Lillard Reunion With Blazers Facilitated By 2024 Meeting Between Agent, GM
The seeds for Damian Lillard‘s reunion with the Trail Blazers were planted during his first season with the Bucks, as ESPN’s Jamal Collier details.
Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, and Portland general manager Joe Cronin spoke in January 2024. During that conversation, they identified the gaps in their communication and agreed there were no hard feelings between the parties.
Lillard requested a trade to the Heat in the summer of 2023. When that trade failed to materialize by September, Goodwin told the Blazers that Lillard would stay in Portland. However, the front office wanted to resolve the situation by training camp and traded him to Milwaukee.
“More than anything, it was miscommunications and misunderstandings,” Lillard said. “Joe and I never talked about [a potential return]. It just sat out there and we let it be what it was, I think that was the mistake.”
Lillard always saw himself ending his career with the Blazers, even before he was dealt. The reunion came in unexpected fashion after Lillard suffered a torn Achilles during this past season’s playoffs. Milwaukee decided to waive him and use the stretch provision, allowing the Bucks to make a bold free agent signing, securing top available center Myles Turner.
Collier reports that trading Lillard had been a consideration for Milwaukee if he did not suffer a long-term injury. The Bucks’ front office considered a number of different strategies, with a Lillard trade viewed as a last-ditch attempt to find another star to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Lillard chose to return to Portland on a three-year, $42MM contract after being waived. Cronin met Lillard at his Portland home to check on how he was doing, both mentally and physically with the rehab of his torn Achilles and spoke of the team’s progress during its rebuild. At that time, Lillard expressed that he felt the Blazers were on the upswing. An agreement was reached a short time later.
Lillard is expected to spend the entire 2025/26 season rehabbing the injury. Goodwin believes he’ll come back strong.
“It’s Dame. I know Dame,” he said. “I know the desire. I know the fight. I know how hard he works. And I didn’t see this as anything that was going to shut down his career. It’s going to be something that was going to maybe even prolong his career because he goes so hard that he’s got to give his body a break.”
Mike Hopkins Joins Pelicans’ Coaching Staff
The Pelicans have hired Mike Hopkins as an assistant coach and head of player development, Pete Thamel of ESPN tweets. Hopkins joins Willie Green‘s staff after spending last season with the Suns as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer.
Prior to last season, Hopkins spent most of his career at the college ranks. He was the head coach at the University of Washington from 2017-24. He posted a 122–111 record with the Huskies, though they reached the NCAA Tournament just once during that time.
Prior to that opportunity, he was a longtime assistant under Jim Boeheim at his alma mater, Syracuse. Hopkins was on Boeheim’s staff from 1995-2017.
Green’s staff also includes associate head coach James Borrego and assistants Jarron Collins, Casey Hill, Aaron Miles, Corey Brewer and Jodie Meeks.
Trail Blazers Notes: Grant, Allen, Arena
With no apparent traction on a Jerami Grant trade, there’s a real chance the veteran forward will have to settle for a second-unit role with the Trail Blazers, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report writes in his latest mailbag (subscription required). Grant would be one of the most expensive reserves in the league — he’s entering the third season of a five-year, $160MM contract that includes a player option.
Highkin notes it would be tough to justify having Deni Avdija or Toumani Camara come off the bench, considering they were the team’s best players last season. Grant’s best option would be to rebuild his value after a subpar season and make it easier for the Blazers to trade him to a team that may want him as a starter.
Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:
- Jody Allen is running the team, though technically she’s not the owner, Bruce Schoenfeld of Sportico writes in an in-depth feature. She is the executor of Paul Allen’s estate and the sole trustee of his assets and is required by the terms of her brother’s will to eventually sell the team. While the Blazers announced in May that the franchise is for sale, Jody Allen doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to do so or to find out exactly how much the franchise is currently worth. Keeping the team in Portland is assumed to be a condition when the team is sold.
- The lease on the Moda Center expires in 2030 and Highkin speculates that the future ownership group will pressure the state for money to build a new arena. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said recently that “One of the factors there is that the city of Portland likely needs a new arena, so that will be part of the challenge for any new ownership group coming in.” Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson issued a joint open letter to Silver, suggesting instead that major renovations to Moda Center would suffice.
