Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 9/4/2025
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat on Thursday at 1:00 pm Central time (2:00 pm Eastern).
Second-Rounder Mashack To Open Season With Memphis Hustle
Former Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack, whose NBA rights were acquired by the Grizzlies after he was selected 59th overall in June’s draft, will open the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).
Herrington’s report was confirmed by Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter).
According to Cole, the Grizzlies are still high on Mashack, who impressed during a five-game Summer League showing, averaging 9.0 points, 4.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks in 23.7 minutes per contest (.462/.417/.600 shooting line). But after reaching an agreement to sign Olivier-Maxence Prosper, the Grizzlies no longer have an open two-way spot, which leaves Mashack as the odd man out for now.
As Herrington notes, Mashack’s NBA rights are still controlled by the Grizzlies — he’ll be a domestic draft-and-stash player of sorts and not a free agent.
Gui Santos (Warriors) and Nikola Djurisic (Hawks) are two other recent examples of second-round picks who spent their first post-draft seasons in the G League — for what it’s worth, both players later signed standard contracts rather than two-way deals.
Mashack, who turns 23 years old in November, spent four college seasons with the Volunteers, mostly in a reserve role until he was a senior in 2024/25. In 38 starts last season (28.2 MPG), the 6’4″ wing averaged 6.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG and 1.7 SPG, with a shooting line of .454/.351/.723.
Mashack had been one of four 2025 draft picks who remained unsigned, and technically that’s still the case. But it certainly sounds like he’ll sign a G League contract before the season begins rather than an NBA deal with the Grizzlies.
Still, it’s worth noting that two-way contracts are non-guaranteed and don’t count against the salary cap, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Mashack ends up with the Grizzlies at some point in ’25/26. A multiyear standard deal toward the end of the season with subsequent seasons being non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed is another possibility.
Nets’ Cam Thomas Signs Qualifying Offer
12:02 pm: Thomas has officially signed his qualifying offer, the Nets announced (via Twitter).
6:59 am: Nets restricted free agent Cam Thomas has decided to sign his one-year qualifying offer worth just under $6MM to return to the team, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Reporting since late July indicated that Brooklyn was willing to give Thomas a multiyear deal but that the team wasn’t going beyond two years at roughly $14-15MM per season, with a second-year team option. According to Charania, the Nets also proposed a one-year, $9.5MM contract that could have been worth up to $11MM in incentives, but it would’ve required Thomas to waive his right to veto a trade.
Rather than accepting either of those team-friendly proposals, Thomas will take his chances on a more modest one-year contract that will give him a de facto no-trade clause for the 2025/26 season and will put him on track to become an unrestricted free agent next July.
As Charania points out, while the Nets were the only team to enter this offseason with significant cap room, there could be 10 or more cap-space teams in 2026, creating more options on the open market for a free agent like Thomas.
The 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of LSU, Thomas has increased his scoring average in each of his four NBA seasons and put up career highs of 24.0 points and 3.8 assists per game in 2024/25.
However, he was limited to just 25 games last season due to hamstring issues and has been up and down from an efficiency standpoint, with career averages of 43.9% from the floor and 34.9% on three-pointers. He’s also not considered an above-average defender.
As talented as Thomas is as a scorer, his shortcomings in other areas limited his appeal in restricted free agency, and the Nets’ favorable cap position allowed the team to play hardball in negotiations. Having agreed to re-sign other free agents like Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams to contracts that aren’t guaranteed beyond 2025/26, Brooklyn was clearly prioritizing its ability to maintain cap flexibility next offseason and wasn’t interested in making a longer-term commitment to the 23-year-old at this time.
If Thomas plays out the 2025/26 season with the Nets, the team will maintain his Bird rights entering next summer. However, if he approves a trade to another club before February’s deadline, his Bird rights wouldn’t go with him — that’s presumably the reason why he turned down Brooklyn’s one-year, $9.5MM offer, which would’ve required him to essentially “pre-approve” a trade. Even if the Nets decide not to re-sign Thomas next July, his Bird rights could be useful in sign-and-trade scenarios.
If Thomas OKs a trade during the season, his new team would have his Non-Bird rights and wouldn’t be able to offer him a starting salary higher than about $7.2MM (120% of his previous salary) next offseason without using cap room or another cap exception.
The Nets will actually open up some cap room as a result of Thomas signing his qualifying offer, since the team had been carrying a cap hold of approximately $12MM for him — that cap hit will be cut in half once he officially puts pen to paper, creating an extra $6MM in spending flexibility for Brooklyn.
