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Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Bradley, Haliburton, Turnovers

May 30th, 2025 at 6:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pacers‘ starting small forward, Aaron Nesmith, is still playing through a right ankle sprain he suffered during Game 3 against the Knicks, and Game 5 proved more difficult than Game 4 in that regard, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. However, he’s not letting himself off the hook for a 16-minute, three-point performance.

“It hurts, but it’s no excuse. Gotta be better. I was able to play Game 4. I could play today. There was no excuse,” he said.

While Dopirak points to a first-quarter collision with Knicks’ center Mitchell Robinson in Game 5 as a potential reason for the extra pain, Nesmith rebuked that idea.

“It wasn’t a play today that made it worse,” he said.

While Nesmith has taken the bulk of responsibility guarding Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson throughout the series, head coach Rick Carlisle turned to other wing options after Nesmith struggled out of the gate.

“He got off to a bit of a slow start. I wasn’t sure if maybe he was slowed a little bit by the ankle. I put [Ben] Sheppard in there right away and then [Bennedict] Mathurin got a game going. That dug into Aaron’s minutes some. But everyone’s just gonna have to be ready for Game 6,” explained Carlisle.

Here’s more from Indiana:

In more Pacers’ injury news, backup center Tony Bradley is being listed as questionable for Saturday’s Game 6 with a left hip flexor strain, reports Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (via Twitter). Bradley landed awkwardly after Robinson fouled him on a layup attempt in the third quarter. After receiving sporadic minutes throughout the postseason, Bradley had played an average of 11 minutes per game in the three contests leading up to Game 5, as usual backup Thomas Bryant‘s minutes declined. With Robinson’s insertion into the Knicks’ starting lineup, the Pacers have leaned into smaller lineups featuring Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin without a traditional center.
Following a dominant Game 4 in which he contributed 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and four steals with no turnovers, Tyrese Haliburton was uncharacteristically quiet in Game 5, scoring just eight points on seven shots in 31 minutes. It was a head-scratcher of a performance, writes The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, and Haliburton knows it. “I got to be better, set the tone, get downhill. I feel like I can do a great job of that, but I’ll watch the film,” he said. However, Carlisle said it’s not all on the star point guard. “As a team, we have to be aggressive and have a level of balance,” Carlisle said. “… There’s more things I’m gonna have to do to help him. I’ll take responsibility for that, and we’ll see what we can improve.” Vardon draws a parallel to Haliburton’s Game 3 against the Cavaliers, in which he scored just four points over 30 minutes in a loss. The Pacers went on to win the next two contests by an average of 14.5 points as they closed out the series in five games.
The Pacers committed turnovers on each of their first two possessions of Game 5, a harbinger of things to come for a team that draws strength from rarely making mistakes, writes Agness. Indiana opened the second half by turning the ball over on their first possession as well, and ended with a playoff-high 20 turnovers in the game, compared to New York’s 15. Losing the turnover battle, as well as the rebounding battle, meant the Pacers totaled just 74 shots compared to 89 for the Knicks.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Shamet, Brunson, Game 5

May 30th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

Karl-Anthony Towns was listed as a game-time decision due to a left knee contusion heading into the Knicks‘ Game 5 homestand against the Pacers, but that didn’t stop him from putting his best foot forward as the Knicks staved off elimination with a 111-94 victory.

“Shout out to our medical staff. They gave me a chance to go out there and compete tonight,” Towns said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “I’m glad I was able to. We put a lot of hours trying to get myself ready and I got a chance and God was good and I was able to go out there and play.”

Coming into the night, Towns was constantly flexing his knee in the hope that the pain would dissipate, according to SI’s Chris Mannix.

While co-star Jalen Brunson keyed the Knicks’ scoring efforts in the first quarter, Towns took over in the second, finishing the first half with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and ending the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds while playing a game-high 35.5 minutes.

With the season on the line, the Knicks knew that getting the most out of Towns’ offensive skill set was crucial to live to fight another day.

