Trendon Watford Joins Sixers On Two-Year Deal
July 2: Watford’s two-year, minimum-salary deal is official, per a press release from the Sixers.
“Trendon is a young, dynamic player with a unique skill set who fits nicely with what we’re trying to accomplish on both sides of the ball,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in a statement. “His size and versatility allow him to guard multiple positions, while his handle and passing showcase his play-making ability. He is a valued addition to our roster and I’m excited to welcome him to Philadelphia.”
Watford’s new contract includes a team option on year two, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
June 30: Trendon Watford is leaving the Nets and joining another Atlantic Division team, the Sixers, on a two-year deal worth $5.3MM, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
That figures to be a minimum-salary contract for Watford — a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal for a player with his four years of experience will come in at $5.26MM.
Watford played two seasons in Portland, then joined the Nets after the Trail Blazers waived him prior to the 2023/24 season. He has appeared in a combined 107 games with Brooklyn over the past two years.
This past season, Watford averaged a career-high best 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.8 minutes per game. He missed six weeks action due to a hamstring injury.
Watford could see rotation minutes at power forward with the Sixers, depending on how their roster shakes out this offseason. If he can carve out a role, Watford’s contract could rank as a big bargain.
Free Agency Notes: Cancar, Nuggets, Turner, Middle Class, Spending Power
Veteran forward Vlatko Cancar is expected to leave the Nuggets and head to Europe next season, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports. The Italian team Olimpia Milano has emerged as the leading candidate to sign Cancar, Urbonas adds, with a report from Aris Barkas of Eurohoops suggesting the two sides are on track to complete a two-year deal.
Cancar, 28, has spent the past five seasons with Denver. He has battled health problems in recent years, having missed all of 2023/24 due to a torn ACL and then undergoing another knee surgery this past season. In 13 total appearances in 2024/25, he averaged 1.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11 minutes per contest.
Cancar is an unrestricted free agent after playing on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal.
Here’s more news on the free agent front:
- Nikola Jokic lamented the Nuggets’ lack of depth after the team was eliminated by the Thunder in the playoffs. That issue has been addressed, as The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando notes (subscription required). Denver agreed to trade Michael Porter Jr. and replace him with Cameron Johnson from the Nets, made another agreed-upon trade for big man Jonas Valanciunas, and reached agreements with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown in free agency.
- Despite a report from the Indianapolis Star’s suggesting they went higher, both The Athletic and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) contend that the Pacers’ best offer to Myles Turner was in the $20-22MM per year range. Turner agreed to a four-year, $107MM deal with Central Division rival Milwaukee on Tuesday. According to Spencer Davies of RG.org, Turner would have stayed in Indiana for $25MM per year, but the organization held firm, offering a three-year, $66MM contract, with no player option on year four.
- The Athletic’s John Hollinger notes that the league “middle class,” solid rotation players but not superstars, are doing surprisingly well in free agency. He points out that eight such players received some or all of a team’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception on the first day of free agency.
- Factoring in all the reported moves prior to Wednesday, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith examines the remaining spending power of all the Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams.
And-Ones: Kokoskov, Luxury Tax Payments, 2026 Mock, Injuries, NBA TV
Hawks assistant Igor Kokoskov is leaving his position to become head coach of Turkish League team Anadolu Efes, according to Eurohoops.net. Kokoskov has signed a three-year contract.
Kokoskov has been an assistant in the NBA for 19 years, along with a stint as the head coach of the Suns during the 2018/19 season. He was also a head coach in the EuroLeague with Fenerbahce during the 2020/21 season.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- How much did NBA teams who stayed below the luxury tax get rewarded for keeping their salaries below the line? Non-tax teams collected $11,530,235 from the taxpaying clubs, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report tweets.
- Is it too early to talk about the 2026 draft class? Not for draft experts like The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie. He’s posted his first 2026 mock with Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and BYU wing A.J. Dybantsa occupying the top three spots.
- Thunder executive Sam Presti believes there’s a direct correlation between the number of games played and injuries. Presti mentioned the NBA’s 65-game rule to qualify for certain awards, the condensed schedule due to the in-season tournament and the recent uptick in physicality allowed by the league, according to an ESPN story.“I think the one thing we have to do is get away from the defensive nature of trying to convince people, players and teams that there’s no connection between the loads and the injuries,” Presti said. “I think it’s — we’re kind of bordering on a level of like, it’s almost insulting.”