Thomas was one of four notable restricted free agents around the NBA whose situation remained unresolved as of Labor Day. We can probably expect resolution for Josh Giddey (Bulls), Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), and Quentin Grimes (Sixers) at some point this month, since they face an October 1 deadline for accepting their own qualifying offers.
Hawks Sign, Waive Javan Johnson, Dwight Murray Jr.
September 4: One day after being signed, both Johnson and Murray have been waived by the Hawks, per a team press release.
As we noted below, the procedural move will make each player eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the College Park Skyhawks to open 2025/26.
September 3: The Hawks have officially signed forward Javan Johnson and guard Dwight Murray Jr. to their offseason roster, the team announced today in a press release.
Johnson, who went undrafted in 2023 after playing college ball at Troy, Iowa State, and DePaul, has spent most of his first two professional seasons in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors. He also had a brief stint in 2024 with the Gladiadores de Anzoátegui in Puerto Rico.
In 49 total appearances last season for Santa Cruz, Johnson averaged 13.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 26.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .417/.374/.912. The College Park Skyhawks – Atlanta’s G League affiliate – acquired the 26-year-old’s returning rights last month in a three-team trade that also involved the Salt Lake City Stars.
Murray, who went undrafted in 2023 too, played in Montenegro for KK Mornar in 2023/24, then spent last season with the Skyhawks, starting 29 of 43 games for Atlanta’s NBAGL team. A native of Austell, Georgia, the 6’0″ guard put up averages of 9.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per contest and a shooting line of .391/.315/.762.
While the Hawks didn’t provide any details on the contracts signed by Johnson and Murray, it’s safe to assume both deals include Exhibit 10 language, which will line them up to earn bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they’re waived by Atlanta and then spend at least 60 days with College Park. Both Johnson and Murray would qualify as returning-rights players for the Skyhawks.
The Hawks now officially have 20 players under contract, one shy of the offseason limit.
Assistant Coach Credits LeBron James For Inspiring Luka Doncic’s Transformation
Luka Doncic‘s slimmed-down appearance has been one of the major offseason storylines for the Lakers, and assistant coach Greg St. Jean credits LeBron James‘ influence for helping to make it happen. St. Jean tells Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews that being around James every day inspired Doncic to change his diet and commit to a new workout routine.
“You know what? I always find this — iron sharpens iron,” St. Jean said. “When you’re around really good players, it’s just like when you’re a coach, and you’re around a really good coach. You can’t help but be motivated to continue to get better at your craft.
“I think Luka’s learned a little bit from every great player he’s been around. And I know he’s always looked up to LeBron, He’s always been somebody he’s really admired. So I think having those two together is obviously motivating. I think it’s two-way motivating as well. I don’t think it’s just a one-way street.”
Doncic has always been a star in international competitions, but his improved conditioning has helped him become dominant for Slovenia at this year’s EuroBasket. Though four games, he’s leading the tournament in scoring at 31.3 PPG while ranking second in assists (8.3) and first in steals (3.3).
Doncic’s career took an unexpected twist in February with a shocking trade that sent him from Dallas to L.A. He posted typical numbers after the deal — averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28 games — but the Lakers were overmatched in a first-round playoff loss to Minnesota.
The organization began reworking its roster with Doncic as the focal point, adding Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia in free agency. Doncic shared that commitment by signing a three-year max extension last month that could be worth up to $165.3MM.
There has been some speculation throughout the summer that James isn’t fully happy with the idea of Doncic as the new team leader and may be looking to move on. He has an expiring $52.6MM contract after picking up his player option in June.
However, St. Jean indicated that both stars will continue to serve as the Lakers’ foundation.
“I think LeBron, you can see, is working really hard as well. He’s up at 5 a.m., and he’s working on his body as well,” he said. “So, I think our team and our players — it’s not just about those two guys — but I think everybody’s motivated to come back and have a really good season.”
Nets Notes: Porter, Thomas, Lottery Odds, Koch
The Nets are counting on Michael Porter Jr. to provide scoring punch and stretch opposing defenses after acquiring him in an offseason trade with Denver, and he’s confident that he can deliver. In a recent interview with online influencer PlaqueBoyMax (YouTube video link), Porter proclaimed that Warriors guard Stephen Curry is the only NBA player who surpasses him as a long-distance shooter.
“Stephen Curry, that’s the only one I’m giving like a clear elite, can shoot better than me,” Porter said. “There’s dudes that are on the same level. I think Klay Thompson, (Kevin Durant). If I got in the gym (with someone) like Duncan Robinson, he probably can shoot with me. Trae Young, (Damian Lillard). But I think Steph is the only one clearly better.”