“In this series I’ve had a lot of success getting downhill, getting to the rim,” Towns said. “I can shoot the three ball but [tonight] I really wanted to get downhill and impose my will early.”

While the team knows the odds are against fighting back from a 3-1 deficit, Towns remains optimistic, thanks in large part to the mindset of the group of players assembled by president Leon Rose.

“One through 15, everyone’s doing an amazing job of wanting to win and being there for each other. This team’s special,” Towns said.

We have more from the Knicks:

Landry Shamet had played just 31 minutes in the 2025 playoffs prior to the Eastern Conference Finals, but has logged 36 minutes over the last three games. Despite a modest Game 5 stat line of five points, one rebound, and one steal, his contributions were invaluable, writes The New York Post’s Jared Schwartz. While generally known as a shooting specialist, the 28-year-old wing’s most important contributions were on defense, where he helped contain Pacers’ reserve T.J. McConnell and contributed to a solid team defensive effort alongside fellow seldom-played reserves Delon Wright and Precious Achiuwa. “I love New York. I love these fans. I see how they ride the wave with us, the highs, the lows. So it’s important to me. I just wanna give everything I’ve got to them,” Shamet said.
Brunson was the leader New York needed in Game 5, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post. The Knicks’ captain always spearheads the team’s offensive attack, but following a disappointing Game 4 that saw the Clutch Player of the Year score just two points in the final period, Brunson was focused on a bigger picture approach to leadership. “[I wanted to] set a tone, for sure. It wasn’t through putting the ball in the basket. That happened, but just trying to make sure we were all on the same page and ready to go,” he said. For one game, at least, the efforts paid off, as the Knicks came out with a renewed focus defensively and an offensive game plan that showed more intentionality in how they attacked.
Speaking of intentionality and focus, in those two regards, the Knicks sent a clear message in Game 5, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. New York won in all the categories it needed to in order to steal a game and put pressure back on Indiana, including taking more shots, rebounding more, turning it over less, and dominating in the paint. The purpose and attention to detail was most evident on the defensive end, Edwards writes, with crisp rotations, big-time defensive play-making from OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, and contributions throughout the lineup. “It started at the point of attack, with Mikal (Bridges), just picking up and making things hard,” Miles McBride said after the game. “Everybody talked and communicated a lot more. I just felt like we had an edge to us tonight.”

2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

May 30th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

If you're looking to make the point that winning the offseason doesn't guarantee success the following season, it would be hard to find a better case study than the 2024/25 Sixers.

Armed with more cap room than any other NBA team entering the summer of 2024, the 76ers made a huge splash on the free agent market by luring Paul George away from the Clippers with a four-year, maximum-salary offer. They signed Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to long-term contracts and used their remaining cap space to complement their new big three with solid role players like Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond.

Given Embiid's and George's lengthy injury histories, there was certainly skepticism in some corners about the 76ers' ability to immediately contend for a championship, but there was also widespread enthusiasm about the team's raised ceiling following a 47-win showing and a first-round playoff exit in 2023/24. Oddsmakers set Philadelphia's over/under at 52.5 wins in the fall of 2024.

You know what happened next. Embiid's season debut was delayed and he was ultimately limited to just 19 up-and-down appearances due to lingering issues in the knee he had surgically repaired in February 2024. George (41 games) and Maxey (52 games) also dealt with injuries that limited their effectiveness, as did several other key rotation players, including Jared McCain, whose potential Rookie of the Year campaign was cut short after just 23 games due to knee surgery.

The Sixers lost 12 of 14 games to open the season, and while they followed that first month up with a 13-8 run that got them back into the play-in mix, they couldn't sustain that momentum without their superstar center available. Philadelphia ultimately went 5-31 from January 31 onward, giving up on the idea of earning a play-in spot and instead doing all it could to avoid losing its top-six protected first-round pick to the Thunder.

The silver lining of the 76ers' season is that they did hang onto that first-rounder, which moved up to No. 3 on draft lottery night. That pick provides some reason for optimism, as does the young backcourt of Maxey and McCain, who both should be healthy by the fall.

