Rui Hachimura Unlikely To Receive Extension Before Camp

Rui Hachimura is eligible for a contract extension, but the Lakers aren’t expected to pursue a new deal before training camp opens next month, reporter Jovan Buha stated on his latest Buha’s Block podcast (YouTube link).

“With the current intel I have, I do not expect Rui to be extended by the Lakers in the next six weeks,” Buha said. “It’s certainly possible that something happens, but I would say most of what’s been out there is them wanting to keep the books clean and wanting to see whether he starts or whether he’s their sixth man and how the pieces fit this year.” 

The 27-year-old power forward became eligible for an extension when the NBA’s new calendar year began on July 6. He currently has an $18,259,259 expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t work out a new deal with L.A.

Hachimura has been a valuable contributor for the Lakers since he was acquired from Washington in January of 2023. He became a full-time starter last season and averaged 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 59 games with .509/.413/.770 shooting numbers.

Hachimura’s future will be affected by the Lakers’ well-known desire to preserve cap space for the summer of 2027. Luka Doncic currently holds the team’s only significant contract that extends past the 2026/27 season, although Jarred Vanderbilt will have a $13.3MM player option that summer.

Whether it’s through an extension or a new contract in free agency, L.A.’s front office will eventually have to decide whether locking up a valuable asset like Hachimura is worth sacrificing some cap room in a summer that could feature a historically great free agent class.

Central Notes: Green, Kell-Abrams, Portis, Giannis

Javonte Green fits right into the Pistons’ identity after establishing a reputation as a hard-nosed defender with versatility, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.

The Pistons signed Green to a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, filling the 14th spot on the 15-man roster. He’ll compete for minutes at the wing positions and could also be utilized as an undersized power forward. Green is a superior rebounder and shot-blocker for his size.

On the offensive end, Green’s dynamic athleticism stands out, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes. He will add another above-the-rim threat that already has a few in the rotation.

Green’s minimum-salary deal would pay him $2,874,436 if he earns the full amount. For now, the contract is partially guaranteed for $925K, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Cavaliers are hiring Eli Kell-Abrams as the head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, Scotto tweets. Kell-Abrams spent the past two seasons as a video coordinator for the Trail Blazers. He has also had stints with the Sixers and Heat organizations.
  • While there’s still speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future, Bucks teammate Bobby Portis doubts the superstar will ask the front office for a trade. Portis made his comments during an interview with ESPN Milwaukee (hat tip to Josue Pavon of ClutchPoints).  “I talk to Giannis all the time. That’s my teammate,” Portis said. “Giannis bleeds green. That’s all I can say.” Portis also believes Milwaukee is still a true contender in the East, feeling recent postseason flops have been due to injuries. “I mean, what’s wrong with our team? Why can’t we do it this year? The only thing wrong with us is people being hurt,” he said. “We win the championship. 2022 came in and we go down. We lose Game 7 to Boston. 2023, first round, Giannis tries to dunk on K. Love, comes down, hurts his back. We don’t have big fella. 2024, Giannis hurts his leg against the Celtics in the regular season and then, doesn’t play another game. Then, coming back this year, we haven’t been really healthy. I don’t make excuses but that’s just what the tables was for us.” A video link to the interview can be found here.
  • The Bulls are reportedly turning down trade inquiries involving Coby White. Get the info here.

Southeast Notes: Jaquez, Highsmith, Wizards Roster Imbalance

The Heat added Simone Fontecchio, Kasparas Jakucionis and Norman Powell this offseason while moving on from Kyle Anderson, Alec Burks, Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson.

Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. believes it’s going to take a while for the team to build chemistry, considering all the roster moves.

“It’s starting to become the reality,” Jaquez said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think your rookie year, you go through it and it’s an adjustment. Now your second year, I think you really start to understand what it means to be in this business. Guys that you’ve built a relationship with are no longer going to be there. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment period, but we’re just really excited to get new guys and have this new team and try to win games.”

Jaquez had a disappointing second season as his playing time declined. He’s focused on securing a rotation spot once again.

Just going back and watching some film,” Jaquez said. “I think that’s a big one. Just remembering what it was that put me on the floor, what it was that got me to this position. Just kind of leaning into my strengths, as well as working on things that I need to work on like shooting and defense. And just bringing it all together as a whole, I think is one of the biggest things for me this offseason.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • While the Heat valued Highsmith, it was more essential for the franchise to get under the luxury tax, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explains in his latest mailbag. Highsmith was dealt to the Nets this week in what can be classified as a salary dump. Given where the Heat are in the Eastern Conference pecking order, it would be hard to justify them being a tax team and risk paying repeater penalties going forward. The move also opens up more playing time for some of the younger players on the roster.
  • The Wizards‘ roster is top-heavy with wings while having few traditional bigs or point guards. Josh Robbins of The Athletic believes the roster imbalance is not a big concern for the Wizards front office. Their aim is to bring in as many high-upside players as possible and then develop them into solid pros, while hoping one of them becomes a franchise player and a couple others can reach All-Star level production.
  • The Hawks gave an offer sheet to a restricted free agent on Saturday. Get the details here.

