Leonard, Harden Signed Off On Paul Addition
Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles and the Clippers goes beyond sentimentality. Paul could be a piece to a championship puzzle as a key second-unit floor leader, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.
Paul signed a one-year contract for a second stint with the organization for which he played from 2011-17. He started for the Spurs all of last season but accepted a backup role offered by the Clippers.
“Chris takes care of the ball and runs an offense about as well as anyone who’s ever done it,” Frank said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “He’ll slot into our roster as a reserve point guard. There’ll be nights when Chris plays a lot, there’ll be nights he does not. Chris is excited to be here, to be part of the group, to help lead the group and to play when called on.”
Paul was looking to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. The 40-year-old had issues with James Harden when the two stars played in Houston but there’s no lingering bitterness. In fact, Harden felt Paul would be an ideal choice to back him up.
“When talking to James, talking to Kawhi (Leonard) … both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,” Frank said. “I think James is all about winning. … He thought that Chris would be a great fit for the team.”
This could be Paul’s last season and last chance to win a championship, a goal which has eluded him in his career.
“Well, I think there’s the nostalgic aspect,” Frank said, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “But I think the No. 1 question that we always say, is how can he help impact winning? … And yeah, look, there’s the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers’ rise to be able to bring it back. Whether this is his last year or not, that’s obviously Chris’ story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think No. 1 is his ability to help impact winning.”
Frank also touched on a few other topics during his Zoom session:
- Amir Coffey remains a free agent after appearing in 72 games with the Clippers last season. Jordan Miller, who starred in the Summer League for the Clippers, was waived earlier this month. Frank isn’t sure that the team will be able to bring back either player due to first apron concerns, Law Murray of The Athletic tweets. “If there’s an opportunity here, we’d love to be able to create it. If there isn’t, then we wish those guys nothing but the best,” Frank said.
- Frank believes there’s more quality players than rotation spots on the current roster, according to Murray (Twitter link). “We’ll probably have a nine-man rotation… but you have 11 quality players,” he said.
- The frontcourt, ball-handling and shooting were areas Frank was looking to upgrade this summer. He feels those goals have been achieved, Murray tweets. “I think we feel really, really good and excited about where we’re at, but you never stop,” he said. The Clippers traded for forward John Collins, signed guard Bradley Beal after he was bought out by Phoenix and also added veteran center Brook Lopez in free agency.
NBA Names Kyle Filipowski Summer League MVP, Announces All-SL Teams
Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski has officially been named the Summer League Most Valuable Player for 2025, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Filipowski is also one of five players who earned a spot on the All-Summer League first team.
Here are the full All-Summer League teams, per the league (Twitter links):
First Team
- Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)
- Nique Clifford (Kings)
- David Jones-Garcia (Spurs)
- Jordan Miller (Clippers)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)
Second Team
- Ron Holland (Pistons)
- Isaac Jones (Kings)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- Ajay Mitchell (Thunder)
- KJ Simpson (Hornets)
Filipowski, who is entering his second NBA season after playing 72 games as a rookie, appeared in a total of six Summer League contests (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas). He averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game. He especially excelled in Las Vegas, averaging 29.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG in three outings.
Clifford, a rookie drafted with the No. 24 pick last month, posted averages of 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in six contests. Jones-Garcia, who is seeking a contract, finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He posted averages of 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in a handful of games in Vegas.
Miller (22.0, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists) racked up impressive number in five summer games after being waived earlier this month by the Clippers. Entering his second season with Minnesota, Shannon (22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists) excelled in three contests.
After competing in the Summer League championship game on Sunday, both the Hornets (Knueppel and Simpson) and Kings (Clifford and Jones) had multiple players recognized for their play in Las Vegas. Knueppel was named the MVP of the championship game.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Beal, Paul, Harden
The Suns are comfortable with their current roster, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports, though they must make at least one more move.
Aided in large part by the Kevin Durant trade and the buyout of Bradley Beal‘s contract, the Suns have dropped under the tax aprons and can now aggregate contracts in a trade, do a sign-and-trade and use mid-level exceptions. However, it’s unlikely they’ll make another significant move.
While Rankin confirms the Suns have some interest in restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, they likely lack the draft capital and assets to pique the Warriors’ interest. Veteran free agents Russell Westbrook and Al Horford are not on their radar, Rankin adds.
Phoenix will have to add another player to the standard roster by the fall to meet the minimum of 14.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- What does the Suns‘ starting lineup look like after all the roster additions and subtractions? Rankin predicts Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn and Mark Williams will claim those spots. Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro and lottery pick Khaman Maluach project as the top reserve candidates.
- Beal, who joined the Clippers on a two-year, $11MM contract, has a 15 percent trade kicker as part of his new deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Beal officially signed with L.A. on Friday after clearing waivers.