Still, in order to make the playoffs and have a shot at a deep postseason run, the Sixers needs Embiid and George to be healthy. If those two stars are back on the court and back in form next season, the club should be well positioned for a bounce-back year. If not, those long-term contracts for Embiid (four years, $248MM) and George (three years, $162MM) will become major problems.

The Sixers' Offseason Plan

As disastrous as the 2024/25 season was for Philadelphia, tearing down the roster and starting over almost certainly isn't a path that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and his front office will seriously consider or pursue this summer. Due to their massive contracts and the uncertainty surrounding their health, Embiid and George have never had less trade value, so the Sixers would have to take 25 cents on the dollar to move the duo at this point. Nothing in Morey's transaction history suggests he'd do that.

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Wolves Rumors: Durant, Ownership, Connelly, FAs, Conley

May 30th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and Suns both operated above the second tax apron during the 2024/25 season, which means it would have been extremely difficult for the two teams to construct a trade that sent Kevin Durant to Minnesota at the February deadline. Still, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that the Wolves made a real effort to land the star forward four months ago (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).

“It became clear to me in talking to the parties involved just how serious the Wolves were about trying to trade for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline,” Windhorst said.

Windhorst goes on to acknowledge that the pre-deadline Wolves weren’t playing as well as they eventually performed down the stretch and in the first two rounds of the playoffs, so their level of interest in Durant may not be the same this offseason as it was at the time. And even with some money coming off their books this offseason, a deal for a player earning $54.7MM would be tricky to pull off.

Still, Windhorst notes that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has a history of taking big swings on the trade market, making the Wolves a potential team to watch if Durant is on the trade block.

“I’m not arguing that Durant’s going to end up in Minnesota,” Windhorst said. “I’m just saying, if you look at Tim Connelly, he made the big (Rudy) Gobert trade. He made the big Julius Randle and (Donte) DiVincenzo trade. He’s shown the propensity to make big deals.”

The Timberwolves plan to be aggressive in building their roster around Anthony Edwards this offseason, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who writes that the new ownership group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez has put together a “deep-pocketed group” of partners and would be comfortable continuing to pay luxury tax penalties going forward.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

The NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to vote to formally approve the Lore/Rodriguez ownership group sometime in late June, sources tell Krawczynski. The new owners plan to more aggressively invest in the business side of the franchise, Krawczynski continues, which includes making plans for a new arena.
Two team sources reiterated to The Athletic that there’s optimism about the Wolves’ ability to work out a new contract with Connelly, who has an opt-out clause in his current deal this offseason. According to Krawczynski, while Lore and Rodriguez are involved in major roster decisions, they trust Connelly to make the moves he believes are necessary. Connelly’s easy-going personality has “helped relax what could often be a nervous, downtrodden basketball operations department,” Krawczynski adds.
With Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all potentially reaching free agency this summer (Randle and Reid hold player options), Krawczynski believes the likeliest outcome is that two of those three players will remain in Minnesota, with one of them departing.
Mike Conley spoke after the Wolves’ Game 5 loss on Wednesday as if he plans to return for his 19th season, but he’ll likely take on a reduced workload, so it’s crucial that the Wolves find another productive point guard, either in-house (ie. Rob Dillingham) or by bringing in a veteran, says Krawczynski. “I think my role is one that I’ve been willing to do anything,” Conley said. “Just play any amount of minutes, start, come off the bench. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. Whatever is best for the team.”

Kings Hiring Mike Miller, Chris Darnell As Assistant Coaches

May 30th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are adding veteran assistant coach Mike Miller to Doug Christie‘s staff, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link). Sacramento is also hiring Chris Darnell as an assistant, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Miller spent over three decades as an assistant and head coach at the college level from 1989-2013 before transitioning to the NBA. He worked with San Antonio’s G League affiliate for two seasons from 2013-15 and then served the Westchester Knicks’ head coach from 2015-19.

