Joe Ingles Signs Two-Year Contract With Magic
JULY 7: Ingles has officially signed with the Magic, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
JUNE 30: Free agent swingman Joe Ingles is joining the Magic on a two-year, $22MM contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported earlier (Twitter link) that the two sides were close to an agreement. Similar to the deals Orlando reached with Gary Harris and Mohamed Bamba last offseason, the Magic will hold an option on the second year of Ingles’ contract, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. Harris had his 2023/24 salary guaranteed by the Magic earlier in the day.
He’ll add a veteran presence off the bench at the wing positions in Orlando.
Ingles spent last season with the Bucks, seeing action in 46 games off the bench. He averaged 6.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 22.7 minutes. He also saw action in five postseason games.
Ingles tore the ACL in his left knee the previous season while playing for the Jazz. Ingles, 35, played regularly for eight seasons in Utah.
Timberwolves Sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Troy Brown
JULY 9: Both signings are now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
JUNE 30: The Timberwolves have reached agreements with free agents Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Troy Brown.
Alexander-Walker is re-signing with Minnesota on a two-year deal, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Brown is leaving the Lakers to join the Timberwolves, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
The Wolves declined to give Alexander-Walker a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent but will re-sign him using his Bird rights on a two-year, $9MM deal, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
According to Mike Singer of Denver Post (Twitter link), Brown will get a two-year contract worth north of $8MM, with a second-year team option. The Wolves will have to use a cap exception – either the mid-level or bi-annual – to complete that signing.
Alexander-Walker, acquired in a deadline deal from Utah, appeared in 23 games off the bench for Minnesota last season. He averaged 5.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 15.5 minutes. He’ll add depth behind starting shooting guard Anthony Edwards.
Brown, 23, played a prominent role for Los Angeles last season, appearing in 76 games, including 45 starts. He averaged 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 24.5 minutes and made a career-best 38.1% of his 3-point attempts. The 6’6” Brown previously played for Washington and Chicago and could start or play a second-unit role with the Timberwolves.
In essence, he swapped places with former Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Lakers.
Raptors Re-Sign Jakob Poeltl To Four-Year Contract
JULY 6: The Raptors have officially re-signed Poeltl, the team announced today in a press release.
“Jakob brought an immediate presence on the floor when he returned to us last season. He’s a smart, hard-nosed rim protector,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “We have been strong believers in Jakob as a player and as an individual since day one, and we are thrilled that he will be a Raptor for years to come.”
JUNE 30: The Raptors accomplished one of their offseason priorities, as they reached a four-year agreement with center Jakob Poeltl, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The contract is worth $80MM and includes a player option in the fourth year.
Toronto was intent on retaining Poeltl after re-acquiring him from the Spurs last season. Poeltl, who played his first two seasons with Toronto before a 4 1/2-year stint with San Antonio, averaged 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in 26 games with the Raptors last season.
Poeltl stabilized a position that had been in flux for several seasons. The Rockets and Spurs were reported to have interest in Poeltl, 27, but he obviously felt comfortable staying with the Raptors in the prime of his career.
Jevon Carter Signs Three-Year Deal With Bulls
JULY 10: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
JUNE 30: Guard Jevon Carter is joining the Bulls on a three-year deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The Bulls are using a portion of their $12.4MM mid-level exception to secure Carter’s services.
Woj says the deal is worth $20MM, while Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report say it’s around $19MM (Twitter link), so there may be incentives within the deal. Chicago is now projected to be $9MM below the luxury tax and are hard-capped, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. The Bulls are also $15MM below the first tax apron.
Carter is coming off a career year in which he appeared in all but one of Milwaukee’s regular-season games. The defensive-minded Carter started 39 of those games. Overall, he averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Carter entered the free agent market by declining his $2.24MM option. Financially, it was obviously the right move for Carter, who now joins a seemingly crowded Bulls backcourt, depending on their other moves this offseason. Chicago has also reached an agreement with its own free agent guard, Coby White.
Suns Sign Four Free Agents
JULY 11: The Suns have officially signed Okogie, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets.
“Josh plays with relentless energy. His grit, intensity and athleticism are vital to the success of our team,” Jones said in a statement. “He consistently makes winning plays on both ends of the floor. He is truly unique.”
JULY 7: After officially signing Eubanks and Bates-Diop earlier in the week, the Suns have finalized Lee’s deal as well, per a press release.
“Damion’s elite three-point shooting, championship experience and toughness help elevate our team,” general manager James Jones said in a statement. “His leadership and professionalism are pivotal as we pursue an NBA title.”
