Pelicans Sign Micah Peavy
11:23am: Peavy’s new contract is worth $8.7MM over four years, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It includes two fully guaranteed years, a trigger date for the third season and a fourth-year team option.
10:55am: Second-round pick Micah Peavy has signed with the Pelicans, the team announced in a press release.
The 23-year-old shooting guard was selected by Washington with the 40th overall pick and was part of a trade that couldn’t become official until the moratorium was lifted on Sunday. Terms of his new contract were not announced.
Peavy was an All-Big East selection at Georgetown last season, averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals in 32 games. He played at Texas Tech as a freshman, then spent three years at Texas Christian before joining the Hoyas.
Throughout his five years in college, Peavy averaged 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 159 total games.
New Orleans signed lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen on Saturday, so all three additions from this year’s draft are now under contract.
International Notes: Doncic, Maledon, Musa, Gabriel, K. Antetokounmpo, Okafor
Lakers star Luka Doncic highlights Slovenia’s preliminary EuroBasket roster, which was released this morning, according to Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. Vlatko Cancar, who recently left Denver to sign with Olimpia Milano, and former NBA guard Zoran Dragic are among the other players on the 19-man roster, which will eventually be cut to 12.
Doncic has made frequent appearances on the international stage, beginning with EuroBasket in 2017, where he helped Slovenia capture the gold medal. He has also represented his country in the Summer Olympics and in the FIBA World Cup.
Slovenia is in Group D for the preliminary round and will face Poland, France, Belgium, Iceland and Israel from August 28 through September 4. The top four seeds will advance to Riga for the knockout stage, which takes place from September 6-14.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Ex-NBA guard Theo Maledon has reached a two-year agreement with Real Madrid, Askounis adds in a separate story. He played for Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Phoenix from 2020-24 and spent last season with ASVEL in France.
- Former Nets swingman Dzanan Musa is leaving Real Madrid to sign a three-year contract with Dubai, according to BasketNews. Musa, 26, said he received some NBA interest last offseason, but he opted to remain in Europe. “Joining Dubai Basketball is an incredible opportunity,” he said. “I’m ready to write a new chapter, support this growing basketball culture, and help build something truly historic.” Musa was a first-round pick in 2018 and spent two seasons with Brooklyn. Dubai, which is preparing for its first EuroLeague season, has confirmed the signing (Twitter link).
- As expected, Wenyen Gabriel has signed with Bayern Munich in Germany after playing for Panathinaikos last season, BasketNews adds in a separate story. Since leaving the NBA in 2024, Gabriel has also spent time with Maccabi Tel Aviv and was among the stars of South Sudan’s Olympic team. “I want to bring my passion, energy, and hustle to (Bayern Munich),” Gabriel said. “My goals are clear: make the playoffs and reach the Final Four.”
- Olimpiacos is nearing an agreement with Kostas Antetokounmpo, reports Sport24 in Greece. The younger brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had brief stays with the Mavericks and Lakers, but has mostly played overseas.
- Jahlil Okafor has signed with Levanga Hokkaido in Japan for next season, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). The No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft spent most of last season in the G League, but appeared in one game with the Pacers on a 10-day contract.
Kyrie Irving: ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ On Return By Playoffs
The Mavericks reportedly have some optimism that Kyrie Irving might resume playing as soon as January, but the star guard urged caution during a recent interview (YouTube link). Responding to questions from viewers, Irving refused to guarantee that he’ll be available by playoff time (hat tip to HoopsHype).
“Don’t hold your breath on that,” he said. “You know what I’m saying? That doesn’t mean I won’t be back, it’s just — I don’t want to make any predictions on when I’m going to be back. I just want to be back 150,000% better.”
A firm recovery timeline hasn’t been set for the 33-year-old guard, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on March 3 and underwent surgery about three weeks later. It’s not uncommon for players to take a year or more to recover from ACL tears, although it can vary according to the severity of the injury.
Losing Irving was part of a run of bad luck that affected Dallas in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, but the team’s fortunes turned around by winning the lottery and drafting Cooper Flagg. The star rookie has rekindled the Mavs’ dreams of becoming a contender again in a tough Western Conference, but they’ll almost certainly need a full recovery from Irving to make a long playoff run.
“So I’m taking my time right now to really get healthy,” Irving continued. “I’m taking my time to get my body right — other portions of my body right — and really just enjoy this recovery process. Man, it’s not pretty. Yes, it is a beautiful struggle, but I go through kind of the mental roller coaster ride of every day. I just want to be back out there.”