Miller became an assistant for the Knicks’ NBA club ahead of the 2019/20 campaign and then was promoted to interim head coach following the mid-season firing of David Fizdale. He subsequently worked as an assistant for the Thunder (2020/21) and Wizards (2021-24).

While the timeline we just outlined probably makes it obvious, it’s worth clarifying that this isn’t the same Mike Miller who played in the NBA from 2000-17 and won a Rookie of the Year award, a Sixth Man of the Year award, and a pair of championships. That Mike Miller is currently working as a player agent.

Darnell, meanwhile, has worked for Phoenix, Utah, and Cleveland since being hired as a basketball operations intern by the Suns in 2012. He was a player development coach and video assistant with Cleveland for two years from 2019-21, then served as the Cleveland Charge’s associate head coach from 2021-24 before bring named the G League club’s head coach last September.

In his first and only season as the Charge’s head coach, Darnell led the Cavs’ NBAGL affiliate to a 16-18 regular season record.

According to Ham, the Kings are also hiring Paul Jesperson as their head of player development. Jesperson has previously been employed by the Hawks, the Oklahoma Sooners, and – most recently – the Valley Suns in the G League. He was an assistant coach for Phoenix’s G League team last season.

After deciding to remove Doug Christie‘s interim tag and make him their permanent head coach, the Kings are gradually filling out Christie’s new-look staff. The team previously hired Mike Woodson as its associate head coach and Bobby Jackson as an assistant.

Zion Williamson Denies Allegations Of Rape, Abuse

May 30th, 2025 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

1:34 pm: Williamson’s legal representatives have issued a statement “unequivocally” denying the allegations made in the lawsuit, according to Front Office Sports (Twitter link).

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” the statement reads. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff’s third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.

“Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago. At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.

“Mr. Williamson reported the plaintiff’s extortion attempts to law enforcement. We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts. Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit.

“While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson.”

12:41 pm: A woman who says she dated Zion Williamson between 2018 and 2023 has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles accusing the Pelicans forward of rape and “physical, emotional, and financial” abuse, according to reports from TMZ and Margaret Fleming of Front Office Sports, who obtained copies of the suit.

As TMZ details, the lawsuit alleges that Williamson raped and assaulted the woman – identified only as Jane Doe from Seattle – in September 23, 2020 in Southern California and again on October 10, 2020.

“These two incidents were not isolated,” according to the lawsuit, which states that Williamson “continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter Plaintiff in California and other states, including Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.”

Williamson’s accuser alleges that he strangled her multiple times and pointed a loaded gun at her, causing her to “reasonably fear for her life,” per TMZ. She also claims that Williamson threatened to have his security guard shoot her in the head and kill her parents, and that he entered her apartment unannounced to steal her belongings and abuse her.

The lawsuit, which includes several other allegations, states that Williamson was “either drunk or on cocaine” when many of the incidents occurred.

There are nine causes of action laid out in the suit, according to Fleming: assault, battery, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, domestic violence, stalking, burglary, false imprisonment, and conversion. Williamson’s accuser is seeking unspecified damages.

“We don’t want to litigate this case in the media,” Doe’s attorney Sam E. Taylor told TMZ. “But I will say this is a very serious case as reflected in the pleadings that have been filed and our client looks forward to her day in court to seek justice in this matter.”

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has battled injuries during his six seasons in the NBA, but has consistently performed at an All-Star level when healthy, averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per contest across 214 career regular season games.

Williamson is owed approximately $126.5MM across the next three seasons, though that money isn’t currently fully guaranteed. A recent report indicated that an offseason trade involving the 24-year-old was considered “very unlikely.”

And-Ones: 2025 Draft, Withdrawals, Finals, Scariolo

May 30th, 2025 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline, ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have updated their big board of this year’s top 100 draft-eligible prospects.

There are no surprises at the very top of their list, with Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and V.J. Edgecombe continuing to hold the first four spots. However, there’s plenty of movement elsewhere in the first round, with Noa Essengue (No. 14 to 9), Carter Bryant (No. 20 to 12), Maxime Raynaud (No. 35 to 24) among the biggest risers since ESPN last updated its big board.