- TNT Sports will cease production efforts on NBA TV at the end of the league’s calendar year in September, according to the Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp. The league will begin operating the network starting Oct. 1. It will continue to carry some regular-season games during the 2025/26 season, plus WNBA, G League and other games from international leagues. One key element is that there will be far fewer live games on NBA TV once the new media-rights deal kicks in this fall with ESPN/ABC, NBC Sports and Prime Video, Karp adds.
Cavs Re-Sign Luke Travers On Two-Way Contract
The Cavaliers have re-signed forward Luke Travers on a two-way contract, according to the NBA transactions log.
Travers received a qualifying offer and apparently accepted that offer to remain on a two-way deal. The qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.
Drafted 56th overall in 2022, Travers played 12 games with the NBA club this past season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.3 minutes. Travers was an Australian draft-and-stash prospect and joined the Cavs on a two-way deal last offseason, though he has been part of their Summer League team for three seasons.
Travers appeared in 21 regular season games with the G League’s Cleveland Charge, averaging 17.0 points, 9.9. rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in 34 minutes per game.
The Cavs now have a pair of players on two-way contracts, with Travers joining Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
Eric Gordon Re-Signs With Sixers On One-Year Deal
The Sixers have officially re-signed veteran guard Eric Gordon, according to team press release. It’s a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal worth $3.6MM, Sixers beat reporter Derek Bodner tweets.
Gordon declined his $3.47MM option in order to become a free agent but there was reported interest in a reunion and it has come to fruition.
Turning down that option and re-signing on a one-year, minimum-salary deal is a win-win for Gordon and the Sixers. He’ll earn a slightly higher minimum salary ($3.63MM) by inking a new contract, and because the deal just covers one year, the NBA will reimburse the team for a portion of that salary, meaning Philadelphia’s cap hit will be just $2.3MM.
Gordon, who turns 37 on Christmas Day, is coming off an injury-marred season. He posted career-low averages of 6.8 points and 19.7 minutes per game, though he shot it well from three-point land (40.9%). He only appeared in 39 games before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic right wrist surgery on Feb. 26.
Gordon has appeared in 925 regular season games during his career, which began in 2008 with the Clippers. He’s averaged 15.3 points during his career and never averaged fewer than 11 points per game until this past season.
Minimum-salary contracts are among the types of deals that can be officially completed during the July moratorium, which is why the 76ers were able to formally announce Gordon’s new contract.
Western Notes: Kidd, Collins, Bailey, Harper
The Mavericks are expected to extend head coach Jason Kidd‘s contract again before the start of next season, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line report (via Substack). Kidd received an extension after last season and general manager Nico Harrison indicated last week that Kidd would remain the team’s head coach next season.
Of course, the Knicks were interested in talking to Kidd about their head coaching vacancy. Although the Mavericks denied the Knicks’ request to speak to their head coach, there has been persistent speculation that Kidd would wind up in New York unless he received an extension.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Jazz big man John Collins picked up his $26.5MM option last week. That probably means he’ll remain on Utah’s roster entering next season, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who tweets that there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for Collins, who averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this past season, but he was limited to 40 games and didn’t return after suffering a left ankle sprain on March 12.
- Jazz lottery pick Ace Bailey didn’t work out for the team amid reports that his preferred destination was Washington. Bailey expressed surprise when Utah drafted him but he claims he never considered not reporting to the club. “Not at all,” Bailey said in a press conference on Sunday, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I mean, just blessed to be in this position. Not a lot of people sit in these chairs and have great teammates as I got on (here). So I’m just blessed to be here.”
- No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, Bailey’s teammate at Rutgers, predicts the Spurs will make the postseason next season, according to ESPN’s Michael C Wright. “That’s going to change really quick,” Harper said of San Antonio’s recent struggles. “We’re going to make the playoffs. I think for the Spurs fans and everyone else, our group is very exciting. There’s a lot to look forward to. The sky’s the limit for this group we’ve got.” Harper could become the team’s third consecutive Rookie of the Year Award winner. “I don’t think I feel no pressure [to win ROY], but I definitely want to keep that going,” Harper said. “That’s definitely a goal of mine.”
Jaxson Robinson To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Cavs
Undrafted rookie Jaxson Robinson has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavaliers, Jon Chepkevich of Draft Express tweets.
The well-traveled Robinson played for four Division I teams during his college career. He suited up for Texas A&M, Arkansas and BYU before winding up at Kentucky last season.
He started 24 games for the Wildcats, averaging 13 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 28 minutes per game. He shot 43.2 percent from the field and 37.6 percent on 3-point tries.
Robinson’s season was cut short by an injury. He suffered a torn ECU tendon in his right wrist during a practice collision in February and underwent surgery in early March.
Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed but include bonuses of up to $85K if the player is waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate. In Robinson’s case, that G League team would be the Cleveland Charge. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, so Davis will try to make his case for a promotion during Summer League and training camp.
Mike Brown Considered Frontrunner For Knicks Job
Former Cavaliers, Lakers and Kings head coach Mike Brown is considered the favorite to become the Knicks‘ head coach, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
The New York Post reported on Monday that Brown would be the first candidate to receive a second interview. Brown has been in New York for the past two days, according to The Stein Line. They also report that the Knicks have been telling free agents since the market opened on Monday that their lengthy search to replace Tom Thibodeau is nearing an end.
However, Brown still needs a solid endorsement from Knicks owner James Dolan before he’ll get the job.
Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori and James Borrego are also known to have interviewed for the head coaching position. Jenkins was let go by the Grizzlies late in the regular season. Nori is one of the Timberwolves top assistants, while Borrego is New Orleans’ associate head coach after a stint as the Hornets head coach.
One scenario that the Knicks are considering is hiring Brown as their new head coach and adding Borrego as Brown’s top assistant.
The Stein Line has also hears that Rick Brunson, father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson, is expected to remain part of the Knicks’ coaching staff, as well as some of Thibodeau’s other assistants.
Heat Sign-And-Trade Duncan Robinson To Pistons
July 7: The sign-and-trade deal sending Robinson from Miami to Detroit in exchange for Fontecchio is now official, according to a press release from the Pistons (Twitter link).
July 1: Free agent wing Duncan Robinson is headed to the Pistons on a three-year, $48MM contract via a sign-and-trade, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). Detroit is sending backup forward Simone Fontecchio to Miami in the deal, Charania adds in another tweet.
While there are no options on the third year of the deal, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter links), it’s only partially guaranteed in year two and non-guaranteed in year three. Contracts signed via sign-and-trade must cover at least three seasons.
Robinson terminated his contract with the Heat in order to become a free agent. Had Robinson opted into the final year of his deal, his $19.9MM salary for ’25/26 would have become partially guaranteed for $9.9MM, which would have forced Miami to decide whether to guarantee his remaining $10MM or waive him in order to create $10MM in savings.
He’ll now join a Pistons team in need of shooting after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder in free agency while their top three-point threat this past season and another unrestricted free agent, Malik Beasley, is under investigation on gambling allegations.
Beasley was said to be in serious talks with the Pistons about a three-year, $42MM contract before word broke about the gambling allegations. It seems that money – and potentially a little extra, if he plays out the full contract – is going to Robinson instead.
Detroit secured a two-year agreement on Monday with Hawks free agent wing Caris LeVert, who like Robinson played his college ball at the University of Michigan. The LeVert deal is expected to be completed using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Robinson, 31, brings one major talent to the table — the ability to stretch the floor. He has knocked down 39.7 percent of his three-point tries during his 423-game NBA regular-season career.
Robinson made 74 appearances this past season, half of which were starts. He averaged 11 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 24.1 minutes per game. He shot 43.7 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from distance.
Fontecchio appeared in 75 games with the Pistons, all off the bench. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game but made a disappointing 33.5 percent of his threes after knocking down 40.1 percent in 66 games with Utah and Detroit the previous season. Fontecchio has one year and $8.3MM left on his contract.
Detroit needed to send out at least $7.5MM in matching salary to make the sign-and-trade work and Fontecchio’s contract fits nicely, cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (Twitter links). The Heat will also come out with a trade exception in the deal, which Gozlan estimates will be worth $6.9MM.
The Heat now have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, while the Pistons are still operating with a few open roster spots and plenty of spending flexibility below the tax threshold.
Larry Nance Jr. Returns To Cavaliers
July 6: Nance has officially finalized his new deal with the Cavaliers, per a press release from the team.
July 1: Veteran forward Larry Nance Jr., who finished the season with the Hawks, is signing a free agent contract with the Cavaliers, Marc Stein of The Stein Line tweets.
It’s a one-year agreement, per ESPN. As a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can only offer Nance a veteran’s minimum deal.
The journeyman, an Ohio native, will enter his second stint with Cleveland. He played for the Cavaliers from 2017-21.
Nance, 32, appeared in just 24 games in his lone season with Atlanta after two-plus years with New Orleans. The big man underwent surgery for a broken bone in his right hand in January and had his season cut short by a knee ailment. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per game.
Nance has long been valued for his toughness, rebounding and locker room leadership. He could see action at both power positions behind starters Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Nance is taking a significant pay cut, as he made $11.2MM last season.
He had been the No. 44 free agent on our top-50 list.