Irving recently declined his $43MM player option and signed a new three-year, $119MM contract that runs through 2027/28. It starts at an estimated $36.7MM for next season, which enabled Dallas to duck below the second apron and use its $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add D’Angelo Russell, who will take over the lead guard duties until Irving can return.
Irving addressed a few other topics in the interview, including an upcoming game in Mexico City, his plans for a Kobe Bryant-inspired basketball shoe and the nervous feeling he still gets before games.
“Being judged for who you are — it’s an honor,” he said. “Now, it’s up to you whether or not you pay attention to those judgments. But with all the mental stuff people go through, I’ve learned to expand and focus on what I can control in the moment — to be better, rather than afraid of being uncomfortable or facing confrontation.”
Nuggets Will Complete Valanciunas Trade, Want To Keep Him On Roster
July 6: The Nuggets have informed Valanciunas’ representatives that they “fully intend” to have him honor his NBA contract and view him as a critical addition to their roster, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
July 5: The Nuggets will complete their trade with the Kings for Jonas Valanciunas when the NBA lifts its moratorium on Sunday, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Valanciunas has received an offer to join Panathinaikos in Greece, but Stein hears that Denver remains determined to have him honor his NBA contract and serve as Nikola Jokic‘s backup next season.
Valanciunas has two years left on his current deal, with a $10.4MM guaranteed salary for 2025/26 and a $10MM non-guaranteed salary in 2026/27. Regardless of his mutual interest with Panathinaikos, he can’t get FIBA clearance to sign elsewhere unless the Nuggets release him from that contract.
A report on Friday stated that the 33-year-old center had arrived in Athens and was preparing to undergo a physical and finalize a three-year deal worth 12 million Euros with the Greek team. Valanciunas didn’t speak with reporters at the airport and hasn’t commented on the situation since the trade to Denver was announced.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that the Nuggets have been trying to acquire Valanciunas for a couple of years to provide a sturdy veteran backup for Jokic. That was an area of need throughout last season and the playoffs, and they created room to take on Valanciunas’ salary by agreeing to send Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in a deal for Cameron Johnson.
Sacramento will receive veteran big man Dario Saric in return for Valanciunas. Saric turned in a disappointing season after signing with Denver last summer, but he has been a productive reserve with several teams for the past few seasons.
Southeast Notes: Jakucionis, Adebayo, Bufkin, Prunty
Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis got off to a rough start in his Summer League debut, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The 20th overall pick struggled with his shot Saturday in a victory over San Antonio in the California Classic, going 1-of-7 from the field and 0-of-4 from three-point range. He also committed three turnovers in 22 minutes of action.
“Today was my first game and it was different,” Jakucionis said. “The game style and everything is different. But I’m happy with the team’s performance. I think we played pretty good. We had good effort, we shared the ball well and we played as a team.”
Even though he only finished with one assist, Jakucionis made several nice passes to teammates who weren’t able to hit their shots, Chiang adds. Jakucionis was one of the highest-usage guards in college basketball at Illinois last season, but Miami tried him both on and off the ball in Saturday’s game.
“I think Kas was very steady,” Summer League coach Eric Glass said. “That’s the one thing I’ve noticed about him. Even through the training camp we had, there were never really any high moments, any low moments, he was just super steady, super solid. And I thought that’s what he brought us today.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat should consider trading Bam Adebayo, who’s starting to seem out of place on an increasingly young roster, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Adebayo is close to his 28th birthday and is entering the final season before his extension kicks in. Winderman states that it will be tough to justify paying Adebayo $51MM during the 2026/27 season without a competitive team around him.
- The Hawks are eager to see how Kobe Bufkin looks during Summer League after recovering from January shoulder surgery, per Grant Afseth of RG. Bufkin may not play the entire schedule in Las Vegas, but Afseth hears that he’s been impressive in scrimmages since receiving medical clearance to resume playing. Sources tell Afseth that Atlanta has refused multiple trade offers for Bufkin, including one from Sacramento that was reported this week.
- Bucks assistant Joe Prunty is set to join the Magic‘s coaching staff, sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Prunty began his coaching career in 1996 and has spent time as an interim head coach in Atlanta and Milwaukee.
Southwest Notes: Durant, Finney-Smith, Roddy, Shammgod, Pelicans
Trading for Kevin Durant and adding Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency should solve the outside shooting woes that have bogged down the Rockets‘ offense, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. He notes that Houston went just 5-of-17 from beyond the arc in a Game 7 loss to Golden State while averaging just 78.0 points per 100 half-court plays. Management believed the team had become too reliant on scoring off the offensive glass and needed to find a way to stretch opposing defenses.