JUNE 30: The Suns have reached agreements with four free agents, including two of their own.
Forward Josh Okogie is re-signing with the Suns, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report tweets. Guard Damion Lee is also returning on a two-year deal with a player option for the second season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Power forward Drew Eubanks is leaving the Trail Blazers to sign a two-year deal with a player option, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweets. Spurs forward Keita Bates-Diop is signing with Phoenix on a two-year, $5MM contract that also features an option, Wojnarowski tweets. Bates-Diop will have a chance to earn a starting spot — presumably, he’ll battle Okogie to start alongside Kevin Durant.
Okogie started in 26 of 72 regular-season games last season for the Suns, averaging 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.8 minutes. He also started in half of their 10 postseason games.
Lee saw action in 74 of Phoenix’s regular-season games and averaged 8.2 points in 20.4 minutes. He made a career-best 44.5% of his 3-point attempts.
Eubanks averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20.3 minutes while appearing in 78 of Portland’s games, including 28 starts. He figures to play backup minutes at power forward and perhaps center. Bates-Diop started 42 of the 67 games in which he played for San Antonio last season. He averaged a career-best 9.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 21.7 minutes.
Trey Lyles Re-Signs With Kings On Two-Year Deal
July 7: Lyles’ two-year deal is official, the Kings announced (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 News).
June 30: Power forward Trey Lyles is re-signing with the Kings, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report tweets. It’s a two-year deal, James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com tweets.
The base value of the contract is $16MM, plus bonuses, Sam Amick of The Athletic tweets. There are no team or player options in the deal.
Lyles proved to be a valuable reserve for a franchise that finally ended its long postseason drought this past season. Lyles expressed his desire to stay late last season, saying he felt “at home” in Sacramento. Lyles has also played for Utah, Denver, San Antonio and Detroit.
Lyles appeared in 74 regular season games off the bench for Sacramento, averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. Lyles, who also saw action in seven postseason contests, played for a modest $2.625MM salary last season.
Eastern Notes: Dinwiddie, Bol, Pistons, Harris, Heat, Maxey
Spencer Dinwiddie is eligible for an extension later this offseason and there’s support within the Nets organization to add years to his current contract, according to Ian Begley of SNY.TV.
Dinwiddie is entering his walk year with a cap hit of $20,357,143. After being reacquired from Dallas last season, Dinwiddie started 26 regular-season games and averaged 16.5 points and 9.1 assists in 35.3 minutes.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Magic have pushed back their decision regarding Bol Bol‘s contract, Jamie Seh of WKMG-TV tweets. Bol has a non-guaranteed $2.2MM salary for next season and the original deadline to guarantee his deal was Friday. If they don’t guarantee his contract, he’ll end up on waivers.
- By trading for Joe Harris and his expiring contract rather than pursuing a high-level free agent, the Pistons are protecting the cap space for next summer while avoiding a potentially bad contract, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. Handing a huge offer sheet to restricted free agent Cameron Johnson, as had been anticipated, would have meant overpaying for a role player. They could easily have $60MM in cap space to play with next summer for a better free agent market. Detroit won’t give up a player to the Nets in the trade for Harris, who will provide shooting and wing depth.
- Agent Mark Bartelstein said Harris has spoken with Pistons GM Troy Weaver, coach Monty Williams and executive Arn Tellem, Mark Medina tweets. According to Bartelstein, the Pistons have wanted Harris “for a couple of years” and “he’ll have a great role there.”
- The Heat only have veteran’s minimum contracts to offer to free agents, Barry Jackson of Miami Herald tweets. The cap-strapped Heat don’t have a trade lined up to clear enough cap space to use exceptions within league cap rules.
- While the Sixers aren’t expected to pursue a rookie scale extension with Tyrese Maxey, they haven’t made him available in trade discussions, Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice tweets.
Free Agent Rumors: Lopez, Rockets, DiVincenzo, Warriors, Saric, Mavs, Gordon, FVV, More
Bucks center Brook Lopez is expected to be offered a two-year contract worth approximately $40MM from the Rockets, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports.
Houston, which has the most cap space this summer, has a meeting lined up with Lopez. The veteran center’s free agent decision is expected to come down to remaining in Milwaukee or joining the Rockets. The Rockets have a 20-year-old center in Alperen Sengun, a 2021 first-rounder, but Lopez could serve as a mentor to Houston’s youthful big men while stabilizing its defense and stretching the floor offensively.
