Gary Trent Jr. Remains With Bucks On Two-Year Deal
July 8: Trent’s new contract is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
June 30: Free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. has agreed to a two-year, $7.5MM deal to remain with the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The second year includes a player option.
It’s slightly above the veteran’s minimum, so Milwaukee will apparently use its Non-Bird rights, which allows a team to re-sign a player for up to 120% of his previous salary or 120% of the league’s minimum salary (whichever is greater).
Trent played on the veteran’s minimum this past year despite being at least a part-time starter for Toronto the previous three seasons.
By getting a player option, Trent positions himself for another shot at free agency next summer when more teams are expected to have cap space.
Still just 26, Trent has been in the league since 2016. In his first season with the Bucks, he appeared in 74 games, making nine starts. He averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
Trent made 43.1 percent of his shots, including a near career-high 41.6 percent from deep. Of the 8.9 shots he took per game, a majority (5.9) were beyond the three-point arc.
After Damian Lillard went down with an Achilles injury, Trent had two huge offensive games in the playoffs. He scored 37 points in Game 3 against Indiana and 33 in Game 5 during Milwaukee’s first-round loss.
Hawks Sign Luke Kennard On One-Year Contract
July 8: The Hawks have made it official with Kennard, the team announced in a press release.
“We’re excited to add Luke to our group,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said in a statement. “Luke is a great connector. He’s an elite shooter and proven play-maker with a high basketball IQ and team-first mentality. He fills multiple needs for us, and we believe he’s going to make our team better.”
June 30: The Hawks are signing free agent wing Luke Kennard on a one-year, $11MM contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).
Quite a few teams were rumored to be interested in Kennard and he chose to go to the Hawks, who also agreed to a sign-and-trade on Monday to acquire another prominent wing, Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
The Hawks will use a majority of their mid-level exception to sign Kennard. The 29-year-old has long been regarded as one of the top 3-point shooters in the league. He has knocked down 43.8 percent of his 3s during his 460-game career.
Kennard appeared in 65 games with the Grizzlies this past season, the most action he’s seen since he played 70 games with the Clippers in 2021/22. He averaged 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while making 43.3 percent of his long-range shots in 2024/25.
Kennard will provide guard/forward depth to a Hawks team that’s clearly looking to move up in what appears to be a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Give Trae Young an assist: He helped recruit Kennard to Atlanta, Charania adds in another tweet.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Heads To Hawks In Sign-And-Trade
July 6: The sign-and-trade deal sending Alexander-Walker to Atlanta is complete, according to press releases from the Hawks and Timberwolves.
June 30: Free agent guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has agreed to a four-year, $62MM deal with the Hawks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).
The contract includes a fourth-year player option and a trade kicker, according to Charania (Twitter link).
The Hawks will acquire Alexander-Walker via a sign-and-trade using the $25MM trade exception created by last year’s Dejounte Murray trade, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). This will generate a trade exception for the Timberwolves worth half of Alexander-Walker’s starting salary.
The Timberwolves are also receiving cash considerations and a future second-rounder, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. The pick is the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-rounder, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
By going the sign-and-trade route, Atlanta will be able to preserve its non-taxpayer mid-level exception and still has room under the luxury tax line to make use of it.
The Hawks were considered the frontrunners to acquire Alexander-Walker after the Timberwolves reached agreements with two of their other prominent players, Naz Reid and Julius Randle. According to insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Trae Young was instrumental in recruiting NAW to Atlanta.
Alexander-Walker emerged as one of the biggest names on the free agent market due to his three-and-D skills. He had a 23-point, six-assist outing against OKC in the Western Conference Finals.
The 26-year-old appeared in every regular season game this season, including 10 starts, averaging 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He made 38.1 percent of his threes and has knocked down 36 percent of them in his career. He now slots in as the Hawks’ sixth man, backing up Dyson Daniels at shooting guard.
Clint Capela Agrees To Three-Year Contract With Rockets
9:12pm: The Rockets are acquiring Capela in a sign-and-trade with the Hawks, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who reports that Houston is giving Atlanta a second-round pick swap in 2031 and cash to complete the deal.
7:03pm: The Rockets continued to retool their frontcourt by agreeing to a three-year, $21.5MM contract with Hawks free agent Clint Capela, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The contract is fully guaranteed, Charania adds (Twitter link).
It’s no surprise that Capela, who lost his starting job in the second half of this past season, was leaving Atlanta. The Hawks are acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Celtics to be their starting big man, at least for next season.
Going to the Rockets, where he started his career, is somewhat of a surprise, given they already have one of the league’s top young big men in Alperen Sengun.
Houston also signed Steven Adams to a three-year extension in mid-June. Where Capela fits on the depth chart remains to be seen.
As for the contract terms, how they’ll acquire Capela is another mystery. Houston also agreed to a four-year deal with forward Dorian Finney-Smith on Monday, apparently via their non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That would mean the Rockets would have to work out a sign-and-trade to bring in Capela.
This past season, Capela started 41 of 55 games and averaged 8.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in 21.4 minutes. That was the first time in eight seasons Capela didn’t average a double-double. He was the Hawks’ regular starting center the previous four seasons after a six-year stay with Houston.
Kevon Looney Signs With Pelicans On Two-Year Deal
July 7: The Pelicans have put out a press release formally announcing their deal with Looney.
“Kevon Looney is an elite professional with a proven championship pedigree,” Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. “He is a warrior in the trenches and brings an incredible work ethic along with invaluable experience, toughness, and selfless leadership to our locker room. His commitment to doing the little things that win games embodies our team values, and we’re excited to welcome him to New Orleans.”