- There’s no lingering friction between Chris Paul, who signed with the Clippers on Monday, and his former Rockets teammate James Harden, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. In fact, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank declared that Paul will back up Harden next season. Frank was intent this offseason on getting quality depth, considering his aging roster and the proliferation of injuries throughout the league. “I’ll knock on wood, but the reality is for any NBA team, the amount of times you have your top 10 all available is usually 21 to 25 times throughout the course of a year. So, you literally need everyone on your roster to be able to contribute,” Frank said.
Southeast Notes: Da Silva, Wagner, Bitadze, Knueppel, McNeeley, Heat
Magic forwards Tristan Da Silva and Franz Wagner have been named to Germany’s preliminary roster for this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
Wagner is one of the top players for Germany, which finished third at the competition in 2022. NBA veterans Dennis Schröder and Daniel Theis are also on the 16-man roster, which must be cut down to 12 for the tournament. Magic assistant coach Randy Gregory will serve as an assistant coach.
Orlando center Goga Bitadze will play for the Republic of Georgia at the event. The tournament will take place Aug. 27-Sept. 14 in Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets won the Las Vegas Summer League title and Kon Knueppel was named the tourney’s MVP. In doing so, Knueppel proved he had much to offer than just his ability to knock down jumpers, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. Late first-round pick Liam McNeeley played with a chip on his shoulder and he could prove to be a steal at No. 29 overall, Boone adds.
- The Heat essentially have one two-way contract available. Did any of the unsigned players on their Summer League roster earn that deal? The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang identifies five players — center Dain Dainja, forwards Javonte Cooke and Myron Gardner and guards Erik Stevenson and Bryson Warren — who deserve consideration for that spot.
- How does the current Heat roster stack up against their Eastern Conference peers? Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believes that Miami could finish anywhere from fifth to 10th in the East and identifies Cleveland and New York as the only clubs clearly better than the Heat, unless Philadelphia’s top players are healthy.
Hayden Gray Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Celtics
Rookie Hayden Gray has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Gray led Division I in steals last season, averaging 11.2 points, 3.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game in 35 starts for UC San Diego. Gray, a 6’4” guard, shot 47.9 percent overall and 41.8 percent on 3-point attempts. He was a two-year starter for the Tritons.
Gray was a member of the Celtics’ Summer League team and appeared in one game, posting seven points, two assists and two steals in 20 minutes.
“I’ve got pretty good anticipation, reading the ball-handler’s eyes, knowing where they want to go with it,” Gray told Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog. “I take pride in defense. A lot of teams are really focusing on creating more possessions, and I think I can do that by causing turnovers and also just being a floor general, handling the ball, and setting the table for everyone.”
If Gray is waived, he would be in line for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he joins the G League’s Maine Celtics and spends at least 60 days with Boston’s affiliate.
Summer League Standout David Jones-Garcia Turns Down Olympiacos Offer
David Jones-Garcia turned down a three-year offer from Olympiacos and let all other European suitors know he’s committed to continuing his NBA career, Dusty Garza of SpursReport tweets.
A report from Eurohoops.net confirms Jones-Garcia’s decision to pursue NBA opportunities.
Interest in Jones-Garcia, who doesn’t currently have an NBA deal, grew after some standout performances in the Las Vegas Summer League for the Spurs. The swingman averaged 21.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.2 SPG while shooting 52.9% from deep in five contests (24.9 MPG) this month.
After going undrafted out of Memphis in 2024, Jones-Garcia signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia last July but was waived in September. He also spent about a month-and-a-half on a two-way contract with the Jazz prior to being released on January 1.
The 23-year-old wing didn’t appear in any NBA games with Utah last season. However, he was one of the top performers in the G League, finishing runner-up in voting for NBAGL Rookie of the Year.
Jones-Garcia, who is from the Dominican Republic, was named to the All-California Classic Summer League team earlier this month after averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 47.1% from three-point range in three games for San Antonio.
Lakers Waive Two-Way Player Trey Jemison
The Lakers have waived two-way player Trey Jemison III, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register).
The Lakers have completely revamped their two-way roster. They reportedly are signing Christian Koloko and Chris Manon to fill two of those spots. Jemison held the third and final slot, so the Lakers are now free to sign another player to take his place.
That may have already been determined. The Lakers reportedly agreed to a two-way deal with former Villanova forward Eric Dixon shortly after he went undrafted in June, though the signing isn’t yet official.
Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January. The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with the Lakers, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans during the 2024/25 season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in ’23/24.
Overall, Jemison has 63 games of NBA experience (14 starts), averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game.
Suns Show ‘Exploratory Interest’ In Jonathan Kuminga
The Suns have expressed “exploratory interest” in a sign-and-trade acquisition of Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
After buying out Bradley Beal and using the stretch provision to gain some cap flexibility, the Suns contacted both Kuminga’s representation and the Warriors regarding a potential transaction. However, the Suns — who dropped under both tax aprons via Beal’s buyout — still face major obstacles in pulling off a deal for Kuminga.