Doncic Gets Injury Scare During Slovenian Exhibition Game

2:23pm: Doncic has a right knee contusion, Marc Stein tweets. He’ll remain with the Slovenian national team and compete in EuroBasket, Woike tweets.


1:30pm: Lakers superstar Luka Doncic apparently avoided a serious injury after a Slovenian teammate landed on his right leg during an exhibition game on Saturday, Dan Woike of The Athletic tweets.

Early in the second half, Gregor Hrovat fell on Doncic’s knee during a defensive play, according to Eurohoops.net. Doncic was able to head to the locker room on his own power but did not return to the game. Doncic, who scored 26 points against Latvia during the first half, did return to the bench to watch his Slovenian teammates collect a 100-88 victory.

It remains to be seen how this will impact Doncic’s status for the EuroBasket tournament. Slovenia is scheduled to play its tourney opener against Poland on Aug. 28. They’ll also face France, Belgium, Iceland and Israel.

Doncic signed a three-year max extension with the Lakers earlier this month.

Hawks Signing N’Faly Dante To Two-Year Offer Sheet

The Hawks are signing restricted free agent center N’Faly Dante to a two-year, $4.5MM offer sheet, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The Rockets — Dante’s incumbent team — will have two days to match the offer sheet. However, Houston doesn’t currently have enough room under its first-apron hard cap to match the contract Dante agreed to with Atlanta, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

As Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter), the Rockets already have three players signed to two-way contracts, so evidently they were prepared for Dante’s departure.

A native of Mali who went undrafted in 2024 after a standout college career at Oregon, Dante signed a two-way deal with Houston last summer. The 23-year-old only made four NBA appearances for the second-seeded Rockets as a rookie, with three occurring during the final three contests of the regular season. The 6’11” big man averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 12.8 minutes per game.

While his NBA contributions were limited, Dante had an excellent season for Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, averaging 15.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 2.2 BPG while shooting 74.3% from the field in 42 games (26.8 MPG).

As our Luke Adams recently outlined, two-way restricted free agents rarely sign offer sheets with other teams. But clearly the Hawks like Dante, who will provide frontcourt depth behind Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis — assuming the Rockets don’t make additional moves to position themselves to match.

Dante’s deal will likely be for the veteran’s minimum, which would be worth $4,459,584 across two years.

Celtics To Sign Ron Harper Jr.

The Celtics are signing free agent wing Ron Harper Jr., reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Scotto doesn’t provide any details on Harper’s agreement with Boston, but it seems likely to be a non-guaranteed training camp contract featuring Exhibit 10 language.

Harper, 25, went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022. Although he has only appeared in 11 NBA games, he technically holds three years of experience, having spent parts of each of the past three seasons on two-way contracts with Toronto and Detroit. Harper was waived by the Pistons in July.

This is the second straight offseason in which Harper will sign with the Celtics. He didn’t make Boston’s standard roster for the 2024/25 campaign, having been waived last October.

A 6’6″ forward, Harper spent the majority of last season in the NBA G League, averaging 16.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.9 SPG in 37 total appearances with the Motor City Cruise and Maine Celtics (29.6 MPG). He shot 38.6% from three-point range on high volume (8.2 attempts per game).

Assuming he’s released before ’25/26 begins, Harper would be in line to receive a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Maine Celtics. Exhibit 10 contract can also be converted into two-way deals, though Boston does not currently have a two-way opening.

Once Harper’s deal is official, the Celtics will have 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit.

Heat Reportedly Eyeing Big Men, Including Trey Lyles

After sending Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to Utah in a three-team deal last month, the Heat traded Haywood Highsmith to Brooklyn on Friday in a salary-dump move. Those transactions have left Miami thin in the frontcourt, with Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic figuring to receive the bulk of the minutes at the four and five.

According to Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com, Miami is exploring ways to add at least one more big man ahead of the 2025/26 season, with free agents Trey Lyles and Kai Jones among the players the team has expressed interest in. Jones impressed the Heat with his “energy and activity” during his workouts this week, sources tell Afseth.

A ten-year NBA veteran who was a lottery pick (12th overall) back in 2015, Lyles has spent the past three-plus seasons in Sacramento. In 69 appearances with the Kings last season, the 6’9″ power forward averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 34.0% from three-point range in 19.6 minutes per game.