Conversely, Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 7 to 10), Derik Queen (No. 10 to 13), and Jase Richardson (No. 13 to 20) are among the prospects who were projected as lottery picks in ESPN’s previous update and have slipped a few spots this time around.

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

An ESPN panel consisting of Givony, Woo, and college basketball insider Jeff Borzello evaluates how this month’s early entrant decisions have impacted the NCAA landscape, identifying which programs benefited most or were hit hardest by the decisions made before Wednesday’s withdrawal deadline. Givony, Woo, and Borzello also single out a few players who look poised to boost their draft stock for 2026 after returning to school, including Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford and Houston’s Joseph Tugler.
If Indiana beats New York once more to win the Eastern Conference Finals, it would be the first NBA Finals since the luxury tax was implemented in which neither team is a taxpayer, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Both the Thunder and Pacers stayed below the tax this season, whereas every other NBA Finals since 2003 (with the exception of 2005, when a lack of basketball-related income resulted in no luxury taxes) has featured at least one taxpaying team.
Sergio Scariolo, a former Raptors assistant and the current head coach of the Spanish national team, is interviewing for a position with an NBA team, reports Alex Molina of Eurohoops. The identity of that NBA team is unclear, but the interview is presumably for an assistant coaching role, since the Suns are the only team with a head coaching vacancy and are already in their third round of interviews.

Nuggets Parting Ways With Several Assistant Coaches

May 30th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets will not renew the contracts for several assistants on their coaching staff, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is parting ways with the following coaches:

Ryan Saunders, a Nuggets assistant since 2022 who previously worked for the Wizards and Timberwolves, including a stint as the head coach in Minnesota.
Popeye Jones, a former NBA forward who has spent the past four seasons as a Nuggets assistant and nearly two decades on NBA coaching staffs.
Charles Klask, who worked for the Pistons and Nets before being hired as a Nuggets assistant in 2018.
Stephen Graham, a former NBA wing who has been a player development coach in Denver since 2016.

An overhaul of the Nuggets’ coaching staff had been expected after longtime coach Michael Malone was let go in April with less than a week left in the regular season.

Lead assistant David Adelman, who replaced Malone, led the Nuggets to a first-round series win over the Clippers and pushed the 68-win Thunder to a Game 7 in round two before Denver was eliminated.

Adelman’s audition for the job earned him the permanent position, and Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke confirmed last week that he would be “absolutely” be given the opportunity to fill out his own staff. Reports at that time noted that most of Denver’s assistants were on expiring contracts.

NBA Announces 50 Withdrawals From 2025 Draft Pool

May 30th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

A total of 50 players have notified the NBA that they wish to be removed from the list of early entrants eligible for the 2025 NBA draft, the league announced today (via Twitter).

The NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline passed on Wednesday night at 10:59 pm CT, meaning that players wishing to retain their college eligibility had to remove their names from the draft pool by that point. The NBA’s own withdrawal deadline is 4:00 pm CT on June 15, so more players will be taking their names out of consideration in the coming weeks.

The players who pull out of the draft between now and that June 15 deadline will primarily be international prospects and domestic players who didn’t compete in college.

Players from NCAA programs can still withdraw between now and June 15, but they wouldn’t be eligible to return to college, so they’d likely only take that route if they planned to play professionally in a non-NBA league in 2025/26.

Currently, by our count, 59 early entrants remain in the draft pool after 106 initially declared. You can check out our updated early entrant list right here.

While most of the 50 withdrawal decisions confirmed today by the NBA were reported or announced leading up to Wednesday’s NCAA deadline, we’d been waiting for formal confirmation on a small handful of college players, whose names we have now moved to the withdrawals section of our early entrants tracker. Those players are as follows:

Chad Baker-Mazara, G/F, Auburn (senior)
Jaden Bradley, G, Arizona (junior)
Money Williams, G, Montana (sophomore)

The following non-college players have also withdrawn from the draft, per the NBA:

Thierry Darlan, G, Delaware Blue Coats (born 2004)
Paul Mbiya, F/C, ASVEL — France (born 2005)
- Note: Mbiya is joining N.C. State.

