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Marcus Smart Officially Signs With Lakers

July 22nd, 2025 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Marcus Smart has officially joined the Lakers. The team announced the signing of the veteran guard in a press release.

“Adding a player like Marcus Smart to our roster allows us to compete at the highest level,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in the statement. “Marcus epitomizes what it means to prioritize winning above all else – whether that’s making huge plays on the defensive end or hitting critical shots in key moments of the most intense games. He knows and understands playoff winning and will be a key leadership voice in our group.

“Surrounding our stars with two-way players like Marcus is critical to our overall vision of how we want to play and win next season. This is an exciting player acquisition, for sure.”

Smart reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards over the weekend and was placed on waivers. At that time, it was reported that the combo guard had decided to join the Lakers. Smart’s new contract is worth roughly $10.5MM over two years and includes a player option for the second season.

Smart, who gave up $6.8MM of his $21.59MM salary as part of his buyout with Washington, could back up both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and will boost his new team with his leadership, ball-handling and defensive prowess.

Smart, 31, has battled health problems over the past two seasons. He was named Defensive Player of the Year with Boston in 2022, but his career took a downturn after a trade to Memphis in the summer of 2023. A wide swath of injuries limited him to 39 total games in a year and a half with the Grizzlies before he was sent to Washington in a three-team deal at this year’s trade deadline.

He appeared in 19 games with Memphis and 15 games with the Wizards last season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 20 minutes per night with .393/.348/.761 shooting numbers.

Leonard, Harden Signed Off On Paul Addition

July 22nd, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles and the Clippers goes beyond sentimentality. Paul could be a piece to a championship puzzle as a key second-unit floor leader, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

Paul signed a one-year contract for a second stint with the organization for which he played from 2011-17. He started for the Spurs all of last season but accepted a backup role offered by the Clippers.

“Chris takes care of the ball and runs an offense about as well as anyone who’s ever done it,” Frank said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “He’ll slot into our roster as a reserve point guard. There’ll be nights when Chris plays a lot, there’ll be nights he does not. Chris is excited to be here, to be part of the group, to help lead the group and to play when called on.”

Paul was looking to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. The 40-year-old had issues with James Harden when the two stars played in Houston but there’s no lingering bitterness. In fact, Harden felt Paul would be an ideal choice to back him up.

“When talking to James, talking to Kawhi (Leonard) … both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,” Frank said. “I think James is all about winning. … He thought that Chris would be a great fit for the team.”

This could be Paul’s last season and last chance to win a championship, a goal which has eluded him in his career.

“Well, I think there’s the nostalgic aspect,” Frank said, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “But I think the No. 1 question that we always say, is how can he help impact winning? … And yeah, look, there’s the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers’ rise to be able to bring it back. Whether this is his last year or not, that’s obviously Chris’ story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think No. 1 is his ability to help impact winning.”

Frank also touched on a few other topics during his Zoom session:

Amir Coffey remains a free agent after appearing in 72 games with the Clippers last season. Jordan Miller, who starred in the Summer League for the Clippers, was waived earlier this month. Frank isn’t sure that the team will be able to bring back either player due to first apron concerns, Law Murray of The Athletic tweets. “If there’s an opportunity here, we’d love to be able to create it. If there isn’t, then we wish those guys nothing but the best,” Frank said.
Frank believes there’s more quality players than rotation spots on the current roster, according to Murray (Twitter link). “We’ll probably have a nine-man rotation… but you have 11 quality players,” he said.
The frontcourt, ball-handling and shooting were areas Frank was looking to upgrade this summer. He feels those goals have been achieved, Murray tweets. “I think we feel really, really good and excited about where we’re at, but you never stop,” he said. The Clippers traded for forward John Collins, signed guard Bradley Beal after he was bought out by Phoenix and also added veteran center Brook Lopez in free agency.

NBA Names Kyle Filipowski Summer League MVP, Announces All-SL Teams

July 22nd, 2025 at 3:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski has officially been named the Summer League Most Valuable Player for 2025, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Filipowski is also one of five players who earned a spot on the All-Summer League first team.

Here are the full All-Summer League teams, per the league (Twitter links):

First Team

Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)
Nique Clifford (Kings)
David Jones-Garcia (Spurs)
Jordan Miller (Clippers)
Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)

Second Team

Ron Holland (Pistons)
Isaac Jones (Kings)
Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
Ajay Mitchell (Thunder)
KJ Simpson (Hornets)

Filipowski, who is entering his second NBA season after playing 72 games as a rookie, appeared in a total of six Summer League contests (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas). He averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game. He especially excelled in Las Vegas, averaging 29.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG in three outings.

Clifford, a rookie drafted with the No. 24 pick last month, posted averages of 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in six contests. Jones-Garcia, who is seeking a contract, finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He posted averages of 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in a handful of games in Vegas.

Miller (22.0, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists) racked up impressive number in five summer games after being waived earlier this month by the Clippers. Entering his second season with Minnesota, Shannon (22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists) excelled in three contests.

After competing in the Summer League championship game on Sunday, both the Hornets (Knueppel and Simpson) and Kings (Clifford and Jones) had multiple players recognized for their play in Las Vegas. Knueppel was named the MVP of the championship game.

Lillard: Returning To Blazers Was Both Family, Basketball Decision

July 22nd, 2025 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending the past two seasons with the Bucks, Damian Lillard – who signed a three-year contract over the weekend to return to the Trail Blazers – is thrilled about getting the opportunity to go “back home” and spend more time with his family in Portland, he said at a press conference on Monday.

“We got back in the car (after signing the contract),” Lillard said, per Lindsay Schnell of The Athletic. “I got to a red light, and my daughter goes, ‘Wait, we don’t have to get on the airplane to Milwaukee no more? You’re gonna be in your house? In Portland? The whole time?'”

In addition to Lillard’s three children, his mother and siblings are all in the Portland area, he noted on Monday, according to Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press.

Still, even though those family considerations played a major role in his decision, rejoining the team with whom he spent the first 11 years of his NBA career wasn’t just about off-court factors, Lillard told reporters, including Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link).

“When we all sat down and this idea started to move towards me signing back here, I’m going to look at the basketball situation,” he said. “We play basketball and you want to win basketball games. A lot of people may look at it as a family decision, and obviously anybody would have their family be a part of a decision that they make. But this was just as much a basketball decision.

“… I’ve watched the team, even at a distance, and I’ve followed and stayed in touch with what was going on. Looking at how the league is trending and how it’s changing, it’s not the same old thing no more. Young teams that guard and have depth and compete and are connected, this team has all of those things. It’s all there, from the talent to the depth to having it on both sides of the ball, it’s all there.”

Although the Blazers missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year in 2025, their 36 wins were the most they’ve compiled in a season since 2020/21, and many of those victories came in the second half — the club went 23-18 following a 13-28 start. Lillard took notice of that improvement from a distance and suggested on Monday that he views the Blazers as “one of those teams that’s coming.”

While he’ll likely spent the entire 2025/26 season recovering from an Achilles tear he suffered in April, the 35-year-old expressed optimism about eventually returning to form. In the meantime, he’s looking forward to getting a chance to mentor the club’s younger players.

“One thing that I’ve missed over the last two years playing on an older team is, I’m able to be more and give more when I have something to pour into,” Lillard said. “When I’m invested in others’ careers more. Having the opportunity to do that, especially having a young, rising point guard like Scoot (Henderson) that I’m gonna be playing with now, and Toumani (Camara) and Deni (Avdija) and Shaedon (Sharpe), who I was with his rookie year.

“Being around those guys and having so much to share and being able to pour into them and be a part of their continued progress is something that elevates me as a player and as a teammate and as a leader. I’m looking forward to that as well, even when I’m playing.”

The Trail Blazers used their full $14,104,000 mid-level exception to sign Lillard, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. His salary will dip slightly to $13,398,800 in year two, followed by a third-year player option worth $14,104,000.

International Notes: Cancar, Metu, Magnay, Young, Fall

July 22nd, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Olimpia Milano has officially confirmed its multiyear deal with veteran forward Vlatko Cancar, announcing the signing in a press release.

Reporting near the start of the month indicated that Cancar was on the verge of finalizing a two-year deal with Olimpia Milano, with the longtime Nugget confirming days later that he would be headed to Italy for the 2025/26 season.

The 49th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Cancar came stateside to join the Nuggets in 2019. Across six years and 143 regular season games with the team, the 6’8″ forward averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per night.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

Veteran center Chimezie Metu was said earlier this month to be nearing a deal with the Turkish team Feneberbahce, but those talks broke down in the final stages, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. According to Urbonas, Metu had arrived in Istanbul and was prepared to sign with the reigning EuroLeague champions before the deal fell through. While Urbonas doesn’t provide specifics, it’s worth noting Metu is making his way back from an Achilles tear that he sustained in March and his agreement with Fenerbahce reportedly hinged in part on how his recovery was going.
Despite reportedly drawing some interest from the Grizzlies, the team he played for at the Las Vegas Summer League, Australian big man Will Magnay is returning to the Tasmania JackJumpers for the 2025/26 season, the team announced in a press release. “Summer League was an amazing and really valuable opportunity for me; I loved the experience. But I’m now excited to get home and get after it with the new group,” Magnay said in a statement.
The Perth Wildcats are pursuing free agent guard Jahmir Young, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Young finished the 2024/25 season on a two-way contract with the Bulls and scored 40 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a Summer League game for Chicago last Wednesday, but was waived on Saturday to make room for newcomer Yuki Kawamura.
The New Zealand Breakers have parted ways with veteran center Tacko Fall, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). A former Celtic and Cavalier, Fall averaged 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Breakers in 18 outings last season.

And-Ones: Jefferson, ESPN, Vancouver, Expansion, 2024 Moves

July 22nd, 2025 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Richard Jefferson has reached an agreement to return to ESPN (and ABC) for next season and is expected to remain on the network’s top broadcast team with Mike Breen, reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. However, Doris Burke‘s spot alongside Jefferson and Breen on that team remains up in the air, Marchand adds.

Jefferson reportedly drew interest from Amazon Prime Video before agreeing to remain with ESPN.

If ESPN does decide to replace Burke, Tim Legler is the leading candidate to replace her on the network’s top broadcasting team, according to Marchand, though he says that a two-person booth is also a possibility.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The Raptors and Nuggets will play a preseason game in Vancouver, B.C. on October 6 as part of the league’s Canada Series, the NBA announced today in a press release. It will be a busy week or two for Vancouver in terms of NBA activity, with the Mavericks also said to be holding their training camp in the city. The Raptors announced today that their training camp will take place in Calgary, Alberta, so it won’t be a long flight to Vancouver for them.
While NBA owners may not be eager to expand the league beyond its current 30 teams immediately, there’s still a sense that it will happen sooner or later, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. As Hollinger explains, the NBA’s European league project is a bigger priority at the moment and the league likely also wants to get its local TV situation worked out before expanding.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN revisits the biggest offseason moves from 2024 in order to reevaluate the grades he gave them a year ago. In some cases, that meant a major readjustment downward — the Pelicans originally got a B-plus grade for their Dejounte Murray trade, for example, and now get an F. However, other moves look much better than did a year ago, including the Trail Blazers‘ acquisition of Deni Avdija, which Pelton bumped from a C-plus to an A-minus.

Trail Blazers Sign Blake Wesley To One-Year Contract

July 22nd, 2025 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

11:15 am: Wesley has officially signed with the Blazers, the team confirmed today in a press release.

10:11 am: Shortly after being bought out by the Wizards, shooting guard Blake Wesley has agreed to a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It’ll be a fully guaranteed contract, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

The 25th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Notre Dame, Wesley spent his first three professional seasons in San Antonio, where he appeared in 156 total regular season games. He played a limited role for the Spurs, averaging just 4.3 points and 2.4 assists in 14.3 minutes per night, with a .409/.297/.634 shooting line.

While Wesley’s contributions at the NBA level have been modest, he’s still just 22 years old and is considered a strong on-ball defender. He has also shot the ball better in the G League than he has in the NBA, making 45.6% of his field goal tries and 35.9% of his three-point attempts for the Austin Spurs.

Wesley was traded to Washington earlier this month as part of a deal that sent Kelly Olynyk to San Antonio. However, he was only a Wizard for about a week-and-a-half before agreeing to give up roughly $1.38MM of his $4.73MM salary for 2025/26 in order to secure his release.

The exact financial terms of Wesley’s deal with Portland haven’t been reported, but it figures to be a minimum-salary contract, which would pay him roughly $2.38MM. In other words, he’ll more than make up the money he forfeited in his buyout with Washington.

Adding Wesley will give the Blazers 15 players on standard contracts, including 14 with guaranteed salaries. Duop Reath‘s salary guarantee date is coming up on August 1.

Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 7/22/2025

July 22nd, 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 Celtics' plans to clear more salary, Marcus Smart's impact with the Lakers, the Knicks' interest in Ben Simmons, Jalen Green's future in Phoenix and more!

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Former Thunder Wing Alex Abrines Announces Retirement

July 22nd, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

Spanish guard/forward Alex Abrines has decided to end his playing career, announcing his retirement on Tuesday in a social media post (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando).

Abrines, who will turn 32 next month, was the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft and came stateside three years later. He played for the Thunder from 2016-19, appearing in 174 regular season games across three seasons and averaging 5.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game, with a .387/.368/.880 shooting line.

Abrines missed time during his third and final year in Oklahoma City for personal reasons and was eventually waived in February 2019, ending his time in the NBA. He later spoke about struggling with his mental health during his time in the league.

Abrines’ NBA run was sandwiched by two extended stints with FC Barcelona. He played for the Spanish club from 2012-16 and again from 2019-25, winning three Spanish League (Liga ACB) championships and three Spanish Cup titles. The 6’5″ swingman also played extensively for Spain’s national team, winning an Olympic bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

“Thank you, Barça! Culers, the time has come to say goodbye,” Albrines wrote in his farewell message (translated from Catalan). “The most complicated moment for me has arrived after so many years of proudly defending this shirt. I have been through a lot and, although I will miss many things, many places and many people, I know that my life path must continue in another direction.

“After an intense professional life in which I have burned through stages very quickly, it is time to live the life I want to live, to choose my path. And this is none other than wanting to spend more time with my family and my loved ones.”

Wizards Save $8MM+ With Smart, Wesley Buyouts

July 22nd, 2025 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards‘ recent buyout agreements with guards Marcus Smart and Blake Wesley have reduced the team’s salary by more than $8MM.

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, Smart gave up $6.8MM of his $21.59MM salary as part of his buyout with Washington, while Wesley forfeited roughly $1.38MM of his $4.73MM salary. In total, the two players now count toward the Wizards’ cap for $18,134,313 instead of $26,313,184.

Smart is set to sign a two-year, $10.5MM deal with the Lakers once he clears waivers. It’s unclear where Wesley will land next, but he likely wouldn’t have given up a portion of his salary unless he was confident about having another opportunity lined up.

[UPDATE: Trail Blazers, Blake Wesley Agree To One-Year Deal]

The Wizards won’t technically create any cap room as a result of the moves, since they’re still operating as an over-the-cap team. But their salary for cap purposes is now down to approximately $153.8MM, which is more than $34MM below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM). They also have nearly $39MM in flexibility below the first tax apron ($195.95MM) after accounting for Khris Middleton‘s $3.22MM in unlikely incentives.

The cap savings created by the Smart and Wesley buyouts will put the Wizards in an even better position to become a facilitator in trades during the rest of the 2025 offseason and into the 2025/26 regular season.

Clubs around the NBA who are looking to shed salary or who need a third team to take on a contract to make a trade work will likely make the Wizards’ front office one of their first calls. Washington would presumably be willing to accommodate that sort of deal if sweeteners such as draft assets or a promising young prospect are attached.

The Wizards still have their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM), along with two trade exceptions worth $13.45MM and $9.9MM. While they wouldn’t be able to combine those exceptions to acquire a player earning more than $14.1MM, they could use all three separately to trade for players whose salaries fit within the limits.