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Lakers’ St. Jean, Grizzlies’ Mutombo On Knicks’ Radar

August 2nd, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Knicks continue to work on filling out their coaching staff under new head coach Mike Brown, Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean and Grizzlies assistant Patrick Mutombo are among the potential targets they’ve considered, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

The Knicks are retaining several coaches from Tom Thibodeau‘s staff, including Rick Brunson and Maurice Cheeks, and are adding Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois, a pair of player development assistants who worked under Brown in Sacramento. They’re also expected to hire longtime Clippers assistant Brendan O’Connor.

While O’Connor will serve as Brown’s defensive coordinator, the Knicks remain on the lookout for an assistant who could take the lead on the offensive side of the ball. The team has reportedly shown interest in James Borrego, Jay Triano, and Pablo Prigioni, but wasn’t granted permission to meet with Borrego or Triano, while Prigioni decided to remain in Minnesota.

St. Jean had stints working for the Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, and Suns before rejoining the Lakers in 2024 as a member of J.J. Redick‘s coaching staff.

Mutombo, who played professionally for seven seasons outside the NBA, was an assistant for the Nuggets, Raptors, Suns, and Bucks before being hired by the Grizzlies for the 2024/25 season. He also had a two-season stint as the head coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League team, from 2020-22.

It’s unclear if the Knicks intend to seriously pursue either assistant for a spot on Brown’s staff or whether they’ve requested permission to interview either one.

Scout Shares Positive Update On Jayson Tatum

August 2nd, 2025 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles less than three months ago and is still a long way from being cleared for basketball activities. However, a scout who saw Tatum working with high school and college players at Chris Paul‘s CP3 Elite Camp in Las Vegas said the 27-year-old is looking good early in his recovery process, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com.

“He was moving really well,” the scout said of Tatum. “There might have been a slight limp or something, but the surprising thing to me is that he didn’t have a boot for any of it. I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles tears, and he looked way ahead. I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving.

“I have no idea for what any of this means for when he can come back. I’m sure him and the Celtics’ medical people have their program set up, and they’ll make sure that he’s where he needs to be when he does get back. But he looks great right now. Of course, he didn’t do any running or even jogging, but he was in great shape and he had no trouble doing his part at the camp.”

We can only glean so much information from the observations of an outsider who doesn’t have access to Tatum’s medical information (and, by his own admission, wouldn’t know what to make of it if he did).

Still, as Bulpett writes, it’s worth noting that – unlike the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton – the Celtics haven’t formally ruled out Tatum for the entire 2025/26 season following his postseason Achilles tear. The team will obviously be cautious with its franchise player, who is entering the first season of a five-year contract worth nearly $314MM, but if his recovery plays out ahead of schedule and Boston is in the playoff picture, there’s a chance he could be back on the court by next spring.

While it’s possible there will be an announcement sometime in the next month or two, we can probably count on getting our next official update from the Celtics on Tatum during the club’s media day at the start of training camp this fall.

Isaiah Wong Signs With Gran Canaria

August 2nd, 2025 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA guard Isaiah Wong has left Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania and signed with Gran Canaria in Spain, the club formally announced in a press release.

The 55th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wong spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with Indiana, then was on a two-way deal with Charlotte for over two months in 2024/25.

The 6’3″ guard only appeared in one game as a Pacer, but averaged 6.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per game across 20 appearances for the Hornets last season. He made 39.4% of his three-point attempts, though he shot just 38.9% on two-pointers.

Wong played well last season at the G League level, averaging 20.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 3.8 APG with a .454/.388/.804 shooting line in 14 total outings for the Salt Lake City Stars and Greensboro Swarm. However, after being waived by Charlotte in February, the former Miami Hurricanes standout finished the season with Zalgiris Kaunas in the EuroLeague.

Wong will be joining a Gran Canaria squad that finished 19-15 in Liga ACB play last season. The team placed seventh in the standings and was eliminated in the first round of the postseason by Valencia Basket.

Categories:
International

Lakers’ Luka Doncic Signs Three-Year Max Extension

August 2nd, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Lakers and Luka Doncic have agreed to terms on a three-year, maximum-salary contract extension that includes a third-year player option, agent Bill Duffy tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The deal will begin in 2026/27, replacing the player option on Doncic’s current contract. It will be worth roughly $160.8MM over three years based on the NBA’s most recent projection of a 7% cap increase next summer. The total value could reach $165.3MM if the cap ends up rising by the maximum allowable 10%.