Jones, meanwhile, played 40 games for the Clippers and Mavericks in ’24/25, averaging 5.0 PPG and 3.1 RPG while shooting 79.8% from the field in 11.7 MPG. The 24-year-old center was the 19th pick of the 2021 draft.

As Afseth observes, Lyles and Jones provide different skill sets, with the former being a more proven depth piece and the latter offering more athleticism and upside. But either player could theoretically help the Heat as they prepare for the upcoming season.

In addition to moving below the luxury tax line, trading Highsmith also created an opening on the standard roster. Lyles or Jones could fill that 14th spot (Miami is unlikely to add a 15th man to open the season due to its proximity to the tax), but Afseth states multiple times that the Heat are considering other options as well.

Juan Toscano-Anderson Signs With Italian Team

Veteran NBA forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has officially signed with Pallacanestro Trieste, according to a press release from the Italian team (hat tip to Sportando). Although it isn’t explicitly stated, the announcement suggests the 32-year-old signed a one-year deal.

Bringing a player of the caliber of Juan Toscano-Anderson to Trieste is much more than a market operation; it is a milestone in the history of our club,” president and owner Paul Matiasic said as part of a larger statement. “His personal and professional path testifies to an extraordinary resilience, the ability to overcome immense obstacles, to bet on himself and to win at the highest level. These are not just details of a biography; they are the founding values — hard work, perseverance, and an unwavering work ethic — that we want to instill in the DNA of our team.”

Italian outlet Il Piccolo reported a coupled days ago that Toscano-Anderson would be signing with Trieste, which competes in Italy’s top domestic league, Lega Basket Serie A.

After going undrafted out of Marquette in 2015, Toscano-Anderson spent multiple seasons playing in Mexico before landing a training camp deal with Golden State in 2019. The Oakland native impressed the Warriors with his energy, defense and versatility, and wound up spending parts of three seasons with the club, winning a championship as a role player in 2022.

The 6’6″ wing split the 2022/23 season with the Lakers and Jazz and spent about a month of ’23/24 with the Kings. Overall, he has appeared in 202 regular season games over parts of five NBA seasons, averaging 4.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .502/.329/.646 shooting in 15.5 minutes per contest.

Toscano-Anderson suited up for the Mexico City Capitanes — the NBA G League’s only independent team — during the ’24/25 campaign, averaging 16.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.7 SPG and 0.9 BPG in 42 appearances (34.8 MPG). His shooting line was .422/.316/.845.

Pallacanestro Trieste, which also signed former NBA guard Jahmi’us Ramsey this offseason, entered the Serie A playoffs as the No. 6 seed in ’24/25 after finishing with a 18-12 record during the regular season. The team lost its first-round matchup with No. 3 Brescia, the league’s eventual runner-up.

NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Toronto Raptors

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Toronto Raptors.


Free agent signings

  • Sandro Mamukelashvili: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year player option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Garrett Temple: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
  • David Roddy: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Olivier Sarr: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

  • None

Draft picks

Two-way signings

  • Chucky Hepburn
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee.
  • Alijah Martin
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Note: The Raptors carried over Ulrich Chomche on a two-way contract from 2024/25.

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

  • Signed Jakob Poeltl to a three-year, $84,084,000 contract extension that begins in 2027/28. Exercised ’26/27 player option ($19.5MM base salary; $500K in incentives) as part of agreement. Third year is partially guaranteed for $5MM (partial guarantee can increased based on performance criteria). Includes trade kicker (5%).
  • Waived Colin Castleton (non-guaranteed contract).
  • Waived Jared Rhoden (two-way contract).

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $190.7MM in salary ($188.4MM guaranteed).
  • No hard cap.
  • Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,685,000) available.

The offseason so far

When we talk about a team getting a head-start on the summer by making its big offseason moves at the trade deadline, the 2025 Raptors are exactly what we’re talking about.

Toronto was well on its way to a lottery finish in 2024/25 when the front office swung a deal to acquire Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, a former All-Star who had been sidelined since December due to an ankle injury and ultimately ended up missing the rest of the season.

Shortly after giving up two players and a pair of draft picks (including a lightly protected first-rounder) to acquire him, the Raptors signed Ingram to a three-year, $120MM contract extension to ensure he didn’t reach unrestricted free agency this summer.

The Ingram trade and extension were clearly completed with an eye toward the 2025/26 season (and beyond), and the fact that the Raptors made them well ahead of the offseason meant that it ended up being a fairly quiet summer in Toronto, at least in terms of roster changes.

The Raptors are one of just three teams that hasn’t made a single trade since the regular season ended. They also haven’t added a free agent on a contract worth more than the minimum — outside of re-signing veteran locker room leader Garrett Temple, their only real foray into free agency was adding big man Sandro Mamukelashvili to a two-year, minimum-salary deal to add more depth to the frontcourt as longest-tenured Raptor Chris Boucher departed Toronto.