Finally, in case you’re wondering why we still have 59 early entrants in the draft pool when 106 declared and 50 have withdrawn, here’s what’s going on there: Three of the names on today’s list of withdrawals weren’t on the NBA’s initial list of early entrants. So it sounds like at least 109 prospects actually declared as early entrants, rather than just the 106 originally announced by the league.

Here are the three players who weren’t on the NBA’s initial list of early entrants and have now opted to return to school after testing the draft waters:

Ven-Allen Lubin, F, North Carolina (junior)
- Note: Lubin is the transfer portal.
Malik Thomas, G, San Francisco (senior)
- Note: Thomas is transferring to Virginia.
Lamar Wilkerson, G, Sam Houston State (junior)
- Note: Wilkerson is transferring to Indiana.

How Salary Bumps For Cunningham, Mobley Affect Pistons’, Cavs’ Cap Situations

May 30th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, four players signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions that included Rose Rule language, putting each player in position to earn a starting salary worth 30% of the 2025/26 salary cap – rather than 25% – on his new deal if he met certain performance criteria.

Magic forward Franz Wagner and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes weren’t able to cash in and earn that extra 5%, but Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley did so when he won this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham followed suit by claiming a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.

As our maximum-salary projections show, Mobley and Cunningham are now in line to earn $269,085,780 over the next five seasons instead of the $224,238,150 they would have made if they hadn’t received those end-of-season awards. Those figures, which are based on a projected cap increase of 10%, include a $46,394,100 starting salary for 2025/26, up from $38,661,750.

While it’s great news for the Pistons and the Cavaliers that Cunningham and Mobley played well enough this season to warrant All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year recognition, that extra $7.7MM+ in salary that each team will have to account for could affect how Detroit and Cleveland operate this summer.

Let’s take a look at the Pistons first. If Cunningham had earned his standard 25% of the cap, Detroit could theoretically have created about $24.6MM in cap room by renouncing all their free agents. Depending on Malik Beasley‘s asking price following a season than nearly earned him Sixth Man of the Year honors, that cap room might’ve come in handy, since they only hold Beasley’s Non-Bird rights.

Operating under the cap in that scenario would’ve given the Pistons the ability to offer Beasley more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception while likely leaving some room left over, along with the $8.8MM room exception.

But with Cunningham’s extra $7.7MM+ on the books, the Pistons’ maximum projected cap room in that scenario dips to just $16.9MM. Renouncing their other free agents to offer Beasley that full $16.9MM would still be an option, but it would leave Detroit with no remaining cap room, rendering the team unlikely to be able to re-sign both Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway Jr. (or one of the two, and a replacement for the other) using the room exception.

With Cunningham set to make over $46MM, the Pistons’ most likely path now is probably operating over the cap, which would allow them to retain Schröder’s Early Bird rights, Hardaway’s Bird rights, and the bi-annual exception while using the mid-level exception to try to re-sign Beasley. As long as Beasley is willing to accept a deal in that range, taking that route should work out fine for the Pistons.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, were projected to operate well into tax apron territory regardless of where Mobley’s new deal came in, but his $7.7MM+ raise will push them far beyond the second apron, significantly increasing their tax bill and making it more challenging to re-sign key free agents like Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill.

Let’s assume Cleveland simply retains its players currently under contract without re-signing any free agents and fills out its roster using its two second-round picks and minimum-salary free agent deals. The increase in the team’s projected tax bill as a result of Mobley’s raise, based on my math, is nearly $46MM. That number would increase further if the team brings back Jerome and/or Merrill.

Again, as long as Cunningham and Mobley continue to play at an All-NBA level, the Pistons and Cavaliers will be happy to pay them the mega-deals they earned with their performances in 2024/25. But those raises will make life a little more complicated for the cap strategists in the two teams’ front offices.

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