- In case you missed it, Damian Lillard will be the GM for Weber State’s men’s basketball program. Get the details here.
Heat Notes: Westbrook, Powell, Bridges, Herro, Fontecchio
Signing free agent guard Russell Westbrook wouldn’t make much sense for the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Winderman anticipates that Westbrook would rather sign with a team that has a stronger chance to contend.
Bringing in any free agent at this point creates salary cap and luxury tax issues for the Heat, according to Winderman, who also notes that Westbrook would likely to have to accept a role as the fourth guard in the rotation behind Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell.
We have more on the Heat:
- Powell, who was traded to the Heat by the Clippers last month, is training in South Florida but not with the Heat. He’s working out with the Jamaican national team, which is holding its training camp at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton to prepare for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas pre-qualifiers, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, “I was expecting training camp to be in Jamaica, but then I learned that it was in Boca. And then being traded to the Heat, being so close to where I’ll be playing and being able to go down there and go to the facility, look for a place to stay. … It’s definitely cool,” Powell said.
- Mikal Bridges‘ extension with the Knicks provides an interesting comp for future negotiations between the Heat and Herro, Winderman writes. While Bridges has never made an All-Star team or won an NBA award, unlike Herro, he’s a better two-way player. Bridges’ average of $37.5MM per season in his four-year extension still might not be enough to lock down Herro to a long-term agreement, notes Winderman.
- Also at The Sun Sentinel, Winderman explores whether it would make sense for the Heat to utilize the stretch provision before the Aug. 29 deadline, pointing out that they could move below the luxury tax line by shedding some salary. The primary candidate, in Winderman’s view, is Simone Fontecchio, who was acquired in the Duncan Robinson sign-and-trade with Detroit. He has an $8.3MM expiring contract which could be stretched at $2.7MM over each of the next three seasons.
Southwest Notes: Lively, Flagg, Giannis, Wembanyama, Sengun, Durant, Smith Jr.
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has only two years of NBA experience but he’s playing a mentorship role to top pick Cooper Flagg, according to Jake Rogers of Dallas Hoops Journal. Naturally, they have a college connection, as both were one-and-dones at Duke.
“I’ve probably known him for a couple of years now, at least two or three,” Lively said. “He’s always been the same smiling, joking kid. I’m glad he’s been able to stay grounded, not letting the spotlight overwhelm him. Whether he’s in the gym or hanging out at the house, he’s always just being Coop.”
Lively has stayed in frequent contact with Flagg since the draft.
“I’m making sure he feels as comfortable as possible, giving him any little detail or advice. I remember how frightened I was at 19. He’s only 18,” Lively said.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has carved out a Hall of Fame worthy career but he’s also into collecting memorabilia of other NBA superstars. His current target is Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, he told Brooks Peck of The Athletic during an appearance at the National Sports Collector Convention. “I want Wemby’s first rookie card ever,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think he’s gonna be one of the best players in the league in the next couple of years. I think he will have a very great career moving forward, so — maybe like a jersey, his first jersey or his first basketball shoe when he played his first NBA game, or the first ball that he played with and scored his very first point. You gotta go with Wemby, Steph (Curry), LeBron (James), MJ (Michael Jordan). Those are great investments.”
- Rockets center Alperen Sengun believes the offense will thrive with the addition of Kevin Durant. Sengun, who will play for Turkey in EuroBasket, made his comments to Anadolu, Turkey’s state-run news agency (hat tip to RocketsWire). “I’m excited to play with Durant. Everyone is excited to play with him. It doesn’t matter his age — ultimately, he’s Kevin Durant. I have no doubt he will bring a lot to the team,” Sengun said. “He’s very experienced, and we have some very young players. I think he’ll open up the game for us. He’s incredibly effective both offensively and defensively.”
- Along the same lines, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. said he believes playing with Durant will be a learning experience, RocketsWire relays via an interview with Space City Home Network’s Vanessa Richardson. “Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball,” Smith said. “It’s going to be great for me to learn from him, and see what he does, day-to-day… and just soak up as much game as I can. It’s going to be fun playing alongside him and going to battle with him.”
Wizards Waive Two-Way Player Jaylen Martin
The Wizards have opened up a two-way spot by waiving wing Jaylen Martin, the team’s PR department tweets.