Based on a 7% cap increase, the year-by-year breakdown would be as follows:

2025/26 (last year of current contract): $45,999,660
2026/27 (first year of extension): $49,641,600
2027/28: $53,612,928
2028/29 (player option): $57,584,256

Both the Lakers and Doncic have put out statements officially confirming the extension.

“I just signed my extension with the Lakers,” Doncic wrote (via Twitter). “Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning.

“Today I’m also committing $5 million to help 77 young athletes around the world chase their dreams, just like I did,” he added in a follow-up tweet. “Basketball gave me everything, and I’m lucky to be able to give back and help the next generation.

“Today is a monumental moment for our franchise,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in the team’s statement. “Luka Doncic’s future is with the Los Angeles Lakers. Luka is one of the game’s most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without compare.

“From the moment Luka become a Laker, there was an immediate connection and admiration between Luka and our fanbase. You can feel it in your spirit when you attend a Lakers game. Luka is an absolute killer on the court, and blends that with a unique generosity and care for the community. Above all else, Luka will lead our franchise to pursue future championships, a goal that will forever define the Lakers.”

As we outlined earlier today, now that six months have passed since Doncic was traded from Dallas to Los Angeles, he had become eligible to sign a maximum-salary extension that could cover up to four additional seasons beyond 2025/26.

However, a three-year agreement with a 2028/29 player option makes more financial sense for him in the long run, since it will allow him to start his next contract in 2028, once he has 10 years of NBA service and qualifies for a higher maximum salary (starting at 35% of the cap instead of 30%).

If Doncic waits until 2028 free agency to sign his next contract and re-ups with the Lakers at the time, he could get a five-year deal worth up to a whopping $417MM. That $417MM projection would hinge on the salary cap increasing by 10% in each of the next three years, but even with slower cap growth, the five-time All-Star will have an opportunity for a massive, record-setting payday.

The NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2019 and a five-time All-NBA first-teamer from 2020-24, Doncic battled a calf issue last season that limited him to 50 games (22 for Dallas and 28 for L.A.). He still put up his usual superlative numbers when he was available, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game with a .450/.368/.782 shooting line, but he and the Lakers failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs after he made the NBA Finals with the Mavericks a year earlier.

Motivated by the early postseason exit and criticism that leaked out of Dallas following February’s blockbuster trade, Doncic has dedicated this offseason to improving his body and his conditioning. He made changes to his diet and workout regimen and looked noticeably slimmed down in a recent Men’s Health photo shoot, as we detailed earlier this week.

We’ll get a chance to see the new-look Doncic in action later this month. He’s set to rejoin the Slovenian national team ahead of this year’s EuroBasket tournament. The club will play a handful of exhibition games in the coming weeks before the event begins on August 27. Slovenia’s group-play schedule will begin with an Aug. 28 matchup against Poland.

As for the Lakers, even with Doncic’s new extension on their books, they’ll have significant cap flexibility going forward. Doncic is their only player who currently has a guaranteed salary beyond the 2026/27 season (Jarred Vanderbilt holds a ’27/28 player option, while three other players have team options on their contracts).

The extension makes Doncic ineligible to be traded for six months, though it’s safe to assume that wasn’t an option the Lakers were considering.

Checking In On Two-Way Contract Slots Around NBA

August 2nd, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams are each permitted to carry up to three players on two-way contracts, which means at any given time there could be a maximum of 90 players on two-way deals around the league.

We can expect the NBA-wide total to hover at or near 90 for much of the regular season, but we’re only one month into the 2025/26 league year, so many teams have yet to fill all of their two-way slots.

Still, some clubs haven’t wasted much time in signing players to two-way contracts. At the moment, as our tracker shows, 70 of the 90 slots around the league are occupied and two more are reportedly spoken for — Amari Williams is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Celtics and Branden Carlson is expected to complete a two-way deal with the Thunder.

We’re still more than two-and-a-half months away from the 2025/26 regular season tipping off, and since two-way deals don’t affect a team’s cap situation, it won’t be a surprise if many teams rotate players in and out of those roster spots up until the season begins (and after that). But for the time being, there are just 20 open two-way slots across the league. Here’s the breakdown:

Teams with multiple open two-way slots

Golden State Warriors (2)
New York Knicks (3)
Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
San Antonio Spurs (2)

Some of these spots may already be spoken for. As we noted above, Carlson is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Thunder. The Warriors have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Taran Armstrong, while the Knicks (Kevin McCullar Jr.) and Spurs (Harrison Ingram, Riley Minix) also have two-way restricted free agents who have yet to sign.