Durant, who remains one of the league’s top shooters at age 36, should go a long way toward fixing the problem. Iko notes that Phoenix managed to be a top-10 half-court team last season, which is largely due to Durant’s brilliance. He should provide the lion’s share of Houston’s offense, with elite athletes surrounding him to keep opposing defenses honest.
Finney-Smith posted two huge games against the Rockets in March and April, Iko adds, going a combined 12-of-20 from three-point range. Iko cites statistics from Cleaning the Glass showing that Finney-Smith’s on-off numbers were +10.8 during his time with Brooklyn last season and +9.3 with Los Angeles. Iko expects the Rockets to see fewer zones with Durant and Finney-Smith on hand to counter them.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Rockets two-way player David Roddy appears to be headed to the Hawks as compensation for Clint Capela when a seven-team deal becomes official on Sunday, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Roddy began last season with Atlanta before being waived at the trade deadline.
- God Shammgod talked to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News about his decision to leave the Mavericks‘ coaching staff and join his friend Jamahl Mosley with the Magic. Shammgod is among four assistants Dallas is losing this offseason. He has been with the organization since 2016 and said he never expected to make such a move a month ago. “I’ve been very fortunate, being under a great coach like Rick Carlisle, and then going to another good coach like (Jason Kidd) and being a part of one of the best organizations in the world,” Shammgod said. “And Mark Cuban, you know, probably one of the greatest owners in sports — but, to me, an even better person. There will always be a love relationship for me here in Dallas. I just appreciate everything Dallas did for me, as a coach and as a person.”
- New Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars is taking a huge chance that the young roster he has assembled can be a playoff contender, observes William Guillory of The Athletic. If it doesn’t work out, Guillory believes Dumars will be facing a full rebuild that could include trading Zion Williamson and firing coach Willie Green.
Atlantic Notes: Bona, Grimes, Lillard, Knicks
Adem Bona was one of the few bright spots in a disastrous year for the Sixers, and the rookie center is eager to get an early start on next season tonight in the Salt Lake City Summer League, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Injuries to Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond and others created unexpected playing time for Bona, who appeared in 58 games, including 11 starts, while averaging 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per night.
“I’m going into my sophomore year,” he said. “You can only go up from here, like learning from mistakes and stuff like that. Yeah, I’m really excited to see what this upcoming year has to hold for the team and also being a part of it.”
Tonight’s game against the host Jazz features a matchup of top-five picks VJ Edgecombe, whom the Sixers took at No. 3, and Ace Bailey, who fell out of favor in Philadelphia after he canceled a scheduled workout in hopes of being selected by another team. Sixers fans will also get their first look at Auburn big man Johni Broome, a national Player of the Year candidate who was selected in the second round.
“I feel like our skill sets complement each other,” Bona said. “Me and Johni, we cannot wait to be able to share the floor together, to be about to operate on the low block together, high low, sometimes space the floor. So I think that’s the goal, to work together, to be able to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and try to complement each other while we’re on the floor, and my goal is always to be able to help the team, even if I share the floor with Joel. I’m going to do my part.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- There has been “little to no movement” so far regarding restricted free agent guard Quentin Grimes and the Sixers, sources tell Kelly Iko and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Iko adds that the two sides “are hoping to continue communications” in the next few days. Grimes reportedly wants to average $25MM per season in his next contract.
- Signing Damian Lillard could help the Celtics return to title contention in 2026/27, states Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. A source tells Washburn that Boston is among the cities Lillard would consider and the team has interest in the high-scoring guard, who may not play this season due to a torn Achilles. Washburn recalls that Lillard didn’t want to join the Celtics when trade rumors began to surface a few years ago, but he has since developed a friendship with Jayson Tatum. Boston has the $5.7MM taxpayer midlevel exception to offer.
- Steve Popper of Newsday doesn’t believe the Knicks should get involved if the Lakers decide to trade LeBron James. Popper contends it would be a mistake to part with Karl-Anthony Towns or multiple rotation players to match James’ $52.6MM salary, adding that the team should preserve its resources in case Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available.
Wizards Notes: Whitmore, Gill, Centers, Outlaw
The Wizards‘ acquisition of Cam Whitmore from the Rockets will be folded into a four-player trade with the Pelicans that was reported last month, a source tells Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (subscriber link). That deal sends Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the 40th pick in this year’s draft (Micah Peavy) to New Orleans in exchange for CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round selection.