Looney’s new contract includes a second-year team option, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
June 30: Kevon Looney‘s lengthy stay with the Warriors is ending. The veteran big man has agreed to a two-year, $16MM contract with the Pelicans, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Looney joins a frontcourt that includes Yves Missi, late lottery pick Derik Queen, Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones, among others.
Looney is noted for his defensive work and durability. He has appeared in at least 74 games over the past four seasons, including 76 this past season.
He was on the second unit much of the season, as his minutes were cut to 15 per game while Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post saw their roles expand. Looney averaged 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Looney’s Pelicans debut will be his 600th career regular season appearances. He played a major role in Golden State’s run to the NBA championship in 2018 and 2022. He’s been on the Warriors’ roster since he was a late first-round pick in 2015.
The Pelicans will use a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Looney. The signing will hard-cap the team at the first tax apron.
Bulls Re-Sign Tre Jones On Three-Year Contract
July 6: The signing is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. The deal includes a third-year team option, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
June 30: The Bulls have agreed to a three-year deal worth $24MM with one of their own free agents, guard Tre Jones, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Jones was acquired at the trade deadline from the Spurs in the three-team swap that sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento. In 18 appearances with Chicago, including nine starts, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan repeatedly lauded the point guard down the stretch for his high basketball IQ and his knack for making winning plays.
This signing became increasingly likely in recent days. The agreed-upon deal sending Lonzo Ball to Cleveland opening up more backcourt minutes and Jones has an opportunity to fill them. Assuming restricted free agent Josh Giddey remains with the Bulls, Jones, entering his sixth NBA season, projects as the second unit point guard.
Jones spent his first four-and-a-half seasons with San Antonio. In 297 career regular season games, he has averaged 8.4 points and 4.7 assists in 21.7 minutes.
The Bulls held Jones’ Bird rights, so they won’t have to use any of their cap exceptions to complete the signing.
Pistons Re-Sign Paul Reed To Two-Year Deal
July 8: Reed has formally signed his new contract with the Pistons, according to the NBA’s official log of transactions.
June 30: The Pistons are bringing back free agent big man Paul Reed, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that the two sides are in agreement on a two-year, $11MM deal.
The second year of Reed’s new contract will be non-guaranteed, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
Reed is coming off a minimum-salary contract, so he has a minimum-salary cap hold, but Detroit holds Early Bird rights on him, cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (Twitter link). That means if the Pistons operate under the cap, they can use up all their room before going over the cap to finalize Reed’s deal.
Reed had a bizarre year regarding his contract situation. He was waived by the Sixers last season when they were trying to open up as much cap space as possible. The Pistons claimed him and picked up his $7.7MM salary, then waived him in December before it became fully guaranteed. They re-signed him that month on a more team-friendly deal.
Reed spent most of the season as the third-string center behind Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. After playing in every game with the Sixers the previous season, he only saw action in 45 games off the bench this past season. He averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game.
Reed also played five games off the bench against the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs after Stewart was sidelined with a knee injury.
Reed is expected to return to that role in the coming season. The Pistons will now concentrate on bigger free agents, a process that became more complicated when gambling allegations surfaced against sixth man and unrestricted free agent Malik Beasley.
Jazz Guarantee Svi Mykhailiuk’s Salary For Next Season
The Jazz have guaranteed the $3.68MM salary of Svi Mykhailiuk for next season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Utah had until today to decide whether to guarantee Mykhailiuk’s season or waive him. His contract, which he signed in August, runs through the 2027/28 season but the final two years are also non-guaranteed.
Utah has made several cost-cutting moves this week, including reaching a buyout agreement with Jordan Clarkson on Monday. However, the Jazz obviously believe Mykhailiuk’s low-cost contract is worth holding onto.
He appeared in 38 games this past season, including 13 starts. Mykhailiuk averaged 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point distance.
The Ukrainian wing has bounced around the league, as the Jazz are the 28-year-old’s eighth club in seven NBA seasons.
Mike Brown Getting Second Interview For Knicks Head Coaching Job
The Knicks, who are still looking to fill their head coaching position, are bringing back Mike Brown for a second interview, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. He’s the first candidate to get a follow-up interview but there could be more, Bondy adds.
He’s considered a “strong candidate” to get the job, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who confirms that Brown is receiving a second interview.
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.
Brown, who was fired by the Kings this past season, has been a head coach as far back as 2005, when Cleveland hired him. He had two head coaching stints with the Cavaliers, sandwiching a season with the Lakers. Brown was one of Steve Kerr’s top assistants with Golden State from 2016-22 before Sacramento hired him as its head coach.
The Kings had a 13-18 record when Brown was dismissed but the move didn’t produce the desired result, as Sacramento finished with a 40-42 mark.
The Knicks were rebuffed by numerous teams to interview their current coaches after they fired Tom Thibodeau despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brown reportedly has a close relationship with Knicks executive William Wesley, Bondy notes.
Eric Gordon Declining Option But Interested In Re-Signing With Sixers
Veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon is declining his $3.4MM player option in order to become an unrestricted free agent, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. However, it’s still possible Gordon will remain with the Sixers.
According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones (Twitter link), there’s mutual interest between Philadelphia’s front office and Gordon. The Sixers view him as a possible mentor to No. 3 overall pick V.J. Edgecombe.
If Gordon were to re-sign with the Sixers on a new one-year, minimum-salary contract, his salary would increase to $3.6MM while his cap hit would drop to $2.3MM. He signed a two-year deal at the veteran’s minimum last season.
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.