Some of these clubs also have second-round picks from this year’s draft who look like logical candidates for two-way spots. Golden State selected Alex Toohey at No. 52 and Will Richard at No. 56 — it would be a surprise if at least one of them doesn’t end up on a two-way deal. New York has yet to sign No. 51 pick Mohamed Diawara, though he’s a candidate for a standard roster spot, as we discussed earlier today.

Still, with multiple openings to work with, some of these teams are in position to identify Summer League standouts whom they want to bring to training camp. They could offer them two-way deals or could try to sign several players to Exhibit 10 contracts and create an open competition for two-way spots this fall.

Teams with one open two-way slot

Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Orlando Magic
Portland Trail Blazers
Utah Jazz

As with some of the teams in the first section, there are a few cases here where there’s an obvious candidate to fill a team’s two-way opening.

The Pistons, for example, still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Daniss Jenkins. The same is true of the Jazz with Oscar Tshiebwe (Utah also has No. 53 overall pick John Tonje still unsigned). And as we observed earlier, Williams is expected to get the Celtics‘ last two-way spot.

There’s not a single clear-cut candidate for all of these openings though, so agents whose clients are seeking an 18-man roster spot will likely reach out to these clubs to see how they intend to use their third two-way contract slots.

Teams with no two-way openings

Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Denver Nuggets
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards

In theory, these 15 teams are good to go for training camp. In actuality, I won’t be surprised if a number of them make two-way changes by the start of October. We saw the Timberwolves do just that on Friday when they reportedly waived Jesse Edwards – whose two-way contract carried over from last season – in order to accommodate newcomer Enrique Freeman and another returning player, Tristen Newton.

Houston, it’s worth noting, still has a two-way qualifying offer on the table for N’Faly Dante. If Dante accepts that qualifying offer, a roster move would be necessary for the Rockets, who have signed three players to two-way contracts since the start of July.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Knicks Prospect James Nnaji Parts Ways With Barcelona

August 2nd, 2025 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

Barcelona and center James Nnaji have opted out of a contract that was scheduled to run through the 2026/27 season, according to an announcement from the Spanish club. The team put out a statement thanking Nnaji for his contributions over the past five seasons and wishing him luck in the future.

Nnaji, who will turn 21 later this month, was the 31st overall pick in the 2023 draft. His draft rights were traded multiple times after he was officially selected by Detroit and are now held by the Knicks, who acquired them from Charlotte in last October’s three-team Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster.

On loan from Barcelona to Spanish club Girona last season, Nnaji averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game across 14 Liga ACB appearances, making 75.7% of his field goal attempts but just 48.6% of his free throws.

While Nnaji’s exit from Barcelona doesn’t necessarily mean his next stop is the NBA, he confirmed earlier this summer that he intended to explore his NBA options, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, and he was a member of the Knicks’ Summer League roster last month in Las Vegas, averaging 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game across five outings.

The Knicks’ current roster situation makes Nnaji a viable option. New York has 12 players on standard contracts and doesn’t have enough room below a second-apron hard cap to fit two minimum-salary veteran free agent signings. That means one of the team’s last two roster additions will likely have to be a players whose draft rights the club holds, since that player could get a rookie minimum salary without being affected by the tax variance that would apply to a rookie free agent.

Nnaji and 2025 second-rounder Mohamed Diawara – who also recently parted ways with his team in Europe – are among the players who fit the criteria and who look like candidates for the Knicks’ 14th roster spot. 2024 second-rounder Kevin McCullar Jr. gained a year of NBA experience in 2024/25 and would therefore no longer be eligible for a rookie minimum deal, so he wouldn’t fit below the second-apron hard cap if New York adds a 13th man on a veteran minimum contract.

Nnaji, Diawara, and McCullar are each eligible for a two-way contract. The Knicks have yet to sign any players to a two-way deal, so they have three open slots.

Luka Doncic’s Extension Restrictions Have Lifted

August 2nd, 2025 at 7:36am CST by Luke Adams

It has been six months since the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history. That means that the restrictions limiting Doncic’s first-year salary, annual raises, and total years on a contract extension no longer apply.

Doncic is now eligible to sign a contract extension with the Lakers that would be worth up to a projected $222.4MM over four years, beginning in 2026/27.