Porter has numbers to back up his claims, as he’s coming off one of the best shooting seasons of his career, connecting at 50.4% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range. His ability to knock down outside shots convinced the Nets to take on the nearly $80MM he’ll earn over the next two seasons.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Cam Thomas‘ future with the team remains cloudy following his decision to accept a one-year qualifying offer, according to NetsDaily. The high-scoring guard may find himself pushed down the rotation as the Nets focus on developing their five first-round picks, and the situation could get more contentious as the season wears on. One source called the outcome “another failure in asset management” for the team, while another told the author, “Cam Thomas gets the QO to no surprise. Can’t imagine how many shots he’s going to take this year.”
- With their roster loaded with young players, the Nets are expected to be among the top contenders for best odds heading into next year’s draft lottery. Peter Botte of The New York Post examines their competition and expects the Jazz, Wizards and Hornets to all be involved in that race to the bottom.
- Julia Koch and the billionaire Koch family, who own 15% of the Nets’ parent company, BSE Global, have purchased a minority stake in the NFL’s New York Giants, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. BSE Global also owns the WNBA’s New York Liberty and Barclays Center.
EuroBasket Notes: Sengun, Vukcevic, Yabusele, Queta
Rockets center Alperen Sengun continued his impressive EuroBasket performance on Wednesday, outplaying Nikola Jokic in Turkey’s thrilling 95-90 win over Serbia, writes Semih Tuna of Eurohoops. Both teams came into the game undefeated, so the victory gave Turkey the No. 1 seed in Group A heading into the knockout round. It also made a statement for Sengun, who was facing Jokic for the first time in an international tournament and who had been dubbed “Baby Jokic” earlier in his career.
“I don’t think he would want that nickname,” teammate Shane Larkin said. “You can see the similarities with their games. Alperen has big aspirations. Alperen is a very confident kid. Alperen has a very high level of basketball skill and a very high level of talent. The sky is the limit for him. I don’t think he’s anywhere near his ceiling. I think he’s going to continue to evolve and get better and better.”
Sengun put up impressive numbers once again, finishing with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field, along with 13 rebounds and eight assists. Through five games, he’s tied for fifth in the tournament in scoring while ranking third in rebounds and assists and second in efficiency.
“In his younger years, his first year, his second year, you could call him ‘Baby Jokic’ just because their styles are very similar,” Larkin added. “He’s proving during this tournament that he’s ready to take that next step. Last year, he was an NBA All-Star, and I think he’s going to continue to grow and continue to be a better and better player. That nickname was suiting for him maybe a couple of years ago. But he’s much bigger and much better than he was when they gave him that nickname.”
There’s more from EuroBasket:
- Serbia played without Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic, but he’s expected to return for the knockout round, Tuna adds in a separate story. Serbia only had 10 players available due to the loss of Bogdan Bogdanovic with a hamstring injury. “Vukcevic couldn’t be on the roster in this situation, when the game is played with so much energy – everyone is really important,” coach Svetislav Pesic said. “He got a minor injury, nothing serious. He’ll be ready in 2–3 days.”
- Guerschon Yabusele credits a change in strategy for his 36-point outburst against Poland, per Eurohoops. After a 2-1 start, French coach Frederic Fauthoux focused on creating more shots for the Knicks‘ big man. “We had a conversation with the coach, with the players too, to try to get me involved in the game a little bit more,” Yabusele told reporters. “I know it is important for me to be aggressive the whole time, for the team and for myself. I was trying to find the rhythm and give the energy to the guys.”
- Portugal was able to advance to the next round despite the ejection of Neemias Queta in a narrow victory over Estonia, according to Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. The Celtics center was tossed midway through the third quarter for picking up a second technical foul when officials decided his celebration after making a basket was excessive (Twitter video link).
Clippers Deny Circumventing Cap For Kawhi Leonard
Clippers wing Kawhi Leonard found himself the subject of unwanted scrutiny Wednesday, when it was reported by Pablo Torre on his “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast that the six-time All-Star had inked a $28MM endorsement deal for “tree brokerage” Aspiration, a former team sponsor that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. L.A. owner Steve Ballmer invested $50MM into the company.
The 6’7″ swingman reportedly didn’t do any work for the allegedly phony tree-planting company, leading to speculation that the endorsement agreement was a route for Leonard to earn additional money on top of his NBA salary in a manner that would have helped L.A. circumvent the salary cap. Other involved celebrities, including movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Downey Jr., apparently did perform actual work for Aspiration.
The NBA is now investigating the situation to determine if there was indeed any impropriety.
The Clippers initially released statements to Torre and then to The Los Angeles Times denying any wrongdoing. Now, the team has issued an extended denial, as Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) relays.