The Raptors did have a lottery pick at No. 9 overall, which they used to select Collin Murray-Boyles out of South Carolina. The belief in some corners was that the team should have used that pick on Duke center Khaman Maluach, who unexpectedly slipped out of the top eight. But Toronto is clearly high on Murray-Boyles, who has drawn Draymond Green comparisons and had a solid Summer League debut last month, with averages of 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 57.1% shooting.

Expecting Murray-Boyles to make an immediate impact this fall may not be realistic, but the 20-year-old is an intriguing young building block for Toronto. And while it will be tempting to compare his progress in the coming years to Maluach’s, the Raptors made it clear by extending Jakob Poeltl through 2029/30 that they view their starting center of the present as their center of the future too, at least for the next few seasons.

The $28MM-per-year price tag on the three seasons newly added to Poeltl’s contract may be a little higher than some fans expected, but the third year isn’t fully guaranteed, and the big man picked up his more team-friendly $19.5MM option for 2026/27 as part of the agreement. Plus, the stark contrast between the Raptors’ metrics when Poeltl is on and off the court over the past couple seasons suggests he’s one of the league’s more underrated big men.

While drafting Murray-Boyles and extending Poeltl were important moves that will impact the club for years to come, the dismissal of longtime team president Masai Ujiri may have been the most consequential long-term decision made by the Raptors this summer.

Ujiri, who took over as Toronto’s head of basketball operations in 2013, built the first championship roster in franchise history (2018/19) and helped shape the organization’s culture during his decade-plus with the team. Given his reputation and the timing of the move (a day after the draft), the news of his ouster came as a bit of a surprise, but Ujiri had also made his share of questionable roster decisions in recent years and didn’t see eye-to-eye with the new ownership group.

The Raptors continue to search for a full-time replacement for Ujiri, with general manager Bobby Webster – who is currently running basketball operations – viewed as a candidate for the role.


Up next

Hiring a permanent president of basketball operations may be the top remaining item on Toronto’s offseason to-do list, but it’s not the only task on the agenda.

Perhaps most pressingly, the Raptors are currently operating over the luxury tax line, which presumably isn’t the end goal for a team coming off a 30-win season. They also find themselves above the first tax apron due to the incentives in the Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Poeltl contracts.

Getting under the first apron would be straightforward enough. Waiving A.J. Lawson‘s non-guaranteed contract and beginning the season with 14 players on the standard roster would do the trick. That would afford the Raptors all the flexibility of a non-apron team, including being able to take back more salary than they send out in a trade (albeit with little breathing room under the apron to actually do so).

But getting out of tax territory is probably the more important consideration, and cutting Lawson wouldn’t quite get them there — the Raptors would still be in the tax by about $800K in that scenario.

That amount is so modest that it wouldn’t be hard for the club to address the issue with a minor trade during the season, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be done by opening night. In fact, it could make more sense to wait until the Raptors have a better sense of how Ingram fits together with the rest of the roster. While moving off a minimum-salary player at the trade deadline would get Toronto out of the tax, the team may be inclined to make a more significant deal involving a higher-paid player in which one of the goals would be to take back a little less salary than is sent out.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on former lottery pick Ochai Agbaji in the next couple months. The fourth-year wing has shown some promise, but it’s unclear whether he’s still part of the long-term plans in Toronto as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. He’s extension-eligible until October 20, and if he doesn’t sign a new deal by that time, his expiring $6.4MM deal could make him a trade candidate.

Greek Coach Confirms Giannis Antetokounmpo’s EuroBasket Status

It has been confirmed for several weeks that Giannis Antetokounmpo would represent Team Greece in this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, but to this point, the Greek star has been unable to be present for the team’s exhibition games or activities as he reportedly awaits the Bucks‘ written sign-off on his participation.

However, there was some good news on that front yesterday, as the Eurohoops team reported that Greek national team head coach Vassilis Spanoulis had confirmed that Antetokounmpo’s work with the team will begin this weekend.

He already had a training session with contact with some guys from our team. On Saturday, he will start training normally,” Spanoulis said.

Antetokounmpo had reportedly been required to obtain Milwaukee’s permission due to the size of his NBA contract exceeding FIBA’s insurance policy.

Because of that delay, he missed each of the team’s first four warm-up games, which caused some disappointment among rival coaches. Greece went 2-2 in those contests, beating Belgium and Montenegro while losing to Israel and Serbia.

The team will host Latvia, Italy, and France at the Acropolis Tournament in Athens, which runs from August 20-24 before the group stage of EuroBasket begins for Greece on August 28.