Stein’s Latest: Warriors, Kuminga, Wizards, Bailey, THT, Davis
As Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article for The Stein Line, the Warriors‘ training camp will tip off a week from today (September 30), while the deadline for Jonathan Kuminga to accept his qualifying offer arrives one day later (October 1).
That means that if Kuminga’s decision goes down to the wire, the Warriors may open camp with a significant portion of their eventual roster missing. The club is currently carrying just nine players on standard contracts and has opted not to fill the five remaining non-Kuminga roster spots until the restricted free agent’s situation is resolved in order to maximize cap flexibility.
According to Stein, the expectation around the NBA is that the five players who eventually fill the remaining third of Golden State’s roster will be Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Seth Curry, and second-round pick Will Richard. In that scenario, Horford would be signed using the taxpayer mid-level exception, while the others would receive minimum-salary deals.
As for what happens with Kuminga, Stein says he’d be surprised if the 22-year-old sacrifices $40MM-ish in guaranteed money by signing his one-year, $8MM qualifying offer instead of accepting a reported three-year, $75MM proposal that includes a third-year team option, though he cautions that’s just informed speculation rather than sourced information.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The belief around the NBA since June’s draft is that the Wizards – who held the No. 6 overall pick – were Ace Bailey‘s preferred landing spot, says Stein. Utah ultimately drafted Bailey at No. 5. Given their apparent interest in Bailey, it raised some eyebrows when the Wizards signed Sharife Cooper to a two-way contract last week, according to Stein. Cooper, who had been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, is the son of Bailey’s manager Omar Cooper.
- Although six-year NBA veteran Talen Horton-Tucker officially signed a two-year contract with the Turkish team Fenerbahce over the weekend, the expectation is that he’ll try to return to the NBA next summer if his first year in Europe goes well, per Stein. That suggests Horton-Tucker’s deal includes an opt-out clause after year one.
- After reporting on Saturday that Mavericks star Anthony Davis had taken part in some five-on-five scrimmages for the first time since undergoing eye surgery in July, Stein cautions that Dallas will likely take a cautious approach with the big man once camp officially gets underway, since “pickup game intensity cannot compare to training camp intensity.”
Pistons Signing Quincy Olivari
The Pistons are signing free agent guard Quincy Olivari, his agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Olivari, 24, had been on a two-way deal with the Lakers for part of 2024/25. The 6’3″ Xavier alum appeared in just two contests for Los Angeles last season after signing on with the club as an undrafted rookie.
The Lakers waived him in January 2025, and he finished his season with L.A.’s NBAGL affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He suited up for Brooklyn’s Summer League club in July.
Across 31 outings with South Bay, including 29 starts, Olivari averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, with a shooting line of .401/.342/.781.
Details of the contract have yet to be revealed, although it seems likely given his limited experience that Olivari has agreed to a training camp deal with Exhibit 10 language.
Detroit currently has three other players — Charles Bediako, Dawson Garcia and Brice Williams — signed to Exhibit 10 deals. All three of the Pistons’ two-way contracts are occupied, while the team has 14 of its 15 standard roster spots filled.
Should Detroit cut Olivari before the start of the season and sign him to its affiliate team, the Motor City Cruise, Olivari could be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 — provided he sticks with Motor City for at least 60 days.
Knicks Notes: Position Clashes, Roster, Thibodeau, Dadiet
As the Knicks gear up for training camp, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) breaks down the team’s top narratives, position battles, new players, and more.
As Bondy writes, New York currently has enough room below its hard cap to carry a single veteran camp invitee into the regular season, but they’ve signed five to training camp deals. Guards Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet are the leaders in the clubhouse, but guard Garrison Mathews, center Alex Len and wing Matt Ryan all still have a shot, according to Bondy.
While All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns and All-Defensive forwards Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are all pretty much locked in to starting roles, Bondy posits that guard Josh Hart and big man Mitchell Robinson could both stake a claim to that fifth starting gig.
In another subscriber-only article, Bondy takes a look at the storylines facing each rostered player heading into the season.
There’s more out of New York:
- Knicks players opted not to fight to retain head coach Tom Thibodeau despite a strong 51-31 season and an Eastern Conference Finals berth, Ian Begley said during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link). Begley noted that Hart “was very close” with the now-former coach, and suggested that, if Hart or other key players had insisted to management that Thibodeau be retained, he may have stuck around. Hart’s shooting went cold during the playoffs and he was toggled with Robinson for New York’s fifth starting spot. The Knicks ultimately replaced Thibodeau with Mike Brown.