We have more free agent news:
- Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo has four meetings lined up on Friday and Saturday, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets. DiVincenzo entered the market when he declined his $4.7MM option. The Knicks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Pistons, Rockets, Magic, and Bulls have all been mentioned as potential pursuers for DiVincenzo, who could command the full $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Warriors can only offer a four-year, $23.2MM deal due to cap restrictions since they only held his Non-Bird rights.
- The Warriors are likely to land unrestricted free agent Dario Saric, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Golden State is looking for a stretch four with a high basketball IQ and solid all-around skills. The 29-year-old Saric would also fit the team’s win-now approach. Saric, who tore his ACL during the 2021 playoffs, appeared in a total of 57 regular-season games with the Suns and Thunder this past season. The Warriors are generally seeking to sign swingmen and frontcourt players who shoot well on veteran’s minimum contracts, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears tweets.
- Celtics restricted free agent Grant Williams will likely have to be patient to find an interested bidder, according to Fischer. Though the Celtics have acquired Kristaps Porzingis, it’s not out of the question Boston could match an offer sheet for Williams, who reportedly will have difficulty finding an offer above the non-taypayer mid-level exception.
- The Mavericks has been linked to various wings and forwards, including Williams, Jae Crowder, Eric Gordon, and Malik Beasley, Fischer adds. League executives who have spoken to Yahoo Sports believe Gordon, who will enter the market after the Clippers decided not to guarantee his contract, could command the full mid-level or close to it.
- Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is meeting with Toronto’s brass at the start of free agency and there’s optimism within the organization they can keep him in the fold, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets. According to Grange, a four-year deal averaging $30MM might be enough to convince VanVleet, who declined a $22.8MM option in order to enter free agency, to re-sign.
Sixers Not Expected To Pursue Extension With Tyrese Maxey This Offseason
The Sixers are not expected to sign guard Tyrese Maxey to a rookie scale extension this offseason, Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice reports.
Their thinking is based upon maintaining financial flexibility, rather than how they evaluate Maxey’s worth. Except for Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, Maxey is the top young player on the roster.
Philadelphia views him as a long-term core piece but by holding off on a Maxey extension the team can potentially clear a path to another max slot next offseason. The Sixers are aiming to be major players in next year’s free agent market, particularly since Tobias Harris‘ expiring contract will be coming off their books (assuming he’s not traded). Currently, Embiid and P.J. Tucker are the only players on the roster with guaranteed contracts for the 2024/25 season.
Signing Maxey to a rookie scale extension this offseason would limit the amount of cap space the Sixers could open up for next summer. Maxey, the No. 21 pick in the 2020 draft, will make $4,343,920 next season.
Without an extension, Maxey would enter restricted free agency with a relatively modest $13MM cap hold. If he signed an extension before next season starting at $30MM, as an example, the Sixers would lose $17MM in cap space, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (Twitter link).
The team’s interest in retaining Maxey long-term doesn’t depend of whether James Harden is traded or remains with the Sixers on what would be an expiring contract. However, the franchise may be taking somewhat of a risk of alienating Maxey by not locking him via an extension before next season.
Maxey appeared in 60 regular season games in his third NBA season and averaged 20.3 points and 3.5 assists in 33.6 minutes per game. He also averaged 20.5 points in 11 postseason contests.
Coby White Likely To Re-Sign With Bulls
Restricted free agent Coby White is considered likely to re-sign with the Bulls on a three-year deal, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports. The contract is expected to be worth more than $30MM, according to Fischer.
Chicago made White a restricted free agent by extending him a $7,744,600 qualifying offer on Wednesday.
White is entering his fifth season in the NBA after being drafted by the Bulls with the No. 7 overall pick in 2019. While he hasn’t lived up to his draft status, White has been a regular part of the Bulls’ rotation in his four pro seasons.
White saw action in a career-high 74 games (two starts) last season. He averaged a career-low 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 23.4 minutes per game. Overall, he’s appeared in 269 career regular-season games, averaging 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
The combo guard figures to retain at least a second-unit spot, given Lonzo Ball‘s ongoing knee issues. The Bulls are interested in re-signing unrestricted free agent Patrick Beverley, who jumped into the starting lineup after being signed on the buyout market last season.
However, Beverley has another potential suitor in the Celtics, according to Fischer. Boston traded away Marcus Smart to Memphis in the Kristaps Porzingis three-team blockbuster and the Clippers have reportedly shown renewed interest in Malcolm Brogdon.
Beverley joined the Bulls last season after he was bought out by Orlando and started 22 games. He was dealt by the Lakers in a four-team swap at the trade deadline.