Golden State wants some level of first-round draft compensation in any Kuminga trade and the Suns are lacking in draft capital, Fischer writes. The current Suns roster also doesn’t appear to feature the type of player that would interest the Warriors front office.
Phoenix’s interest in Kuminga stems back to the February trade deadline when the Warriors sought a potential trade for Kevin Durant.
It’s not out of the question that Kuminga could remain with Golden State, but one side or the other would have to blink. Agent Aaron Turner has held numerous discussions with Warriors officials in Las Vegas this month trying to secure a contract that pays at least $25MM in average annual salary, even in the short term, according to Fischer. The Warriors have been reluctant to meet that price in a long-term agreement.
In terms of other possible destinations for Kuminga, the Kings have seemingly shown the most interest but Kuminga’s camp has also held out hope for a potential sign-and-trade with the Bulls. That scenario has yet to materialize, as Chicago has its own concerns about trying to re-sign restricted free agent and starting point guard Josh Giddey.
New York Notes: Mann, Kolek, Demin, Wolf, Saraf
Veteran guard Terance Mann was acquired by the Nets from the Hawks in the three-team trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis from Boston to Atlanta. The main motivation for the Nets to take part in the deal was to acquire another first-rounder, which they used on Drake Powell.
Mann still has three years and $47MM remaining on his contract. He appeared in a combined 67 games with the Clippers and Hawks last season and is embracing a leadership role on a team filled with rookies and other young players.
“For sure. I’m the oldest on the team. Yeah, so definitely,” Mann told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “It’s definitely new for me coming from the Clippers, where guys were a lot older than me. So, it’s an adjustment for me, for sure. But I’m excited to embrace the journey, taking these guys under my wing, showing them how to be professionals.”
We have more on the New York teams:
- Heading into his second NBA season, Knicks guard Tyler Kolek bounced back from two subpar outings in Summer League play and lit up the Nets for 25 points, four steals and four assists on Tuesday. Kolek felt he was putting too much pressure on himself prior to Tuesday’s outburst. “When I’m playing at my best,” Kolek told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (subscription required), “I got that swagger, I got that s— to me.”
- The Nets collected their first Summer League win on Wednesday and Egor Demin and Danny Wolf were a big part of that success. Demin hit three key three-pointers in the late going and Wolf supplied 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. “I was just a little bit too sped up,” Wolf told Lewis. “I just went into this game with just a more relaxed mindset, just let the game come to me a little bit better and do what I do best and just play a little bit slower. And I think I did that to the best of my ability.”
- Nets first-round pick Ben Saraf is struggling to adjust to the NBA style so far, Lewis writes (subscription required). The Israeli guard played in Germany last season and has found out quickly he has a lot to learn to be an effective player at this level. “I think the spacing, the pace and the athleticism are the most different things,” Saraf said. He has shown some hesitance to shoot and has not made a three-pointer in four attempts. “In Germany we had a lot of threes, but it’s different. Yeah, we need to make adjustments. Me and all the other guys, and we will do it,” Saraf said.
Vasilije Micic Signs Three-Year Contract With Hapoel Tel Aviv
Vasilije Micic has signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv on a three-year contract, BasketNews.com relays. The contract will make Micic one of the highest-paid players in EuroLeague history. The Israeli club has officially announced the signing in a press release.
While Nadav Zenziper (Twitter link) reports that Micic’s deal is worth 18 million Euros over three years, Eurohoops indicates the value is closer to 14 million Euros. Either way, it’s said to be the most lucrative current contract for any EuroLeague player. Ofer Yannay, the owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv, also confirmed that the agreement will give Micic shares in the club.
Earlier this month, the Bucks bought out Micic shortly after he was acquired in a trade with the Hornets. Micic gave up $6.1MM of his $8.1MM salary in his buyout agreement in order to pursue overseas opportunities.
The former EuroLeague MVP struggled to make an impact during his two seasons in the NBA. In 101 total games for Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Phoenix, he averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 assists in 19.4 minutes per contest.
He only played five games off the bench for Phoenix before he was dealt to Charlotte, where he appeared in 36 games (16 starts). He averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 assists in 21.2 minutes per night with the Hornets.
“I am very excited to join Hapoel Tel Aviv and to be part of the historic upcoming season – the club’s debut in the Euroleague,” Micic said in a statement released by the club. “I was very impressed by the project that Hapoel is building: the ambitions and the clear vision for the future. It was a pleasure to chat with coach Dimitris Itoudis, I am looking forward to working with him. I hope to help the team succeed and meet the high expectations. I can’t wait to start, arrive in Tel Aviv and give my all for the team and the fantastic fans. Yalla Hapoel!”
Hapoel Tel Aviv reportedly beat out EuroLeague powerhouses Real Madrid, Olympiacos, and Fenerbahce to sign Micic.