- After they finished as the third seed in the East last year, Malik Smith of The New York Post (subscriber link) expects the Knicks to enjoy a more robust run in 2025/26, thanks to Achilles injuries and roster turnover knocking Boston and Indiana down a peg. As Smith observes, most sportsbooks peg the club to win in the neighborhood of 53 games next season.
- In a reader mailbag, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says he believes second-year wing Pacome Dadiet, a first-round pick last season, is the player most likely to be traded prior to February’s deadline. Edwards also wonders if New York could expand its rotation to 10 players and takes a look at how Brown can improve the club’s versatility, among other topics.
Jazz Sign Matthew Murrell
SEPTEMBER 22: The Jazz have officially signed Murrell, the team announced in a press release.
JUNE 27: Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell has agreed to sign with the Jazz, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).
Givony doesn’t provide any specifics on the contract agreement, but it will likely be an Exhibit 10 deal, which could be converted into a two-way contract or would put Murrell on track to earn a bonus if he’s waived by Utah and then spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
After testing the draft waters in 2023 and again in 2024, Murrell was automatically draft-eligible this year. Unfortunately, he had a down year for the Rebels in his final college season, averaging just 10.8 points per game with a 31.9% mark on three-point tries. Both marks were below his career rates.
However, Murrell finished the season strong with a series of productive performances in the NCAA tournament as Ole Miss earned a spot in the Sweet 16. He had 15 points, four rebounds, and a pair of steals in a round-of-32 win over Iowa State.
Murrell, who racked up 1.8 steals per contest as a “super senior,” is known as an excellent defender and is one of the most explosive athletes in the 2025 draft class, says Givony. The 23-year-old ranked 93rd overall on ESPN’s pre-draft big board.
Steven Crowl Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Jazz
SEPTEMBER 22: The Jazz have announced in press statement that they have signed Crowl.
JUNE 26: The Jazz are planning to sign Steven Crowl to an Exhibit 10 deal, according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson (Twitter link).
Crowl played his entire five-year collegiate career with Wisconsin, averaging 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 153 career games for the program.
Before even getting to free agency, the Jazz have a crowded roster, though all of Svi Mykhailiuk, Johnny Juzang, KJ Martin and Jaden Springer have partial or non-guaranteed contracts. The team also has Elijah Harkless currently signed to a two-way contract, but those can be swapped any time with relative ease, since they don’t count against the cap.
Crowl will have an opportunity to show he deserves a two-way contract in training camp — an Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a two-way deal. If he’s waived from his fully non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal and then spends at least 60 days with Utah’s G League affiliate, he’ll earn a bonus worth up to $85K.
Hornets Sign DJ Rodman, Cut Marcus Garrett
The Hornets have signed free agent forward DJ Rodman and cut guard Marcus Garrett, the club announced (Twitter link).
Rodman, the son of Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman and brother to NWSL superstar Trinity, has been in the G League since going undrafted out of USC in 2024. He split his 2024/25 season with the Capital City Go-Go and Maine Celtics. Most recently, he suited up for Charlotte’s Summer League squad.
Rodman logged five collegiate seasons with Washington State and the Trojans, averaging 6.1 PPG on .411/.354/.764 shooting. The 6-foot-6 wing also averaged 4.2 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.5 SPG across his 143 NCAA games.
Exact details of the contract have yet to be divulged, but it is likely to be an Exhibit 10 training camp deal for the 24-year-old. Garrett had also been inked to an Exhibit 10 contract.
Assuming Rodman and Garrett sign G League contracts and spend at least 60 days with the Hornets’ NBAGL affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, each player will be eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his base G League salary.
Exhibit 10 signings can be promoted to two-way contracts, but at present, all three of Charlotte’s two-way contract slots are occupied.
Nets Sign Fanbo Zeng
September 22: The Nets have officially finalized their deal with Zeng, who appears on the 21-man training camp roster announced today by the team. He reportedly signed an Exhibit 10 contract.
August 2: Fanbo Zeng, one of the top prospects in China, has agreed to a contract with the Nets, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Zeng, 22, is a 6’10” forward who’s coming off a productive season with the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 53% from the field and 41% from three-point range.
In 2020, Zeng announced his intention to play college basketball at Gonzaga, but he changed his mind the following spring and committed to the G League Ignite. He appeared in 19 total games for the former independent G League team during the 2021/22 season.
He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers the following summer and played five games for them during Summer League, but he returned to China that fall.
Zeng injured his back in late April during a CBA contest and decided to pull out of the FIBA Asia Games, which start next weekend, according to NetsDaily. The injury, diagnosed as a lumbar transverse process fracture, normally comes with a two- to three-month recovery process, so he should be fine by the start of training camp.