Combining the two trades into one will allow the Wizards to acquire Whitmore without using a separate trade exception or a portion of their mid-level or bi-annual exception.
Houston is trading Whitmore to a rebuilding team to give him a shot at increased playing time, but Shankar points out that it might be just as difficult for Whitmore to get on the court in Washington as it was during his two seasons with the Rockets. He views Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and lottery pick Tre Johnson as locks to be in the rotation.
Whitmore will have to compete with young prospects Will Riley, AJ Johnson, Justin Champagnie and Dillon Jones, along with McCollum and fellow veterans Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, Corey Kispert and Richaun Holmes.
Shankar also points out that Whitmore and Coulibaly were part of the same draft class in 2023, which means they’ll both be eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.
There’s more from Washington:
- The Wizards waived Anthony Gill last weekend to avoid paying his $2.5MM salary for the upcoming season, but he’s likely to be brought back as the team’s 15th man, Josh Robbins of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. A new deal will be a win for both sides, Robbins explains, as the 32-year-old forward will earn about $121K more on a veteran’s minimum contract and the league’s reimbursement policy will cause Gill to have a smaller salary cap hit. Washington has a minor roster crunch as a result of its moves so far, so the team would have to make additional trades or cuts to make room on the regular season roster for Gill.
- The Wizards aren’t likely to pursue another center to join Sarr, Olynyk and Holmes, Robbins states in the same piece. Even though Washington ranked near the bottom of the league in defensive rebounding percentage, Robbins notes that there’s not a strong incentive to win this season because the team’s first-round draft pick will convey to New York if it falls out of the top eight. Robbins adds that the Wizards didn’t try to sign any big men when free agency began, and he doesn’t expect that stance to change unless Olynyk or Holmes gets traded.
- Assistant J.J. Outlaw will serve as the Wizards’ Summer League coach, team sources tell Robbins (Twitter link). Outlaw joined Brian Keefe’s coaching staff last July after five seasons in Cleveland.
Grizzlies To Sign Jock Landale, Trade Jay Huff To Pacers
July 6: The Huff trade is official, according to the Grizzlies (Twitter link).
July 5: Free agent center Jock Landale has reached a contract agreement with the Grizzlies, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Memphis will make room on its roster by sending Jay Huff to the Pacers in exchange for a future second-round pick and a second-round pick swap, Charania adds (Twitter link).
Landale was waived by the Rockets on Thursday before his $8MM salary for the upcoming season became guaranteed. He was expected to be on the move on after Houston agreed to sign Clint Capela in free agency, adding to its center depth along with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams.
The 29-year-old big man signed a four-year, $32MM contract with the Rockets in 2023 that contained just one fully guaranteed season. He appeared in 42 games this year, averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per night.
Landale’s new contract with Memphis will cover one year at the veteran’s minimum, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). He will provide another option for Memphis in light of Zach Edey‘s uncertain status after undergoing ankle surgery in June.
Indiana was able to pick up an additional big man in Huff after losing Myles Turner to Milwaukee earlier this week. The Pacers will be the fifth team in five years for the 26-year-old center, who is coming off his best NBA season. He appeared in 64 games for Memphis, averaging 6.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per night while shooting 51.5% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range.
Huff will make $2.4MM and $2.7MM over the next two seasons, and his contract includes a $3MM player option for 2027/28.
The draft choice headed to Memphis will be a 2029 second-rounder that originally belonged to Portland, while the option for the second-round pick swap will take place in 2031, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Celtics Sign Josh Minott To Two-Year Deal
July 7: The Celtics have officially signed Minott, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
July 1: The Celtics and free agent forward Josh Minott have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $5MM, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The contract includes a team option, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
It’s the second time in two days the Celtics have agreed to a two-year, minimum-salary contract with a former Timberwolf who had his team option declined by Minnesota over the weekend — Boston also struck a deal with big man Luka Garza on Monday.
Minott, 22, was the 45th overall pick by Charlotte in 2022 and was traded to Minnesota on draft night. He was never able to earn a rotation spot with the Wolves, appearing in 93 total games in three seasons, including 46 this year, with career averages of 2.3 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per night.
The addition of Minott brings the Celtics’ roster to 15 players and pushes their projected team salary slightly back over the second tax apron, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). Boston won’t ultimately operate in second-apron territory and could duck back under by simply waiving a player on a non-guaranteed salary, though additional moves are likely.