don’t need to cut Edwards in order to make room on the roster for Freeman, so it’s not clear if the move will happen right away or later in the offseason. But after Minnesota added a pair of rookie big men in Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky in this year’s draft, Edwards no longer appears to be in the team’s plans going forward, as Krawczynski explains.

Waiving Edwards would also create a two-way opening for Tristen Newton, a 2024 second-round pick who still has a qualifying offer on the table from the Wolves. Zikarsky and Freeman will occupy the club’s other two-way slots.

A Dutch-born seven-footer who played his college ball at Syracuse and West Virginia, Edwards joined the Timberwolves on a two-way deal last July after going undrafted. The 25-year-old appeared in just two NBA games, but played a major role for the Iowa Wolves in the G League, averaging 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game across 34 total outings.

Edwards was tendered a two-way qualifying offer in June and accepted it almost immediately. By signing that QO, he secured a partial guarantee worth $85,300, which won’t count against Minnesota’s cap.

Devonte’ Graham Signs With Crvena Zvezda

August 1st, 2025 at 10:18am CST by Arthur Hill

August 1: Graham has officially signed with Crvena Zvezda, the team announced today (via Twitter).

July 27: After playing last season in the G League, Devonte’ Graham is nearing an agreement with Crvena Zvezda, according to Eurohoops, which cites an original report from Sport Klub. The 30-year-old point guard has been in talks with the Belgrade team “for some time.”

Graham was in training camp last fall with Portland on an Exhibit 9 contract, but he was waived before the season began. The 6’1″ guard joined the South Bay Lakers in December, but only appeared in five games, averaging 10.8 points and 4.4 assists. He was traded to the Rip City Remix in February, but didn’t suit up for them.

Taken with the 34th pick in the 2018 draft, Graham looked like a future star in Charlotte when he averaged 18.2 points and 7.5 assists in his second NBA season. However, he was never able to duplicate those numbers and was traded to New Orleans in 2021 and San Antonio in 2023.

The Spurs sent him back to Charlotte last summer, along with a second-round pick that was used to take Ryan Kalkbrenner. The Hornets waived Graham the same day.

He appeared in 336 regular season NBA games, making 171 starts and posting career averages of 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

If Graham signs with Crvena Zvezda, it will mark his first time playing overseas.

Nets, Ricky Council Agree To One-Year Deal

August 1st, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

After being waived last week by the Sixers, Ricky Council IV is heading to another Atlantic team, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who hears from agent Adie von Gontard that the free agent swingman has a one-year agreement in place with the Nets.

An undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2023, Council spent his first two professional seasons with the Sixers, appearing in 105 games during that time, including a team-high 73 in 2024/25.

While the 6’6″ wing showed promise as a rookie, his production dropped off as he took an increased role in his second year. Council averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.1 minutes per game last season, with an underwhelming shooting line of just .382/.258/.804.

The rebuilding Nets are in a better position to take a shot on Council, who will turn 24 on Sunday, than the win-now Sixers, who leaned on him so heavily last season due in large part to a series of injuries affecting starters and rotation players.

While the details of Council’s contract agreement aren’t yet known, it figures to be a minimum-salary deal, so it could be completed later in the offseason without cutting into Brooklyn’s cap room. I also wouldn’t expect it to be guaranteed, though that hasn’t been confirmed.

Atlantic Notes: Davison, Simmons, Shamet, Nets

July 31st, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The financial implications of waiving guard JD Davison are why the Celtics ultimately made the move, Brian Robb of MassLive writes. By letting go of Davison, the Celtics slid under the second apron by approximately $1.9MM with 14 players on the roster.

By moving under the apron, the Celtics can send out cash in a trade, can aggregate salaries and are beginning the path to opening their 2032 pick up for trade. As Robb explains, once Boston stays under the second apron for three straight seasons, they’ll unfreeze that pick.

Cutting Davison now as opposed to later allowed him to reach a two-way deal in Houston, where he’ll reunite with former Boston head coach Ime Udoka.

We have more notes from the Atlantic Division:

Ben Simmons and Landry Shamet continue to be candidates for a spot on the Knicks‘ 15-man roster, Ian Begley of SNY writes in a mailbag. As has been previously reported, the Knicks are among the teams awaiting Simmons’ decision, and Begley suggests that several staffers have interest in bringing back Shamet for a second season as well. As Begley writes, the Knicks have enough room under the second apron to bring in one veteran and one draft-rights player on a rookie deal. 2025 second-round Mohamed Diawara looks like a top candidate for that latter role, though that’s speculation.
In a subscriber-only story, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes that by taking a discount on his extension, Mikal Bridges put himself in rare air and established himself as a core Knick for years to come.
The Nets announced their preseason schedule for the upcoming season, NetsDaily relayed. The only home game on the four-game schedule is a tilt against Hapoel Jerusalem.