Martin signed a two-year, two-way deal with Washington in February. The 6’6” Martin saw action in 13 games off the bench for the Wizards, averaging 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18 minutes per night.
Martin, 21, also made 31 regular season G League apperances for three different teams. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.9 minutes per game at that level. The Florida native went undrafted in 2023 after opting to play for Overtime Elite.
In his first professional season in 2023/24, Martin spent some time with the Knicks on a two-way deal. However, he didn’t appear in a game with the team. He then signed a two-year, two-way contract with Brooklyn in February 2024, but still didn’t make his NBA debut until last season ’24/25. Martin played just five minutes for the Nets across three outings before being waived in January.
Swingman Jamir Watkins and big man Tristan Vukcevic hold Washington’s other two-way roster spots.
Blazers’ Camara, Thunder’s Mitchell Won’t Play In EuroBasket
Toumani Camara and Ajay Mitchell won’t participate in EuroBasket for the Belgian national team, according to Eurohoops.net.
An announcement from the Belgium Basketball Federation provided more clarity on their decisions:
“Ajay Mitchell will not participate in the European Championship with the Belgian Lions. After a long and demanding season and a foot injury, he has decided to rest and recover for the new NBA season. He remains motivated to play for Belgium and looks forward to the opportunities that will arise in the coming years.
“Toumani Camara is also eager to play for the national team. However, this summer is not the ideal time to join the Belgian Lions, as he is focused on taking an important next step in his NBA career.”
Camara could be motivated by his NBA contract status. He’s one of the biggest bargains in the league. The Trail Blazers’ forward will make $2,221,677 in the upcoming season and the club holds an option for the 2026/27 season.
Camara is a prime candidate for a lucrative extension to wipe out the final year of that contract. He started 78 games last season, averaging 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Camara’s defensive versatility is his biggest strength. He was named to All-Defensive Second Team.
Mitchell earned All-Rookie Second Team honors for the league champion Thunder despite appearing in only 36 games. He missed 46 contests due to toe surgery. The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 6.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.7 SPG across 16.6 MPG.
Their absences will leave Belgium without a current NBA player for the upcoming tournament.
International Notes: EuroLeague, Lamb, George, Roberson
EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas is trying to talk the NBA and FIBA out of forming a new European league, he told The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov.
“We don’t need a new league. We are doing really good,” Motiejunas said. “The league is growing. We’re happy to go and do it together with NBA and continuously use their power to grow the basketball in Europe. So we’re open to that.”
Motiejunas held what he described as a positive meeting with NBA and FIBA reps and indicated another meeting would be held in September.
“They have a really strong image. They can help with TV deals,” Motiejunas said of a potential partnership with the NBA. “They can help with sponsorship. We can grow the pie bigger if we go and work together. This is always the same message. We need to care about the basketball, the basketball fan, and if we can monetize the game better — and we believe that with the NBA, we can do it better — that’s the strength that we could get them to bring in, and then it comes from that.
“But we have a huge fan base. We have 25 years of history. This is what we said to them. Why not sit down and see how we go and make decisions together, rather than just creating a new league and for them to start over? This is basically our message.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum have been holding meetings to discuss a new overseas league with potential stakeholders.
We have more international news:
- Former NBA forward Anthony Lamb has signed a two-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem, according to a team press release. Lamb played last season for Italy’s Trento, averaging 15.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. In EuroCup games, Lamb averaged 13.7 points and shot 40% from beyond the arc. Lamb played 62 games (four starts) for the Warriors during the 2022/23 season and averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per contest. He played for the New Zealand Breakers the following season and averaged 19.5 points per game until he injured his Achilles tendon.
- Wizards forward Kyshawn George, who is entering his second NBA season, will play for Canada in the FIBA AmeriCup in late August, Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star tweets. George is expected to have a featured role in the tournament, Osman adds. The 24th pick of the 2024 draft played 68 games with Washington in his rookie season, including 38 starts. He averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.5 minutes.
- Former NBA forward Andre Roberson is departing the EuroLeague and signing with Zenit St. Petersburg, according to Sportando. Roberson averaged 8.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game with ASVEL Villeurbanne. Robertson, 33, appeared in 307 NBA games but hasn’t been in the league since a five-game stint with Brooklyn during the 2020/21 season.
Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu Expects To Be Ready For Training Camp
Bulls swingman Ayo Dosunmu expects to be a full participant in training camp after his 2024/25 season was cut short by shoulder surgery, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports (subscription required).
Dosunmu underwent left shoulder surgery in early March. He had an estimated four-to-six month recovery window.
“I feel great,” Dosunmu said. “I feel right on schedule if not ahead. I’m just excited for these next couple of months to really get in even better shape and be able to go out there.”
Dosunmu has been cleared for contact and is looking forward to scrimmaging against teammates such as Coby White and Matas Buzelis later this summer when Bulls players host an informal mini-camp in Miami, according to Poe.
Dosunmu appeared in 46 games this past season, making 26 starts and averaging a career-high 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest with .492/.328/.785 shooting splits. His shoulder injury may partially explain why his three-point shooting dropped off from a 40.1% success rate the previous season.
The 25-year-old is entering the final year of his three-year, $21MM contract. He will make $7.5MM next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, unless he’s signed to an extension.
Dosunmu was nagged by a shoulder injury over the last two years. At some point, he fractured the anterior of his non-shooting shoulder, creating weakness in the socket. That led at times to partial dislocation, resulting in numbness.
He tried to play through the pain but he dislocated his shoulder in a Feb. 20 game against the Knicks and toughed it out a few more games before being shut down.
Dosunmu projects to play regular minutes at the two and three and could slot into the starting lineup alongside guards Josh Giddey and Coby White, as he did frequently last season. He’ll be battling Kevin Huerter and Isaac Okoro, among others, for playing time.
Latest On Jonathan Kuminga
The Kings have been linked to restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga for weeks but there’s little common ground in sign-and-trade talks with the Warriors.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick said on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast (hat tip to BasketNews) that Golden State isn’t interested in either DeMar DeRozan or Devin Carter as part of a trade package.
“My understanding is the Warriors weren’t interested in Carter or DeRozan. As of a couple of weeks ago, the Kings weren’t willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range,” Amick said.
Multiple reports have indicated Kuminga and his agent are seeking a contract in the $30MM range annually.
The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reports that the Kings have not given up in their pursuit of a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga and offered Golden State a package of Carter, Dario Saric and draft compensation, which could include a protected first-round pick or multiple second-round picks.
Anderson speculates the Warriors would likely make a deal with Sacramento if the Kings were willing to add Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis to the mix. However, Anderson hears that Murray and Ellis have not been discussed in those negotiations and are considered off limits by the Kings.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported last week that the Warriors would like to add a talented young player and a first-rounder for Kuminga. The Suns have been identified as another suitor for Kuminga but don’t possess the draft capital Golden State is seeking.
Slater added in a radio interview relayed by Anderson that the 22-year-old forward came away with a good impression after a recent meeting with Kings representatives, which included general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and head coach Doug Christie.
“He’s open-minded to the idea of Sacramento. … I think part of that – I know part of that pitch – is you’re talking starting role, you’re talking bigger opportunity than the Warriors are necessarily offering right now. And I think that’s the part that shouldn’t get lost in this situation,” Slater said. “Jonathan Kuminga isn’t just looking for the exact contract he wants in free agency. He’s looking for the opportunity he wants on the court.”
Slater and ESPN’s Shams Charania report that the Warriors are making a stronger push to resolve the Kuminga impasse but he continues to reject their two-year, $45MM contract offer. Kuminga’s decision is due in large part to the Warriors’ insistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause, the ESPN duo adds.
His agent, Aaron Turner, presented the Warriors several proposals this month, including a three-year deal worth around $82MM that would allow them to stay below the second tax apron.
The Suns have been the most aggressive team pursuing Kuminga, including a proposal of up to four years and approximately $90MM for Kuminga with a player option for the final season, per ESPN’s report.
In recent days, Golden State has begun signaling a plan to cut off sign-and-trade conversations entirely, according to Charania and Slater. The Warriors have the ability to play hard ball with Kuminga, figuring he could either accept their contract offer or sign his qualifying offer of $7.9MM and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.