While that four-year, $222.4MM extension is the most lucrative deal Doncic could lock in at this time, it may ultimately be in his best interests financially to sign a shorter-term deal. If he agrees to a three-year, $160.8MM contract that includes a third-year player option, he’d have the ability to start his next contract in 2028, when he’ll have 10 years of NBA experience and would qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap instead of his current 30%.

“The (two)-plus-one structure is the smartest move for a player in Luka’s position,” one veteran agent told Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com. “It gives him the flexibility to hit that 10-year mark when he can sign a super-max. If I had to guess, that’s what I expect him to do. That’s what I’d advise.”

The Lakers would presumably be thrilled to get Doncic’s signature on any contract in order to ensure that their newest superstar won’t have the ability to reach free agency next summer. His current deal will pay him about $46MM in 2025/26 and he holds a player option worth roughly $49MM for 2026/27. An extension would likely replace the option, since his new maximum for ’26/27 projects to be worth $49.6MM based on the NBA’s estimated 7% cap increase.

As Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes, all signs in recent weeks have pointed to Doncic and the Lakers working out a new deal. The former Maverick helped recruit free agents Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart and has spoken about a desire to continue his career in Los Angeles.

“He obviously didn’t ask for the trade, but he’s embraced it as much as the Lakers could have hoped,” one assistant general manager of a Western Conference team told Afseth. “He’s clearly invested in the team if he’s putting in work to help recruit Smart and Ayton. You don’t recruit like that unless you’re planning to stay a while.”

There was some speculation earlier this summer that a new contract for Doncic might not get done until later in the offseason, once his obligations to the Slovenian national team had wrapped up. However, it now looks like there will be an opening for a deal to get done as soon as this weekend — Doncic is making a stop in Los Angeles as part of a week-long U.S. tour for Jordan Brand before he heads back overseas for this year’s EuroBasket tournament.

Javon Freeman-Liberty Signs With Brisbane Bullets

August 1st, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Javon Freeman-Liberty has joined the Brisbane Bullets in Australia’s National Basketball League, reports ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (via Twitter). He will head overseas on a one-year deal.

Freeman-Liberty played 22 games for the Raptors in the 2023/24 season, averaging 7.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per night. The 25-year-old spent last year with the Windy City Bulls G League team, for whom he averaged 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 35.6% on 7.9 three-point attempts per game.

A 6’4″ guard, Freeman-Liberty is coming off a strong Summer League with the Bulls that saw him average 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in five contests.

The Bullets came in eighth in the NBL last season out of 10 teams and are hoping that the addition of Freeman-Liberty can help boost them up the standings.

“To add a talent of Javon’s caliber to our roster at this stage is really exciting,” said head coach Stu Lash, according to the NBL website. “He’s a hungry player who’s ready to take the next step in his development as a professional. His toughness, ferocity, and willingness to compete make him a natural fit for what we value at the Brisbane Bullets.”

Trail Blazers To Fully Guarantee Duop Reath’s Contract

August 1st, 2025 at 8:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Trail Blazers will fully guarantee Duop Reath‘s contract for the 2025/26 season, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Reath’s deal will pay him $2.22MM. Portland would have had to waive him on or before Friday in order to avoid guaranteeing that full amount, as our early salary guarantee tracker shows.

Reath has spent the last two seasons with the Blazers. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 35.9% from three as a rookie, but saw his playing time diminish from 17.9 minutes per night over 68 games to 10.2 minutes per night over 46 games last season following the addition of rookie center Donovan Clingan.

While previous starting center Deandre Ayton is now with the Lakers, the Blazers once again took a big man in the first round in Yang Hansen. If Hansen is able to earn minutes as a rookie, Reath’s pathway to minutes will remain somewhat blocked, especially if Robert Williams is healthy.

Spurs To Guarantee Julian Champagnie’s 2025/26 Salary

August 1st, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Spurs will fully guarantee Julian Champagnie‘s 2025/26 salary, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Champagnie is set to make $3MM in the third season of his four-year contract, which also includes a $3MM team option for the 2026/27 season. August 1 represented the guarantee date for this season’s salary.

The fourth-year small forward carved out a role for himself in San Antonio over the past two seasons, playing 74 games in 2023/24 and all 82 games last year. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per night last season while shooting 37.1% from three on 5.9 attempts per game.

The Spurs have upgraded their roster in multiple spots this summer, adding Dylan Harper, Kelly Olynyk, Luke Kornet, and Carter Bryant, which will make it harder for Champagnie to command the same role he did in ’24/25. However, the team remains relatively light on wings and could use his three-point shooting.

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