“Neither the Clippers nor Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap,” the Clippers’ statement reads. “The notion that Steve invested in Aspiration in order to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd. Steve invested because Aspiration’s co-founders presented themselves as committed to doing right by their customers while protecting the environment.
“After a long campaign of market manipulation, which defrauded not only Steve but numerous other investors and sports teams, Aspiration filed for bankruptcy. Its co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, recently pleaded guilty to a $243 million fraud. Neither Steve nor the Clippers had knowledge of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government initiated its investigation. Aspiration was a team sponsor for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons before defaulting on its contract.
“There is nothing unusual or untoward about team sponsors doing endorsement deals with players on the same time. Neither Steve nor the Clippers organization had any oversight of Kawhi’s independent endorsement agreement with Aspiration. To say otherwise is flat-out wrong.”
“The Clippers take NBA compliance extremely seriously, fully respect the league’s rules, and welcome its investigation related to Aspiration. The Clippers will also continue to cooperate with law enforcement in its investigation into Aspiration’s blatantly fraudulent activity.”
Torre responded to the Clippers’ claims (via Twitter), standing by his reporting and challenging some of the language in the Clippers’ statement.
Heat Notes: Riley, EuroBasket, Fontecchio, Jovic, Ware
With Heat owner Micky Arison set to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend and team president Pat Riley among the prior honorees slated to present him, Riley reflected on his 30 years with the organization, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“Micky and I had that kind of relationship back and forth, but always positive about what we’re trying to do,” Riley said. “If he didn’t like something, he would tell me, ‘I don’t think we should go that way,’ and I wouldn’t go that way. If he said, ‘Go for it. Damn right, let’s go for it,’ we had the same mentality.
“But if you don’t take a risk — a big-three type risk [signing free agent All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010], Lamar Odom type risk or Shaquille O’Neal type risk or Jimmy Butler type risk or whatever it is — then you’re too afraid and there’s a fear of failure there,” Riley continued. “So when you make a calculated risk, he has made a lot of them with me — some of them haven’t worked, some of them have worked big time.”
With Riley running its front office, Miami has made a total of seven NBA Finals, winning three championships.
There’s more out of Miami:
- While playing for their respective national teams at EuroBasket this year, Heat role players Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson and Simone Fontecchio are all showing out in larger roles than they’ve had in Miami so far. Still, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel cautions that their production shouldn’t necessarily indicate that they’re capable of taking a leap with the Heat in 2025/26.
- There had been “strong rumbles” last month that the Heat were looking into trading Fontecchio, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). Stein notes that this buzz happened before Miami traded Haywood Highsmith to Brooklyn. Now that the Heat find themselves below the league’s luxury tax following the Highsmith deal, there is likely little urgency to offload Fontecchio.
- With Jovic playing an outsized role for his native Serbia in EuroBasket, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald considers whether Miami would be served better by starting the young forward in the frontcourt next to Bam Adebayo over center Kel’el Ware. Jackson notes that shifting Adebayo to the four spot while starting Ware at the five last year proved statistically more effective than keeping Adebayo at center and starting Jovic.
Nets Notes: Two-Way Spots, Sharpe, Porter
Even after signing E.J. Liddell to a two-way deal on Wednesday, the Nets still have one open two-way slot to fill. C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News takes a look at three contenders for the role.
Holmes notes that 6’11” former CBA forward Fanbo Zeng, who reportedly agreed to a deal with Brooklyn in August, looks like a solid modern big man. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game with the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association. Zeng also connected on 53% of his field goal attempts and 41% of his triple tries.
Undrafted former Alabama forward Grant Nelson underwhelmed while with the Nets’ Summer League squad, but his energetic play and diverse skill set on offense could give him an NBA-level ceiling.
Recently waived former Mavericks forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a first-round draft pick in 2023, is the kind of developmental project Brooklyn could explore too, Holmes adds.
There’s more out of Brooklyn:
- More details have come to light on re-signed Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe‘s new contract, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). According to Scotto, Sharpe’s agreement is actually worth $12.5MM across two seasons instead of the originally reported $12MM. It still includes as a second-year team option, as expected.
- Since being traded away from Denver earlier this summer, new Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has been on a veritable tour of podcasts and live streams, sharing some controversial takes. Holmes opines that the 6’10” vet should consider curbing these public appearances. Porter is making $79.4MM across the last two years of his deal, and Holmes suggests that his continued appearances could affect his standing as a positive veteran influence for Brooklyn’s young roster — which includes five rookies.
- In case you missed it, the Nets remain the only NBA team with cap space available, which they could use in a variety of ways.