Zeng hired American agents three months ago in an effort to revive his NBA prospects, NetsDaily continues. He should be a featured attraction when Brooklyn travels to Macao in October for two exhibition games against Phoenix.
Scotto doesn’t provide any details about Zeng’s contract, but it may be an Exhibit 10 deal with an invitation to participate in training camp. The Nets already have 10 players with standard contracts, along with three more expected signings and four other players with non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals. They have one open two-way slot, so Zeng could be in position to compete for that.
Joe Dumars Discusses Zion, Expectations For Pelicans, More
As we relayed in a separate story, Joe Dumars told reporters on Monday that Pelicans wings Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones will be full participants in training camp this fall.
New Orleans’ new head of basketball operations made several other comments worth noting during his media session. Here are some highlights:
- Addressing oft-injured star forward Zion Williamson, Dumars said he has reiterated “responsibility” and “accountability” to the former No. 1 overall pick (Twitter link via Will Guillory of The Athletic). Dumars also wants Williamson to fully grasp the heightened expectations that come with his level of talent.
- Dumars said he told his colleagues during a meeting with the coaching staff this morning that he doesn’t have any set expectations for the Pelicans this season in terms of wins and losses (Twitter video link via the team). However, he does expect New Orleans to be a “high-competing team every night,” and believes that if that comes to fruition, “the wins will take care of themselves.”
- Dumars said he has been speaking to head coach Willie Green on a daily basis. He added that his offseason communication with the coaching staff has been vital (Twitter link via Guillory).
- According to Guillory (Twitter link), Dumars said the controversial draft-day trade to acquire big man Derik Queen doesn’t mean the Pelicans have a “playoffs-or-bust” approach this season. Dumars said the team was and still is focused on building a deep roster that can be competitive every game.
- Speaking of Queen, Dumars said the Pelicans have been encouraging him to get in better shape while he rehabilitates from wrist surgery, as sideline reporter Erin Summers tweets.
- The Pelicans have been hit hard by injuries for several seasons. Dumars said he has spent extended time with the medical staff and made some “tweaks” to their processes this offseason, per Summers (Twitter link).
- Dumars has been encouraged by Jeremiah Fears‘ work ethic, as the team has had to force the 18-year-old guard to stay out of the gym at times (Twitter link via Summers). New Orleans selected Fears No. 7 overall in June’s draft.
- “In order to be a contender you have to be obsessed with (basketball),” Dumars said, citing Fears and trade acquisition Jordan Poole as players who fit that bill (Twitter link via Summer).
Pacers Sign Ashworth, Felton To Exhibit 10 Contracts
The Pacers have signed guards Steven Ashworth and RJ Felton to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced today in a press release.
The announcement specifies the moves were designed for Ashworth and Felton to join the Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, which implies both players will be released by Indiana before the season begins. Each player would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with Noblesville.
Both players’ agreements with the Pacers were first reported in June, shortly after they went undrafted.
Ashworth spent three years at Utah State before spending his final two college seasons at Creighton. As a “super senior” in 2024/25, he averaged 16.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG and a Big East-best 6.8 APG in 35 games (36.0 MPG) for the Blue Jays.
Felton, who played four years of college ball at East Carolina, averaged 18.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.2 SPG on .414/.376/.743 shooting splits in 30 games (34.5 MPG) last season for the Pirates.
Ashworth and Felton also suited up for the Pacers’ Summer League team in July.
The Pacers currently have a full 21-man roster ahead of training camp.
Suns Sign Tyrese Samuel To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Suns have signed free agent forward Tyrese Samuel, according to RealGM’s official log of NBA transactions. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
A 6’10” big man from Montreal, Samuel spent four seasons at Seton Hall prior to transferring to Florida for a “super senior” season in 2023/24. In 36 games with the Gators, he averaged 13.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 26.8 minutes per contest, earning a spot on the All-SEC second team.
After going undrafted last year, the 25-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Suns and was waived before the season began. He spent his first post-college season with the G League’s Valley Suns and will likely be headed back to Phoenix’s affiliate team to open ’25/26.
Samuel had a fairly slow start with the Valley Suns during the Tip-Off Tournament last fall, averaging 7.8 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 16 contests (17.1 MPG). His role was expanded during the regular season, however, and he responded by averaging 10.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 33 games (21.3 MPG).
If Samuel is cut by Phoenix and spends at least 60 days with the Valley Suns this season, he’ll be eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his regular NBAGL salary.
Phoenix is now at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract.